Quality Control

We identified quality control as one area requiring attention. It’s going to take a few months to turn this weakness into a strength, but we have outlined a path to achieve this. At the end of the road, we want to take pride in the quality and dependability of our software.

Some hard decisions we have had to take include:

1. No pre-release software, or ‘on-the-fly’ fixes.

We can no longer release specific fixes on a customer request basis. We realize this may seem like a step back in customer service, but we can’t provide solid quality at the same time as developing in such an unstructured way.

2. Spend more time planning

To ensure that we implement the best possible solutions, we now take more time at a planning stage so that the decisions we make will prove practical and lasting.

3. Formalize the release process

No software will be released as an interim version until it has run the triple gauntlet of Migration, General Functions and Specific Function testing. This is a big investment in time, so fewer interim versions will be released.

4. Quarterly Updates

Each quarter, all current interims (other than very recent ones) will be released as an official update.

Edit Selection Set – Hammer Tool

The Shortcut for the “Hammer Tool” Edit Selection Set is Command+Option+T (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+T (PC), handy when changing lots of elements settings such at details.

Tags: edit, hammer, selection set

Components Stored as Presets

Each component is now a logical group of settings including Model, Materials and Appearance properties. So it makes sense to be able to save the complete bunch of settings as a preset. So when you choose a preset tile roof cladding, you are selecting not only the cladding type and dimensions, but also the plan

Get the most out of your Braces

If you’re using the Cadimage NZ Bracing tool a few minor changes to the default settings will allow you to get more out of your bracing. Instead of truncating your braces at 3.0m long, this can be increased so the the tool will use as much wall as you have got.  Also, rather than rounding

Logically Grouped Settings

Until now, Materials and Appearance have been separated from the rest of the settings. For instance, you could navigate to the Cladding page of Roof Coverings, and choose a cladding type and dimensions. But to set the material and pens for the cladding, you would have to navigate first to the Materials page, then to

Filtering Elements in 3D

There are many ways to control what is shown in 3D, Multi-story Marquees, Layer Manipulation and Filtering Elements. Go to View > Elements in 3D View > Filter Elements in 3D… Within this Dialog choose what you want to filter out. It is divided into 3 sections. Stories to Show: You can set a Story

Attribute Presets

Attribute presets replace individual pens, fills and line types. This provides a number of benefits: 1. Set default attributes Save an attribute presets with your preferred pens, fills and line-types and every object that uses that attribute preset will now use your preferences. This is a very quick way to set your default attributes. 2.

Making a Hip into a Gable

With the Polyroof tool in ArchiCAD 15 there are 2 ways to make a Hip End into a Gable. You can move the apex of the hip until the end is vertical. This does the trick, but it’s not the best.  You get no overhang for the gable end, and you’ll get additional nodes added

Tags: gable end, roof gable

ANZAC Day

No Tip of the Day, as today is ANZAC Day and we are not in the office.  For our overseas registered members, ANZAC Day commemorates the loss of New Zealand and Australian Soldiers in the First World War landing on the Galipolli Peninsula in 1915.  For more information see http://www.anzac.govt.nz/

Farewell to the Roundel

There has been a drive to simplify the Settings dialog wherever possible, and maintain consistency across all library parts. As a result certain items have been eliminated. These items include the roundels that used to appear on the left of standard groups of settings, and the blue star beside preset controls.