I’m starting a construction business this year and am thinking of purchasing a CAD (computer-aided design) program. I’ve never used one before, and I hear some can be quite complicated. I’d like to find one that’s user friendly and not to terribly expensive.
I primarily want to use it to save time in making up drawings that will be submitted to the planning commission.
It would also be nice if it could automatically create a materials-list once I’ve entered basic information.
Finally, if it would have the capacity to create cut-lists, all the better.
Any recommendations?
–T
Replies
I never know what somebody is thinking when they say "not too expensive" We each have a different frame of reference...
Softplan and Chief Architect are good user-friendly programs you can do that with. When you count investment cost, you want to think about time learning the program. Learn a cheap one and your investment cost goes way up because you end up re-investing later in agood one and having to re-learn commands, etc.
I don't know where you are, but the JLC Live trade show is happening in providence RI about march 24,25. I'm sure you can put hands on both programs then and they usually have show discounts that make up for the cost of the show.
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Thanks for the references.-T
Random thoughts. I learned CAD back about ACAD 5. Thats awhile ago.
More or less, same kind of needs - submit plans, sometimes customers want a visual. But most customers, a blueprint doesnt tell them what it tells you or me. I've farmed out prints since, well, forever. I just dont churn out that many to justify spending thousands on a program. Or the learning curve.
Few months ago, I really revisited that issue. If you want to know about Chief, Mike Smith here, he's got an experience base. I had equally experienced opinions on Vector and Softplan. I took them all into consideration, and I got Sketchup.
Which isn't CAD, and its kind of the point. I came to the conclusion that nothing was broke with the current process and i kind of like the guy doing my prints that need doing. The price is certainly reasonable. I really need to bridge the gap between what the prints show and what the customer understands. And I like drawing. Now, could I make SU do a simple print. Sure. But its better at conceptual design, and I guess I decided that was more useful.
Not trying to steer you anywhere, 'cept to talk with Mike if you like the looks of Chief. Just perceptions since I just walked that road.
"A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you." -Bert Taylor
RW, I'm really eyeballin' SketchUp. Haven't downloaded the demo yet, but think I've read dang near the whole site.
Did your prior CAD experience prove helpful? I'm wondering how steep a learning curve I'm facing going from T square and angles. Some years ago I bought a program called Drawing Board, which I got mired down in...and it was purported to be "like sketching on a computer"....yeah, right! Now looks like its an orphan and won't load on my XP machine anyway.
Any chance you could post some of the SketchUp work you've done? It sounds like my needs are similar to yours.PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
I'm not sure if the prior CAD really did much. SU is not cad. I don't know what to call it. I'm leaning on the term "geometry based". Its surprisingly simple to get the grasp of. Now, if you go to their forums and browse the gallery, wow. I'm not there yet.
The attached I did after having the program for 3 days. That was my experience base. It's a Wardcraft (systems built) house plan.
FWIW, I think the SU people have a great sales pitch going just via policy. First, you can DL a fully functional version which works for up to 8 hours. By then, you've either bought the license, or had enough play time to know its not for you. Then, anyone can DL the free viewer, so once you've got all your pals wondering what this neato whiz bang thing is you're jabbering about, they can DL it and see everything you drew without you having to try to snap jpegs or export into some other format. That's proving valuable. I already have a banker, architect, and another builder who've gotten the viewer, and they all think the program is spot on for what its billed as, which like I said is conceptual stuff."A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you." -Bert Taylor
that's a pretty nice perspective... very niceMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Thanks Mike. I don't expect much in the way of compliments since Im still such a noob with this. Since we're doling them out though . . . your site. Way clean. I believe in that. I don't do it as well as your pictures show, but you never know when a neighbor, a banker, someone is going to do a drive by or walk thru. Perception. It looks like you got your ducks in a row and saluting.
You might as well chime in here being the Chief guru and all. Maybe validate what I think is the sales pitch for why someone might use SU rather than another. And I think, at least, that the answer is time, and time = money invariably. That 3d without interior took about 1 1/2 hrs, and that's scaling everything to the right size. With the interior, maybe 6-7. I believe (this is where you tell me if I'm right or not) that while Chief or Softplan will do renders of a more "picturesque" quality, it takes longer to get there? I really don't know. Just thinking in terms of clients time. If they're still visualising, no sense in adding all the details necessary to get a nice perfect pic if all those details are in jeopardy of changing.
I guess it doesn't matter to me a whole lot one way or another. I found something I like. Moreover, something my brain can grasp. "A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you." -Bert Taylor
for true dimensioned constrcution drawings and 3d.. it's hard to beat Chief, Softplan, Vectorworks, Archicad...
for a short learning curve and a great drawing tool, Sketchup has a lot of fans
hard to say which is right for each individual.. or which is right for wher the individual wants to be in ten yearsMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
PJ. Just thinking of examples. I don't want to give the impression that this is for drawing houses. Its for drawing anything that you can break down into flats, curves, arcs . . .
Just another example. The stock component files, of course, can never have the thousands of items that everyone would want. So you make components that you'll use over and over. "A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you." -Bert Taylor
I downloaded the demo, been playing with it this afternoon...wow! This is the first time I've worked in 3D. Started a drawing of my shop-to-be. Then tried my hand at designing a cabinet that I'll have a friend build. Much to learn...but I'm hooked. This seems much more user friendly than the program I mentioned earlier.
Burned up about half the demo...guess I'm gonna spend some money...LOL! The possibilities seem endless...I'm like a kid with a new toy!
Thanks for your insights and pics of work.
PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
Just learning Solidworks--- you won't like the price, but basically you draw it to scale in 3d and it generates the material list etc. Tricky compared to Cad Lt, and it is normally more than 10k to get into.
L
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