ArchiCAD 13: The first client server-based BIM utility
ArchiCAD 13, the latest release of Graphisoft’s flagship building information modeling application, includes the first client server-based BIM collaboration utility of any of the major BIM programs (ArchiCAD, Bentley Microstation, or Autodesk Revit). An internal culture of collaboration is vital for a company to effectively adopt BIM, but how can many architects and designers—even within one office—work on a project in one model without erasing or changing each other’s updates and causing a slowdown in design time? Both Revit and ArchiCAD, the applications that rely on one large file for one model, previously used fixes based on borrowing certain parts of the model and locking the model while one team member used it, but these solutions were less than ideal. Enter ArchiCAD BIM Server technology, part of a complete revamp of Teamwork in ArchiCAD.
Delta Server enables BIM sharing
The new Graphisoft BIM Server maintains the complete and up-to-date model of a project. Building Team members can use their individual ArchiCAD licenses to work on the model on their own computers, so there is still only one main model housed on the BIM Server and copies of the model on workstations. What makes the new interface different from the old Teamwork, though, is that instead of the whole model with all its parametric information needing to be copied back and forth between the BIM Server and individual machines, only new and modified elements are copied onto the BIM Server from an individual workstation. This allows synchronization of the master model and local copies to take much less time to update. BIM files can now be updated almost instantly, no matter how big your model is.
This change was made possible by a new Graphisoft technology called “Delta Server” that can detect and transmit only model changes over an Internet connection or LAN. Graphisoft has applied for a patent for Delta server. Graphisoft’s software engineers have also made individual model elements and project data much easier to share and use in the new version of Teamwork. Project attributes and views can be reserved and released on the fly, so there’s no need to plan ahead, reserve areas to work on, and restrict other team members from using them. With ArchiCAD 13 you can reserve only the elements you need and release them to the rest of the Building Team immediately after you’re done working on them.
The setup of BIM Server is intuitive and simple. Two included applications, BIM Server Control Center and BIM Server Manager, need to be installed. The control center lets you to set up your server or servers (you can make multiple virtual servers, if necessary) and define how it will be used. The Manager function is used to create and define project models, users, roles, and responsibilities.
Both and are quick and easy to install and use with Teamwork, ArchiCAD’s project information sharing utility for local or Internet-connected computers. All users can log in from their local machines using Teamwork. I created a fake project on my home computer, shared it on a BIM server located in my office and I invited a friend to work with me from his home. We were able to collaborate quite efficiently without seeing or talking to each other.
The two of us used the Teamwork palette to share, reserve, and release elements very fast using BIM Server. When one of us had an element the other wanted to use, we would simply use the Request command to ask for it, and the other person would be prompted to Grant Request. Sending only changed elements to the server made the whole process fast and easy, resulting in very few inconsistencies in our final, albeit quite simple, model.
‘Rotate Orientation’ and other enhancements
While vastly expanded BIM collaboration is the big news about ArchiCAD 13, Graphisoft has improved the modeling, annotation, interoperability, and speed of the program, too. A new “rotate orientation” option allows any project view—floor plans, worksheets, or details—to be rotated while keeping project orientation the same. This makes it much easier to work with models with odd angles, since the dimensions automatically adjust based on the orientation. Annotations such as text, labels, markers, and zone stamps have a “fixed angle” option that can make them automatically adjust to a new view, too.
The ability to apply an image to any roof, slab, mesh or zone with a cover fill is the best of the new fill enhancements. The modeling enhancements for version 13 include the ability to direct edit reference lines and other parameters of a curtain wall in plan, section/elevation, or 3D windows. You can also slant edges and slabs of roofs to match slope angles of connecting structures and assign building materials to them. ArchiCAD 13 has improved its OpenGL display of 3D views, with sharper contours and better color shading.
Although ArchiCAD 13 is still very much an architecture and design-only BIM program, interoperability with structural engineering software has been improved by including thousands of standard steel profiles from an industry standard profile database that can be used for creating columns and beams.
Most impressive of all these enhancements is that ArchiCAD supports both multiprocessors and 64-bit computing with version 13 (multiprocessing was supported in ArchiCAD 12 but this is the first 64-bit version). I used an HP workstation with four processor cores to test ArchiCAD 13, and the improvements in speed thanks to multicore processing were dramatic. Soon all BIM programs will need to support multiprocessing, and don’t be surprised if other software vendors don’t make the investment of rewriting their code to enable similar collaboration as Graphisoft’s BIM Server. BD+C
 The new Teamwork concept in ArchiCAD 13, which uses a model server and a technology that detects and transmits only modified elements rather than the whole model (graphic courtesy: Graphisoft). |
antonio gargiulo commented:
Good product. Go with your work is stupend fr me architect.
OSVALDO commented:
THE EXPERIENCE IN THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE IS VERY COMPLETE I THANK THE FACILITIES OF USE
SeniorBIM commented:
Revit is a ArchiCAD wannabe!
It has a long way to go to equal it's performance just in the memory area alone.... Revit is a memory hog compared to Graphisofts product and their families pale in comparrison!
ArciCAD comes out the winner time after time in any shoot-out! Graphisofts ArchiCAD is the AutoDESK of the BIM world.... it has the most experience in the business and the product reflects its superiority!
REVIT commented:
REVIT is the BEST !!!
If you want to really improve in everything... go and try REVIT !!
:)
Haraldur commented:
I think the big difference is that ArchiCAD is using object based technology, so when you make changes, only the information about the change in the geometry of the object is needed, keeping the amount of information needed to bring on the change to a minimum.
sergio silva commented:
best in the world
mozambik
sergio silva
nina commented:
archicad
3rshw commented:
hi
mulligen commented:
not sure how much these hyped products really help firms, too much of data entry other than regular job n add cost too
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