Modeling
About Archicad's design tools, element connections, modeling concepts, etc.

What are new tools for ARCHICAD 13?

Anonymous
Not applicable
Hello 🙂
I was wondering if we maybe know what new tools we can expect with the new version of Archicad?
I finaly hope for 3D composite structure layers to be visible, also their 2D representation to be automaticly adjusted to the layer thickness (eg. thermal insulation).
Slab layers and their intersection with wall layers...
Also maybe while defining wall composite layers we can also define each layer height.
Better and more detailed quantity take-off is a must.
221 REPLIES 221
Anonymous
Not applicable
Greg wrote:
One year ago today AC12 was announced. Will today be the day for AC13?
Ive been an avid fan of trying to predict new releases over the years , or what is in the new version.

Upgrade cycles seem ot be every 14months or so, I expect that we will see some kind of announcement in July with a product ship date of August or possibly september as the Archicad university (nottingham) is early sept.

Only thing we havent had yet, is any of the beta testers spill the beans , usually happens about now
Anonymous
Not applicable
Archicad is doing the right thing here. They are actually making sure they have it correct before they release. so I would venture to say No it wont be released.today.
Barry Kelly
Moderator
We were told release will be in September at a recent user meeting.
Seems the 12 month release cycle is starting to blow out?
Barry.
One of the forum moderators.
Versions 6.5 to 27
Dell XPS- i7-6700 @ 3.4Ghz, 16GB ram, GeForce GTX 960 (2GB), Windows 10
Lenovo Thinkpad - i7-1270P 2.20 GHz, 32GB RAM, Nvidia T550, Windows 11
Da3dalus
Enthusiast
Funny how the annual subscription fee doesn't seem to be having any problems keeping up. How long until an entire subscription period goes by without any new releases? Anyone good at linear regression or standard deviation or whatever it takes to figure that one? Don't doubt it... my firm paid $20,000 for an "Open License" subscription to Microsoft Office 2003. We didn't get a thing by 2006, and dropped it. I still haven't moved to Office 2007 (nor do I want to). That money just vaporized!
Chuck Kottka
Orcutt Winslow
Phoenix, Arizona, USA

ArchiCAD 25 (since 4.5)
Macbook Pro 15" Touchbar OSX 10.15 Core i7 2.9GHz/16GB RAM/Radeon Pro560 4GB
Anonymous
Not applicable
Barry wrote:
We were told release will be in September at a recent user meeting.
Seems the 12 month release cycle is starting to blow out?
Barry.
If the cycle breaks then what happens about subscriptions? Someone pays and gets nothing?
oreopoulos wrote:
Barry wrote:
We were told release will be in September at a recent user meeting.
Seems the 12 month release cycle is starting to blow out?
Barry.
If the cycle breaks then what happens about subscriptions? Someone pays and gets nothing?
I don't think the cycle is going to break (much as I would love for them to go back to an 18-20 month cycle); they will probably bend it as far as they can without actually breaking it (like they seem to be doing this year, by going for a 14 month turnaround to release AC13 from AC12), and will probably oscillate between 13-15 month cycles.

But fact of the matter is that they can't afford to go without the Subscription revenue stream - especially in this economy - and since more and more non-subscription users are opting not to upgrade with every supposedly "new" version that brings no new useful features justifying the upgrade fees. And then to compound that is the fact that they are probably not growing as many new users as they probably once were, partly due to Autodesk's Revit marketing behemoth (Graphisoft have virtually conceded the North American market to Revit and Microstation, which is both strange and disappointing), which implies that all the potential new users or 2D-AutoCAD converts who used to choose ArchiCAD because it had a more intuitive interface and workflow, and overall better features, are now heading to Revit, even though they may not like Autodesk, since "everyone else uses it".

In other words, Graphisoft have cornered themselves into this unfortunate situation due to a combination of bad long term development planning and a lamentable marketing strategy such that even if they wanted to break out of the 12 month cycle (which I believe is not only more expensive to maintain from an R&D standpoint, - especially if you're not an Autodesk with bottomless pockets - but also dilutes the product in the long run and erodes customer confidence and interest) they simply can't afford to now because of their Subscription program. They may yet switch from a full version release every year to a sort of half version release (AC13.5 to AC14 to AC14.5), for subscription customers like they once used to, and then lapse the full version releases back to an 18 month cycle, but again you have to question the viability of such a strategy if they were to pursue it given the number of hotfixes they already have to release with a 12 month cycle. It just doesn't seem like a good situation for neither the developers not the customers.
Is it any wonder then, that even their licensing stipulations for upgrading older versions and selling off one's license are now begining to look more and more like the greedy exploitative ones that Autodesk is famous for?


Speaking of AC13, it would seem from the mutterings, that this will likely be a "Teamwork" maintenance version. Not to dampen enthusiasm for it, but that would basically revert us back to the same situation as when AC12 was released and the biggest feature upgrade was the Curtian Wall tool, which 80% of users don't really need nor use, and the 20% who do only use it part of the time. Not counting the various limitations and drawbacks it suffers from ( like an inability to edit it in plan view, lack of application to vertical profiles) that make it largely impractical for design work. But at least AC12 had multi-core support, which was huge;- if you already had or were planning to get a multi-core computer. That alone made it worth the upgrade. So if AC13 brings one big upgrade along with another major under-the-hood overhaul, like 64-bit support (allowing the use of more than 4GB of RAM) then it might also justify an upgrade.

For comparison purposes Rhino 5 (which is still in Beta or Work-in-Progress stage) already has 64-bit support, along with other great features like support for a visual/graphical scripting interface editor (Grasshopper; - imagine if you will, a GDL editor/modeler in AC, that allows you to model and script parametric functions into AC geometry using a visual node-based graphical interface and not the usual line-based coding that we're forced to endure now and with all the power of a Generative Components or a Digital Project/Catia - one can only dream) that already works in version 4, and about 50-100 other new features and maintenance fixes - all while porting (and beta-testing) a .NET application to to run natively on the Mac OSX platform for the next version.

But then again McNeel Software don't follow a ridiculous 12 month cycle and they are a smaller firm than GS. It's interesting to me just how little interest, enthusiasm, or speculation there is on these boards regarding this new upcoming version compared to last year or to previous versions. I realize the economy might have something to do with it, but one almost wonders if GS themselves might be forced to "leak" something or another just to generate some interest and excitement, because right now it just seems of feels like everyone is tapped out, and no one really cares.
TomWaltz
Participant
The cycle is already broken, guys. Archicad 11 came out in May 2007, Archicad 12 in June 2008, and still no announcement on Archicad 13.

That's not exactly the 12 month upgrade cycle that subscription customers were promised.
Tom Waltz
Anonymous
Not applicable
I would prefer that they take their time and get it right. Work out the kinks. I'm sure Revit will keep issuing a new release yearly and it will have several issues that users complain about but they have a larger user base and can get away with that crap. If Graphisoft can get this thing right make Teamwork solid from the get go and avoid the "we'll fix it in the next version? answer than I have no problem with a later release date. Frankly, our office can not upgrade on a yearly basis anyway.

As far as subscription goes they will obviously have to rework the subscription to fit a new release cycle.
Dennis Lee
Booster
Bricklyne wrote:
It's interesting to me just how little interest, enthusiasm, or speculation there is on these boards regarding this new upcoming version compared to last year or to previous versions. I realize the economy might have something to do with it, but one almost wonders if GS themselves might be forced to "leak" something or another just to generate some interest and excitement, because right now it just seems of feels like everyone is tapped out, and no one really cares.
I am interested, but got tired of one way love. I've asked to be on the beta testing team for two years through my reseller without success, and besides participating through the beta process, I've found out it's really pointless to speculate, hope, and be excited about. It seems to me that this forum is mostly for interaction between users, not with GS. So what's the point?
ArchiCAD 25 & 24 USA
Windows 10 x64
Since ArchiCAD 9
Da3dalus
Enthusiast
It's never been published by Graphisoft, but we've had this discussion in our User's Group, and this plan seems to make sense: By going on a yearly cycle, they can't expect to be able to do a complete overhaul of ArchiCAD every year. Therefore, it must be broken down into digestible pieces. Graphisoft has likely created several overlapping (or "leapfrogging") cycles that address different issues, so as to make a lesser impact on Users on a yearly basis. This is how we interpolated the plan:

Year 1 (AC8, AC12): Overhaul the underlying code and program engine. This should fix stability issues introduced in previous years, prepare for future changes, and adapt to evolving hardware conditions. Most of this is under the hood; only a few small features (like Curtain Wall) are added. Speed increase and hardware support are the selling points.

Year 2 (AC6, AC9): Add features. This is where many of the "wow" tools are introduced. Focus on user needs, and make minor changes to things like the Navigator (remember it was once the Quickviews pallette?). Bring in new modules like Lightworks. It is equally important to rethink tasks and remove old, redundant, or archaic features that clog up the interface. However, the program should stay consistent enough so as to not create a big learning curve.

Year 3 (AC7, AC10, AC11): Renovate the interface. In order to maximize the workflow, system-wide changes should be implemented to make it a smooth experience. This affects the look and feel of all of the palettes, and moves around the organization of the program. It is important to respond to changes in the industry and in general software. Things like Aero appearance (traslucent pallettes) and the ribbon interface may appear (like it or not). New tools introduced in Year 2 become fully integrated into the platform (like the Navigator becoming omnipotent). Most of the big re-training happens here.

Of course, a little of one can occur in another, but this should be the focus. From my analysis, is looks like AC11 was a little redundant. If followed, it helps us plan our training and implementation regimens. Year 1 upgrades should allow for virtually no training, and you only have to cover each issue once every 3 years, which is what most of us want.

Here's some of the past changes, in retrospect:
http://www.archicadwiki.com/ArchiCAD%20versions
Chuck Kottka
Orcutt Winslow
Phoenix, Arizona, USA

ArchiCAD 25 (since 4.5)
Macbook Pro 15" Touchbar OSX 10.15 Core i7 2.9GHz/16GB RAM/Radeon Pro560 4GB