We were very happy to meet Mr. Vaughan Harris (founder & Director of the BIM Institute) at this event. He is partnering with Hypenica to run the daily business and work of the BIM Institute.

Here is some highlights the BIM Institute is planning for 2015 & 2016:

The basic event details for The Cape Construction Expo 2015 are as follows:

The Cape Construction Expo is held at Hall 2 of the Cape Town International Convention Center,  Cape Town, South Africa. The map below gives directions to CTICC as well as entrances and available parking for your reference.

For this operation you will work with the following:
1.     “Element Attributes” first to confugure (Options > Element Attributes > ???)
         a.     the Fill Type
         b.     the Surface settings
         c.     the Building Material settings
2.     the Wall settings (as example – or other model element like Roofs, Slabs, Beams, Columns, Shells, Morphs and Meshes)
3.     the Section settings (as example – also applies to Elevation & Internal Elevation settings)
4.     in the 3D Window go to Design Menu & use the > Align 3D Tecture > Set Origin command

Step 2: from the Surface settings, go to the Surface you want to use for the Wall (or other model element). Now assign the correct Vectorial Fill for this Surface as prepared before

Step 3: in the Building Material setting now assign the correct Surface as prepared before

Step 5: in the Section settings - switch on the “Vectorial 3D Hatching” tick box (also applies to Elevation & Internal Elevation settings)

Step 6: now open the 3D Window to view the model elements that you want to work with.
Select the Wall (or other model element) end from the Design Menu & activate the > Align 3D Tecture > Set Origin command

MultiCad Design Solutions CC. was founded at the end of 2010 by Francois Swanepoel as the local ArchiCad Solution Centre for the Western Cape Region, working with Graphisoft South Africa. Francois is an experienced ArchiCad user (2001) and a qualified Graphisoft Registered Consultant since ArchiCad 13 (2010). "MultiCad" also serves end users as an accredited Graphisoft Trainer & User Support Center in both the Western & Eastern Cape. "MultiCad" is a national Reseller in South Africa.

We are a growing team, committed to helping you to achieve the best results with your software and resources. We also offer BIM Consulting services to assist with Project planning & Template setup, Teamwork, Collaboration, Energy Evaluation and Visualization. MultiCad Design Solutions delivers products and services with relevant and effective solutions to professionals in Building Design, Construction and Management. Our "Solution Ecosystem" is defined as follows:
MultiCad | MultiBIM | fusionBIM

"BIM innovation has been shifting from adding new features to introducing innovative new workflows — this is exactly what ArchiCAD 18 offers end-users," said László Vértesi, Vice President of Product Development at GRAPHISOFT. "With ArchiCAD 18, we pinpointed the most important user requests related to workflow issues with the clear goal of providing our users with solutions that keep them in the creative design flow with as little disruption as possible."

"We are delighted that GRAPHISOFT has decided to integrate CineRender into ArchiCAD 18 - offering a bridge to CINEMA 4D for users who wish to add even more sophisticated graphics and animations to their projects," said Harald Egel, Managing Partner and CEO of MAXON.

Built-in CineRender, the CINEMA 4D render engine by MAXON Computer — High-quality, photorealistic renderings are still the most important client communication tool for architects. The integration of CineRender, MAXON’s world-class CINEMA 4D rendering engine into ArchiCAD 18, brings this capability closer to a much wider range of users. One-button "photo-shot" rendering can be used to easily produce convincing, high-quality results, as with tweaking numerous sliders and parameters – allowing both novice and professional users to complete the rendering job right inside the BIM application. Fast preview and background processor support make the rendering workflow a smooth and uninterrupted process. The seamless file export from ArchiCAD 18 to CINEMA 4D enables users to enhance their projects with high-end animation and visualization techniques and benefit from decreased render times thanks to the highly-efficient distributed rendering solution in CINEMA 4D.

Integrated Revision Management workflows — Data exchange with clients, consultants and the authorities puts the legal burden on architects and designers. ArchiCAD 18 tracks and automatically documents changes to the building model so questions about responsibility won’t be an issue later on. ArchiCAD 18’s brand new Revision Management solution is integrated into the entire BIM workflow, providing solutions for 2D, 3D or any kind of hybrid workflows.

Improved PDF-based data exchange — PDF has become one of the worldwide drawing standards people use for multiple tasks. By introducing BIM-related intelligence and data hierarchies into PDF files, ArchiCAD 18 offers PDF-based smooth workflows for a wide range of stakeholders in the AEC process.

OPEN BIM and IFC-based workflow improvements — ArchiCAD 18 continues to deliver several IFC-related improvements, including professional scheme-driven data management and data mapping and high-quality (certified) export processes. In addition, to support highly iterative coordination with engineers and consultants, ArchiCAD 18 introduces full BCF support. The BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) is an open file format that allows the addition of textual comments and screenshots on top of the IFC model layer for better communication between the coordinating parties. ArchiCAD 18 integrates BCF information natively into the BIM model in the form of ArchiCAD Mark-Up entries. As a result, ArchiCAD joins major BIM applications (including model checker, structural and MEP engineering software) that support the BCF format.

GRAPHISOFT BIMcloud® Integration — The true potential of BIM is best realized through a team effort with several contributors collaborating on the same BIM data. With its full integration with the GRAPHISOFT BIMcloud®, ArchiCAD 18 offers industry-first, real-time BIM collaboration regardless of the size, location or setup of the collaborating team. Cloud integration allows the ArchiCAD team to soar without limits. Learn more about GRAPHISOFT’s BIMcloud® Solution here: http://www.graphisoft.com/bimcloud/

Workflow enhancements — In addition to introducing brand new innovative workflows, ArchiCAD 18 also unveils substantial enhancements to its existing workflows as well, proving that listening to customers is of primary importance when assigning development resources at GRAPHISOFT.

GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD® 18 will start shipping in June, 2014 with an impressive list of 26 local versions rolled out by the end of Q3 2014. Learn more about the upcoming release here: http://www.graphisoft.com/archicad/archicad-18/overview/.

Headquartered in Germany, MAXON Computer is a developer of industry-leading professional 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering solutions. Its award-winning CINEMA 4D and BodyPaint 3D software products have been used extensively to help create everything from stunning visual effects in top feature films, TV shows and commercials to cutting-edge game cinematics for AAA games, medical illustration, and architectural and industrial design applications. MAXON has offices in Germany, USA, United Kingdom, France, Japan and Singapore. MAXON products are available directly from MAXON and its worldwide distribution and reseller channel.

GRAPHISOFT® ignited the BIM revolution in 1984 with ArchiCAD®, the industry first BIM software for architects. GRAPHISOFT continues to lead the industry with innovative solutions such as its revolutionary BIMcloud®, the world’s first real-time BIM collaboration environment, EcoDesigner™, the world’s first fully BIM-integrated “GREEN” design solution and BIMx®, the world’s leading mobile app for BIM visualization. GRAPHISOFT has been a part of the Nemetschek Group since its acquisition in 2007.

MultiCad Design Solutions CC. was founded at the end of 2010 by Francois Swanepoel as the local ArchiCad Solution Centre for the Western Cape Region, working with Graphisoft South Africa. Francois is an experienced ArchiCad user (2001) and a qualified Graphisoft Registered Consultant since ArchiCad 13 (2010). "MultiCad" also serves end users as an accredited Graphisoft Trainer & User Support Center in both the Western & Eastern Cape. "MultiCad" is a national Reseller in South Africa.

We are a growing team, committed to helping you to achieve the best results with your software and resources. We also offer BIM Consulting services to assist with Project planning & Template setup, Teamwork, Collaboration, Energy Evaluation and Visualization. MultiCad Design Solutions delivers products and services with relevant and effective solutions to professionals in Building Design, Construction and Management. Our "Solution Ecosystem" is defined as follows:
MultiCad | MultiBIM | fusionBIM

Please CLICK HERE to see a full list of Ecospecifier's Industry Partners

"Ecospecifier provides compelling and high-quality knowledge about innovative products that represent high value over their life - not only in the traditional sense, but also in the expanded sense of health, well-being and productivity of their total life, in the context of the people, buildings and systems they serve.

Ecospecifier's aim is to help building professionals including architects, designers, builders and specifiers to shortcut the eco and healthy materials sourcing process."

. . . . Read More

"Verified products are an eco-preferred, healthy product in accordance with our Ecospecifier verified Product Program Standard.

Furthermore, it guarantees to consumers and professionals alike that all key manufacturer health & environmental claims are third party verified, ISO 14021 certified as correct ‘Self Declarations’ and assessed in a rigorous, scientific manner using a Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) analysis in combination with our unique Ecospecifier Cautionary Assessment Process (ES CAP) a health and eco-toxicity screen that considers the impacts of composition, subject to context from 0.1% down to 0.001% based on the UN Globally Harmonised chemical system, the EU REACH system and US green Chemistry Standards and others as appropriate, all under our ISO 9001 Certified Quality Management System.

Verified Product assessment service verifies and provides a Technical Opinion as to the status of a products’ likely compatibility with Green Building Rating Schemes such as Green Star SA."

. . . . Read More

With the introduction of Global GreenTag Certification to South Africa, we are offering GreenTag Certification via one, or both of the Certification Schemes:

i) GreenRate  ii) LCARate. Each has their own specific benefits.

In this video below David Baggs (Global GreenTag Technical Director) explains what
GreenTag GreenRate and GreenTag LCARate is.

To find out more about Global GreenTag Certification South Africa: CLICK HERE

About MultiCad
MultiCad Design Solutions CC. was founded at the end of 2010 by Francois Swanepoel as the local ArchiCad Solution Centre for the Western Cape Region, working with Graphisoft South Africa. Francois is an experienced ArchiCad user (2001) and a qualified Graphisoft Registered Consultant since ArchiCad 13 (2010). "MultiCad" also serves end users as an accredited Graphisoft Trainer & User Support Center in both the Western & Eastern Cape. "MultiCad" is a national Reseller in South Africa.

We are a growing team, committed to helping you to achieve the best results with your software and resources. We also offer BIM Consulting services to assist with Project planning & Template setup, Teamwork, Collaboration, Energy Evaluation and Visualization. MultiCad Design Solutions delivers products and services with relevant and effective solutions to professionals in Building Design, Construction and Management. Our "Solution Ecosystem" is defined as follows:
MultiCad | MultiBIM | fusionBIM

FIRST STEPS: (follow these steps each time for each seperate WIBU key you own?)

1. visit the website, with your dongle plugged into your computer, the web address is https://upgrade.graphisoft.com
2. once at the site, follow the on screen prompts to load any necessary JAVA updates, until you reach a screen that shows your dongle number and below the information of your dongle, take a screenshot of this information (refer to the following 2 screenshots below to verify that you are on the correct site)
3. provide the screenshot of your dongle information to your local reseller, to start your replacement application, information of your local reseller or GRAPHISOFT SA office is available on the following 3 links:
   

  2.   you can expect a call from your reseller or GRAPHISOFT SA office, inviting you to visit their office,
        bringing your old WIBU dongle in for replacement, please note that no replacement will be possible if you
        cannot provide your old WIBU dongle
  3.   you will be issued a new CODEMETER dongle, which looks like the image on the right, this dongle will be
        issued to you fully programmed at the time of replacement at the reseller or GRAPHISOFT SA office
  4.   PLEASE NOTE that the new Codemeter dongle will require the installation of new CODEMETER drivers,
        these will be issued to you by your reseller at the time of replacement, WITHOUT THESE DRIVERS
        YOUR NEW CODEMETER DONGLE WILL NOT FUNCTION

TIME FRAME FOR EXCHANGE: UPDATED

The FREE exchange program is valid for all SSA clients in SADC, until 28 June 2013. Please take this opportunity to timeously exchange your dongle and update your drivers, to ensure that you may benefit from future updates of ArchiCAD!

Re-blogged from: www.archicadsa.org/2013/03/20/change-to-codemeter-free-on-ssa-in-sadc
Graphisoft SA Update: 
www.archicadsa.org/2013/06/18/deadline-extended-free-wibu-to-codemeter-exchange-on-ssa

About MultiCad
MultiCad Design Solutions CC. was founded at the end of 2010 by Francois Swanepoel as the local ArchiCad Solution Centre for the Western Cape Region, working with Graphisoft South Africa. Francois is an experienced ArchiCad user (2001) and a qualified Graphisoft Registered Consultant since ArchiCad 13 (2010). "MultiCad" also serves end users as an accredited Graphisoft Trainer & User Support Center in both the Western & Eastern Cape. "MultiCad" is a national Reseller in South Africa.

We are a growing team, committed to helping you to achieve the best results with your software and resources. We also offer BIM Consulting services to assist with Project planning & Template setup, Teamwork, Collaboration, Energy Evaluation and Visualization. MultiCad Design Solutions delivers products and services with relevant and effective solutions to professionals in Building Design, Construction and Management. Our "Solution Ecosystem" is defined as follows:
MultiCad | MultiBIM | fusionBIM

Graphisoft has announced their next live online webinar and the subject is one close to my heart.

This "extra work" was partly an outlet for a neglected part of my being while mostly spending time on documentation of the next and the next project. Make no mistake, I love doing well documented and detailed drawings and specifications, but fiddling with render materials, backdrops, furniture and landscaping to dress up my model to near perfection is more like a "love sport" than a job. Hours of mindless dreaming and "free flight" of the creative spirit.

For nearly my whole career I used to do all my renderings from start to finish in ArchiCad. No Artlantis, Pov-Ray or any other external render engine. Just me pushing ArchiCad to it's utmost limits, doing re-runs of a single scene till it's time to accept that we have achieved our full potential. The time was of no concern.

Then came the Lightworks Render Engine in ArchiCad 9. That was like a brand new bycicle to a 10 year old!
Man that was so much fun . . . I could do so much more in terms of lighting quality and anti-aliasing . . .
AND THE SPEED!! oh boy did I have fun (some times getting paid doing that :-)

Beta testing ArchiCad 17 is exciting and I expect some major changes for many of our users in terms of workflow, standards and production output. Our local industry has been in turmoil the last 3 years+ with totally new legislation regarding Energy Efficiency in Buildings (NBR Part-XA & SANS204) being implemented not long ago. Not everybody has adapted fully yet. Many are complaining. Others are taking advantage of new opportunities. ArchiCad 17 will take our work to a whole new level of detail . . . and yes, it might mean a new learning curve for those that were slow to get into "the Energy Efficiency thing". Graphisoft is really listening to the users and keeping up with the changing industry by giving us what we need and much more.

All this actually makes me very excited for the future of ArchiCAD and BIM in South Africa specifically and curious about what the agenda for this webinar will be like. Expecting to see and hear new things to add to my
Plus-list for 2013. Why don't you come and join us for this live event. Details below . . . see you there.

About MultiCad
MultiCad Design Solutions CC. was founded at the end of 2010 by Francois Swanepoel as the local ArchiCad Solution Centre for the Western Cape Region, working with Graphisoft South Africa. Francois is an experienced ArchiCad user (2001) and a qualified Graphisoft Registered Consultant since ArchiCad 13 (2010). "MultiCad" also serves end users as an accredited Graphisoft Trainer & User Support Center in both the Western & Eastern Cape. "MultiCad" is a national Reseller in South Africa.

We are a growing team, committed to helping you to achieve the best results with your software and resources. We also offer BIM Consulting services to assist with Project planning & Template setup, Teamwork, Collaboration, Energy Evaluation and Visualization. MultiCad Design Solutions delivers products and services with relevant and effective solutions to professionals in Building Design, Construction and Management. Our "Solution Ecosystem" is defined as follows:
MultiCad | MultiBIM | fusionBIM

About MultiCad
MultiCad Design Solutions CC. was founded at the end of 2010 by Francois Swanepoel as the local ArchiCad Solution Centre for the Western Cape Region, working with Graphisoft South Africa. Francois is an experienced ArchiCad user (2001) and a qualified Graphisoft Registered Consultant since ArchiCad 13 (2010). "MultiCad" also serves end users as an accredited Graphisoft Trainer & User Support Center in both the Western & Eastern Cape. "MultiCad" is a national Reseller in South Africa.

We are a growing team, committed to helping you to achieve the best results with your software and resources. We also offer BIM Consulting services to assist with Project planning & Template setup, Teamwork, Collaboration, Energy Evaluation and Visualization. MultiCad Design Solutions delivers products and services with relevant and effective solutions to professionals in Building Design, Construction and Management. Our "Solution Ecosystem" is defined as follows:
MultiCad | MultiBIM | fusionBIM