New Hotfix for ArchiCAD 12

A new Hotfix is available for ArchiCAD version 12 - it's Build 2523.

It includes new drivers for Canon HPGL plotters.

Retrieve it from the "Check for Updates" item on the "Help" Menu.

And don't forget to read the release notes before you install this patch. If you want your "Goodies" to be updated as well, make sure they're moved to the add-ons folder before you apply this patch.

New Hotfix for ArchiCAD 11

A new Hotfix is available for ArchiCAD version 11 - it's Build 1259.

It includes new drivers for Canon HPGL plotters.

Retrieve it from the "Check for Updates" item on the "Help" Menu.

And don't forget to read the release notes before you install this patch. If you want your "Goodies" to be updated as well, make sure they're moved to the add-ons folder before you apply this patch.

If BIM will Kill Architecture, Then... I... Must...

In his groundbreaking lecture, Peter Russell concludes that BIM will kill architecture and so as an architect he must....

If BIM will Kill Architecture, Then... I... Must...

Peter's argument is charted thus:

"The logic is that the BIM model lives indefinitely and the real building lives for a definite time.... hence, the relationship of the real time to the virtual time is, in effect, zero."

Therefore...?

If BIM will Kill Architecture, Then... I... Must...

Peter Russell makes his opening statement regarding real and virtual buildings:

This is a diagram of the life of a building in virtuality and in reality. The virtual building (BIM) is built at time zero and lives indefinitely. The real building is built at t1 and demolished at t2.

From the Company that Brought You the World's Greatest Line Clipping Tool comes....

Constructware? What the heck is that?

Check the specs Seems it requires HTML 3.2. Works only with Microsoft Internet Explorer? That's bound to give me the competitive advantage I need out here in the remote outpost that is March 2009, doesn't it? Woot!

[HTML was retired in late 1997]

If BIM will Kill Architecture, Then... I... Must...

kudos to the Dean of the Architecture School in Aachen for this insightful lecture slide. Tune in tomorrow for the rationale behind Herr Russell's staggering conclusion

... and, yes, I'm back.

I just received the nicest e-mail from someone who actually reads my blog. Away far away in New Zealand. I can't really talk about the why of it, but I stepped away from it in April 2007 and didn't really get back to it until this Fall. My return piece about architecture school and Cliff Eyland ruffled a few feathers amongst the PC crowd. The smoking and drinking we did in the 70s and 80s still happens by the way. Krikey!

In future there may be less of that, but hopefully more encouragement to keep trying to bring BIM to a bigger audience. BIM..., ahem, I mean VIRTUAL BUILDING!

ok, let's get back to work. thanks for the kick in ass today PJ. I'm beholden to ya. Really and sincerely.

Facilities Management and BIM

Is there a flavour of BIM reserved for post-occupancy applications? Is it really BIM or just another way to get 2D data into a dedicated FM system? Is that BIM? Is that object-based, parametric Facilities Management?

The information on Revit, as least up to Revit 2009, is sketchy. Sounds like nothing more than compatibility via file export. Google and you'll see what I mean. Its not there. Yet.

A BIM based solution has been available in Europe for about ten years. ArchiFM most likely started its life as a skunkworks project at Graphisoft. A bright software engineer named Tibor developed a hook between a conventionally engineered relational database (Delphi, I think) and the less conventional geometric database. It played nice with Oracle and SQL and Crystal Reports. It was ArchiFM. Several versions appeared including a web-based companion application and several add-ons for maintenance scheduling, key management, etc.

Some ArchiFM clients sought more sophisticated applications. At one time, the pharmaceutical giant Novartis was rumoured to be using ArchiFM in tandem with building controls applications to actually run plant equipment in their buildings. No case studies were ever produced describing this.

ArchiFM came to North America briefly in 2000. And promptly left again in 2003. In 2005 Graphisoft announced they were leaving the development of the application to a new private venture - vintoCON - who continue to develop the application and provide support to a raft of existing clients, mostly based in Hungary, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

vintoCON's website suggests they may be trying to come back across the Atlantic. If they do, and their stuff works, there would be an FM solution that exploits the virtual building technology in ArchiCAD. A virtual building, virtual tenants, phones, parking stalls, lightbulbs, leases and all the as-built building information you could ever want. The roll of drawings behind the furnace turned into DWFs that might reflect the actual state of the building. If anyone knew where they were.

It would close the circle. Will we see it here?

A Brand Spanking New GDL Reference Book

The folks at Cadimage have been doing devilishly clever things with GDL since the mid 90s. They've developed clever interfaces for their tools, their tools do cool things, things that the Graphisoft Library just can't do.

Andrew Watson has authored a new 500 page book: The GDL Guide, A comprehensive guide to creating powerful archicad objects. The announcement is on a blog entry here. Check out the sample pages. The book looks refreshingly clear and looks like it should be part of everyone's standard ArchiCAD reference library.

There's a 15% discount from now until March 16. Order it from us today. The book will retail for about $75USD.

The Old GDL Reference Book is on-line

The last major reference work devoted to GDL (Geometric Description Language) was David Nicholson-Cole's seminal GDL Cookbook.

Cookbook 3.1 apperared in print form in 2001 and is available today as a PDF. An interactive Cookbook - Cookbook 3.99 - went on-line in 2003. All of this circa ArchiCAD 7.0.

This was the book that made sense of GDL, taught us structured programming practices and refresed us on BASIC (which is kinda what GDL is) and made parametric object scripting fun.

ArchiCAD 12 Windows SketchUP Importer

The ArchiCAD 12 SketchUP add-on is available here.

Use this tool to import Google SketchUp model geometry into the ArchiCAD environment.

This is a Windows-only tool. Due to an error in SketchUp's API, a Mac OS version is not possible. The only known workarounds would be to a) run ArchiCAD 10/11/12 in a virtual machine running Windows; b) use the add-on for ArchiCAD 9 and then save for use in AC 10/11/12.

Google Earth Connections for ArchiCAD 12

Google Earth Connections tool for ArchiCAD 12 is now available for download here.

This tool lets you do a bunch of things:

import geographic information for a project site from Google Earth
import objects and buildings from the Google 3D Warehouse
insert your building project directly into Google Earth and share it with others.

This is a Windows-Only tool. Google SketchUp APIs for the Mac OS are not up to the task of porting this to Mac users.