Disclosure first, because it matters: I make one of the tools in this test (Ncored). So I am biased, I will not tell you how mine did, and I would rather this becomes a shared list we build together than an ad for my own tool. Judge all of it yourself.

I am a practising architect. Slow PDFs on heavy drawings have been a low-grade annoyance for years, so as a side project I took one dense drawing exported from ArchiCAD and opened it in about a dozen PDF editors, on one Windows PC and one Mac, doing the same thing in each: open it, then scroll, zoom and pan around the busy areas. The file and the exact steps are downloadable (link below), so anyone can re-run it and check my read.

A few things surprised me:

- Bluebeam Revu, the one I expected to win, was not the smoothest on this dense drawing. Once it is open it loads a drawing fast, and nothing touches its markup tools or Studio, no argument there. But on pan the view kept flashing white and reloading the main layers before the detail came back. If you are a heavy Revu user and yours behaves differently, please tell me, I want to get this right.

- PDF-XChange Editor was one of the smoothest, which I did not see coming. The interface looks like an older Windows toolbar though, so whether it suits you is a matter of taste.

- A couple of the consumer editors either went choppy on the dense areas or could not load the drawing at all.

What I actually want from you:

1. What do you open and mark up your ArchiCAD PDF sets in day to day, and does it stay smooth when the layout gets dense?

2. What should I add to the test? I want the list to be complete, so name anything you think belongs, and tell me if you think I scored one wrong.

I will add the ones you suggest and re-run them on the same file, so it stays a shared reference rather than a one-off. The recordings and the downloadable drawing are here: https://ncored.com/pdf-benchmark-cad-drawings.html

P.s. My hardware and my file are not yours, so treat it as one data point.

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a freelance architectural assistant on a project-by-project basis. You'll be producing planning drawings in ArchiCAD, liaising with clients on revisions, and helping manage applications through to submission. If you're organised, client-confident, and know your way around ArchiCAD, drop me a message and let me know you're interested. Thank you sm!

Can a single GDL object generate multiple rows in Interactive Schedule?

I have a small project, and a need to put markers in the SMALL rooms for elevations. Each elevation is placed on it's own layout (as is typical in a small project) and I need a marker/bug on the plan that will fit in the small room, illustrating that there are multiple elevations on different layouts. How can I do this? I've spent hours trying to figure it out with Gemini, and with Archicad's AI assistant, and I'm just about ready to turn off the markers and manually draw something in - which defeats the purpose of this robust software.

I'd love any help!

Hey

Im currently in my third year of architecture school and have worked exclusively in 2D so far. I havent built a 3D model or used any rendering software yet.

Ive been recommended Twinmotion, but Id like to hear some other suggestions before deciding. Im looking for something that’s beginner-friendly and doesnt have too steep of a learning curve, as I don’t really have the time to completely relearn digital architecture.

I use Archicad 29 on a 2023 MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip, so good macOS compatibility is important.
Any recommendations?

Thanks!

A few weeks ago I posted here about building my own web floor planner out of pure frustration. Every tool I tried either paywalled the basics or made me sign up before I could draw a single wall. A bunch of you left genuinely useful feedback on that post, so I wanted to come back and show where it got to.

Most of my time has gone into the **2D editor**. I wanted drawing to feel fast and precise instead of like fighting the software:

* Wall tool with chaining, angle-snap (Shift), 1cm precision (Alt), and real wall types (brick, concrete, drywall) with per-wall thickness/height
* Rectangle, L-shape, and free polygon rooms, with auto room detection, labels and areas
* Doors (hinged / sliding / folding / pocket / double) and windows (sill height, mullions) that snap to walls, with swing-flip, hinge-mirror and center-on-wall
* An electrical layer (switches, outlets, lights, panel) with a wire tool that connects them in proper architectural arcs
* Outdoor lot tool with surfaces (grass, paving, water, gravel) for gardens and balconies
* Dimensions in center/inner/outer modes, unit switching (cm/m/ft), align/distribute, corner-join modes, full undo/redo and a shortcut for every tool

And a growing library of **400+ furniture and fixture symbols** (living, kitchen, bath, bedroom, office, outdoor, stairs, appliances) in a clean fine-line CAD style, searchable by category. I'm currently importing real 3D (GLB) models for all of them.

There's also a **3D view** as a bonus. Your plan extrudes into a full house where you can style windows/doors, paint and texture walls, tweak lighting, and even walk through it in first person. But honestly the drafting editor is the part I most want to get right. (Short video attached showing the flow.)

Still **free, no signup, no limits.** You can also import a plan from a photo and export to PNG / PDF / SVG.

What I'd genuinely love from this sub is **brutal honesty.** You draw way more plans than I do. What feels missing? What would make you close the tab in the first 30 seconds? Which symbols or measurement behaviours does every hobbyist tool always get wrong? If there's one thing that separates "toy" from "actually usable" for the plans you make, I want to hear it.
Link: [spaceplanner.co](https://spaceplanner.co/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=floorplan_update2)

​

I only have archicad available to me, I want to mark out a house floor area accurately for inspection & excavation.

Is it possible to quickly extract coordinates from archicad for the corners of the house?

There's many corners & I don't want to lift each one manually

I'm currently trying to 3d model the Spelling Manor located at 594 S Mapleton Dr. I was able to find the floor-plan for the 2nd floor but I'm still in need of the ground level and basement level plans. If you know of anywhere to look, have any insight, or know anyone I could contact your help would be greatly appreciated!

Hello! Can anyone give me tips or link a tutorial showing how can I easily model this wall-to-roof section?

I have the rest basically done, I am strugling very badly with this tho.

Any tips are very welcome.

Hello, I'm new to ArchiCAD and I keep running into problems. I use ArchCAD version 29 (if that helps) and I'm using it in german, so please excuse any wrong translations!

I have been drawing a plant that i want to grow on my building. I drew it once and changed it into an object, so it would be easier for me to paste it into my work while altering the size easily.

Then I added my plant into a drawing and wanted to cut a part from it, because it would be covered. But cutting does not work. I usually cut holding my ctrl button, but it wont cut. I also tried the splitting tool, but I dont understand how to make that work.

I cant find any help online. Photo attached, if that helps.

Hi,
I’m planning to buy a MacBook and, being an architect, I’ve been doing some research before making the switch.
I mainly use AutoCAD for 2D drafting and wanted to know how well it performs on a MacBook. Are there any architects or designers here who are currently using a MacBook for 2D design work? I’d also like to know what other design software works smoothly on macOS.
I’ve come across information suggesting that older or unofficial/cracked versions of AutoCAD may not work properly on the newer M5 processors. Has anyone faced this issue, and what alternatives or solutions would you recommend?
Would appreciate any insights from people using MacBooks in a professional architecture workflow.

Hey, I would like you to consider voting for my wish, I mostly do reconstructions and this thing sbolutely bothers me........

Introduction

Archicad’s Renovation toolset is essential for managing existing, demolished, and proposed structures. While Graphisoft has done a decent job making standard Priority-Based Connections (PBC) respect the Renovation Status, a fundamental logical flaw remains unresolved regarding Solid Element Operations (SEO). As soon as a user needs to execute a 3D boolean operation, the system completely loses its "temporal awareness." Currently, an Operator element marked as "Demolished" will still physically cut and alter a Target element marked as "New." From a logical standpoint, this is a paradox: a demolished element ceases to exist before the new element is built. Why do Solid Element Operations ignore this chronological reality?

The Core Issue: SEOs Transcend Time

The root of the problem lies in how Archicad processes Solid Element Operations across different Renovation Filters. SEOs create a hard geometric link between the Operator and the Target. Unfortunately, this link entirely bypasses the Renovation Status logic.

While standard wall-to-wall or slab-to-wall priority intersections usually behave logically depending on the active Renovation Filter, more complex architecture almost always requires SEOs (e.g., cutting walls to complex roof shapes, terrain operations, or custom structural subtractions).

To fix this, users are forced to rely on tedious, error-prone workarounds:

• Creating completely separate layers for demolished operators (e.g., "Roofs - Demo") just to hide them or change their intersection groups.
• Duplicating elements so that one set has SEOs applied for the existing state, and a separate "clean" set is used for the proposed state.
• Manually breaking SEO links, which ruins the parametric nature of the model if the existing state needs to be adjusted later.

All of these workarounds clutter the model, break template standardization, and contradict the principles of automated BIM.

The Double Standard: Renovation vs. Design Options

What makes this frustration even more acute is that Graphisoft has already proven they know how to isolate geometries effectively. With the introduction of the Design Options feature, Archicad successfully manages complex element interactions. Elements in non-active design options do not cross-cut or interfere with each other. The software understands that Option A and Option B are mutually exclusive realities.

Why is the same architectural logic not applied to the Renovation tool and Solid Element Operations? Existing/Demolished states and Proposed states are just as mutually exclusive in time as Design Options are in space.

Conclusion & Proposed Solution

Solid Element Operations should not be absolute and permanent; they must become Renovation-aware. Graphisoft needs to implement Temporal Isolation for SEOs.

When a view is set to show the "Proposed" status, any SEO link driven by an Operator marked as "Demolished" should be automatically suspended or ignored by the 3D engine. Architects should not have to spend hours cleaning up boolean subtractions between elements that will never actually coexist in the real world.

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Wishlist/Conflict-between-demolished-and-proposed-elements/idi-p/705617

I'm considering selling my Archicad 28 Commercial Perpetual Licence.

Licence details:

• Archicad 28 Commercial
• Standalone perpetual licence
• Software Key (not a USB CodeMeter)
• Australian licence
• Purchased outright (not a subscription)
• Graphisoft Forward subscription has expired, but the perpetual licence remains valid.

I'm looking to sell to a genuine architect, designer or practice seeking a perpetual Archicad licence.

If you're seriously interested, please send me a private message with:

• Your location (country)
• Whether you're an individual or practice
• Your offer

Happy to answer reasonable questions from genuine buyers.

Thanks!

Need some Schedule assistance for an issue that I can't find solutions to elsewhere.

Can anyone explain how I can go about removing the bolded numbers on the far left of this door schedule (highlighted blue)?

Context:

I believe the root of the issue stems from when we made a new renovation filter. We duplicated a plan status renovation filter and changed the name, and now the door schedule is showing these bolded numbers on the far left and we're not sure what's causing them to populate. They are not a relevant element ID. There is no apparent source for these numbers. When we turn off the element ID criteria the numbers are still there. What is going on?

I'm David, an architect in Vilnius. This one is not for everyone, and that is the point. If your PDFs are light, skip this. But if you open heavy drawings and larger sets exported from ArchiCAD (or other apps), and you have quietly made peace with the spinning wheel every time one loads and with laggy navigation, then you are exactly who I am looking for.

I got tired of being the one waiting, so I built my own desktop app, Ncored. It opens those heavy files right away and stays smooth on scroll, zoom, and pan, with markup and comment pins. Windows and Apple Silicon Mac.

Here is the real ask. I am shaping the next build around the first ~15 people who work in heavy drawings every day and are willing to tell me what would make it feel built for them. Not 15,000. Whatever those 15 push for goes straight into what I make next, so you would be shaping the tool, not just trying it. The first ones in tend to leave the biggest fingerprints on it.

Straight on scope so nobody wastes time: it is a fast view and markup tool. No measurement, takeoff, OCR, forms, or e-sign yet.

If you want to be one of the 15, just say so here in the comments. It is at ncored.com if you want to open a real file in it first. Individual experiences may vary.

And one real question for the room, whether you join or not: what do you open your heavy drawing sets in today, and what is the one thing you wish it did better?

I want my 3D model to show an accurate horizontal weatherboard for when I prepare a section detail. I only have 'Timber - Cladding' in my building materials. How do I add Horizontal weatherboards to my material list?

I’m trying to export a DWG from Archicad for consultants who work in AutoCAD, and I’m running into an issue with line colours and lineweights.
The consultant’s AutoCAD template is set up so that colour and lineweight are controlled entirely by layer (standard CTB workflow).
What I’ve tried
Using the default Archicad → DWG translator.
Creating a custom translator.
Toggling “By Layer” on and off in the translator settings.
The problem
When I enable “By Layer” in Archicad, the DWG opens in AutoCAD with everything grey.
When I disable it, the objects keep their individual colours, but then the consultant’s layer-based colour/lineweight standards don’t work properly.
What I’m trying to achieve
Ideally:
Objects export By Layer.
AutoCAD layers control the colour and lineweight.
The DWG displays with the consultant’s layer colours instead of everything appearing grey.

Question
Has anyone successfully set up an Archicad DWG translator for a layer-based AutoCAD template?
If so:
Which translator settings are critical?
Should colours be mapped during export?
Is there a known reason why enabling By Layer causes all entities to appear grey in AutoCAD?
Any screenshots of working translator settings would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks!

I am looking for a package of furniture for AC27 on Mac. The default library lacking a lot of basic furniture like good benches, coatracks, chairs that would make the process a lot faster. Sometimes I use Twinomotion for doing it, but it's nice when you have the possibility to make good plan drawings with furniture visible in archicad.

Any tips is welcome except al the sites that make you download every furniture separately. I am looking for a package to save time.

For context, i need this exploded file for an exam and this is the elaborate requested from the professor.

thanks to anyone who reads this

Hi everyone!

When i try to use the substraction tool on my morph, only the blue part directly under my cursor gets subtracted.

Morph is solid (I checked), also tried to change the materials and layers and nothing works. Any help will be much appreciated!

Give me the reviews please. I need to improve on this

I’m trying to model a window where the frame sits higher, but the wall below the frame is recessed, with the cill/sill much lower than the bottom of the frame.

Ideally I’d like to keep this as a proper Archicad Window object rather than modelling separate morphs/slabs/wall pieces, so it schedules and documents cleanly.

Has anyone achieved this using the Window tool, wall closure/reveal settings, or a custom window object? Or is the usual approach to model the lower recess separately?

I’m using Archicad 26. I’ve attached an image showing the condition.

I am posting because the big PDF editors going subscription-only, plus Revu 20 reaching end of support on July 31, is a real shift in how we buy and own our markup tools, and a balanced side-by-side is hard to find. So here is mine, including where each option is the wrong call.

Stay on Bluebeam (Revu subscription / Max): still the deepest set for markup plus measurement and quantity takeoff, plus Studio for live team collaboration. If that is how you use Revu, nothing below really replaces it yet. Trade-off: Windows only now, and subscription.

Adobe Acrobat Pro: cross-platform, strong general PDF, e-sign, forms, OCR. Tends to crawl on very large CAD-heavy sheet sets. Subscription.

Foxit / PDF-XChange Editor: cheaper, capable markup. PDF-XChange has a buy-once option on Windows and is good value if cost is the main driver.

Drawboard: markup-focused, works well with a pen on Windows and tablets. Subscription.

PDF Studio (Qoppa): buy-once, cross-platform, has OCR and forms. A solid general-purpose owned-licence option.

Ncored: deliberately narrow. It opens fast and stays smooth on scroll, zoom and pan on the heavy 50-200 MB+ AutoCAD, Revit, and ArchiCAD exports that make general PDF tools stall, it does markup and page management, it has a buy-once option, and it runs on Windows and Apple Silicon Mac. It does NOT do measurement or takeoff, OCR, forms, or e-sign yet. So if you used Revu mainly to measure and pull quantities, it is not your tool. If you used it to open and mark up big sheet sets without the lag, it might be.

A real question for the sub, not rhetorical: those of you actually migrating off Revu 20, what are you moving to, and was your main Revu use measurement/takeoff or just markup and review? That changes the answer a lot, and I want to hear what is holding up in real offices.

One line of disclosure first so it is on the table: I make one of the tools further down, so discount my take accordingly, and mods, please pull this if a post like it is not welcome here.

For the full context, since I flagged that I built one of these: I am a practising architect, and Ncored came out of my own office hitting a wall opening and marking up heavy drawing sets without the program stalling. I am not here to push it (it is the wrong tool for plenty of you, see above). What I actually think is worth raising is the bigger pattern: it keeps getting harder to simply buy and own a PDF tool from the big names instead of renting one forever. Happy to answer anything.

(Pricing on all of these moves around, so verify current numbers yourselves. Individual experiences vary.)

Hey all. I work in tech for K12 and traditionally we've had ArchiCAD around in our one lab. It's worked great for years and has been pretty much problem free with the only maintenance item being to renew the license and roll out the next variant for the following year. This year with bumping up to v29 we're running into a road block with trying to get the license to activate. Support has confirmed that we have the correct license type but I keep going in circles.

The end goal is to get it packaged with Intune using a PowerShell script, but keeping it more basic for testing for now before I even go that far, I can't even get ArchiCAD to accept the license with a basic one-liner command on a test machine. I don't get any errors - it completes the silent install and seems happy at first, but when I fire up the app it looks like it's in demo mode with a 7 day trial.

By any random chance has anybody come across this? Seems there are a few posts out there with v28 and v29, but nothing that came back with any sort of resolution - just questions that ended without answer, so not sure if they figured it out and didn't report back or if they never ironed it out.

I thought about backpedaling and seeing if we can just stay on v26 but I read some reports that suggest there might be issues with activating licenses in the next few months for 27 and below (not enough to get through the next school year from what I gather). So I'm not confident we have an option to just stay put either.

If anybody happens to know I'd greatly appreciate it!