The ArchiCAD BIM Concept

ArchiCAD Training Series

Vol. 1
Credits
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Visit the GRAPHISOFT website at http://www.graphisoft.com for local distributor and
product availability information.
ArchiCAD Training Series Vol. 1
The ArchiCAD BIM Concept
Copyright 2013 by GRAPHISOFT, all rights reserved. Reproduction, paraphrasing or
translation without express prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
Trademarks
ArchiCAD is a registered trademark of GRAPHISOFT. All other trademarks are the property
of their respective holders.
Credits
The following ArchiCAD project is used in this training material:
NHS Office Complex, Los Angeles, California, US
Architect: PAAstudio, US
Contents
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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
Introduction
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Introduction
Welcome 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.
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You 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 Team
The ArchiCAD Interface
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The ArchiCAD Interface
Please 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.
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If 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.
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The 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
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settings and the Work Environment. The Teamwork menu supports collaborative work, and the
Window menu sets the visibility of the toolbars and palettes.

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The 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.
Navigate Around the Floor Plan
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Navigate Around the Floor Plan
Lets 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.
Navigate Around the Floor Plan
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Try 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!
Navigate in 3D
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Navigate in 3D
In 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).
Navigate in 3D
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As 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.
Navigate in 3D
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There 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.
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The 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.
The Virtual Building Concept
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The Virtual Building Concept
So 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.
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Lets 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.
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In 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.
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What 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:
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Set 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.
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In 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.
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After 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.
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The 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.
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First, 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.
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Now 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
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model. 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
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composite 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.
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In 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.
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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.
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The 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.
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Drag the elevation view to the right.
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Arrange the Floor Plan so that the windows on the first floor of the building become clearly
visible next to the Floor Plan view.
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Now zoom in at the right side, to have a closer look on the windows.
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Select one of the windows on the Floor Plan.
Change its size to 7'x11' in the Info Box.
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Click on the Rebuild Reference command in the Trace menu.
Now you can see how the elevation follows the changes.
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Now select Switch reference with active command in the Trace menu
Now choose Fit in window.
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As 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.
The Documentation Workflow
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The Documentation Workflow
Of 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.
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The 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.)
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The 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 Only
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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.
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A 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.
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Note 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 Team