• ArchiCAD 10
• Feature Comparison
• Overview of the Model

Feature Comparison between ArchiCAD 9 to ArchiCAD 10

Interactions

Overview of the Model

1. 3D Editing and Navigation

In ArchiCAD 9, 3D editing and navigation is not possible concurrently. You either edit elements, or switch to Walk/Lateral Move/Turn mode in the 3D Window to be able to move around the model. Also, 3D Navigation is not very fluent and easy to perform.
In ArchiCAD 10, you can edit the model and navigate at the same time without having to waste time because of switching between the two modes. When you enter the 3D Window, you are in editing mode. You can switch to Orbit mode by clicking the appropriate button at the bottom of the 3D Window, or pressing the O key. In Orbit mode, you can rotate around the model like a moon would orbit a planet. You can also switch to Orbit mode temporarily by holding down the SHIFT key + the middle button of the mouse. While they are pressed, you can freely rotate the model. Release them and you can continue editing your elements in 3D.

If you are in Perspective mode, there is also a new Explore Mode available in ArchiCAD 10. This gives you a navigation used mostly in computer games, where you use the keyboard to move around and the mouse to rotate around in all directions. You can enter it by clicking the appropriate button at the bottom of the 3D Window, or pressing the E key. You can exit Explore mode by pressing the Esc key or clicking into the 3D Window with your mouse. In Explorer mode, you can not edit the model, but entering/exiting it is just a key press or a click away.

2. Displaying items in the 3D Window

In ArchiCAD 9, when you enter the 3D Window, what you selected on the Floor Plan will be displayed in the 3D Window. The default shortcut for the 3D Window is CTRL+3 [Windows] / CMD+3 [Mac].

In ArchiCAD 10, you can select anything from either the Floor Plan or any of the Section/Elevation Windows and go to the 3D Window (using Show Selection/Marquee command – F5 key) to display this selection. While in the 3D Window, you can also display all elements (Show all in 3D command – CTRL+F5 [Windows] / CMD+F5 [Mac]). Also, you can select elements in the 3D Window from among elements displayed in 3D, and press F5 to display only this selection.
You may also simply activate the 3D Window (in case it is not at the front) by using the F3 key. In this case, it will display the model that was displayed the last time the 3D Window was active.

3. Block View mode in 3D Window

In ArchiCAD 9, it is possible to display your model in Block mode, while using the Internal 3D Engine.
In ArchiCAD 10, this option is no longer available. By survey, very few users actually used this feature, and with the increase of processing power and the use of the OpenGL engine, this option became obsolete.

4. Shaded Sections/Elevations

In ArchiCAD 9, the closest workaround to shaded Section/Elevation Views is to create an orthogonal shaded View (e.g. parallel with an exterior Wall of the building) in the 3D Window, select all elements, copy them and paste then into a Model View (e.g. the Floor Plan). Since ArchiCAD has a maximum of 255 pens, colors of the shaded surfaces in the 3D View are assigned the closest matching of the 255 possible Pen colors, which can greatly reduce the color fidelity of those shaded surfaces.
In ArchiCAD 10, a new feature is available in the Model Effects and the Distant Area Options panels of the Section/Elevation Settings Dialog. By simply checking the Fill Uncut Surfaces with checkbox will let you create shaded effects in Section/Elevations. Both in case of Uncut surfaces, and distant area uncut surfaces, you can fill them either with a Uniform Pencolor, or with the Element’s Own Material Colors for full shaded effect.

Category3dModeling