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Transcript of Arcon 3D Visual Architecture
The complete solution for all your building design requirements
2D to 3D professional
CAD Softwarearconvisual architecture
ARCON Self-builder
Edition
The ideal tool for
2D plans & 3D
models for home
renovations or a
self-build project
Increased flexibility
& scalable projects
allow for larger
designs including
multiple properties
Our most advanced
toolset for all your
needs including
complex domestic &
commercial designs
The full Architect
edition plus enhanced
rendering for
professional quality
3D visualisations
ARCON Developer
Edition
ARCONArchitectEdition
ARCONArchitect +Renderer
2
What is ARCON Visual Architecture?
Easy-to-use 2D & 3D CAD Applications for Architects, Building Professionals,
Self-builders & Home Improvers
Eleco Software provide CAD applications dedicated to designing building exteriors and interiors. Detailed plans can be
rapidly drawn and cross-sections and side elevations can be generated automatically on screen. By utilising a simple-
to-use interface with dedicated tools for each part of a design, users can plan out and see their ideas in full 3D simply
by drawing a 2D plan. This is what makes ARCON software the perfect choice if you are new to CAD or want
something to compliment your existing CAD software.
Created for use by professionals, but quickly adopted by the self-build market, ARCON Visual Architecture has since
been discovered by many other users over the years. The simplicity and speed with which plans can be created makes
it the ideal tool for planning and visualising projects including self-builds, extensions, loft conversions, renovations and
all aspects of a building project. Due to ARCON's success as one of the leading 2D/3D home design applications, it
continues to be demonstrated at the major self-build and home improvement shows including Homebuilding and
Renovating Show, UK’s number one self-build show.
Which Edition Should I Choose?
Following many years experience in bringing 2D & 3D CAD software to the market, we have been able to identify our
main user groups and their particular needs. In the latest range of ARCON software we have therefore been able to
tailor the toolset to the specific requirements of each user group. These user groups are reflected clearly by the new
naming convention we have chosen for this latest range, which should help you to easily identify the edition which
suits your needs.
A full explanation of the key features of each version is explained in detail on the individual pages in this brochure and
an in-depth full feature list and comparison is available at the end.
Key features of all ARCON Visual Architecture Editions
Create professional drawings ideal for
planning applications With fast and accurate drawing tools, creating scaled floor
plans, elevations and cross-sections is one of the key
strengths of the ARCON system. All plans and elevations
are produced to scale with flexible control over scale,
paper size and measurement units. All of our ARCON
home design software packages also come complete with
our built-in Creative Lines package. This provides even
greater control of your layouts, enabling you to produce
single pages containing multiple views and floor plans.
Ideal for planning applications, floor plan presentations to
clients or service information for each trade.
Used by architects
& building
professionals
worldwide For over 15 years, ARCON
has been the choice home
design software system
for thousands of building
professionals, architects
and self-builders. Working
closely with our users we continue to develop and
support our ARCON system to ensure it can be adapted
to even the most demanding design project.
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No CAD knowledge required One of the main advantages of the ARCON system over a
traditional CAD system is the use of a modular toolset.
Designed specifically for building design we have been
able to create an intuitive set of modules to guide you
logically through the design process. This means it's
simple for anyone to learn, both experienced professionals
and novice amateurs embarking on their first self-build
project.
2D plans to 3D models in a single click Creating realistic 3D models for visualisation couldn't be
simpler. Draw your floor plans in a traditional 2D plan view
and your 3D model is created automatically at the same
time. With a single mouse click or key press you can then
enter the 3D mode to view your design, modify finishes
and fittings and take a virtual tour of your building.
Automatic and manual dimensions tools 2D plans and elevations in ARCON are always drawn to
scale (which you have full control over) and accordingly
there are many ways of displaying important dimensions
and measurements. Set automatic dimensions to display
as you draw, choose from many styles of dimension line to
add manually, use height point dimensions on elevations
and cross-sections, easily add room areas and volumes
and even angle dimensions.
Produce simple or complex roof designs For simple roof constructions you can select from any of
the standard roof types in the library and simply drag and
drop into position and amend pitch etc. as required.
Alternatively use the free form roof editor to create
complex roof designs for more unusual shaped buildings.
Easily edit the roof settings from pitch and eaves height
right through to wood construction details. Then modify
the roof easily with dedicated tools for dormer windows
and skylights.
Easy to use interface for planning and
design The modular toolset enables us to provide tools and
icons for specific elements of the design in a logical
manner. Easily identifiable, each tool will guide you
through a particular part of the design process and will
be familiar to anyone having used Windows based
software. Each tool can be customised and adapted to
your preferred drawing style with full flexible options,
easily accessed at any time.
Drag & drop or numeric input methods Everyone has their preferred working methods and styles
and so in ARCON we reflect this by providing multiple
methods for achieving construction tasks. Use simple
drag & drop to insert objects, point and click to place
walls or use numeric input methods to enter dimensions
such as wall lengths.
Create estates
and multi-
building
developments With the ability to
create multiple buildings
per project file, ARCON
is flexible enough to enable you to design entire
developments and plan estates. Easily save a design and
load multiple copies into your project to create a
complete development. Use the independent railing tool
to manually add rails around decks, walkways or gallery
landings.
Metric and imperial measurement units Unlike similar systems, ARCON is created to cater for
either metric or imperial measurement units. Define your
preferred units for each project whether it's metres,
millimetres or feet and inches. Even swap from metric
and imperial and back again at anytime.
With the same control over scale and the ability to
include or exclude interior furnishings and objects.
Combined with the architectural mode display, cross-
sections will show detailed wall construction detailing.
With cross-sections in place, toggle into design mode to
display the cross-section in 3D.
Powerful measuring and ruler tools For simple design ideas, drawings in ARCON can easily
be created freehand. However for the majority of
projects you will need to know that your plans are
accurate. ARCON software contains many tools to ensure
that your drawing elements are spaced and aligned
correctly. With powerful guidelines, rulers, origins, grids
and measures you can be certain that your plans will be
correct every time.
Customisable wall construction types,
including cavity walls Walls come complete with a number of standard settings
in the library. These wall settings can be completely
customised to change the library or create your own for
future projects. Walls can be completely customised right
down to specifying each individual layer of a wall. This
makes the walls tool easily able to cater for cavity walls,
sips, solid stone or even straw bales.
4
Advanced wall outline editing Take full control of the profile of your walls for maximum
design flexibility. Decide how and where walls interact with
features such as stairs and roofs. Manually edit individual
wall profiles to recreate unusual shapes, architectural
features of even garden walls.
=
Integrate balconies and railings Balconies can be attached to your floor plans using the
simple balcony outline tool. Define the size and placement
of the balcony and it will automatically integrate with your
existing walls, placing parapet walls and/or railings where
needed. Take full control of the railings to change style,
size, and shape right down to specifying the fitting
method.
View 2D & 3D views simultaneously Whilst it only takes a single key press or click of the
mouse to toggle between the 2D construction mode and
the 3D design mode, there are occasions when you may
want to see both at the same time. Simply enable the 3D
preview and watch everything you draw in 2D replicated in
3D as you design.
Define the site, plot or landscape Use the define landscape tool to mark the boundaries of
your building plot or site. Break the area down into
individual gardens, driveways and paths using the ground
area tool. The add contours using the land topography
tools or even individual height points for a realistic
visualisation of your building plot.
Create 2D & 3D cross-
sections Our section tool enables you to create
both elevations (by placing the section
line outside the building) and cross-
sections (by placing the section line
through the building).
Over 1300 textures and materials for
decoration Apply textures to surfaces, objects, fixtures and fittings to
change their appearance and style. The add materials to
provide reflective surfaces, glass properties and mirrored
finishes.
Create split level buildings Not all building plots are level and often a design will
need to include split levels within the building. This could
range from a simple step-down kitchen through to a
hillside home staggered with the slope of the site. By
using the 'multiple building' concept within ARCON it is
simple to overcome these design issues enabling you to
create design solution perfectly suited to your plot
requirements.
Modify existing walls with flexible
editing tools The ARCON system provides you with the flexibility to
produce drawings in your own way and when you need
to change your plans, nothing could be simpler. With a
complete suite of wall editing options available,
amending, modifying or adding to your drawings is quick
and intuitive. Simply select the tool that matches what
you want to change and edit the wall. With options to
enable you to change lengths, angles, wall ends, splitting
walls, merging and trimming walls you can always
ensure your designs can evolve with your requirements.
Enhance your 3D
scene with picture
backgrounds Select from one of the
photographic backgrounds
included or use your own to
provide a greater insight
into how your design will
look in situ.
Generate elevation
views automatically By using the section tool to
designate the start and end
viewpoints, an elevation
can be generated
automatically for everything visible within the boundaries
of the section. The section tool enables you to define the
scale of your elevation (which can be different for the
floor plans) and specify whether to include one or more
buildings or just an individual floor. Multiple sections can
be added within a project to easily provide the standard
front/rear/side elevation views.
Increase your library with import
options Need a specific texture or object? Can't find anything
suitable in the library? Easily add to the library to
increase your options. Textures can be added in the
common bmp format, enabling you to take images from
the web, catalogues or you own images. Furthermore
add more 3D objects to your catalogue by using the
import feature to import files in the widely used 3DS
standard.
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Over 7000 furniture items and objects
included The standard library contains over 7000 3D models for the
furnishing and fittings of your project. Included are objects
for bathrooms, kitchens, living areas, dining, gardens,
offices and many more. All objects can be amended and
modified, resized and adjusted as required.
Check lighting and shadows By selecting to use the variable daylight settings to light
your 3D model, you are able to select your location
anywhere in the world by entering your latitude and
longitude (or pick your closest town/city). Then choose a
date and time and see the impact of the lighting from the
sun. Calculate where shadows are cast from all elements
within the project. Alternatively use artificial lighting in
night time mode to light your interiors.
Share information with advanced export
functions ARCON provides many ways to share your plans, drawings
and models. Create image files of your 2D and 3D views,
save your plans as pdf files, produce a 3D model in o2c
format to share with clients or export your plans in CAD
formats compatible with other software systems.
Create tiling plans on walls and floors Use the tile planner macro to define unique and complex
tiling patterns to decorate both floors and walls.
3D virtual walkthrough Analyze your design in detail with the 3D walkthrough
function. Enter and explore your 3D model to check for
space issues and practicality of design. With animated
door and window information, check your plans will work
for you.
Import/Export DXF & DWG Many alternative CAD systems will produce files in the
common DXF/DWG file types. ARCON is no exception
and will enable you to produce 2D plans and elevation in
DXF or DWG format. Additionally, some versions will also
enable you export your 3d models into the 3D DXF
format. It is also possible to import DXF/DWG files into
your ARCON projects, enabling you to use them as the
basis for creating your project.
Includes Creative Lines 3.5 Included as standard in all our new ARCON visual
architecture range is the latest version of Creative Lines.
Creative Lines is our stand-alone 2D drafting tool that is
an ideal companion to ARCON. Simply export your
completed drawings to Creative Lines with the in-built
automatic transfer button and you can add enhanced
detailing, experiment with different layouts or breakdown
all elements into
individual line items
for complete control.
ARCON Self-builder Edition - Key Features
An ideal package for the self-builder or home re-modeller looking to design their own home,
extension or complex renovations. The toolset includes the ability to produce scaled accurate
drawings for planning submissions together with automatic 2D to 3D model creation. This
allows you to instantly view your designs in 3D with virtual walkthroughs to ensure that your
design works for you.
The simple to use interface and quick drawing method means you can experiment with multiple
layouts and designs quickly until you find the building that works for you. With a toolset
dedicated to home design, the ARCON Visual Architecture Self-builder Edition will help you to
realise your designs quickly, saving you both time and money on expensive mistakes and re-
designs.
Create up to 15 buildings and 50 floors Use multiple buildings to create complex designs, split
level buildings or multiple dwelling projects. By using
multiple buildings on a single project you can cater for
large self build projects to include outbuildings or
neighbouring properties.
In ARCON we can often use the concept of multiple
buildings to enable complex structures to be created which
provides maximum flexibility for all types of design.
The Self-builder Edition comes complete with an allocation
limit of 50 floors per building, enough for even the most
ambitious self-builder!
Select and edit multiple construction
elements over multiple floors Using this new feature enables instant editing of multiple
instances of an object. Ideal should you realise that
you've placed a window in the wrong position and
subsequently copied it across fifty floors. This function
enables you to select all instances of the same element
and simply delete them from all floors at the same time.
Define worksheet display All our ARCON software titles come with multiple display
types and options. Within the 2D construction mode,
choose between the standard 2D floor plan view or a
more traditional architect style view. Set up your
projects to your preferred standard and style when
creating a new project or toggle the view types as you
progress.
Manipulate objects and furniture in
construction mode ARCON home design software has two distinct modes for
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ARCON Developer Edition - Key Features
As the construction market continues to be competitive, many building professionals need the
tools to ensure they can keep costs down and win over clients. ARCON Visual Architecture
Developer Edition has been created with the demands of developers and construction
companies in mind. Enabling you to create small developments by utilising multiple buildings
and multiple floor apartments, the Developer Edition is perfect the independent contractor.
With the ability to create 2D plans for planning permission quickly and easily, then further
enhance the 2D drawings with building regulation information or trade specific information, the
Developer Edition is a great tool to provide you with more control over your designs. Add in the
ability to quickly show your plans to clients in full 3D and you have a flexible package for plan
creation and customer satisfaction.
Contains all the features of ARCON Self-Builder Edition plus the following:
Create up to 40 buildings on a single plan The concept of utilising multiple buildings within a single project file enables ARCON to provide superb level of
flexibility for all your design requirements. Within a single project the Developer Edition can cater for up to 40
buildings. This enables large scale designs to be created including domestic and commercial estate developments. In
ARCON we can often use the concept of multiple buildings to enable complex structures to be created which provides
maximum flexibility for all types of design.
working, each with it's own toolset. For creation of the
building we use the 2D 'Construction Mode'. This enables
all of your construction drawing elements to be created
and is used to design your building. 'Design Mode' is
specifically for reviewing, manipulating and decorating
with full 3D visualisation.
In design mode we can add, adjust and position objects,
furniture and decorative items including re-sizing and
rotating. New in Self-builder Edition comes the ability to
also manipulate object alignment and positioning in
construction mode.
Enhanced wall editing tools All walls within ARCON visual architecture are fully
customisable, enabling you to edit wall structures right
down to each individual layer, create custom wall types
and of course set dimensions and joints. Our enhanced
wall editing tools provide greater flexibility than ever
before to enable walls which have already been placed in a
project to be manipulated quickly to achieve your design
requirements.
Multiple point section tool A key feature in all ARCON software titles is the ability to
quickly and automatically generate elevations and cross-
sections by using the 'section tool'. Simply drop a section
line across the viewplane see the results quickly and to
scale. In addition to the existing section line options, the
new multi-point section line enables greater flexibility of
the view to provide greater selection over the items that
should be included in the view. This tool enables you to
create composite elevation/cross-sections for different
parts of the building.
Modify ceiling cutout display Ceiling cutouts, whether created manually to provide
gallery landings double height rooms or automatically for
staircase designs, can be difficult to convey in a 2D
drawing. With the new modification options, ceiling
cutouts can be identified with their own unique fill
pattern and line style to help quickly identify these
features on your 2D plans.
Edit construction elements in 3D Each element within ARCON is editable and
customisable. Often however you need to ensure you are
in the correct mode (construction mode or design mode)
in order to make the necessary changes. However with
the release of the new ARCON versions the majority of
construction elements of your building can now be
accessed and edited from within the 3D design mode.
Height point 2D display One of the most useful tools for those creating accurate
landscaping designs is the ability to insert individual
height points within the plot area to create realistic
terrain contours and plot designs which closely mirror
your real world scenario. The height points tool has been
refined to improve the process of editing and amending
your landscape contours.
Windows within curved and rounded
walls Insert windows within any curved wall to generate a
stylish and contemporary design. The flexibility to add
windows into curved walls enables modern designs to be
created where non-traditional materials are being used.
This feature also makes bay windows and older period
property designs much simpler.
7
Create buildings of up to 100 floors Developers can often be faced with the design and
creation of apartment blocks or commercial office suites.
Within ARCON, designing multiple storey buildings
couldn't be easier as entire floors (including fixtures,
fittings and furniture) can be copied to form the rest of
the building. This enables a 100 storey design to be
created simply by drawing a single floor. The Developer
Edition comes complete with an allocation limit of 100
floors per building to allow for large scale designs to
quickly be created.
Import image overlays for construction
design A common request is to be able to use existing plans in
ARCON as the basis for your drawing. With it's ability to
import DXF files, ARCON is great if you have access to
CAD drawings. However often, especially for older
properties, plans are only available on paper. The
Developer Edition now comes with a background import
feature to enable you to use common image types (JPG,
BMP etc.) and set the scale. This opens up the
possibilities of using scans of older plans as the basis of
your new designs.
Export directly to Real Time Renderer
with full lighting ARCON Real Time Renderer is the latest development in
our 3D visualisation range. Using the Real Time Renderer
enables you to add greater detailing to your 3D models
with enhanced texturing and materials, greater control
over shadows and reflections and full scenic image
integration. The export feature provides the facility to
format your 3D models from ARCON with all the relevant
lighting detail ready to enhance your models in Real Time
Renderer*
*N.B. Real Time Renderer available separately. Not
included in this edition.
Convert ARCON drawings directly to
Adobe® PDF files ARCON now includes pdfMachine by Broadgun Software
allowing you to create, save and send PDF files directly
from ARCON.
PdfMachine is the
perfect and
complete solution
for anyone that
often sends
drawings and
other documents electronically to clients, colleagues,
business partners and plan printing companies.
Design custom doors
and windows, complete
with parts lists The standard door and window
libraries within ARCON contain
substantial numbers of different
styles and types of door and
window fixtures. Each can be
amended, re-sized and re-textured. Within the Developer
Edition, we also include a macro feature to enable you to
design your own doors and windows from scratch.
Each element can be designed pane by
pane, enabling full control over size,
style, opening methods, handles,
hinges and locks. Your designs are
then added to your library for use on
any future project. Once your building
has been completed and your created
doors and windows added, easily
produce a parts list to display the
information for each fixture and the
total number of each type within the
build.
Navigate complex designs quickly with
room viewer With larger scale projects comprising multiple floors or
multiple buildings it can be difficult to keep track of
individual room layouts, decorations and viewpoints.
Whilst it is simple to navigate around your plans, often
when demonstrating to clients you may need to be able
to easily toggle to specific areas within a build to
demonstrate design ideas. Using our Room Viewer and
our Project View Manager enables you to create
waypoints of chosen views and specific rooms of interest
to automatically select the same viewpoint each and
every time.
Import 3DS files Import 3DS format files of 3D models to add to your
object library.
Export projects to 3DS Used in the majority of high-end 3D modelling and CAD
tools, 3DS is one of the industry standard file formats for
the creation and sharing of 3D models. Used widely within
many software applications, the ability to export your
designs to 3DS format enables greater opportunity to
share your designs.
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Export to VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling
Language) VRML is a modeling language for specifying interactive
animation. Text descriptions of geometries are
downloaded and those geometries are created locally.
VRML allows Web developers to create three-dimensional
(3D) space and 3D objects in full color with special
texture, animation, and lighting effects. This means you
can move in three dimensions on a VRML Web page as
you do with a video game or flight simulator. The VRML
export feature enables you to share your 3D information
with other applications using this method.
ARCON Architect Edition - Key Features
A powerful and extensive CAD package for all aspects of building design, our ARCON Visual
Architect Edition is the most flexible design package we provide. The Architect Edition has been
created following extensive research with our experienced users and architects to ensure that it
easily fulfils the most demanding set of requirements. Complex customisation options, huge
scope for complex multi-level buildings and large scale developments means that this is the
only CAD solution you will require.
Fully scoped to allow for large scale projects as well as simple domestic designs, our Architect
Edition building design software is ideal for quickly creating designs to meet your clients brief.
Additionally, the inclusion of automatically generated elevations and 3D models enables you to
quickly meet the requirements of the most demanding of clients. The speed and simplicity of
making changes to plans means that as requirements evolve, you can evolve plans to meet them, resulting in
satisfaction for your customers.
Contains all the features of ARCON Developer Edition plus the following:
Create up to 50 buildings on a single plan The concept of utilising multiple buildings within a single
project file enables ARCON to provide superb level of
flexibility for all your design requirements. Within a single
project the Architect Edition can cater for up to 50
buildings. This enables large scale designs to be created
including domestic and commercial estate developments.
In ARCON we can often use the concept of multiple
buildings to enable complex structures to be created
which provides maximum flexibility for all types of design.
Advanced guideline management Guidelines are an efficient and simple way to ensure your
project is drawn accurately and consistently. They enable
you to define dimensions, angles, mid-points and parallel
surfaces and can be used to align any construction item
or furniture object. The advanced guideline manager
provides additional levels of control over your guidelines,
ideal for larger or more complex projects.
Edition this includes the ability to quickly place an alcove
or bay window into a wall already placed within the
project. Simply set the bay dimensions and style, drop
into place and ARCON will make all of the necessary
amendments to the wall structure to accommodate your
design changes.
Create buildings of up to 100 floors Unlike many smaller software packages we understand
that our users will often be faced with the design and
creation of apartment blocks or commercial office suites.
Within ARCON, designing multiple storey buildings
couldn't be easier as entire floors (including fixtures,
fittings and furniture) can be copied to form the rest of
the building. This enables a 100 storey design to be
created simply by drawing a single floor.
The Architect Edition comes complete with an allocation
limit of 100 floors per building to allow for large scale
designs to quickly be created.
Fast and flexible conservatory design With a dedicated module exclusively for the design of
conservatories you can quickly experiment with different
styles and designs to integrate into you project. Create a
library of your conservatory designs to integrate into
future projects or experiment with the designer to create
lantern roofs and orangeries.
Automatic advanced
downpipe editor Adding finishing touches to your designs
often increases the realism of your 3D
models. In ARCON guttering is
automatically added
to roof designs. The
downpipe macro
enables you to quickly
place additional
drainage items which
can be calculated to the correct floor
to roof height. Enables choices of
finish and materials including pvc,
copper and zinc.
9
Custom cabinet designer Enhance your designs and increase your object library
with custom made content. The simple to use cabinet
designer is ideal for creating your own bespoke designs
including cupboards, shelving units, kitchen cabinets,
storage units and wall units. Easily configure the number
of doors and shelves, add handles, feet and other
detailing. Then place your custom objects into you project
or save them to your library for future use.
Extended object catalogue including
swimming pools Add from a selection of swimming pool styles from the
increased object library.
Framework and
support editor Create steel framework
supports and cross beams for
enhanced visuals, particularly
useful for commercial spaces.
Chimney stack positioning tools Ensure chimney stacks are positioned correctly with the
appropriate height settings. Apply the known
measurement from a variety of reference points including
roof apex and roof surface.
Quickly enhance
existing walls with bay
windows Within the ARCON system,
creating walls is very simple and
they can be drawn to any shape and angle, even
including circular and curved walls. In addition we provide
a full suite of tools to easily edit existing walls within a
project. In the Architect Edition this includes the ability to
quickly place an alcove or bay window into a wall already
placed within the project. Simply set the bay dimensions
and style, drop into place and ARCON will make all of the
necessary amendments to the wall structure to
accommodate your design changes.
Advanced control over ceiling detailing Adjust the shape and style of ceiling cut-outs and
recesses including those around stair wells to provide
further control over your 2D plan views.
Advanced roof editing and
enhancement tools Create even more unique or complex
roof designs with the advanced tools.
Easily edit roof overhang profiles,
insert additional polygon points for
greater flexibility of design and automatically add
guidelines in attic rooms for any specified head height.
360 degree panoramic background maker An advanced option for adding a background image to
your 3D model. Using a panoramic image, it can be
wrapped around the building and aligned to ensure that
the correct views are visible from windows on a 3D
walkthrough or from any angle during when saving a
viewpoint. This enhances the realism and enables easier
visualisation of the design in situ.
10
Modify 2D object representation Each furniture item and 3D object used within your
designs is crafted as a full 3D object. When in the normal
plan view your objects are represented by a 2D symbol
(i.e. a top down view). The symbol editor enables you to
change the 2D representation and customise it for your
own requirements. This can help easily identify objects of
different heights, different finishes or even use the
symbol editor to add an item reference or catalogue
number for space planning.
Export direct to o2c with lighting (for
Real Time Renderer) Our Real Time Renderer add-on is designed for those who
want to get more out of their 3D visualisations enabling
you to enhance the level of detail with unique textures,
materials and effects. Our Architect Edition contains a
useful export option to carry over lighting detail from
your models into the Real Time Renderer to save time
when lighting the project for shadow calculations.
Export 3D DXF files The ability to export DXF files in 3D increases the
flexibility when integrating with other CAD software
packages. In a traditional CAD environment creating 3D
designs can be exceptionally time consuming. Creating
the 3D in ARCON is quick and simple and now enables
you to export this 3D model back to other compatible
CAD packages.
Import PLT files Vector-based plotter files created by other CAD drawing
software can be imported into ARCON.
Import HPG files Plotter files created in the Hewlett-Packard Graphics
Language (HPGL) can be imported into ARCON.
ARCON Architect + Renderer Edition - Key Features
Our most feature rich edition, containing a full version of the ARCON Visual Architecture
Architect Edition plus our all new Real Time Renderer package. Architect Edition provides the
largest and most flexible toolset to enable complex, large scale designs to be created and is
therefore suitable for the design of both domestic and commercial buildings. The ability to
create projects containing multiple buildings and many floors ensures that this edition is
suitable for all your requirements.
In addition to the Architect Edition, this package also contains our full stand alone enhanced
rendering tool. The Real Time Renderer takes your 3D models to the next level of detail.
Utilising detailed textures complete with bump-mapping, enhanced shadow and reflection
control as well as full lighting control, the Real Time Renderer makes stunning visuals simple to
achieve. Combined with the ability to fully control scene views with background and foreground detailing and the
ability to apply Photoshop plugins to your 3D models, this edition is the complete planning and visualisation solution
for architects, building designers, interior designers and building professionals.
Contains all the features of ARCON Architect Edition plus Real-Time
Renderer:
ARCON Real Time Renderer Export your models quickly and simply to create high-quality rendering with
ambient shade, real time shade, real time reflections and Photoshop®
plugins. With the ARCON Real Time Renderer your ARCON projects can
quickly and effectively be turned into a full visualisation scene. Its compact
format enables fast scene building combined with close-to-reality quality and
simple handling. Suitable for use by experienced visualisation professionals
or first time users. See each feature below for more details.
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Ambient shadows Take greater control of your shadow detail settings to
create the effect you require for your project and
visualisation style. Control ambience and diffusion of the
light source together with strength and intensity of
shadow detailing to create your distinct style.
Bump mapping Bump mapping is a technique in computer graphics for
simulating bumps and wrinkles on the surface of an
object. With built in bump mapping capabilities, you can
now add greater levels of realism to your textures,
enabling more detailed and realistic visualisations.
Multi-layer textures Combine texture effects such as bump mapping and
reflection mapping onto a single multi-layer texture. This
provides greater creative flexibility enabling you to ensure
you are able to obtain the finish and style you require.
Texture & materials database Thousands of new textures and materials are included in
the new database, unique to the Real Time Renderer.
Take advantage of the new higher quality image settings
to improve your 3D designs with a greater selection of
brick, stone, paving, wood, roof tiles and more.
Additionally edit or add your own textures to the database
for use on future projects.
Real time shadows Reposition, rotate and walkthrough your project with
continual shadow detailing in place to provide consistently
realistic visualisations.
Light source manager Automatically integrate light sources from within ARCON,
add new light sources or combine both. Then select each
light source for additional control including direction,
strength and colour.
Scenery manager Along with layers, use the scenery manager to add
additional fine detailing to your projects. Using 2D PNG
scenic images add plants, people and other items to add
interest to your scene. Pin scenery items in place to
rotate and move with your model when re-positioned.
Real time reflections Reposition, rotate and walkthrough your project with
continual reflection detailing in place to provide
consistently realistic visualisations.
Reflection mapping Reflection mapping is an efficient image-based lighting
technique for representing the appearance of a reflective
surface. This can be applied to any surface and is ideal for
use in water features, polished surfaces, mirrored
surfaces and swimming pools. Adding a reflection map to
these objects will enable them to realistically reflect the
surrounding environment.
Texture picker Using our standard texture pipette and dropper, you are
able to quickly copy and replace textures from one part of
a project to the other.
Layer manager Real Time Renderer introduces the concept of layers to
perfect your scene. A scene can be created from multiple
layers and by using combinations of background (sky,
landscape), mid-ground (your 3D model) and foreground
(fencing, overhanging trees) you are able to quickly build
a photorealistic scene around your 3D model.
Export multiple file formats Export your final scenes as either o2c or e3d format for
use within the relevant model viewer. Save your scenes
as images in the standard formats such as BMP, JPG and
PNG.
Layer manager Real Time Renderer introduces the concept of layers to
perfect your scene. A scene can be created from multiple
layers and by using combinations of background (sky,
landscape), mid-ground (your 3D model) and foreground
(fencing, overhanging trees) you are able to quickly build
a photorealistic scene around your 3D model.
Import multiple file formats Import your models in either o2c format direct from
ARCON or import models in the standard 3DS modelling
format. 2D images for layers and scenery can be
imported in the standard formats such as BMP, JPG and
PNG.
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Scenery & layer library Scenery and layers makes use of PNG file format images
which contain transparent backgrounds. This enables
images to be stacked to create rich, detailed scenes. The
library contains images for both background and
foreground layers and scenic items such as plants and
people. Easily add your own to the library using this
common file format.
Utilise Photoshop® plugins for creative
control ARCON Real Time Renderer is compatible with plugins
created for Adobe Photoshop®. Experiment with
Photoshop® plugins with your models to provide
unlimited creativity. Try line art, or pastel plugins. Use
cell-shading and edge definition filters or any other plugin
that provides you with unique and creative
visualisations.*
*N.B. Photoshop® plugins not supplied.
For a detailed list of ARCON software
features and comparison see over
Normal view
View after plugin filter has been applied
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ARCON Visual Architecture Features and Comparison List
ARCON Architect +
Renderer Edition
ARCON Architect Edition
ARCON Developer Edition
ARCON Self-builder Edition
ARCON Architect +
Renderer Edition
ARCON Architect Edition
ARCON Developer Edition
ARCON Self-builder Edition
ARCON Architect +
Renderer Edition
ARCON Architect Edition
ARCON Developer Edition
ARCON Self-builder Edition
Floor menu Align objects ● ● ● ● Protection View current floor ● ● ● ● Mirror objects ● ● ● ●
Starforce Copy Protection ● ● ● ● View all floors ● ● ● ● Rotate objects ● ● ● ●
Starf rce License - - - - New top & bottom floor - total no 99 99 99 50 Object lights on/off ● ● ● ●
Other software license - - - - Edit floor ● ● ● ● Objects menu
Limits Delete floor ● ● ● ● Load object group ● ● ● ●
Floors- Number o 99 99 99 50 Building menu Save object group ● ● ● ● Reading Encrypted Project Files (ARCON Software) ● ● ● ● View current / all buildings ● ● ● ● Load object ● ● ● ● Saving Encrypted Project Files (ARCON Software) ● ● ● ● New building - o of 50 50 40 15 Save as object ● ● ● ●
Buildings- Number of 50 50 40 15 Edit building ● ● ● ● Place camera position ● ● ● ●
2D Mode Delete building ● ● ● ● Load 3DS object ● ● ● -
Top Menu Bar in 2D Mode Building plan rotation ● ● ● ● 3Ds object conversion tool ● ● - -
File menu Building plan mirror ● ● ● ● Save as o2c object ● ● ● -
New, Save, Open project ● ● ● ● Save & load building into new project ● ● ● ● Save as 3DS data ● ● ● -
Start project assistant ● ● ● ● Room info menu Block insertion editor ● ● ● ●
Project options (scale & measurements) ● ● ● ● Object List ● ● ● - View menu
Project information ● ● ● ● General room info ● ● ● - Object/Texture catalog (docking) ● ● ● ●
Save project as HTML/o2c object ● ● ● - Survey of rooms ● ● ● - Options menu
Import DXF (Standard ARCON) ● ● ● ● Area calculation ● ● ● - Brightness properties ● ● ● ●
Import DWG (Standard ARCON) ● ● ● ● Options menu Viewer (proper ies) ● ● ● ●
Import HPG ● ● ● ● Room info properties - - - - Raytracing (properties) ● ● ● ●
Import PLT ● ● ● ● Wall properties ● ● ● ● Background properties ● ● ● ●
Import 3DS ● ● ● - Door properties ● ● ● ● Walkthrough mode/3DHardware (properties) ● ● ● ●
Export DXF ● ● ● ● Window properties ● ● ● ● Light calculations real time (properties) ● ● ● ●
Export VRML ● ● ● - Skylight properties ● ● ● ● Delete properties ● ● ● ●
Export 3DS ● ● ● - Support propertie ● ● ● ● Construction elements selection ● ● ● ●
Export ARCON object ● ● ● ● Chimney properties ● ● ● ● Top icon Bar in 3D Mode
Export o2c ● ● ● - Floors / ceiling properties ● ● ● ● Additional functions not in Top Menu Bar 3D Mode
o2c with lights ● ● ● - Section properties ● ● ● ● & Top icon Bar 2D Mode
Export 3D DXF ● ● - - Text properties ● ● ● ● Collision control walkthrough mode ● ● ● ●
Export MBA ● ● ● ● Dimension properties ● ● ● ● Plan view ● ● ● ●
Expor HPGL ● ● ● ● Exterior dimension properties ● ● ● ● Plan view texture ● ● ● ●
Save view ● ● ● ● Ruler properties ● ● ● ● 3D Cross section ● ● ● ●
Export BMP ● ● ● ● Display dimensions during input ● ● ● ● 3D View textured ● ● ● ●
Export J G ● ● ● ● Title block properties ● ● ● ● 3D View wire frame ● ● ● ●
Export Windows Metafile ● ● ● ● Room planning properties ● ● ● ● 3D View wire frame hidden surfaces ● ● ● ●
Export Enhanced Windows Metafile ● ● ● ● Program / General setup op ions ● ● ● ● Day, night, variable time of day ● ● ● ●
Email project ● ● ● ● Sound options ● ● ● ● Create AVI ● ● ● ●
PDF export ● ● ● - Save options ● ● ● ● Elevate through floors ● ● ● ●
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Print ● ● ● ● Print options ● ● ● ● Viewer ● ● ● ● Edit menu Save view options ● ● ● ● Camera view ● ● ● ●
Undo ● ● ● ● New view options ● ● ● ● Camera view (record) ● ● ● ●
Redo ● ● ● ● New project options ● ● ● ● Name and save viewpoint ● ● ● ●
Cut, copy, paste ● ● ● ● Zoom options ● ● ● ● Additional viewer no. of 4 4 4 4
Edit dialog (will change via function) ● ● ● ● Snap and select options ● ● ● ● ARCON catalog icon creation ● ● ● ●
Delete all (selectable elements) ● ● ● ● Snap & Select options construction & design mode ● ● ● ● Left icon Bar in 3D Mode
Insert menu Grid options ● ● ● ● Additional functions not in Top Menu Bar 3D Mode
Plan assistant ● ● ● ● Mirror buildings options ● ● ● ● & Left icon Bar 2D Mode
Wall types - standard 7 7 7 7 o2c object options ● ● ● ● Lights on/off ● ● ● ●
Wall types - virtual ● ● ● ● Origin options ● ● ● ● Select and transfer texture/material tool ● ● ● ●
Round room ● ● ● ● Landscape options ● ● ● ● Light calculation for individual rooms ● ● ● ●
Upper / Lower beams ● ● ● ● Guideline options ● ● ● ● 3D Modeller ● ● ● ●
Number of standard doors 59 59 59 59 Windows menu Other Features / Functions
Door edit macro ● ● ● ● New Vi w ● ● ● ● Rendering with soft shadows ● ● ● ●
Number of standard windows 21 21 21 21 Cascade ● ● ● ● 3D Object Editing Tool Advanced 1 ● ● ● ●
Number of extended windows 3 3 3 3 Tile ● ● ● ● 3D Object Editing Tool Advanced 2 ● ● ● ●
Window edit macro ● ● ● ● Top icon Bar in 2D Mode Uses Direct X ● ● ● ●
Stairs Wood 6 6 6 6 Additional functions not in Top Menu Bar 2D Mode Insert doors / windows / skylights in 3D mode ● ● ● ●
Stairs Concrete 6 6 6 6 Room planner ● ● ● ● Object properties transfer tool ● ● ● ●
Stairs Spiral 1 1 1 1 Switch 2D/3D mode ● ● ● ● World locator for light calculations ● ● ● ●
Ramp 1 1 1 1 Architectural display toolbar icon ● ● ● ● Change properties for individual lighting objects ● ● ● ●
Polygonal staircase 2 2 2 2 Camera view ● ● ● ● 2D transfer to CreativeLines ● ● ● ●
Ceiling cut-out ● ● ● ● Left icon Bar in 2D Mode 2D Symbol in 3D Object ● ● - -
Wall cut-out ● ● ● ● Additional functions not in Top Menu Bar 2D Mode Edit wall properties in 3D ● ● ● ●
Additional Ceiling ● ● ● ● Select elements ● ● ● ● General
Outline (block) editor ● ● ● ● Select elements (with polygon) ● ● ● ● Objects / Materials / Textures
Outline (block) editor (contour) ● ● ● ● Multiple copy ● ● ● ● Objects (aco) x 1000 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2
Balcony editor ● ● ● ● Wall types curved 7 7 7 7 Objects (o2c) x 1000 67 67 67 67
Railing editor ● ● ● ● Wall type spline ● ● ● ● Swimming pool object ● ● - -
Object placement in 2D mode ● ● ● ● Wall editing tools 7 7 7 7 Textures (bmp) x 1000 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3
Supports - number of standard 3 3 3 3 Wall editing tool: Intersection ● ● ● ● Materials 442 442 442 442
Supports - additional variable x section 11 11 11 11 Wall editing tool: direction ● ● ● ● mdb Database support for aco/bmp ● ● ● ●
Chimneys 4 4 4 4 Wall direction tool ● ● ● ● Documentation
Roof types 10 10 10 10 Cavity wall editing tools ● ● ● ● Online / context help ● ● ● ●
Dormer types 8 8 8 8 Transfer properties ● ● ● ● Printed getting started ● ● ● ●
Skylight standard types 16 16 16 16 Measure distance ● ● ● ● PDF documentation ● ● ● ●
Skylights Velux types 8 8 8 8 Element - free positioning ● ● ● ● Interfaces ● ● ● ●
Solar PV types types 6 6 6 6 Element - midway positioning ● ● ● ● Active X ● ● ● ●
Solar thermal types 3 3 3 3 Element - set distance positioning ● ● ● ● Active X license control ● ● ● ●
Define area ● ● ● ● Move selected plan (numerically) ● ● ● ● Modules
Define plot ● ● ● ● Other Features / Functions 2D Mode DWG export ● ● - -
Define area cut out ● ● ● ● Dimension plan ● ● ● ● Creative Lines 3.5 ● ● ● ●
Define height points ● ● ● ● Dimension: metric/imperial ● ● ● ● ARCON Real-Time Renderer ● - - -
Insert slope / hill no. of types 10 10 10 10 Preview before load ● ● ● ● o2c player ● ● ● ●
Guidelines no. of 5 5 5 5 Cavity walls ● ● ● ● Macros
Text input ● ● ● ● Wall contour editor ● ● ● ● Advanced tool: Insert bays ● ● - -
Dimension types- number of 6 6 6 6 Wall cut editor ● ● ● ● Advanced tool: Guidelines manager ● ● - -
Height measure 2 2 2 2 Wall cut by stairs ● ● ● ● Advanced tool: Add polygon points to ceiling slab or recess ● ● - -
Angle dimension ● ● ● ● Wall cut by roof ● ● ● ● Advanced tool: Insert roof overhangs ● ● - -
Define section ● ● ● ● Stair Railings ● ● ● ● Advanced tool: Insert additional polygon points to roof ● ● - -
Offset section ● ● ● ● Stair Advanced Railings ● ● ● ● Advanced tool: Automatic guidelines at roof level ● ● - -
2D Cross section ● ● ● ● Stair Construction Detail ● ● ● ● Advanced tool: Adapt height of chimney to roof ● ● - -
2D Cross section with dimensions ● ● ● ● Title block editor ● ● ● ● Display project data as tree ● ● - -
2D Cross section in new view ● ● ● ● Advanced title block editor ● ● ● ● Framework editor: Design framework and support structures ● ● - -
View menu Alternative 2D symbol ● ● ● ● 2D Graphics editor ● ● ● ●
Normal / layout view ● ● ● ● Stretch plan ● ● ● ● Advanced Door and window designer ● ● ● ●
Zoom in / out / all / entire page ● ● ● ● Automatic room area data ● ● ● ● Door and window viewer ● ● ● -
Hatched walls ● ● ● ● Move working sheet ● ● ● ● Window Macro Viewer/parts list ● ● ● -
Roof surface ● ● ● ● Global Raster on/off ● ● ● ● Tile planner / editor ● ● ● ●
15
Wood constructi n ● ● ● ● Rotate Objects in Construction Mode ● ● ● ● Project manager ● ● ● ●
Internal objects ● ● ● ● Ceiling/Floor hatches on/off in section ● ● ● ● Load background picture as transparency in 2D mode ● ● ● -
Dimensions (& automatic exte nal) ● ● ● ● Global settings for view ● ● ● ● Room viewer ● ● ● -
Text ● ● ● ● Architectural view at new project ● ● ● ● XML Export ● ● ● ●
Architectural display ● ● ● ● Selection of all floors ● ● ● ● Pack and go ● ● ● ●
Grid ● ● ● ● Line properties for openings ● ● ● ● Extended ground area assistant ● ● ● ●
Guidelines ● ● ● ● Sections with offsets ● ● ● ● Downpipe generator ● ● - -
DXF layers ● ● ● ● Define section depth ● ● ● ● 360° Panorama Maker ● ● - -
Set origin 4 4 4 4 Heightpoint with circles in drawing ● ● ● ● Cabinet and shelf designer ● ● - -
Compass ● ● ● ● Mousewheel zooming ● ● - - Conservatory designer 4 ● ● - -
Ruler ● ● ● ● 3D Mode
Cameras on/off ● ● ● ● Top Menu Bar in 3D Mode
Landscapes ● ● ● ● Additional functions not in Top Menu Bar 2D Mode
Sections ● ● ● ● Edit menu
Numeric input ● ● ● ● Select all (objects) ● ● ● ●
Title block ● ● ● ● Group objects ● ● ● ●
Enter object position ● ● ● ● Ungroup objects ● ● ● ●
3D preview window ● ● ● ● 3D Object Editing Tool ● ● ● ●
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For further information & ordering:
www.3darchitect.co.uk
tel: 01252 339 132
email: [email protected]
Eleco Software Ltd
Christy Estate, Ivy Road
Aldershot, Hampshire GU12 4XG, UK