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Installation of the Plugin into ArchiCAD

Ensure ArchiCAD is not currently running on your PC, and then run the provided installation file (OctaneRender for ArchiCAD Setup [version number].exe). Select the install directory of your ArchiCAD installation. The installer will copy all the plugin files into the appropriate place.

Then run ArchiCAD and select :

-> Options -> Add-On Manager -> tick the “OctaneRender for ArchiCAD” addon.

The OctaneRender Render should already be ticked. The plugin is now installed.

It is recommended that you add a plugin shortcut onto your toolbar:

Rightclick top toolbar -> Toolbars -> Current Menu Structure -> Document -> Creative Imaging -> OctaneRender -> Add Selected to the “Mini Navigator” toolbar.

NOTE: You may need to restart ArchiCAD in order to do this last step.

To start the plugin, choose the Document -> Creative Imaging -> OctaneRender, or select the Octane button from the toolbar if you added the shortcut as per the above instructions.

You will need to activate the plugin prior to using it for the first time. Enter your OctaneLive User ID and Password and click the Activate button. Once activated, the other tabs (ie “Settings”, “MaterialsA set of attributes or parameters that describe surface characteristics.”, etc) will be selectable and you can start using the plugin to render.

Extracting the ArchiCAD library

Texturemaps connected to Octane “image”, “alphaimage” and “floatimage” nodes must be an actual image file in your file system, not an image in the ArchiCAD library archive (ie. ArchiCAD Library 22.lcf). Some GDL textures may be in the “lcf” archive, so if the plugin cannot file these texture files, extract the archive as follows:

1. “File”->”Libraries and Objects””Extract a Container”. Select whichever your current library is (which contain the tree texturemap) – most likely “C:\Program Files\GRAPHISOFT\ArchiCAD 22\ArchiCAD Library 22\ArchiCAD Library 22.lcf”. Extract into your My Document\ArchiCAD 22 Library folder (or similar)
2. “File”->”Libraries and Objects”->”Library Manager”. Click the library you just extracted in 1 and delete it (X button). Then “Add” and select the folder to extracted to above (it should then display “Object Library 22” and “Zones 22” under “Linked Libraries”.
3. In the plugin, select “Re-convert from ArchiCAD” for any GDL materials which had texturemaps inside the lcf library.

The above is .pln file specific – so you will need to do the above on a blank document and save as a template if you want it always applied by default.

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