United States site instead?New Modeling, Documentation, Collaboration and Customization Features Highlight Upgrade
Budapest, October 18, 1999
Graphisoft, developer of the Virtual Building® concept and technological leader of the 3D architectural design software market, announced that the latest release of its flagship product – Archicad 6.5 – will ship the beginning of November 1999. The new upgrade builds upon Graphisoft’s 15-year leadership in 3D modeling, and confirms the company’s commitment to advancing the industry’s adoption of object-based, 3D architectural design.
“An integrated 3D design environment represents the future of the architectural CAD industry,” comments Gábor Bojár, president and CEO of Graphisoft. “For Graphisoft, the future is now. We’ve been developing Archicad around this philosophy for 15 years and offer the most mature solution for architects who want to exceed the limits of traditional 2D CAD software.”
While creating new opportunities for architects with traditional CAD practices, Archicad 6.5 rewards the 65,000 current Archicad users as well. It features enhancements in four areas that are key to maximizing productivity and increasing the value of architectural work: modeling, documentation, collaboration and customization.
“Archicad has always been on the cutting edge, but this update is a winner for the Archicad user who appreciates the subtle but important refinements that are extensive in Archicad 6.5. Almost every aspect of the program has been tweaked for improvement. I see this as a sign of Archicad’s maturity,” said Richard Crowe of Gilchrist & Crowe Architects in Tallahassee, Florida (USA).
Major feature themes of Archicad 6.5 include:
Tools and Working Techniques
New modeling tools include 3D zones for accurate information on irregular spaces; roof generation and trimming in 3D; and new element types, including the Beam tool and Round Columns, for more accurate modeling. The new Ghost Story feature optionally displays the elements of a story above or below the home story on the floor plan, providing a convenient way to coordinate plans between two stories.
Documentation
The Automatic Dimensioning command places exterior and interior dimensions of selected building components or an entire project automatically. Documentation and viewing numeric data, descriptive and graphical information about a project are simplified with easier editing of databases and a Format Assistant that helps create and modify layouts and graphic templates.
Integrated Collaboration
Large firms in particular will benefit from the introduction of hotlinked modules by which Graphisoft embraces reference-based collaboration. Hotlinked modules manage repetitive structures within a project by editing from a single source file. Combined with Archicad’s TeamWork functionality, it simplifies referencing work on larger projects and speeds work on smaller ones. In addition, it offers a comfortable and safe way of subdividing a project into several smaller files.
File exchange has been improved with the addition of a DGN (Bentley MicroStation’s file format) translator and a variety of options to the DXF/DWG conversion process, including the adoption of 255 pens and colors to facilitate conversion to and from AutoCAD files.
To improve collaboration with AutoCAD, XREF files are now easily imported and updated within Archicad 6.5. AutoCAD users will gain access to the fully parametric, intelligent objects created in Archicad’s GDL object format when Graphisoft’s GDL Object Importer for ARX is released in the first quarter of 2000.
Customization
In Archicad 6.5, object customization reaches new heights. Library objects can be further defined with buttons, text and illustrations. Using pre-defined value lists, object parameters “control” each other when changed graphically in 2D or 3D view. With the addition of visual information to object definitions, users can choose product styles based on photos and profile drawings as an alternative to menus of style names.
Currently available in 25 localized language versions, Archicad offers a level of environment customization that is unparalleled in the architectural CAD industry. With version 6.5, Archicad fully embraces local architectural standards – like code compliance checking or regional construction types – for greater efficiency.
Graphisoft is a leading provider of computer-aided design (CAD) software
solutions for the architectural profession and the building industry.
Founded in 1982, Graphisoft is ranked today among the largest AEC CAD
software developers in the world, with 12 offices all over the world in
addition to its headquarters. Graphisoft’s flagship product, Archicad, is
used by more than 75,000 architects worldwide and distributed in 25
languages and 80 countries. Shares of Graphisoft are traded on the Frankfurt
Stock Exchange Neuer Markt under the symbol GPH. More information about
Graphisoft is available at www.graphisoft.com.