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Celebrating and Learning from Masters of ArchiCAD

I have an exciting announcement about a ground-breaking ArchiCAD community event, the MASTERS of ArchiCAD SUMMIT.

If you use ArchiCAD, and want to take better advantage of its INCREDIBLE power to get your work done faster (and better), it’s an event that you can’t afford to miss.

The Summit is an online conference on February 5 & 6 in which expert users from around the world share their inspiration and passion for ArchiCAD as well as practical tips, tricks, methods and strategies that you can use in your practice.

There will be a dozen presentations over a two day period that you can attend live AND/OR watch as video recordings later. Add them to your reference library to study and integrate into your workflow.

Read this post to discover:

• how this conference came to be and why it HAD to be created
• why you absolutely NEED to join us (if you care about your work)
• plus a special offer to make this an even more incredible value

WHY AND HOW THIS STARTED

Last summer I invited architect Timothy Ball RIBA from the UK as a visiting lecturer to present a lesson for my ArchiCAD Best Practices Course. Tim showed us how he efficiently models projects in such great detail and accuracy that every cutaway shows the actual construction. His detail drawings as generated from the model need little or no cleanup, and he supplements them with 3D details as well as BIMx models to communicate the intricacies of the design even more clearly.

Tim pushes the limits of the software, and reaps tremendous rewards. His projects are built with fewer problems, and his design solutions are optimized. At first, it seems like he’s doing extra work, then one realizes that it really is much more efficient use of his time, allowing more intelligent design study while producing drawings more quickly and accurately, with better data and integration.

• One of the attendees commented enthusiastically that sitting in on Tim’s presentation and our discussion seemed like “graduate school for ArchiCAD”.
• The feedback from other course members was equally positive. Everyone said that they were inspired by Tim’s work, and now understood much better how to optimize their own modeling process.

It was at that point that I realized that Tim’s knowledge and experience NEEDED to be shared with the larger ArchiCAD community, to increase the depth of knowledge and skill of users everywhere. We started talking about creating something around the theme “Masters of ArchiCAD”.

CELEBRATING AND LEARNING FROM MASTERS OF ARCHICAD

Tim is not unique among ArchiCAD users. There are many masters of this complex and powerful software, people who push the limits and reap the benefits.

While Graphisoft features firms as “success stories” in short videos, press releases and occasional webinars, no one has ever given these expert users an online platform from which to teach other users what they’ve learned through hard-fought experience.

Local user groups and regional events such as the ArchiCAD Users Association retreats spread the knowledge of experts with a limited number of in-person attendees. Online forums such as ArchiCAD-Talk and the LinkedIn ArchiCAD group foster discussion, however this is limited to posting comments and linking to screenshots and occasionally to videos.

Worldwide, we have such a deep pool of knowledge that has not been shared effectively.

Our ArchiCAD user community has passion and expertise that can be, and needs to be, shared in a form that maximizes the benefit from everyone involved.

THE MASTERS OF ARCHICAD SUMMIT

I have hand-picked a dozen ArchiCAD masters to give presentations that combine inspiration and practical training in equal measure. You’ll see case studies and actual project files, often with live demonstrations inside ArchiCAD (not just slides).

As a community event, it is ground-breaking – the first time that experts of this caliber have gathered together in an online conference to give their knowledge to other ArchiCAD users.

If you’re the type of person who strives for continual improvement in your life and your work, if you want to master ArchiCAD so you can get the most benefit from the software, this event is for you.

• For more information including a description of each summit presentation as well as profiles of the presenters, please visit the Masters of ArchiCAD website.

I see these experts as “unsung heroes”. They are well known and highly regarded among their colleagues, peers and clients, however they deserve to be celebrated by our larger worldwide ArchiCAD community.

Their hard-earned treasures are going to be multiplied as they share them with us. The wisdom of their experience will become our common knowledge.

I will be telling their stories over the coming weeks in a series of posts. Let’s celebrate their work and learn from the efforts of these ArchiCAD Masters.

Eric Bobrow

P.S. This is a “commercial event” in that there is a charge for registration. Each presenter receives a share of the proceeds in the form of an honorarium. There are advertising and production costs as well.

Fees will cover these costs and pay for my time, allowing me to put in a huge effort to make this project a success. I will be working with the presenters to help them plan and optimize their talks, and will host and produce the online webinars as well as the recordings and website.

The registration fee of $197 is very economical when compared to the cost of attending a live conference. You’ll be able to attend the sessions live, and ask questions of the presenters, and also have full access to the recordings for permanent reference after the Summit.

However, as one of my valued clients and email subscribers, you deserve an even better deal:

• Sign up for the MASTERS of ArchiCAD SUMMIT for only $97 – SAVE $100!

Simply visit the MASTERS of ArchiCAD website and click the registration link to go to the secure checkout page.
Enter BOBROW-WEBSITE in the Special Code field in the upper right area and click the Apply button.

You’ll see the registration fee discount applied, so you’ll pay only $97.

This conference will be a history-making event, and the recordings will be an important resource that you can add to your reference library to treasure for years to come.

Questions? Feedback? Problems? Ideas?
Drop me a line at support@bobrow.com.

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My ArchiCAD Thanksgiving Gift to You: A New Tutorial Video on YouTube

It’s Thanksgiving here in the U.S., and I’m immensely grateful to you and all ArchiCAD users. Thank you for being in my life as a client, colleague, student, friend and/or fan.

I love my work, and love helping you get the most out of ArchiCAD. For 25 years I have had the special pleasure of working with talented design professionals and seeing you learn and become more skillful, productive and capable.

For many of you, there has been a breakthrough to a profound sense of freedom, in which the tool bends to your will and imagination, allowing you to share your unique gifts and vision in new ways.

I see the light come into your eyes, a smile on your face, and I know why I continue to do this year after year.

MY GIFT TO YOU

As a small token of my appreciation, I offer you a new ArchiCAD video tutorial for your enlightenment and enjoyment.

ArchiCAD Tutorial | More Realistic Interior Views Using Backdrop Photos for Context

Make views from inside your ArchiCAD model feel more natural by showing the actual site as you look out the windows. This brand new lesson from my Best Practices Course (comprehensive ArchiCAD training) shows you how to create a surprisingly realistic visual context for your model.

You’ll learn how to place a backdrop image on a large distant surface, similar to what is done in movies. The illusion is highly effective for interior scenes in which the backdrop is seen through the windows.

In this 15 minute quick tutorial, you’ll learn how to:

1. Create a new surface material using a graphic file
2. Apply that surface to a curved wall, and set the origin, scale and repeat pattern to suit your needs
3. Use a simple method to force the 3D view to update when you adjust the surface settings
4. Add emission to the surface to brighten the image
5. Tweak the position of your backdrop while looking from inside the building using the Filter Elements in 3D command to temporarily remove the windows and doors

Please add your comments and questions to the YouTube page, and LIKE and SHARE this video too!

Eric Bobrow

November 27, 2014 – Thanksgiving!

P.S. My second annual Black Friday / Cyber Monday Sale starts tomorrow, with super special offers on the Best Practices Course, the QuickStart Course, and MasterTemplate. I’ll be announcing it here, on www.bobrow.com!

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Free Online ArchiCAD Coaching Hangout

I will be hosting another one of my free online Hangouts for ArchiCAD users this Wednesday June 4 at 1 pm PDT.

REGISTER FOR THE ARCHICAD USER HANGOUT:

http://webinarjam.net/webinar/go/743/725287d052

In this free one hour session, I’ll share my observations about ArchiCAD 18, and answer your questions about the new version as well as general questions about how to do things in ArchiCAD.

Send me your questions ahead of time via LinkedIn private message or email eric@bobrow.com.

I’ll pick some of the most interesting ones to address during the call, including beginner topics as well as a few more advanced questions.

There will be some major announcements during the session – I hope you can join us.

As of tonight, we’ve got 115 people signed up. It should be a lot of fun! (And serious business too.)

One of the cool things that has happened in previous hangouts is that the chat box is open, so people can see each other’s comments during the session. It makes for a lively atmosphere, with comments flying back and forth about ArchiCAD, sharing the experience together.

Send in your questions for the session (I will pick some of the most interesting ones to answer) via email to eric@bobrow.com.

We’ll be doing these hangouts once every month or so, building our community together, and connecting ArchiCAD users from around the world.

ARCHICAD USER WEBSITE NEWS

The Worldwide ArchiCAD User Directory is growing steadily at the new ARCHICAD USER website:
http://www.archicaduser.com/member-list/

Sign up free here:
http://www.archicaduser.com/members-area/

Keep up to date on the latest news and online stories about ArchiCAD at ARCHICAD USER:
http://www.archicaduser.com/

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My 60th Birthday Celebration – Three Gifts for You

In honor of my big 6-0 (which is TODAY), I’m offering you three special gifts:

1) Hangout with me in a one-time-only event April 28 as I share some of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the past 60 years.

In this exclusive, behind-the-scenes online session I’ll reveal for the first time the 7 top strategies that form the touchstones of my success in business and in personal life.

2) Get a great deal on any of my products in my big 60th birthday sale.

If you’ve been thinking of investing in yourself, now is a great time to do it.

3) At the end of this post I share personal thoughts on turning 60.

Two life-changing events coincide and make this day especially poignant.

(1) SPECIAL 60TH CELEBRATION HANGOUT APRIL 28

On April 28 at 12 Noon PDT you are invited to hangout online with me in a unique 60 minute event celebrating my 60 years on the planet.

I’ll share some of my personal story, then reveal for the first time the 7 key success strategies that I’ve figured out over the past 25 years running my own business.

These are my touchstones – the things I think about working day to day as well as creating long-term strategic plans. They help me in business and in personal life.

My close friend and business partner Enoch Sears (host of the Business of Architecture podcast) will guide me and make sure that we share a really special hour together.

On this private session I’ll reveal:

• The two simple strategies used by Richard Branson and Bill Gates to build billion-dollar companies (and how you can apply them to be more profitable without doing more work)
• The one tactic that can flip the way potential clients view your services (and draw them to you with irresistible psychological forces)
• How get more work done in less time (while growing your business and working more on the things you enjoy)

This call is invite-only. Just one of these ideas could be a game-changer for you.

This high-leverage information and direct business coaching comes from decades of experience. There will be gems that provide a tremendous amount of value to everyone who attends.

I’d like to make sure that everyone can afford to join me, so I’m making it available at 3 price levels:

• $6 – general admission – wish me a happy birthday, hangout and learn
• $18 – gold level – an extra gift to celebrate my life (18 in the Jewish tradition means “life”)
• $60 – platinum level – show how much you appreciate what I’ve shared with you over the years

NOTE: All levels give you equal access to the event.
The difference is in the size of your birthday gift!

If you’ve received great value from my teaching, feel free to thank me and help me celebrate with a higher level ticket purchase.

This session will NOT be made available publicly. The only way to hangout with me and learn my 7 key strategies is to buy a ticket. If you can’t attend live on April 28, you’ll get access to the recording.

I look forward to sharing this special occasion with you.

(2) BIG 60TH BIRTHDAY SALE

If you’ve been thinking about buying any of my products…

• ArchiCAD training to help you get the most out of this powerful software…
• MasterTemplate to maximize your productivity on ArchiCAD projects…
• Marketing training to help you grow your design business…

My 60th Birthday Celebration Sale is a great time to invest in yourself!

For the next week, grab this opportunity to celebrate my 60th and get a fantastic deal on any of my products.

I’m going to make this as easy as possible for you to take advantage of this special opportunity. For every one of these products, you’ll have a full 60 days to pay with no interest (pay 1/3 down, 1/3 in 30 days, 1/3 in 60 days).

BEST PRACTICES COURSE

The most comprehensive training resource for ArchiCAD
Includes basics (QuickStart Course), intermediate and advanced video lessons PLUS membership in my ArchiCAD Coaching Program (get my help when you have an ArchiCAD question)

• ONLY $600 (save $97)
• BONUS 6 extra months of ArchiCAD Coaching (get 12 months of coaching instead of 6 months)
• SUPER BONUS – get 60 minutes personal coaching with me ONE ON ONE!

Click here to grab the Best Practices Course plus all these bonuses at a GREAT price

QUICKSTART COURSE

The basics of ArchiCAD in 13 hours of video
Get up to speed quickly, with Best Practices principles to ensure you are starting off in the best possible manner

• Normally $197, save $60 – ONLY $137
• Click here to get started with ArchiCAD basic training at this special reduced price

MASTERTEMPLATE

The Office Standard for ArchiCAD
Reduce your project startup time, cut production time, get higher quality output with the office template used by over 1,000 firms around the world

• Normally $297, save $60 – ONLY $237
• Click here to grab the most popular office standard template for ArchiCAD for a bargain price

INTERNET MARKETING FOR ARCHITECTS COURSE 2014

Learn how you can improve your website and online presence to bring in more clients and projects
Revised and expanded for 2014 with all the latest information you NEED to know

• Normally $997, save $600 – ONLY $397
• Click here to get the only online marketing training specifically for architects – lowest price EVER

(3) PERSONAL NOTES ON TURNING 60

I’m coming into this celebration with joy and sadness.

A few days ago, my wife’s father passed away after a long illness. We spent the past week with her family in El Paso Texas. It was bittersweet, as it brought the family closer together as we shared our loss and remembered.

One of the moments I savored was a morning in which my wife and son lay down quietly together, breathing and feeling each other’s hearts beating. It might have been only a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity.

I’m going to take the next few days off, enjoying time with my family in nature, away from the computer and the phone as much as I can.

Catch you later!

Eric

 

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Join me for a LIVE ArchiCAD User Group Online Hangout with free ArchiCAD Coaching Q&A

I have a new plan for how I can help even more users around the world succeed with ArchiCAD.

• Each month I’m going to schedule a free one hour ArchiCAD User Group Hangout
• Every session you’ll be able to ask questions and get free ArchiCAD Coaching
• We’ll meet live via Google Hangouts, which will be a lot of fun
• The session recording will be posted on my ArchiCAD Tutorials YouTube channel

The first live ArchiCAD Hangout will be:

Thursday March 20 at 1 pm PDT (San Francisco Time, GMT-7)

That’s 4 pm EDT / New York, 9 pm GMT / London, and 7 am Friday AEDT / Melbourne.

Click here to join us for this special live event.

I’m going to answer several questions live during the session:

• A beginner question
• A design or modeling question
• A documentation or presentation question

Plus more if we have time…

PLEASE SEND ME YOUR ARCHICAD QUESTIONS – email me at eric@bobrow.com.

I’ll pick the best ones and we’ll have some fun hanging out together!

I hope you can join us. The session will be recorded and posted on my YouTube channel, but it’s more fun to be there live!