The Essentials of ArchiCAD

Tour the ArchiCAD interface - menu bar, toolbox, navigator panel, and work environment profiles. Micol walks through the File menu (new, open, teamwork, save, external content), Edit menu shortcuts (undo, grouping, move/drag/rotate), and View options including snap point settings for dividing elements. You'll also see the Document menu where layers, schedules, and layout books live.

Import DWG floor plans of Villa Savoye into a worksheet, explode them into editable lines, and scale graphically by clicking a known dimension (like a 1m window). Set up story levels for ground, first, and second floors, then copy each plan to its story and align to the project origin X marker. Configure working units for metric or imperial projects.

Draw with the 2D tools at the bottom of the toolbox - lines with dashed styles and arrowheads, polylines for property boundaries and setback lines, and splines for curved shapes. Use the scissors tool (Command key) to cut polyline sides, and the magic wand (spacebar) to convert a spline directly into a 3D wall. The arc and circle tools complete the 2D toolkit.

Build Villa Savoye's exterior walls at 200mm thickness using the wall tool with external cladding selected. Follow snap points (black pen indicates a hit) and use the reference line dragging method to create curved walls without splines. Add interior partitions with inside face positioning, clean up junctions with the trim tool, and check your work in 3D using Command+F4.

Create floor slabs using the polygon and rectangle geometry methods, setting home story and visibility options. Curve slab edges by dragging the reference line to match the building's rounded corners. Assign materials to top, bottom, and side faces separately, or link them for uniform appearance. Changes in 3D propagate automatically to 2D plans.

Model the second floor parapet walls at 1m height and the taller curved enclosure walls at 5m. Create slabs with voids using the magic wand to delete portions over open-to-below areas. Build stairs using the stair tool, add columns at structural positions, and complete the roof. Group related elements with Command+G for easier selection.

Build terrain with the mesh tool - draw a rectangle, select soil material, and add contour lines by converting splines to mesh ridges using the magic wand. Assign Z-values (elevation heights) to mesh nodes for sloped ground. Create custom geometry with the morph tool by drawing closed polygons and extruding, then convert morphs to walls, slabs, or roofs. Place furniture from ArchiCAD's object library.

Switch from white model to simple shading view and apply white stucco to exterior walls using surface override with linked faces. Change window and door frame colours by adjusting the 3D pen setting (pen 81 removes the orange default). Create custom surfaces by duplicating existing materials under Options > Element Attributes - adjust colour, shininess, ambient, and image mapping.

Enable shadows via View > 3D View Options > Simple Shading with Shadows. Set sun position in 3D Projection Settings using date and time (try 11am for higher sun angles) or manually adjust altitude and azimuth. Add artificial lights using the lamp tool - general light sources for area illumination, interior lamps for room lighting. Save camera views and run basic photo renderings.

Place elevation markers on the ground floor, set the viewing direction with the arrow indicator, and configure horizontal/vertical range limits. Rename elevations (01 North, 02 West) and adjust model appearance settings for uniform line weights without material fills. Show or hide structural grid lines in elevations using layer visibility. Sections follow the same workflow with adjustable cut depth.

Edit masters in the Layout Book to create title blocks with company name, project info, and revision history using automatic text linked to File > Info > Project Info. Place drawings on A2 landscape layouts using right-click > Place Drawing, add square title markers linked to view IDs, and drag-copy layouts to speed up sheet creation. Use Publisher Sets to batch-export the drawing package.

Join a BIM Cloud project (for external consultants) or BIM Server (for in-house teams) via File > Open/Join Teamwork Project. Reserve elements with Command+J before editing - the indicator turns green when editable, red when reserved by someone else. Send and receive changes periodically to sync with colleagues. Always release all reservations before closing to avoid blocking others. Use hotlinks to reference external ArchiCAD files.