Archicad
computer-aided design software
Archicad is an architectural building information modeling (BIM) computer-aided design (CAD) software for Mac and Windows developed by the Hungarian company Graphisoft.
History
Development of Archicad began in 1982 for the Apple Lisa, the predecessor of the original Apple Macintosh. Following its launch in 1987, with Graphisoft's "Virtual Building" concept, Archicad became regarded by some as the first implementation of BIM. However, Archicad founder Gábor Bojár has acknowledged to Jonathan Ingram in an open letter that Sonata "was more advanced in 1986 than Archicad at that time", adding that it "surpassed already the matured definition of 'BIM' specified only about one and a half decade later". Archicad has been recognized as the first CAD product on a personal computer able to create both 2D and 3D geometry, as well as the first commercial BIM product for personal computers and considered "revolutionary" for the ability to store large amounts of information within the 3D model.
Product overview
Archicad is a complete design suite with 2D and 3D drafting, visualization and other building information modeling functions for architects, designers and planners. A wide range of software applications are integrated in Archicad to cover most of the design needs of an architectural office:
2D modeling CAD software – drawing tools for creating accurate and detailed technical drawings
3D Modeling software – a 3D CAD interface specially developed for architects capable of creating various kind of building forms
Architectural rendering and Visualization software – a high performance rendering tool to produce photo-realistic pictures or videos
Desktop publishing software – with similar features to mainstream DTP software to compose printed materials using technical drawings pixel-based images and texts
Document management tool – a central data storage server with remote access, versioning tool with backup and restore features
Building information modeling software – not just a collection of the above-mentioned applications with an integrated user interface but a novel approach to building design called BIM
Features
Using parametric objects
Archicad allows the user to work with data-enhanced parametric objects, often called smart objects by users. This differs from the operational style of other CAD programs created in the 1980s. The product allows the user to create a virtual building with virtual structural elements like walls, slabs, roofs, doors, windows and furniture. A large variety of pre-designed, customizable objects come with the program.
Archicad software offers the flexibility to work with a 2D or 3D representation on the screen.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Archicad” is computer-aided design software. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Archicad, computer-aided and design, not as a finished interpretation.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q506636. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1982, 1987 and 1986.
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This entry incorporates text from “Archicad” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.