topic Re: autocad for mac? in Collaboration with other software

autocad for mac?

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:09:30 GMT

Hello,

Does anyone know of a cad software for mac that may resemble a lot to autocad - commands, user interface, etc.? and is able to read/write DWGs

Many thanks,
Joaquim

Re: autocad for mac?

Dwight — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:39:16 GMT

How close do you need to get?

MacDraft Pro, perhaps.

http://www.microspot.com/products/macdraft/index.htm

Or real AutoCAD using the PC Emulator "VM Ware Fusion" on an IntelMac.

Re: autocad for mac?

Eduardo Rolon — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:39:33 GMT

What's wrong with using Archicad? or Autocad under Parallels or Fusion? Or if you only need to open, print, annotate dwgs you can use e-Drawing.

www.solidworks.com/pages/products/edrawings/eDrawings.html

Re: autocad for mac?

jespizua — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:59:44 GMT

Why not rhino for mac?. Still in beta but stable. Rhino 2d drafting tool is almost equal to autocad 2d. Here the link: http://community.irhino3d.com/

Also you can try highdesign.Is a nice, clean and powerful 2d cad software. It has a clean interface and more advance 2d drafting tool than autocad for architecture like wall and door-windows tools. And support autocad 2008 files
http://www.ilexsoft.com/index.html

Re: autocad for mac?

Thomas Holm — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 08:21:12 GMT

There's always the old reliable Powercadd:
http://engsw.com/products/

Re: autocad for mac?

jespizua — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:11:48 GMT

Thomas wrote:
There's always the old reliable Powercadd:
http://engsw.com/products/

Ummm nice, but i would say that is way overpriced, isn´t it?.

Re: autocad for mac?

Thomas Holm — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 13:41:28 GMT

jespizua wrote:
Ummm nice, but i would say that is way overpriced, isn´t it?.

For me, yes, because I use Archicad which works fine in 2D but I do most of my work in 3D to generate 2D drawings efficiently and wouldn't dream of going back to working in 2D only. I'm drawing at least 3-4 times faster now than when I used 2D only, if you count that as final drawings per work hour in total.

But if 2D drafting is all you ever do, and all you'll ever want to do, and it's your living (can't be many such people left?), I think I would recommend Powercadd. When I used it some 15 years ago (or more) it was already then a reliable and polished workhorse. And I hear it's just got better since. You know, all the 2D Autocad commands that people ask for in this forum, they're already there, but better. A huge step from MacDraft (pro or whatever), which is reflected in the price difference. I'm sure you get what you pay for. It's priced like Vectorworks but much better at what it does.

Re: autocad for mac?

jespizua — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:05:40 GMT

Thomas wrote:
jespizua wrote:
Ummm nice, but i would say that is way overpriced, isn´t it?.
For me, yes, because I use Archicad which works fine in 2D but I do most of my work in 3D to generate 2D drawings efficiently and wouldn't dream of going back to working in 2D only. I'm drawing at least 3-4 times faster now than when I used 2D only, if you count that as final drawings per work hour in total.

But if 2D drafting is all you ever do, and all you'll ever want to do, and it's your living (can't be many such people left?), I think I would recommend Powercadd. When I used it some 15 years ago (or more) it was already then a reliable and polished workhorse. And I hear it's just got better since. You know, all the 2D Autocad commands that people ask for in this forum, they're already there, but better. A huge step from MacDraft (pro or whatever), which is reflected in the price difference. I'm sure you get what you pay for. It's priced like Vectorworks but much better at what it does.

Agree with you Thomas. I make same workflow as you, and make no sense have a second cad software for 2d. But i´m starting to rethink my workflow and tools. Why? well, i have to say that i´m not full satisfied with archicad, i mean, i can´t do all i want and having that impression using a software is something i don´t like it. I am architecture student still, and you know, we students tends to make thinks a bit.... , and archicad is not really what i want, at least not release 11. Having saying that, i´m have been looking for other software, not BIM, and after testing lots of them, seems like rhino and formZ are the more flexible and powerful tools for architecture´s use. What do you think?.

Re: autocad for mac?

Thomas Holm — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:55:17 GMT

If you're into free-form modeling, I'm sure Rhino would suit your needs. I've never used it. Same with FormZ but I don't think it's as flexible as Rhino, which is already being heavily used in the manufacturing industry despite being fairly new.

Archicad is for modeling and documenting buildings, not primarily free forms. But I think even if I were to use Rhino or the like to model some aspects, if my expected output is the 2D drawings still wanted by the building industry, I'd import the forms into Archicad and document there.

You see, I haven't seen anything as powerful and flexible as Archicad's create model>viewpoint>view>layout book>publish workflow model anywhere. Since you can save and pre-define every step in this workflow chain, it's so fast to create drawings I really have a hard time figuring out how to make it better (other than small details in the process, of course). The only work left is to design the building!

This is the whole point. If it were only modeling, there are a lot of programs that compete well with Archicad, I guess, but in this area it excels alone in my view. And I think Graphisoft could do a much better job of telling the world about it.

I'm also pretty sure Graphisoft is planning ahead to handle the documentation process that will eventually and inevitably replace 2D paper drawings in the building industry. Their work with IFC and even PDFs is market-leading. I've seen no DWG viewer for the iPhone yet, but there is one for PDF (There will come a time when every building worker has an iPhone-like device in her pocket, to see what she's supposed to do in 3D, instead of the current blueprint roll).

I do hope Nemetschek has got a clue, otherwise we're in trouble. I don't have any idea of their plans, though, nobody wants to tell me despite that I'm asking at every opportunity. The only thing that keeps me in fairly good spirit is that the Graphisoft people still seem confident. Or maybe they're just fooling me?

Re: autocad for mac?

jespizua — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:05:18 GMT

I only can agree all said. Regarding rhino, have you seen this? http://www.visualarq.com/
Still in early beta, but could be really great rhino + BIM in the same packet.

Re: autocad for mac?

Thomas Holm — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:38:46 GMT

jespizua wrote:
Still in early beta, but could be really great rhino + BIM in the same packet.

Didn't know about it before. Well, I'm not sure. To put it kindly, it looks like the level of Archicad 4.5 + some parametrical stuff. They have a long way to go. But... we'll see.

Re: autocad for mac?

Ignacio Azpiazu — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:45:03 GMT

jespizua wrote:
I am architecture student still, and you know

Strong advice, then, I would slap your fingers with a ruler if I could: don't waste your precious initial investment time learning and immersing yourself in outdated technology.

Re: autocad for mac?

jespizua — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:00:45 GMT

Ignacio wrote:
jespizua wrote:
I am architecture student still, and you know
Strong advice, then, I would slap your fingers with a ruler if I could: don't waste your precious initial investment time learning and immersing yourself in outdated technology.

Could you elaborate a bit more in your statement, i´m not shure what you mean.
Thanks,

Re: autocad for mac?

Thomas Holm — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:47:24 GMT

Ignacio, I guess you're referring to the topic heading? Well we're off-topic now. This student doesn't seem to be an Autocad fan.

Re: autocad for mac?

Dwight — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 21:08:06 GMT

Everyone wants a software where they can just wave their arms and make artful buildings. We all know the software that does that is called "The Staff."

This thread hinges on whether Archicad can serve the student imagination when we all know that the everyday architecture served by Archicad is like everyday photojournalism: 95% of it is middle-aged white men in suits at microphones.

Re: autocad for mac?

Anonymous — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:55:51 GMT

Thomas wrote:
There's always the old reliable Powercadd:
http://engsw.com/products/

I like PowerCADD a lot. It's earned me a decent living for the past 15 years. It is what it is, though - nothing BIM about it.

Re: autocad for mac?

Anonymous — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:42:11 GMT

I use AutoCad via Parallels on my mac.

Simple and easy to copy paste between autocad and archicad.

Also good idea to make sure your importing and exporting looks right on both platforms.