ArchiCAD 18 — Join the Creative Flow
BUDAPEST, May 6, 2014 — GRAPHISOFT® announced today the latest version of its industry-leading BIM software solution for architects and designers. ArchiCAD 18 delivers innovations making the BIM workflow smoother, including CineRender, a brand new render engine with high-end photorealistic rendering capabilities found only in the professional visualization application CINEMA 4D — now available right inside the BIM tool.
“BIM innovation has been shifting from adding new features to introducing innovative new workflows – this is exactly what ArchiCAD 18 offers end-users,” said László Vértesi, Vice President of Product Development at GRAPHISOFT. “With ArchiCAD 18, we pinpointed the most important user requests related to workflow issues with the clear goal of providing our users with solutions that keep them in the creative design flow with as little disruption as possible.”
“We are delighted that GRAPHISOFT has decided to integrate CineRender into ArchiCAD 18 – offering a bridge to CINEMA 4D for users who wish to add even more sophisticated graphics and animations to their projects,” said Harald Egel, Managing Partner and CEO of MAXON.
About ArchiCAD 18
Built-in CineRender, the CINEMA 4D render engine by MAXON Computer — High-quality, photorealistic renderings are still the most important client communication tool for architects. The integration of CineRender, MAXON’s world-class CINEMA 4D rendering engine into ArchiCAD 18, brings this capability closer to a much wider range of users. One-button “photo-shot” rendering can be used to easily produce convincing, high-quality results, as with tweaking numerous sliders and parameters — allowing both novice and professional users to complete the rendering job right inside the BIM application. Fast preview and background processor support make the rendering workflow a smooth and uninterrupted process. The seamless file export from ArchiCAD 18 to CINEMA 4D enables users to enhance their projects with high-end animation and visualization techniques and benefit from decreased render times thanks to the highly-efficient distributed rendering solution in CINEMA 4D.
Integrated Revision Management workflows — Data exchange with clients, consultants and the authorities puts the legal burden on architects and designers. ArchiCAD 18 tracks and automatically documents changes to the building model so questions about responsibility won’t be an issue later on. ArchiCAD 18’s brand new Revision Management solution is integrated into the entire BIM workflow, providing solutions for 2D, 3D or any kind of hybrid workflows.
Improved PDF-based data exchange — PDF has become one of the worldwide drawing standards people use for multiple tasks. By introducing BIM-related intelligence and data hierarchies into PDF files, ArchiCAD 18 offers PDF-based smooth workflows for a wide range of stakeholders in the AEC process.
OPEN BIM and IFC-based workflow improvements — ArchiCAD 18 continues to deliver several IFC-related improvements, including professional scheme-driven data management and data mapping and high-quality (certified) export processes. In addition, to support highly iterative coordination with engineers and consultants, ArchiCAD 18 introduces full BCF support. The BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) is an open file format that allows the addition of textual comments and screenshots on top of the IFC model layer for better communication between the coordinating parties. ArchiCAD 18 integrates BCF information natively into the BIM model in the form of ArchiCAD Mark-Up entries. As a result, ArchiCAD joins major BIM applications (including model checker, structural and MEP engineering software) that support the BCF format.
GRAPHISOFT BIMcloud® Integration — The true potential of BIM is best realized through a team effort with several contributors collaborating on the same BIM data. With its full integration with the GRAPHISOFT BIMcloud®, ArchiCAD 18 offers industry-first, real-time BIM collaboration regardless of the size, location or setup of the collaborating team. Cloud integration allows the ArchiCAD team to soar without limits. Learn more about GRAPHISOFT’s BIMcloud® Solution here: http://www.graphisoft.com/bimcloud/
Workflow enhancements — In addition to introducing brand new innovative workflows, ArchiCAD 18 also unveils substantial enhancements to its existing workflows as well, proving that listening to customers is of primary importance when assigning development resources at GRAPHISOFT.
GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD® 18 will start shipping in June, 2014 with an impressive list of 26 local versions rolled out by the end of Q3 2014. Learn more about the upcoming release here: http://www.graphisoft.com/archicad/archicad-18/overview/.
About MAXON Computer
Headquartered in Germany, MAXON Computer is a developer of industry-leading professional 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering solutions. Its award-winning CINEMA 4D and BodyPaint 3D software products have been used extensively to help create everything from stunning visual effects in top feature films, TV shows and commercials to cutting-edge game cinematics for AAA games, medical illustration, and architectural and industrial design applications. MAXON has offices in Germany, USA, United Kingdom, France, Japan and Singapore. MAXON products are available directly from MAXON and its worldwide distribution and reseller channel.
About GRAPHISOFT
GRAPHISOFT® ignited the BIM revolution in 1984 with ArchiCAD®, the industry first BIM software for architects. GRAPHISOFT continues to lead the industry with innovative solutions such as its revolutionary BIMcloud™, the world’s first real-time BIM collaboration environment, EcoDesigner™, the world’s first fully BIM-integrated “GREEN” design solution and BIMx®, the world’s leading mobile app for BIM visualization. GRAPHISOFT has been a part of the Nemetschek Group since its acquisition in 2007.
Jared Banks
Once again another great release from Graphisoft. The things we can now do with PDFs… OMFG. So, so great. Oh and great rendering, BCF integration, and a bunch of other great workflow improvements. But seriously the PDF enhances are insane. Layer control for import/export and AND AND EXPLODING PDFs into editable 2D elements. Holy shit. Suddenly every cut sheet and piece of 2D data on the Internet becomes yours to grind up and put in your BIM (well all the PDFs that are created from vector based sources.
Patrick May
awesome to hear these new additions and look forward to get my hands on the new version in June!
Darren Bell
Being able to explode PDF’s is handy. The Maxon rendering engine is certainly an improvement. Till I try it, I don’t yet fully understand the rest of the improvements.
I would really love to have seen point cloud support.
That said, there are at least two offerings coming to the market which automatically create optimized geometry from point clouds, although both will target REVIT first for their output, both vendors have expressed an interest in supporting IFC, one has even suggested that they may consider texture mapping to assign RGB data from point clouds directly as textures. I am awaiting with baited breath from both vendors to test the output and its suitability for use within the ArchiCAD environment.
Jared Banks
For more of my thoughts on ArchiCAD 18, here’s a post over on GSNA’s blog:
http://blog.graphisoftus.com/open-bim/are-you-ready-for-archicad-18
Muaz Alnajjar
one of the most brilliant things that let me stop and keep thinking many times when reading about the new workflow features in ArchiCAD 18 is that it’s now really getting into the era of being a software for the big AEC firms.
in the case of large projects, a lot of firms and decision makers move their sight away from ArchiCAD as a Lead BIM software because it’s considered as a software that confined to the design phase ONLY, and won’t do any good when it comes to workflow on a larger scale project!!
now BIM Cloud brings SaaS to the scene loud and clear. basing on a personal previous experience in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems (to be specific Microsoft Dynamics) I believe it’s now time to integrate ArchiCAD 18 to ERP systems via BIM Cloud.
the approach needs really hard interfacing and connectivity channels between both ends of the equation but at least both of those ends of the equation are there and ready to go.
Graphisoft did the right thing by creating an outlet to the cloud to represent the project data which is still the first half of the way. the second half has to be start building smart interfaces and web apps and services that will make the BIM projects or AEC projects accessible to high end systems that really control the enterprise and let the decision makers more confident about their next move.