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.

[JaredBanks]

kazuohamaji wrote:
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).

wow. You're totally right. Never knew that's how story heights used to be created. Thank you so much for sharing.

[David Collins]

In Ac 16, the keyboard shortcut "f" to cycle through pet palette options did not work for morphs, so they'd go into all kinds of contortions trying to follow the mouse into the pet palette. Fixed in 17!

[JaredBanks]

Awesome. Good fix! 'F' now also works in the pet palettes for multi-plane roofs and shells as well (didn't work in 16).

[Rick Thompson]

You can now round up a rafter length in listing to an actual real world quantity rather than list the cut lengths. (ie… 2x6x16.. rather than 2x6x15'-3 1/4"). That made it really messy trying to create a order list in real word terms, especially when a valley/hip roof was involved. That has been a long standing wish/request of mine for years Before I and to insert a script to do that, which made it necessary to rework the library very release.

[Stress Co_]

Some "Project Info" shows up when using "Get Info" in Mac OS 10.8

[David Maudlin]

Stress wrote:
Some "Project Info" shows up when using "Get Info" in Mac OS 10.8

Similar for OSX10.6.8. Looks like the information comes from Project Info.

David

[Jere]

I love the general improvements in visual feedback: placing openings and the little snap to a storey in section/elevation views. Let's you know that you're accurately placing something on elevation '0' of a storey.

[Eduardo Rolon]

Don't know if it was there before but just found out that you can copy/paste "Locked" objects between views (for example to Detail Views) and they arrive locked in the new view.

This without showing the "Locked Layer Items what do you want to do?" pop-up.

Bug or Feature? for me feature.

[Anonymous]

JaredBanks wrote:
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.

There is one problem with using the symbol line type and that is when it has specific direction. I tried to make the composite that you made with the gravel below the slab, and it came in upside down, arg... of well, just go back to using the gravel fill I guess.

[JaredBanks]

Yeah directionality of lines is a problem. I recorded a video and wrote a blog post for Graphisoft North America's blog that covers it. Just waiting for it to be published. I assume early next week.