I recently did a quick eval of the Tekla products and I was impressed by some of the features offered like the "forms" tool that generates the forms required when pouring concrete. The reason I was looking at the Tekla products was their ability to analyze stresses and pressures of components to ensure the design met specs. I personally use AC as an Architectural design tool to show building concepts. What I find lacking are all of the "engineering" features that would allow the designer to do analyses of load bearing conditions, temperature expansion/contraction measurements and such. Also AC does not allow the designer to properly create testable structures like floors and walls or trusses and such. In a large building the structural walls could be steel re-inforced concrete or a beam & girder design. It would be a lot better if designer had the ability to determine if the design of these objects met spec. while still inside AC instead of going to another software. Inside wall can be made of wood or steel studs but if someone was to ask "how many" the designer would have to either find other software or get some other engineer to figure it out. It would be nice if AC had "smart" walls that can automatically place the studs in the correct locations. Provide the proper placement where walls meet. Throw in a door and window and the "smart" wall would automatically update the placement of the studs and transoms and such. Thus the construction drawings would come directly from the AC design file and would not require work to be done by another engineer. As a building designer I would rather have all of the necessary design and construction info/documentation created in AC such that when I finish the design I can automatically print/export what is needed to have the building built. While what I mentioned above is ambitious this is the place for wishes and why can't a wish be BIG. So my wish is to be able design a building starting with the input of the land surface elevations and finish with a full set of construction drawings and analysis documents to allow design approval. No need to purchase additional software modules like some of AC's competitors, just a one package does everything.
