ArchiCAD, by Graphisoft, gives users the ability to create great architecture and increase productivity. From day one, ArchiCAD has been designed by architects for architects, and over the years it has gradually become more and more refined to allow its users to better:

The most comprehensive architectural tool available: The Virtual Building approach gives you the competitive edge today while integrating your work into the Building Information Solution. With ArchiCAD you can quickly and easily access just the right representation of the building for each design phase, and for all of the different partners involved in the project. All your documents are just a click or two away. Your client can see not only the functional arrangement and the site plan, but also how it feels to walk through the space, or how sunlight affects a particular room at different times of the day.
Consultants can receive the building data in electronic format, regardless of which CAD platform they are on, make changes and return the file to you for further work without any loss of the Virtual Building data in the process. Comprehensive schedules and bills of materials are available for builders and sub-contractors, as well as drawings of scale-sensitive details. Builders can plan tasks, create time-based animations and document any phase of a building's construction or demolition. And developers can use the photo-realistic renderings for a sales brochure. The best news: these documents are created while you design, and remain up-to-date as you proceed.
Highlights of ArchiCAD • The Virtual Building: ArchiCAD stores all the information about the building in a central database; changes made in one view are updated in all others, including floor plans, sections/elevations, 3D models and bills of material • Intelligent Objects: ArchiCAD's intelligent building elements like doors, windows, and columns understand and react to their environment. This accelerates work, makes the management of the project easier and allows you to design instead of draft. Even working from drafted lines, arcs and splines, the Magic Wand can create intelligent building elements. • The ability to think and work 'live' in 3D: You can design and edit the model in 3D view, navigate in real time to check the design, and hold interactive design sessions with clients. • Instant visualization: ArchiCAD's rendering tools are simple to use; no expert knowledge is required to product stunning results. VR presentations and animations and can be generated directly in ArchiCAD. • Efficient documentation: Construction documents and files can be derived automatically from the Virtual Building model. The interactive element schedules and bills of material can be quickly generated and always reflect the current state of the building model. Dimensions are both automatic and associative. Automatic labeling and enhanced Detail Tools ease tedious drafting work. • Hassle-free layouting: The Layout Book lets you layout material from different sources with the freedom of using a variety of plotters and printers. Automatic page numbering and master pages save you time and the direct connection ensures document integrity - all changes to the Virtual BuildingTM are automatically updated on the layout. • Clear communication: ArchiCAD's TeamWork makes sharing your project with colleagues easy. Distribute documents to clients and consultants in several CAD standard formats or use the Web for review and mark-up. Changes can be easily merged back into the project. • Automated Documentation output: Using ArchiCAD’s Project Publisher automates the tedious process of outputing drawings, prints and images to consultants, print shops and clients. Project Exchange automates the importing of client and consultant revisions back into your mast files.

ArchiCAD offers a different approach to your workflow process, which gives you more control over your design, while maintaining accuracy and efficiency in documentation. While you raise walls, lay floors, add doors and windows, build stairs and construct roofs this Building Information Authoring Tool creates a central database of 3D model data. From this you can extract all the information needed to completely describe your design - complete plans, sections and elevations, architectural and construction details, bills of material, window/door/finish schedules, renderings, animations and virtual reality scenes. That means while you're designing, ArchiCAD is creating all the project documentation so there's little repetitive and tedious drafting work. And unlike designing in 2D software, the Virtual Building approach also means that you can make changes at any time maintaining the integrity of your documents, without risking costly errors or costing you productivity.