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

As you say, i think that all the pieces are set for Archicad to be the undisputed and unaproachable architectural design package king. They could be the king NOW if they wanted. Many of the most requested features (which have been going on for years now) could be implemented because they already exist within the software in some way (of course, that is me talking without know anything about coding). 

But its not happening. Why?

 

(From here on, everything is speculation)

 

The thing is, it is clear GS have another vision now. It defintely is diverging from its inhouse completitor, which is Vectorworks. All the little features that are requested here are being implemented there.

 

Does Nemetschek trully has nothing to do with how Vectorworks and Graphisoft are run? I seriously doubt that.

 

Add Allplan to the equation, the software that Nemetschek DID develope, and then you have some insight unto what might be happening.

 

Why mantain 3 software that more or less do the same? Allplan has way more enginering functionality, specially civil enginering. In that way, it is actually the real revit competitor, not Archicad, however it seems it is quite the idiosincratic software and not as easily marketable.

 

So my take is this and this is what i feared since about 2 years ago: either Archicad or allplan are going to dissapear or maybe merged into one to truly compete in the all in one software market for big projects (that is revit) while Vectorworks will fill the niche Archicad currently fullfils, software for the small medium architectural office. 

 

Otherwise none of what has been ocurring in the last releases makes any sense.

 

 

Here's an idea about the Vectorworks' current roadmap: Public Roadmap | Vectorworks

Martin Luther Jules
AC 10-27 (Full)
Asus | 64 GB RAM | Windows 11

A slightly different option would be Arcicad for architects, All Plan for engineers, DDS for mep engineers, and all bound by ifc or open bim for data exchange. Anything must be better than this integrated mess we are juggling.

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

Here comes the headache, when Graphisoft try to "reinvent the wheel", 

basically, IFC exchange method is based on geometries that have data filled in, send geometries, check it out, send back comments and so on,

adding the layer of " parametric output/input using IFC destroyed the hole thing, actually to make the whole process usefull, parametricity should be ignored, a correct geometry + data exchange without data loss whould be perfect, we don't need real time workflow between designers, this will add more and more areas for interoperability errors,

 

i was talking with my structural engeneer, and he shares the same tought regarding this workflow, USELESS, and add layers of errors and crossing working spaces.he is using revit, my IFC output from archiad was EXELLENT and enough for 80% of our projects , he said, 

 

  • Strong archiad for architects, 
  • Complete allplan for ingeneering including rebar, why not calculation, drawings etc
  • strong DDS cad for MEP.
  • Good IFC exchange between theese softwares and a Powerfull annotation and change tracker tool, that's enough

realtime collaboration exists only on showcase videos....

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

Mr dgsketcher, now we are talking.  My bet, even if we are being punched in the face, is still on Archicad.

Mr boumidage. Exactly, those videos where everyone is "colaborating" with a smile in their faces 😅 ; Reality is slightly different to that.

@bouhmidage Actually, if you have checked IFC 4x2 TC1, you will find that there is a section for parametric geometries

A good friend of mine have once told me that I´m so brute that I´m capable of creating a GDL script capable of creating GDLs.

Thats because most of the people at Graphisoft who have a history with Archicad and knowledge of the product and the users needs seem to have either gone or moved out of the focus. This is very sad for Archicad and the users. The really sad thing is that new users (customers) won't know what's missing because they don't have the background. The Structural Analytical Parameters, the Attribute Manager, the non installation off the Goodies (has anyone tried that yet?) Then there is Plumbing, partly accessed through the (new) Equipment Tool and partly through the Object tool  and all the Plumbing 'bits' are separated in 2 areas of the library 'Plumbing Fixtures 26' in the Basic Library and 'Plumbing 26' in the MEP library.
Not sure why.
There appears to be a fragmentation of Archicad which is happening to both the program and the team and this is not good. Too many managers with little product or industry specific knowledge is the beginning of the end for a company which used to be an industry leader.

Archicad 4.1 to 27 Apple Silicon
you can't build a line
Mac Studio
iPad Pro
iPhone
dcerezo
Advocate

I posted this in another thread, but thought I'd throw it in here too for fun.

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This is my dream, to one day read this online or in my email:

 

"Attention Archicad Users! Don't miss our webinar next week where we will present our latest version of Archicad. We're calling it Archicad: You. This latest release is all about You, not us. We've spent the last year taking a break from trying to create a "game changing" feature or "revolutionary" new tool. No this year we rolled our sleeves up and got our house in order, for you...our clients. We fixed things like improving text tools. How about layer palette that stays open (or any palette for that matter)? Why not throw in multiple windows open at the same time so you can click on a door and see it in 3D, plan, and section? No problem. Can we get a shout out for the new Built in Keynoting tool!! Sorry to our dear friends at CadImage, but you folks have been carrying water for us for too long and frankly we're embarrassed about that one. Ooh, how about the ability to edit the right click context menu so you can have shortcuts to your favorite tools? Nice! Multi story stair via a simple checkbox? Sure why not. You want to change a door or window property via the Schedule window? Heck yeah! Change away baby! Even better, how cool would it be to drag and drop the doors and windows in the schedule, AND they auto renumber too!? Piece of cake. While we were at it, we improved all of those site modeling tools you guys have been asking us about for years. Of course, we didn't get to all of the bajillions of wishes and improvements you guys have begged us for, but geez did we make a serious dent in our to do list. So join us when we premier Archicad: You. The fact is this: we see You, we're here for You and let's face it...it's all about You. (Insert GIF of a mic drop here)

 

That's my dream. 

ArchiCAD 26 - iMac 27, Late 2019, 3.7 GHz Intel Core i5, 32GB Ram, Radeon Pro 8GB, macOS Sonoma

Wouldn't that be nice? 🥲 Unfortunately tho, we all know Archicad has "jumped the shark!" It'll never again be what Gabor Bojar envisioned for it 40 years ago.

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
Jim Allen
Expert

Quite a few things to talk about here.

1. Single language installers - hell no! Extra languages require extra resources and will inflate the download and storage size. That's a definite no vote from me.

 

2. Hell yes! Template migration is a real pain, and I don't think it needs to be.

 

3. Libraries - I think this needs a bit of an overhaul. Personally I would rather have a minimal library, and have everything else loaded from the cloud on demand. I would also like to be able to point GS at a network folder containing office standard objects, and have them appear in the object browser without having them bound up in libraries. Do we even need the library approach any more? In the days before everyone had a fast internet connection, there was a clear logic for embedding big libraries. Nowadays, why have a library? Why can't we just have objects we download from the cloud. If we look at how Twinmotion works with its Quixel asset library that seems to be a much better approach. There is a load of resources in the cloud, and they are downloaded and embedded on demand. Imagine how great this could be with things like textures. GS could simply modify and supersede these every release without making them library downloads.

Is this a really pressing requirement though? No. Fix the damned missing and broken features first, and add things like this later.

 

4. Work environments - I think that once you save a work environment for any particular discipline, it should be easy to migrate to a later version. most of the core tools don't change, and when you install an updated version, why can't it check for preferences and offer to load/migrate them to the new version? As long as there is an option to reset the work environment to the default, that should be fine. We can do most of this stuff already though. Again - nothing required immediately, this is yet more 'fluff' that can come later.

 

5. No workarounds version - definitely! I've identified lots of things that ought to be fixed on more than one occasion, and we all have our own ideas. I think someone will have a list somewhere that we can vote on.

 

I also think GS should set up a team purely to develop objects, which has a clear communication conduit with users.

 

Let's be honest - there are lots of things that we can identify that are missing, and GS are not the best people to assess this. We have 6 fireplaces, 2 sailing boats, an outdoor grill, a projector screen, a blender a 1970s coffee machine and even a bloody icemaker but not a single commercial metal gate!

Door signs and splayed reveals in openings? Nope.

 

Come on Graphisoft - we know you can do much better 😉

 

 

 

 

Archicad 27 UKI | OS X 12.7.1 Monterey