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Dark Mode/Dark theme for ARCHICAD (on both macOS and Windows)

Daniel Kovacs
Graphisoft Alumni
Graphisoft Alumni
Apple introduced Dark mode in macOS 10.14 Mojave, and Microsoft also started implementing it in Windows the same year (2018).

ARCHICAD currently works when the Operating System is turned to Dark Mode, but doesn't have a dark theme yet. This change could be quite development-resource heavy (as the engine of ARCHICAD’s UI is not ready for having 2 different representations, so it would require a complete overhaul), and could also take away time from functional developments in favour of a cosmetic upgrade.

PS.: I found other similar polls but I wanted to get more specific than those. I link them here for reference (I personally like the mock-up of Emil Meijer):
Black/Dark theme option for UI
Dark GUI theme
Dark scheme
Daniel Alexander Kovacs

Professional Services Consultant

GRAPHISOFT



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34 REPLIES 34
hpenbeoglu
Booster
It's a good start!

I still prefer something like my first attempt in the early messages. Grid, pen weight & colours panels should be merged and simplified. This way it can also automatically adapt to black/white options. Pen setting is already too complicated anyway.
BIM Manager, Architect in the UK | AC11-AC27

Macbook Pro 16" 2.4 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9 - 32 GB RAM - 512 GB SSD | MacOS 13.3.1 (a)
Yes, a good start! But for sure needs to toggle the screen dark also, with pen adjustments.
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
Alakelele
Contributor
Yes please !!! That would attract all the people (75% of architects/engineers etc) that are already accustomed to change their interface the way they like.
Please listen to us !
Alakelele
Contributor
No more replies to this thread ? Are we forever locked in 2018 ? Please bring it
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
Alakelele wrote:
No more replies to this thread ? Are we forever locked in 2018 ? Please bring it
Fascinating that you have made only 2 posts here... and only in this thread. Is the dark mode in AC 25 not enough for you?

The only issue I see in AC 25 dark mode so far is that I have not seen an option to automatically change the background color for views. Everything else looks nice.
(Personally, I never use dark mode - actually more eye strain for me.)
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
jl_lt
Ace
personally i couldnt care less about this dark mode. but if mac users got it, it seems fair pc users get it too, for simmetry reasons
Mike96
Advocate
Wow, has AC 25 just added a dark theme?
ArchiCAD 25

Windows 10
Podolsky
Ace
I don't see dark mode in ArchiCAD 25 on Windows. On Mac it appeared in version 24.
DGSketcher
Legend
I prefer Dark Mode to the low contrast mono chromatic grey theme, BUT someone really needs to sort out the font colours, blue on black isn't good and dark grey on black is even worse. It is kind of ironic that software for the design community must have one of the worst interfaces out there.
Apple iMac Intel i9 / macOS Sonoma / AC27UKI (most recent builds.. if they work)
Podolsky
Ace
Cannot say about one of worst. Dark mode on MacOS has some issues (been reported on this forum) but still it is cool. Just compare AC interface with Revit. Revit is like does not have interface at all. Some random pictures on buttons, blurry, with no strict colour scheme. All dialogues like excel spreadsheets or something.
ArchiCAD has got one of the best interfaces. That is for sure.
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