How to use Speckle for Archicad

Speckle currently supports versions: . The connector works on only.

Setup

Install the connector

Install your connector

Open the Archicad connector

In Archicad, select Speckle from the menu.

Select Speckle to open the Archicad connector.

Select Sign in if you haven’t linked your Speckle account.

What is addon registration? What can I do if it fails?

If the Speckle addon doesn’t appear in Archicad’s Add-On Manager, or if a warning icon appears next to it, try unloading the addon and then loading it manually. You can refer to the Archicad Add-On Manager Help for assistance.If the connector installation was successful, you can find the addon file at:

Archicad 29: C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Speckle\Archicad\v3\29\Add-Ons\Speckle.apx
Archicad 28: C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Speckle\Archicad\v3\28\Add-Ons\Speckle.apx
Archicad 27: C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Speckle\Archicad\v3\27\Add-Ons\Speckle.apx

Why is the Speckle plugin not showing up after I installed the connector?

Make sure your version of is one of the supported versions.
Uninstall and reinstall your connector.

Note: Make sure you are not selecting Run as administrator when installing - this will install for the administrator user, and not your own user. Instead, double-click the .exe or right-clicking and then selecting Open to run the installer. Installation issues can also be caused by conflicting plugins.If you’re still experiencing problems, please report it in our Community Forum and include the following information:

Your application version
Your Speckle connector version

What should I do if the plugin UI is empty or unresponsive, or if my application crashes?

If your connector window is floating, try docking it to your application to fix blank UI issues.For major issues, you can sometimes find a log file in your directory at AppData\Roaming\Speckle\Logs. Please report your problem in our Community Forum and include the following information:

Your application version
Your Speckle connector version
A copy of the log

Why can't I add a new account?

This can happen if our desktop service isn’t running. Desktop Service is used for authenticating new accounts. If it’s not running, search for Speckle Desktop Services in Windows search and run it.

How do I uninstall my connector?

All Speckle connectors are installed like any other program. You can uninstall them directly from your system’s Applications. For a full uninstall, you should also remove Speckle Desktop Services as well as your Speckle connector.

How do I update my connector to the latest version?

You can always download the latest version of the connector in the web app. If a new version of the connector is available, you will also see a notification in your connector UI.

Publishing a Model

Select Publish

Choose a project

Select an existing project
or select New Project to create one

Choose a model

Select an existing model
or select New Model to create one

Select objects to publish

In your application viewport, select the elements you want to publish.
Select Publish.

Your model is now published to Speckle and is available to the rest of your team.

What types of Archicad elements can I publish to Speckle?

You can publish all 3D elements that include a mesh, including:

Wall, slab, beam, column
Door, window, curtain wall, skylight, object
Roof, shell, morph, mesh
Stair, railing

Elements that aren’t visible in the 3D view won’t be published.

How do I publish models from Archicad views?

Set the Filter setting to Views while publishing a new version to your Speckle model.
Select the view you want to publish from.

How do I publish models by Archicad element type?

Set the Filter setting to Element Types while publishing a new version to your Speckle model.
Select the element types you want to publish.

How do I see custom properties on my published Archicad elements?

All custom properties appear under the properties field when you select and view an Archicad object in your browser. Custom properties vary depending on the type of Archicad element, and can include:

Element ID, element type, element name, level
Classifications
Dimensional properties
Material quantities
User-defined properties
IFC properties

For IFC properties, the property mapping of the default IFC translator determines what gets exported.

Publishing my model takes a long time. Can I speed it up?

Yes. If element properties aren’t required, you can disable property extraction to speed up the publishing process. To disable property extraction

Open the Send Settings.
Turn off the Include Object Properties option.
Disabling property extraction can significantly reduce publish time.

What doesn't get published with the Archicad connector?

The following items don’t get published:

2D documentation: floor plans, sections, elevations
2D elements: lines, hatches, dimensions
Surface textures

Which element properties aren't published with the Archicad connector?

Some built-in properties under Element Properties > Dimensional Properties aren’t published. This optimization improves publishing speed and avoids redundancy in the published data.

Why does my model have the wrong colors in the web browser viewer?

In the viewer, select the View Modes button in the side bar, and switch the view mode to Shaded. If you still don’t see your object colors, let us know in our Community Forum

Are bitmap or image-based material textures supported?

Image texture files are not supported. Speckle does not transfer bitmaps or other image maps (such as JPG or PNG files) embedded in materials from the source application.Speckle does carry PBR-style material data in general—where a connector maps to it, materials can include properties such as base colour, opacity, metalness, roughness, and emissive colour. That is not the same as shipping texture images: you get numeric material parameters, not image assets used for wood grain, brick patterns, and similar in the authoring tool.Different materials can still appear separately in the destination with distinct colours and PBR fields. What you see may look closer to a consistent shaded or PBR preview than to the full render-appearance with image maps in tools such as Revit or SketchUp. To use image textures in your target application, apply or remap them locally after you publish or load.

Why are some objects that I published missing from my model?

After you publish a Speckle model, click on the Report button to see any errors that may have occurred. Click on any item in the report to highlight that item in your application. Some objects may not be supported for publishing.

Loading a Model

Select Load

Choose a project

Choose a model

Choose a version to load

Latest version is always first.
To load a specific version, select it from the UI.

Your selected model is now loaded in .

How are Speckle models loaded in Archicad?

All objects in Speckle models are loaded as GDL objects (generic models) in Archicad. If your model contains block instances, each instance will be loaded as its own generic model. Each object will be loaded with:

Render material (if any)
Mesh geometry

The loaded GDL objects are organized in folders in Archicad’s embedded library. The folder name is: ´Project Name - Model Name´

How are the loaded GDL objects displayed on floor plan views in Archicad?

Currently, the 2D script of the GDL object generates only cut lines at the floor plan cut plane on each level. Projection lines aren’t shown.

Can I load custom properties in Archicad?

Currently, you can’t load any custom properties on your Speckle model objects into Archicad.

Why was my Speckle model was loaded in an incorrect position?

If you’re loading models published from Revit, ask the author of the model to publish again using the correct reference point from their Revit file. For models from other applications, please request a reference coordination feature in our Community Forum.

Why are some objects that I loaded missing from my model?

After you load a Speckle model, click on the Report button to see any errors that may have occurred. Click on any item in the report to highlight that item in your application. Some objects may not be supported for loading in .

Are bitmap or image-based material textures supported?

Why can't I select a project in the UI—it's disabled?

This happens when you don’t have permissions to load a project. Contact the project owner to change your role.

Can I load a model via URL?

Yes. Next to the search box in the project selection dialog, there’s an Add model by URL option. Paste the model URL there.

​Setup

​Publishing a Model

​Loading a Model

Setup

Publishing a Model

Loading a Model