Inventor for building architecture?

[fostertom]

ACA is built off the vanilla AutoCAD core, so it still acts like AutoCAD with "advanced tools". ACA stole a lot of intuitiveness from Revit, as Revit doesn't act at all like AutoCAD.

I like the sound of that.

[Jack_O'neill]

I don't see anything in your drawing that couldn't be done very happily in ACA or Revit for that matter. I'd stay away from Inventor for this stuff, as I advised in the other thread.

[fostertom]

Thanks to all for the advice, which to me is worth

That ... $64,000

I don't see anything in your drawing that couldn't be done very happily in ACA or Revit for that matter

In http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showth...program./page4

In AutoCAD you model things freely. With AutoCAD you don't have to plan much on most things. You just go with it and you can always do things in a random order. With Revit, since it is parametric you really have to understand where you need to end up before you ever start.

That sounds like Acad 2012, or ACA even better, rather than Revit, and forget Inventor.

Is that the considered answer? i am still open to other opinions.

[StykFacE]

There's a big debate on which is better - Revit or ACA. Best thing is just to buy the suite and decide for yourself.

[fostertom]

Looking at Acad 2012 info on Adesk site, just noticed that Fusion is included - and am currently downloading Fusion from Adesk Labs. Assuming it will run, for trial purposes, on Acad 2006 to which I have access, before I start the learning curve, couple of questions:

Wd Remark's answer (having looked at my pics and descrip of the task) 'Inventor would do a bang up job of detailing cuboid objects and shaping them with boolean trimming' still hold good with Fusion on top of vanilla Acad?

If so, having made Fusion essential, when it expires in Labs on 1 May 2012, will I have no alternative but to get access to Acad 2012, to continue?

[JD Mather]

Fusion is free and is quite different than Inventor.
You should be able to model anything you need - but no 2D drawings output.
You will need AutoCAD or some other program to generate the 2D.

[ReMark]

I think you have already convinced yourself to use Inventor so I'm wondering what it will take for you to follow through with your decision?

[f700es]

There's a big debate on which is better - Revit or ACA. Best thing is just to buy the suite and decide for yourself.

I agree for just a bit more you can have them all.

[f700es]

The Detail manager in ACA would be a great asset in residential construction. I agree nothing I see that can't be done in vanilla Acad.

[f700es]

They also have their 123D app that is like Fusion and it does not expire. It will save to dwg and many other formats. It's like an Inventor for hobbyists.

Looking at Acad 2012 info on Adesk site, just noticed that Fusion is included - and am currently downloading Fusion from Adesk Labs. Assuming it will run, for trial purposes, on Acad 2006 to which I have access, before I start the learning curve, couple of questions:

Wd Remark's answer (having looked at my pics and descrip of the task) 'Inventor would do a bang up job of detailing cuboid objects and shaping them with boolean trimming' still hold good with Fusion on top of vanilla Acad?

If so, having made Fusion essential, when it expires in Labs on 1 May 2012, will I have no alternative but to get access to Acad 2012, to continue?