Honda Matt Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 We are an Architectural Millwork fabricator and we have a G.C. that is starting to request that we provide BIM. Our casework is drawn and designed to fit within the finished walls of a building. Measured just before gypsum wall board is installed or right after before painting. Currently we have AutoCAD 2009 with few seats of AutoCAD LT 2011 and LT 2013. Revit mentions more about BIM and Inventor says it has BIM interoperability. My question(s) are what software would be best for our company? We do about $13-$15 million in sales each year and we have yet to be required to do any 3D modeling. Any assistance would be great on this front. I have done some research into BIM but just do see the benifits in our aspect or the building industry. Thanks Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Personally I think you'd be looking more at Revit than Inventor. It will be quite a departure from what you are currently used to. Tanner can probably fill you in on the details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honda Matt Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 Personally I think you'd be looking more at Revit than Inventor. It will be quite a departure from what you are currently used to. Tanner can probably fill you in on the details. Yes the learning curve is large I feel just looking at it on my own. Might have to convince the boss to send a couple of us to classes to reduce the learning curve. From what I have looked at with Inventor we could use it as our programing and cutting software. With Revit does it produce basically a hollow box to the exterior dimensions you give it with no reference to the interior structure? We would need 3D models of cabinets and desks. The interior structure would not be required as of now, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 The non-AutoCAD BIM process has been up and coming for years, and it has a tenacious grip in the market now that people see the benefits from it. Revit is for "buildings" and can definitely get the job done, however I'd say Inventor all the way if you're a manufacturer. Once you and your company get humming along in Inventor, you will wonder what in the heck you've been doing in AutoCAD for all these years. Jobs will be pumped out so fast and accurate it'll make your head spin. And yes, Inventor models convert into Revit Families surprisingly good. But Revit would not be for the casework manufacturer. Depending on which BIM Suite you go with, you'll get both so at least you can test things in Revit which will ensure a quality deliverable. JD Mather is the resident Inventor guru, among other's. Might want to have this thread moved to that part of the forum to see what responses you get. -Tannar *EDIT* You will most certainly need training and your company needs to provide it without hesitation. Your higher ups need to realize that this is a paradigm shift, and it involves a real commitment to the investment. It'll be slow at first but being patient will yield very good results. "Drafting" is a legacy process, where "modeling" is the here-and-now. Make sure they hear these words when it's pitched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honda Matt Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 The non-AutoCAD BIM process has been up and coming for years, and it has a tenacious grip in the market now that people see the benefits from it. Revit is for "buildings" and can definitely get the job done, however I'd say Inventor all the way if you're a manufacturer. Once you and your company get humming along in Inventor, you will wonder what in the heck you've been doing in AutoCAD for all these years. Jobs will be pumped out so fast and accurate it'll make your head spin. And yes, Inventor models convert into Revit Families surprisingly good. But Revit would not be for the casework manufacturer. Depending on which BIM Suite you go with, you'll get both so at least you can test things in Revit which will ensure a quality deliverable. JD Mather is the resident Inventor guru, among other's. Might want to have this thread moved to that part of the forum to see what responses you get. -Tannar *EDIT* You will most certainly need training and your company needs to provide it without hesitation. Your higher ups need to realize that this is a paradigm shift, and it involves a real commitment to the investment. It'll be slow at first but being patient will yield very good results. "Drafting" is a legacy process, where "modeling" is the here-and-now. Make sure they hear these words when it's pitched. How do I move the thread or have it moved to Inventor or Revit threads?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 The triangle icon at the bottom left of your post will notify an Admin. I have put in a request for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honda Matt Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 The triangle icon at the bottom left of your post will notify an Admin. I have put in a request for you. Thanks....I need to spend more time on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Thanks....I need to spend more time on here.Get Inventor and Revit and I guarantee you will, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I had a 50-50 shot and missed it. Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I had a 50-50 shot and missed it. Oh well.Again, it's completely doable with Revit, in fact some companies would prefer it I bet, especially since architectural models come in Revit now. As long as the library of parts is there, man... some guys would be dangerous in some awesome casework designs with Revit. But going from Revit to cutting machines is where you'd lose the connection. You'd have to export, and prep in other software. Inventor would keep it all in one package. My choice is preference only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Good to know. Thanks for the thorough explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.