Wishes
Post your wishes about Graphisoft products: Archicad, BIMx, BIMcloud, and DDScad.

A Calculate Menu for the 21st Century??

Anonymous
Not applicable
I really, really, really wish AC14 to have a calculate menu that is easy, that works, and that doesn't require hours setting up attributes, parameters...

A calculate menu that generates schedules and quantity take-offs in 2 clicks...


I'm sending my little letter to Santa, somewhere in Budapest.
7 REPLIES 7
Rick Thompson
Expert
I think I have beens sending my letters to the wrong santa all these years.
Rick Thompson
Mac Sonoma AC 26
http://www.thompsonplans.com
Mac M2 studio w/ display
Erika Epstein
Booster
Essential for everyone to impliment BIM, not just talk about it.
Erika
Architect, Consultant
MacBook Pro Retina, 15-inch Yosemite 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Mac OSX 10.11.1
AC5-18
Onuma System

"Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling"
Anonymous
Not applicable
When the current quantifier was first introduced (not counting the interactive scheduler which is newer) those of us who were present at the US preview in Chicago were pretty much baffled by it's methodology. We were among the most advanced users at the time and it was being presented by the people who developed it.

From what I've seen there is no fixing the existing system. It needs to be scrapped and rebuilt from scratch. (Again excluding the IS which works quite well within its limits.) Perhaps the switch to the new data structures that have enabled TW2 will allow this to happen soon. (Perhaps it is already in the works.)
Rob
Graphisoft
Graphisoft
From what I've seen there is no fixing the existing system. It needs to be scrapped and rebuilt from scratch
completely agree... perhaps the whole thing should be a part of attributes directly attachable to elements + sophisticated scheduling setup following the IS UI guidelines.
::rk
Anonymous
Not applicable
Rob wrote:
From what I've seen there is no fixing the existing system. It needs to be scrapped and rebuilt from scratch
completely agree... perhaps the whole thing should be a part of attributes directly attachable to elements + sophisticated scheduling setup following the IS UI guidelines.
I would avoid using the term attributes. Too confusing with file attributes (pens, layers, etc.). And I would not attach the data directly to the elements. There should be look up tables for components and properties that can be associated to instances or element types. These tables should be accessible and editable from an external application (with basic tools included for simple tasks within ArchiCAD).

As I have been arguing for years, this is a database problem. Not in the broad sense that all programs are in some way data based, but in the specific sense of relational databases for tabular data. This is a fundamentally different problem from the graphic display and design/construction modeling of the building elements in situ. For this reason there need be only some simple tools within the program to permit easy generation of common report types, with the option to manage the data externally with more powerful and sophisticated data management tools.

I believe this is possible now in principle but the obstacles make it impractical.

I agree that something like the IS would be ideal for the internal component. Something that would allow creating a simple schedule that would allow attaching components and properties to the types and instances of the scheduled elements. This could be in much the same way that we can now edit element IDs, reassign profiles, etc. in the IS.

I could easily write up a pretty good spec for this but that would require that GS were actually interested.
Rob
Graphisoft
Graphisoft
There should be look up tables for components and properties that can be associated to instances or element types. These tables should be accessible and editable from an external application (with basic tools included for simple tasks within ArchiCAD)
I am not really sure that introducing another layer (that is your look up tables) is convincing way to go. It is virtually the same approach as with property objects which is utterly rigid and unnecessarily convoluted for AC users. Attaching components and descriptors (which could be a part of new kind of attribute such as keynotes) directly to an element and using favourites for an element ‘recipe' or a typological instance would give us simplified approach + finally a good reason to use favourite tool to its full potential. I am not going to contemplate on a fact that favourites UI needs a proper fixing too.
::rk
DaveOlufs
Participant
I don't even try any more. The output is in adequate and embarrassing.

So what... if I can include a plan or elevation of my window or door on the schedule. In most cases, they're already drawn in plan or elevation ON the plans or elevations, why duplicate. I'd rather be able to set up my schedules similar to what I'm going to see in the way of a shop drawing... I want to see door sizes, frames sizes/materials, door types, fire ratings, locations, all pertinent hardware/manufacturers, etc. without needing a doctorate in programming.

Make the tools easy to use with the emphasis on tools and easy.
Dave Olufs
Just 4 Measure, Ltd

iMac Pro 3.2GHz Quad, 32GB, OSX 10.13.6, AC-5, 6, 6.5, 7, stopped for a few years--started again with 12 thru 17, 18 or 19 didn't work, then 20, 21, now skipped to 23. Started in 1976 hand-drafting ink on mylar...