New user, I am scared!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Ok, so Wed. I start at a new firm that uses Archicad, and has for some time. I have been in the industry as an architectural technician and designer for a little over 12 years. I have ALWAYS used AutoCad, and was the Cad Manager for 3 different firms. Any advice from anyone else that has made the jump, or any advise will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[TomWaltz]

Forget everything you ever knew about working in Autocad. It won't help you in Archicad. In fact, it could work against you.

[Laura Yanoviak]

There's a book "ArchiCAD for AutoCAD Users" which is a bit dated, but still helpful as an introduction to the software. Hopefully, the firm you are joining has some sort of training program (they certainly should!) if not, you must go through the ArchiCAD Interactive Training Guide -- and refer to this forum often!

[Anonymous]

thanks for the replies, I just went through about 3 weeks of Microstation tri forma (bim) at my previous job. I have worked in revit and architectural desktop, so the theory of it is not that big of a deal, its just the gui that I am more worried about.

[Anonymous]

TSquare wrote:
its just the gui that I am more worried about.

A lot will depend the attitude and expectations of you and your employer. My guess is that it is a relatively small firm that needs production, yesterday.

I went through that a few years ago when I changed to ArchiCAD then hired an experienced AutoCAD architect. He quit on ArchiCAD within 4 months and left in less than a year. This was with a week of training and having daily access to one user who had over 4 years of experience. But he was also trying to produce!!!!

Though the BIM or CAD managers here may disagree, looking back on that and my own stumbling around I think the conversion would be easier if training started in 2D. Drawing or tracing 2d details or sections to get comfortable with how ArchiCAD handles the basic copy, paste, mirror, multiply, split, stretch, line weights, line styles and the keyboard commands associated with them. Because once you learn those well, they work very similar with all the 3D elements. And you'll then know that the 2D drafting, though different that AutoCAD, is still doable and as fast.

Usually training starts in 3d. By the time one pass is made though that the water will be up to your nose. It's difficult to concentrate when your in danger of drowning.

But that just me.

Dave

[Erika Epstein]

Dave wrote:
my own stumbling around I think the conversion would be easier if training started in 2D. Drawing or tracing 2d details or sections to get comfortable with how ArchiCAD handles the basic copy, paste, mirror, multiply, split, stretch, line weights, line styles and the keyboard commands associated with them. Because once you learn those well, they work very similar with all the 3D elements. And you'll then know that the 2D drafting, though different that AutoCAD, is still doable and as fast.
Dave

Dave, there are a number of firms that start people out on details and other 2D work for that very reason.

[Anonymous]

Getting to grips with 2D first is definitely worthwhile.

I used Autocad for 10 years (as a digital drawing board) before trying ArchiCAD, and the introductory training skips over the 2D to get to the whiz-bang of the 3D. This is clearly more fun and is designed to exite and enthuse, but glossing over the 2D work does nothing for productivity.

Most small firms end up running AutoCAD LT along side ArchiCAD for smaller jobs which is wasteful and unnecessary.