Project Origin in 3d (on/off)

[4dProof]

I know this has come up in many, many, many discussions; I'm surprised I did not see it in a wish list item here when I searched for it.
A client just asked me today if it was possible to hide the x/y/z (project origin) in 3d. He is trying to use the model to grab screen shots, and is tired of clone stamping out 'quick' screen shots to send to clients to get rid of that orign.
Could be a 3d style toggle, work environment toggle, or some other control to hide that? I know a lot of architects that use the live model in presentations and just take screen grabs in lieu of full renderings for quick sketches to consultants, builders, and clients; and the project origin is just the distraction any one needs to derail a presentation/meeting with a question like "whats that?"

[JaredBanks]

100% agree with @4dProof and @Geoff Briggs. This is such a simple and easy request. Turning the project origin on/off should be a toolbar button and KBS. Or even just a work environment option. I find the temporary user origin in 3D useful, but the actual project origin? It's a useless remnant. It should be hidden by default. And the temp origin should disappear when we don't need it, not just jump back to the origin.

This issue sounds silly and trivial, but it's not. Like what 4dProof describes, this affects typical users and they shouldn't need to learn some external work around process. Furthermore, in this age of virtual meetings and social media, anything that slows down or lessens the sharing of images is a problem. Screenshots are great for posting on Instagram and elsewhere. Having that stupid, worthless origin show up in most of my images because it can't be hidden or moved out of view annoys me constantly.

GRAPHISOFT is putting effort into updating the 3D window, as is clear by the Archicad 27 experimental Physically Based Rendering in 3D feature. Turning off the stupid origin in 3D will make a bigger impact on users' daily lives than this different 3D window rendering engine.

Easy solution, easy fix, easy win. GRAPHISOFT, are you listening?

[Geoff Briggs]

The grapevine has produced a decent workaround: Invoke either the Look To or Look to Perpendicular of Clicked Surface commands (View—>3D Navigation Extras) but don't click anything. While Archicad waits for that next click the origin is hidden and you can take a screenshot. I already have both those commands as toolbar buttons. A keyboard shortcut is another quick way to access them.

I will stop short of proclaiming this as a solution since it does not hide the origin during general navigation, so does not help when doing a live screen share. For that reason @4dProof's request for a real hide option remains valid.

(Kudos to Meghan Beckmann and Brian Spears for sharing this tip.)

[4dProof]

yeah, we need an expansion to the forum. Wont accept as solution, but will upvote Meghan's suggestion as the best work-around... kind of like how my solution to the shortcomings of the railing is to model all railings with beams and columns

[Laszlo Nagy]

I personally did not have the intention to belittle this wish. Someone mentioned a workaround and I answered to that, elaborating on how that could work. I know most wishes cannot be fulfilled right away, in which case, a workaround can be of value.

This does not subtract from the legitimacy of the wish in any way, and I will forward it to GS HQ just as I usually do.

[MASz]

Personally I use File/Save as, then save as an image. This hides the origin. When you place a view on a layout, the origin is also hidden.

The functionality is already there, Graphisoft should just provide a toggle in Archicad as an option.

I have made many requests over the years to improve the usability of the 3d window, these usually go unaddressed. For instance, being able to control the output resolution without workarounds. You can Set Window Size and then redefine the view. This will affect views on layouts as well as your images saved out.

You can actually set the resolution in the view because they have unlocked it, however it's unusable because it's bugged. I have pointed out the bug to Graphisoft. They ignored it.

The resolution values have even been bugged for many versions as they do not take into account the display scaling set in Windows. I have pointed this out and they just can't be bothered to fix it. As far as I can tell, they could not even be bothered to log it as a bug. Not that I could tell anyway, since there's not much of a way for me to track it. It should basically be (3d window resolution) * (Display scaling/100). I'd really like to know what exactly is preventing them from fixing this.

Having to constantly use workarounds to access basic functionality within Archicad is not acceptable.

[Geoff Briggs]

@Laszlo Nagy  nothing personal mate, just pointing out your workaround is not helpful for a mac user and as @4dProof pointed out requires an extra step to get the cropped view that is otherwise easy. Same for your save-as suggestion @MASz, great (and preferred) if you are capturing the whole screen, but again additional steps if you just want a part. And neither work for live screen shares which many of us do a lot.

@MASz to your point about longstanding 3D window requests, I could not agree more. Your example of the basic ability to control output resolution is a good one. Another is real-time control of sun and shadows.

And my general point—which users try to make on these forums all the time—is there are scores, if not hundreds, of small improvements that would save us more time, and make our work more enjoyable, than the majority of the flagship new features. I'm not against big developments, especially when done well like Design Options. But there needs to be a balance, as well as much better follow through so almost-good features don't remain almost-good forever.

[MASz]

Agreed.

I also do live screen shares where clients are taking screenshots. That origin is just in the way in general. I don't even know why it is constantly on in 3d. It can useful in a certain scenarios, but generally I don't think there's a reason why it should always be there when it's so obtrusive. The origin display makes more sense in the context of working on a GDL object and moving the origin around.

As I've said, the functionality is there to hide the origin. I imagine they could quite easily just put an option in Work Environment that is basically "Display Project Origin in 3d Window" that targets that functionality.

I've also previously made a request about the real-time control of sun and shadows. The functionality is there obviously, it just needs a palette that is easily accessed while using the 3d window to set date and time. Currently you need to go through the separate Perspective Settings window, set Date and Time, click OK. It's clunky. My request unfortunately went nowhere and has probably been buried.

This is actually in contrast to BIMx. I made a couple of requests there that did make it through, including the real-time sun shadow control. It works well there and makes BIMx more useful overall.

I think Archicad features such as Design Options are great and do demonstrate they can design features that are actually useful for workflows. But then, why on earth are Graphisoft not also implementing these simple features which in some cases can also leverage existing functionality? They are no brainers. Not to mention, it should be mandatory that bugs need to be fixed. Graphisoft are generally more interested in making excuses and arguing why they can't fix something or add a small feature. Maybe developers are roadblocked from adding anything like this? There's got to be something wrong with the internal culture. I can only speculate when Graphisoft are unable to explain themselves.