Are there any landscape architecture firms that use ARCHICAD for their entire workflow? If so, I'd love to get references so I can get some insight into how well it's working out for them.
BACKGROUND: I have been contacted by a 17 person firm that is "playing with the idea of transferring our firm to a ... BIM workflow, and modeling our landscapes vs. drafting them in 2D. A typical landscape might include site walls, terraces, fire features, stormwater management, pergolas, fences, pools, and planting (and of course associated grading plans, layout plans, and hardscape plans).
We realize this would require a huge investment in time and training, and we want to be sure we aren't chasing a solution that doesn't exist."
I am confident that ARCHICAD can provide a good BIM workflow for them, although I am unclear whether "planting" can be done with sufficient level of 3D realism to meet expectations. The ARCHICAD standard library is weak in this area.
I'm wondering whether the plants and trees can be done well using 3rd party libraries and add-ons such as Cadimage (was there one called Gardenworks from Europe?), Sketchup 3D Warehouse, and perhaps even libraries imported from Revit?
Any referrals, insights or feedback would be appreciated.
