Designed by and for architects, ArchiCAD 12 is the most recent iteration of Graphisoft's primary CAD software offering. As architects experiment with the design and the placement of windows, doors and ceilings, for example, ArchiCAD creates all the project documentation. Virtual Building, meanwhile, lets architects change designs at any time while maintaining a plan's integrity, Graphisoft said.
ArchiCAD 12 is based on the concept of Building Information Modeling (BIM). It uses a 3-D digital database that tracks all building elements such as surface area and volume, thermal properties, room descriptions, specific product information, and window; door and finish schedules.
New ArchiCAD 12 features include the following:
a curtain wall tool that lets users design and document complex curtain wall systems in the floor plan, section or 3D window;
a partial structure display that enables designers to work and document the composite structure of walls and slabs while following architectural and structural drawing conventions;
the ability to show and export only the load bearing or core structures, instead of filtering these structures out of the whole model one by one, and
ArchiCAD 3D Document, which provides a 3D view of a model for use as the basis for a document where architects can add dimensions, annotations and additional 2D drawing elements.
In addition, hotlinked standalone modules, which are embedded in a project file to represent repetitive parts of a project, deliver simpler management and visualization of the entire Hotlink structure and offers full control over complex project structures, the vendor said. Designers can use Image Fills or translucent Solid Fills to enhance client presentations, for example, while the Align and Distribute elements, the Nudge elements and the improved Dimension input logic speed up design time, Graphisoft said.
ArchiCAD also includes the Graphisoft MEP Modeler, which can be used to create, edit or import 3-D mechanical, engineering and plumbing networks -- such as ductwork, piping and cable trays -- and coordinate them with the Virtual Building, Graphisoft said.
