ArchiCAD Keyboard Shortcuts – With PDF Cheat Sheet!

ArchiCAD is one of the more popular BIM cad programs being used today. It’s known for its top-of-the-line solutions for all steps of the design and construction process. If you’ve used it before, you’ll know how versatile and useful it is for handling not just the stylistic and aesthetic parts of a building’s design, but also the technical and engineering part. The learning curve for the software is relatively mild, but if you’re completely new to BIM CAD software, then it might take some time to get the hang of using the program. The interface can be a little daunting since Graphisoft (the developers of ArchiCAD) have crammed a wide range of features into the software. But for the sake of discussion, we’re making the assumption that you’re not a complete novice to CAD programs and to ArchiCAD.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume that you have the gist of opening up the program, creating and saving a project, and opening previously saved projects. With that basic workflow out of the way, the next step would be to optimize how you go about working with files. That’s where keyboard shortcuts come in. It might take a little time to get used to these commands, but once they become second nature, you’ll be breezing through creating and modifying project files like the best of them.

Table of contents

• About ArchiCAD
• ArchiCAD keyboard shortcuts
  • Opening & saving files
  • Drawing & editing
  • Managing groups
  • Miscellaneous editing commands
  • View options
• ArchiCAD keyboard shortcuts: Final notes

About ArchiCAD

ArchiCAD is a BIM and CAD software application for both Windows and Mac systems created by Graphisoft from Hungary. It is primarily used for various architectural processes but is widely utilized in engineering, urban planning, interior design, and other related fields.

ArchiCAD was first developed in 1982 exclusively for the Apple Macintosh. It launched in 1987 with a unique “Virtual Building” concept that has led some to regard it as the first program to use BIM technology. It was the first program to be able to integrate both 2D and 3D geometry and was considered ground-breaking in the amount of data it could store in its 3D models.

The basic features and capabilities of the software include the following:

–        2D and 3D CAD/modeling capabilities – Different tools for drafting make accurate and highly detailed technical drawings possible. And with state-of-the-art 3D modeling tools, architects and designers have the freedom to experiment with an unlimited amount of building forms.

–        Rendering and Visualization – ArchiCAD has built-in rendering capabilities that let users create accurate and photo-realistic interpretations of building plans and drawings. You can also use the program to compile and compose materials for printing.

–        Collaborative features – with its BIM capabilities and built-in access to a central data storage server, collaborating and developing drawings and designs have never been easier.

ArchiCAD keyboard shortcuts

If you’re looking to find a complete list of ArchiCAD’s shortcuts, there’s a way to do so in the program itself. First, click on Work Environments, from there you can access Keyboard Shortcuts under Shortcut Schemes and can click Show Shortcut List in Browser to open up the complete list. It’s about 7 pages long so it could be daunting to go through them all.

Put simply, keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that you press to execute a command on ArchiCAD. Sometimes these shortcuts are just a single button press, often times you have to press a certain combination of 2 or more different keys. Opening a new document, for example, is done by pressing Ctrl + N.

Here are some lists of the more commonly used keyboard shortcuts for ArchiCAD, to help you digest the shortcuts a little easier.

Opening & saving files

Let’s begin with the most essential commands for opening and saving your files. 

Drawing & editing

Commands related to drawing and editing are likely to be the most valuable shortcuts you will use. Simple keyboard shortcuts like ‘selecting all objects within a drawing’ are sure to be a welcome time saver for you.

Managing groups

Creating groups, exploding groups, suspending groups and more can all be controlled with a simple set of keyboard shortcuts.

Miscellaneous editing commands

Here’s a list of handy shortcuts related to the editing process. Commands in this list include a quick method for creating patches, grid snap options and more.

View options

We end our list of the essential ArchiCAD keyboard shortcuts with a selection of view commands. Change zoom level,  pan and switch to 3D views all with simple keyboard shortcuts.

ArchiCAD keyboard shortcuts: Final notes

This seems like a sizeable list, but believe it or not, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ArchiCAD shortcuts. These are some of the more commonly used ones out there, but depending on your own unique workflow, you’ll find yourself using a different set of shortcuts than other users.

Take some time to explore and really figure out how to streamline your working process. Some professionals see fit to even create their own custom shortcuts; we urge you to give that a shot if you’re looking to customize your experience and tailor-fit it to your specific needs. In any case, you can’t really use ArchiCAD to its fullest potential unless you familiarize yourself with keyboard shortcuts, so mastering these commands is key to developing your skill in the software.

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