February 23, 2009

Graphisoft Unveils ArchiCAD Virtual Building Models

Budapest - Graphisoft, maker of virtual building solutions, has introduced an interactive Virtual Building Explorer solution for ArchiCAD 12. The Graphisoft Virtual Building Explorer (VBE) enables architects to present their virtual building projects through a combination of the navigation of a first-person video game with the power of intelligent virtual building models.
Users can navigate through building information models (BIM) using different graphical renderings, such as Hidden Line, Shaded Open-GL, and Global Illumination. Self-running navigation environments can be saved and provided for clients, consultants, and builders who then can freely explore the entire virtual building without holding a license of VBE or ArchiCAD.

"The best thing about the Virtual Building Explorer is that building elements keep their intelligence even in this navigation environment," says Miklos Szovenyi-Lux, vice president of product management at Graphisoft. "You can filter elements by switching layers on and off, you can make accurate measurements in the model, and you can query detailed information of building elements with just a single click."

The English, German, Hungarian, and Japanese language versions of the Virtual Building Explorer ship immediately; further language versions will ship in the coming weeks.