Thinking of cheating on my AutoCAD with that hot new Revit program.

[StykFacE]

I do think that AutoCAD Architecture is a good solution for someone who doesn't want to switch to Revit.

I don't agree with this statement since AutoCAD Architecture stole all of its intuitive interface from Revit. To me, if you're going to make the leap from 2D AutoCAD into the 3D/BIM realm for Architectural purposes, I would bypass AutoCAD Architecture altogether. I work for a highly respectable architectural firm and they are Revit only. This is becoming more and more true with a lot of companies. The normal AutoCAD things we do here outside of Revit surely doesn't require AutoCAD Architecture at all.

[emwhite]

I don't agree with this statement since AutoCAD Architecture stole all of its intuitive interface from Revit. To me, if you're going to make the leap from 2D AutoCAD into the 3D/BIM realm for Architectural purposes, I would bypass AutoCAD Architecture altogether. I work for a highly respectable architectural firm and they are Revit only. This is becoming more and more true with a lot of companies. The normal AutoCAD things we do here outside of Revit surely doesn't require AutoCAD Architecture at all.

I think Architecture is just a bandaid for firms that don't want to make the investment in to 3D/BIM. It's hard to break people from their habits in getting them to swap over.

[StykFacE]

I agree, em.

[Cad Monkey 2]

Well, switching from regular AutoCAD to "Architecture" has been good for me, but I don't doubt that if I had the ability to make a quick and easy switch to Revit that it would have been better.

It does seem like Revit has secured itself as the future leader (or at least industry standard) in the field of architecture over all other programs. I'm looking forward to learning it.

[emwhite]

Well, switching from regular AutoCAD to "Architecture" has been good for me, but I don't doubt that if I had the ability to make a quick and easy switch to Revit that it would have been better.

It does seem like Revit has secured itself as the future leader (or at least industry standard) in the field of architecture over all other programs. I'm looking forward to learning it.

It seems to be the standard. Not sure if that has anything to do with Autodesk's name being in front of it...kind of like AutoCAD is the standard.

Revit is great. To make your life easier, forget your AutoCAD habits before you even open the software...it will make learning a lot EASIER.

[StykFacE]

Well, switching from regular AutoCAD to "Architecture" has been good for me, but I don't doubt that if I had the ability to make a quick and easy switch to Revit that it would have been better.

AutoCAD MEP is based on the AutoCAD Architecture platform. This also puts AutoCAD MEP into attempting operate like Revit MEP does. I have spent the last five+ years on AutoCAD MEP and when I finally reached a certain milestone in my experience with the program I realized how drastically severe the limitations are when compared to Revit MEP. Then I realized the only way to move forward is to adopt Revit MEP and never look back.

Now granted, I cannot say at all that my time spent with AutoCAD MEP wasn't at all worth it - it was. Simply put, I just took the "long road" to eventually come back around to realizing that I should have been using Revit MEP all along. So I could have had 5+ years of constant experience with Revit MEP along with Templates, Families, and everything in between. Instead, I have a ton of Tempaltes, Blocks, and everything in between for AutoCAD MEP and I'm now starting to finally get things set up for Revit MEP but the road is long (albiet light at the end of the tunnel).

This is why when Revit is questioned with an AutoCAD "vertical product" I will always direct the individual towards Revit.

It does seem like Revit has secured itself as the future leader (or at least industry standard) in the field of architecture over all other programs. I'm looking forward to learning it.

It has and for good reason. The RVT file format is new and intuitive. The DWG is brutally outdated. I don't know if there's any real way to rewrite the DWG file format to work like the RVT file format. There is almost an endless amount of potential with new CAD file formats and the way they work when compared directly with DWG.

[DODGE]

This has been a great informative post.
I am making the switch to Revit, some day reeeeal soon.
I believe that Revit will be the format for the future, I was speaking to an Architect just last week.
He has been using Archicad for the past 8 years and told me he is making the switch, His reason was
that virtually everybody he knows in his field uses it because all their clients are asking for it.
I am a big coward, I just keep putting it off cos AutoCad is faster for me, I think.
I just need to bite the bullet and dive in, just like I did with AutoCad when I threw the Rotring in the dart board.
Can anybody out there just give me a little push.
D

[StykFacE]

Well don't put off AutoCAD just yet. It is still way faster for "jumping in" and simply drafting. Revit cannot compete at all if you just want to "draw" something. Revit is to only be used with purpose, not for "general designing". That's not what Revit is intended for at all. If you choose to use Revit, it's either all the way or nothing at all, honestly. And remember, Revit is still a maturing program. You will face obstacles and you will have to stride over hurdles along the way. It's just the way it is unless you work for a firm that has someone very experienced with Revit that can really teach you things.

[Jack_O'neill]

Well don't put off AutoCAD just yet. It is still way faster for "jumping in" and simply drafting. Revit cannot compete at all if you just want to "draw" something. Revit is to only be used with purpose, not for "general designing". That's not what Revit is intended for at all. If you choose to use Revit, it's either all the way or nothing at all, honestly. And remember, Revit is still a maturing program. You will face obstacles and you will have to stride over hurdles along the way. It's just the way it is unless you work for a firm that has someone very experienced with Revit that can really teach you things.

And to add to this, you will run across clients that can't use a Revit drawing. A lot of the older, more set in their ways companies will want the dwg format. Their money is just as good as anybody else's, so don't limit yourself to just Revit clients. You never know, what looks like the hottest thing going today can be tomorrow's dead end.

[StykFacE]

Well that's part's easy. File > Export > DWG.