Quotes from ArchiCAD Users Around the World
About the Masters of ArchiCAD Summit

Learn From Industry Experts

We've put together the smartest power-users to share their skills, tips and tricks for getting the most out of ArchiCAD.

Working Drawings - Without Details

Timothy Ball

How to use your 3D design model to create working drawings & specifications without having to draw details. You do the sexy 3D modelling you love and let ArchiCAD automatically create the details for you - you never have to do boring details again.

How will it benefit your practice

• Draw once - use many times
• Transfer details from project to project more easily
• Create standard details that are used consistently for all projects
• Embed specification data into elements once - use many times
• Transfer specification information from project to project more easily
• Create standard specifications that are used consistently for all elements
• Extract the drawings and specifications without extra drawing effort

In this short video, Tim Ball shows the evolution of his optimized methods over the past few years and explains how he currently develops a project in ArchiCAD. His 3D model is so detailed that he pretty much does not need to manually draw any of the details or compile the specifications - they come straight from the model. Fascinating!

What You Will Learn

Template set up

• How to set up your projects from the start to ease the transition from design stage to working drawings
• Modelling tips and tricks at design stage that help with working drawings
• Naming systems for layers, materials, fills and surfaces; so that you can keep track of everything

Building Materials

• How to set up your own system
• Creative use of fills and colours

Creating Working Drawings

• Plans and sections
• 2D detailed drawings
• 3D detail drawings

Data and Specifications

• Embedding useful data to suit your projects and workflows
• Linking to external data files
• Annotation using embedded data
• Automated specifications

Sharing Working Drawings

• Publisher sets
• Revisions
• Keeping track of drawings you issue
• Methods for sharing drawings; email, Dropbox, BIMX Docs, Smartsheet

CINERENDER Methods, Tips & Tricks

Learn how to use the Cinerender engine like an expert without becoming an expert

Andreas Lettner

CINERENDER as one of the most professional render engines on the market comes with many new parameters and settings which are new for us ArchiCAD users.

We should understand some of them for avoiding long render times and unexpected results.

We will learn to create our own presets, our own render style which can be used afterwards out of the box.

We will learn about:

• How to use ArchiCAD`s new Cinerender engine effectively
• Techniques to decrease the render time
• How to set up your own Surface Materials
• Multilayered surfaces and procedural shaders
• Background and foreground objects, plants cars and people, high res and low res poly objects
• The grass function as a hair simulation tool ( carpets … )

• Working with Lights and Lamps on indoor scenes
• Working with Lights and Lamps on outdoor scenes
• The studio light setup, creating stunning renderings of a preliminary design which look like a real model
• Creating a feel with the ambient light
• Ambient coming from the physical sky vs. ambient from a hdri
• Cameras and focus, the depth of field
• The physical render engine
• Standardizing your settings in scenes which can be used without repeating the setup
• Setting up size and resolution
• Batch rendering in ArchiCAD
• Animations in ArchiCAD
• Calculation of the needed render time
• Working with Render Farms

ArchiCAD 19 Upgrade Training PLUS Best Practices Lessons from ArchiCAD Masters

Eric Bobrow

What are the key principles that guide ArchiCAD 19 (and can help you) to use the software in the most efficient way possible? How can you “go with the flow” rather than fight or struggle with the major changes in the upgrade to version 19?

I've been working with ArchiCAD since version 3.4, and has gone through (at last count) 21 upgrade cycles over the past 25 years.

In this course, I will guide you on how best to approach this upgrade, and help you understand exactly what new tools and methods are most important to get the maximum benefit.

Equally important, I'll make sure you know how to migrate your projects in the smoothest possible manner, with a minimum of lost time or wasted effort. Special attention will be paid to template migration, since this is often a challenging and confusing task.

Class 1 focuses on the new features of ArchiCAD 19. Learn how to use the new Permanent Guide Lines, Tab Bar and single window interface, PDF Improvements, 3D Surface Painter, enhanced Graphical Interface for Library Parts, Labeling and Listing Enhancements, and Point-Cloud Support.

Class 2 shows you the easiest ways to migrate your projects into the new version, including transitioning your ArchiCAD Library and Favorites. We also look at migrating your Template and bringing it up to date with the latest tools and methods in ArchiCAD 19.

Class 3 is a compilation of Lessons from ArchiCAD Masters, based on the top presentations made in the recent Masters of ArchiCAD Summit and Training Series. Discover the key insights that enable these masters to produce their work faster and better than other users. Whether you have attended the Summit and previous classes in this series, or not, you'll get a precise, actionable set of ideas and methods you can implement into your practice.

In Class 4 we revisit the 7 Keys to Best Practices for ArchiCAD, my classic presentation from 2011 that codified the most important principles to understand when running your project. I integrate the latest gems from the ArchiCAD Masters along with the most up to date features of ArchiCAD 19 to give you a road map for what to focus on to optimize your usage of ArchiCAD.

Practical, Parametric Object Making Using GDL

Gary Lawes

In this short 4-lesson course, you’ll learn how to create your own custom, intelligent and parametric library parts with GDL to boost your productivity and give you much greater control, flexibility and finesse as you develop your project.

ArchiCAD comes with a fairly extensive library of objects, doors and windows built with an exceptionally powerful object creation scripting language called GDL. However, it’s impossible for Graphisoft to supply everything you need pre-made in the box.

Join us for this online training and you’ll see how easy it is to create objects that are stretchy, self labelling, highly parametric, to manufacturers sizes where appropriate, or constrained to local building codes as required. And of course make sure they all schedule correctly.

When you take advantage of GDL, all items may be placed extremely quickly, normally no more than 2 or 3 clicks, appear perfectly as appropriate 2D symbols often displaying differently on different stories (stairs and downpipes for example), and very rapidly produce accurate BIM information.

Gary Lawes states that his custom GDL parts save him about 25% of his production time on each project.

Sign up for this course and Gary will help you tap into the power of GDL and turbocharge YOUR ArchiCAD use and performance beyond anything you've ever experienced.

Listen in as Eric talks with Gary about the GDL course and his design work using ArchiCAD:
(6 minute video)

Imagine this...

To have ArchiCAD objects that truly represent your favourite manufacturers product range, making it possible to select the correct item from their catalogue without needing to reference their website or catalogue.

To have representations of real world objects that automatically respond to use, or loading data and to size themselves accordingly.

To have 2D drafting aids that help demonstrate issues such as visibility splays, road junction design, vehicle parking standards, minimum space requirements for the able and less able-bodied of us.

To have perfect symbolisation of objects for our 2D documents, and perfect 3D objects for model representations.

We all use ArchiCAD to inform the BIM process, we however use GDL objects to inform the design process. During this course we will show you how to build stretchy, parametric, objects designed to carry information to help in the design process and to feed to documentation of your project.

The benefits to your practice:

• A comprehensive library of smart objects will increase your ArchiCAD productivity by at least 100%.
• Every BIM model will be complete and accurate, no more "fudged" objects.
• Models that contain assemblies of objects are much easier to manage and modify.
• Good GDL objects, and good policies to develop them, assist in the implementation of a managed office style and good office standards.
• You will walk away with a number of powerful ArchiCAD objects, as well as the tools to build your own.

You will learn:

• How to cut through the complexity of GDL, and focus on just the tools that matter.
• How to use manufacturers details to build GDL objects.
• How to make an object stretchy.
• How to build and use parametric choice lists.
• How to build an interface that speeds up object placement.
• Most of all you will learn the GDL is very accessible, and very powerful!

SAMPLES FROM GARY LAWES OWN CUSTOM LIBRARY

This is a small selection of my library which will give you some idea of the power of creating your own custom, intelligent library parts using basic GDL techniques as taught in this course.

On the left of the image is a green oil storage tank (for heating oil) a fairly simple object that has been designed to respond to manufacturers specifications and will self label, and by self label I mean when I label it, it provides its details of size model number manufacturer etc. into the label. As well of course as scheduling.

The wall behind the oil tank is made of parametric self labelling feather edged timber boarding, between parametric timber posts on staddle stones (a common feature in this region). The eaves are a eave, soffit, corbel, gutter and downpipe combination, with almost limitless parametric options.

The roof a parametric pan tile.

The chimney stack has capping and corbelling parametric options as well as chimney pots.

In front of the wall is a fully parametric staircase that can be driven by user input when modelling existing stairs, or by building codes for new flights, automatically picks up ArchiCAD storey height and builds to fit.

At the foot of the stairs are Catic steel lintels with a brick soldier course over, all to manufacturers specification.

On the right side of the image:

A plain (Rosemary) roof tile. Both roofs are stretchy and set out the tiles to the parameters you enter.

From the roof a stainless steel twin walled flue, for wood burning stove or similar.

The eaves are formed using a parametric, stretchy brick dentil courses.

Stretchy parametric gutter and downpipe assembly.

Two of the windows (in a standard ArchiCAD wall) are stone mullioned windows with a stone label mould over, the third window is of traditional UK single rebated frame style with brick arch over and stone cill.

There is a stretchy parametric quoin block object on the corner of the wall.

In front of the wall is a parametric stretchy wire mesh.

The deck is made of timber floor joists with integral herring bone strutting, and above this floor is a single eco floor joist which could also be placed as an assembly such as the floor joists.

All objects are stretchy, self labelling, highly parametric, to manufacturers sizes where appropriate, or constrained to local building codes as required. Plus of course they all schedule correctly.

All items are placed extremely quickly, normally no more than 2 or 3 clicks, appear perfectly as appropriate 2D symbols often displaying differently on different stories (stairs and downpipes for example), providing very rapid information production.

ArchiCAD and BIMx Strategies to Optimize Design and Construction

Roderick Anderson

Feeding from the knowledge of Design-Build and how to optimize and maximize the information in construction drawings and how this reduces the burden of information requests, RFIs, and general questions from the construction projects.

A Design-Build practice is one that is constantly improving its methods and workflows in the development of design in order to improve its construction processes and make the construction more efficient, which at the same time reduces the stress and burden on the design team.

These same processes can be applied to a design-only practice and will improve its competitiveness and quality of the work produced.

Features of the course

Lessons from a Design-Build practice and construction drawing sets

• The content in a drawing set - how much information should be there
• Defining content, structure and arrangement of information
• Use of interior elevations and schedules to define and convey specifications and selections.
• Modeling systems and structure and how this improves not only design but execution and issue resolution on site.

Using BIMx as a communication and sharing tool in the design phase

• Definition of publisher sets for client presentation
• How to combine the use of BIMx and renderings in the process of conveying information and defining design.

Using BIMx as a information tool in the construction process

• Sharing information with suppliers, vendors, subs.
• Differences between a BIMx model and a Hypermodel, when to use one or the other
• Constant update of changes during project development and updates to the site.
• Inclusion of modeling details during the process to clarify specific installations and reduce errors and corrections.

How to modify visual setup in Archicad to improve the use of BIMx on site

• Screen size and the change in paradigm of how to prepare drawings
• Use of pen sets to establish visual color coding to improve readability of drawings
• Setup of interior elevation sheets combined with schedules to provide room-by-room detailed information.
• Use of 3D views and live 3D details and their representation in BIMx

Choosing the correct hardware

• Using the right device to maximise the benefits of the information in the model
• Setting up the correct publisher set to go with the hardware you have
• File sizes and model management

Transform Your Practice With These 5 Short
Training Courses from Masters of ArchiCAD

Each Masters of ArchiCAD Training Course will deliver valuable insights and inspiration you will take back to your office.

Frequently Asked Questions

We've compiled some of the most common questions about the MASTERS of ArchiCAD Training Series and how it works. However, if your question is not answered below please send an email to support@bobrow.com

About the MASTERS of ArchiCAD and Eric Bobrow...

The True Story of the
MASTERS of ArchiCAD SUMMIT...

ArchiCAD masters from around the world met in a historic online conference in February 2015.

They shared their passion for ArchiCAD, their pioneering insights & the wisdom of their experience.

What is the MASTERS of ArchiCAD SUMMIT?

The original summit was a LIVE two day online conference held on February 5 & 6, 2015, broadcast via GoToWebinar to over 300 registrants and also recorded for permanent reference.

Each Master gave a 60 - 75 minute presentation showing their projects and discussing how they approach their work in ArchiCAD. This was not just "show and tell" - every session included actionable training components in which the presenter shared tips and tricks, teaching you methods and strategies that you can use in your office.

This was a hugely exciting, community-building event, with hundreds of ArchiCAD users from around the world participating!

By popular demand, a second conference was held in February 2016, with a full slate of new presentations. 6 of the 12 presenters returned for a second year, while 6 were new to the event.

How can I watch these inspiring presentations?

Each session has been recorded and made available to registrants in a private password-protected area of this website.

Whether or not you attended the live sessions, you have permanent access to these presentations, so you can get maximum benefit of the training. You'll want to refer to these videos more than once as you continue your journey towards your own ArchiCAD mastery.

The MASTERS of ArchiCAD SUMMIT will be a permanent addition to your ArchiCAD reference library that you'll find of great value for years to come.

The ArchiCAD Online Event of the Year

Join with ArchiCAD users around the world and learn from experts who work with ArchiCAD daily and PUSH the limits of our favorite architectural software.

These masters are architects and designers just like you. They show some of their actual projects and tell you exactly how they get so much work done, so you can get a big boost in your capabilities. Take a peek inside the mind-set, the office standards and practices of these veterans who force ArchiCAD to deliver the goods.

After you watch these presentations, you'll be inspired AND you'll have practical tips, tools and methods you can bring back to the office to transform your workflow and your practice.

CLICK HERE to purchase the session recordings, which you may watch on demand in your web browser. You may also get access as part of the Masters of ArchiCAD Training Series Bundle.

You will have permanent access to the session recordings, and may download the videos for offline reference if you wish.