Thank you for your kind & fast reply
First, regarding (setting the image for a rendering in the PhotoRendering Dialog, and then selecting “As in Photo Rendering” in 3D Window Setting), that is a whole new matter for me because I never notice it before, with my decade experience in ArchiCAD. I do thank you warmly for that new information.
Regarding the “Align View” tool, I have to say that it’s not as simple, accurate, fast, and transparent as the Match Tool in SketchUp. I used once some Add-Ons/Plug-ins (like ArchiFaçade), it was good tool by the time, but it is not free or a part of ArchiCAD package. I’ll search the net again for it and give it a new try.
Let’s say we have a black & white image of an old building, and you want to reconstruct that building which you can’t measure (either because it’s not existed anymore, or because it’s so far from you); how would you use the “Align View” tool if there is no floor plan? Also, I have some images that I know the exact place I took the image from, and when I use “Align View” tool, sometimes, it places the camera somewhere else on the floor plan. To edit the perspective in order to align it with the background image is so time-consuming operation in ArchiCAD comparing with other software.
Usually, I used to SketchUp such building with “Match Tool”, and transfer the model to ArchiCAD, at least to know the exact height of the building and the exact location of the decoration on the façade; and then, mostly, rebuild it again from scratch in ArchiCAD according to the previous dimensions of the elevation/façade. But things would be much difficult if the image had dome, which is a headache in SketchUp to draw. In this one, I found Maya much more useful, because domes have a very wide range of shapes, which is unfortunately not easy to have the exact proportions in ArchiCAD all the times. Maya deals with it as a spherical object (mesh) which able to be stretched or flattened as much as you want; while ArchiCAD deals with it as a real structural dome, where you can’t have the artistic & decorated ones (like the ones of the Red Square of Moscow); unless you use several tricks and have parts of more than one dome to construct that very dome.
I didn’t find the complete architecture software yet, however, I adore ArchiCAD more than any other one, and I wish to have the complete, simple, fastest tools to create all types of ornaments in it, without any need to import from other programs or to use other additional Add-on or Plug-in.
Thank you, again, for your worthy advice
