A BIM Professional's Guide to Learning Archicad

A BIM Professional's Guide to Learning Archicad

by Stefan Boeykens, Ruben Van de Walle, Dr. Arch. Eng. Pieter Pauwels
Released May 2023
Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
ISBN: 9781803246574

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Book description

Move from 2D CAD drafting to 3D BIM with Archicad to boost productivity by mastering this powerful software

Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Key Features

  • Explore the Archicad GUI, file format, and tools to get started with residential projects
  • Use out-of-the-box documentation tools combined with a powerful publishing workflow
  • Translate conceptual designs into compelling imagery using various visualization methods

Book Description

A BIM Professional's Guide to Learning Archicad is a comprehensive introduction to all that Archicad has to offer for creating 3D models, 2D document extracts, and related outputs. This book is not a click-by-click series of recipes, but rather focuses on helping you understand why and how Archicad works by providing realistic examples and expert tips.

The book gradually introduces you to Archicad tools using ample examples. It then helps you master its complexity through clear modules, allowing you to start your first project quickly, gain useful skills in subsequent projects, and keep using the book as a source for insights into the software. You'll start with the basic modeling of construction elements and then move on to adding roofs, stairs, and objects to the project. Next, you'll dive into basic drafting and 2D views for creating 2D output, and grasp how to use attributes and more advanced modeling tools for designing curtain walls and sites. The concluding chapters will show you how to extract and visualize your data and automate the publishing of your extracts and 2D documents into a variety of output formats.

By the end of this book, you'll have gained a solid understanding of Archicad, how to implement it efficiently in your architectural projects, and how BIM can improve your overall design workflow.

What you will learn

  • Create an architectural model from scratch using Archicad as BIM software
  • Leverage a wide variety of tools and views to fully develop a project
  • Achieve efficient project organization and modeling for professional results with increased productivity
  • Fully document a project, including various 2D and 3D documents and construction details
  • Professionalize your BIM workflow with advanced insight and the use of expert tips and tricks
  • Unlock the geometric and non-geometric information in your models by adding properties and creating schedules to prepare for a bill of quantities

Who this book is for

This book is for design engineers, architectural designers, residential designers, BIM professionals, and anyone working in construction, manufacturing, or similar fields. Whether you're an absolute beginner or a professional looking to upgrade your engineering design and urban planning skills, you'll find this book useful. Although no prior knowledge of Archicad is necessary, knowledge of construction (architectural design) and a basic understanding of 2D CAD drafting is recommended. The book is based on the international version of the software and uses metric units.

Table of contents

  1. A BIM Professional’s Guide to Learning Archicad
  2. Foreword
  3. Contributors
  4. About the authors
  5. About the reviewer
  6. Preface
    1. Who this book is for
    2. What this book covers
    3. To get the most out of this book
    4. Download the example model files
    5. Download the color images
    6. Conventions used
    7. Get in touch
    8. Share Your Thoughts
    9. Download a free PDF copy of this book
  7. Part 1: Getting Started with Archicad – Project Setup and Essential Modeling Tools for Your First Residential Project
  8. Chapter 1: What Is Archicad and How Can You Learn It?
    1. Introducing BIM and Archicad
    2. About Graphisoft and Archicad – a short history
    3. Installing Archicad
      1. Platform requirements
      2. Older versions of the software
    4. Licensing
      1. License types
      2. Migrating between license types
      3. Localized versions
      4. Requirements for this book
    5. The approach in this book
      1. What to expect as a reader
      2. Version and units in this book
    6. Summary
    7. Further reading
  9. Chapter 2: Getting Started with Archicad
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Understanding the Archicad installation
      1. What is installed?
      2. Other languages or versions
    3. Understanding the Archicad UI
      1. Getting to know the main UI components
      2. Toolbars and palettes
      3. Understanding work environments
      4. Understanding Archicad onscreen feedback
    4. Setting up your first Archicad project
      1. Project Info
      2. Building stories
      3. Origin and display grid
      4. Saving a project file
    5. Summary
  10. Chapter 3: Building a Basic Residential Model: Modeling the Construction Elements
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Navigating in 2D/3D and learning the basics of modeling
      1. Opening your first model
      2. Navigating in 2D
      3. Configuring mouse behavior
      4. Navigating in 3D
    3. Modeling tools in general
    4. Core construction – walls and slabs
      1. Modeling the basic shape of the ground floor
      2. Grouping
      3. Looking at the many settings of a wall
      4. Adding a slab
      5. Trace & Reference
      6. Using the Pet Palette during modeling
      7. Materials and composite structures (basics)
    5. Using drawing aids in Archicad
      1. Using Snap Guides and Guide References
      2. Using Guide Lines
      3. Learning to use numeric input
      4. Adding interior walls
    6. Summary
  11. Chapter 4: Building a Basic Residential Model: SPACEAdding Roofs, Zones, Beams, and Columns
    1. Technical requirements
    2. Flat and sloped roof elements
      1. Modeling a simple flat roof using a Slab
      2. Modeling single-plane roofs
      3. Getting to know Multi-plane Roofs
    3. Tidying up the model
      1. Changing wall composites for better connections
      2. Adjusting Wall heights to Slabs and trimming with Roofs
    4. Defining rooms and spaces using the Zone tool
      1. Adding zones using the Inner Edge method
      2. Zone Labels
      3. Adding boundaries
      4. Zone updates
    5. Beams and columns – adding some structure
      1. Adding columns to support the overhang
      2. Adding beams from walls to columns
    6. Summary
  12. Chapter 5: Building a Basic Residential Model: Modeling Openings, Stairs, and Objects
    1. Adding Doors and Windows to the project
      1. Knowing the key BIM entities and their relationships
      2. Placing Doors into the interior and exterior Walls
      3. Placing basic Windows in Walls
    2. Introducing the Object Library
      1. The library concept
      2. Adding some objects
    3. Basic Stairs between the building stories
      1. Fitting the straight Stair into our design
    4. Custom shapes with the Morph tool
      1. Basic Morph shapes
      2. Using the pet palette to edit the shape
      3. Using Boolean operations to combine Morphs
      4. Turning any object into a Morph
    5. Summary
  13. Chapter 6: Basic Drafting and 2D Views
    1. Using basic Section, Elevation, and Independent Viewpoints
      1. Creating a Section view
      2. Creating Elevations
      3. Using Independent Worksheets
    2. Getting started with drafting tools
      1. Drawing and annotating with 2D linework
      2. Learning how to use line types as an introduction to Archicad attributes
      3. Using Fills for 2D drafting and annotating
      4. Using Pens and Pen Sets to change the weight and color of lines and fill patterns
      5. Other tools and objects for drafting
    3. Summary
  14. Chapter 7: Adding Annotations and Creating 2D Output
    1. Understanding annotation
      1. Adding and adjusting text annotations
      2. Understanding dimensions
      3. Exploring labels
    2. Linking reference drawings
      1. Example of using Attach Xref
    3. Basic export and printing (output)
      1. Direct printing from a drawing window
      2. Printing or exporting to PDF
      3. Saving as DWG
      4. Using a layout
    4. Summary
  15. Part 2: Becoming an Archicad Professional – Learn About Archicad Tools and Settings to Create and Publish Any Type of Project in Full Detail
  16. Chapter 8: Using Advanced Modeling Tools for Developed Design
    1. Advanced Composite Walls, Wlabs, and Roofs
      1. Knowing the different parts of a Composite definition and the attributes involved
      2. Creating a new Composite
    2. Archicad priorities
      1. Layer Intersection Priority
      2. Building Materials and priority-based connections
      3. Junction order for Walls and Beams
      4. Element Priority
    3. Complex roof geometry and skylights
      1. Sloped flat roofs using the Mesh tool
      2. Complex Multi-plane Roofs (gables, overhang...)
      3. Creating complex Single-plane roofs
      4. Inserting a skylight
      5. A closer look at trimming walls to roofs
      6. Merging elements with roofs, shells, or morphs
      7. Using Solid Element Operations (SEOs)
      8. Choosing between an SEO or Morph Boolean
    4. Summary
  17. Chapter 9: Using Advanced System Tools for Designing Stairs and Curtain Walls
    1. Complete stair systems with railings
      1. Editing the stair settings
      2. Graphically editing the stair
      3. A multi-story display of stairs
      4. Adding railings
    2. The basics of modeling curtain walls
      1. Creating a standalone curtain wall
      2. Creative uses of the Curtain Wall
    3. Summary
  18. Chapter 10: Using the Mesh tool and Wizards to Finalize a Design
    1. Creating a site model using the Mesh tool
      1. Basic mesh
      2. Creating a full terrain model
      3. Refining the display of the mesh
    2. TrussMaker and RoofMaker
      1. TrussMaker
      2. RoofMaker
    3. Summary
  19. Chapter 11: Using Advanced Attributes and the Renovation Tool for a Wider Design Range
    1. Creating Parametric Complex Profiles and using Geometry Modifiers
      1. Selecting a predefined profile
      2. Editing a profile
      3. Using Modifiers
      4. Applying profiles to improve models
    2. Element Properties for renovation, function, and position
      1. Renovation status
      2. Structural Function (Load-Bearing)
      3. Position (exterior/interior)
    3. Summary
  20. Chapter 12: 2D Construction Drawings and 3D Views with Linked Annotations
    1. Annotating 2D documents and creating attributes
      1. Adjusting attributes
      2. Organizing attributes
    2. Configuring sections and elevations in detail
      1. Fully configuring a section
      2. What about Elevations?
      3. Combining elevations and sections with other views using Trace and Reference
      4. The Interior Elevation tool
    3. Other ways to display a 3D model
      1. Showing specific parts of a project using the Marquee tool
      2. A 3D Cutaway using Cutting Planes
      3. Toggle element categories in the 3D window
    4. Construction detailing in Archicad
      1. Creating a detail viewpoint
      2. Editing and adding 2D elements in a detail drawing
      3. Evolving toward an efficient detailing workflow
      4. Using 2D drafting for construction details
    5. Summary
  21. Chapter 13: Data Extraction and Visualization
    1. Using Schedules for information extraction
      1. Using Interactive Schedules in Archicad
      2. Creating a Schedule
      3. Setting up a schedule
      4. Formatting a Schedule
      5. Exporting a Schedule as a spreadsheet
    2. Graphic Overrides
      1. GO combinations
      2. Exploring the rules
    3. Summary
  22. Chapter 14: Automating the Publication of BIM Extracts
    1. Understanding Quick Options/view filters
      1. Layer Combination
      2. Scale
      3. Structure Display
      4. Pen Set
      5. Model View Options
      6. Graphic Override (GO)
      7. Renovation Filter
      8. Dimensioning
    2. The Navigator and the Project Map
      1. Organizing the Project Map
      2. Creating views and organizing them in the View Map
      3. Organizing the View Map
    3. Layouts and the Layout Book
      1. Drawings, sheets, and masters
      2. Working with Layouts and Master Layouts
    4. Publisher
      1. The publishing workflow
      2. Developing a Publisher Set
      3. From Navigator to Organizer
      4. Creating a new Publisher Set
      5. Publishing all your output in one go
    5. Summary
  23. Chapter 15: The Various Visualization Techniques in Archicad
    1. Creating compelling images with Archicad
      1. Getting creative with 2D and 3D Views – preparation
      2. Adding texture to Floor Plans and Elevations using Graphic Overrides
      3. Taking it a step further with 3D documents
    2. Creating rendered images
      1. Surfaces for rendering
      2. Lighting
      3. PhotoRendering Settings
      4. Conceptual images with sketch rendering
      5. Animation in Archicad
    3. Using external imaging software
      1. Model conversion
      2. Preparing an Archicad View
      3. Third-party software examples for rendering
    4. Real-time visualization
      1. BIMx, an interactive Graphisoft app
      2. External game engine applications
    5. Summary
  24. Appendix: Some Final Tips and Tricks
    1. What to do when you get stuck
      1. Remember the on-screen feedback
      2. Going through all the steps again
      3. Getting help
    2. What we didn’t cover
    3. Summary
  25. Index
    1. Why subscribe?
  26. Other Books You May Enjoy
    1. Packt is searching for authors like you
    2. Download a free PDF copy of this book

Product information

  • Title: A BIM Professional's Guide to Learning Archicad
  • Author(s): Stefan Boeykens, Ruben Van de Walle, Dr. Arch. Eng. Pieter Pauwels
  • Release date: May 2023
  • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781803246574