ArchiCAD quantities / Material quantites in Version 3 connector- Incorrect or missing values
Hi everyone 
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For context:
I have been using Speckle V2 ArchiCAD connector for model sharing and cost calculation analisis for a while now. To quality check the data and my workflow, I created a test model where I know exactly what the areas should be based on fix dimensions. *In this example a wall´s face is 4m x 2.5m = 10m"2 -
Speckle V2 Legacy: Here we get All the parameters available in the model, so we can find the ones relevant for analisis.
-elementProperties→General parameters
The “correct” one is Surface Area = 10m"2 (one wall´s face), while the Area parameter is actulally the Top Surface area of the wall. This is okay as long we can see all the other parameters and fetch the requiered one.
As you might be aware, ArchiCAD has 3 types of “structures” that behave differntly: Basic, Composite and Complex profile
The example I showed is a Basic wall which can only have one material → simplest area values.
If the element is a Composite or Complex, multiple layers are added. With some differences.
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Objective: I want to continue using this workflow in Speckle V3 connector with ArchiCAD28, since I recently upgraded some models from ArchiCAD27.
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Issue: The provided
Areavalue in V3 connector is not correct for walls/ slabs. And due to performance improvents in ArchiCAD V3 not all the parameters are sent, which makes the previously described process less straightforward. -
In this example, I would expect to see the ArchiCAD parameter
Surface Area: 10m"2 (4m x 2.5m = 10m"2), but instead the given value is the sum Areas of All the wall/slab faces: 23.90m"2.
- If the wall/slab is
Composite, then each layer providesvolumeandthickness, but not theSurface Area, only the total area.
I can think of some workarounds to get the desired value, but it gets unnecessarily complex when the wall/slab has openings or when managing multiple elements on a real model…
- For a
Complex profilethe volume/area quantities are not present at all. Which is not ideal considering that such values are visible both inside ArchiCAD and IFC exports.
Our primary focus is obtaining correct values to ensure our estimations are reliable and avoid overestimation due to wrong volume/area parameter use.
Some thoughts:
It will be great to have the possibility to send the quantity-type data with the V3 connector. I think this approach would tackle and solve other element types that might have this same issue (for ex. Beams/Columns, Curtain Walls, Morphs:, Railings & Stairs:, etc… )
I saw that ArchiCAD models have had issues since V2, either causing bottleneck performance or large models not being sent.
[> Archicad - Include Quantities
Missing Properties with NEXT GEN 3.0
Running into timeouts when sending from archicad /w properties
Perhaps a way to solve it, to some extent, would be to have different “export options” in the dialong similar to IFC Export within ArchiCAD, so the user decides what data is important. In essence similar to what Speckle V2 had, but even more specific (see images)
Speckle V2:
ArchiCAD IFC export:
With this IFC export settings, one can get only the quantities without other parameters, reducing the file size. And choose the “correct value” on all building element types according to the analysis needs. Either in Base quantities or Component Quantities set group (see image)
Those parameters would be:
GrossSideAreaNetSideAreaProjected Component Area (Gross)Projected Component Area (Net)
I hope this information is helpful and can be considered. I would love to hear when I can continue with this workflow within ArchiCAD, especially given the potenial on the new Speckle Intelligence feature for data sharing and presentation
Thanks for reading