Cleaner facade dimensions. Need to dimension the outer edge of a curved curtain wall to the inner edge of a structural column that doesn't physically touch it? One click. Done. 5. Updated Surface Catalog & PBR Materials The built-in library received a massive overhaul with Physically Based Rendering (PBR) materials. Beyond the visual upgrade, the goodie is the "Material Burn" slider .
Terrain holder. A new "IfcAlignment" parameter allows your Archicad terrain model to be read by Civil 3D or InfraWorks as a coordinate-referenced object, not just a dumb mesh. 8. Performance: The "Silent Goodie" Under the hood, Archicad 29 is now native for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) and optimized for multi-threading.
Code compliance. Specify "18 risers max" and draw any flight length. Archicad adjusts the going (tread depth) to fit, flagging only if it goes below legal minimum depth. No more manual decimal math. 7. IFC 4.3 Export for Infrastructure While architects focus on buildings, this goodie is for site planners. Archicad 29 exports native IFC 4.3 support for alignment-based elements (roads, rails, bridges). goodies for archicad 29
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Ready to install? Ensure your add-ons (Grasshopper Connection, BIMx, Landscaping) have been updated to v29 versions. Back up your 28 template first—v29 saves files in a new format that can't be opened in older versions. Cleaner facade dimensions
Instant renovation tracking. Slide the overlay left/right to see exactly what walls were removed or added by the client between survey dates. No more manual redlining. The Verdict: Is it worth the upgrade? If you are on Archicad 27 or earlier, yes, immediately. The Point Cloud snapping and Designer Pattern alone pay for the upgrade within two weeks of renovation work.
Background IFC export. You can now hit "Export IFC" and continue modeling without the spinning beachball. The export runs on a separate CPU core. For large hospital projects, this saves 10–15 minutes per export. 9. The "Teamwork" Goodie: Reservation Filters In Teamwork (BIMcloud), the "Reservation" dialog now has search and filter by element type . Beyond the visual upgrade, the goodie is the
One-click free all dimensions. Instead of scrolling through 500 reserved elements, you type "Dim" into the filter, select all, and release them. This is a lifesaver on deadline day. 10. The "Goodie for Draftsmen": PDF Underlay Comparison You can now import two PDF basemaps (e.g., "Existing_2023.pdf" and "Existing_2025.pdf") and use a split-screen slider to visually diff them.