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

Archicad Future, 27 Poll

bouhmidage
Advisor

Archicad 26 was released yesterday, personnally i'm disappointed of how Archicad is slowly developped in the last 4 years, the pandemic has it' effects on business for sure, but we expected more since earlier versions used to bring nice and cool features, 

 

I created this tread for users who have ideas, suggestions, propositions for the next release, we may express our thoughts, and give guidelines for development team, Graphisoft is listening, i'm sure, 

 

For me, the most important thing to in an urgent way is to stop this multilingual installers strategy, 

Archicad 26 is released, all the world can download it with a multilangual installer,  : 

1 - download and install in a preferred langue, 

2 - open Archicad using your template, or download a template from the website, almost of us migrate tempaltes from older versions, resellers template  are useful for new users, 

3 - libraries also can be dowloaded from website, this will help in 2 things : lignter installers, and libraries are accessible for everyone especially when user works for foreign companies, .

 

this way, development and bug fixes will be focused on 1 installer, not 10, 

 

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Archicad strategy is to implement several disciplines, let's admit this, 

For users , Architects, engeneers, drafters, commands and disciplines should be seperated and organized in different way, so we don't feel abused with unecessary command, 

yes Archicad offer possibility to organise commands in the work environnment, but the saved commands layout will be a mess when upgrading to newt version wich contain new commands, 

why not,  from a buttons menu you can activate ad desactivate disciplines commands.

 

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You said in the webinar, Focus on design, Archicad tools are really good and that's why we stick to Archicad , BUT aren't fully baked, workarounds and illogic solutions are always there to disturb the workflow, think about new users, workarounds make them feel uncomftable, saying, " this simple situation needs a workaround, whatabout complex ones ?? " 

 

each tool have major / minor things to update, tweak , to get a good design toolbox for daily work, 

to attract users, Archicad should easily be able to help designing a residentiel or midscale projects without workarounds, this kind of project is where users start exploring the software, if it fails, users will start searching around for alternatives, 

make the product a complete solution for architects, 

 

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i think , Archicad 27 should be the " NO workarounds version "   ,make architects life easier, to focus on design , then you can go ahead for structural and MEP workflows, 

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, 32 GB RAM, RTX 3080 10 GB
Archicad 25
Windows 10 professional
https://www.behance.net/Nuance-Architects
227 REPLIES 227

Hi Jim !

 

Well I completely agree with you that there should be a Wishlist of some sort. But I would like to share something which is quite similar to the comment that Rex posted before myself. Before the launch of Archicad 26, I was one of its Beta users and I was asked to submit a feedback to Graphisoft about my experience. So along with my experience and findings from the program I also enlisted some features or enhancements that Graphisoft can and should do to either 26 or any future versions of the program. But, after submitting the feedback the response that I received from their side wasn't much promising. So, this kind of approach furthermore strengthens the comments shared by Rex Maximilian.

 

However, I completely support the idea of creating a Wishlist and putting a rating system on it so as to show Graphisoft the level of demand for the various features listed on the wishlist. If you have any ideas on how we can start that please let me know, we should definitely do so.

 

Thanks & Have a Good One !

I agree with the idea of a curated wishlist, but as i have said in other posts, wishing should not be the only variable.

There should be a combination of desirability and feasibility in the short, medium and long term along with estimated impact on the maximun number of users. For example, some wishes may no be that popular, but they could be done tomorrow if they wanted, while other wishes might take several years to implement.

 

Example:  someone wants parametric free form nurbs modeling WITHIN Archicad.  Without knowing anything about the inner programming of Archicad, I can tell you that implementing something like this would take many years because it would need to write everything from scratch, only to find out that just a very small percentage of users actually work on projects that need this kind of modelling. As such, it would be a tremendous investment over many years that would benefit a small percentage of the comunity while atracting an even smaller segment from other software. Should GS work on something like this? the ones that wish for it will say yes.  Reality might say otherwise. And so forth.

 

Efforts have already been done for a list like this. Im sure with a little input we can come out with a working list of 20-30 items of varying difficulty of implementation, maximum impact and reasonable timeframes, withing the reach of GS actual resourses. A list which, if implemented, could DRAMATICALLY improve user experience of current and future users.

GS have allegedly been working on such a feature for more than a year without giving any updates. So either they are working on something special or they are not working very hard. And let's hope that it is the former because ultimately, I don't see how just putting up a board will make any difference (look at Autodesk for reference). What is needed is a radical change. What is needed is a development process that facilitate and seeks accountability, something like what I outline here.

 

I do think that a user/community initiative to compile and manage a proper list is a good idea as it would consolidate our opinion of the development in a way that is much more concrete than open letters.

Jim Allen
Expert

So - why don't we start something?

 

Say we start a new dedicated thread, post a document on it which starts the process off, and develop it from there? We can add the document to the very first post, and keep updating it with common agreement based on priority, popularity, difficulty, broad appeal etc.

 

What might be even better is to have a link to a live document that automatically updates.

 

I've only been using Archicad since AC19, so I'm not the best person to start this. There are so many features I don't use, that I would feel a complete fraud being the 'owner' of a community wishlist to share with GS.

 

Here is my 'starter for 10':

 

2D Drafting 

  1. Add option for different arrowheads at each end of line
  2. Add option to hide individual polygon edges
  3. Add shortcut/tool for to rotate selected objects 90 degrees/custom angle

Core modelling features

  1. Improvements to terrain tool: fix inability to have vertical faces in meshes, or replace with updated tool
  2. Enable SEO display on plan
  3. Add array tool to use with beams, columns & objects
  4. increase accuracy option for units
  5. Add projected display option for handrail object

Libraries & objects

  1. Windows & doors: Update to incorporate options for splayed reveals
  2. Doors: add option for door signs
  3. Doors: add option for louvred leaves
  4. Doors: add roller shutter door object
  5. Windows: add option for adding transoms to horizontal multi-sash window
  6. Parking bays: add option for gradients on x and y axes in 3D
  7. Parking bays: add option for custom symbols (e.g. parent/child, EV etc)
  8. Parking bays: add option for custom text prefix/suffix
  9. Level marker - add options to show in 3D, and absolute levels
  10. WC cubicles - add option for shower component
  11. Gradient object with self-calculating options based on 3D start and end point on mesh/morph
  12. Add heat pump & A/C units
  13. Add server cabinet
  14. Add parametric 3d road & junction objects
  15. More wall, roof & slab Accessories

External compatibility

  1. Implement fbx import/export
  2. Implement import of triangulated TIN terrain mesh to Archicad mesh/fix import of surveyors data

Visual Appearance & rendering

  1. Fix reposition of texture origin to work with all objects
  2. Improved textures - not just procedural ones for in-built render engine

Param-O

  1. Add conditional selection node
  2. Show variable values on node dialogs
  3. Show XYZ widget on all solid objects
  4. Add list option for custom input values
  5. Show origin point in 3D window
  6. Better documentation including tutorial videos

Misc

  1. Add option to automatically update templates
  2. Add option to detect & migrate custom toolbars from previous AC installation

This I think ought to be the basis for a spreadsheet, to which we can add tags for things like difficulty, urgency, priority, popularity etc.

 

Feel free to copy it to any responses, adding items as you think necessary. One of you should be able to implement a neat dynamic option to allow this to be updated along lines we collectively agree are appropriate.

 

What do you think?

Archicad 27 UKI | OS X 12.7.1 Monterey

I don't disagree with the sentiment, unfortunately this will be another attempt to exercise some control that will change nothing. Users can vent and scheme all they want, but until Graphisoft change their attitude to engagement and delivery nothing will change. I don't know where responsibility lies for the communication break down or the slow rate of improvement, it certainly isn't on the user side given the outpouring of frustrations and suggestions to make AC better. Someone within Graphisoft has the power to change this and they need to either step up and address the problems or move on and let someone else build the software back to the flagship position it once held.

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

Complaining about something without proposing a better alternative is simply whining 😉

Archicad 27 UKI | OS X 12.7.1 Monterey

There is a saying in my country which goes "te están dando atole con el dedo" (atole is a beberage made out of powdered roasted corn... Very nice stuff by the way). It translates to something like "they are feeding you atole (or milk) with the finger"...

 

Maybe in other places there are similar sayings, but It is mostly used when someone says something (mostly lies) to another person and they believe it without questioning... Or in graphisofts case, slighly revamping the layer mechanics and selling it as Archicad 26.

 

Well, im taking none of it.  We should keep poking on their faces until they get so tired that they either ban our accounts or actually get to do something. So im in mr Jim Allen

@Jim Allen Consider it whining if that suits your agenda, but I always considered talking to a brick wall to be a pointless gesture. You are welcome to pour as much time as you want into this issue, but I have seen enough examples of Graphisoft's failure to deliver over the years. I and other long time users have tried to engage with GS at various levels on development & improvements, but the outcome is always the same... they deliver what they want, when they want, and more recently deliver it unfinished. There are fundamental CAD features that have been on the Wishlist for nearly 20 years yet we are still waiting. If you think a posted list of wishes will make a difference then on you go, because honestly I don't have an alternative and my willingness to waste my time trying to help GS improve AC is wearing very thin.

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

This is really a great list. On one hand I love the proactive action by creating it. On the other hand it frustrates me knowing that it will ultimately be for nought; as Graphisoft has no facility for implementing it. I have a feeling their own plan for feature upgrades, additions and enhancements amounts to post-it notes on monitors. At least, the last half-decade of upgrade have made it seem that way. And the lack of a public road map leads me to believe that there is no internal one as well.

I can't help but think back to the '90s and '00s when Graphisoft really had their act together. We would arrive at reseller meetings (both nationally and internationally) and they would present a well-thought-out plan of actions for future versions, etc. They would solicit input from the resellers, who were the ones in the trenches with the users, and KNEW what was needed. Some of us, and I was lucky to be one, would have a one-to-one with the head of R&D to layout user needs and wishes. Somewhere, that was lost.

@Huw supposedly had a phone call with someone form our Discord group, and promised we'd see development in this area. So far, nothing. I think it was basically lip service to quell frustrations, specifically for someone who had the means to relay the goings on to an industry audience.

It may be time to learn to sail in the waters of another software.

Rex Maximilian, Honolulu, USA - www.rexmaximilian.com
ArchiCAD 27 (user since 3.4, 1991)
16" MacBook Pro; M1 Max (2021), 32GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
Apple Vision Pro w/ BIMx
Creator of the Maximilian ArchiCAD Template System

'Agenda'?

I think it's an aspiration rather than an agenda.

Doing nothing will most definitely achieve nothing...

If you have 20 years of built-up frustration, the least you could do is post some additions my list don't you think?

Should make really interesting reading for us noobs!

Archicad 27 UKI | OS X 12.7.1 Monterey