AutoCAD equivalent for Mac ?

boemane

Hello,



I'm asking for a friend that would like to buy a Macintosh laptop. She is doing design work, and needs to use AutoCAD (or a similair application). Preferably an app that will be able to export/import to and from AutoCAD for Windows.



I don't have any idea of good apps out there, and a Google search didn't really answer my questions either.



Thanks,



.:BoeManE:.

mcq

Not an architect, but I figure this could point you in a better direction:



http://architosh.com/



Have your friend check it out and see how feature comparable these are to AutoCAD.



http://www.nemetschek.net/vectorworks/index.html

http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/

adam1185

Check out vectorworks 11. I just read a review of it in october's macworld and apparently it's compatible with autocad's dwg files

boemane

Quote:

Originally posted by MCQ

Not an architect, but I figure this could point you in a better direction:



http://architosh.com/



Have your friend check it out and see how feature comparable these are to AutoCAD.



http://www.nemetschek.net/vectorworks/index.html

http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/

Thank you for that! I'll pass the information along.



Does anyone have any idea on how any of these applications compare against AutoCAD in accual usage ?



Thanks,



.:BoeManE:.

neutrino23

You may be able to find some reviews at Architosh. I haven't looked at this in a few years. Autocad is the dominant player in the industry. They are not noted for having a great interface. Vectorworks has been the upstart which had to work harder to gain marketshare. In head to head competitions Vectorworks has been the winner on more than one occasion.

k squared

If you do a search in the archives you would a lot of information on this subject: it typically comes up every couple months or so.



The choice of software depends upon what your friend intends on doing. If 2D work is mostly required, then I would recommend VectorWorks or HighDesign. VW is the more mature and compatible of the two. It can import and export ACAD file, 2D and 3D, etc. It's a full featured application which is cross platform and has a pretty good student deal (I think $100). HighDesign is strictly a 2D application by a small Italian company. I believe it only import/exports .dxf, not .dwg.



ArchiCad is another well rounded application which is cross platform and quite mature. Its strength lies in its 'virtual building' application, where you can design in 2D, 3D, or section -- it's all interconnected. In my opinion, it's the most mature virtual building application on the market, compared to Revit, Architectural Desktop, BOA, etc...



SketchUp is an application for quick and easy massing models. It too is cross platform.



Demos can be ordered for all these, so your friend can experiment and research which application best suits her needs.



Now for my advice. If your friend is surrounded by AutoCad users it would be easier to buy a PC and use AutoCad. If your friend already knows AutoCad, it's not exactly easy to learn a new program on the fly. Especially on a different platform and surrounded by Windows. This comes from my experience as a Mac user within an AutoCad environment.

buonrotto

EVERYTHING else is better than AutoCAD. Really. I just started using it again on a regular basis, and I'm just amazed at how archaic it is. It's not just the now-schizophrenic UI, it's also the basic structure of the app. It reminds me a lot of Windows in the sense that it's such a mystery meat of code under the hood at this point that they just have to keeping adding circuitous and complicated ways of doing what every other CAD platform can do with the greatest of ease. Even AutoDesk is hedging its bets that people will discover that new BIM (Building Information Modeling) and 3D packages outclass AutoCAD and that AutoCAD isn't able to keep up. They bought and are pushing Revit like crazy to that end, though better packages are out there, like BOA on the Mac and Triforma from Bentley (not on the Mac). ArchiCAD is another such modeler/database-driven app, and is considered by many to be the best package for architects anywhere. It's the TiVO of CAD platforms.



VectorWorks and ArchiCAD are particularly good 2D CAD platforms in any case. Arguably they're the best along with MicroStation (which isn't out for Macs any more). These two are also in the higher price bracket like AutoCAD. VectorWorks is cheaper and is more popular in the US though.



Some other particularly good 2D CAD packages from smaller companies are:



High Design

PowerCADD

CADintosh



and ]a search at VersionTracker for more CADD stuff on Macs.



Macs also have a good amount of 3D modelers available.



Nearly all 2D CAD applications out there import and export to the AutoCAD .dwg format. Double check of course, as small upstarts like High Design didn't when they were first launched, but it's usually in there. AutoDesk of course likes to fiddle with the .dwg format with each release to frustrate third parties, but most third parties keep pretty up-to-date. Usually, saving as the previous AutoCAD release is a painless exercise, save the FUD from AutoDesk about it. Groups like the Open Design Alliance and other developers update their compatibility quickly, usually no more than a version behind. I've worked with AutoCAD users for years who complain at first about me not making life easier for them, but 1. my tools are usually very good at opening their files, 2. the burden is on me to import the files (almost never had a problem, save a few very weird civil engineering drawings), and 3. the loss in productivity from translating files is more than made up for in superior tools, UI, syntax, flexibility, etc.



PS: AutoCAD isn't as dominant as people think. The .dwg format is a de facto standard, but AutoDesk has less than 50% market share. It's still a big gorilla in a crowded jungle, but AutoCAD is no Photoshop or Windows OS. Also, AutoCAD's dependency on Windows is really going to come back to hurt it if or when architects see how OS X's graphics technology is leaps ahead of what Windows can afford these CAD packages. I mean, we're talking about a program that uses the archaic xref system of linking files, and that still doesn't have a good grasp of line weight. Finally, AutoCAD's Rue Goldberg approach to adding technology is just os much of a burden on the system. My 2.8 GHz Dell at work can crawl with AutoCAD, and other CAD packages fly with that much juice.



In case it's not clear: say good riddance to AutoCAD and welcome her to Macs.

boemane

Quote:

Originally posted by BuonRotto

EVERYTHING else is better than AutoCAD. Really. I just started using it again on a regular basis, and I'm just amazed at how archaic it is. It's not just the now-schizophrenic UI, it's also the basic structure of the app. It reminds me a lot of Windows in the sense that it's such a mystery meat of code under the hood at this point that they just have to keeping adding circuitous and complicated ways of doing what every other CAD platform can do with the greatest of ease. Even AutoDesk is hedging its bets that people will discover that new BIM (Building Information Modeling) and 3D packages outclass AutoCAD and that AutoCAD isn't able to keep up. They bought and are pushing Revit like crazy to that end, though better packages are out there, like BOA on the Mac and Triforma from Bentley (not on the Mac). ArchiCAD is another such modeler/database-driven app, and is considered by many to be the best package for architects anywhere. It's the TiVO of CAD platforms.



snip...

Thanks, I'll definately pass that information to her!



.:BoeManE:.