The ArchiCAD BIM Concept

ArchiCAD Training SeriesVol. 1

CreditsVisit the GRAPHISOFT website at http://www.graphisoft.com for local distributor and product availability information.

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 1The ArchiCAD BIM Concept

Copyright 2013 by GRAPHISOFT, all rights reserved. Reproduction, paraphrasing or translation without express prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

TrademarksArchiCAD is a registered trademark of GRAPHISOFT. All other trademarks are the property

of their respective holders.

CreditsThe following ArchiCAD project is used in this training material:

NHS Office Complex, Los Angeles, California, USArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 12

Architect: PAAstudio, US

Contents

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 13

CONTENTS

Introduction ___________________________________________ 4

The ArchiCAD Interface __________________________________ 6

Navigate Around the Floor Plan __________________________11

Navigate in 3D ________________________________________13

The Virtual Building Concept ____________________________17

The Documentation Workflow ___________________________39

IntroductionIntroductionWelcome to the ArchiCAD Training Series!

This Guide is part of the ArchiCAD Training Series, which currently includes the following materials:

Vol. 1, The ArchiCAD BIM Concept

Vol. 2, Basic ArchiCAD

Vol. 3, Intermediate ArchiCAD

Vol. 4, Advanced ArchiCAD

Vol. 5, Using Teamwork

You are now reading Vol. 1, "The ArchiCAD BIM Concept" a hands-on training to familiarize you with the modeling and documentation concepts of ArchiCAD. This guide is meant for new ArchiCAD users and prospects as well as students and teachers.

This guide is also suitable for using as BIM Curriculum "Exercises" - for Hands-on Practice in universities where ArchiCAD is taught to students. Lecturers who would like to use this guide as a BIM Curriculum should visit the educational sites of the GRAPHISOFT website (http://www.graphisoft.com/learning/education/) where, after registration, they will be entitled to obtain a full set of training materials suitable for seminar lectures.

Contents of this guide:

Training guide e-book: The PDF guide includes detailed explanation of every step, with several screenshots.

ArchiCAD project file: The pre-set training file will help your learning process. Pre-set project views help you to navigate between different steps thus you can focus on the core knowledge.

Movie clips: Narrated movie clips are available on the YouTube channel for GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD (www.youtube.com/user/Archicad) providing step-by-step instructions for each step of the training guide. The ArchiCAD YouTube Channel can also be accessed from the Help menu of ArchiCAD. Enter the name of this Training Guide in the search field to locate the related videos.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 14

IntroductionYou must have ArchiCAD 17 or later version installed on your computer to use this guide. This e-book and the movie clips were made with the English language version of ArchiCAD. For your conveniance we recommend you to download and use the same version for practicing.

If you do not have ArchiCAD yet, please visit https://myarchicad.com/ to obtain a free ArchiCAD installer:

If you are a student, a teacher or a representative of a school, register and download a fully functional Education Version of ArchiCAD for Students and Teachers.

If you are a professional architect, register and download a fully functional 30-day trial version of ArchiCAD. Projects saved with this TRIAL version can be automatically upgraded to FULL versions upon purchase of a commercial license.

Please contact your local distributor for purchasing commercial ArchiCAD licenses: http://www.graphisoft.com/purchase/

How to use this training material?

Install the required ArchiCAD version

Open the PDF Guide

Open the related movie clips from the GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD Youtube Channel

Follow the instructions given in the PDF guide and the videos.

We hope you will find this training useful and wish you success with your future ArchiCAD projects!

Good Luck!

The GRAPHISOFT TeamArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 15

The ArchiCAD InterfaceThe ArchiCAD InterfacePlease extract the AC_Training_Series_Vol_1.zip archive file into your computer.

To start exploring ArchiCAD we will open an example file first. Lets start ArchiCAD by clicking on the application icon. First we encounter a dialog box, in which we can choose between creating a new project or working on an existing one.

Well do the latter, so we click on the Open a Project radio button. Then in the second section of the dialog box we select Browse for a Solo Project. Choose Standard Profile 17 for the Work Environment and click on Browse. In the browser dialog box, we locate and open the NHS Office 17.pla project file, which is located in the folder where you extracted the zip file.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 16

The ArchiCAD InterfaceIf you are running ArchiCAD 17 Student version, a message appears warning you that you have to convert the project into EDU format.

Click on the "Convert to EDU" button. Since we are opening a so-called archive project that contains all the external elements used in creating the project, we are asked how we wish to handle these elements. For the time being we ignore this and keep all the project elements in the archive file; so without changing the radio buttons simply click Open.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 17

The ArchiCAD InterfaceThe project file opens. Let's take a closer look at the ArchiCAD interface. This application was designed by architects for architects. The easy to understand graphical interface and the visual feedback will help you to quickly get familiar with the program's capabilities.

The central part of the interface shows the Floor Plan of our project. At the bottom of the screen, a set of icons help to navigate in this view, and set the drawing scale and zoom factor.

To the left, the Toolbox contains all the tools necessary to build the 3D model and complete the documentation.

To the right, the Navigator lists all aspects of the project here we can jump from story to story or to different 3D views, sections, elevations and details.

At the very top, the Menubar lists all the available commands, logically grouped. Commands for File operations, Editing and Viewing functions can be selected from the corresponding menus. Since Design and Documentation are separate processes in architectural practice, tools and commands supporting these processes are also located in separate menus. Commands in the Options menu regulate basic ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 18

The ArchiCAD Interfacesettings and the Work Environment. The Teamwork menu supports collaborative work, and the Window menu sets the visibility of the toolbars and palettes.

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 19

The ArchiCAD InterfaceThe Standard Toolbar contains some of the commands and functions available from the menus. It can be found right below the Menubar and can be fully customized. (The whole user interface can be arranged into so-called schemes to fast-track repetitive work, but this is outside the scope of this training guide).

The Info Box shows the current settings of the selected tool or the characteristics of the selected element. (Try it by selecting a different tool from the Toolbox. Look at the changes in the Info Box.) Changes in the Info Box are immediately reflected in current settings or the attributes of the selected element. The Info Box can be resized (similarly to all boxes and palettes) to reveal more information than in the basic settings.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 110

Navigate Around the Floor PlanNavigate Around the Floor PlanLets take a closer look at the Floor Plan. From the icons at the bottom of the Floor Plan, lets select the Increase Zoom icon.

The cursor changes to a magnifying glass. Lets draw two corners of a rectangle around the upper right entrance area of the building. After the second click, you will see a zoomed-in view of the Floor Plan in the main window.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 111

Navigate Around the Floor PlanTry the other icons for Panning, Reducing Zoom, Fitting in Window the contents of the Floor Plan, or switching between Previous and Next Views.

There is an even faster way to navigate in all views. With the cursor in the main window, press the mouse scroll button to pan around the Floor Plan in real-time. Remember to keep the scroll button pressed!

Rolling the scroll button away from you will zoom in and rolling it toward you will zoom out in real-time. In these cases, the cursor position will act as the center point of the projection.

This technique will let you move from one location of the Floor Plan to another very quickly. Try it!ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 112

Navigate in 3DNavigate in 3DIn ArchiCAD, every building element is instantly represented in 3D as well. Naturally this sample project includes not only the 2D documentation but the entire 3D building model as well. So what does our sample project look like in 3D?

The 3D model can be shown in an axonometric or a perspective view. Well try an axonometric view first. To access the 3D representation of our building, go to the 3D section in the Project Map of the Navigator and double-click on Generic Axonometry (as shown below).ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 113

Navigate in 3DAs a result you will see something like this:

Within the 3D view, the real-time navigational tools (Zoom-In, Zoom-Out, Pan) function exactly as on the Floor Plan. Use the scroll button of the mouse to move from one part of the image to the other.

Select a view where the building more or less fills the main window. There are two fundamentally different ways of navigating in a model ArchiCAD: Orbit and Walk. Let's see how they work. From the bottom Toolbar select the Orbit icon.

The cursor changes to a little orbit sign. Click and keep the left mouse button pressed and move the mouse around to view the building from all sides.

While in Orbit mode, real-time Zoom and Pan can still be used. Try them both to explore the whole model. To get out of Orbit mode, press Esc.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 114

Navigate in 3DThere is an even more exciting way of getting around the building. In order to see this, lets double-click Generic Perspective from the 3D section of the Navigator. The result is something like this:

In this view Orbit, real-time Zoom and Pan work as we have seen already. The only difference is that here they affect the camera position rather than the projected image. Lets try and move around a little.

For a different way of exploration, lets get into first-person shooter mode by selecting the Explore icon at the bottom toolbar. ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 115

Navigate in 3DThe appearing dialog box explains how movement can be controlled (very similarly to FPS computer games).

If you are sure you have the controls right, click 3D Explore and start flying inside the building and navigating around.

Walls will not stop you in this game, but to get the hang of it you should try to use the doors.

To get out of Explore mode, just click into the 3D view.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 116

The Virtual Building ConceptThe Virtual Building ConceptSo how is it possible that weve seen a single Floor Plan, yet we could explore the whole building right away? To explain, lets see a short introduction of GRAPHISOFTs Virtual Building Concept also known as Building Information Modeling or BIM.

Lets double-click on 0.1 floor in the Stories section of the Navigator. Instantly we get back to the initial Floor Plan. You can adjust the content to the Floor Plan window if it is necessary by clicking on the symbol Zoom (Fit in Window)

One fundamental concept of BIM is that the 3D model is made of real building components like walls, beams or slabs. Let's take a closer look at the ArchiCAD walls as an example.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 117

The Virtual Building ConceptLets double-click on the Wall tool in the Toolbox. The dialog box for the Wall settings appears.

In the first section we can specify the geometry of the wall, including height and shape information as well as its vertical position.

In the second section we can set how the wall will be represented in 2D view such as the Floor Plan or a section. We can set the attributes of the wall (or rather its representative symbol) to control its display. Here the structure of a composite wall or other view-dependent characteristics can be selected.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 118

The Virtual Building ConceptIn the next section we can determine how the wall should look in 3D views. Surface materials and textures can be specified here.

In the last section we can link different properties that are necessary to build bills of material for this type of wall. In list type views, the wall behaves as a group of basic building components that forms this composite structure.

The point is that the wall we either draw on the Floor Plan or place in 3D in a perspective view is not merely a 2D symbol or a collection of parallel lines or just a 3D shape. It is all that and much more: it is an environment-sensitive building block of the Virtual Building that knows how to present itself within the different aspects of architectural documentation.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 119

The Virtual Building ConceptWhat does that mean in practice? Lets make some changes in our Virtual Building and see what happens. First of all lets change the current Wall settings to this:ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 120

The Virtual Building ConceptSet the wall height to 13'-1" under Geometry and Positioning. For the Composite Type (which is going to be the representation of the composite wall structure on Floor Plans and sections) lets select the Wall Conc. Stone Tile structure. To do this click on the Composite button and from the appearing dialog choose the required composite type.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 121

The Virtual Building ConceptIn the Model section lets click on the little chain icon on the right. Click on Override Surface button. The list of available surface materials comes up. Select Brick-Common Bond from the list. All three surface material settings (wall exterior, interior and edge) will be updated.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 122

The Virtual Building ConceptAfter changing the settings, lets click on OK.

Back on the Floor Plan lets zoom in to the wall on the right side of the lobby area and select the Inject Parameters tool from the Standard Toolbar.

The cursor changes to a little syringe. This tool injects the current settings of the active design or documentation tool to existing elements.

When we move the cursor above the wall we zoomed in on, the wall will be highlighted, showing that it is selected for the injection. Lets click anywhere inside the wall body.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 123

The Virtual Building ConceptThe wall changes instantly, showing the composite structure we selected in the Wall dialog box.

Now lets see what happened in other views of the Virtual Building.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 124

The Virtual Building ConceptFirst, lets select and double-click 04 D_D Section from the Sections/Elevations part of the Navigator.

The section opens instantly. On the right side of the Lobbys first floor we see the wall we have just modified. It shows the structure we have just selected for it.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 125

The Virtual Building ConceptNow lets select Generic Axonometry or General Perspective from the Navigator and using the previously described navigation techniques go to that part of the project, which includes the modified wall.

As you can see, the wall now shows the surface material that has been set in the dialog box.

One of the major advantages of the BIM concept is that non graphical-information, such as quantities, element inventories and schedules, can be automatically extracted from the 3D ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 126

The Virtual Building Conceptmodel. Lets check if all aspects of the Virtual Building really are covered: double-click Wall List in the Element Schedules section of the Navigator.

Instantly, an interactive list appears of all the walls placed in the project so far. We can quickly find the wall on the first floor that we have just modified. Here some parameters (like the height or the ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 127

The Virtual Building Conceptcomposite structure of the wall) can be changed again. These changes will be reflected in all views (Floor Plans, sections/elevations or in 3D).

Lets get back to the initial Floor Plan again (double-click 1 Floor in the Navigator). Zoom out in order to see the entire Floor Plan.

Having a Virtual Building also means that we dont have to set up complicated layer sets for the different stories within the project. Stories, sections and elevations are just separate views of the virtual building model. In ArchiCAD, the Navigator window makes it easy to toggle between different views and representations of the BIM model.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 128

The Virtual Building ConceptIn the Navigator, double-click on the different stories (2 Floor, 3 Floor, etc. in the Stories part) and on the different sections in the Sections/Elevations part or in the Details part.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 129

The Virtual Building Concept

All these views are merely derivatives of the Virtual Building. Any number of them can be generated and they are all linked together, so if anything changes in one view, not only is that particular view modified, but the changes are also reflected in all the views throughout the entire project. This is a huge advantage compared to the traditional 2D drawing based documentation method where coordination of the drawings had to be done manually. It is not just more productive but also more reliable, as it reduces the risk of coordination issues to the minimum.

Let's see how we can work with the different views linked to each other. The revolutionary Virtual Trace technology in ArchiCAD allows you to see and compare two different views of the BIM model. Return to the Floor Plan of the 0.1 floor. Right-click on 06 East Elevation in the Navigator and choose Show as Trace Reference from the context menu.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 130

The Virtual Building ConceptThe elevation appears on the referred side of the building Floor Plan.

The Trace icon becomes active in the Standard toolbar. Click on the small arrow next to the Trace icon and choose Drag Reference from the menu. ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 131

The Virtual Building ConceptDrag the elevation view to the right. ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 132

The Virtual Building ConceptArrange the Floor Plan so that the windows on the first floor of the building become clearly visible next to the Floor Plan view.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 133

The Virtual Building ConceptNow zoom in at the right side, to have a closer look on the windows.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 134

The Virtual Building ConceptSelect one of the windows on the Floor Plan.

Change its size to 7'x11' in the Info Box. ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 135

The Virtual Building ConceptClick on the Rebuild Reference command in the Trace menu.

Now you can see how the elevation follows the changes. ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 136

The Virtual Building ConceptNow select Switch reference with active command in the Trace menu

Now choose Fit in window.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 137

The Virtual Building ConceptAs you can see, the layout changes automatically according to the active view.

Zoom in to the area of the modified window, select it on the elevation view and reset the size to 5'x8'. Choose the Switch reference with active command again to return to the Floor Plan. Press the Esc button to deselect the window and finally switch off the Trace button.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 138

The Documentation WorkflowThe Documentation WorkflowOf course the job is far from done, even if a substantial amount of information can be entered and stored within the Virtual Building. Architectural documentation, however, includes many interpretations of the same view of the building. For example, for a given story of the building, well have to generate one construction plan, one reflected ceiling plan, one plan for the floor finishes, one structural plan, one plan for the furniture, and so on.

Not to mention all the communication with all the professions well have to collaborate with: the structural engineer, the electrical engineer, HVAC, plumbing, etc. all need different documents from us. ArchiCAD supports the documentation workflow with so-called views.

So far we have only utilized one part of the Navigator, the Project Map part.

Lets click on the icon to the right of the Project Map. This is the View Map part of the Navigator.

As you can see, this part lists plans instead of stories. Of course a plan can show a floor or a section or a detail. Double-click on 1 Floor in the RCP folder of the Construction Documentation section of the View Map.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 139

The Documentation WorkflowThe Reflected Ceiling Plan of the ground floor is shown instantly.

How is this plan different from the Floor Plan we have worked with up till now? One difference is obvious: we see the tiles of the reflected ceiling and the lighting elements. These must have been on a layer that was switched on when changing to the views of the RCP folder. (Layers are like vellums of old times, layered on top of each other. If we pull one out of the stack, it will be invisible. Elements that have common characteristics like exterior walls, interior walls, furniture, etc. should be placed on a common layer, so that their visibility can be regulated together.)ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 140

The Documentation WorkflowThe other significant difference is only visible if we zoom in to the interior of the building. Doors are shown with their openings only (as is usual on a reflected ceiling plan).

There are six differentiating factors for a view.

One is the Layer Combination, which determines which layers must be switched on or off for that particular view. Here, layer combinations were set up and named in advance. The one that is used here is aptly named Reflected Ceiling Plan.

The other factor is the Scale of the drawing. For instance, plans that are submitted to the municipality for approval have a smaller scale than construction documentation. In ArchiCAD, objects like doors, windows or other custom elements are scalesensitive, that is, their 2D representation depends on the current scale of the drawing.

The third factor is the Structure Display. This function allows us to display construction elements in various ways depending how we define the components of elements. We can choose one of these options:

Entire Model

Without Finishes

Core Only

Core of Load-Bearing Elements OnlyArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 141

The Documentation Workflow The fourth factor is the Pen Set. We can define different line weight to the different color.

The following factor is the so-called Model View Options Combination. These settings control the behavior of ArchiCAD elements beyond merely toggling visibility on and off. These combinations were also set up and named in advance. The one for reflected ceiling plans can be viewed when selecting Document/Set Model View/Model View Options from the menu.

The last factor is the Renovation Filter. We can provide visual feedback on the status of each element at a particular stage of a renovation project.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 142

The Documentation WorkflowA view is defined by these factors, plus the current zoom and the dimensions, as shown in the Properties part underneath the Navigator.

In the Quick Options part just below it, you can change these settings for the current project representation. In order to activate the Quick Options palette click on the Window/Palettes/Quick Options command.

Click on any of the buttons and see what changes occur on the Floor Plan when the settings are changed.ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 143

The Documentation WorkflowNote that the current quick option settings are not saved to the views automatically. For this you have to open the view settings dialog and there launch the Get Current Windows Settings command.

Now that we know how to navigate in the model and in the project, let's see how we can construct new elements. Lets close the example file. Select File/Close from the menu. Choose "Dont save" in the "Save changes" dialog box.

Congratulations!

You have succesfully completed this Training Guide! We hope that you have learnt many new and exciting things about the possibilities of BIM and understood how ArchiCAD supports the architectural design workflow. Please check the other volumes of this training series for more details about ArchiCAD.

Should you have any questions regarding ArchiCAD or other GRAPHISOFT products, please visit Graphisoft Help Center, our online knowledge base: http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/.

Please feel free to contact GRAPHISOFT and its worldwide partners with further questions at www.graphisoft.com. We look forward to seeing you in the ArchiCAD user community.

The GRAPHISOFT TeamArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 144

ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 1 - The ArchiCAD BIM ConceptCONTENTSIntroductionThe ArchiCAD InterfaceNavigate Around the Floor PlanNavigate in 3DThe Virtual Building ConceptThe Documentation Workflow