Is Autocad important nowadays in marketplace?

[tzframpton]

I imagine manual hand drawing and 2d AutoCAD will be around forever. Why spend £3500-£5000 for a 3d CAD program or a BIM product like Revit if you only ever design small single storey extensions that take a few hours to draw up and there aren't any complicated services or structure?

Exactly why AutoCAD will never completely die. A lot of industries just don't need something as robust as the other apps out there.

[ReMark]

Wouldn't it be in AutoDesk's best interest to kill the program off and force users to upgrade to suites? You guys must be on Subscription right? What does that cost your company per year?

[f700es]

Wouldn't it be in AutoDesk's best interest to kill the program off and force users to upgrade to suites? You guys must be on Subscription right? What does that cost your company per year?

$500 a seat per year I think. For us that is only $4K a year so a drop in the bucket as compared to everything else. I don't see AutoDesk ever killing off AutoCAD. I do think we are seeing a general push to use the suites. They are a great value for the price. Look at the Product Design Suite, it is only $1k more than base AutoCAD but includes AutoCAD, AutoCAD Mech, Inventor, Showcase, Sketchbook and Mudbox. That is a smoking deal for $4,995 USD. That would be the choice if I was still in the casework design field.

IMHO as always

[Cadallac]

Awesome forum!

 

So for a young engineer entering the market, what forms of CAD really make you stand out amongst your competition when trying to get into the BIM or simply design engineering industries?

 

I have two friends, one who works for an engineering consultant firm and another for the port authority of NJ. Both of them recommend learning Revit MEP as an engineer before finishing school, thats the most advice I've gotten on the subject thus far.

[Dadgad]

Awesome forum!

 

So for a young engineer entering the market, what forms of CAD really make you stand out amongst your competition when trying to get into the BIM or simply design engineering industries?

 

I have two friends, one who works for an engineering consultant firm and another for the port authority of NJ. Both of them recommend learning Revit MEP as an engineer before finishing school, thats the most advice I've gotten on the subject thus far.

 

I would suggest INVENTOR and REVIT as being important ones moving forward,

 

although f700es (happy belated birthday to you )

 

makes an excellent point about the cost advantages of the vertical products.

While you are a student you can download free student licensed versions of just about anything Autodesk sells, why not download any which interest you, and take them for a test drive?

JD Mather recently posted a very authoritative description of the student download and activation process, to which I have failed to find the link.

You don't need to spend a dime to start exploring and learning how to use these fantastic tools.

 

The following link is QUITE DATED, but will likely point you in a right direction.....

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?23080-Autodesk-Student-Software

[kencaz]

Awesome forum!

 

So for a young engineer entering the market, what forms of CAD really make you stand out amongst your competition when trying to get into the BIM or simply design engineering industries?

 

I have two friends, one who works for an engineering consultant firm and another for the port authority of NJ. Both of them recommend learning Revit MEP as an engineer before finishing school, thats the most advice I've gotten on the subject thus far.

 

I believe Revit is the direct (3D) replacement for AutoCad... It will allow planning of say a building in 3D from the ground up. It will work hand in hand with Inventor (on the mechanical side), by importing Inventor assemblies right into the building design. All 2D construction documentation can generated from this 3D model. Being that Revit is like Inventor on Steroids; design changes would be much more cost effective if you don't have to change hundreds of .DWG 2D files... This is why I believe Inventor has a distinct advantage over Solidworks.

 

Myself, I deal with large construction companies. They use AutoCad exclusively and are making the change to Revit. This is why and how I got my company to dump our Solidworks seats and go with Inventor, (and the fact that Solidworks is not an American Company). It would be really difficult dealing with these large firms if you only have Solidworks. Sorry DS but Draftsight is not AutoCad and never will be...

 

I did not want to turn this into an Autodesk vs DS debate, but I always like to rial up all the SW folks...

 

KC

 

Oh, and here is a little demo from our friend Rob...

 

[video=youtube;4-WDJvBe1rU]

Edited July 1, 2012 by kencaz

[Glen1980]

Draftsight is never going to be autocad because out isn't trying to be! It is a free scaled back version of LT 2007. I would consider using it for private work use if it had pallets for blocks and common settings.

The best alternative I have tried was bricscad. I can't imagine Autodesk leaving the market to these newer companies. If anything it proved people still want basic 2d drafting.

[tzframpton]

I have two friends, one who works for an engineering consultant firm and another for the port authority of NJ. Both of them recommend learning Revit MEP as an engineer before finishing school, thats the most advice I've gotten on the subject thus far.

They are 100% correct. Revit is becoming the new software of choice for your A/E/C industry. Knowing AutoCAD is great, but don't put everything into it. You will find that the demand for (good) Revit designers or engineers who know Revit is extremely high, depending on your area of course. In Texas, if you half-way know Revit, you're hired.

 

I believe Revit is the direct (3D) replacement for AutoCad... It will allow planning of say a building in 3D from the ground up.

Kencaz, you are a very talented individual on this forum. In saying so I don't want what I'm about to respond to sound condescending in any way, but a lot of people have this misconception that Revit is AutoCAD but "better 3D". AutoCAD is an extension of the drafting board, while Revit is an intelligent parametric design/engineering application meant for the A/E/C industry. You can use AutoCAD to draw anything your heart desires, but Revit isn't exactly meant for that. You can't just "open Revit and start drawing". I mean, you technically could, but it's not what it's intended for. The way Revit is set up is to create buildings, and you don't "draw" much in Revit, you model. With building model components, or "Families", you build bones (reference planes), then muscles (dimensions and parameters), then the skin (the 3D solids/voids). Then when you're done, you have to assign it to a level in a building environment.

 

Just making sure the poster has clarity is all. Like I mentioned this is not to sound condescending in any way.

 

[kencaz]

Kencaz, you are a very talented individual on this forum. In saying so I don't want what I'm about to respond to sound condescending in any way, but a lot of people have this misconception that Revit is AutoCAD but "better 3D". AutoCAD is an extension of the drafting board, while Revit is an intelligent parametric design/engineering application meant for the A/E/C industry. You can use AutoCAD to draw anything your heart desires, but Revit isn't exactly meant for that. You can't just "open Revit and start drawing". I mean, you technically could, but it's not what it's intended for. The way Revit is set up is to create buildings, and you don't "draw" much in Revit, you model. With building model components, or "Families", you build bones (reference planes), then muscles (dimensions and parameters), then the skin (the 3D solids/voids). Then when you're done, you have to assign it to a level in a building environment.

 

Just making sure the poster has clarity is all. Like I mentioned this is not to sound condescending in any way.

 

 

Your right, maybe I jumped the gun a bit saying it, (Revit), will be a direct replacement for AutoCad. Although I use mostly Inventor, I still use AutoCad daily as well... Like you said it's easier to jump into AutoCad and start drawing not having to deal with sketches and constraints. This is what I like about AutoCad, It's FreeForm. They compliment each other. This is why all the AutoDesk Disign Suites come with AutoCad. It is still their Flagship product.

 

Personally though, I think AutoDesk should tone down further development of AutoCad, at least in the 3D Realm. It's Getting really Blotted. Continuing the 3D development of AutoCad is only making it look and act more like Revit and Inventor. They have already added constraints and even 2D documents are created the same way with detail views... Something Inventor has had for years...

 

KC

[tzframpton]

Your right, maybe I jumped the gun a bit saying it, (Revit), will be a direct replacement for AutoCad. Although I use mostly Inventor, I still use AutoCad daily as well... Like you said it's easier to jump into AutoCad and start drawing not having to deal with sketches and constraints. This is what I like about AutoCad, It's FreeForm. They compliment each other. This is why all the AutoDesk Disign Suites come with AutoCad. It is still their Flagship product.

 

Personally though, I think AutoDesk should tone down further development of AutoCad, at least in the 3D Realm. It's Getting really Blotted. Continuing the 3D development of AutoCad is only making it look and act more like Revit and Inventor. They have already added constraints and even 2D documents are created the same way with detail views... Something Inventor has had for years...

 

KC

Very well said, and I agree completely.

[rkent]

Your right, maybe I jumped the gun a bit saying it, (Revit), will be a direct replacement for AutoCad. Although I use mostly Inventor, I still use AutoCad daily as well... Like you said it's easier to jump into AutoCad and start drawing not having to deal with sketches and constraints. This is what I like about AutoCad, It's FreeForm. They compliment each other. This is why all the AutoDesk Disign Suites come with AutoCad. It is still their Flagship product.

 

Personally though, I think AutoDesk should tone down further development of AutoCad, at least in the 3D Realm. It's Getting really Blotted. Continuing the 3D development of AutoCad is only making it look and act more like Revit and Inventor. They have already added constraints and even 2D documents are created the same way with detail views... Something Inventor has had for years...

 

KC

 

I haven't used Revit (just Inventor) so I am wondering, can you draw 2D schematics in Revit? There is still a need for Process Flow diagrams, P&ID drawings, Control schematics, Electrical Wiring diagrams, one-line electrical diagrams, etc. Granted you don't need the power of AutoCAD to do those, but with Lisp they can be automated to a certain degree.

 

Or are we doing P&ID's in 3D now (tongue firmly in cheek)?

[tzframpton]

I haven't used Revit (just Inventor) so I am wondering, can you draw 2D schematics in Revit? There is still a need for Process Flow diagrams, P&ID drawings, Control schematics, Electrical Wiring diagrams, one-line electrical diagrams, etc. Granted you don't need the power of AutoCAD to do those, but with Lisp they can be automated to a certain degree.

 

Or are we doing P&ID's in 3D now (tongue firmly in cheek)?

Revit has what's called a "Drafting View" which is a 2D only view that you can just "draw" in. BUT..... Revit's 2D drafting capabilities are far far inferior to that of AutoCAD's. But, that's what import is all about.