Archicad 29 (macOS) and Blender 4.2+ add-on
Keep Blender in step with your Archicad model
Archicad2Blender links a running Archicad project to a running Blender scene on the same machine. The first sync sends every element in the 3D model on a visible layer as its own mesh, with its surfaces, textures, story, type and layer. After that, only the elements you change are sent, and the work you have done in Blender is left alone.
What it does
Only what changed is sent
Move an element and Blender gets a new position, not a new mesh. Change its shape and only that element's mesh travels. Change nothing and nothing is sent.
Your Archicad structure, as collections
Objects are filed by story, then by element type, in collections named like "0. Ground Floor" and "Ground Floor · Wall". Each layer drives a hidden BY LAYER collection, so you can select by layer without changing the main tree.
Archicad data on every object
Each object carries the element GUID, type, story, element ID and layer as custom properties. Openings are cut in the mesh, and elements with several surfaces get several material slots.
Surfaces become materials
Each Archicad surface becomes a Principled BSDF material: colour, shininess as roughness, transparency as alpha, and texture images with UVs, size and rotation applied. Each texture file travels once; after that only its hash is sent.
Your Blender edits are kept
An object you move stays put until the element moves in Archicad. A material you assign is not replaced when only the surface changes, a mesh you edited is not overwritten, and a detached object is never touched again.
Layer combinations decide the scope
Switch layer combination or renovation filter in Archicad and the add-on picks it up within a second. If a sync would remove a large part of the project, Blender asks you to Remove or Keep first.
Several projects, one scene
Each Archicad project is its own source with its own counts, pause checkbox, rename and delete controls. Pause one project without disconnecting it.
Saved files reconnect cleanly
Synced objects are ordinary Blender data, so a saved .blend opens without Archicad. Reconnect and objects are re-adopted by GUID instead of duplicated. The project is recognised after renames and moves.
At a glance
- Blender
- 4.2 or newer
- Archicad
- Archicad 29 on macOS. No Windows build, no Archicad 28 or 30 build.
- Direction
- Archicad to Blender only. Nothing is sent back to Archicad.
- Connection
- TCP on 127.0.0.1, ports 9910 to 9919. Same machine only, both applications running.
- Interface
- English. Blender panels switch to French when Blender or the system language is French.
- Doors, windows, objects
- Plain meshes, not instances
- Not sent
- Lights, sun, cameras, saved views, zones, hotlink structure
- Teamwork
- Not tested
Buy Archicad2Blender
- Archicad2Blender for Archicad 29 (macOS) and Blender 4.2+, and every update
- No licence key or account needed
US$49.99
Plus tax where it applies.
Before you buy
Which versions does it work with?
Blender 4.2 or newer. Archicad 29 on macOS. There is no Windows build and no Archicad 28 or 30 build.
Does it work on Windows?
No. The Archicad add-on is only built for macOS. There is no workaround.
Do both applications have to be open at the same time?
Yes, on the same machine. This is a live link between two running programs, not a file converter. If you want a one-time transfer of a finished model, a file export already does that.
Is it worth it if my model never changes?
Probably not. The value is in revisions. If you export once and never touch the Archicad project again, a file export is enough.
How is this different from exporting an FBX, OBJ or DAE?
An export has to be repeated, and imported again, at every revision. Archicad2Blender sends only the elements that changed, keeps your story and type structure as collections, puts the Archicad ID, story, type and layer on every object as custom properties, and does not overwrite the objects you moved or detached in Blender.
Can I send my Blender work back to Archicad?
No. The link runs from Archicad to Blender only. There is no push-back.
What does not come across?
Lights, sun, cameras and saved views, zones, and hotlink structure. Doors, windows and objects arrive as plain meshes, not as instances. Curtain walls, stairs and railings are sent through whatever sub-elements Archicad lists in 3D and have not been checked in a real project yet.
Can I try it before buying?
There is a free 14-day trial that syncs up to 25 elements: Archicad2Blender > Licence..., enter your email address, Start Trial.