CU Sep-Oct 2023

SOFTWAREreview
The intuitive ability to apply radial
stretches to curved elements like walls
and beams with the "Copy" option, has
now been extended to circles and ovals.
FASTER AND MORE ACCURATE
DOCUMENTATION
Subscribing to the same ethos to reduce
unnecessary processes, Archicad 26 has
introduced substantial enhancements to
the documentation workflow. One of the
main improvements had been to facilitate
access to PDF documents, the most
frequently used file format in the
construction industry. Now, selected
pages can be imported from a multipage
PDF using PDF Page Import with a
single click.
The Autotext feature in Master Layout is
an intelligent tool that keeps document
related data in title blocks automatically
accurate and up to date. This applies to
the Master Layout Name, Width, Height,
Size, and Layout numbers for subsets.
Users can also find and add multiple
rules to combinations at once without
unnecessary scrolling.
Graphic Overrides is a versatile and
interesting tool that allows users to
display elements in any model view
according to a customised graphical
definition, to easily communicate designs
to other team members. You can create
thematic drawings using associative
3D/BIM content in a semi-automatic way
without resorting to supplementary 2D
CAD work or "idle" presentation drawings.
VISUALISATION ENHANCEMENTS
Clients now expect high quality
visualisations of proposed projects, and
Archicad enables its users to meet the
challenge. To this end the Additional
Surfaces Catalogue has been completely
renewed with fresh surface content for
Archicad 26. This enables designs to be
presented with a more realistic look with
new textures, without having to import
them from third party libraries - although
the feature is only available to Graphisoft
Forward subscribers.
Publishing 3D models has become
easier as well, with an improved workflow
and easier control over textures, file size
and export time. BIMx Web Viewer and
BIMx Desktop viewer give users better
access to enhanced renders with on-thefly
rendering, reflecting project
orientation and a Camera View Cone in
the 3D model.
Users also get a free 1-year
subscription to Enscape (with a 2-year
commitment), enabling them to combine
real-time rendering with virtual reality.
More details about the capabilities this
brings to Archicad 26 are available at
enscape.graphisoft.com. Again, this is
only available for Graphisoft Forward
subscribers.
COLLABORATION ON
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
Integration is a key feature of the new
release, exemplified by two important
new features: improved structural
analytical model workflows and out-ofthe-box
energy and CO2 building
material data aiming for Net Zero carbon
emissions.
In order to provide better collaboration
between architects and structural
engineers working on projects, Archicad
26 enables multi-segmented analytical
elements, such as beams and columns,
to be more precisely represented in
complex analytical models, facilitating
the export of SAF (structural analysis
format) files. Using it in conjunction with
Automatic Line Load generation,
structural engineers can access detailed
and accurate information on the largest
projects. Building life-cycle analysis can
also be performed using CO2 building
material data for sustainability reports.
BIMCLOUD
Throughout the pandemic Graphisoft has
been proactive in supporting users who
wanted to work remotely by allowing
them to access their Archicad licence
from home, improving access to
Teamwork and by providing special
BIMcloud SaaS usage rates - enabling
remote access to the office infrastructure
regardless of location - home, office or
construction site - and software used.
The solution has made practices think
about the way they now work and
Graphisoft has responded to the need
for more flexible working.
BIMcloud Software as a Service is now
established as a fast, efficient, and
affordable way of sharing projects with
colleagues wherever they are. In fact,
when you think about it, an architect
working from a busy office probably
collaborates more with globally based
colleagues in multiple disciplines than
they may do with the colleague sitting at
the next desk who may be working on a
different project. BIMcloud SaaS merely
extends the diaspora.
BIMCloud SaaS is also easy to use -
and you pay for what you use, so the
cost of using it can be proportionate to
the project involved. Its storage
capabilities have also been extended,
with 100k+ file storage capacity.
Improvements have also been made to
project data security and the handling of
document revisions.
BIMX
BIMx is Graphisoft's principal design
collaboration and presentation tool and
is available in formats to suit desktop,
mobile devices and the Internet. Its
simple and ubiquitous access facilities
enable it to be widely used in design
studios, client offices and construction
sites, providing an immersive 3D
experience on each of the platforms.
The latest version provides an improved
and more realistic look on mobile
devices with support for cast shadows
calculated on the fly in BIMx Mobile.
Users can also benefit from some of the
new customisation features using
Archicad's texture export in BIMx
Desktop Viewer. Accessing its potential is
also made easier with a simpler
Publisher workflow.
The focus on design rather than
process and the integration of
disciplines, including DDScad for MEP
solutions which we covered in our last
issue, ensures that the release of
Archicad 26 will be a significant one for
both architects and engineers.
Graphisoft can also be applauded for
simplifying and streamlining some of the
processes that can overwhelm
applications even as they introduce new
features and capabilities.
www.graphisoft.co.uk
September/October 2022 21