Undocumented (under-advertised) Improvements in ArchiCAD 17

[JaredBanks]

I'm continuing a tradition that Link started back in 2011. Maybe someone did this for earlier versions, and I apologize if someone already started this for 17…

2011: Link started a thread highlighting all the undocumented (or under-documented) changes to the then latest version of ArchiCAD (which was 15). Here's that thread:
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=36880


2012: I wrote a blog post about the undocumented changes to ArchiCAD 16 over on my blog. Here's that post:
http://www.shoegnome.com/2012/07/30/all-the-changes-in-archicad-16-that-we-love-but-wont-be-advertis...


2013: We now have ArchiCAD 17. I've written a post for GSNA's blog about the unadvertised changes and wanted to link it to the forum. Here's that post (with two other under-advertised changes):
http://blog.graphisoftus.com/archicad-education/tips-and-tricks/all-the-changes-in-archicad-17-that-...

And here are some of the little changes that one of the developers sent me… enjoy!

* Log Wall now has a checkbox to turn on/off
* Profiles, now need to name Profile when creating
* New Project Picture UI
* Project Info, clicking on headings will cycle through 3 sorting methods of group – also the comma has been removed when using complete address auto text
* Zone name no longer limited to 31 characters
* Section cuts now have the same options as 3DD
* Replace Attribute command (hidden from interface) - for advanced users
* Energy Evaluation, will now indicate the Profile Name but still requires overriding (new dialogue to choose Bmat or Composite)
* Project Location, now has a popup to choose Time Zone (no longer a text field)
* IFC Import Conversion Table – updated UI, edit in the list now (no longer separate Edit dialogue) and correct column sorting
* Energy Evaluation Report, can now customise appearance like colours, font etc. also can add an image as a header
* Composites support all line types – even Symbol Line Type
* Layer popup in Infobox now uses a smaller font to fit more characters in
* UI update to Layer Settings in GDL 2D Symbol


Now what else? What other little tweaks are flying under the radar? Or what big changes are you very excited to have. Reading through this list I think Symbol Line Types is going to be amazing. I'll do some thinking and record some videos. Get ready for some awesomeness.

[Eduardo Rolon]

Symbolic Line Types?

[Anonymous]

You can adjust the mesh height while in 3D by typing in a "Z" coordinate. Just click on a node and you can adjust the height. You could do it before (visually) but you could not type in an exact height.

[JaredBanks]

Eduardo, like this. Notice that the gravel line type goes below the extents of the 3D. Pretty cool.

I'll be writing more about it later this week or early next week.

[Eduardo Rolon]

Ok, been using that in AC16. The steel deck is a symbolic line.

[Eduardo Rolon]

Composite Settings.

[JaredBanks]

Eduardo,

So there are 3 line types: solid, dashed/dotted, and symbol.

http://www.archicadwiki.com/LineTypes

We could always use solid and dashed/dotted in composites, but not symbol. Try it out.

What you're showing in your 16 file is a symbol fill and a dashed line. In 17 you can do a symbol line type. (sorry I was calling it Symbolic earlier, that's not technically the right term).

Does that make sense?

[Eduardo Rolon]

Makes sense.
Got it, one less work around.

Instead of this case having a Fill and a Dashed Line now I can create a "Symbol" Line that would consolidate both items.

[JaredBanks]

yup! that's the theory at least.

[Anonymous]

When inserting a new story in Story Setting, the story height of the newly created story follows the story height of the last selected story.

(In older versions, it used to follow the total of "wall height" and "slab thickness" of the default setting of the mentioned tools).