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HVAC...


Dave-CSMW

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Not Sure if this is the right section to post this but here goes. :)

 

Does anyone have experience with HVAC add-ons like Intelicad and CADpipe? It's a lot of money to invest without real world comparisons and user experience data. If you've used any of the HVAC add-ons please let me know what your experience with the product was like, the good and the bad. TIA!

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Hi dave,

 

I work for a MEP consulting firm and we use AutoCAD 2006. I had a special project a few months ago that I needed to produce some elevations in 3D. I downloaded the demo of CADPIPE to give it a shot. It was pretty amazing what CADPIPE can do. I really liked it because it the graphics of my ductwork, ac units, etc were great. My boss asked if we should get a license for the office. I weighed the pros and cons and decided the cost was not worth it. I felt is would be sitting dormant most of the time unless someone requested 3D drawings....and those requests are really rare. So we passed on it.

 

I really liked the program. It is a very powerful graphics add-on for HVAC & Architectural. It really helps with giving contractors a better understanding of how something should be installed.

 

GL

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Hi, I could share my impressins of the HVAC Software, called "CATS". I work as a HVAC project designer and 2 years ago our boss bought a 3d software ("CATS") and he let us try to learn it. Though being an AutoCad based application it turned out to be rather complicated, so we went to a 3-days course and we found the software really very useful. It's very impressing also cause there aren't many HVAC designers using 3D. The software has the features as follows:

- designed to cover almost all the areas of HVAC field : Piping, Heating, Ventilation, Sanitary

- garphical representation of all modules comes to be very realistic - ducts come drawn with flanges...

- existing database provides options for detailed representation of AHU parts, fans, pums, valves, radiators etc

- making a database of your own i also available

- calculation module provides for automatic aerodynamic, hydraulic and heating load calculation

- software alone performs sizing of pipes and ducts given the necessary information (of course manual building of systems is also available)

- very useful comes out to be the fully automatically prepared bill of materials for all system components. The bill is prepared in Excel which makes it easy for further processing and automation

 

 

We are deffinitely not using all the addvantages of the software but usually it is enough to have a 3D drawing of all the systems (especially machinerooms) as well as automatically generated bill of materials. Software is surely not a cheap but I think it can pay of before vary long.

 

 

Well, that's from me, hope to have helped in decision making!

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I benn working with cadpipe for while and have found it to be very good it saves alot of time for duct runs. But I know there are other programs that will work in tandum with a plasma machine if you have one where you can select between columb lines and burn all the duct in that area but you are then talking about alot of money. The only other program I really know of is one called EastCoast cad but this one doesn't work through Autocad it is its own program but I hear it can do anything autacad can do.

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  • 3 years later...

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