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

Archicad 26 review

JaredBanks
Mentor

I guess a review is another way of saying wishes, right? Here's my review of Archicad 26:

 

http://www.shoegnome.com/2022/09/08/Archicad-26-review/

Jared Banks, AIA
Shoegnome Architects

Archicad Blog: www.shoegnome.com
Archicad Template: www.shoegnome.com/template/
Archicad Work Environment: www.shoegnome.com/work-environment/
Archicad Tutorial Videos: www.youtube.com/shoegnome
19 REPLIES 19

I agree. The search is now an essential function and alone makes the upgrade worth it. I actually struggled when going back to AC25 awaiting the release.

 

But as you point out - it is really frustrating that they always cut their development short even on the functionalities they decide to implement. There are so many small things to pick up that would have a huge effect on workflow efficiency and thus return on invested development.

 

Example: The shortest way between an element and its attribute is the info box yet it's popup menu cannot be used for anything other than changing attributes - we can't even use it to access the attribute dialog. To me this seems like a rather easy thing to develop and implement as the popup menu is identical to the interface of the attribute palette/dialog. The potential positive effect for workflow efficiency is obvious. So why stop short?

 

The result of such (and other) seemingly strange development decisions is that even though I am willing to make the upgrade - it's only under the premise of me continuing using AC that it is an easy decision. The investment in time and money done to AC means that the threshold for walking out is quite high but every release the threshold gets lower and GS doesn't seem too interested in closing the door.

You should try my coverings.

I am playing with the Thermal Bridge Simulation to determine u-values as well as PSI. Unfortunately they haven't addressed Interstitial Condensation which can be as critical as Thermal Insulation in creating an effective building envelope. Until that is addressed the whole EcoDesigner package is in my opinion seriously compromised. There is little point in fine tuning the fabric build up trying to balance performance against budget if there is a hidden latent defect that will result in premature failure of the building.

Apple iMac Intel i9 / macOS Sonoma / AC27UKI (most recent builds.. if they work)

The search function may make it worth upgrading, but let's hope you don't want to migrate existing plans with fonts other that 'Arial'.

You will find that many fonts will move because they are now displayed correctly in 26.

What we had previously was not correct apparently.

 

BarryKelly_0-1662945629457.png

 

Even Arial is affected, but it is probably one font you will get away with.

To fix it, you must edit or resize every piece of text in your file.

Or if you are placing new text in 26, it will look OK.

 

Barry.

One of the forum moderators.
Versions 6.5 to 27
Dell XPS- i7-6700 @ 3.4Ghz, 16GB ram, GeForce GTX 960 (2GB), Windows 10
Lenovo Thinkpad - i7-1270P 2.20 GHz, 32GB RAM, Nvidia T550, Windows 11

Yikes! I hadn't seen that. I switched over to all arial for other reasons a few years ago. Thanks for the heads up. I'll keep an eye out for text issues.

Jared Banks, AIA
Shoegnome Architects

Archicad Blog: www.shoegnome.com
Archicad Template: www.shoegnome.com/template/
Archicad Work Environment: www.shoegnome.com/work-environment/
Archicad Tutorial Videos: www.youtube.com/shoegnome

I have a vague recollection that something similar happened with macOS a long time ago and I pointed it out during the Beta at the time and as usual the issue was ignored.

Eduardo Rolón AIA NCARB
AC27 US/INT -> AC08

Macbook Pro M1 Max 64GB ram, OS X 10.XX latest
another Moderator

mthd
Mentor

Font boxes needing resizing was a common occurrence in Chief Architect upgrades and a major pain to fix them up in plans and in layouts.

 

I wonder if the introduction of “Key Notes” in Archicad 26 has anything to do with this new problem ?

AC8.1 - AC27 ARM AUS + CI Tools
Apple Mac Studio M1 Max Chip 10C CPU
24C GPU 7.8TF 32GB RAM OS Ventura

Yes I believe it was 'fixed' in Mac version some years ago.

I am guessing that this is a change that we will just have to live with, which will basically mean no migrating from older versions unless we are prepared to adjust all of the text if need be.

 

There is a registry key apparently that can set the font rendering back to the way it was, but registry keys are not an option as they have to be set for every user on every machine that the file will be opened on.

A 'Legacy' option that lives with the file would be a better option in my opinion  - like we have now to display single plane roofs as they were in version 14 - I still have that active.

 

Barry.

One of the forum moderators.
Versions 6.5 to 27
Dell XPS- i7-6700 @ 3.4Ghz, 16GB ram, GeForce GTX 960 (2GB), Windows 10
Lenovo Thinkpad - i7-1270P 2.20 GHz, 32GB RAM, Nvidia T550, Windows 11

RE : >>>"


@Rex Maximilian wrote:...."....

I also agree with you... what Architect using ARCHI-CAD asked for structural and MEP features?



I have some bad news for the both of you.

 

I just read the interview they did with Huw Roberts  - the new GS head honcho - that they posted at AEC magazine regarding the future of Archicad ....or more accurately the future of Graphisoft, and their recently posted "roadmap"....if we can even call it that, and not get sued by the English language itself........and it seems they're hellbent of going down this .....'run down blind alleys and rabbit holes pursuing every other non-architecture related future customer-base, (....rather than actually do anything to improve the architecture related part of Archicad)' strategy that they're currently on.

 

Warning:

It makes for EXTREMELY depressing reading if you were hoping they were taking any USEFFUL.....positive notes from all the negative user feedback they've been receiving from this woefully underwhelming version 26 release :

 

https://aecmag.com/bim/the-future-architecture-of-Graphisoft/?fbclid=IwAR2c6uqiAQsDqNTw_FkOFZjtYZlMJ...

 

It seems the basic thinking of the GS higher-ups is an approximation of that "Everything's fine (while the house around them is burning)" infamous meme on the internet, and they just don't give a rat's behind what users think or are complaining about.

 

So for anyone expecting any improvement in doors, windows, slabs, walls,...you know....tools you actually use,......expect instead to get a new MEP, Structural, Cloud tools.....etc....etc..

 

Over on the Facebook page they're literally currently celebrating the release of a DDSCAD 8 or something which is an MEP-type tool (?)

I didn't even know this was a thing.

Oh  yeah, because MEP isn't the primary focus of my daily ARCHITECTURAL design functions.

 

And if you want to get even more depressed (...or angry,...depending where you are on your 7 stages),....there's  handy helpful link nearby that article at AEC showing a review of the new Vectorworks 2023 with al the new features they're getting that they actually could use and might find useful in their workflow.

Great research BC, well done !

 

A quote from your linked article below that gives some hope but what do they actually mean by this because it’s just a broad statement ?

 

“The upcoming capability highlights for architecture include dynamic design editing tools, design options and variants system, an attribute management system, reflected ceiling plans, design stage level of detail, and an analytic integration system.”

 

Lets see what actually gets implemented from their business model in the future versions ?

 

When you are in the high end BIM commercial world you have allot of people to please. You can’t please all the people all of the time.

 

Archicad’s basic functionality will receive less emphasis because they have many other things that they are going after for the sake of money.

 

They are more interested in pleasing the big companies because they have the money to buy multiple seats.

 

They haven’t ruled out perpetual licensing ending either.

 

Maximizing profits can sometimes lead to an inferior product as has happened with some companies that change hands or management.

 

I’m not loyal to any CAD software product either, I just use what gets the job done for me to care for myself and my family.

 

If it wasn’t for the CI tools add ons I would still be using Chief Architect or maybe some other CAD like Revit Lt.

 

They end perpetual licensing, they will end my support and that’s why I haven’t changed to Revit.

 

You pay the full money for a product you own it.

 

Archicad and Revit are only CAD programs written by humans.

 

I don’t worship software or their companies they are just tools to get a job done for me.

 

Once the commercial project is done by the stake holders, they don’t care what software they used to get the job done or even if they own it.

 

Does anybody really care that much about what tools the tradespeople used to build the project with ? Maybe other tradespeople and that’s it mostly.

AC8.1 - AC27 ARM AUS + CI Tools
Apple Mac Studio M1 Max Chip 10C CPU
24C GPU 7.8TF 32GB RAM OS Ventura