Graphisoft’s New BIMx on the iPad breaks new ground

Graphisoft has announced a new iOS app to allow architects to share their building model with anyone who has an iPad or iPhone. This is an amazing achievement.

I haven’t gotten a chance yet to try it out, but I’m looking forward to giving it a whirl, and a pinch, and a double-tap. BIMx for the iPad/iPhone takes full advantage of the native multi-touch capabilities of the devices, and looks to be a lot of fun to explore.

I wrote a Tips and Tricks article about the original Virtual Building Explorer (the predecessor of BIMx) which explains some of the basic functionality of the desktop application.

A demo version of BIMx is now included with all installations of ArchiCAD 15, and a license code may be purchased from Graphisoft to activate all of it’s features. However, as part of a special promotion of the new app, all ArchiCAD 15 users may create full-fledged BIMx models and share them with their clients, either directly or through the new Facebook BIMx community site from September 20 through October 31.

You can check out Graphisoft’s entrancing demonstration on YouTube, and read their press release for more info.

New Free ArchiCAD Tutorial | Guide Lines in ArchiCAD 15

Many of my clients have expressed some puzzlement or frustration in trying to use Guide Lines in ArchiCAD 15. While the new features are powerful and very useful (I particularly like the fact that guide lines show up in the 3D window), it can be confusing when some of the old methods don’t work the same way.

I have created a 15 minute video tutorial on this subject that clarifies the new behavior and methods for guide lines in ArchiCAD 15. This is intended to supplement the excellent videos that Graphisoft has created that highlight the power and flexibility of the new features.

Please check it out on my YouTube channel here:
ArchiCAD Tutorial – Guide Lines in ArchiCAD 15

There are quite a few ArchiCAD tutorial videos on my YouTube channel for you to watch when you get a chance. If you’d like to be informed when I post another free video, you may subscribe to my YouTube channel.

P.S. You will also find it useful to check the ArchiCAD Wiki for the article that Graphisoft posted on Guide Lines.

Some interesting undocumented features in ArchiCAD 15

I came across a fascinating post recently on Shoegnome, a great blog about using BIM (specifically ArchiCAD) in practice by Jared Banks, the ArchiCAD reseller in Minnesota. If you aren’t familiar with his website, I suggest you check it out and bookmark it since he adds new posts frequently.

Jared writes:

“Most of us have read about ArchiCAD 15 on the ArchicadWiki. If you want a refresher, read this and also the official changes guide. Many of us are even using ArchiCAD 15 on a daily basis and enjoying the new features like the shell tool and the 3D editing planes.

But have you also read this list from the [ArchiCAD-Talk] forum: Undocumented Changes in V15.

There are a lot of little tweaks in every version of ArchiCAD that don’t get top billing. Or any billing at all. I’m excited about a dockable quick layers palette, but that’s not marketable news. Neither are the little tweaks to improve scripting in GDL. But some of this is huge and exciting for us nerdy, obsessive users.”

MY FAVORITES

There are several features that I noticed in the Forum discussion that I think are pretty useful:

• There is now direct feedback on the length of an arc (chord and true arc length) in the tracker, which will make it much easier to input certain types of property line data
• In the Info Box, you can input roof slope in degrees, % slope, or rise over run (e.g. 5′ in 12′)
• The background Autosave is now much faster, and can be set to Ultra Safe (save each step)
• When you eye-drop an object, the node point you click on is set to be the insertion point
• Browsing PLN files as well as library parts now shows a preview image in the Finder (finally)

I hope you found this useful. Let me know…

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.

Health and Balance

Eric in Hospital

I haven’t written anything here for a while. Shortly after the last post, I fell ill. I had recurring fevers for a period of over two weeks – I’d feel fine for a while, then later in the day I’d feel weak and had to lie down. I slept for a while, then felt somewhat better, but the process would repeat itself each day one or more times.

Finally, after two weeks, I felt so bad that I went to a clinic to see what was wrong. They recorded my temperature at 102 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 39 degrees Celsius), and took blood samples and a chest x-ray. After further examination, I was transferred to the emergency room at Marin General Hospital, and admitted for overnight observation.

As it turned out, there was an inflammation of the pericardium, the sac that surrounds the heart. Normally, this is a similar size to the heart muscle itself, since there is just a small amount of fluid giving the heart freedom to move. However, in my case, the pericardium had enlarged dramatically as it filled with excess fluid, a condition known as pericarditis.

I remained in the hospital for 4 long days as they drew blood for dozens of tests and did other procedures including an echo-cardiogram (an ultrasound similar to what is done to check the fetus during pregnancy), a CAT scan, and another chest x-ray. My fevers continued.

Finally, the fevers abated in response to Tylenol, and they sent me home with a precautionary antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory medicine (high-dose ibuprofen). They were not able to ascertain the cause of the illness, which is quite common for pericarditis. Apparently, often this will be triggered by some type of virus that the body eventually conquers – a “self-limiting” illness.

I am so thankful for my health, which came back quickly after being released from the hospital. I have been re-examining my life at the age of 57, and trying to find more balance and harmony. While I still work hard, and long hours, I’m trying to curtail my after-midnight work as much as possible (my wife says I burn the candle at three ends…). I’ve been getting out for walks in nature more, and eating better, reducing my coffee and other foods that are not as good for me. I’ve particularly enjoyed going to Muir Woods (where some of the tallest and oldest trees in world are found) and nearby Muir Beach.

At Muir Beach

It’s a wake-up call, and after decades of good health (I’ve been lucky to have a very strong constitution that just “keeps on going”) I’ve come to realize that I need to take care of myself. I received “get well soon” messages from many clients – THANK YOU! – with many of them saying “take your time, make sure you are rested before resuming your heavy schedule – we will wait for you!”

I feel grateful to be feeling good again, and I’ve promised myself not to take this for granted! I will seek balance, and try to be productive without pushing myself past the limits of common sense and self-love. I’ve woken up to a new awareness of my heart, and how precious life is.