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Architectural offices that still use cad, prefer ZWCAD, that is literally a Chinese copy of Autocad (with the same UI and even Lisp scripting) that you can buy

Architectural offices that still use cad, prefer ZWCAD, that is literally a Chinese copy of Autocad (with the same UI and even Lisp scripting) that you can buy for 10% of price. AutoCAD as a software is nearly done: Autocad 2017 is just a chromy version of Autocad 2007 despite their R&D efforts. IMHO their product is nowadays REVIT (3DMax has fierce competition and is a lost battle). REVIT is a product that is still evolving and as such harder to copy/compete.

ryanwaggoner 9y ago
Seems premature. Sales of AutoCAD in 2016 were down, but still $600mm.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
r2dnb 9y ago
>Architectural offices that still use cad Out of curiosity, what is the modern alternative to CAD used by architectural offices ?
- galfarragem 9y ago
  BIM (Revit, Archicad and others. Even Sketchup is a BIM software nowadays). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_information_modeling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_information_modeling
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    Isn't BIM an extension to rather than alternative to CAD?
    - galfarragem 9y ago
      In practice not so. The design process is different: in CAD you draw 2D like you would draw by hand. In BIM you don't draw, you build a 3D model. That model will contain all the data about your building (materials, dimensions, etc) and you can analyse it on realtime. With a traditional CAD system (BIM is still CAD - Computer aided design) all data must be gathered manually. Despite BIM existing for a long time, hardware requirements and unpolished software didn't allow it to become a true alternative to traditional CAD until recently (10y ago?) when it become good enough.
      - JBlue42 9y ago
        Not as big as standard architecture but landscape architecture still seems to be stuck in CAD world and relying on plugins to do its dirty work. It doesn't work out so well with Revit. So there's a market that could use a good product. The issue our office had was getting people to put in the time to go from CAD to Revit. We went big and got a BIM manager too to help with that but even he will confess he thinks the company doesn't really know how to utilize him. BIM also seems to come with a certain mindset and philosophy vs CAD where you would just design, which might throw people off. I still find it surprising, like others, that Autodesk would lose money give their market dominance and I assume that's why they're switching to subscription.
        galfarragem 9y ago
        I think BIM's market is large buildings that you are sure will be built. All the rest I would go for CAD or some light BIM (sketchup) without blinking. Setting up a BIM project is time intensive and you have often to fight with the software when you want to go beyond the standards - that's the reason that architects don't 'fall in love' with it and the reason why BIM managers exist.

ryanwaggoner 9y ago

Seems premature. Sales of AutoCAD in 2016 were down, but still $600mm.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

r2dnb 9y ago

>Architectural offices that still use cad Out of curiosity, what is the modern alternative to CAD used by architectural offices ?

galfarragem 9y ago
BIM (Revit, Archicad and others. Even Sketchup is a BIM software nowadays). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_information_modeling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_information_modeling
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  Isn't BIM an extension to rather than alternative to CAD?
  - galfarragem 9y ago
    In practice not so. The design process is different: in CAD you draw 2D like you would draw by hand. In BIM you don't draw, you build a 3D model. That model will contain all the data about your building (materials, dimensions, etc) and you can analyse it on realtime. With a traditional CAD system (BIM is still CAD - Computer aided design) all data must be gathered manually. Despite BIM existing for a long time, hardware requirements and unpolished software didn't allow it to become a true alternative to traditional CAD until recently (10y ago?) when it become good enough.
    - JBlue42 9y ago
      Not as big as standard architecture but landscape architecture still seems to be stuck in CAD world and relying on plugins to do its dirty work. It doesn't work out so well with Revit. So there's a market that could use a good product. The issue our office had was getting people to put in the time to go from CAD to Revit. We went big and got a BIM manager too to help with that but even he will confess he thinks the company doesn't really know how to utilize him. BIM also seems to come with a certain mindset and philosophy vs CAD where you would just design, which might throw people off. I still find it surprising, like others, that Autodesk would lose money give their market dominance and I assume that's why they're switching to subscription.
      - galfarragem 9y ago
        I think BIM's market is large buildings that you are sure will be built. All the rest I would go for CAD or some light BIM (sketchup) without blinking. Setting up a BIM project is time intensive and you have often to fight with the software when you want to go beyond the standards - that's the reason that architects don't 'fall in love' with it and the reason why BIM managers exist.