AEC Tech News: 2D to 3D #17
21 Sep, 2005 By: Arnie WilliamsElementary Decision
ArchiCAD features make it
the obvious 3D choice
for schools designer Quattrocchi Kwok Architects
For architectural firms that choose
to
work primarily in 2D, it?s not difficult to make a software decision.
These days, that would be like wondering whether Microsoft Word is a
smart choice for the long term. In the 2D CAD world, AutoCAD is
the equivalent of Microsoft Word.
When it comes to 3D, however, and moving to the efficiencies of a
building-model database, the choice becomes more difficult. A firm with
a history of MicroStation use might understandably consider Bentley?s
BIM (building information modeling) approach. Interface issues would be
minor, and the transition from 2D to 3D relatively painless.
A firm long favoring AutoCAD, on the other hand, might consider
Autodesk Revit. Though Autodesk?s 3D BIM product came about through an
acquisition rather than a progressive development of AutoCAD into a 3D
building modeler, the company has since worked to make the transition
from AutoCAD to Revit more seamless.
Another choice for a traditional 2D office is Graphisoft?s
ArchiCAD and its Virtual Building model. This software has been based
on
a building-model database from its inception, and unlike many other
architectural software products on the market, ArchiCAD has followed
IFC (Industry Foundation Class) specifications to the letter.
These were the software products recently evaluated by QKA (Quattrocchi Kwok Architects)
? a
midsized California-based firm that specializes in design for
elementary
and secondary education. The company put all three of these BIM-based
products through detailed testing before settling on Graphisoft?s ArchiCAD.
The Evaluation Process
?After a very thorough evaluation process, we found that ArchiCAD would
bring the greatest benefits to our firm,? says Aaron Jobson, project
architect at QKA and the lead evaluator on the team testing the BIM
software candidates. ?The integration of LightWorks in ArchiCAD is a
major advantage for all rendering tasks,? he says. ?And the software?s
TeamWork capabilities are far more functional than comparable tools in
Revit. It was Graphisoft?s commitment to training and ongoing customer
support, however, that helped finalize our decision.?
The 3D advantages of BIM are obvious for small, localized projects, and
any of the three products evaluated would suffice for such endeavors.
However, QKA projects often involve an extended team in various
locations, so the ability to move BIM data relatively effortlessly
around a company intranet via TeamWork was a strong selling point,
notes Jobson, who figures that the ability to communicate more
effectively among teams will lead to increased productivity. QKA also
provides photorealistic renderings at several stages of its projects,
and ArchiCAD?s LightWorks rendering engine, with its ability
to produce vibrant images, was again a strong factor in ArchiCAD?s
favor.
But perhaps one of the strongest factors, Jobson says, was Graphisoft?s serious efforts to achieve full compliance with the IFC initiative. ?We want to take full advantage of IFC in the future,? says Jobson. ?Our software must be able to support our business goals in addition to meeting our design needs.?
IFC allows companies to produce costing, bidding and scheduling reports by running specialized software designed to read IFC specs through the building model at various project stages. This is one of the key strengths of ArchiCAD?s Virtual Building as an IFC-compliant, data-warehouse model.
ABOUT THIS
ISSUE
This special edition of AEC Tech News examines the real-world
experiences
of architects and builders as they move from 2D drafting to 3D
modeling.
If you have suggestions about companies or issues you'd like to see
covered here, please e-mail us at editors@cadalyst.com.
About the Author
Arnie Williams, former editor-in-chief of CADENCE magazine, is a
freelance
author specializing in the CAD industry. E-mail Arnie at awilliams47@hotmail.com.
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