Design Checker enables users to capture errors as they design, right inside Archicad. Use it at any stage of the design process to validate and improve the quality of your design model geometry and data - a kind of “BIM spell checker”.
Design Checker utilizes a cloud service called Solibri Inside, developed by Nemetschek sister company Solibri. You can use basic functions of Design Checker from Archicad without any Solibri account.
Availability
To use Archicad Design Checker, you need:
•Archicad 26 Update 2 (build 4019) or newer
•Sign-in with Graphisoft ID
•Accept the Conditions of use (this dialog appears when you start Design Checker). Your user identification data will be transferred to Solibri, to verify your eligibility to use Design Checker.
Benefits and basic functions
•No installation needed to use the basic functions of Design Checker, available in Archicad out of the box.
•Since Design Checker works as an Archicad command, there is no need to export files to an external application and import the results, which greatly simplifies your quality assurance workflow.
•You can perform design quality checks early in the design process to guarantee the quality of your design model geometry and data.
Additional functions
To access additional functions of Design Checker:
•Register for Solibri Inside and/or upgrade your account. Please see Solibri Inside.
•Archicad subscribers may also be eligible for a Solibri Inside promotional offer. Please check the Graphisoft website for details.
How it works
1.Open Design Checker with one of the following:
•Click the Design Checker on the main toolbar
•Design > Model Check > Design Checker
2.To continue, check the box to agree to the conditions of use. Your user identification data will be transferred to Solibri, to verify your eligibility to use Design Checker.
The “Design Checker” Palette opens, which lists the available Design Checks. The set of available checks is updated from time to time.
3.In the Settings panel at the bottom of the Palette, do one of the following
•Select a view (all elements in that view will participate in the Check),
•Select elements to run the Check on
4.Click Model Settings.
5.In the appearing Settings dialog, specify an IFC Translator for exporting data to Solibri Inside. We recommend the “IFC4 Reference View-based Export” translator.
Note: If you are using an IFC2x3 translator, make sure that the “Material preservation mode (IFC2x3 only)” field of the “Geometry Conversion for IFC Export” Dialog is set to the “Never explode elements, preservation is not guaranteed”. (See Material preservation mode (IFC2x3 only)
6.In the Design Checker dialog, click any of the available Checks to run it (for example, “General Properties Check”.)
Design Checker generates the required data and sends it to Solibri Inside for checking operations.
The Palette displays the resulting issues, along with their related elements.
In the following image, the “Properties Check” has found that selected elements have several of their basic Properties set to “Undefined”.
•You can select the identified elements to visualize and correct the problems.
•You can also create an Issue in Archicad’s Issue Organizer.