ArchiCAD 16 AEC Magazine looks at the new modelling enhancements, improved component database and drive towards open standards in Graphisoft’s popular Building Information Modelling (BIM) platform, ArchiCAD. by Martyn Day
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components and premiumstep change in the use of design be used to create new geomeGraphisoft paid content, Graphisoft hopes tools is coming. Alongside try from sketches using comArchiCAD 16 that a community of users will the mandating of Building mands such as rotational genbuild up around the site. Information Modelling (BIM) eration or from existing comPrice £3,000 plus by the UK Government, a drive for ponents, which can be selected subscription of £540 Sustainability Graphisoft has improved efficiency in difficult times, and edited through the Morph ■ graphisoft.com tried a number of approaches means that implementing BIM is now a dialogue. Morph objects can be to sustainability. At first a tight merged and subtracted with cross industry issue. While many architects assume that BIM Boolean tools and then classified as integration with the then independent equals Revit, due to systematic marketing ArchiCAD components, stating if it is load Ecotect linked the two packages well but acquisition nixed that. from Autodesk to its huge AutoCAD cus- bearing or an interior or exterior element, Autodesk’s tomer base, other players are now being which can play a role in analysis later in the EcoDesigner was an additional plug-in that was developed to offer basic energy analysis recognised as offering decent alternatives. design process. and documentation. Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD is the longest BIM In release 16, EcoDesigner and the product in development, with its first BIM Components The promise of decent release in 1987 for both the Mac and BIM drag and drop content has yet to be VIPcore analysis engine have been inteWindows platforms. realised and users can spend a lot of time grated into the core platform and rewritten While the name implies its architectural building families of parts for projects. to work seamlessly within the design profocus, the software also offers structural Those independent sites that do have BIM cess. The company is actively encouraging elements, as well as models vary greatly in their depth and rich- its customers to start using design analysis tools at the conceptual phase. an MEP (Mechanical Electrical The integration makes great use Plumbing) to incorporate ductof the fact that the geometry created work and piping into the archiThere is no other BIM product already has many of the attributes tectural design. This is slightly required for running energy calcudifferent to the approach that includes such a complex suite lations thus speeding up the proAutodesk and Bentley have purof IFC filters, reference tools and cess. Physical properties of the sued, mainly ‘siloing’ the disciArchiCAD elements can be edited plines, but both have recently schema editing functions for experimentation and the applicacombined their BIM verticals into tion can access online, accurate the one environment. hour-by-hour online weather data of ArchiCAD has a BIM server for teamwork and collaboration that allows ness. One site might offer a pure geometry the building’s planned location. EcoDesigner’s clear report formatting simultaneous development of a project representation of a door with no data, model, both inside and outside of a compa- another might have so many variables and has been kept, providing graphical and ny’s firewall. This BIM server is probably associated metadata that they inflate the numeric results. The annual energy consumption is assessed, including CO2 emisthe best implementation of teamwork in the model size to dangerous proportions. popular BIM products we have seen to date. In release 16, Graphisoft has introduced a sions and monthly energy balance. new online BIM component database, New features BIMcomponents.com, which allows users Open BIM IFC read, write and edit capabiliModelling ArchiCAD 16 introduces to create, search, upload, and download ties within ArchiCAD continue to outpace ‘Morph’ technology, which further expands custom BIM components of their choice in the market and release 16 ArchiCAD continthe geometric capability of the product and the company’s GDL format (Geometric ues that trend. Too many people think saving an IFC file is all that is needed. In reality which has been an ongoing area of develop- Description Language). One of the benefits of GDL is that para- files need to be targeted for what the IFC ment through the last few releases. Morph allows the freeform creation of complex metric families of parts that are easily model is going to be used for and what sysgeometry using a direct modelling method- defined as one object can be defined to be tem it will be opened in. To do this, users need control over IFC ology — making edges, faces, points and many different variants, taking up only a surfaces open to manipulation. Morph can small amount of memory. With both free definitions and filters. Release 16 is faster
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