inaccuracy

[Anonymous]

Good Afternoon.

I´ve been using Archicad 12 for quite sometime now and recently encountered some problems regarding inaccuracy:

On a file I am working on I started to notice discrepancies for instance, wall are like 1 degree squewed so they dont exactly match the limits of the slabs for instance.

For some reason the main directions are not accurate.

I have tried to start the file fresh but after a while these inaccuracies start to appear.

If anyone know what may be the cause of this situation I would be very grateful.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

David I tend to disagree mate!
I've had issues with people using guidelines as gospel and running whole plans out of square by up to 3º! Then couple that with element snaps and trace reference and you have a complete recipe for disaster! The hang caused by the auto trace leads to a few mm off almost every time! In any day to day drawing I do, guidelines are off except for work with curved driveways or anything that isn't in need of serious dimensioning!
I will agree that the tracker is a huge plus!
But guidelines are fluff that occasional get used in place of putting in temporary line work!

[David Shorter]

Adding in the issue of the trace reference has got nothing to do with the guidelines as the trace can be moved and rotated
If you use tracker then you can see if the guidelines are not correct, just the same as the coordinate box
Its just a different way of working.
The user has to think differently(slightly) and we have to train slightly differently. As you know its important to know where the pitfalls are...

[Anonymous]

Oh I completely agree that the user has to pay attention to what they are doing and how they are doing it but there in lies the problem!
The thing with the trace isn't the fact that it can be moved it's the delay in the machine that causes the issue! I myself have done a single click and drag motion and missed the hotspot (the same hotspot I used to select the element) in the drag action!
I've honestly found that the users that are still using coordinates and angles are killing it in terms of speed and accuracy!
I'm not siding here and saying that archicad is by any means inaccurate but I will say that some tools have made it easier to miss the mark!

[Karl Barker]

There is a very simple comment I would like to make to this 'discussion'.
I have seen it time and time again in my office with certain staff.
GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT.


I did not matter what new method some people used, they still would do work arounds that would cause errors.

Personally, after 10 years with Archicad, I like the guidelines, you just have to know how to use them, and what your limitations are. I also find that zooming in and out helps a lot as well.

[Anonymous]

In the 12 years I have been using the program the accuracy has always seemed fine. It is however critical to use the input method rather then snapping. But given typically construction tolerances the program has no issues. The problem is usually user error in that things are copied, mirrored or rotated without paying attention to detail.

[Arcadia]

In general I find Archicad is accurate as long as you pay attention to the guidelines you are using and watch the tracker angles before you click. As other's have said the user is the weakest link. However I have to say I don't think the snapping system is satisfactory. On my old & cheap 2D software (Autosketch by Autodesk) the snapping was "positive" for want of a better word whereas AC is a little vague and I find myself zooming in often to make sure I'm snapping to the right point. This is only a small inconvenience however and does not stop me from pumping out 100% accurate drawings in quick time.

[Djordje]

I will have to reiterate:

NO graphic/snapping tool is as accurate as the coordinate input. And I have caught myself, after 14 years of ArchiCAD, making mistakes when using guidelines. One mm off - not important for the site, I agree - but the dimensions get wrong and then ... all hell breaks loose. Yes, the delay between the cursor finding the right position amongst all the stuff on the screen and the click is the killer. Maybe we should work slower now? You know, less work, but still the same hours to fill?

It is definitely the lessened speed of the work. The machine has to process more info, create the guidelines, what not ... That's not the point! The point is to be EXACTLY where you should be.

Never trust the machine or the software. You are the one that is legally and professionally responsible.

[Erika Epstein]

Djordje wrote:
I will have to reiterate:

NO graphic/snapping tool is as accurate as the coordinate input.

It is definitely the lessened speed of the work.

I couldn't agree more. For the most part relying on guidelines invites error and slows your work rate down. If you are working smart one hand is directing the mouse and the other simultaneously is typing short cuts, entering dimensions, holding the shift key down to draw straight etc.
I recently watched a webinar which included a section on guidelines. The guy spent as much time explaining how to turn off the guidelines that were accumulating on the screen as did showing how they work:
S L O W L Y