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CONTRABIM/Learn
THE CONTRABIM LIBRARY

LEARN BY DOING

Real-world BIM & building science.

128 articles and 64 videos on Archicad workflows, building science, trade practice, and quantity takeoff — written from twenty years on real projects, not from the software manual.

Articles
128
Videos
64
Categories
6
Cadence
Weekly
CONTROL LAYER · AIR
BUILDING SCIENCE · FEATURED

The four control layers — rain, air, vapor, thermal — and why your wall section is wrong

CB2.0 models walls based on building science, not just geometry. Here's what changes when control layers drive the assembly.

14 min read·John Hallgarth·Updated · 2 wks ago
ARCHICAD WORKFLOWS

Why changing fonts in Archicad feels like defusing a bomb

How CONTRABIM Fonts solve the template font problem system-wide — in under 2 minutes.

8 min→
QTO & THE BRIDGE

Model-based quantity takeoff — Archicad to Excel

The BRIDGE workflow — piping trade-organized quantities into cost analysis.

11 min→
TRADE-SPECIFIC

Concrete BIM packages — what GCs actually estimate from

How the Concrete BIM Package organizes work-class quantities for precon.

9 min→
FIELD PRACTICE

How field crews read BIM-derived documentation

From model to sheet to layout — what survives the trip to the jobsite.

7 min→
LATEST

Fresh from the studio

New articles and videos every week. Members get full archives and downloadable companion files.

video · 12:40
ARCHICAD WORKFLOWS
Layer logic that survives a deadline
A layer structure your team won't quietly break by Friday.
Watch →
article · 9 min
BUILDING SCIENCE
Where the vapor layer actually goes
Climate-zone logic for assemblies, in plain language.
Read →
article · 11 min
QTO & THE BRIDGE
Reading a takeoff like an estimator
What a GC checks first when your numbers land.
Read →
video · 18:02
TRADE-SPECIFIC
Masonry by wall type, not by element
Modeling CMU so the count maps to the bid.
Watch →
article · 6 min
SOFTWARE INTEGRATIONS
Archicad → Excel without the copy-paste
Setting up a link that updates when the model does.
Read →
video · 22:15
DESIGN & FIELD
The sheet a superintendent trusts
Annotation habits that hold up in the field.
Watch →
article · 10 min
ARCHICAD WORKFLOWS
Templates that adapt instead of break
Why CB2.0 is a system, not a frozen file.
Read →
article · 13 min
BUILDING SCIENCE
Continuous insulation, drawn correctly
Detailing the thermal layer so it survives review.
Read →
Load more articles & videos → 128 articles · 64 videos · weekly updates
BROWSE BY TOPIC

Six tracks through the library

Archicad Workflows

Templates, layers, attributes, and the day-to-day of a production model.
Building Science

Control layers, assemblies, and code-compliant detailing that holds up.
Trade-Specific

Concrete, masonry, framing — modeling for how each trade is bought.
QTO & The BRIDGE

Model-based quantity takeoff from Archicad into cost workbooks.
Software Integrations

Connecting Archicad to Excel, and the rest of your toolchain.
Design & Field Practice

From sheet to site — documentation crews can actually build from.
KEEP LEARNING

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Members get full archives, downloadable example files, and live sessions.

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  • Full article + video archive
  • Downloadable companion files
  • Live community sessions
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FLAGSHIP WORKFLOW

Explore The BRIDGE

The QTO workflow most of the popular guides are built around.

  • Archicad → Excel takeoff
  • Trade-organized output
  • Stays in sync with the model
See The BRIDGE
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GRAPHISOFT · FIRST DIGITAL ASSOCIATE PARTNER · NORTH AMERICA ● 3DCONSTRUCTOR, LLC · contrabim.com