Tutorial ArchiCAD – Page 10 – Eric Bobrow's ARCHICAD News, Tutorials and Resources

ArchiCAD Templates

While completing work on MasterTemplate 15, I noticed an approaching milestone: our 500th licensed client!

This is an amazing achievement that I’m very proud of. In celebration, I revamped and streamlined the MasterTemplate website and started preparing a new video presentation as we as several special offerings around the subject of templates.

A well-developed project template is one of the keys to using ArchiCAD effectively. In addition to creating MasterTemplate, I wrote about ArchiCAD templates in one of my Tips and Tricks articles a few years back, and revisited this topic more recently in several video lessons that are part of the Best Practices Course.

SPECIAL FREE MINI-TRAINING COURSE ON TEMPLATE CREATION

I’m going to create a special mini-training course on template creation and optimization this month that I’ll be sending to all of our email subscribers as a special thank-you.

I’ll share some of the basics (how to save a template file, and how to access it) as well as Best Practices (what should go into a template, and how to set it up to gain the most benefit). If you’re not already on my email list, please sign up using the small form at the bottom of this web page. Look for this template training in a series of emails over the coming weeks!

By the time you finish this mini-training, you’ll know how to create your own office template that will help speed your work when you start a project as well as through the entire process of design and documentation.

MASTERTEMPLATE PROMOTION – SAVE $50 PLUS EXTRA BONUS OF 3 TRAINING WEBINARS

MasterTemplate is a robust project template that embeds Best Practices methodologies into the project structure, an “office standard in a box”. Developed by myself and Scott Bulmer (a California architect with 15 years experience working with ArchiCAD on countless projects), it is a catalyst for users to jump up several levels in productivity and organization.

We recently released MasterTemplate for ArchiCAD 15, but still offer versions for ArchiCAD 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 as well as Start Edition 2009 and 2010, in both International metric and U.S. imperial standards

MasterTemplate is normally $275 USD, but during our special summer sale you can get it for only $225, a savings of $50
In addition, anyone who purchases during the promotion will be able to attend a series of three bonus one-hour live training webinars in September covering installation, customization and usage of MasterTemplate

MasterTemplate is the result of hundreds of hours of development, far more than any individual or firm could justify in terms of creating their own template. It has been continually revised based on user feedback and our own innovations and analysis.

To learn more about MasterTemplate, please visit the newly reworked website at www.actemplate.com.

When you visit the website, catch my brand new video presentation on the secrets of ArchiCAD Masters that will help you transform your practice. These have the power to dramatically change the way you work in ArchiCAD and make you much more effective.

If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you. I wish you the best in your work with ArchiCAD, and am always interested in helping you succeed.

My audacious new FREE webinar – “How to Unleash ArchiCAD’s Hidden Power”

How to Unleash ArchiCAD's Hidden Power | FREE ArchiCAD training webinar As many of you know, I’ve been busy working on my online ArchiCAD training called the Best Practices Course. Recently I interviewed many of the course members to see what they had learned, and how much of a difference it had made to their work.

I’ve synthesized and distilled the responses into a great free live training webinar that I’ll be presenting several times this week. For more information as well as the actual dates and times, or to sign up for the free presentation, please visit:

How to Unleash ArchiCAD’s Hidden Power – Free ArchiCAD Training Webinar

I’m really excited about this, since it’s probably the most audacious thing I’ve ever done.

In this training session I will share with you:

14 easy to implement methods that will help you reduce production time 25% to 50% or more
8 simple tricks to enhance your presentations so that you win your next project
5 common mistakes that are probably hurting you and how to easily fix them
18 great free resources that will help you improve your ArchiCAD skills

Up to this point I have not claimed any quantifiable productivity improvements from the Best Practices Course, but after interviewing quite a few members, I learned that a number of them have been able to reduce time spent on production by 25% to 50% as a direct result of implementing certain key methods and insights that I’ve taught. These new understandings have made a huge difference in their workflow.

I’ll be sharing this information for free in this training webinar as a contribution to the broader ArchiCAD community. I hope you can join me!

How to Unleash ArchiCAD’s Hidden Power – Free ArchiCAD Training Webinar

Eric

Incredible comments from Best Practices Course members – “literally life changing” – “awarded project as direct result”

Do you want a “literally life changing” experience that directly helps you win competitive projects? If you like my free ArchiCAD tutorials, you’ll love my Best Practices Course.

Based on what people tell me, this course could literally change your life (at least your professional life) and win you more new projects – and you’ll be able to get these jobs done in two-thirds the time. Check out some incredible comments from course members (below)…

The course has been going for about 6 months now. I thought it might be a good idea to survey some of the course members to see what they thought.

I knew that people liked the course – I’ve gotten a lot of nice comments over the past few months.

But I was not prepared for the flood of enthusiasm and appreciation that started pouring in.

“THE BEST THING I’VE EVER DONE”

Here’s a quote from Chris Ellis, a home designer in Cape Cod Massachusetts. He’s used ArchiCAD for 10 years, and has been finding it challenging to compete for work in this weakened economy. He says that things are looking much brighter now, and that he has a lot of work on his plate.

He says this has come in large measure from the increased skills and confidence he’s developed since starting the Best Practices Course.

Chris Ellis, home designer, Best Practices Course member “Investing in the best practices course is the best thing I’ve ever done for my knowledge and career in architectural design.

I often ‘build’ a house for a client as part of my first, free client meeting. They love it, and it often sells me and the 3D process. You’ve helped me improve my methods and increase my speed and confidence.

I’ve spent many $$$ in ArchiCAD dealer training – but the commute time and expenses are high – the sessions are too long and intense for maximum benefit – fatigue sets in.

The Best Practices Course works much better: it’s posted online – convenient, view when you want, repeat videos at will to clarify procedures. The coaching calls are great – wonderful nuggets abound! You post your questions and find that many others may share your same questions = virtually personal attention.

I really enjoy your fearlessly exploratory style as you work through various solutions to a problem. You make it seem as though anything is possible. It is a pleasure to be taking your course. It has been literally life changing.”

Chris isn’t the only course member whose fortunes have changed as the result of enrolling in the Best Practices Course. People are writing to tell me that they’re working more quickly (often saving 25% – 50% off the time it takes to get a project done) and winning more jobs, while being more comfortable with ArchiCAD and having more fun!

“WE WERE AWARDED THE PROJECT AS A DIRECT RESULT”

Kenneth R. Andrews, Architect - member of the Best Practices ArchiCAD training course Kenneth Andrews runs a two person office in Turnerville Georgia. He wrote to me about how he won a $1.2 million 6,000 square foot project competing against several other firms (including one large firm with several offices that used Revit) because he was able to create a great presentation in a fraction the time that he used to.

“I have gained a significant amount of time in my modeling with ArchiCAD as a direct benefit from the Best Practices Course material so far, I’m like a kid again in school who can’t wait till the next lesson.”
“I was able to put together a presentation within four long days that would have taken at least a month previously (and not to the same caliber of presentation). Needless to say we were awarded the project as a direct result of that presentation and the other firms didn’t even come close according the executives of the corporation that hired us. By the way, I’m a two man firm.”

There are a lot more emails that have just come in from course members with similar stories. I’m thrilled! I’ll share some of them with you tomorrow.

Right now I’m working on an exciting free webinar: How to Unleash ArchiCAD’s Hidden Power. I had hoped to have it ready to premiere this week, but need a few more days, so look for an announcement next week.

YOU CAN SIGN UP NOW AND SAVE $200 – THROUGH JUNE 15!

To celebrate the upcoming release of ArchiCAD 15, and to thank you for subscribing to my emails, from now until June 15 I’d like to offer you a HUGE $200 discount off the standard registration fee!

Visit the Best Practices Course website

The course is PACKED with resources that will will make it easy for you to improve your productivity and get dramatically better results. It covers all releases from ArchiCAD 10 through 15 (new modules will be added to cover the latest features in AC15) plus Start Edition 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

The Best Practices Course is a comprehensive step by step system to transform your practice. Weekly lessons shine a light into all the nooks and crannies of this complex tool. Regular coaching calls give you direct, clear answers to your pressing questions. And when you sign up for the course, you’ll join a community of ArchiCAD users focused on Best Practices that will support your efforts.

It’s time to take this important step to improve your practice, “sharpen your saw”, and have more fun with ArchiCAD. Go to the course website now and check it out, then sign up!

QUESTIONS PLEASE

If you have any questions about the course, please post a comment on the website, send me an email or call me.
EMAIL: eric@bobrow.com (please include the word “ArchiCAD” in the subject line)
PHONE: +1-415-479-4284 (or 800-752-4314 – U.S. and Canada only)
SKYPE: EricBobrow

I look forward to helping you use ArchiCAD better!

Best regards,
Eric

P.S. This special offer is only valid through June 15, so don’t delay and miss out on the celebration. Go to the website and see what’s in store for you when you sign up…
http://www.acbestpractices.com

The Final Installment (but there IS one more thing…)

I just finished creating the seventh installment of my mini-training course on the 7 Keys to Best Practices. What a labor of love!

Boiling ideas down to the essence is an interesting exercise. I had to ask myself: just what are the salient points, the minimum necessary to communicate each principle? How can I include or create a specific visual example?

My aim: to say enough, and just enough.

Now I’ve said my piece.

Well, that’s not really true… There’s always more to teach on any subject, particularly ArchiCAD! And if you like my free ArchiCAD tutorials, you’ll love my Best Practices Course, in which I go into every nook and cranny of ArchiCAD and shine a light.

But if you like free stuff (and who doesn’t)…there IS one more thing (as Steve Jobs is known to say) I’ll give you for free…

Soon I’ll be premiering a killer webinar: How to Unleash ArchiCAD’s Hidden Power. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite, secret ways to get more out of ArchiCAD. You can sign up to watch it next week – there will be several times and dates offered. Details coming soon – stay tuned!

Local color

One of the things that I am enjoying the most, since I changed my focus from being an ArchiCAD reseller in California to offering ArchiCAD training online, is the opportunity to connect with users around the world. I get emails from people in all “corners” of the globe, sometimes thanking me, sometimes asking me a question or for some help.

Occasionally I read phrases that are best described as “local color” – regional expressions that are very evocative of the place they come from. For example, one Best Practices Course member in New Zealand wrote about being eager to get the course on DVD, since her internet connection was “as slow as a wet weekend.” It brought up a vivid picture of sitting around, waiting for something to happen, during the long rainy periods that must be common on those islands.

An email came in today from someone who I think is from Africa. This person wrote in response to my latest free ArchiCAD training “Record Your Design Intent”: “hay, thanks bob for this, u just cleared the mist from my face and now i can see ghosts.” I guess that my words are helping this person to see more clearly how to approach using ArchiCAD better – but what an interesting way to say it!

Our local color is green these days, as spring brings a profusion of leaves and flowers, trees filling out, blue skies with varying cloud formations. It’s been a little cool, which is just fine with me – summer’s heat wave can wait a little while. It even rained a little bit last night, a rarity for this time of year.

Our son Ayden came home from college (2 hours away in Santa Cruz California) for the weekend, and we had a wonderful relaxing time together. It’s hard to believe he’s 21 and about to finish his Junior year. My wife Le’ema, Ayden and I went to see a concert by Tin Hat (an eclectic acoustic music group) at the Freight and Salvage Coffee House on Friday night, then saw a great French film “Queen to Play” at our local Rafael Theater art movie house. Ayden played a little on his guitar and piano keyboard, and brightened our lives again with his lovely musical gifts.

I have much work to do, so I’m going to finish up now – but it’s good to take the time to appreciate these colors, sights, words, sounds and people. They are part of the rich texture of my life and help to make all the work worth doing.