These instructions are current as of Archicad 20.
1. Duplicate the zTemplate20 folder and rename it with the project name. To duplicate a folder, drag and drop it within the same window while holding down the Option key. Name the folder after the client. If this is a second, or later, project, add a number. (Please don't use roman numerals, they are hard to read.) If it's a sub-project or related project, add a descriptive term. Examples: Smith. Jones3. Salamander Garage.
2. Within the fresh project folder, open the project file template for new home or addition. The template names end in .tpl. The new template, 'NewHome20.tpl', is at the top of the project folder. The existing conditions template, 'Addition20.tpl', is in the '4 Site & Existing Conditions' folder.
3. In the library manager, make sure you have the following libraries loaded:
• From your local Applications / Graphisoft / Archicad 20 folder, 'Archicad Library 20'. The whole folder. (Archicad wants to automatically load this library from this location, and unless you have messed up your installation, it should always show up.)
• From the carrot (2 Resources), '1 Rill LIB20'. Don't load the entire 'Master LIB 20' folder. Click 'OK' and 'Done'. (Much more on libraries here and here.)
4. Once the libraries load, Save As. Format: Archicad Project File (PLN). For the name use the client name, similar to the folder name. If the folder is named 'Smith', the project should be something like 'Smith House.PLN'. For an existing house use 'Existing Smith.PLN'.
5. Go to the Finder and delete the project templates from your project folder. They are no longer needed. If by some chance you need a template again, you can always get it from the zTemplate folder, where it is always up-to-date.
6. Back in the project, fill in the Project Info (File -> Info -> Project Info). The most important fields are Project Name (Smith House) and Site Full Address. Once you know the site and zoning information, fill in those fields.
7. Set the project location (Options -> Project Preferences -> Project Location). You can get the latitude and longitude from Google Maps. (They're in the URL.) You can set sea level and project north if you know them, but you probably need to do some work in the model to determine them precisely. Sea level is relative to Project Zero.
8. Set up the stories. Story elevations are floor-to-floor. In order to interact properly with the Floor Plan Cut Plane, the roof story should be set well above the top occupied story, perhaps even higher than you think. (12'?)
The templates contain an attic story by default. If your project doesn't have an attic, delete this story. Then delete the attic-related layouts from the plan subsets in the layout book. In the plan title objects, uncheck the attic checkbox.
9. Put the project name in the BIMx publisher set's properties. This generates the name shown in the BIMx app model chooser, which is different from the BIMx file name. (While viewing the model, the title bar uses the name of the camera path. This is 'BIMx Model' by default, you should change it to '[ProjectName] Model').
The other publisher properties that need to be set are the paths for PDF and DWG publication. These paths should point to the respective folders in the project's 2 Output folder. Technically you can leave this till later - when you publish the first time you will be prompted to set the path.
10. Build the model until it's done or someone tells you to stop.
Once the model is to-a-point, it's time to prepare the layouts for the model and vice versa.