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

6

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.

8

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

13

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 ● ● ● ●

14

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 ● ● ● ●

16

For further information & ordering:

www.3darchitect.co.uk

tel: 01252 339 132

email: arconsales@eleco.com

Eleco Software Ltd

Christy Estate, Ivy Road

Aldershot, Hampshire GU12 4XG, UK