This blog is about using BIM on a day to day basis. I cover ArchiCAD tips and tricks, BIM and management thoughts, and occasionally how this all relates to the Minnesota ArchiCAD Usergroup (which I started in 2009). The specifics are about ArchiCAD—that’s the software I use and sell—but the overall themes are relevant regardless of your software. Programs are just tools. BIM is a mentality.
Within 48 hrs of posting The Cobbler’s Workbench, I had a large list of additional sites to add to my ArchiCAD resources page. Thank you to everyone who shared their favorite sites with me. Below is a list of sites I’ve added to the original list. Included in this revision are three programs that extend the capabilities of ArchiCAD (from site documentation to collaboration to facilities management). I have to say, it’s impressive how much amazing ArchiCAD stuff is out there, if you know where to look! To know why I started this list, here’s an explanation. And if you think there’s a website I should include e-mail me.
Dimensions Design Group, Inc. makes Smart Parts. The various libraries include windows+doors, kitchen+bath, trim+stairs, various furniture and more. One of my coworkers still swears by his ArchiCAD 6.5 Smart Parts that he purchased over a decade ago.
Objects Online has one of the largest online collections of free and paid ArchiCAD-specific content. They are always looking to team with other object developers, big or small.
Rik Corporation has a really extensive landscaping and exteriors library. It looks like there are some pretty incredible features. The page I link to is in English, but the rest of the site is in Japanese. And unfortunately while my brother lives in Tokyo and is fluent in Japanese, I live in Minnesota and am essentially monolingual. However it looks like Rik Corporation might have some other ArchiCAD Add-ons and libraries.
Not only is M.A.D. the Graphisoft Reseller for Finland and the publisher of ArchiMag, they have also created some really cool Add-ONs like ArchiLogs, DoubleCheck, Zonematic, and Revisiomatic. Do yourself a favor and check out Zonematic.
Orthograph makes a survey program that allows you to input measurements onsite via an iPad and then export native ArchiCAD objects directly to ArchiCAD. I’ve mentioned Orthograph a few times on the blog.
From SyD’s website: “SyD™ cloud computing technology expands BIM collaboration environment to share and discuss designs between architects, engineers and clients. Share part of a floor plan, discuss a 3D view in a model or swap ideas on a specific object.”
So I had an idea a few weeks ago. I’d create a second website. It’d have a comprehensive list of websites that had ArchiCAD content on them –objects, add-ons, templates, tutorials, etc. It’d be great. Maybe eventually I could become a reseller for some of the products, create a one-stop shop for paid and free content, and turn the second website into an ArchiCAD mall. I had a great name for the site: The Cobbler’s Workbench. In my weird world of bizarre names it fits perfectly. Shoegnome is about improving process. The Cobbler’s Workbench would be about getting access to better tools. I love the expansion of my mis-remembered Brother’s Grimm Mythos.
But then I started doing research and compiling lists. There is a LOT of ArchiCAD content out there. Some is new and current, some is stagnant or a few years old. Much of it is in English, but a lot isn’t. All together it is WAY too much for me to organize and manage. And I’m not the first person to try something like this.
So instead I’m going to do something smaller. I’ve created a curated list of 20 or so websites that have objects, tutorials, templates, add-ons, etc. that I think have high value to the community. Most of it is stuff you have to pay for, but within each site is some free content. And there are at least two sites which are completely free.
Some Disclaimer Language
I’m not including blogs or ArchiCAD websites without downloadable content as a main feature. Graphisoft has a list of ArchiCAD blogs here. If I included your site, but you’d rather I describe what you offer in a different manner, or if you think there’s a site I should include, e-mail me. This list is a work in progress and my intent is not to fuss about perfection. It’s a labor of love, like the rest of this site. Perhaps a future version of the page will have pictures, reviews, lots of fancy stuff.
I don’t have any official connection to any of these sites, except as follows: like many ArchiCAD resellers, agents, and content providers, I’m an affiliate of Bobrow Consulting. This means if you click on one of my Bobrow links and then buy one of his products I get credit. It’s a nice little perk for me and doesn’t effect your cost. As of 02/19/12 I’m also an affiliate for Vaneshrie Sullivan’s book as well.
You’ll notice that I now have an Amazon Affiliate widget on the site. I’m trying this out for two reasons. First, I’d like to share books that influence and compliment what I’m writing about. Perhaps it’s a book on leadership that’s informing some blog posts about how to manage elements in an ArchiCAD file or maybe it’s a book on videogame critic that got me thinking about why some people succeed at ArchiCAD and others don’t. Additionally there are a handful (not enough in my opinion) of ArchiCAD books and resources that you can buy on Amazon. And much like the resource page, I want to help share them. So that’s the altruistic reason. Point Two is this: towards the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to monetize the blog in non-annoying ways. Having Amazon Affiliate links is one experiment. If you click on one of the Amazon links and then buy that book, or anything else on that visit to Amazon, I get a referral commission. That’s great for me and, like my links to Eric Bobrow’s products and Vaneshrie Sullivan’s book, has no material effect on you. Hopefully it’ll generate some income and free up some more time for me to add even more content to the blog.
This is great news from last week. Now you can start using OrthoGraph on the iPad with direct, NATIVE export to ArchiCAD for under about 150 euros. Note, you’ll need both OrthoGraph ArchiCAD Import Module SE (99 euros) and Orthograph Architect for iPad (39.99 euros).
OrthoGraph ArchiCAD Import Module SE lets you import 50 rooms per file from the iPad directly to ArchiCAD–which is bigger than any house I’ve ever measured.
If you’re not familiar with OrthoGraph Architect for iPad, you can read more about it and watch some cool videos here.
Now I just need a couple hundred extra dollars to buy an iPad…
A bit more exciting news about OrthoGraph, from their blog:
Many of our users have asked and we listened. The beta version of OrthoGraph ArchiCAD Import Module has just been released, a dedicated application for extending ArchiCAD to read OrthoGraph Architect’s native “.srvd” file format.
The current beta version supports the conversions of up to 5 rooms with full functionality from drawings made using the iPad version of OrthoGraph. This limitation can be turned off in the final release by purchasing a licence for the fraction of the price of OrthoGraph Survey, for about €400/$500.
For those users, who don’t need this professional unlimited functionality the 5 rooms limit and the merge function of ArchiCAD is also supported to do their measures step by step for an unlimited time.
So yes this official press release is about a month old, but October was a crazy month at Shoegnome World Headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota. Watch the video; OrthoGraph looks FREAKING AWESOME. I’d love to get my hands on a copy and try it out. But then I also need to get an iPad…
9/27/2011 – Nuremberg, Germany – InterGEO exhibition – The first professional iPad compatible bulding survey software has been announced! The leading developer of surveying software OrthoGraph introduced and demonstrated their new cutting edge software at InterGEO 2011. The software uniquely supports freehand sketching of floor plans, gesture controls and the exact measurement of all distances on-site. The large screen and powerful hardware of the iPad makes the building survey process extremely fast.
The measurements are reflected graphically in real time, and the intuitive interface of the software helps the surveyor create fully measured floor plans in minutes. OrthoGraph also allows you to view reports with information about the facility on-site by displaying the room and wall surface on the spot. The drawing can be uploaded to Dropbox, this way the measurements can be transferred to your office in the moment they have been created. Now your colleagues can view and collaborate with your surveyors from across the globe.
The new iPad version of OrthoGraph can be purchased from Apple’s AppStore.
And here are answers to two frequently asked questions.
Does OrthoGraph for iPad support Leica distance meters?
Actually the iPad-Leica connection is not available because of HW reasons. The PDA version of OrthoGraph Survey has connected with Leica devices for many years now. As soon as it will be supported by the hardware, we will support it in OrthoGraph software too. Anyway, if you have time for that, then I think it is worth a question to Leica, the more we ask for this functionality, the earlier it will be available.
Does OrthoGraph Architect print or save CAD files directly from the iPad device?
OrthoGraph Architect only does the onsite data collection work. The creation of CAD files is supported by the desktop component named OrthoGraph Survey which is an independent product. This is the same with printing functionality too. The concept behind this is to lower the cost for the onsite workers, and for the office it is enough to buy one license of OrthoGraph Survey, which can then handle an unlimited number of mobile devices.
Here’s another video with more explanations of how to draw in the program and then export to ArchiCAD. So damn cool.
In preparation for my BIMx entry, I spent some time reading up on BIMx Optimization on the ArchiCADwiki. One of the suggestions is to download the PolyCount Add-On. You can download it here. When you’re building a file for export to BIMx, paying attention to polygons is important.
Here's the polygon count of the original model.
Here's the polygon count of the model once I deleted hidden geometry and created all the jagged burned out areas.
Two interesting things to note here. Delete everything you can’t see. For this model I deleted footings, some bathroom fixtures and trusses that were hidden in attic spaces. The BIMx optimization page recommends that you also turn off things like door knobs. Maybe for a 13 story apartment complex, but it’s unnecessary for a 6,000 sq. ft. home.
Now when I created the burned out areas of the house, I was expecting the polygon count to soar. I was nervous that my whole plan would fall apart because I couldn’t make my building look like a ruin. Turns out that I should have been worried about Objects…
The M1 Abrams Tank isn't so big. I could add dozens!
I must really love that Airship. And it turns out all zombies are not created equal...
To create my BIMx zombie attack, I needed tanks, jet fighters, soldiers, and of course zombies. But at the moment there are not a lot of those available in native .gsm format. So I needed to explore Google SketchUp warehouse and sites with free 3D studio models. Expanding the search gave me lots of options. But there was a lot of garbage. Everyone seems to make SketchUp zombies. But only a few people make really good ones. And if you look at the polygon counts above, Zombie_3.gsm is 17,303 polygons while zombie_horde_6.gsm is only 7,908 polygons. Using the right zombies, I can double my infestation and keep my model size down! Who would have thought that a zombie could have twice as many polygons as a tank? The trick is to find a good looking model that is also low in polygons. Not so easy. And until you run the polygon counting add-on, you really can’t tell how big an object is going to be.
What’s with the blimp, Jared?
I really wanted to include a jet fighter in the model. Having one hovering in the air above the zombie attack reminded me of the end of 28 Days Later, one of my favorite zombie movies. Also suspending something in the air was a cool trick in a BIMx model, where otherwise gravity appears to work. Alas, all the jet fighter models I could find had two problems: HUGE polygon counts (smooth curved surfaces can be killers) and landing gear. Some of their polygon counts were well over 100,000. Way too big. But more problematic for me was the landing gear. People model jet fighters to sit on the ground, not appear in the sky overhead. Having an F/A-18 Hornet or A-10 Thunderbolt overhead with its landing gear down looked dumb. So no jet fighters flying overhead. But I found the airship. At 47,939 polygons it’s over 20% of the model and almost the size of the house (polygon speaking), but I think it just looks so awesome hovering over the zombie attack scene. So if you can’t view the BIMx file on an iPhone 3 or an iPod touch, blame the airship.
Wisdom from the Crowd