Archinect - News

Rayon unveils Norman Foster-backed design tool for developing architectural plans

2023-09-27T09:00:00-04:00

Architectural software developers Rayon have launched a new design tool to “enable seamless collaboration across AEC industries.” The software, which shares its company’s name and is backed by funders including Norman Foster, is a browser-based tool that allows teams to collaborate on 2D floor plans in real-time.

Video credit: Rayon

Launching out of beta today, the Rayon tool was created to “end the dominance of legacy software in AEC.” While noting that such tools were groundbreaking when launched, the company argues that the high-performance specifications and licensing costs required for their use present a barrier to collaboration. “As a result, only using PDFs to share files makes it hard for professionals to transmit and share data, while the industry remains captive due to proprietary file formats,” the company explains.

Image credit: Rayon

As a result, Rayon supports filetypes such as images, PDFs, DWGs, and DWFs, and includes drawing, annotation, layout, and styling featur...

Stability AI launches free sketch-to-image tool

2023-07-17T13:32:00-04:00

AI developers Stability AI have announced the release of Stable Doodle, a sketch-to-image tool that “converts a simple drawing into a dynamic image, providing limitless imaging possibilities to a range of professionals and hobbyists.”

Accessible through Stability AI’s Clipdrop platform, Stable Doodle translates sketches drawn directly into its interface and currently does not support hand-drawn sketches being uploaded to the platform. Having drawn a sketch, users can enter a supporting text prompt to explain the scene, as well as select preferred styles including photographic reality and comic book art.

“Stable Doodle is geared to both professionals and novices, regardless of their familiarity with AI tools,” Stability AI explained in a blog post. “With Stable Doodle, anyone with basic drawing skills and online access can generate high-quality original images in seconds.”

Stable Doodle joins other web-based, AI-driven tools in Stability AI’s portfolio. The company is also the creat...

Free tool to measure embodied carbon at early design stage launched by Sasaki

2021-12-07T10:45:00-05:00

Sasaki has launched a free tool to help designers to assess a proposal’s carbon emissions from early in the design process. The Carbon Conscience App, which builds on a year-long internal research project within the firm, seeks to differentiate itself from rival applications which require extensive detail on form, materials, and quantities, and instead focuses on use in early concept stages.

The app is centered around a geographic map interface, upon which designers can allocate land to buildings and landscapes. By inputting preliminary data such as the number of floors, basic material decisions, and ecosystem typologies in the case of landscapes, the app generates estimates for carbon emissions, carbon storage, and carbon sequestration.

Carbon Conscience App interface. Image: Sasaki

“The user can compare design options, test alternate land uses, structural systems, and landscape and façade materials—and see the impact of their choices,” explains Sasaki. “By switching from turf t...

Cloud computer startup vagon announces a COVID-19 support package for architects and students

2020-04-27T09:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by vagon

We are all looking for ways to continue creating as much as we can during the Covid-19 pandemic. Plus, some designers and architects all over the world are doing their best to contribute collaborative design efforts. However, not being able to access a good workstation is a limiting factor for all. The cloud computer startup “vagon” has announced a special support package via Archinect for architects, designers, and students to solve that.

vagon provides private cloud computers built to run high-performance applications. They began out of the frustration a lot of us have faced – the lack of computer power required for the software we use and other options that are just too complicated. Their focus was a “Click & Use” computer system that would provide the power whenever you need it with the ability to add more power with one click.

Courtesy of vagon.

It’s a computer in the cloud you can use, install software, render, etc, just as you would on a c...

New app identifies construction design hazards

2019-08-12T14:30:00-04:00

Researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland have introduced a multimedia app for architects and designers that identifies construction hazards related to building design elements using video and images.

Led by Professor Billy Hare of Glasgow Caledonian University, the team of researchers tested the application among a pool of 40 designers that included "an even mix of experienced and novice architects and engineers." The team asked the group to review a set of CAD drawings for design-related hazards. Half of the participants used the app and the other half used the internet.

"Those using the app identified 599 hazards, or three to five times more incidences by architect and engineers, respectively, than those using just the internet," writes Kim Slowey of Construction Dive.