MEP 27 - The New Feature that never happened

[DGSketcher]

Can someone from Graphisoft please step up and own the current abject failure to deliver the renewed MEP Modeller?

Today I joined the many others who have had to return to using AC26 in order to deliver on our MEP commitments.

We all pay out for GS to deliver improvements to AC, yet here we are 7 months later with a key feature broken & software we can't use. Can someone at least tell us what we can expect in terms of delivery of fixing this MEP debacle and when?

It's bad enough struggling with the 3D screen "grey outs", and the disappointment of new features that suddenly became experimental, but finding a fundamental tool is no longer useable... 🙄

[Balint Kezer]

Hi @DGSketcher,

I appreciate you sharing your concerns regarding the new MEP functionality in Archicad. I acknowledge that the current state might not meet the expectations set by Archicad 26, and I understand the frustration it can cause. The decision to introduce a new solution was made with the intention of providing a feature-rich and more user-friendly experience in the long run.

I want to assure you that we are actively working on addressing the issues you and others have encountered. While I recognize the challenges you're facing, I am committed to assisting you in resolving any issues you may be experiencing. Please feel free to share specific details about the issues you're encountering, and I'll do my best to either help you troubleshoot or provide information on when a fix can be expected.

Thank you for your patience as we work towards improving the MEP functionality, and I look forward to assisting you further.

Best regards,

[DGSketcher]

Hi Balint, I know your a good person and from our past exchanges you always seem keen to help, but this reply just smacks of the usual GS noncommittal scripts and doesn't answer the question in my OP.

 The issue is MEP27 is unusable. I don't think there's a workaround for that. 

B.R.

Trevor

[Balint Kezer]

I really appreciate your feedback Trevor, but 'MEP27 is unusable' does not help me understand the issues better. To provide more specific information about fixes or new features, I need details on the issues you're facing with MEP in Archicad 27.

I've been transparent about changes in other discussions, such as addressing documentation functionalities in Archicad 27. I'm here to work together on finding solutions, so please share your specific pain points.

[DGSketcher]

I appreciate that you want to work together on finding solutions, but doing it for software that has gone live, but doesn't seem to have even passed alpha feels a bit late and there are too many pain points to justify listing them. At least in 26 there was a useable tool, now just about everything fails on so many basic levels for modelling, presentation and documenting, certainly for pipework. If you can't see the problems yourself then I am not wasting my unpaid time to highlight them for you just to make the shareholders even richer.

By the sounds of it, I'm guessing we're not going to see a useable MEP toolset until AC28, if we're lucky?

[Balint Kezer]

I'm really sorry you feel that way. There will be a lot of things coming already in Archicad 27.2.0 Update and even more with the next release in Archicad. 

It is perfectly fine if you do not want to give detailed feedback about the current MEP functionality, but I also think it is a great way to influence future direction by commenting on the current functionality. If you change your mind anytime in the future, feel free to let me know.

Thanks,

[JaredBanks]

I was seeing opening the Route Preferences crash Archicad 27 on a PC. Not sure if it was just one file/one computer or all machines and files at the firm with the issue. it wasn't an issue I could reproduce on an intel mac.

[Stewie11]

I fully agree with your outrage at the disregard for paying users. I don't understand why they had to force this rudimentary version into this update when they knew full well it was useless. Moreover, the old version was deleted. Of course, few people use the MEP tool, some disappointed users don't matter much.... I would be curious to see the reactions if the wall or staircase tools had done this GS. I'm not optimistic about the future.

[Stewie11]

Hi Bálint.
If you've finally scrapped the previous version of MEP, can you make api open source?

[Barry Kelly]

@Balint Kezer ,

I am sure you are working very hard to get the MEP fixes/improvements out as soon as possible.

But please look at it from a user's perspective.

They now have a tool (system) that used to work (not perfectly, but adequately), but now in 27 it is practically useless.

If I may quote yourself in at least one response ... "Thanks for elaborating on your use cases. My suggestion would be to use Archicad 26 if you are modeling plumbing on a daily basis."

The link to that post ...

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Modeling/MEP-multi-mistake/m-p/400533/highlight/true#M168680

Problems with the 27 MEP system were picked up in Beta and Tech Preview testing.

In my opinion, it should never have been released in 27.

You yourself have said if you rely on MEP, go back to version 26.

Please don't forget that people are paying for 27, and if they can't use it, what are they paying for?

I must state here that I personally don't use MEP, so I am not affected by this, but I do sympathise with those that do use it.

I wasn't going to post this, purely because I do not use MEP. but thought I should stand up for my fellow Archicad users.

It has been 2 months now since 27 was released and we have had the first update just recently.

As far as I know there are no improvements to MEP in that update.

In fact, according to the list of improvements only 3 items were fixed, and they weren't what I thought would warrant an update.

Maybe there were more (Sonoma?) issues fixed that just weren't listed.

You have been transparent in discussing the issues and we all appreciate that.

But I do agree with DGSketcher, that the problems have been posted about many times already and there should be no need for anyone to list them all again.

It would be very nice to have some time frame for if or when these fixes will be made.

Will there be some (which ones?) in the coming weeks or are we talking months until the next update?

Or will the majority of it only be fixed in version 28?

I know it is probably not wise to promise certain dates for this to be fixed, but I do think some general idea of weeks or months could help user decide if they should enquire about suspending their subscriptions.

I am pretty sure if I relied on the MEP system, and I had to go back to using 26, I would not want to be paying for 27.

There, I have said my piece that I have been holding back on for some time now.

This is just how I feel about it, others can express their thoughts themselves.

Respectfully,

Barry.