GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD 29

About this release

ArchiCAD has been a building information modelling application since long before that phrase was common, and it shows in how the program is arranged. The model is made of walls, slabs, roofs, columns and openings that know what they are, every plan, section, elevation and schedule is a view onto that model, and the drawing tools sit close enough to how an architect works by hand that the modelling never feels like data entry.

The documentation side is the strongest argument for it. Layouts, master layouts, drawing placement, revision management, change tracking and issue history are all built in, so a set of drawings goes out as a coordinated, versioned package rather than a folder of exports. A change made in the model reaches every sheet that shows it, and the revision system records what changed between issues.

Teamwork is handled through a delta based server rather than by copying whole files. Each person reserves the elements they are working on, changes are sent and received as small increments, and a large model stays workable over an ordinary office connection or a remote one. Reservations are visible so nobody waits on a file that somebody forgot to release.

The library is the other half of the application. Parametric objects for doors, windows, stairs, railings, furniture and fittings adapt to the walls and levels they are placed in, and the object language behind them is open enough that offices build their own standard components. Interoperability covers the open exchange formats that consultants use, along with direct links to the visualisation and structural tools an architectural practice tends to run alongside.

What it does

Model driven documentation

Every plan, section, elevation and schedule is a live view of the same building model.

Issue and revision management

Layouts, change tracking and revision history built in so drawing sets go out coordinated and versioned.

Delta based teamwork

Element reservation and incremental sync keep a large model workable over an ordinary connection.

Parametric object library

Doors, windows, stairs and fittings adapt to the walls and levels they are placed into.

Open exchange formats

Reads and writes the formats consultants and contractors expect for coordination.

Regional localisation

Building element standards, annotation and libraries localised for twenty five regions.

Changed in this version

• Faster model open and view generation on large projects.
• Improved performance in views containing heavy linked geometry.
• Stair and railing tools reworked with clearer parameter handling.
• Better handling of very large layout books on export.
• Reduced sync time on teamwork projects over slow connections.

System requirements

Install order

1. Unpack the archive to a path without accented characters.
2. Run the installer and choose the regional version that matches your standards.
3. Include the object libraries for that region during setup.
4. Launch once and set the office template before starting a project.

Worth knowing before you start

File details