Best CAD software for architecture
- Thread starter yantorsen
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Soldato
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3dsmax is for photo-realistic rendering, totally different to acad.
You'd better have a beast of a rig too as it takes plenty of juice to render good quality in quick time!
You'd better have a beast of a rig too as it takes plenty of juice to render good quality in quick time!
I use Pro-engineer for day to day solid modelling but it's not really for architecture, it is pretty good for 3d models though. Once you do the 3d model you can quickly produce a 2d drawing from that.
Solidworks is probably a bit easier imo although I don't really have a great deal of exp with SW.
AutoCad is the industry standard afaik, I have never liked AutoCad & tbh I don't think I will ever volunteer to use it again.....unless I'm forced
For archi stuff I would say AutoCad is the best bet....even though I hate it, mind you it's been a lot of years since I used it, perhaps it's better now.
Solidworks is probably a bit easier imo although I don't really have a great deal of exp with SW.
AutoCad is the industry standard afaik, I have never liked AutoCad & tbh I don't think I will ever volunteer to use it again.....unless I'm forced
For archi stuff I would say AutoCad is the best bet....even though I hate it, mind you it's been a lot of years since I used it, perhaps it's better now.
Man of Honour
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I use Pro-engineer for day to day solid modelling but it's not really for architecture, it is pretty good for 3d models though. Once you do the 3d model you can quickly produce a 2d drawing from that.
Solidworks is probably a bit easier imo although I don't really have a great deal of exp with SW.
AutoCad is the industry standard afaik, I have never liked AutoCad & tbh I don't think I will ever volunteer to use it again.....unless I'm forced
For archi stuff I would say AutoCad is the best bet....even though I hate it, mind you it's been a lot of years since I used it, perhaps it's better now.
Its improved conciderably since R13
I think my system will be okay for it.
I use Pro-engineer for day to day solid modelling but it's not really for architecture, it is pretty good for 3d models though. Once you do the 3d model you can quickly produce a 2d drawing from that.
Solidworks is probably a bit easier imo although I don't really have a great deal of exp with SW.
AutoCad is the industry standard afaik, I have never liked AutoCad & tbh I don't think I will ever volunteer to use it again.....unless I'm forced
For archi stuff I would say AutoCad is the best bet....even though I hate it, mind you it's been a lot of years since I used it, perhaps it's better now.
Why is autocad the industry standard? Everyone I ask or talk to about it seems to not like it.
Soldato
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You can also download AutoCAD from the AutoDesk website for free once you have a student e-mail address, along with some of their other programs.
Associate
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SolidWorks is more of a 3D CAD package, not really suited to architecture uses. Try Google SketchUp, lovely freely available suite.
If you want to learn a bit about 3D CAD I recommend either CATIA v5 or UniGraphics. Neither are geared towards architecture, but are the two most prevalent packages in engineering. Generally, learn to use CATIA and you can use SW, ProE, and basically all of the Dassault range. Unigraphics is more prevalent in America, CATIA in Europe.
I have used AutoCAD a handful of times and hate it. But I wouldn't worry about learning to use any CAD package yet, as someone has already said; your uni will teach you everything.
A 5th year architecture student here...
Autocad is a must! Also sketchup (free and easy to use 3D modelling) is good for undergraduate projects because you get good spacial representations quickly. Plus you can import 2D drawings from it into autocad. Also photoshop for putting together presentation panels is a must!
In practice, a lot use autocad, microstation, archicad, 3Dsmax and photoshop. Don't know anyone who used vectorworks.
Don't rely on your uni to teach you them. My uni is one of the top 5 in the country for architecture and they don't teach many packages unless you really bug them for a quick run through.
Autocad is a must! Also sketchup (free and easy to use 3D modelling) is good for undergraduate projects because you get good spacial representations quickly. Plus you can import 2D drawings from it into autocad. Also photoshop for putting together presentation panels is a must!
In practice, a lot use autocad, microstation, archicad, 3Dsmax and photoshop. Don't know anyone who used vectorworks.
Don't rely on your uni to teach you them. My uni is one of the top 5 in the country for architecture and they don't teach many packages unless you really bug them for a quick run through.
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AutoCAD is the standard because it is still probably the best for pure drafting. It's not as good for developing your ideas and seeing what will fit and work experimentally. It's still the best for producing paper blueprints that you can hand to machinists, construction contractors, other clients just as you would have done if this were 25 years ago and you were drafting at a big desk with straightedges, a T-square, and seventy different mechanical pencils of differing diameters.
Like it or not you've got to know how to use it to work in the industry.
I think of 3D packages like SolidWorks and Pro/E as being more conducive to design than just drafting. You model parts or assemblies (I speak from a mechanical engineering side of things, so please bear with me) and can easily experiment to see what fits and how things will work together.