ArchiCAD Course

Lesson 1 • Starting and Configuring a New Project

Guides students through project setup dialogs, units, and story structure. Correct configuration prevents costly rework in later stages.

Lesson 2 • BIM Concepts and Archicad Overview

Defines Building Information Modeling and explains how Archicad implements it. Establishes the conceptual framework for all subsequent tool use.

Lesson 3 • Viewing and Navigation Controls

Teaches 2D and 3D navigation, zoom, pan, and orbit commands. Efficient navigation is essential for productive daily modeling.

Lesson 1 • Stairs, Ramps, and Railings

Covers the stair and railing tools for vertical circulation design. Students configure multi-flight stairs and compliant railing systems.

Lesson 2 • Slabs, Roofs, and Shells

Teaches horizontal and inclined surface creation for floors, ceilings, and roofs. These elements define the building's volumetric enclosure.

Lesson 3 • Columns, Beams, and Structural Elements

Introduces structural element tools and their relationship to walls and slabs. Students model a basic structural grid for a multi-story building.

Lesson 4 • Walls: Types, Geometry, and Settings

Covers straight, curved, and polygonal wall creation with composite and complex profiles. Wall accuracy underpins all structural and finish modeling.

Lesson 1 • MEP and Specialty Objects

Introduces mechanical, electrical, and plumbing library objects for coordination. Students place and connect basic MEP elements within the architectural model.

Lesson 2 • Using the Archicad Library

Explores the built-in library browser, search, and object placement workflow. Efficient library use speeds up model population significantly.

Lesson 3 • Introduction to GDL Scripting

Provides a beginner-level overview of Geometric Description Language for custom objects. Students modify existing GDL scripts to create simple parametric components.

Lesson 1 • Lighting Setup for Rendering

Teaches placement and configuration of sun, sky, and artificial light sources. Proper lighting dramatically improves rendered output quality.

Lesson 2 • 3D Document and Axonometric Views

Explains creating 3D documents, cutaway axonometrics, and exploded views for technical presentation. These views communicate spatial relationships without external software.

Lesson 3 • Rendering with Cinerender

Guides students through Archicad's built-in Cinerender engine settings and output options. Students produce final-quality still images from multiple camera positions.

Lesson 1 • Sections and Elevations

Teaches placing section and elevation markers and controlling their depth and display. Model-linked sections update automatically when the design changes.

Lesson 2 • Floor Plan Display and Annotation

Controls floor plan cut plane, element visibility, and annotation tools for dimensions and labels. Correct display settings ensure drawings meet professional standards.

Lesson 3 • Details and Enlarged Plans

Covers creating detail drawings linked to the model and standalone detail sheets. Detail accuracy is critical for contractor coordination and construction quality.

Lesson 4 • Graphic Overrides and Model Views

Explains graphic override rules and view combinations for different drawing purposes. Consistent visual standards across a drawing set improve readability.

Lesson 1 • Layout Book Structure and Master Layouts

Explains the layout book hierarchy, subsets, and master layout templates. A well-structured layout book enables efficient sheet management across large projects.

Lesson 2 • Publishing and Exporting Drawing Sets

Guides students through the publisher tool to batch-export PDFs, DWGs, and image files. Automated publishing saves time and reduces manual export errors.

Lesson 3 • Revision Management

Teaches Archicad's revision and issue tracking system for managing drawing changes. Proper revision control is required for professional project delivery.

Lesson 1 • BIMcloud and Teamwork Setup

Explains BIMcloud server architecture, project sharing, and user role configuration. Correct setup prevents data conflicts in multi-user environments.

Lesson 2 • IFC Export and Open BIM Collaboration

Explains IFC schema, export settings, and coordination with non-Archicad consultants. Open BIM workflows enable interoperability across the entire project team.

Lesson 3 • Workspace Reservations and Send and Receive

Covers reserving elements, sending changes, and receiving updates from teammates. Reservation discipline keeps the model consistent across all contributors.

Lesson 1 • Project Delivery and BIM Execution Planning

Covers BIM execution plan components, level of development standards, and handover deliverables. Students prepare a model for client and contractor handover.

Lesson 2 • Complex Profiles and Morph Tool

Covers the morph tool for freeform solid modeling and complex profile creation for custom elements. These tools handle geometry that standard elements cannot produce.

Lesson 3 • Parametric Design with Grasshopper Connection

Introduces the Grasshopper–Archicad live connection for algorithmic geometry generation. Students drive Archicad elements from parametric Grasshopper definitions.