I model all the major elements in kitchens. However the detail across the kitchen is usually a mix of 2D and 3D. In one kitchen, 08113, we spent a lot of time working on two elevations with the client. We sent tons of 3D views similar to those below. Because of this, I modeled all the cabinet doors for about a dozen different variations. In contrast the island, which the
The other users on the ArchiCAD-Talk Forum never cease to surprise and amaze me. There’s so much to be learned from them. Here’s my three favorite posts from the past few days. Dashed Lines on adjoining slabs I never knew ArchiCAD could model this, let alone in so many ways Take that SketchUp! And this too!
Do I use ArchiCAD to its fullest? Not even close. Is my work a combination of 2D & 3D? of course. Each project is more 3D and less 2D. However, it’s not about 100% 3D vs. 100% 2D or 100% parametric vs. 100% dumb lines and objects. It’s about utility. With my current workflow, and that of the people I work with, there’s a balance of usefulness. New construction walls,
I was on a panel discussion on BIM in residential architecture during the summer of 2009. One of the audience members, after hearing the four of us talk for an hour, got up and said “But where is the ‘I’ in your work?” If I remember correctly she had mostly used AutoCAD and only briefly dabbled in Revit. Her complaint stemmed from most of the talk revolving around extracting views
The track list from Pantera‘s last studio album, Reinventing the Steel, has great advice for any ArchiCAD user. You don’t need to love their music like I do to see what accidental BIM geniuses these guys were. Let’s look: Hellbound – This is how we all feel when we start ArchiCAD. The first two weeks can be just awful. You’ll curse your new employers or think your reseller has swindled
I keep the majority of my operators on a hidden layer called Operators. However it’s a pain to turn on the layer when I need it on. In times past I’d either go to the layers, select operator, turn it on, or I’d go to an “all on” layer combination, or a special layer combination that was a “3D + operators,” or I’d select a slab, change it to the
I’ve set the keyboard shortcut for the Quick Layers palette to ‘control + X’. The filtering capabilities of this little palette are huge and easy to use. I am always isolating layers to do quick moves. When working on a complex model (or drawing), very often the answer is to turn off layers, make the changes, and turn layers back on. The Show/Hide toggle is great for sifting through what
I’m excited about version 14. I started using ArchiCAD on version 9, dabbled in 8.1, 10, 12, and 13, and have been using v11 since it was released. While working on my first project in v11 back in 2007, I discovered the joys of the complex profile in ArchiCAD. If you use ArchiCAD, but don’t use this tool to its breaking point…finish reading and then go spend as much time
We all have bad habits in ArchiCAD. Some of this is from how we were taught and some from the version we learned on. As the program evolves, we need to reevaluate how we work. Do we still need to hold down shift? Is it time to get used to the tracker? Are we still hanging on to old key commands from v8.1? Some are worth keeping. I want to
