Documentation
About Archicad's documenting tools, views, model filtering, layouts, publishing, etc.

Drafting in 90 secs

Fez1974
Contributor
Hi Guys,

I received an email from a local Archicad distributor today (Applecore) showing how they can do drawings in 90 seconds. Whilst we all realise that archicad can draft quickly we know that in reality of the drawing office this isn't really possible when you factor in design, setting out etc.
Obviously their use of predefined favourites vastly speeds up the process but yes we get the point.

However, my reason for posting here is, can anyone explain how they get what appears to be an interactive fill that they seem to use to show the beam and block floor? Its at 52seconds in.

Link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILZszIpDJuU

Regards
Freelance architectural technician from Staffordshire, UK.

32 years experience

Archicad (v11-25).

Windows 11 on 32gb 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11700K @ 3.60GHz
Nvidia RTX A4000
11 REPLIES 11
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi Fez1974,
It seems like a custom GDL object created for the UK market.
If you have the spare time and stamina, these can actually be programmed rather easily with GDL and not too much prior knowledge.
Make a hunt for David Nicholson Cole's GDL cookbook, I think I
saw it online - worth every second - now that you saw what could be done with 2D GDL!
Also, check out CadImage - they have a similar set of tools, if
not the exact same one shown in the video.
🙂
Gil
Fez1974
Contributor
Thanks for your reply Gil.

I have purchased CADImages GDL book and its a bit long winded and not good nighttime reading (yawn) even thinking about it makes me tired after a long day of work. I tried just doing 2D symbols (ie. the north point tutorial of Graphisofts just this weekend as it happens) and it never works properly. (ie. the fills don't appear after I save the object and try to insert it again). Another story for another thread I think.

Back to the point - I think its a bit naughty of Applecore to advertise a product which whilst not an independent add on it does rely on programming expertise which the majority of archicad users will never venture into.

However, what they and you have done is reignited my interest in GDL. Now where was that book?
Freelance architectural technician from Staffordshire, UK.

32 years experience

Archicad (v11-25).

Windows 11 on 32gb 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11700K @ 3.60GHz
Nvidia RTX A4000
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi again -
As to the demonstration, yeah, we call that cheating
round here, and the topic of "why don't GS have these
out of the box" has come and gone over the years.
But then again, many Autolisp stuff doesn't ship with
Autocad...
Fact is I just ordered the CADimage GDL book 30 minutes
ago, but I was hoping it would fall in between the GDL
cookbook and the cryptic GDL manual.
Here is the topic for the cookbook 4, though I think the link is broken:
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=23839
Do a Google for it!
The cookbook leads you through very simple examples and then
starts building up to some pretty cool stuff, though as a reference
I found it a bit all-over-the-place, hence the many post-its sticking
out of it...
As to the demo, it just shows how powerfull setting up in advance can get with AC - Favorites, Good GDL, Layer & View setups, composites etc.
Also look into the tips by Eric Bobrow. Archicad is a powerhouse
once you set it up to go!
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
What a bogus video - completely misleading about ArchiCAD usage.

The presenter had the Info Box turned off, so we could not observe what was actually being done at any point. All of the objects (and Favorites), of course, are not standard things. They appear to be simply 2D stamps, which makes it offensive that the narrator calls this "modeling" ... All of that detail CAN be done with actual modeling using complex profiles in which case it will be present in ALL section cuts, as it should be.

IMHO such a video hurts ArchiCAD sales more than it helps, as anyone who learns what is really happening will feel cheated.
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
Fez1974
Contributor
Karl wrote:
What a bogus video - completely misleading about ArchiCAD usage.

The presenter had the Info Box turned off, so we could not observe what was actually being done at any point. All of the objects (and Favorites), of course, are not standard things. They appear to be simply 2D stamps, which makes it offensive that the narrator calls this "modeling" ... All of that detail CAN be done with actual modeling using complex profiles in which case it will be present in ALL section cuts, as it should be.

IMHO such a video hurts ArchiCAD sales more than it helps, as anyone who learns what is really happening will feel cheated.
I agree and surely this method of drawing wouldn't be fully parametric? In the sense that should the designer change the floor level they would need to visit the section to move their 2D object. I'm not an advocate of modelling everything (ie. lintels, drainage, etc as I do them as 2D lines in my sections) but items like floors I think should be modelled properly. However, I did like the way that the 2D object in the video could have its individual layers stretched to overlap the wall.
Freelance architectural technician from Staffordshire, UK.

32 years experience

Archicad (v11-25).

Windows 11 on 32gb 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11700K @ 3.60GHz
Nvidia RTX A4000
NCornia
Graphisoft
Graphisoft
Karl wrote:
What a bogus video - completely misleading about ArchiCAD usage.
I agree that the video is misleading and that the benefits of BIM are negated in this method. I do however see some powerful use of ArchiCAD here, even if it is 2D. I have liked Apple Core's videos in the past and if they would add an explanation at the beginning of what is going on in this video, then I would have no problem with it. But I could see someone thinking that this is all out of the box and that it is all being modeled in 3D and that would lead to some disappointment down the road.

If ArchiCAD was this magic out of the box and it was all 3D, my favorite part would be the automatic annotation already magically typed in for me.
Nicholas Cornia
Technical Support Team - GRAPHISOFT North America
ARCHICAD on Twitter
Tutorials
GRAPHISOFT Help Center
Anonymous
Not applicable
Fez

It appears that you can download the custom 2D librart parts at http://store.applecoredownloads.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=2
Fez1974
Contributor
NCornia wrote:
Karl wrote:
What a bogus video - completely misleading about ArchiCAD usage.
If ArchiCAD was this magic out of the box and it was all 3D, my favorite part would be the automatic annotation already magically typed in for me.
Indeed, along with the pre-designed composite walls, window & floor construction. Infact....who needs architects...we're all doomed.
Freelance architectural technician from Staffordshire, UK.

32 years experience

Archicad (v11-25).

Windows 11 on 32gb 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11700K @ 3.60GHz
Nvidia RTX A4000
Fez1974
Contributor
Lennox wrote:
Fez

It appears that you can download the custom 2D library parts at http://store.applecoredownloads.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=2
Well found, not that I'll be paying for one though. Seems a bit of a rip off, £6 for a break line?
Freelance architectural technician from Staffordshire, UK.

32 years experience

Archicad (v11-25).

Windows 11 on 32gb 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11700K @ 3.60GHz
Nvidia RTX A4000