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ArchiCAD Tips and Tricks: Managing the Favorites Palette

I’ve just posted Managing the Favorites Palette, one of my classic ArchiCAD Tips and Tricks articles which had never been available online. I encourage you to read it so you can take full advantage of Favorites, a very powerful yet underutilized feature of ArchiCAD.

The article was published in ArchiMAG back in 2011. ArchiMAG is sadly long gone, however this article will now have another life. I’ve updated one image to show the simplified search option within the Object Settings dialog (introduced in ArchiCAD 15), and added a note about Building Materials, however otherwise this has stood the test of time and still applies just as much as when it was written.

The Favorites palette is built into ArchiCAD, however from what I’ve seen, not many users use it on a regular basis. It gives you quick access to frequently used components and remembers their settings. Once you’ve gotten them set the way you want, you won’t have to waste time the next time you place a similar element.

I have a video tutorial showing how to get started with the Favorites palette, quickly populating it from a developed project then importing it into your template or a new project.

This article goes further, and will help you manage your Favorites, which can be a little confusing when you upgrade to a new version of ArchiCAD or want to migrate them from one project to another.

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How to Create ArchiCAD Working Drawings without Drafting Details

Earlier this week I interviewed Tim Ball, an advanced ArchiCAD user in the UK, to learn more about how he develops his ArchiCAD model in a way that virtually eliminates manual 2D drafting of Details.

The 10 minute video shows the evolution of his project workflow over the past few years, from independently created Detail drawings through model-based Details and now pure-model Details.

How to Create ArchiCAD Working Drawings without Drafting Details – Interview with Tim Ball

Tim has also figured out how to embed textual data into his elements in a way that makes it possible for ArchiCAD to automatically generate and compile accurate specification documents that are fully based on the model.

I believe his workflow is a bit tricky to master, however ultimately much more efficient. In addition, it increases the consistency of the drawings, since everything (even details and specifications) is based on the intelligent 3D Virtual Building model.

MASTERS OF ARCHICAD TRAINING SERIES STARTS NEXT WEEK

Tim will be teaching how to implement his methods in the upcoming online training course Working Drawings Without Details, which kicks off on April 15.

Tim’s course is part of the Masters of ArchiCAD Training Series, a set of five short courses running over the next 6 months taught by carefully chosen ArchiCAD experts.

I’m looking forward to sharing these training courses with ArchiCAD users around the world. Sessions will be broadcast live once each week, and recorded and posted for easy, permanent reference in the website member area.

I hope you can join us on this journey of discovery along the path of mastery. When you implement some of these strategies of the Masters of ArchiCAD, you’ll become more efficient, productive and profitable.

Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy your work more.

As Tim says: “You can focus on the fun, sexy part of ArchiCAD – the 3D modeling and design – and virtually eliminate the boring 2D stuff.”

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or feedback.

Eric

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Masters of ArchiCAD Training Series launches with 5 short courses by ArchiCAD experts

I’m delighted to announce the Masters of ArchiCAD Training Series, a set of five short courses running over the next 6 months taught by carefully chosen ArchiCAD experts.

These trainings are visionary yet supremely practical; advanced yet highly approachable.

They will enrich your understanding and help you implement some of the powerful ideas and methods shared in the recent Masters of ArchiCAD Summit.

Each master brings something unique to the table. Every one of them is a practicing user who pushes the limits of ArchiCAD and has figured out how to get more done with less effort.

Take one course and you’ll advance your practice.
Go through all 5 and you’re going to be unstoppable.

The first class starts next Wednesday April 15 as Tim Ball shares how he creates “Working Drawings Without [Drafting] Details”.

When you use Tim’s approach, you’ll be able to focus most of your time on the cool, fun part of ArchiCAD (designing and modeling in 3D) and virtually no time at all on tedious Detail drawings and Specifications (they come directly out of the highly detailed model).

Yes, it is truly possible, not overly hard, much more efficient (and fun) and Tim will show you how.

Tim’s course kicks off the series.

MASTERS OF ARCHICAD TRAINING SERIES

The Masters of ArchiCAD Training Series is offered as live one-hour webinars, with one session per week through October.

You don’t have to attend the live sessions. They will be recorded and made available in the website member area for permanent reference. These video recordings will make a great addition to your reference library.

These training resources follow up on the Summit presentations of each Master, and will take you deeper and guide you along the journey so that you can easily integrate their methods in your office:

• Tim Ball – Working Drawings Without Details (6 lessons)
• Andreas Lettner – Cinerender Methods, Tips and Tricks (4 lessons)
• Eric Bobrow – ArchiCAD 19 Upgrade Training (4 lessons)
• Gary Lawes – Practical, Parametric Object Making Using GDL
• Roderick Anderson – ArchiCAD and BIMx Strategies to Optimize Design and Construction

The Training Series page provides a complete description for each of the courses.

Each course has a standard price of $197, except for Tim’s longer course, which is $297.

To encourage you to jump in with both feet (and be off and running) we’re offering a Training Series bundle for only $597.

This is an amazing value. The retail prices of these courses total $1085. Yet even more important, the impact on your practice and how efficiently you run your projects is far larger. When you implement the methods pioneered by these Masters, you’ll use ArchiCAD in a much more optimized and powerful fashion.

• YES, I want to learn from ALL the Masters of ArchiCAD and optimize my work with ArchiCAD!

NOTE: Don’t let cash flow get in the way of grabbing this offer: you can choose our extended payment plan option available at $97 per month.

EXTRA BONUS: YOUR TICKET TO THE ARCHICAD SUMMIT RECORDINGS

When you sign up for the full bundle, you’ll get complimentary access for the Masters of ArchiCAD Summit recordings – 12 dynamic presentations by grand masters from around the world, an extra bonus value of $197!

The Summit was an inspiring, community-building event attended by over 300 ArchiCAD users. One advanced user wrote to me after the Summit saying he had “filled his idea basket.” Others used terms like “fabulous”, “awesome”, and “winner” to describe the conference.

• “The [Summit] sessions were some of the very best I have experienced.” – Lew Bishop, Santa Rosa CA

I’m delighted to be able to share all of this ArchiCAD goodness with you!

Please let me know if you have any questions, feedback or comments.

Best regards,
Eric

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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/