I considered using a complex profile and a curved wall but the profile would merely be extruded along the curve not normal to it.
I could do it with GDL, but since there isn't a command to allow for a bprism with multiple radii, the maths would get a bit harry.
Thoughts?
Rod wrote:Right now there's a factor of 3 between exchange rate and PPP - before the economy opened out in the early '90s, it was probably around 5, so yeah, we should get close enough in another 20 or so years - unless the US economy tanks completely in which case the whole world will go into a spin and "we will all go down together".
I appreciate more now you explain an even more valid point about exchange rates/purchasing power.
The way the US economy is going you may have parity soon
Dwight wrote:Hi Dwight,
Without trying to sound like an angry idiot, my initial reaction was:
"Yeah, that's rough. OBJECTIVE, and my book and all of the other Archicad add-ons seem expensive for our colleagues in India, but those of us who live in the Western world have to make a living, too, now that the international electronically-connected world pursues basic rendering and drafting jobs for a fraction of our billing rates. [According the the weekly promotions I receive in my email]"
You can't afford add-ons and I can't heat my house [for example].
OBJECTIVE is a totally unique and powerful tool that pays itself overandover compensating for Archicad's horrific modeling deficiencies, unlike my books, say, where you could use time [like i did] to discover these things for yourself.
Even at the equivalent of $900. how many billing hours can you save in a year to pay for OBJECTIVE? Perhaps we should all invoice Graphisoft for those functions that SHOULD HAVE COME WITH THE BASIC LICENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, Ralph. At any price.
I understand of course that everyone has to make a living - wherever we may live - and I also know that outsourcing is affecting work on your side of the world but that's a reality over which I have absolutely no control. Promise!
For us, the cold fact remains that every product purchased directly from overseas (old fashioned word, that!) is at least three times as expensive as it would be for you.
I don't bill by the hour (it's per project that I execute on site) so I can't apply that formula unfortunately; and yes, I get the same spam in my mailbox as you do. Delete, delete, delete.
Gerald wrote:THAT, I did not know. I made the incorrect assumption that each new version would cost me all over again just like other plugins do. My bad. Thanks for the heads up, Gerald, it gives a whole new perspective to the situation. If 2011 sees better projects than this year has, I might well take the plunge and then we can all live happily ever after.
I'd like to echo Dwight here and also add that I have had OBJECTiVE for several versions of AC now and unlike a lot of other Add-ons he has not to date charged for updates.
vistasp wrote:Pricing presents a number of significant dilemmas. The bottom line is to at least recover the value of the time invested in development, marketing, and support. If I knew the size of the market, it would be easy to answer. Unfortunately, I have to guess.
what sounds like a reasonable fee in North America/Western Europe/ANZ is much less so in some other parts of the world. If you consider purchasing power parity as opposed to plain currency conversion, Objective would cost me the equivalent of US$ 900 instead of US$ 300.
It might be a different story if we had something equivalent to Apple's App Store, but for objects and add-ons and hardwired into ArchiCAD. If you could find, purchase, and install objects and add-ons with the simplicity of the iPhone, I think the marketplace would be much larger (and prices could be lower). Apple shouts the work of 3rd parties from the rooftops (acknowledging that they cannot provide solutions for everything), and acts to maintain a vibrant, successful marketplace. This is why some very complex apps can be sold at such low prices. Imagine if, finding yourself needing a particular object, you could pull up an ArchiCAD store within ArchiCAD, search for relevant items, read reviews, purchase, and immediately put the object to use.
The culture within Graphisoft circles, however, is more reticent about 3rd-party development. Consequently it is very difficult to reach users with new products - increasing risk and marketing costs - which is reflected in the cost of the software. As it stands, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the vast majority of ArchiCAD users have never heard of Encina or OBJECTiVE.
I'm sorry about the imbalance of purchasing power across the world. I personally think the whole concept of 'exchange rates' for currency is unjust - everyone's time everywhere should be valued alike. It's a game for the rich and powerful to play. I realise the price must look horrendous in other countries, but I don't know how to redress the imbalance. I think local resellers might be an answer, but the reluctance to embrace 3rd party solutions is reflected here too.
I welcome any comments/suggestions regarding pricing and distribution.
Ralph wrote:Your dilemma is one thing I don't envy you for Ralph. Wish I could help you on the size of the market here but I just had a chat with my resellers, Adroitec Infotec, and gleaned nothing except a promise to discuss sales, should you contact them. Oh, and they tried to convince me to upgrade to 14 while they were at it.
Pricing presents a number of significant dilemmas. The bottom line is to at least recover the value of the time invested in development, marketing, and support. If I knew the size of the market, it would be easy to answer. Unfortunately, I have to guess.
Ralph wrote:I don't know about the rest of the world but out here unless a person is an active forum member, the likelihood is practically nil. When your modular door/window object (big thank you for that) was being distributed to those of us on subscription, nobody here had a clue about it until I prodded the resellers to contact GS-UK. Communication within the ecosystem (GS, developers, resellers and end users) is a whole other Pandora's box and this thread has already drifted
I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the vast majority of ArchiCAD users have never heard of Encina or OBJECTiVE.
Ralph wrote:Sadly, bang-on. Still, I have hope. After reading Gerald's post this morning, the price looks slightly less horrendous!
I realise the price must look horrendous in other countries, but I don't know how to redress the imbalance. I think local resellers might be an answer, but the reluctance to embrace 3rd party solutions is reflected here too.
Let's see what kind of economy the new year brings...
Cheers!
you can do this with ArchiCAD only. I didn't do all the steps but from here it is just a matter of some SEO.
Steve wrote:OBJECTiVE is also ArchiCAD only. Graphisoft provide tools to suit users of varying skill levels:
you can do this with ArchiCAD only. I didn't do all the steps but from here it is just a matter of some SEO.
- - Tools to draw walls, slabs, and other building components;
- Save as GDL, to save assemblies of basic parts as an object;
- GDL scripting, to make complex, parametric parts through programming;
- The API, to use all the features of ArchiCAD through programming in C/C++
Trying to model this shape using the base toolset will result in significant distortions. The attached image illustrates why this doesn't work:
- 1. This is a plan view of the unfolded ceiling pattern laid out over the width of the room. The pattern is much wider because it tracks the elliptical path of the ceiling.
2. To perform a top-down SEO of the pattern onto the ceiling, you would have to disproportionately stretch the width (retaining the same length). This image illustrates the result.
3. This image shows a true top-down view of the pattern laid out to the elliptical ceiling profile.
SEOs are great for planar shapes, e.g. trimming walls to a roof, but become unpredictable with complex shapes - note how entire sections are missing from your image. They can also become horribly slow - I've seen entire projects reduced to a crawl by just 2 complex SEOs. Conversely, the shapes produced with OBJECTiVE are light-weight and fast, provide a parameter to control the faceting (and detail) in the 3D view, and display correctly in plan.
Still looking?
