Graphisoft had the 2024 launch of its product portfolio at its “Building Together” Design event earlier this month where it unveiled what’s new and upcoming in all of its applications, including Archicad, its flagship BIM application for architectural design; BIMx, its presentation and communication mobile app; BIMcloud, its cloud collaboration platform; and DDScad, the full-fledged MEP design application it merged with two years ago. It also announced several new partnerships as well as improved integration with existing partners.
Coming on the heels of its “Building Together” Innovate event a few months ago which showcased some amazing work by its customers, it was very helpful to get a deeper insight into the Graphisoft applications — and their latest developments — that are enabling this work. We also heard from Cottee Parker, a leading architectural firm based in Australia that has been using Graphisoft solutions for over 30 years, and which now employs the full BIM capabilities of Archicad to deliver large-scale and complex projects such as the Queen’s Wharf project in Brisbane and the West Side Place in Melbourne (Figure 1).
While the launch event was held online, I had the opportunity to attend it in person at the company’s headquarters in Budapest and learn about the new features and enhancements in more detail. An overview of the main product updates that were shared by Graphisoft at the event is provided in this article, starting with the new version of its flagship application, Archicad 28.
Several of the new features and enhancements in Archicad 28 were those that Graphisoft had told us it was working on at last year’s launch event, including enhancements to Archicad’s point cloud capabilities, further development of the bidirectional ArchiCAD-Grasshopper connection to make it easier to create Archicad models using scripting, AI-assisted rendering, support for the IDS (Information Delivery Specification) standard from BuildingSMART which would allow the information needed in an IFC-based exchange of BIM to be clearly defined, support for the latest version 3.0 of the BCF (Building Collaboration Format) standard, and advancements in the structural/MEP modeling and documentation capabilities of Archicad so that it could also be used by structural and MEP engineers, allowing them to work on the same model as the architect.
The improved point cloud support, which allows Archicad to be used more easily for renovation and refurbishment projects, comes from the BIMmTool add-on (Figure 2), developed by the company, BIMm Solutions, in partnership with Graphisoft. The add-on allows common point cloud formats such as Leica, Faro, Riegel, etc. to be directly imported into Archicad, and it can work with extensive data sets through multiprocessing and sampling, allowing large projects to be tackled without performance issues. There are tools for organizing and analyzing the point clouds, as well as close to 70 tools grouped in an Easy2model palette for creating 3D models from the point clouds. Point clouds can be displayed at a low resolution to make modeling easier; a clipping box can be used to further streamline the display by focusing on a specific area; and a navigator functionality facilitates precise placement of building components. For quality control, BIMmTool provides a point cloud-to-model comparison functionality which detects and displays deviations using color-coded gradients, allowing errors to be more easily spotted.
The bidirectional integration of Rhino-Grasshopper with Archicad, which was launched in 2016 and allows Grasshopper’s visual scripting ability to work directly with Archicad’s building components, has been improved with support for the latest Rhino version and extended beam and column support, shown in Figure 3. There is also a new hotlink module, which allows parametric modeling using hotlinks, such as the residential development shown in Figure 4, in which each house is a hotlink instance.
Archicad’s AI Visualizer, which was introduced last year to provide “text prompt to rendering” capability that can quickly create high-quality visuals from conceptual massing models using AI, has been enhanced by moving it to the cloud. This makes it much more powerful as it does not need to rely on the capabilities of client computers, minimizing their hardware demands, as well as making it easier to access the service without the need for installation. It can be used for both architecture as well as interior design, as shown in Figure 5.
Additional visualization improvements come from Archicad’s bidirectional integration with Enscape (now part of Chaos) for real-time visualization, allowing Archicad users access to new artistic rendering modes such as watercolors and sketches in the recently released Enscape 4.1. They can also access the new cloud-based Chaos AI Enhancer to enhance assets for visuals, simulate realistic shadow patterns, and display colored sun shadows with support for textured glass (Figure 6). The physically based rendering introduced last year, which simulates the soft shadows that naturally occur when indirect or natural lighting is cast onto a scene, has been improved with smoother and more refined edges for 3D models (Figure 7). And finally, there is an additional add-on for AI assisted rendering called Visoid that is available for both Archicad 27 and Archicad 28 (Figure 8).
Improvements to the core Archicad design, modeling, and documentation capabilities include the introduction of keynotes, which provide an automated, database-driven documentation and annotating system that integrates specifications and legends (Figure 9); improved handling of openings within elements, making it easier to create roof openings in slanted slabs without workarounds; usability enhancements to the Design Options tool that was introduced last year, making it easier to create and manage multiple design options to explore for different parts of the design (Figure 10); and the deeper integration of distance guides, also introduced last year, for more accurate placement of building elements in relation to other objects in Archicad.
Other key updates in Archicad include improvements to the built-in MEP modeler for designing and documenting MEP systems; improved integration with sister Nemetschek brands including Solibri for design checking and Bluebeam for PDF-based collaboration; access to the growing ecosystem of lifecycle assessment tools and updates of One Click LCA, which Archicad integrates with to enable sustainable design; interface improvements such as more informative and visual tooltips for each tool as well as an updated home screen that includes details on recent projects, add-on or plugin information, sample projects, learning materials, latest news, etc.; a global library for cross-border team collaboration, with flexible localization options and universal library access; and expanded library content out of the box.
Graphisoft’s BIMx, the powerful mobile and web app with game-like navigation that has become ubiquitous for client presentations and design collaboration in firms using Archicad, has several new features. It is now possible to easily toggle between the different 3D models of the project using the same camera position and view settings, allowing different aspects of the design to be quickly reviewed such as designs options, renovation filters, construction phases, structure, MEP, site, and so on (Figure 11). Another new feature to improve client communication and collaboration is the ability to hide elements on the fly, one by one or by layer, making the presentation more interactive (Figure 12).
Additional new features include the ability to customize the cut plane color for views that show the model cut with a clipping plane (Figure 13); enhanced visualization of 3D models with anti-aliasing; the availability of issue creation in BIMx — which was added last year on the iOS platform — on the Android platform as well; a consistent look and feel for BIMx functionality across all platforms — mobile, web, and desktop — for improved productivity; and support for Apple Vision Pro, providing the most advanced immersive 3D experience available for client presentations so far.
BIMcloud, Graphisoft’s cloud collaboration platform, continues to expand its reach. Graphisoft now operates data centers in 13 different regions worldwide in partnership with Google, leveraging their cloud platform solution to enhance BIMcloud services. This expansion provides users with a data center close to their location for the best connection to their stored data.
In addition to the traditional BIMcloud offering where firms run their own BIMcloud using their IT team, BIMcloud is also now available as a SaaS (Software as a Service) offering where Graphisoft takes care of all the technical and administrative tasks, ensuring that everything is set up correctly. This allows even smaller offices to take advantage of BIMcloud’s fast, efficient, and secure access to shared projects in real-time. The service can be scaled up or down as required based on the specific workflow demands of a firm at any time.
DDScad is the stand-alone Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) BIM application that is now part of Graphisoft following its merger with the developer of DDScad, Data Design System (DDS), two years ago. DDScad includes intelligent MEP design tools, integrated calculations, and comprehensive documentation solutions for all building systems, and with its support of the OpenBIM workflow with IFC, it enables MEP engineers to work as part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary BIM project team.
The key new features in the new release of DDScad, version 20, include enhanced photovoltaic system design options which are becoming increasingly crucial in the move to make buildings more sustainable (Figure 14); an updated connection with the DIALux evo Pro application that allows electrical engineers to design state-of-the-art lighting systems; and enhanced support for modeling busbar systems — busbar is a type of electrical component — which allows them to be modeled just as easily as cable trays.
As always, Graphisoft’s product launch this year packs a solid set of new features and enhancements that will not only be invaluable to existing users of its applications but should also help to attract new firms looking to ramp up on their BIM capabilities without sacrificing on collaborative workflows with other firms. In that respect, Graphisoft is squarely in the OpenBIM camp, with support for industry standards like IFC, BCF, and now IDS, forming the core of its philosophy.
Additionally, the increasing number of third-party vendors it is partnering with to expand the scope and capabilities of its solutions — including point clouds, parametric design, visualization, sustainability, lighting design, model-checking, and document collaboration — demonstrates that it sees the value in working with others rather than going it alone.
For a technology company serving an industry like AEC, that seems to be absolutely the right way to go.
Lachmi Khemlani is founder and editor of AECbytes. She has a Ph.D. in Architecture from UC Berkeley, specializing in intelligent building modeling, and consults and writes on AEC technology. She can be reached at lachmi@aecbytes.com.
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