Graphisoft is crowing gleefully today about its new plug-in for ArchiCAD on the Macintosh, which brings Apple’s latest search technology into the CAD environment. Indeed they should be crowing, for it is the first such deep search capabilities to appear in an AEC CAD program in the Google era.
The latest release of the Macintosh operating system, code-named Tiger, includes a new desktop/web search technology called Spotlight. Graphisoft says that their Tiger plug-in for ArchiCAD allows Spotlight to work deep within the CAD environment, allowing their Macintosh-based users easier access to searchable data within project files.
“The ArchiCAD working experience just keeps getting better,” says Joseph Trott, of Van Meter Williams Pollack architects, as quoted in the press release. “Now with ArchiCAD and Apple’s new operating system, Graphisoft's integrated use of Spotlight adds even more fluidity to the design and working process. I now have easy access to an incredible stack of data with in all my numerous project files right at my finger tips."
Russ Sanders at The Orcutt/Winslow Partnership also comments on Spotlight in ArchiCAD: “Not only does Apple’s Spotlight feature enable me to quickly find files, it can also peer inside my ArchiCAD files to find information. Apple and ArchiCAD continue to impress me with the clarity and power of their interface.”
Graphisoft says Spotlight searches through all information filed in ArchiCAD Project Info and PlotMaker Layout Book Info dialogs. For TeamWork projects, Spotlight can provide information on workgroup members as well as on connected members, last user and version information. Users can search ArchiCAD and PlotMaker project files originally created on a Windows copy of ArchiCAD, as well as track down information using ArchiCAD layer names in any ArchiCAD project on the local desktop.
“Apple has done a great service to developers with this revolutionary technology,” comments Viktor Varkonyi, Vice President of ArchiCAD Product Development. “Instant access to information ensures the most fluid and effective project progression. This Apple collaboration has been a terrific experience for our developers—while providing enormous value to customers, our plug-in was actually great fun to produce.”
ArchiCAD for the Macintosh users who have upgraded to Tiger can freely download the plug-in from the Graphisoft websit at www.graphisoft.com.
Click here for a commentary on this topic by Randall S. Newton at CADwire.net.