The Graphisoft Story is a remarkable one, begun by a man who in 1984 had an Apple ][ computer smuggled through the Iron Curtain into Hungary. Gábor Bojár had conceived of the idea of using software to create Virtual Buildings, as 3D BIM design was then known. Five years later, the Iron Curtain tore open, and so ArchiCAD could be sold internationally. In 2007 Graphisoft was purchased by the Nemetschek Group holding company of Germany.
Nemetschek Group allows its dozen divisions to run independently, requiring them only to meet certain financial targets. Nevertheless, it has three BIM programs that try not to step on each others toes:
- AllPlan has its primary market in German-speaking countries
- ArchiCAD in other parts of Europe and among the five largest construction firms in Japan
- Vectorworks in English-speaking countries and Japan as well
For its part, Graphisoft has stuck to a single software product, ArchiCAD, slowly surrounding it with adjacent software -- not going hog-wild with acquisitions, like certain other large CAD vendors.
ArchiCAD - 3D modeler for architects
BIM Server - design collaboration among multiple architects (included with ArchiCAD)
MEP Modeler - modeling ductwork and piping
EcoDesigner - evaluation of building energy efficiency
BIMx - viewing models on PCs and mobile devices
The rare acquisitions that were made in the past involved dealerships in specific countries. The company does not rule out technology acquisitions, but they would need approval from parent Nemetschek.
Last fall, Graphisoft, still headquartered in Budapest, appointed American Huw Roberts, formerly of BlueCielo and Bentley Systems, as its new CEO.
Key Customer Conference
Graphisoft names its annual user event the “Key Customer Conference,” although perhaps it was its new CEO that gave this year’s KCC a name with more pizzazz: “Reimagine!”. This is one of the last CAD conferences that still lets users attend for free, albeit by invitation only. This year, 400 attendees from 24 countries met last week in the city of pizzazz, Las Vegas.
The question was, of course, how will the new CEO impact the 33-year-old company? He did not disappoint. Huw Roberts dedicated his keynote to his five insights into Graphisoft -- as it is now, and where he wants to take it [along with my comments in square brackets]:
Business-wise, Graphisoft is in a good position to grow, as it is profitable. Taking several shots at unnamed competitors, perhaps Autodesk, Mr Roberts said, “We have been leading innovations since starting BIM in 1984. We understand how customers work, instead of chasing the next cool thing. Cool is a terrible business plan.”
[Autodesk claims to have invented BIM with Revit, but Autodesk didn’t own Revit until well after it began. Autodesk is known for chasing cool things and failing things, such as social video on Facebook.]
Marketing-wise, Graphisoft has been modest. “The humbleness is good, but it hurts customers, because they get questioned why they aren’t with #1,” Mr Roberts said. He aims to change that: “We need to be bold, and to leverage our strength. We are #1 in many markets, and #2 in most other markets. We have serious aspirations to take over the #1 spot. We want to turn the volume up to 11.”
[At one time, it would have been impossible to displace arch-rival Revit, due to the extreme incompatibility that exists between BIM software systems. But the Revit file and API work from Open Design Alliance is changing that. It seems to also mean that Graphisoft aims to be ahead of step-brothers Vectorworks and AllPlan.]
Growth-wise, he plans to "equip the company for growth by looking at internal systems, because growth fuels R&D [research & development]." Outside the company, Mr Roberts aims to digitally transform his customers’ businesses according to their objectives, and not by the objectives of Graphisoft.
He places a strong emphasis on OpenBIM: “If you need 45 minutes to open an IFC file, then it is not Open BIM." Indeed, we saw at the conference a demo of the new hole function that is based on OpenBIM principles.
[It is good to see Mr Roberts wanting to meet the needs of customers. This is different from some of the other, larger CAD vendors, who pressure their customers in adopting to their cool technology. I approve. Adhering to OpenBIM makes it easier to bring models in and out of ArchiCAD, especially with the other dozen products in parent Nemetschek’s portfolio.]
Future-wise, Project Everest is the name of its next-generation technology, on which I have details below, as well an in a Q&A coming in a future issue of upFront.eZine. Mr Roberts is also launching a Labs initiative to get new features faster into the shipping software. “Transformation” is an important word to Mr Roberts, which, he says, applies to materials, methodologies, energy, construct ability, IoT [Internet of things], and more. "Transformation is seen either as a threat or an opportunity," he said.
[We can’t know how the future will unfold, so I won’t comment on this.]
Community-wise, Mr Roberts said, “We are in this together, especially the global community.” Graphisoft will also be working closely with the other parts of Nemetschek Group.
[Being community-minded is always a good thing, but is something that shareholder-owned CAD vendors cannot afford to do.]
Parts of the conference were streamed live, but the new CEO’s keynote was not.
ArchiCAD 23
The next release of ArchiCAD was launched at an earlier event in London, and the software will ship in September. What else could still be added to modeling in 2019?
Architecture began with beams and columns, we were told at KCC [although I would argue that is the role of engineering, not architecture, but oh well]. And so ArchiCAD 23 has made its beam and column functions more flexible with multiple segments per element. The segments of beams and columns can be widened and tapered, yet the program treats the element-segments as a single unit.
To place beams and columns, you can connect any two points in space, as well as curve beams vertically along reference curves. It turns out that these new functions are useful for modeling Gothic churches.
The new opening tool uses the IFC definition: an opening belongs to a single element, but can be linked to other elements. ArchiCAD 23 can cut through multiple elements and, when angled, cuts through vertical and horizontal ones. You can apply labels to openings, whose data is added to BOMs [bills of materials]. Mr Roberts emphasized that the opening is not a void, but an entity, and one that is fully dimensioned.
Perhaps the most impressive new function is the ability to select an opening, and then apply it to all stories in 3D; the group of openings can be moved around the model, as needed. We saw the demo jock create all openings at once, based on a selection set, such as all holes needed for MEP [mechanical, electrical, and plumbing] parts that penetrate walls and floors. The 150 holes were shown in 3D and 2D, with the correct international designation.
Miscellaneous Improvements
- When opening files, the preview images show a slide show of the drawing with multiple views.
- Can open multiple files at once.
- New Action Center shows a red dot on projects with possible problems; click to see a dialog box with the list of problems.
- When switching views, such as from 2D to 3D, updates are made nearly instantly.
- Variable designs using Grasshopper.
- Real-time ray tracing thanks to Unreal Engine and the free TwinMotion software, although it works only with nVidia graphics boards.
BIMx
BIMx is the company's stand-alone viewing software for mobile devices and PCs. A new engine loads 3D models much faster on mobile devices, especially huge models, such as ones with 15 million polygons. The model is streamed as you move your view around the model, with more polygons are loaded, as needed to make them visible to you.
The viewer now runs in Web browsers, and can use an XBox controller.
What Next for Graphisoft?
CEO Roberts says he uses indicators to extrapolate from the present to the future. It used to be that buildings were designed by a Master Builder, and there was no distinction between structure and architecture. "Architecture" is a fairly recent invention.
Why is there no growth in productivity in construction? He noted that it is way behind manufacturing, which has automated a lot. About 5% of construction is digitized.
Former CEO Viktor Várkonyi came on stage to say that silos are encouraged by today’s BIM industry. Not just in technology and collaboration, but even silos between people involved in projects.
Integrated design is meant to eliminate the problem of silos. And so Project Everest was shown for the first time in public. It uses technology from Nemetschek Group, but is open to any competitor. We saw a demo of integrated design with structural analysis -- RISA structural design software together with ArchiCAD.
Step 1: Check Connections In ArchiCAD. ArchiCAD does some initial analysis to make sure the steel structure makes sense. It determines which are the load-bearing elements in the model, and their material, such as steel. A single click displays the analytical model, which shows only the connections and centerlines of beams and columns. Green dots state the connections are OK; red dots show problems -- such as connections missing or overlapping elements. A new Model Check dialog box shows the results of the analysis, a list of the problems. The bad connections can then be edited using rules that define which steel member is connected to which. This automatically solves all connection problems.
Step 2: Structural Analysis In RISA. The ArchiCAD file is saved, and instantly opened in RISA to do the actual load analysis, such as deflections from weight, wind, and earthquakes. It runs code checks according to local requirements. A report is generated, and then passed to the local building official.
If the structure is not satisfactory, the structural engineer makes the changes, checks the load analysis, and saves it back to ArchiCAD. The time to pass data between the two programs took an instant.
Step 3: Updates In ArchiCAD. To update the physical model in ArchiCAD, the architect used Compare 3D to compare the original with the modified version received from RISA. With the change(s) visible, Merge was clicked and ArchiCAD automatically updated the physical model as necessary, such as stretching specific beams.
The term "A.I" was never once mentioned at this conference!
Another Scenario. Two versions of ArchiCAD share what each other is doing with Send and Receive buttons that display notifications, such as geometric changes.
You can set up monitoring criteria that ignore changes that do not affect, say, engineers, such carpets and paints. The comparison tool shows before and after changes by colors. Engineers can accept changes and send them on to the next design stage, or reject and send back for correction.
Third Scenario. The most important stakeholder is the owner or client. They tend to understand numbers more than 3D models, and so dRufus from Nemetschek comes into play. It runs as a plug-in inside ArchiCAD. You have room templates in dRufus: clicking Update populates areas (rooms) with furnishings automatically based on the templates, such as Hotel Room or Conference Room.
Another dRufus category is Comfort, although comfort drives cost. Visual highlights show comfort levels for rooms, such as light red.
Yet Another Scenario. We saw a similar linkage with Solibri, which specializes in collision detection.
Fifth Scenario. While ArchiCAD has a C++-based API, it is not a simple programming language. To be more open, Graphisoft is adopting the Python programming language to allow automation from third-parties. One example is a link between ArchiCAD and Excel: a Python script automates the creation of layout and sub-layout names, in seconds.
Another Python script creates a drawing view in each of the new layouts. Another script renumbers zones (rooms) based on the order specified by a long arrow sketched by the user on the floor plan. As an extra flourish, it colors the zones according to the increment number.
Final Scenario. Python is good for automating ArchiCAD, but not as good for working with external programs, and so Graphisoft is adopting JSON [JavaScript Object Notation] as the API for external apps.
At the conference, we saw a JSON demo from Digital Blue Foam, the world launch of this new software, as it turned out. It harvests online data in specific regions, such as a neighborhood in a city, about GIS, environment, social media check-ins, and then generates hundreds of initial building designs that trade off constraints. Then it uses the new JSON API to send the data to ArchiCAD.
“You never have to start with an empty template again,” said CTO Sayjel Patel. Using the API it also brings in adjacent buildings, so that the design in ArchiCAD is surrounded by the neighborhood. The entire process takes minutes. www.digitalbluefoam.com
What Ralph Grabowski Thinks
Graphisoft is exhibiting never-before-seen urgency under its new CEO, who has decades of experience in architecture and running software companies. He strikes me as one who will make money for the company using the carrot approach -- by giving architects what they need -- instead of with the stick tactic, by imposing ever higher costs on them.
He has the time needed to think about how to make design better for architects: to re-implement the Master Builder approach. Now, a single person can no longer be a Renaissance Man on big projects (Sagrada Família, anyone?), and so the new ideal is to make the interactions between specialists trivially easy.
When Project Everest is realized, architects and engineers should be able to do checks and updates in a fraction of the time and without translations. This might be all it takes to move ArchiCAD to #1.
http://www.graphisoft.com
Coming Up: I'll have for you a Q&A with executives from Graphisoft in a future issue of the upFront.eZine newsletter.
[Disclosure: Graphisoft provided my airfare, accommodation, most meals, and a t-shirt.] |
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| Here is the most recent post made to the WorldCAD Access blog:
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Online software from Vention is used to design, then purchase stands. Now the company's MachineBuilder app has added 3D models of robots with manual simulations of robots' reach.
Video shows how it works at vention.io/blogs/robot-reach-study-now-available-in-vention-3d-machinebuilder-177
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K-Display Convert is Kubotek’s new Linux-MacOS-Windows CAD file translation and viewing program built on the "universal CAD architecture of the Kubotek Kosmos 3D framework." Cost is $468 for a 12-month lease. kubotek3d.com/products/kdisplay/convert
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Huawei has been working on its own smartphone operating system, called HongMeng, since 2012. The world's second-largest smartphone seller has planned all along to gradually replace Android. Similarly, China has its own line of ARM-compatible CPUs, such as from AllWinner and MTK, which Chinese smartphone and tablet vendors have been using for years.
The self-reliance (or isolationism) of China from American software and British hardware has been long planned and executed. The Trump-ordered cut-off merely expedited the plan. Huawei probably will succeed: it has the huge homegrown marketshare that Microsoft lacked with Windows Mobile.
Russia wishes it could do the same as China, making its technology independent of reliance on American firms. But with an economy 8x smaller and a population 10x smaller than China's, it might lack the critical mass for something like its own smartphone CPU and OS. But Russia has this advantage:
In China, firms must have government officials on their boards; Russia not. So while the government-funded RGK [Russian Geometry Kernel] kernel of 2013 went nowhere, the privately-developed C3D Labs kernel released in 2012, for instance, is in a dozen CAD systems in Russia and internationally.
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3Dfind It searches 807 product catalogs for parts that you describe by...
- Uploading a file of a 3D object in STL, IFC, OBJ, and other formats
- Uploading a photograph in JPEG, PNG, SVG, and other formats
- Drawing it in "3D" with the built-in paint program (see figure above)
- Colorizing the search sample
- Entering text in 8 languages
www.3dfind.it/
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I used SketchUp and SketchUp Make for many years as a hobbyist, and intended to try to sell my skills in semi-retirement with a Pro license. However, Trimble (IMHO) lost the plot when they made the commercial but short-sighted decision to alienate a huge pool of people who might have transitioned to the Pro version.
There's too big a jump between the very limited, slow, Internet-speed-shackled Free version and Pro. What they've removed is accessibility. In typical American style (I mean that kindly, as Americans live in a different world), they imagine that fast Internet access is universal, so the online Free version will be fine. I'm writing this in rural England on a stuttery 3mb/s connection.
But then they believe they lead the world while still using imperial measurements. It's easy to get insulated from the rest of the world when you could spend a lifetime exploring your own country.
Could I suggest you take a look at Blender v2.8, currently in late but very stable downloadable beta - see blender builds. The Blender interface used to be like the dash of the Starship Enterprise, but v2.8 has made it more approachable. Blender
- Free for commercial or any other type of use.
- Better and more accurate snapping and positioning than SketchUp
- Free add-ons that make hard surface modeling (3D CAD, to you and I) wonderful
Add a couple of paid add-ons (we're talking 30 pounds or dollars) and it flies. The lighting/ material/ texture options for visualization blow Sketchup out of the water. Yes, it takes longer to learn than SketchUp but stick with it, check out the thousands of free tutorials on Youtube, and from the endless support community, and be happy.
If there is a downside to Blender (from a hard surface modelers point of view) it is that it is so powerful, so configurable that it is very tempting to get into its other features -- sculpting, animation -- so that hours disappear. There are many great free things in life; add Blender to the list.
- Stretch (via WorldCAD Access)
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"We have been having problems finding enough mentors to cover the mentorship programme, so just try to get the most out of your time with the photocopier."
- Management Speak (@managerspeak on Twitter) |
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