Take a new job that uses Archicad vs. Autocad

[Anonymous]

I have been in the Architectural Drafting field for over 12 years. I have used AutoCad exclusively throughout my jobs so far, but have an offer and that firm uses Archicad. I never heard of Archicad until I interviewed with them. How frustrating am I going to find Archicad to use? Will I like it or will I hate the new job and find one that uses AutoCad? Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Anonymous]

That really depends on you. If you love Autocad, have it all configured just the way you like, and see no reason to change, then you may be frustrated. If you are always looking for new ways to get things done, then you'll like the change.

There are probably two general personality extremes:
1. Those are that always looking for new and better ways to get things done, that like change. They will embrace the BIM archicad approach and accept the new problems/challenges that they have to then solve.

2. People who like to stick with what they have once they have mastered it and would rather stay with that even if other, better options come along. Forced to use a new tool, they will gripe about all the ways that it's inferior and lack motivation to learn a new method.

If you lean toward #1, then you'll do fine at and archicad office. If you lean toeard #2, then you may have a tough road ahead.

For what it's worth, I say go for it and look at it as an opporutnity to expand your skills.

[Anonymous]

I do not have a problem at all with change. I would welcome the opportunity to learn new software, but at the end of the day production is paramount. I totaly understand that there will be a learning curve, but if Archicad can be used efficiently and can get the job done just as well (and most BIM software does it better) then I am all for it. I just do not want to walk into a program that is inferior and cannot produce cd's at a reasonable degree of detail. I have used ADT to its full potential, which is not too much better than standard AutoCad. I just want to be able to produce drawings at my usual pace and at a level that will be acceptable.

[Dwight]

Your success with Archicad depends largely on your personality. I'll bet that after twelve years of experience, you are offered this work because of your building technology skill rather than as a pure line maker, so if you are curious about the culture of leveraging your linework into building elements and exploiting those elements automatically into building views, this change will please you.

Archicad turns architecture into a video game.

An integrated model improves accuracy, productivity and saves time when revising design since all views update whenever a change is made.

We often think that AutoCAD skills are a barrier when bringing Archicad to a new firm. Usually the Archicad champion first takes new, untrained people and teaches them the BIM process. When the AutoCAD guys see the advantages of view integration, they throw away their pocket protectors, drool bibs and green visors and start to have some fun.

You'll be frustrated because Archicad demands that you think in terms of building parts instead of linework and symbols - it demands architectural thought. It takes longer to make a plan in Archicad than AutoCAD because Archicad's plan view is not a plan, but is an abstract top view of a model. For example, when making a wall in Archicad, the user SHOULD consider the wall's thickness, height and assembly - rather than as just two lines with a fill inside. The payback for deeper consideration is automatic generation of elevations and sections. The other payback is that the entire model assembly can be stretched and edited as a unit so revisions show up everywhere.

But you need not make all of this up from scratch each time. Archicad's productivity is heavily reliant on templates and pre-selections: "favorites." Every project needs some pre-planning - What wall types might you use? What size might the building be? What story height might there be? How many stories?

You just don't sit down and throw down some lines.

For each building type, the firm should have appropriate composite walls in its template, perhaps already lined up for selection as project favorites. In this way, the user finds himself directly picking building elements rather than drawing abstract lines.

This is where the quantity calculation aspects takes over - In comparing design alternatives, Archicad provides volumetric data continuously. You can automatically compare materials used, building size, window area, etc between alternatives. It also tells you your errors quickly because when things don't line up in the model, it shows.

If you are a cryptic Autocad user - all commands and no menu, then ArchiCAD WILL present some drafting challenges. People whine on the forum about things like offsets and radii-making because of the way AutoCAD addresses these issues. Usually a forum member shows the new guy an entirely different way to manage the situation in fewer steps than with AutoCAD.

In Archicad, the "drawing" is not the end product as it is in AutoCAD, the Building Information Model is. I often imagine a science fiction scenario on a far away planet where hunchback architect priests run around with tetrahedron hats worshipping the unfathomable building model until Spock and Kirk show up. "He's dead, Spock. You get the laptop and Archicad key, I'll get the wallet."

The BIM is frustrating because it can't ever be perceived with a false confidence that a set of drawings can be seen. In AutoCAD, a bunch of guys go to work and draw. And there you have it, a bunch of lines and notes!

With BIM, it isn't until important sections and elevations are extracted that one can assess the degree of work completion. So, one day, there's some colored lines on a display, press one button [publish] and the layouts are complete. It takes faith.

Many employers hate this "not knowing" aspect because many hours can go into a project without the usual concrete linework one expects in a conventional office. And it is easy to fake a model, so no drinking on the job!

For instance, I recently designed an urban gateway in Dallas. Built the model in four days and selected, labeled and printed all of the design drawings in the eight hours before getting on the plane. I had confidence that the set would work.

[Rod Jurich]

Dwight wrote:
Your success with Archicad depends /........

Beautifully put DA.

Compulsory reading for all newbies
and some oldies also.

[TomWaltz]

TSquare wrote:
I have been in the Architectural Drafting field for over 12 years. I have used AutoCad exclusively throughout my jobs so far, but have an offer and that firm uses Archicad. I never heard of Archicad until I interviewed with them. How frustrating am I going to find Archicad to use? Will I like it or will I hate the new job and find one that uses AutoCad? Any help is greatly appreciated.

A lot of your frustration level will depend on the environment. If you come into a company with a well developed template, effective standards, and decent training, you will be fine.

If they throw you in the deep end and tell you to just work with it, it could be really frustrating. That's when you come back here and ask all of us for help 😉

[Brad Elliott]

I'll add my 2 cents to what Tom said.

If you are open to change and they are pretty well organized with a good working template and at least one person who supports the template and can give a good orientation you are in for an eye opening experience. At least after the first couple weeks of frustration which anybody has when trying to learn new software on a full time basis. If you have been trying to get everything out of ADT you'll love where you can go with ArchiCAD.

If they are disorganized using legacy templates and don't have anyone in charge it won't be much fun. Though I will say from experience that you can become the guy who gets it working right. It's just a lot more work.

Good Luck

[Anonymous]

I have just recently taken a job using ArchiCAD coming from an AutoCAD backround. I ran AutoCAD for 6 years. I was the go to for all problems in AutoCAD at my last firm. I was straight out of school, but learned very quickly. I resigned from that company after getting pregnant, then decided I just couldn't stay at home. I needed to work for my own sanity. I was off 1 1/2 years.

I started here in July and I love it. I couldn't imagine going back to AutoCAD. I was very frustrated in the beginning. I was not used to needing help. I constantly tried to use AutoCAD commands. I couldn't find anything in the help menu because functions have different names. (Ex: Divide is now Multiply) I like being proficient and thought I was wasting time with simple things. It's definently discouraging if you know what you want to do, but just can't figure it out. I figured out what I'm doing and I feel I am now just as proficient. We are in the process of upgrading to 11 from 7, and I know have a new set of hurdles.

I'm loving it and encourage you to take the leap!!

[Dwight]

always wrote:
I ran AutoCAD for 6 years… I resigned from that company after getting pregnant

Good move since you aren't supposed to drink when pregnant and i can imagine working with AutoCAD would lead to drinking.

[Chazz]

always wrote:
I was not used to needing help. I constantly tried to use AutoCAD commands.

Incredible isn't it? I used commands from my previous CAD app for literally years after I started ArchiCAD. I still occasionally find myself using ArchiCAD commands when in other, unrelated programs like Word and Photoshop.

At 43, my eyes are going and my recall seems ever worse but my retention of muscle-memory commands appears perfect!