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.
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 __________________________ 24
Troubleshooting _____________________________________________ 25
Troubleshooting (MacOS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Troubleshooting (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
File Types in ArchiCAD _______________________________________ 31

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:
www.graphisoft.com/support/archiguide/general_hw_sw/
graphics_cards_review.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:
www.graphisoft.com/support/archiguide/general_hw_sw/
graphics_cards_review.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 Installer, which 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 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.
Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

11

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

13

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.)
Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

15

- 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

17

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

19

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
Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

21

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) five important Keys: Default TrueType Font,
Graphisoft Shared Folder, Large Dialog Font, Preferences 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.
Graphisoft Shared Folder: The ArchiCAD system contains files which
are used by more than one program in the package. (For instance, the
plotter and digitizer drivers are used by both PlotMaker and ArchiCAD.) To
ensure that these files are found in the same place by all the programs, the
ArchiCAD Windows Registry section (see above) contains the Key Name
Graphisoft Shared Folder followed by the path string of the common
ArchiCAD directory. All the programs included with ArchiCAD read this
Registry Key on start-up, and all of the commonly used drivers, extensions
and files are searched, executed, read and written in this directory.
Large Dialog Font: The Key Value defined here is used in ArchiCAD
dialog boxes for any text whose size is at least 12 points.

22

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

Preferences: When you quit ArchiCAD or PlotMaker, the program writes

its current settings (e.g. the size and position of the windows, the currently
active tool, the last used viewpoint, etc.) into two preferences files with
the extensions (.prf) and (.pr&). When you next start the program, it will
look for and read the information stored in these preference files and use
it to set up ArchiCAD or PlotMaker the same way as when you last left it.
The Preferences Windows Registry entry defines the path for these
preferences files.
Note: Since the preferences files are created or modified during the
operation of ArchiCAD, make sure that the Preferences Registry Key
points to a location that ArchiCAD is always able to access for writing.
This is especially important if you choose a directory on a remote
computer on the network.
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
Graphisoft Shared Folder
C:\ArchiCAD 8
Large Dialog Font
MS Sans Serif
Preferences
C:\ArchiCAD 8
Small Dialog Font
Arial

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

23

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.

24

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

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
application selected. You should also have at least 500 MB of free hard
disk space (after installation).
Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

25

- 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.
Vector Fonts:
Folder. Contains vector fonts used in ArchiCAD.

26

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

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 ME. (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:
ArchiCAD.EXE, ArchiCAD.DLL, ArchiCAD.DLG, ArchiCAD.GSH,
ArchiCAD.MNU, ADDONMANAGER.DLL, ATTRIBUTEMANAGER.DLL,
DG.DLL, ELEMENTMANAGER.DLL, FTPUPLOADERSUPPORT.DLL,
Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

27

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.
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

28

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

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).
- 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).
Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

29

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.

30

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

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
Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started

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

31

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

32

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

Graphisoft ArchiCAD Getting Started