Architectural Practice Workflow & advice

[portisgreg]

Hi All!

 

I was just wondering what your workflow (e.g. programs, your responsibilities etc) is in your architectural practices? I realise they will be vastly different from eachother however I've recently moved from the exhibition industry to the architectural industry and I find the workflow at our practice really tough as a visualiser.

 

In our 70+ strong practice, from what I can tell,

 

AutoCAD is the predominent product used for drawings. We have 5 or so licenses for ADT but noone knows how to use it. I am the only Max user but some know the basics. Sketchup is known by 3 people, with one advanced user. At a rough guess, half the company knows how to use photoshop but we only have 20 or so licenses. Presentations/proposals are prepared in powerpoint then printed from there (yeah I know).

 

When i took the job I understood my key responsibilities to be 3D modelling and animation with a bit of graphic design (preparing presentations & corporate identity & colouring in plans and elevations in photoshop!). However I've found that it's 85% graphic design and 15% 3d and this is doing my head in!!! Especially colouring in plans in photoshop. I just feel there is so much time wasted in their processes.

 

I want the practice to advance to using more 3d throughout the design process and in presentations/proposals however not knowing the industry too well I'm not sure how to 'suggest' this to the powers that be.

 

What programs would be valuable? What can i suggest?

 

I've got them to buy Indesign so i can prepare decent graphics for presentations so thats a step in the right direction.

 

I went to a seminar recently where they demonstrated Revit and this looked superb to me, automatically colouring in plans and elevations, 3d, scheduling etc. but i can't see them taking this on. However I can see that everything seems to be going towards 3d CAD in the industry, am i right?

 

I'm struggling cos i feel I'm being pushed into roles I dont want to be involved in, e.g. graphic design. Do you all know AutoCAD and ADT? I would be happy to learn it (it all looks good on the CV) but I don't want to become a CAD technician/draftsman!

 

Any suggestions would be more than welcome.

 

Thanks for listening to my rant!

 

Greg

[jonnypoland]

Hi i am on the architectural side not visualisation but am learning max and vray. our small practice has just moved from 2d autocad and ADT to archicad. we have all found it extremely benefitial. It saves a lot of time and help greatly in the design process. from what i gather revit is the same concept, maybe even better. These programs would be easy to learn for a 2D cad user bu the fact that all your drawings derive from the one model makes it so good. If you change one thing it automatically updates the other, eg plans elevations etc.

i dont think it would be a hard sell to your practice. it really is the way things are going.

jonny

[chadw]

Revit and others are great however if the firm already owns seats of ADT then putting the time into learning that would seem a better investment and easier sell. ADT will color floor plans and so on.... I use both programs (ADT & Revit)and the similarities are comical. Also ADT has VIZRender, which while it is not my favorite plugin in the world, it would provide an entrance into the 3Dmax workflow and UI for all using ADT and VIZRender. Just a thought...

[Tommy L]

It sounds like you are looking at this problem from the wrong angle. The process that this large practice as a whole adopts is not your responsibility, you have to mould to it, not try to change it. However Your role within the practice is something that you can have a hand in establisahing. I would go and talk to your direct superior and the person who was responsible for hiring you. Hopefully you can persuade them that your skills and attributes are not being used to their full potential and they will integrate more 3d into your role.

If they are unresponsive, you are likely to become labelled "the graphics monkey" which will be a difficult label to lose. In this case, maybe its time to brush up the CV.

[portisgreg]

Cheers all for your replies,

 

Tommy L,

 

I understand what you mean. Maybe you're right. I have said to them I've not been given enough 3d but it hasnt seemed to work so far. I think i'm getting the 'graphics monkey' label tbh, I've even refused a few people, saying 'I think there are a number of people who can do that here' but if I do that too much I'm sure it'll get back to the directors.

 

I need to try and carve a 3d niche for myself somehow and if that means learning ADT then so be it. This may well be more beneficial in the long term because it seems it's becoming easier and easier for anyone to produce 3d renderings with the advent of sketchup and the like.

 

Do you all know ADT or AutoCAD? Or are you purely Max?

[PAWUK]

I know what you mean about the spread of 'quick and easy to use' software, It wont be long before clients start doing it themselves or you get the kid just out of school doing cheep renders.

 

The only thing to do is keep ahead of the game. One good thing maybe it will force Autodesk to reduce there prices especially in the UK. Needed to get Autcad for a new system at work they wanted £3200 in the uk if we were to get it from the US £1500, but speeking with autodesk UK we wouldnt be able to register it even though it was the same .