So Graphisoft has finally released the reins on the new free Archicad 14 trials, ranging from the Professional, Student, Teacher, and School versions. They each give you a 30-day free trial + the ability to download and try out a bunch of great add-ons and partnering software

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Back in October 2009, Apple surprised us with a new introduction to the mac peripherals, the Magic Mouse the world’s first multi-touch mouse. In the past Apple hasn’t been very successful with its mice, but many are starting to come around now that the company has seemed to have nailed it.

The drawback has been for us CAD users that there’s one tiny thing missing..... the essential middle scroll wheel...! Without it to pan + zoom, and orbit around a model, it just takes ages to model anything really - thus rendering the device quite useuless for 3D design.

Well despair no longer, there is a way.....

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So, if you remember last month I mentioned Graphisoft was releasing the new version of Archicad, well a couple of days ago they finally announced the launch of Archicad 14 due to ship next month!

As you may know, Archicad is usually used for architectural modelling, but the newest version is focusing on greater integration and collaboration workflow of the architect and the engineer, aiming to squeeze in to the multi-discipline practices’ workflow.

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Ok so by now after the tutorial shows “Intro to Artlantis” and “Artlantis 101” you’re probably starting to get the hang of it, experimenting further with shaders and rendering a few scenes.

Now you can test your knowledge on an Artlantis Rendering Contest, created Design8 and Artlantismedia.nl. There is no modelling involved just download a ready-made model and render it to the bone! Continue Reading....

It seems the Fates have not forsaken us!

A couple of months ago I had mentioned that Autodesk had conducted an online survey which suggested the company was evaluating the interest of Mac CAD users, and possibly even alpha testing a Mac version of Autocad! Now it seems the rumours may have actually been true thanks to a sneaky beta tester from Italy....

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It’s a bit confusing which choice to make if you’re buying a new Mac or PC to get high quality and fast processing graphics needed for 3D design. Do you go with an integrated graphics card - meaning that it’s built directly into the motherboard (or logic-board for macs) circuitry - or with a “discrete” one, which is a separate dedicated Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) usually hooked up directly to the board ?

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imags source : Graphisoft

After only a few months since Archicad 13, which brought astonishing improvements to the BIM universe, Graphisoft has announced the latest version of its award-winning architectural design software, ArchiCAD 14 !

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So in the previous tutorials (ACM006 + ACM007) I mentioned the Catalog - Artlantis’s great object manger. By now you’ve probably started using Artlantis a bit more and explored using the objects + shaders provided with the package; and though there are plenty to get you by at the early stages, if you want to step it up a notch you’re probably going to want some more!

Well fear not, archiCADmonkey’s got ya covered. I found a fantastic site called ArtlantisObjects.com, where you can find all sorts of Artlantis news, interviews, some Artlantis tutorials and media all in one place.

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So this is a followup show to ACM006 - intro to Artlantis, where I explored what Artlantis is and why it’s such a fantastic piece of software - especially for architects. It would probably be best to check out that show for a quick introduction before diving into this one, but still this is just going through the basics. Abvent Artlantis is recognised as the fastest and most powerful solution for photo-realistic rendering and animation developed for architects and designers. This show will bring you up to speed on lots of the functions and capabilities of this great piece of software!

I’m exploring how to download the Artlantis 3 trial from the Artlantis site as well as MyArchicad.com - where I downloaded the Archicad 13 trial in the Archicad 101 show. If you’re a student or teacher, just like with Archicad you can apply for a free 1-year educational license for Archicad and Artlantis from myarchicad.com.

In addition to the trial, I download the Archicad to Artlantis exporter - enabling me to save my 3D Archicad model into an Artlantis one, so I can edit and render it. Next I export the 3D building model I created in show ACM005 from Archicad, import it to Artlantis, and give a quick overview of the general interface. I then add some shaders to the model from the Catalog - Artlantis’s great object manager - while replacing some of the Archicad materials with the more sophisticated Artlantis shaders, setting the scene with the heliodon and cloud formations, and then finally rendering a scene for final output.

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Following Adobe’s online event, the excitement skyrocketed about the entire CS5 suite. The improvements across the board are amazing - bringing more control + flexibility in design, allowing the creative process to flow more naturally.

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Adobe is offering a sneak preview of it’s new Creative Suite 5 software, online today at 4pm BST.

CS5 is said to have over 250 new features across the Suite, but I’m most excited about the great stuff they’re bringing with Photoshop CS5.

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Abvent Atlantis is recognised as the fastest and most powerful solution for photo-realistic rendering and animation developed for architects and designers, used by roughly 65,000 users in 80 countries, in 7 languages.

It’s not a full blown modelling + rendering program like 3DS Max or Cinema4D, but a stand-alone rendering application, as it has simple tasks and does them awesomely well! This is due to its rendering engine developed especially for architecture, offering accuracy and speed unmatched by any other product on the market.

In this introduction I go through a quick intro of Artlantis 3, the reasons why it’s sometimes more suitable for architectural visualisation, the two versions (Artlantis R + Artlantis Studio), some of the amazing features it offers - including the innovative and superfast radiosity preview, the drag+drop process of adding objects and shaders to your model, water animation + interactive cloud formations, + more.

Plugins : Artlantis plays very well with others, being able to interface directly with popular 3D CAD + BIM applications like ArchiCAD, VectorWorks, SketchUp Pro + more. But with the recent addition of the DWF, OBJ and FBX import formats and updated DXF, DWG and 3DS plug-ins, Artlantis seamlessly interacts with all the leading CAD software as well.

Finally I mention the extensive media, shader, and object libraries offered in both versions, as well as where you can download or buy some additional libraries to use in your model, including the Artlantis Media Libraries and ObjectsOnline.com, a virtual product library created by Abvent offering the largest collection of 3D parametric objects dedicated to architecture and design.

I’d like to thank everyone again for all your fantastic emails and comments about the show, on iTunes, Facebook and all the online video sites. Please keep ‘em coming!

If you download the iTunes version, I've added chapters into the video so you can jump to any part you want.

If you’d like to share any tips, or need any additional help I’d be happy to provide some,
just email me at archicadmonkey@gmail.com or from the contact me section.



A quick review on iTunes would be very much appreciated!

Enjoy the show!

Archicad has hundreds of objects you can use embedded in its Standard Library, ranging from simple geometric shapes to Parametric objects like stairs or kitchen cabinets. Though most are preconfigured to standard settings, nearly everything is extensively editable - as they are GDL objects. Every few months the Archicad team even sends an update for the standard library, fixing a few bugs and adding more objects.

Some third-party developers have created more specialised and detailed objects to add to your designs including furniture, electronic equipment, trees, you name it! Some are free, though the really good ones come at a reasonable price. To start off I’d go with the free route and try the GDL Object Depository created by Graphisoft, where Archicad users can exchange free objects and texture libraries. Loving the free and open-source, the Open GDL board is a place for developers mostly, but has plenty of free stuff to download.

Though if you’ve got some cash to spare, Objects Online is a great resource - these guys have created hundreds of great high quality Archicad objects, most have a pricetag on them, but a few are free to download - with a “donation” option. Similarly Archicad Solutions specialises in creating and customising GDL objects for Archicad, and CADGarage has some library parts for sale along with books, DVDs, and accessories for Mac + Archicad.

These are generally the sites I’ve found useful, though Graphisoft has compiled the mother-list of all GDL developers’ websites. Go ahead and check them out and if you find any other good ones please feel free share them with me and I’ll spread the word. Happy GDL hunting!

I’ve gone through a few computers in my time, from basic laptops to building my own super-PC with an NVidia powerhouse, moving onto a Macbook and now even growing slowly out of my superpowerful Macbook Pro. Though I do love my macs - as I am mad with multitasking - I do try and be objective when recommending a piece of hardware, or software for that matter, to be the best fit to the individual. There’s one thing that every designer has in common, we need POWER!

So, what’s the best computer for 3D, CAD and BIM?

David Fano over at Design Reform has written an article about just this subject, putting this question out to the PC and Mac community. Though his recommendations are mostly aimed towards windows users, the general concept of processor power, RAM + hard drive size and such are quite universal. It depends in the end if you feel comfortable with a certain setup and are happy with the final results....while not having to wait 24hrs for an image to render....!

The comments after the article are definitely worth a read, very interesting seeing what other powerCADers use.

This time we get a bit deeper into Archicad and go step-by-step how to draw up a simple building + get used to the tools of the workflow. It's a simple design, nothing very exciting, but a good start to get you on your way to Archicad mastery.

This is the longest video in the series - 22 minutes long - so get a nice cup of coffee ready. If you download the iTunes version you'll see I've added chapters into the video so you can jump back + forwards to whichever part you want.

Enjoy the show!



Stuff mentioned :

The Wall tool | Editing Walls + Settings | Splitting Walls | Material selection | Storeys + Settings | Slabs + Settings
The Roof tool | Polyroof + Manual | Stairs + Slabs | Doors + Windows | The Mesh Tool | Adding vegetation

+

Suspending Groups | The Cursor Tracker | The Pet Palette | The Magic Wand
The Eyedropper | The Syringe | General 2D + 3D views | Show All / Selection in 3D





Useful links
Graphisoft Archicad
Abvent Artlantis

If you found this show useful, a quick review on iTunes would be very much appreciated!
You can contact me if you have any comments, ideas for new shows, or would like to share any tips

Archicad may seem like a completely different world if you’re used to using Autocad, but actually many of the concepts are the same - especially the 2D drafting side. Some have different names or are executed in different way, but the outcome is the same or better.

Geoffroy Magnan wrote - a few Archicad versions ago - a very comprehensive piece called the AutoCAD to ArchiCAD 2D conversion guide, still very useful to start with. Similar to this is Digital Vision Automation’s AutoCAD/ArchiCAD Cross-training (PDF), which goes through most of the most common commands in both apps and the differences between them.

Though if you’re looking for the “Holy Grail” for Autocad users switching to Archicad, look no further!



ArchiCAD for AutoCAD Users (US amazon affiliate link)

The revised (2009) version of the book by Ralph Grabowski + David Byrnes + Geoff Langdon, “Archicad for Autocad users” covers all the commands, procedures and concepts usually known from the Autocad days, and how to replicate, simplify, and even evolve those processes in Archicad. It goes through all the essentials of drawing up floorplans, sections + elevations effectively by providing practical knowledge.



This doesn’t mean that Autocad is completely replaced, there are plenty of ways to share Archicad 2D + 3D files with Autocad, but as Archicad is a full BIM package you can increase your productivity significantly with the Virtual Building Model.

I think I’ll let the authors sell the concept themselves :

”We’ve actually found it fun to go from an extensive but general CAD package
like AutoCAD, to an advanced architecturally intelligent package like ArchiCAD.
Here’s why: a lot of what you had to worry about in AutoCAD
(scale, layers, units, setting limits, trimming walls for door openings, and more)
is handled automatically by ArchiCAD...

... It is also fun for architectural designers to have the immediate visual feedback
of 3D perspectives, sections, and elevations as they are designing,
just as they had when designing with cardboard (only better)...

... Over 80% of ArchiCAD users were AutoCAD users in the past,
so you have a lot of company. We invite you to see what all those
experienced CAD users have discovered in ArchiCAD...”

There are many rumours going around about which will get to be the first official CAD application on the magical iPad. I discussed in a previous article about the possibility of the tablet device having 3D technology, as many recent Apple patents are steering to such a conclusion.

Of course there are a few CAD-ish apps on the iPhone - like Mark on Call (iTunes link) or CADTouch (iTunes link) - but these are mostly vector based drawing applications similar to Adobe Illustrator , only less advanced of course.

“...maybe VectorWorks or ArchiCAD” says Randall Newton as they are both established CAD + BIM applications on the MacOS X platform. Both programs are now under the umbrella of Nemetschek - one of the leading companies for the AEC software sector - having matured to a position where it wouldn’t take as much work to get onto the iPad as say the highly anticipated Autocad for Mac which is still in alpha testing. Autodesk is mainly a Windows based company, though their amazing sketching application Autodesk SketchBook Pro was met with great praise on the Mac and the iPhone|iPod Touch (iTunes Link). They’ve taken a good step towards possibly edging their way in with Project Butterfly which makes it easy to view + even edit Autocad drawings via an internet browser, making it technically cross-platform.

If Graphisoft could bring out a native iPad application or at least an Archicad project viewer like Virtual Building Explorer, it would become a great tool to show off and describe designs anywhere with a great touch interface easy enough for anyone to understand the design over coffee or on the building site.

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In this episode I continue the Archicad series, firstly exploring the educational + professional licenses, downloading the trial versions + installing them, as well as Archicad 12 + 13 compatibility with mac + pc. Following with a tour of the basic interface, and the general workflow logic to get you started, we dive into one of the major parts of the Archicad interface - the “Navigator”, defining the “Project Map”, “View Map”, “Layout Book”, and “Publisher Sets”.



To view the show, subscribe via RSS or through iTunes or Miro.

You can also watch a lower quality version below:




If you found this show useful, a quick review on iTunes would be very much appreciated! Thanks


Useful links

• Graphisoft Archicad
• MyArchicad.com
• Archicad Wiki - Snow Leopard Compatibility
• The Student fact sheet
• The Tutor fact sheet
• Abvent Artlantis

If you have any comments, criticisms, ideas for new shows, or just to say hi , please email me at archicadmonkey@gmail.com

Enjoy the show!

View the show on iPhone

ArchicadWiki is a great resource for all technical info about Archicad - including troubleshooting. Based on the Wiki software - the same as Wikipedia- it allows easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages. Generally it’s a hub of information that anyone can take advantage of and add information

Illes Arvay has produced a very comprehensive article about recommended video cards and relevant drivers for Archicad 13, both for Windows + Mac. Also some test results for Windows XP + 7 with Nvidia Quadro FX , ATI FireGL cards, and Asus Geforce cards.

It’s worth checking out if you’re considering buying a new Mac or PC and running Graphisoft Archicad 13.

> Link to source

In this episode I introduce one of my favourite applications, Graphisoft Archicad the world’s leading 3D parametric design software for architects, interior designers and others in the design industry. It has established itself as a highly intuitive, flexible and mature product, with which over a million buildings have been designed.

The show covers:

• Quick intro to Archicad
• The Virtual BuildingTM | BIM
• Version compatibility with mac + pc
• Award-winning designs
• Virtual TraceTM
• Partial Structure Display
• 3D Document
• Collaboration
• Useful websites

To view the show, please subscribe via RSS or through iTunes or Miro.

To check it out now, play the lower quality version below:



If you found this show useful, a quick review on iTunes would be very much appreciated! Thanks

Useful links

• Graphisoft Archicad
• Abvent Artlantis
• Best of Archicad
• Archicad Wiki
• Architectsjury.com
• Architalk.com

If you have any comments, criticisms, ideas for new shows, or just to say hi , please email me at archicadmonkey@gmail.com

Enjoy the show!

In the first of the series we explore Google Sketchup. Most possibly the most intuitive three-dimensional design program, it offers unparalleled user friendliness, simple design tools and techniques. This allows the user to quickly draw up conceptual designs, while also having the ability to add extensive detail to the 3D model.

Users can simply draw lines to create a traditional 2D CAD drawing, or take it a step further and quickly create 3D objects. Along with its seamless integration with Google Earth, it is a very powerful piece of software which practically anyone can learn and master.

Following an overview of the program’s capabilities and main user interface we continue with some basic and essential techniques to get you started.

To view the show, please subscribe via RSS or through iTunes or Miro.

You can also watch a lower quality version below:

acm001 - Sketchup 101 from archicadmonkey on Vimeo.

If you have any comments, criticisms, ideas for new shows, or just to say hi, please email me at archicadmonkey@gmail.com

Enjoy the show!
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