are autodesk products the best for an LArch + essential packages and additions?

[AnnoLuce]

Are autocad (autodesk) products, the best that i could be using as a landscape designer?
I've pretty much decided this is the way to go on the basis that everyone else in the landscape architecture business is using these products.
I'm starting out, and i want to know, what's the best and most essential package i should get? What add ons would be, perhaps, essential, for a landscape architect, and what add ons would be really good but not essential to have.
I want to be able to intergrate lots of different media for both small and very large scale sites. (There is lots of hard landscape data i'd like to be able to visually represent, ground water flow, topography etc, on some plans.)
Ease of use though is a real factor, as when i was a landscape designer (just all hand drawn and cheap computer garden design packages which weren't too bad actually) i turned over work really quickly and i'd like to be able to generate the same income as when i was less well qualified! The projects my partner and i are taking on are rather more complex.

Money is no object at all.
I'm starting to feel confused by it all.

[rustysilo]

As far as I know our LA's generally just use regular AutoCAD. For presentations they might use Corel or Adobe products. An alternative would be the GIMP for presentations as it's a free, open-source raster graphics program similar to the likes of Adobe Photoshop. I've taken site plans from AutoCAD and went into the GIMP to dress them up for presentation. Works well. See my siggy for a link if interested.

What is the extent of the topography, water flow, etc. that you plan to show? You might look into a vertical product like Civil 3D, although I doubt that's the direction you want to go.

[Rudbeckia]

I am a Landscape Designer as well, and found that making the move to cad was a huge benefit (and worth the cost) I would like to know if anyone knows what additional programs are good for rendering? I live in NYC and some of the firms here have amazing 3d drawings and colored renderings, what are they using do you think?

[rustysilo]

My first guess would be AutoCAD + 3D Studio Max, but I would really have no idea.

[SLW210]

Are autocad (autodesk) products, the best that i could be using as a landscape designer?
I've pretty much decided this is the way to go on the basis that everyone else in the landscape architecture business is using these products.
I'm starting out, and i want to know, what's the best and most essential package i should get? What add ons would be, perhaps, essential, for a landscape architect, and what add ons would be really good but not essential to have.
I want to be able to intergrate lots of different media for both small and very large scale sites. (There is lots of hard landscape data i'd like to be able to visually represent, ground water flow, topography etc, on some plans.)
Ease of use though is a real factor, as when i was a landscape designer (just all hand drawn and cheap computer garden design packages which weren't too bad actually) i turned over work really quickly and i'd like to be able to generate the same income as when i was less well qualified! The projects my partner and i are taking on are rather more complex.

Money is no object at all.
I'm starting to feel confused by it all.


I am a Landscape Designer as well, and found that making the move to cad was a huge benefit (and worth the cost) I would like to know if anyone knows what additional programs are good for rendering? I live in NYC and some of the firms here have amazing 3d drawings and colored renderings, what are they using do you think?

As an answer to both Questions, I would suggest browsing through the Showcase and the 3DModelling & Rendering Sections and check out the renderings and the programs they used to do them. AutoCAD 2008 has some of the best rendering for AutoCAD yet IMO.

[f700es]

some solutions:
AutoCAD - www.autocad.com (http://www.autocad.com)
AutoDesk Impression - Impression (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=9246650&siteID=123112)
SketchUp Pro - www.sketchup.com
Vue 6 Infinite - Vue (http://www.e-onsoftware.com/products/vue/vue_6_infinite/)

Also you could probably go down to AutoCAD LT on that list above. Use SketchUp for your 3D needs and Vue for any 3D rendering. Good luck