ArchiCAD and Residential?

[Anonymous]

Hi guys, Newbie here. I'm currently looking to move on from 2D AutoCAD to producing 3D models that I'll use to create construction documents and renderings. The only 3D experience I have is with ADT, but that was awhile ago and I really didn't care for it (especially for residential). Anyway, here's my questions are this... I'm looking for an unbiased opinion because we all know one program is better than another at certain things but lack where the other excels. I guess what I'm saying is there is no "perfect" product that suits everyone. Ok, so we are an architecture firm and the work we do is residential (custom homes). First of all, which is better at residential, Revit or ArchiCAD? Again, I’m looking for an unbiased opinion (hopefully from someone that’s used both). I'm fine with someone saying "ArchiCAD is so much better at everything else, but if you're into residential only, Revit might be better for you". My second question is, would you say ArchiCAD and Revit are "overkill" for residential only firms and you'd be better off with a residential product such as Softplan or Chief Architect? I greatly appreciate anyone’s feedback on this.

BTW, I’ve searched and have seen a few responses, but I’m more curious to hear your opinions now that version 9 is out.

[Djordje]

Rakela wrote:
can you please put down the prices for all softwares mentioned here?? to have a clear idea of prices difference...thanks

Prices comparison can be misleading, and can depend too much on the local sales people; list price comparison is also not always precise gauge.

Also, price wise, one should look for upgrade pricing, crossgrade pricing (e.g. you are giving back whatever you use now and thereby get x discount), maintenance contracts and other hidden and not so hidden costs.

Also, you can not compare ArchiCAD and Revit with Chief Architect; if you compare, it shoudl be the same class of software.

[Rakela Raul]

did i say or suggest that i would select the software according to their price?? moderator

i would like to know the cost of softwares in question here...if anybody knows it please, i would appreciate it...
thx

[Anonymous]

Scott, I posted in the AutoDesk Revit forum, but I'll visit Augi here shortly and make my post. Be sure to look for it.

One reason that I stopped at Revit is their pricing. You're basically paying a yearly due. They force you pay to ugrade NOW (every year) or pay a lot more LATER. Does ArchiCAD do anything like that?

I agree about not comparing price comparisons. Softplan and Chief Architect are not in the same class as ArchiCAD and Revit.

[Anonymous]

I know Softplan Lite is $900 while the full package is $3K. I didn't bother pricing CA because I found out Softplan was better for my needs than CA.

[Djordje]

TexasTechGrad wrote:
One reason that I stopped at Revit is their pricing. You're basically paying a yearly due. They force you pay to ugrade NOW (every year) or pay a lot more LATER. Does ArchiCAD do anything like that?

AFAIK no. I know for a fact that you can upgrade any old legal license to the current version, and that since 8.0 the upgrade from the previous version is about 15% of the price. All this for International version - you should definitely check with the local sales people. As always, your mileage may vary .

US pricing of ArchiCAD is the best in the world, so there you do have a clear advantage.

What happened to AutoCAD users is that, if they miss an upgrade step, they then have a deadline to upgrade, or they have to buy new licenses. "Very" user friendly.

[Djordje]

Rakela wrote:
did i say or suggest that i would select the software according to their price??

Sorry if I misunderstood

Rakela wrote:
i would like to know the cost of softwares in question here...if anybody knows it please, i would appreciate it...
thx

I am sure your local people who sell each of the softwares you are interested in would be happy to oblige?

[Richard Morrison]

Djordje wrote:
Also, you can not compare ArchiCAD and Revit with Chief Architect; if you compare, it shoudl be the same class of software.

Djordje - Other than the multi-user environment, what do you believe defines "class" in this case? The implication is that Chief Architect is "lower class", yet there are a number of features (framing, rendering, material calculations, ease of use, 3D editing, door/window schedules) that AC should aspire to. In rendering packages, you might possibly define a "class" (e.g. includes radiosity (which Chief has out of the box, BTW) or NURBS), in CAD packages the class distinction may not be as discrete as you represent.

[Anonymous]

Gig 'Em 🙂

+pablo

[Anonymous]

Scott, I made my post over there.

I guess I'm still confused as to what program handles residential better. I guess I've at least narrowed it down to AC and Revit and have done away with SoftPlan and Chief Architect. I can mess around with 2 programs which is a lot better than 4!

Also, I totally agree. I don't think you should have to upgrade every year and be penalized if you don't meet a deadline. Is that how AC is too?

[Anonymous]

TechGrad,

Sorry for the jab.. couldn't help myself. Seriously now, I am new to ArchiCAD (coming from 12+ years of AutoCAD and VectorWorks), but what impresses me the most about this application is that it is an application written specifically for architects. Just look at all the add-ons and object libraries available online. Even if you don’t buy one add-on, you still have a program that speaks our language right out of the box and gets better when you buy an add-on like ArchiTerra, CabinetBuilder or one of the many Door/Window add-ons. They do cost money, but if used right, will pay for themselves in no time.

80-90% of my work is residential and for me, ArchiCAD has paid off and was worth the high cost of software and equipment investment. Once you get over the learning curve (which I am still not quite there) you will see the obvious advantage of BIM and never turn back. I run AC9 on my Mac G5 and couldn’t be happier!

+pablo