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AutoDesk's new Rental plans, what do you think?


Dana W

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I was considering upgrading to AutoCad LT 2014, and in the process I discovered that AutoDesk is now offering a Rental plan on their software licensing.

 

As a sole proprietor freelancing sub contractor with a tight budget, in the residential & commercial renovation business, this sort of thing might be a smart move on my part considering the up front cost of AutoDesk software in general.

 

However, there are some caveats and questions involved.

 

The first question I have is, what do all of you think about this rental program? Keep in mind that in order to turn a leased license into a perpetual license one must eat all the rent paid up to that point and buy a new license at no discount.

 

I didn't see any software available ala cart. In other words all of it is in bundles. For instance, I need AutoCad LT 2014, but I have to take Revit LT 2014 along with it. Albeit, the bundle only costs $95.00 US per month, and you get a few bucks off for renting quarterly. (You get something like 25 gig free "Cloud" but I probably won't use it).

 

I know far more about AutoCad than I ever wanted ;)to learn, but I know next to nothing about Revit.

 

AutoCad LT is not 3D, and Revit LT is 3D. I have heard nightmare stories about Revit and AutoCad drawings not being directly compatible. I can see Revit 3D drawings being an issue for AutoCad LT, but what about plan views, elevation, sections and details?

 

According to the tutorials I have seen, it is a piece of cake to export any of the above into a *.dwg that AutoCad LT can open and edit. Right now, I am willing to attribute any problems doing this to operator error but... well, you know.

 

I would like to use the capabilities of Revit since it is available, but my client(s) all seem to get along on AutoCad, and I usually work on their title block, so they get the *.dwg files as an end product, rather than just printed drawings. This means that I will have to retro-save many of my drawings to 2007 format in order to fulfill my contract.

 

What issues might I run into aside from the Revit learning curve?

 

Is trying to use the 3D capabilities of Revit to generate 2D plans, elevations, sections, and details for my clients somewhat like trying to build a pillow fort out of Stonehenge.

 

Any feedback, opinions, and even completely out of context remarks are welcome. Just leave my dog alone.:lol:

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I can see the benefits for short term contracts as they say. They do a major release every 3 years, and even then there aren't always significant differences, so I would consider it at the least over a 3 year period rental @$95 = $3420 and for something you aren't even sure will be of any value/work even over a year thats $1140, and a standalone licence is $1200. Personally I would go with a bank loan and get the standalone and run that for 3 years (OK 2 untill the next major). It would even be worth getting the 30 day trial of revit LT to see what it is like, and if it is great, then buy that it is still only about the same price.

 

I honestly cannot see any financial benefits even over a year. Whereas deciding to buy the standalone package every 14 months would be cheaper and not leave you years behind the competition.

 

Now think of the dog biscuits that would buy

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Yup, done the math. Over a year, a bank loan or credit card purchase would be more than renting or purchasing the stuff outright. I can write off new software at tax time and get some of my money back.

 

I was asking more about the benefits of the bundled software, and how Revit might help me along with AutoCad. About half of my drawing has to do with buildings, both residential and commercial, usually as built with additions. The other half is chunks of wood, plywood, aluminum, steel, sheet plastics, and fiberglass (millwork) made into furniture, signs, and interior surface treatments. Can Revit work its magic on say an Armoire or kitchen cabinet, down to joinery, for instance?

 

I am in the middle of installing the 30 day trial versions of each, right now.

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Uh, why not just buy the Revit LT Suite for $1,495? Then you get both programs. Or got to Amazon and get it for $1,389 w/1 year subscription. I would just buy if it was me. It won't hurt to have Revit in case you need it or have it and learn it to get more business.

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Uh, why not just buy the Revit LT Suite for $1,495? Then you get both programs. Or got to Amazon and get it for $1,389 w/1 year subscription. I would just buy if it was me. It won't hurt to have Revit in case you need it or have it and learn it to get more business.
http://www.autodesk.com/products/revit-lt/compare/compare-revit-products

 

You know something f700.... that is seriously one heck of a deal. Now that I actually compared Revit LT with full Revit, the comparison of features between Full and LT is way better than vanilla AutoCAD Full and LT have ever could dream of. For a one-man show, there would be virtually zero reason to get anything other than Revit LT. The two things that would be very hard for me to live without in Revit LT is View Filters and Conceptual Massing. But, for less than $1,400 including subscription, and AutoCAD LT, that is seriously a steal.

Edited by tzframpton
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It really is a good deal. For a small outfit like Dana's it is a good fit. Over $100 of the street price plus a free year of subscription thrown in ($400+) it is almost a no brainier.

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Uh, why not just buy the Revit LT Suite for $1,495? Then you get both programs. Or got to Amazon and get it for $1,389 w/1 year subscription. I would just buy if it was me. It won't hurt to have Revit in case you need it or have it and learn it to get more business.
I don't keep that sort of cash just laying around these days. That is the main reason, or I would just buy it.
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AutoCad LT is not 3D, and Revit LT is 3D. I have heard nightmare stories about Revit and AutoCad drawings not being directly compatible. I can see Revit 3D drawings being an issue for AutoCad LT, but what about plan views, elevation, sections and details?
They are not compatible at all. Revit is a completely different approach and environment than AutoCAD. Just as long as your work falls under the AEC building and construction industry then Revit can surely be used. It's not intended to be an AutoCAD replacement, it's a specialized tool for building design and construction.

 

According to the tutorials I have seen, it is a piece of cake to export any of the above into a *.dwg that AutoCad LT can open and edit. Right now, I am willing to attribute any problems doing this to operator error but... well, you know.
You can translate 2D/3D linework and models between AutoCAD and Revit through export and import but it's not worth the trouble. It's best to work in one, OR the other, never both. The only instance where you'd want to collaborate the two would be to use a 2D floorplan as a background for reference inside Revit.

 

What issues might I run into aside from the Revit learning curve?
Everything. Because you'll do like most people do (and I'm no exception) and think with an AutoCAD mind while in Revit, which is the wrong thing to do. But as soon as you forfeit your AutoCAD mind while in Revit, you'll soon discover what you've been missing all this time.

 

Is trying to use the 3D capabilities of Revit to generate 2D plans, elevations, sections, and details for my clients somewhat like trying to build a pillow fort out of Stonehenge.
Eh, it'll seem so at first. Revit is all about the gradual increase in adopting your workflow. It's kind of like working out... if you're not going to commit for at least one year then you'll see no results. Revit is not a magical program that does everything better. What it does, is it cuts down on your repetitive workflow in half, making the project faster overall. But there's more front-end work and setup involved. With AutoCAD you just get to drawing. With Revit, you set your parameters and settings. You build models and you define them along the way. The last steps are then taking you Views, which are instantly generated, then in time your View Templates will become a golden crown in your methods and procedures and you have "insta-elevations" and "insta-sections" and man is it crazy awesome. And don't think of Revit is merely "3D" as much as you need to think of it as "parametrically relational". Everything is synced together... everything. So when you edit the information of items, anywhere you have them labeled and referenced it updates on the fly. When things change, get deleted, get added, get manipulated, etc etc, they all are visible and noticeable and you will be able to pick up on them instantly.

 

Hope this helps. :)

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Putting it another way, using the rental plan for a year to learn revit with the option to have LT to fall back on if needed and then taking into account that you don't need a lump sum upfront, could be a good idea. You can always decide later to go for the stand alone package of one or the other. Parametric modelling is something I am itching to get a go at.

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Good point Steven. One thing to note, however, is that after the 30-day trial period for Revit, you still have full access to the program - minus saving and plotting. So you can still "learn" the program beyond the trial period.

 

;)

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Really, I never considered a trial period for learning, because of that 30 day limit and because I have no use for it at work, it would be for learning and hopefully improving my chances in the job market, 30 days goes in no time. And for learning who needs to save and plot. I may take a look after all. Does that apply to all Autodesk products?

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As far as I know only Revit gives you full access after the 30-day trial is up, minus saving and plotting. But I think that's a great idea. You get full access to a program for 30 days, then it only locks saving and plotting afterwards. Such a great idea for people who just want to tinker! :)

 

It basically becomes a "full version viewer", if you will.

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I am seeing a basic misunderstanding of Revit on my part then. I might have had an impression that Revit was more like Inventor. Apparently one can not simply draw, say a bookcase, in Revit. Is that correct? Maybe it is not as open as I thought it was. I was hoping that I could add libraries of other materials to it so I could draw things like veneered panel wall treatments and maybe solid wood furniture.

 

The frequency of my Building Renovation projects, maybe twice a year, is so low that I think Revit may prove to be a waste of money for me. On the other hand, the majority of my work has to do with architectural millwork, wall trim molding, cabinetry and furniture, and I don't really need 3D, so Upgrading to AutoCad LT 2014 is still in the cards.

 

One positive note in this whole exercise is that I have downloaded and played around with AutoCad LT 2014, and this has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that AutoCad LT 2009 is not compatible with Windows 8 and/or my 64 bit machine rather than not being compatible with my graphics card. If the card could not handle the 2009 release, it certainly would not handle the 2014 version, which it does, and does well. 2014 even offered to import my 2009 LT workspace and profile for me, which it did, almost flawlessly.

 

Now, If I could just get windows 8 and/or ACad 2014 to show me the folder my custom hatches are in, I can point 2014 to them and then, I'll be happy. I've put them in the Support folders in 2009, but I can't get the ADD file navigation window in 2014 to find them. I'll just go into Windows explorer, find 'em and copy 'em over.

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I don't keep that sort of cash just laying around these days. That is the main reason, or I would just buy it.

 

AutoDesk used to finance. Still even with interest that is a better deal as then you own a license and it is yours forever. Not rented ;)

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AutoDesk used to finance. Still even with interest that is a better deal as then you own a license and it is yours forever. Not rented ;)
I think they still do finance, at 21% like Dell. At any rate, going into debt for it is not going to happen. I think I will see what happens on Amazon in a couple of months. For the last couple of years the prices dropped quite impressively once the release date and the calendar date both had the same year in them.
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