Getting Started

Graphisoft Visit the Graphisoft website at http://www.graphisoft.com for local distributor and product availability information. Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started Copyright 2002 by Graphisoft, all rights reserved. Reproduction, paraphrasing or translation without express prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Second edition - first printing. Trademarks ArchiCAD and ArchiFM are registered trademarks and PlotMaker, Virtual Building, StairMaker and GDL are trademarks of Graphisoft. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Contents

Contents
The ArchiCAD Package Contents _______________________________ 5 System Requirements - MacOS _________________________________ 6 Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Required Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Memory and Disk Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Open GL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 System Requirements - Windows _______________________________ 7 Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Required Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Memory and Disk Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Open GL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Optional Hardware and Peripherals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The ArchiCAD Hardware Protection Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Installing ArchiCAD - MacOS ___________________________________ 9 Installation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Setting up the Network for TeamWork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Installing the Hardware Protection Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Installing the Network Protection Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 About System Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Installing ArchiCAD - Windows _______________________________ 14 Installation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Uninstalling ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Setting Up the Network for TeamWork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Installing the Hardware Protection Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Installing the Network Protection Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Using and Optimizing ArchiCAD ______________________________ 20 Memory Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

Contents

Running External Editors or Other Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Using the Windows Registry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Exchanging Files between Platforms __________________________ 23 Troubleshooting _____________________________________________ 24 Troubleshooting (MacOS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Troubleshooting (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 File Types in ArchiCAD _______________________________________ 30

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

The ArchiCAD Package Contents

The ArchiCAD package you have purchased contains the following components: - A CD-ROM containing the software for either MacOS or Windows. To use the software, please refer to the corresponding sections, depending on the computer platform for which you have purchased the product. - A set of printed documentation. - A hardware protection key. For installation, please refer to the corresponding parts of the Installing ArchiCAD sections. Attention: The ArchiCAD Hardware Protection Key represents your investment in ArchiCAD, so please safeguard and insure it for the full value of your software just as you would any other company asset. Lost Protection Keys are not replaceable. - The software license agreement. - A registration card for you to fill out while installing the software, to be mailed back to us. Completing and sending the registration card allows us to keep you informed about update versions of ArchiCAD and other new products from Graphisoft. Note: The package contents may differ for users upgrading from previous versions of ArchiCAD.

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

System Requirements - MacOS

Software
- System software 9.2 or later and 10.1 or later - The CarbonLib system extension provided on the ArchiCAD 8 CD-ROM - MS Internet Explorer 4.5 or later - QuickTime 4.0 (QuickTime 5.0 recommended)

Required Hardware
G3 or G4 series or later.

Memory and Disk Space

512 MB configuration as a minimum. Note: If you are using virtual memory, the memory assigned to ArchiCAD must be less than the built-in memory. About 250MB free disk space is required for a full installation of ArchiCAD 8. Free hard disk space is required according to model complexity (over 1 GB recommended for complex models and 3D visualization).

Display
Any Macintosh-compatible 17 or larger display (19-24 monitors recommended). The required minimum resolution is 1024 by 768 pixels and more than 256 colors.

Open GL
Standard Open GL cards with onboard video memory of 64 MB are recommended. To find compatibility data for Open GL cards that have been tested with ArchiCAD 8, consult the following website: http://www.graphisoft.com/support/archicad/archiguide/general_hw_sw/ videocardtest.html

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

System Requirements - Windows

Software
- Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows XP pro (ArchiCAD will not start under Windows 98 or Windows ME and is not tested for Windows NT 4.0) - MS Internet Explorer 4.01 (MS Internet Explorer 5.5 recommended) - QuickTime 4.0. (QuickTime 5.0 recommended)

Required Hardware
An Intel Pentium III, 4 or compatible CPU, 1GHz processor speed recommended. A mouse or any Windows-compatible pointing device is required.

Memory and Disk Space

512 MB of RAM is required, more is recommended. About 250 MB free hard disk space is required for a full installation of ArchiCAD 8. Free hard disk space is required according to model complexity (over 1 GB recommended for complex models and 3D visualization).

Display
The required minimum resolution is 1024 by 768 pixels. A 24 bit True Color display adapter with a 17 as minimum, 19-24 monitors recommended. Note: The quality of the images and the speed at which the screen is refreshed depends on the type and quality of the display card. For more information about choosing the right display adapter for ArchiCAD, see the Using and Optimizing ArchiCAD section later in this manual.

Open GL
Standard Open GL cards with onboard video memory of 64 MB are recommended. To find compatibility data for Open GL cards that have been tested with ArchiCAD 8, consult the following website: http://www.graphisoft.com/support/archicad/archiguide/general_hw_sw/ videocardtest.html
Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

Optional Hardware and Peripherals

- Printers: any Macintosh or Windows-compatible printer. - Plotters: a wide range of plotters is supported directly by ArchiCAD. - Digitizers: ArchiCAD supports the most commonly used digitizer drivers provided by digitizer manufacturers. - Network: any Macintosh/Windows-compatible network card and cable. (An Ethernet card is recommended.) See details below. Note for TeamWork users: Although ArchiCAD can work off-line with stand-alone computers, it is strongly recommended to set up a fast and reliable network, because the on-line connection is much more convenient. To do this, first make sure that your computer has an appropriate network card inserted. As the speed of the network has a great influence on the performance of the TeamWork-related commands, we recommend the use of a fast network card such as an Ethernet card and proper cabling. If you are not sure about your network card or cables, please contact your reseller or hardware specialist.

The ArchiCAD Hardware Protection Key

ArchiCAD 8 comes either with a stand-alone, USB type or parallel type (Windows) hardware protection key, or with a special network protection software and a special network hardware protection key. It is mandatory that your Protection Key be properly installed at all times when ArchiCAD is running, since ArchiCAD continuously checks for its presence. If the Key is missing or improperly installed, you will not be able to continue your work or even launch ArchiCAD. If you believe that your protection key is faulty or damaged, please contact your local ArchiCAD reseller or Graphisoft for a replacement. Notes: The network protection key is very similar to the stand-alone hardware protection key. However, its different working method means that the two keys cannot be interchanged. For information about installing the ArchiCAD Hardware Protection Key, please read the corresponding instructions in the Installing ArchiCAD MacOS or Installing ArchiCAD Windows section below.

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

Installing ArchiCAD - MacOS

Switch off your computer and attached peripherals, and connect the ArchiCAD hardware protection key. (You can learn more about connecting this key in the next section.) Switch on the computer, and insert the ArchiCAD CD-ROM into your computers CD-ROM drive. You have two options for installing ArchiCAD 8 for the MacOS. Please read carefully the Read Me First text file in the root folder of the ArchiCAD 8 CD-ROM to determine which option suits your needs best.

- You can use the Installer utility which automatically installs the software on your computer. - In the root folder of the ArchiCAD 8 CD-ROM, there is a draggable ArchiCAD 8 Folder, which you can simply drag onto your own hard disk. Note that, in this case, you may need to manually install some components required by some of the package components. If you choose to use the Installer, follow the instructions it provides during the installation process. Note: In the root of the CD-ROM, you can find a Support folder which contains copies of the Macintosh versions of ArchiCAD 6.5 and ArchiCAD 7.0 that are compatible with the new hardware key. If you are upgrading from version 6.5 or 7.0, you can finish your current job with this version of ArchiCAD.
Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

Installation Options
ArchiCAD or some of the package components may require the installation of additional software. These may be installed either by clicking the appropriate buttons in the Installer, or manually by locating the appropriate installer utilities in the draggable ArchiCAD 8 folder. These items are: - The QuickTime 5 installer utility for installing the player application to play back QuickTime movies and QuickTime VR panoramic scenes. - The Acrobat Reader installer utility for installing the application allowing you to read PDF format documentation files. - The Step by Step Tutorial/Installer, which installs the tutorial program for ArchiCAD 8. The accompanying handbook is part of your ArchiCAD package. - The GDL Object Web Plug-In installer utility for installing the web browser plug-in allowing you to view and download GDL Objects from the Internet. Note: If you have used the drag-install method, you may need to install the CarbonLib system extension manually, by locating it in the ArchiCAD 8 folder and placing it into the System Folders Extensions folder. You will have to restart your computer.

Setting up the Network for TeamWork

If you want to use the TeamWork functionality, you need to set up the network to share your projects with other teammates. The instructions below concern MacOS 9.2. The steps are somewhat different for earlier system versions, so consult your Macs user manual. 1) Go to the AppleTalk control panel and select the Ethernet connection type. 2) Open the File Sharing control panel, specify your name, password, etc. and click the Start button in the File Sharing area. 3) Optionally, you can also check the Enable File Sharing clients to connect over TCP/IP box. 4) Click the Users & Groups tab and either add the names of your teammates as new users or double-click the Guest icon. Choose Sharing in the Show: pop-up and check the Allow guests to connect to this computer box.

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Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

5) Finally, select a volume or folder on your computer for sharing with others and choose the File/Get Info/Sharing menu command. In the dialog box check the Share this item and its contents and the Copy these privileges to all enclosed folders checkboxes. On MacOS X you have to do the following: 1) System Preferences/Network In TCP/IP tab: Set TCP/IP parameters (address, subnet mask, router). If your network has a dhcp server, these parameters are set automatically. In AppleTalk tab: Make AppleTalk active, and set AppleTalk zone (optional). 2) System Preferences/Sharing Set computer name and click the Start button to start file sharing. On MacOS 10.2 it is possible to share your Mac for access windows users. On MacOS X you can share only your public folder. You can set access privileges through the Get Info/Sharing command in Finder. After these steps your teammates can Sign In to your project files if you put them into this shared folder. Note: If you want to use ArchiCAD on the same Team project with different computer platforms (Windows and Macintosh), you need a special network where these computers can read/write each others files and folders, or at least one on which team members can see each others files and folders. Please contact your hardware reseller or your operating system specialist for more information.

Installing the Hardware Protection Key

The stand-alone license is represented by the ArchiCAD Hardware Protection Key, which is a small box with electrical connectors at one or both ends of it. You can find it in your ArchiCAD box together with the CD-ROM and the manuals. The key is USB-type. Please read the more detailed instructions in the corresponding Read Me file supplied on the ArchiCAD CD-ROM. Attention: Do not connect the protection key until the software is installed or until the on-screen instructions tell you to connect the key. This applies to all USB devices. If the operating system does not have the correct driver installed, it will attempt to find an appropriate driver. If the incorrect driver is assigned, then the key will not respond correctly.
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1) Switch off your computer and all the peripherals connected to it. Use the main electrical switch to be sure that all power to your computer is off. 2) Plug the Hardware Protection Key into any USB port on your computer. 3) Switch on your computer. 4) Start ArchiCAD to verify that the installation was successful. Warning: Never connect or disconnect the Hardware Protection Key while the computer or the connected peripheral is switched on. This can cause irreparable damage to the software and hardware.

Installing the Network Protection Key

If you have the network protection version of ArchiCAD, you have to install special server software on the computer where the network hardware protection key will be connected. The network protection key is very similar to the stand-alone hardware protection key described above, but it works differently, so the two keys cannot be interchanged. Additionally you have to install as many client software licenses to the appropriate computers as ArchiCAD licenses you want to use (or have purchased). Please read the corresponding Read Me file on the ArchiCAD 8 CD-ROM or on the attached Network Licensing Utilities CD-ROM before starting to install network software.

About System Extensions

System extensions are small software programs which change the way the system software works. They can be found in the Control Panels and Extensions folders within the System Folder. Many extensions are available in the public domain and are not guaranteed by any company. Although ArchiCAD works with most extensions, some of them may cause it to crash. It is recommended to always use the latest versions of system extensions. If problems occur while using ArchiCAD, try the following: - Disable all extensions in the Extensions subfolder of your System Folder by either using the Extension Manager control panel or simply dragging them out of the Extensions folder manually. - Restart your computer and launch ArchiCAD again.

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Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

If the problem disappears, try putting extensions back into the Extension folder one by one and restart your computer every time. This way, laborious as it may seem, with some patience, you can find the extension that caused ArchiCAD to crash. Note: This information does not apply to MacOS X users.

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

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Installing ArchiCAD - Windows

With the help of Graphisofts installer program, it is easy to set up ArchiCAD on your computer. If you wish to install the entire package, you will need about 250 MB of free hard disk space for all of the programs and files (applications, utilities, peripheral drivers and data files including sample projects and object libraries) delivered on the CD-ROM.

Important: When installing ArchiCAD, you have to log on as a member of the Administrator Group. ArchiCAD can be installed on your hard disk in three ways: - The Typical method of installing ArchiCAD on a specified disk (about 250 MB disk space will be required), - The Compact method, which installs the minimum number of required files to a specified disk (about 30 MB disk space will be required), and - The Custom installation method lets you define which files are installed. Using any of these methods to install ArchiCAD, do the following steps: 1) Switch off your computer and attached peripherals, and plug the ArchiCAD hardware key into one of the parallel or USB connectors. 2) Start the computer and launch Windows. 3) Insert the ArchiCAD 8 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive. 4) The Autorun facility will start the ArchiCAD Installer (Setup.exe) automatically. Select the Install AC 8 option.

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Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

5) The start-up picture of the installer appears on your screen, followed by the main dialog box. 6) If you have more than one hard disk attached to your computer or would like to change the name or place of the directory where ArchiCAD will be installed, click the Browse button to select the drive onto which ArchiCAD is to be installed. When youve made your choice, click the Next button. 7) If you have chosen a Custom installation, a dialog box will appear, allowing you to choose which components to install. Click Next again when youre finished. 8) The Installer program will ask you for the name of a Program Folder into which to put the shortcuts or program icons of the installed items. This folder with the shortcuts will be included in the Programs folder of the Windows Start menu. Click the Next button. 9) The Installer program creates a directory with the specified name in the specified place and begins to copy all of the programs and files into it. A progress indicator allows you to monitor the progress of the installation. If you want to interrupt the installation, click Cancel. When the process bar indicates 100%, the installation is complete. 10) After this the Installer will display a dialog box asking you to type in your name and company, personalizing your new programs. After completing, click Next to continue. 11) As a final step, the Installer creates a new program group where it places the ArchiCAD packages program icons and the Read Me First file. 12) Click Finish in the dialog to return to the Program Manager or the Windows desktop. 13) Double-click the Read Me First text file icon or select the Start/ Programs/ArchiCAD 8/Read Me First menu command and read the latest information on ArchiCAD. 14) Double-click the ArchiCAD icon or select the Start/Programs/ ArchiCAD 8/ArchiCAD menu command and discover your new application.

Installation Options
After the above installation, you can install additional utilities either from the Installer, or from your hard disk. (The installer programs for some of these utilities are copied to your hard disk during the ArchiCAD installation process.)
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- The Install QuickTime 5.0 utility installs the Movie Player program that can display and animate QuickTime VR panoramic pictures generated by ArchiCAD. Please read the License Agreement carefully prior to the installation. - The Acrobat Reader installer utility installs Adobes Acrobat Reader which allows you to read the documentation PDF files. - The Step by Step Tutorial utility installs the interactive tutorial program for ArchiCAD 8. The accompanying handbook is part of your ArchiCAD package. - The GDL Object Web Plug-In installer utility will install the web browser plug-in allowing you to view and download GDL Objects from the Internet. - The PDF Converter installer utility will install Amyunis PDF Converter printer driver with which you can create, compress and customize PDF files directly from ArchiCAD.

Graphisoft Shell Extension

The Graphisoft Shell Extension is a utility which modifies your Windows shell in order to display the preview and the summary of the contents of the ArchiCAD project and library part files. After installing the Graphisoft Shell Extension, you can preview these files with the Properties and Quick View commands of the Windows Explorer. In general, the ArchiCAD installation should have already installed and registered this software to your computer. If for any reason it has not, open the Graphisoft Shell Extension folder in the ArchiCAD folder of your hard disk and start the Register.bat batch file.

Uninstalling ArchiCAD
If you want to uninstall ArchiCAD, start the Add/Remove Programs control panel utility, select the ArchiCAD 8 option from the list and click on the Add/Remove... button. The uninstall utility will remove all files and programs which were installed by the ArchiCAD Installer program. It doesnt remove any other file - for example, it doesnt remove ArchiCAD project files that you saved into the ArchiCAD folder.

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Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

Setting Up the Network for TeamWork

If you want to use the TeamWork functionality, you need to share at least one folder on one computer to allow read and write access to the other team members. On Windows 2000, right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop and select the Manage command. Select the Local Users and Groups tool on the left side of the window. Double-click Users and then Guest. A panel appears. Uncheck the Account Disabled box on the General page and click OK. Once these steps have been completed, your teammates can sign in to your project files if you put them into a designated shared folder. Note: If you want to use ArchiCAD on the same Team project with different computer platforms (Windows and Macintosh), you need a special network where these computers can read/write each others files and folders, or at least one on which team members can see each others files and folders. Please contact your hardware reseller or your operating system specialist for more information.

Installing the Hardware Protection Key

The stand-alone license is represented by the ArchiCAD Hardware Protection Key, which is a small box with electrical connectors at one or both ends. You can find it in your ArchiCAD box together with the CDROM and the manuals. Attention: Do not connect the protection key until the software is installed or until the on-screen instructions tell you to connect the key. This applies to all USB devices. If the operating system does not have the correct driver installed, it will attempt to find an appropriate driver. If the incorrect driver is assigned, then the key will not respond correctly. 1) Switch off your computer and all of the peripherals connected to it. Use the main electrical switch to be sure that all power to your computer is off. 2) Plug the Hardware Protection Key into one of the parallel or USB ports. 3) Start ArchiCAD to verify that the installation was successful. Notes: Some computers do not have a 25 pin DB-25 parallel port or use another type of parallel port. In this rare situation, you will need a
Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

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special printer cable to adapt the Hardware Protection Key to the computer, or you will have to insert an add-on card with the necessary parallel port into your computer. Contact your hardware dealer for an appropriate cable adapter or card. If you have a printer or any other device connected to the parallel port, you can connect the Protection Key in-line with other devices. Make sure that the hardware key is the first in the line connected directly to the computer. Plug peripheral devices into the key. In this case, you must always switch on the peripheral before launching ArchiCAD, and you should never turn it off while using the program. Turning off the peripheral device while ArchiCAD is running may cause the program to crash as well as cause other damage. Several Protection Keys of the same type can be plugged in one line. However, if you try to connect keys manufactured by different vendors, problems may occur. If you are installing the ArchiCAD Hardware Protection Key in-line with other hardware keys, position the ArchiCAD Hardware Protection Key at the beginning of the chain (closest to the computer). You may experience problems with the Hardware Protection Key if your computer printer adapter differs from the design specifications of the original IBM PC/XT/AT and PS2. Although your printer may function using ports, the Hardware Protection Key cannot. If this is the case, you must use the second parallel port, if available, or install an add-on parallel port adapter card as described above. Warning: Never connect or disconnect the Hardware Protection Key while the computer or the connected peripheral is switched on. This can cause irreparable damage to the software and hardware.

Installing the Network Protection Key

If you have the network protection version of ArchiCAD, first you have to connect the Network Protection Key to your server computer. (This can be any computer you want to use as an ArchiCAD license server; it cannot be a dedicated server.) Do it in the same way described above for the Hardware Protection Key. Next, you need to install the special server software to the computer where the network hardware protection key is connected (the server). This software is shipped to you on a CD-ROM that contains installation instructions.

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Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

You also need to install special client software on all computers that will use ArchiCAD. This software is shipped to you either on the ArchiCAD CD-ROM or on the attached Network Licensing Utilities CD-ROM, which contains installation instructions. Note: After installing the network server software, you need to restart your server and client machines before starting ArchiCAD on the client machines.

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

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Using and Optimizing ArchiCAD

When you start ArchiCAD for the first time a dialog box may appear stating that ArchiCAD is missing some items from the installation or from the environment (for example, there is not enough free disk space).

If you have followed all the instructions given in this manual, you should not get this dialog box. However, if it does appear, you have two options: you can either run ArchiCAD anyway, or you can note what the program is missing, click the Quit button and modify the system accordingly before launching ArchiCAD again. Note: If you choose Run Anyway, you will not get these messages the next time you start ArchiCAD. We highly recommend that you regularly: - check your computer for viruses. - use diagnostic software to ensure the integrity of the file system.

Memory Management
As with many CAD programs, the operating speed of ArchiCAD is highly dependent on the amount of memory available, both in RAM and on the hard disk. The size and ratio of the different memory types strongly influence ArchiCADs overall speed and performance. As a general rule, try to allocate as much RAM and free hard disk space as possible to ArchiCAD and do not depend on virtual memory more than absolutely necessary.

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Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

On the Macintosh, if you run an MacOS version older than MacOS X, inadequate memory settings can slow down the operating speed dramatically, particularly when processing large 3D models. We recommend the following memory management settings: - When Virtual Memory is Off and you are not running any other programs together with ArchiCAD, you should allocate almost all the available RAM to ArchiCAD in its Get Info dialog, so that the largest unused block is only about 5MB. This should be sufficient for using the Chooser and simple Copy/Paste operations. - When Virtual Memory is On, the memory assigned to ArchiCAD must be less than the built-in memory. Note: The above limitations do not apply to MacOS X. When using Windows, the 3D data must fit into the Virtual memory. Please configure your systems virtual memory to be large enough to accommodate the 3D data. On the other hand, virtual memory can slow down the operating speed. To keep the optimal speed, add more physical memory (RAM) to your computer.

Running External Editors or Other Applications

The external library part editors that can be launched from within ArchiCAD are applications which also need a certain amount of memory. If youre going to use these together with ArchiCAD, you should allocate enough memory to both ArchiCAD and the external editor. The same rule applies for other applications. The provided memory and other system resources are distributed among all of the applications. If you are using virtual memory, the computer will always try to allocate the physical memory to the active application by paging out the others to the virtual memory. In general, using multiple applications at the same time is a convenient but memory-consuming procedure. We suggest that you use only really necessary applications simultaneously.

Using the Windows Registry

Some of the basic settings of ArchiCAD are written into the Windows Registry. This Section in the Registry is created by the ArchiCAD Installer program or by the very first start-up of ArchiCAD or PlotMaker under the Key Name: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Graphisoft\ PlotMaker. Every time
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you run ArchiCAD or PlotMaker the program will read, modify and write back information into the ArchiCAD and PlotMaker registry. If this section is missing, ArchiCAD or PlotMaker will automatically create a new one and save the default settings. The above ArchiCAD Registry entry contains several subkeys. (Because the ArchiCAD and PlotMaker Registry keys are quite similar, only the ArchiCAD subkeys will be described here). The most important of these are: Last Started Version: Under this Key Name, you can find the name and version number of the ArchiCAD version that was last started, for example: Last Started Version ArchiCAD for TeamWork 8 ENG. ArchiCAD for TeamWork 8 ENG (or the ArchiCAD name and version number actually written after the Last Started Version Key Name in the previous section): This section contains (among other information used for internal purposes only) three important Keys: Default TrueType Font, Large Dialog Font and Small Dialog Font. Default TrueType Font: After this Key Name you will find a Windows TrueType font name which will be used by ArchiCAD both in the Floor Plan and in the dialog boxes whenever a desired font does not exist, is missing or has been deleted. The most important effect of this Registry entry is that if you import an ArchiCAD project file from another platform (e.g. MacOS), every font name that is used in the ArchiCAD project but doesnt exist in Windows will be displayed with this default TrueType font. If the font name defined by the Default TrueType Font Registry Key Name is also missing from the system, the Windows default GUI font will be used instead. Large Dialog Font: The Key Value defined here is used in ArchiCAD dialog boxes for any text whose size is at least 12 points. Small Dialog Font: The Key Value defined here is used in ArchiCAD dialog boxes for any text whose size is 9 points. Example of the default values of the ArchiCAD Windows Registry keys: Default TrueType Font Arial Large Dialog Font MS Sans Serif Small Dialog Font Arial

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Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

Exchanging Files between Platforms

In the course of your work, you may need to export and import data between copies of ArchiCAD based on different hardware platforms. ArchiCAD files created on either MacOS or Windows based computers are binary compatible. On both Macintosh and Windows-based PCs, ArchiCAD supports the file formats of Picture files optionally placed on the Floor Plan as Figures, used as textures for Materials or as the Background picture for PhotoRendering To ensure that all such picture files, library parts and properties are carried to the other platform, save your project as an Archive and check the necessary options from the Archive Options dialog box:

Note: For compatibility reasons, ArchiCAD project file names are limited to 27 characters.

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Troubleshooting
This section describes some of the techniques you can use when encountering typical problems during the installation and operation of ArchiCAD. Note: The ArchiCAD installation process installs a utility called Graphisoft Bug Reporter. This is a small application that is automatically started if ArchiCAD crashes. It creates a bug report card that you can fill in and send to the ArchiCAD Customer Support team who will help you solve the problem.

Troubleshooting (MacOS)
As a rule of thumb, frequently check your computer for viruses and regularly use Disk Utility or another disk integrity checking program to verify the file systems integrity. ArchiCAD does not start. - Check that the ArchiCAD protection key is installed for the appropriate System software. If you wish to use ArchiCAD in different OS systems (i.e. MacOS 9 and MacOS X), WIBU protection must be installed for all the systems by using the System Components installer. - Check that you are using the appropriate System software. If you use the MacOS 9 system, you should have at least 256 MB of RAM allocated to ArchiCAD. Verify this by choosing File/Get Info with the ArchiCAD

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Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

application selected. You should also have at least 500 MB of free hard disk space (after installation). - Check that the ArchiCAD installation was successful and all the needed files were copied to your hard disk into the correct directory. The absolutely necessary files are: ArchiCAD, ArchiCADResourcesLib, ArchiCADDialogLib, ArchiCADDialogLib, ArchiCADHelpLib, ArchiCADMenuLib, AddOnManagerLib, AttributeManagerLib, ClassicMacLib, DGLib, ElementManagerLib, FTPUploaderSupportLib, GDLLib, GDLParamUILib, GeometryLib, GSDisplayLib, GSModelerLib, GSQuickTimeLib, GSRootLib, GSUtilsLib, GSXMLLib, InputOutputLib, InternetURLLib, JACKLib, LibPartFileLib, LibraryManagerLib, ModelerGraphicsLib, PixMapIOLib, ProjectFileLib, QELib, UCLib, UDLib, VBAttrControlsLib, VBAttrDialogsLib, VBAttributesLib, VBElementsLib, VBUtilsLib, MWMSL.Carbon (NL).Shlb, PlotMaker, AddOnManagerLib, AttributeManagerLib, ClassicMacLib, DGLib, FTPUploaderSupportLib, GDLLib, GDLParamUILib, GeometryLib, GSModelerLib, GSQuickTimeLib, GSRootLib, GSUtilsLib, GSXMLLib, InputOutputLib, InternetURLLib, ModelerGraphicsLib, PixMapIOLib, ProjectFileLib, UCLib, UDLib, VBAttrControlsLib, VBAttrDialogsLib, VBAttributesLib, VBUtilsLib, MWMSL.Carbon (NL).Shlb There are a number of other files which are not essential for starting ArchiCAD, but are necessary for various functions: *.Prefs: The preferences files created by ArchiCAD in the Preferences folder inside your start-up disks System Folder. Apply Data: The data file used with the Apply commands. (Preview Data) ArchiCAD Library: Folder. Contains the original door, window, object, lamp, zone stamp, GDL text, texture picture or TIFF and property files. Add-Ons: Folder. Contains the extension applications allowing you to export and import files from and to ArchiCAD in various formats including DXF and DWG. It also contains third party library part editors whose icon appear in the ArchiCAD Toolbox (e.g. StairMaker), as well as extensions that can add functionality to ArchiCAD. PlotWare: Folder. Contains the installed plotter drivers for ArchiCAD.
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Vector Fonts: Folder. Contains vector fonts used in ArchiCAD. ArchiCAD crashes. - Check for proper installation and proper cable connections. - Check your computer for viruses. - Try removing system extensions as discussed above. - Try allocating more memory and disk space to avoid extreme situations. - If you still encounter crashes, please report the problem to Graphisoft. Do not be afraid of losing your work if the program crashes. ArchiCADs automatic AutoSave function keeps the latest version of your work and, on the next program launch, informs you that an autosaved document was found. You can open it and resume work. ArchiCAD does not plot. - Be sure to choose the appropriate plotter driver in the File/Plot Setup dialog box. - Check the settings of your plotter compared to the figures in the File/ Plot Setup dialog box. - Try to use cables supplied by the same vendor as the plotter. ArchiCAD does not print or when printing crashes. With some printers, ArchiCAD can only print if Background Printing is enabled in the Chooser. If this does not help, try setting different parameters in the Page Setup and Print dialog boxes.

Troubleshooting (Windows)
ArchiCAD or one of its parts does not start. This problem can have several causes, e.g. insufficient memory, old Windows version, failures in the Windows configuration, defective video driver, unsuccessful ArchiCAD installation. 1) Check that you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP pro. (ArchiCAD 8 cannot run with any older version of Windows.) 2) You should have at least 128 MB RAM and 500 MB of free hard disk space after installation. 3) Check that the ArchiCAD installation was successful and all the necessary files were copied to your hard disk and into the correct directory. The necessary files are:

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Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

ArchiCAD.EXE, ArchiCAD.DLL, ArchiCAD.DLG, ArchiCAD.GSH, ArchiCAD.MNU, ADDONMANAGER.DLL, ATTRIBUTEMANAGER.DLL, DG.DLL, ELEMENTMANAGER.DLL, FTPUPLOADERSUPPORT.DLL, GDL.DLL, GDLPARAMUI.DLL, GEOMETRY.DLL, GSDISPLAY.DLL, GSMODELER.DLL, GSQUICKTIME.DLL, GSROOT.DLL, GSUTILS.DLL, GSXML.DLL, INPUTOUTPUT.DLL, INTERNETURL.DLL, JACK.DLL, LIBPARTFILE.DLL, LIBRARYMANAGER.DLL, MAC.DLL , MODELERGRAPHICS.DLL, PIXMAPIO.DLL, PROJECTFILE.DLL, QE.DLL, UC.DLL, UD.DLL, VBATTRCONTROLS.DLL, VBATTRDIALOGS.DLL, VBATTRIBUTES.DLL, VBELEMENTS.DLL, VBUTILS.DLL, MSVCP60.DLL, MSVCRT.DLL PLOTMAKER.EXE, PLOTMAKER.DLL, ADDONMANAGER.DLL, ATTRIBUTEMANAGER.DLL, DG.DLL, FTPUPLOADERSUPPORT.DLL, GDL.DLL, GDLPARAMUI.DLL, GEOMETRY.DLL, GSMODELER.DLL, GSQUICKTIME.DLL, GSROOT.DLL, GSUTILS.DLL, GSXML.DLL, INPUTOUTPUT.DLL, INTERNETURL.DLL, MAC.DLL, MODELERGRAPHICS.DLL, PIXMAPIO.DLL, PROJECTFILE.DLL, UC.DLL, UD.DLL, VBATTRCONTROLS.DLL, VBATTRDIALOGS.DLL, VBATTRIBUTES.DLL, VBUTILS.DLL, MSVCP60.DLL, MSVCRT.DLL There are a number of other files which are not essential for starting ArchiCAD, but are necessary for various functions: *.prf; *.pr&: The preferences files created by ArchiCAD. Apply data.pvd: The data file used with the Apply commands. (Preview Data) ArchiCAD Library: Directory. Contains the original door, window, object, lamp, zone stamp, GDL text, texture bitmap or TIFF and property files. Add-Ons: Directory. Contains the extension applications allowing you to export and import files from and to ArchiCAD in various formats including DXF and DWG. It also contains third party library part editors whose icon appear in the ArchiCAD Toolbox (e.g. StairMaker), as well as extensions that can add functionality to ArchiCAD. PlotWare: Directory. Contains the installed plotter drivers for ArchiCAD. Vector Fonts: Directory. Contains vector fonts used in ArchiCAD.

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4) Check your Windows configuration. Sometimes special peripherals (such as CD drives, streamers, network cards, and SCSI cards) are installed and connected to your computer which do not work properly with ArchiCAD or with the system. Try to modify the configuration settings according to their User Guides or simply uninstall them by removing their drivers from the appropriate Control Panel item. If you are using Windows 95, you can go into the System Control Panel item and check the Performance status. If Windows finds that everything works properly, the message Your system is configured for optimal performance is displayed in the last row. If any other message appears at that location, this means that an error has been detected by the Windows system. In this case, contact your local dealer or call Microsoft Technical Support. Garbage on the screen in ArchiCAD when selecting elements, drawing selection rectangles, lines, walls or other basic elements. Try changing the display driver type in Control Panel/Display/Settings to VGA (or to an updated driver from the video card manufacturer). If the problem disappeared when you switched to VGA, it was very likely a display driver error. Contact your hardware dealer or the technical support of your display adapter manufacturer. ArchiCAD developers have tested as many display cards as possible. As a general rule, the display drivers included in your Windows package work well with ArchiCAD. Because of the frequency of video driver errors, we have generated and built into ArchiCAD some workarounds to the most common problems. These workarounds can be activated in the Windows Registry. Start the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and open the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD\ArchiCAD 8.0QEN\Driver Error Patch folder. In this location, you can find four keys with values generally set to 0. These keys are Bad Line Drawing, Bad Memory DC Pattern, Bad Screen Pattern and Bad Text Rotation. If you experience one of the following problems, set the value of the corresponding key to 1 and restart ArchiCAD. - Bad Line Drawing: If the value is 1, coordinates are clipped to the port rectangle before each line you draw. This helps if some lines are not visible at a large zoom factor. - Bad Memory DC Pattern: If the value is 1, every pattern brush used on memory DC will be created as inverted (this used to be a problem with some older cards where, after starting up, everything on the ArchiCAD screen appeared inverted).

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- Bad Screen Pattern: The same as above for screen DC instead of memory DC (in general, these two settings are set together). - Bad Text Rotation: If the value is 1, skewed text is printed by sending a rotated bitmap (this helps with some printer drivers when the appearance of skewed text is wrong or skewed text does not appear at all). ArchiCAD crashes. A program crash can have multiple causes (program error, Windows System error, bad configuration, hardware error, power failure, etc.) First, check your free hard disk space. ArchiCAD uses extremely large data files for complex three dimensional operations. Do not be afraid of losing your work if the program crashes. ArchiCADs automatic AutoSave function keeps the latest version of your work and, on the next program launch, informs you that an autosaved document has been found. You can then open it and resume work. ArchiCAD does not plot. Check your cable. In our experience, most plotting problems come from the improper wiring of the plotter cable. Check the settings of your plotter compared to the figures in ArchiCADs File/Plot Setup /Configure dialog box. Try to plot first into a Data File, check this file and if it is correct, try to send it out through the COPY /B command from the DOS prompt. Do not forget to set the communication parameters of the port being used. ArchiCAD does not print or crashes when printing. Try setting less complex parameters in the File/Page Setup/Options/ Advanced dialog boxes (printer resolution, colors, etc...) The printed output is bad or does not match the original view on the computer. If the type and size of the text blocks is not correct, check the font substitution settings in the File/Page Setup/Options/Advanced dialog box. Set it to TrueType fonts and do not use the substitution table. If the lines on the printed paper are too light or dotted, switch on the All Colors to Black checkbox in the File/Page Setup/Options/Advanced dialog box. If you have a PostScript printer, do not forget to send out a header every time you turn on the printers power.

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File Types in ArchiCAD

The following is the list of the ArchiCAD file types with their file extensions used in Windows as well as their type in the MacOS. description ArchiCAD 2D Lines ArchiCAD 3D File AC TeamWork Administration API Add-On Video Movie File Bitmap Image AC TeamWork Draft Backup ArchiCAD Backup Project AC TeamWork Project Backup Scrapbook AC TeamWork Draft Preferences ArchiCAD Debug File ArchiCAD Door File Windows Enhanced Metafile External Object File 3D GDL Script GDL Script GIF Image Picture Information General Properties Script File ArchiCAD Object File HTML File ArchiCAD Macro Object File JPEG Image Library Content File Library Modified Content File List Setup File ArchiCAD Lamp File ArchiCAD Label File Module File QuickTime Movie File Metafile extension 2dl a3d adm apx avi bmp bpc bpn bpp clp cpf dbg dor emf esm gdl gdl gif gpi gps gsm htm ism jpg lcl lcm lis lmp lsm mod mov mtf type HOUS AC3D .ADM EXT ?!?! BMP .PLC HOUS .PLP scbk .CPF TEXT DSYM PICT ESYM TEXT TEXT GIFF GPI .GPS GSYM HTML MSYM JPEG .LCL .LCM .LIS LSYM .LSM MODL MooV META

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Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

AC TeamWork Draft Archive Acrobat PDF File Picture ArchiCAD Archive Project ArchiCAD TeamWork Draft ArchiCAD Area Plan ArchiCAD Solo Project ArchiCAD TeamWork Project Plotter File PlotMaker Drawing PNG Image MacPaint Image AC TeamWork Project Archive AC TeamWork Project Preferences ArchiCAD Preferences Printer File Photoshop Image ArchiCAD Material Preview Data QuickTime Image QuickTime VR File ArchiCAD Report File ArchiCAD Zone File RTF List File SGI Image Truevision TGA Image TIFF Image ArchiCAD List File ArchiCAD List File with Tabs Excel File TeamWork Notes File ArchiCAD Window File Windows Metafile

pca pdf pct pla plc pln pln plp plt pmk png pntg ppa ppf prf prn psd pvd qtif qvr rep rsm rtf sgi tga tif txt txt txt txt win wmf

.PCA PDF PICT .PLA .PLC HOUS HOUS .PLP TEXT PLOT PNG PNTG .PPA .PPF ACPR TEXT .8BPS DATA qtif MooV TEXT RSYM RTF .SGI .TPIC TIFF TEXT TEXT TEXT TEXT WSYM PICT

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Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started