whats the deal with the new version?

[Anonymous]

This is just a general comment on the new version.


I just do not get Graphisoft. It seems they release a new version every 9 months or as soon as I get used to the last one. Instead of releasing a new version with new features (with bugs) and the older features from the last version now fixed, wouldn't it be better to release a new version with features that work properly?

Also the new interface is too complicated. Too many menus and such. Many of the menu commands have been moved to different places and there are too many "options/preferences" commands in the menus. Objects now have too many drop down command boxes as well. Everything seems poorly laid out and organized as well. This eats into my time when I am working, because I have to find commands AGAIN when I knew where they were before. But now because some of them are in different places, it is much more of a pain and time consuming.

I would have sent this direct to Graphisoft product development instead of bothering the people on this message board, but I couldn't find a feedback form (either there is not one or there website is a mess like their program)

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

ah. and one last thing. i dont know what the deal with the new method to secting objects is, but it is some how different and more of a pain than the old method. i used to leave the magnet off 99percent of the time. but now i find i do need it more because of the new way the section seems to work. OK, with the TAB it does seem to work pretty good MOST of the time, but sometimes it just doesnt select what I want (not very often that happens mind you) BUT the truely annoying feature is that in the past after the object was selected one could use that work tools (or whatever it is called. im sorry i learned archicad on a finnish version) just by clicking again. but now if there is another object remotely near it wil select that other object. then one has to go and select again and then right click to select the work tools menu in order to stretch, add, subtract, etc... again... things are just slightly more complicated.. making the program less fluid and more stop and start because i am have to think about "oh yeah i have to do this now, unlike what was in the last few versions".-.

[stefan]

nsiter wrote:
however. i liked that feature in library 8 where you had a picture of the door, handle, etc but that now seems to have disappeared in favor of the old method of a drop down with styles 1-8 (and is some cases up to 20 or more). little things like that hamper productivity as well as nativegating through the new improved interface.

Most objects in the Graphisoft default Library still have a graphical GUI next to the plain Parameters list. Try the pane underneath parameters.

nsiter wrote:
and some of you may have adapted easier than me, it certainly isnt because of lack of whatever you might think.. i am able to use all sorts of programs like AUTOCAD from R14 to now, 3Dviz, maya, as well as modular audio programs like MAXmsp, LogicAUDIO, Reaktor, and pureDATA. some of which the learning curve is VERY high. so in my opinion , this is more a matter of gs releasing new versions quicker to get more money, before the version is fully 100% ready for the public. it is like they have a bunch of sucker beta testers shelling out big money (as I am not the one who pays the bills here, I dont have much of an idea as to the cost of archicad only that it used to be in the ball park of a few thousand euros and mulitply that by how many licenses) for an inferior product and something people used to get for free (as beta testers). GIVE a BIG hurrah for capitalism!

FWIW, AutoCAD is released every year, Revit every half year. How to cope with that?

I can assure you that:

• Graphisoft is a relatively small company compared to Autodesk

• The moment beta-testing starts, most decisions have already been made (this is called alpha-testing and pre-alpha testing)

• There is a reward, but only for the 'best' beta-testers. In most cases, testers invest much more time into the process then the value of this 'compensation'.

If you are really smart enough to cope with MAXmsp or PureData, ArchiCAD is child play. I have been trying Puredata and at the moment, it hasn't 'clicked' for me.