Supercharge Your Archicad 19 Workflow with Cadimage Tools If you are still using Archicad 19, you already know it was a landmark release for performance, introducing predictive background processing and a refined UI. However, even with these native improvements, many architects find themselves spending too much time on manual documentation and complex modeling. This is where Cadimage Tools (now often referred to as Ci Tools) become essential.

These plugins are specifically designed to bridge the gap between "standard" BIM and the highly detailed, custom requirements of professional practice. Key Cadimage Tools for Archicad 19

The Cadimage suite for version 19 focuses on productivity and "getting things done with less frustration". Here are the heavy hitters:

Doors + Windows: This is arguably the most popular tool. It allows you to design custom configurations—sliding, folding, or complex glazing—far beyond what the standard library offers.

Coverings: A must-have for detailing. It lets you apply realistic claddings like weatherboards or metal siding in 2D and 3D views automatically.

Cabinets: Designing custom joinery becomes intuitive. You can create accurate kitchen and bathroom cabinetry that schedules correctly.

Keynotes: Eliminates the tedium of manual labeling by linking your notes directly to a database, ensuring consistency across all drawing sets.

Objective: For when standard GDL objects won't cut it. This tool lets you manipulate, bend, and rotate objects in 3D to create custom components on the fly. Why They Matter for Archicad 19 Users

While Archicad 19 introduced features like the 3D Surface Painter and better Labeling, Cadimage tools enhance these by adding specialized parameters. For example, while you can label elements natively, the Keynotes tool automates the "tedious" parts of documentation. Similarly, while Archicad 19's Roof tool is powerful, the Cadimage Coverings tool adds specific "West Coast contemporary" detailing and easier edge adjustments that native tools often lack. Installation & Compatibility

It is important to note that Cadimage plugins are version-specific. A plugin designed for Archicad 20 will not work with Archicad 19. To install them:

How to: Install the Cadimage Tools if you ... - MyCi Knowledge Base

How to: Install the Cadimage Tools if you already have the Cadimage Installer on your computer * Launch the Cadimage Installer. .. MyCi Knowledge Base Cadimage tools - Graphisoft

For Archicad 19, Cadimage Tools (now often referred to under the Ci Tools umbrella) provide a specialized suite of plugins designed to automate complex modeling and documentation tasks.

Below is a breakdown of the primary tools available for this version and how they enhance the architectural workflow. Core Toolset Features

The plugins are designed to solve specific limitations within the native Archicad environment.

Doors + Windows: Offers extensive customization beyond standard library parts, allowing you to create complex openings, unique glazing patterns, and detailed trim in 2D and 3D.

Coverings: Automatically applies realistic claddings, such as weatherboards, shingles, and metal roofing, directly to walls and roofs. It includes built-in accessories like gutters and downpipes.

Cabinets: Enables precise design of custom cabinetry and kitchen layouts with automated scheduling and 3D detailing.

Electrical: Simplifies the placement of smart electrical symbols and automatically generates the corresponding electrical schedules.

Objective: A powerful tool for manipulating and forming custom 3D objects, allowing you to rotate, bend, and cut elements that are otherwise rigid in Archicad. Installation & Version Compatibility

It is critical to match the plugin version exactly to your software version. How to you create cladding of any sort using Archicad 19?

Archicad 19 Cadimage Tools (now rebranded as ) were a collection of specialized plugins designed to speed up architectural documentation and modeling. While older, version-specific versions of these tools are still used by professionals working in Archicad 19 to automate tedious tasks. Graphisoft Community Core Cadimage Plugins for Archicad 19

These tools integrate directly into the Archicad interface to provide more flexible parametric objects. Graphisoft Doors + Windows

: Provides a highly customizable interface for creating complex door and window types that exceed the standard Archicad library limits.

: A dedicated tool for designing custom cabinetry and joinery with automated schedules and accurate 3D representation.

: Allows you to apply realistic external claddings, such as weatherboards or tiles, to walls and roofs in both 2D and 3D views.

: A powerful tool for manipulating and rotating 3D objects in any direction, effectively letting you "form" your own objects. Electrical

: Simplifies the placement of smart electrical symbols and automatically generates the corresponding schedules.

: Automates the annotation process by linking text notes to a database, reducing errors in documentation. Graphisoft Installation and Access

Because Cadimage plugins are version-specific, you must use the specific build designed for Archicad 19 Ci Installer : To get these tools, you typically run the Ci Installer (formerly Cadimage Installer). Version Selection

: Within the installer, you must manually select "Archicad 19" from the dropdown list to download the compatible plugins. Work Environment : After installation, you must load the Cadimage Work Environment to see the tool icons in your menus. Availability Note Cadimage Tools was acquired by Central Innovation , and the brand was transitioned to . While they focus on newer versions like Archicad 29

, legacy installers for version 19 are often still available for existing subscribers through the MyCi portal troubleshooting a specific Cadimage tool within Archicad 19?

What is happening with Cadimage Tools? - Graphisoft Community 31-Oct-2018 —

Title: The Ghost in the BIM

The deadline for the Greenwood Heritage Museum was in forty-eight hours, and Elias was drowning in geometry.

As the lead architect at a boutique firm in Chicago, Elias had been an early adopter of Archicad 19. He loved the software’s freedom, the way it allowed him to sculpt space in 3D without the rigid constraints of the older CAD programs. But for this specific project, freedom was the enemy. The client wanted a restoration that respected the intricate Victorian details of the original structure—bracketed cornices, fluted columns, and filigree ironwork that defied the standard "Wall" and "Column" tools.

For three days, Elias had been trying to model a custom Corinthian capital using native Archicad morphs. It was a nightmare of polygons. Every time he rotated the view, the computer lagged. He was manually pushing and pulling vertices, feeling like a sculptor trying to carve marble with a spoon.

"We’re never going to make it," his junior associate, Sarah, said, leaning over his shoulder with a cup of lukewarm coffee. "The rendering team needs the model by tomorrow morning."

Elias rubbed his eyes. "I know. If I can't get these custom objects to behave, the elevations will look flat. The client will hate it."

Sarah tapped the screen. "You’re doing it the hard way. Remember that installer the IT guy dropped off last week? The suite of plugins? CADimage Tools?"

Elias sighed. "I don't have time to learn new software, Sarah."

"It’s not new software, it’s just... better hands for the tools you already have," she said, sliding a USB drive across the desk. "Just try the Keynote and Covering tools. I used it on the residential project last month. It saved me twenty hours."

Desperation is the mother of innovation. Elias minimized his mangled morph object and opened the installer. CADimage Tools Plugins for Archicad 19. The installation bar zipped across the screen, integrating itself seamlessly into his familiar interface.

He restarted Archicad.

When the project reopened, the menu bar looked the same, but the dropdowns felt heavier—loaded with potential. He clicked on the CADimage menu.

He started with the Keynotes tool. Previously, labeling materials was a tedious process of text blocks and leaders that constantly unglued themselves when the view shifted. Elias clicked the tool, hovered over the complex brickwork he had spent hours modeling, and clicked. A perfectly formatted keynote appeared, already tagged and categorized. He dragged it, and it intelligently snapped to the relevant material. Within ten minutes, his construction documents went from a chaotic scattering of text to a clean, standardized set of notes.

"Okay," Elias muttered, a spark of hope igniting. "That’s useful. But it doesn't solve the column."

He navigated to the Coverings tool. This was the magic. The Victorian columns on the façade needed a specific fluted stone pattern that he had been trying to model with solid geometry. Using the plugin, he selected the standard cylindrical column he had placed as a placeholder.

Instead of modeling the flutes manually, he applied a Covering. He checked the box for 'Fluted,' adjusted the depth and spacing sliders, and watched the preview window update in real-time.

He hit Apply.

The screen flickered for a split second, recalculating the mesh. Suddenly, the smooth, boring cylinder was wrapped in a precise, geometrically accurate fluted stone texture. It wasn't just a 2D texture map; the geometry was there, casting shadows correctly in the 3D window.

"It’s parametric," Elias whispered, a grin spreading across his face. "I can change the flute count by editing the parameters?"

He tested it, changing the number of flutes from eight to twelve. The model updated instantly. No vertex pushing. no mesh errors.

"Sarah!" he called out.

She looked up from her station.

"Remember that complex ironwork railing I was crying about yesterday?" Elias navigated to the stairwell. Using the Railings component of the CADimage suite, he selected the polyline path of the stair. Instead of the generic Archicad railing, the plugin opened a dialogue box that looked like a catalog from a blacksmith. He selected 'Victorian Filigree,' adjusted the post height, and generated the railing.

It appeared on the screen—thousands of polygons representing intricate ironwork—rendered perfectly in the OpenGL view.

"You're smiling," Sarah noted. "That’s terrifying."

"I’m not drowning anymore," Elias said, turning back to his screen. The fear of the deadline had evaporated, replaced by the calm rhythm of efficiency. "I’m actually building."

By 6:00 AM the next morning, the model was complete. Where Elias had expected jagged, simplified shapes, he had a BIM model rich with architectural detail. The elevations were crisp, the notes were automated, and the 3D views looked like a finished rendering.

When the client arrived for the presentation, they stood silently in front of the projection screen.

"We thought you were going to have to simplify the cornice work," the client said, pointing to the detailed 3D section. "We were prepared to be disappointed. But this... this is exactly how it looks in the historical photos."

Elias glanced at the Archicad interface, the custom icons of the CADimage tools sitting quietly in the menu bar, like silent partners who had done the heavy lifting.

"It turns out," Elias said, "that with the right tools, you don't have to compromise on the details."

He saved the file, the progress bar flashing once—a small confirmation that the chaos had been tamed, one plugin at a time.

1. Efficent (Door & Window Scheduling)

The most celebrated tool in the suite. ArchiCAD 19’s native door/window schedules were functional but rigid.

• What it does: Efficent overrides the native schedule system, allowing you to assign hardware sets, finishes, and installation types directly within the door selection settings.
• Key Feature for v19: Dynamic graphic legends. You could generate a live-updating door elevation legend that automatically resized based on the dimensions entered.
• Workflow Win: Automatically count hinges, handles, locks, and architraves, exporting them to a Bill of Quantities (BOQ) without manual data entry.

Typical Use Cases

• Small-to-medium architectural firms that needed to boost documentation throughput without investing in large-scale automation or custom development.
• Project phases with heavy documentation demands (e.g., construction documentation, tender packages) where batch exports and sheet management saved hours per issue.
• Offices migrating legacy CAD workflows into ArchiCAD who required utilities to reproduce familiar annotation behaviors or drawing composition habits.
• BIM managers running model-checks prior to coordination meetings or model handover.

Part 6: Why Choose CADimage for Legacy ArchiCAD 19 in 2025+?

You might ask: Why not just upgrade to ArchiCAD 26 or 27?

Valid reasons to stay on ArchiCAD 19 with CADimage:

1. Hardware Lock: Your office runs on older workstations that cannot handle the GPU demands of newer ArchiCAD versions.
2. Legacy Project Maintenance: You have a five-year warranty period on a large project. Migrating to a new ArchiCAD version mid-warranty risks corrupting renovation filters or graphic overrides.
3. Perpetual License: Many v19 users hold a perpetual license (no subscription). Upgrading forces a subscription model. CADimage provides the missing features without the monthly fee.

Caveats:

• No cloud collaboration (BIMcloud Basic is deprecated for v19).
• No support for modern IFC 4x3.
• CADimage no longer provides technical support for v19 plugins.

Part 1: The State of ArchiCAD 19 & Third-Party Extensions

By 2015, ArchiCAD had matured into a robust BIM authoring tool, but it had notable gaps in "front-end" documentation and object automation. Out-of-the-box, ArchiCAD 19 excelled at walls, slabs, and sections, but struggled with:

• Dynamic stair and railing design (pre-Stair Tool overhaul).
• Quick door/window scheduling with hardware schedules.
• Intelligent elevation marking.
• Automated sun shading for sustainable design.

Enter CADimage Tools. Unlike generic add-ons, CADimage was developed by practicing architects in New Zealand. Their philosophy was simple: eliminate repetitive drafting tasks and embed local building standards into parametric objects.

For ArchiCAD 19 users, the CADimage suite acted as a "missing manual" of features that Graphisoft would only implement natively years later.

CADimage Tools Plugins for ArchiCAD 19

CADimage Tools is a suite of productivity plugins developed to extend and streamline ArchiCAD’s functionality for architects and BIM professionals. For users of ArchiCAD 19, CADimage Tools offered a set of targeted enhancements focused on drafting speed, documentation quality, and workflow automation. This essay describes the main features, practical benefits, typical use cases, installation and compatibility considerations, limitations of the ArchiCAD 19-era tools, and the broader context of plugin ecosystems in BIM software.

Legacy and Relevance Today

It is important to note that ArchiCAD has evolved significantly since version 19. Current versions (24 and above) have incorporated many features that were once unique to CADimage—particularly improved stair and roof tools, as well as native PDF publishing enhancements. However, for firms that remained on ArchiCAD 19 for legacy project support or budget reasons, CADimage Tools remained an indispensable productivity booster well into the late 2010s. The suite also influenced Graphisoft’s development roadmap, demonstrating the market demand for more intelligent, code-aware, and customizable documentation tools.

3. Door and Window Builder: Beyond Standard Libraries

While ArchiCAD 19 shipped with a comprehensive object library, many projects require custom joinery. The Door and Window Builder plugin allowed designers to create fully parametric, site-specific openings. Key features included:

• Custom framing and glazing patterns – Users could define mullion and transom arrangements not found in standard libraries.
• Integrated lintels and sills – The tool could add masonry lintels, timber sills, and weatherboards directly to the opening object.
• Schedule-driven design – Changes to the door or window schedule automatically updated the 3D model and 2D symbols. This tool effectively turned ArchiCAD 19’s object system into a flexible manufacturing-ready joinery designer.