Do you use Mac for Arch Viz?

[Jeff Mottle]

The guys at 3Dworld asked me for a comment on the use of macs in arch viz, but I wanted to get some feedback here if I could to firm up my comment. My comment will be that macs using OSX for arch viz in production are few and far between, but I also wanted to know how many of you are using bootcamped macs in production. I know I've seen people here indicate they do. If you do, why did you choose the mac? Do you use OSX for anything?

[AJLynn]

I use it at home and used it in school but I already had Windows software so mostly I was using Bootcamp at the time. I now run OSX on it (I removed Windows because it was a waste of hard drive space) but don't use it for work. I've been noticing that even though very few firms seem to be using OSX, a hell of a lot of students are using it and running Adobe apps, Sketchup and Maya on it, and with Rhino in beta I figure it's just a matter of time before OSX trickles up into firms.

[blowback]

I use a mac pro at home with boot camp running xp and max 2008. I purchased my mac because of cost and speed vs a similar pc setup. I also do a lot of video editing using FCP and AE, and this is were I run OSX. I would love for everything to be on OSX but with work (the networkk...max ...adt...cad....ect) it's just not practical.

[AJLynn]

...And they just updated the hardware. Only quad CPUs, the new versions, new video cards, 8800GT is an option, looks like a better value overall... a dual-quad 2.8GHz with 2GB and the 8800GT looks like about $3000 US. I think Apple just moved the benchmark.

[Spooner04]

We discussed buying some macs to bootcamp a while back. but we decided to wait until they worked some of the bugs out of 3ds max so we could upgrade both together.

 

 

 

 

we've been waiting a while.

[Nils Norgren]

The questions is, "do people use macs for Arch Vis", I would say that due to the fact that Max is a PC only, we use PCs for arch vis, but we have about 35% of the company on macs, we have:

 

2 Xserves (file sharing)

3 XRaids (Storage) - We are going to be implementing an XSan soon

Graphic Design Dept, 100% mac

Interactive 50% mac

Sales, Admin, Marketing 100% Mac

Owners 100% Mac

Film Group 80% mac

 

That being said, The majority of people are 3d artists using PCs with Max/Vray.

 

Maybe this helps the cause or perhaps it just makes the point about PCs being the dominant platform for Arch Vis. I was the only person (apart from IT) running Bootcamp, but I almost never used it and didn't re-install it when I moved to a new machine.

 

My 2¢

 

-Nils

[blowback]

Hey Spooner 04,

 

at least you get to play pong while you wait.

[AJLynn]

I think there's an important point there - the dominant software being Max/Viz, AutoCAD, ADT and Revit, to have a significant shift away from Windows we'd need to have non-Windows versions of those programs, or wider adoption of alternatives. (And even the most widely used CAD alternative - Microstation - is Windows only.)

 

But the dominance of Macs among the people not spending most of their time on that software is interesting. We had the same thing at a large (architecture) firm I used to work for - management, graphic design and marketing using Macs while Architecture, Visualization and Interiors used Windows. With a clear separation along the cad users / non-cad users line. I think Management was using them because of ease of use, prestige and looking good on the desktop, but are graphic design and marketing as industries using Macs?

[blowback]

Autodesk will never release osx cad. ever. So I think the line will always be there.

[mesht]

i've only used mac for arc viz only early last year, and that was a huge gamble, as i've been a pc user ever since high school?

 

after reading an article from an architect who uses both windows and osx for his work, feedback seems positive and promising and decided to try, though the risk is high. it was a smooth transition from pc to mac. running max, autocad and photoshop in both windows and osx, running bootcamp seems stable, no major crashes.

 

until now, i never looked back and mac would be my future platform, since it's able to dual boot, that's a plus. my main reason for switching to mac are for speed,advanced technology and the stability of the machine, and also to try out arch viz through mac, and i've compared results with works being rendered on pc, almost similar in quality, from my office that is.

[Ernest Burden III]

My comment will be that macs using OSX for arch viz in production are few and far between

 

The most likely place to find mac-bases arch-vis people is among the FormZ and Cinema4D crowd, both with near 50% of users on MacOS, and both having a meaningful percentage of their users doing architectural work. But all that does fall well below the number of arch-vis'ers using Max.

 

What I'm wondering is why 3D-World is asking. Do they have a point to make? With really good programs for arch-vis available on both platform, including render engines, I'm wondering why we're still talking about the great divide. That really isn't.

[anvaraziz]

add me.........

 

using mac at work,,, sure its bootcamped .........

[jackb602]

OS X is the only platform I've ever used for arch viz. I do own Autocad and run it under Parallels. Its only use is as a file converter. Cinema 4D, FormZ, and Photoshop are my primary tools.

 

I get the impression from having read 3D World over the years that they have already made up their minds that Macs aren't used for 3d. It would be interesting to see what the actual statistics are.

 

Jack

[STRAT]

i use 8 processor macs in work because, compaired to a pc, the mac is naturally more stable, hardly crashes, and is generally faster. (even though it's basically a pc in the engine room).

 

but, i still prefer the windows environment, so i do all my cinema and autocad work in windows on my mac through bootcamp. Then, when i'm ready to hit the render button, i just re-boot in OSX mac mode and and hit render.

 

i get the best of both worlds.

[guca]

I'm using bootcamp at home and for personal projects I'm quite happy of how is working with max and vray. I just use osx for presentation (keynote) and sometimes for postpo.

[Scott Erstad]

Both depending on location (home v office). Like others, Bootcamp is pretty tight without the PC "intangibles". I find that it my primary need for a pc is to receive clients works, strip em'; down and clean em' up, then it is truly my preference, without restrictions. I started back in the day on a mac before going to school, trained as a graphic artist, then coming to the Arch Vis world, my expectation.

 

I think most design shops (print, motion, video ) are primarily on the Mac with some PC's in house. That nugget is solely based off what some of my connections have told me over time, we all like to have that running turf discussion regarding OS.

 

Scott

 

http://www.andersonillustration.com

[BrianKitts]

I've made the jump to mac (and loving it)..... but would say I'm still a 50/50 split since when it comes to the arc vis side I'm just using the mac as a pc. And as a mac for everything else.

 

I run on a PC when not traveling....but traveling between our other offices I work on my macbook pro. I've been using Bootcamp to run windows XP so I can run 3dsmax and Archicad....but then I normally will flip back in to Leopard for all my presentation work and any normal office work for communication and documentation.

 

Our office makes heavy use of Skype for video conferenceing so the macbookpro's built in webcam has been quite handy. Even when I'm not traveling I keep my macbook running for VC.

[edub]

Our design firm ( 50+ people) is mac only.

 

For arch viz and we use formz (mainly for modeling) and Cinema4D (adv. render and Vray) mainly for rendering.

 

We use Vectorworks and Illustrator for 2D drawings.

 

A few people are running Parallels and XP, but mainly to check if a file has been converted properly to Acad before sending out.

 

We never work directly in any windows-based software.

[Frosty]

Autodesk will never release osx cad. ever. So I think the line will always be there.

 

I don't buy that. Autodesk, like any software company, will sell software to anyone who will but it. When it becomes economically viable to port their apps, they will. With Macs running a Unix based system and Intel processors, this is much easier than when they canceled the Mac version of Autocad.

 

Also, as Ernest stated, I don't really even think this is a real issue. Use what you are comfortable with. Use what will make you most productive. With that said, I wish I could run AutoCad on a Mac at work.

[STRAT]

I wish I could run AutoCad on a Mac at work.

 

Then why dont you mate?

[Frosty]

Even though we both know its possible, there's no way I'd convince the powers that be to let me use a Mac. I was actually questioned as to why I wasn't using "the office email" when it was discovered I used Thunderbird - no I'm not kidding.

[blowback]

They canceled autocad for a mac os because of market share. There is none. Those of use that use mac.....boot windows because of max and autocad. The vast majority of the people that use these programs use PC and probably will for a long time so why would the GIANT autodesk develop a product for a 2%....probally less... market share. They won't. Not for the Arch Vis industry.

 

But I would love it if they did. max running in osx...oh ya.

[STRAT]

Even though we both know its possible, there's no way I'd convince the powers that be to let me use a Mac. I was actually questioned as to why I wasn't using "the office email" when it was discovered I used Thunderbird - no I'm not kidding.

 

gotcha.

 

it's the same for me. only in the last few months since i had my new job is the new regime understanding and more liberal.

 

in my last place a mac would never be considered, because it wasn't office policy. pure and simple. i was forced to use outlook for emailing, ftp was banned etc etc. it just wasn't the 'office way'.

 

frustrating isn't it.

[blowback]

yep.....GMAIL....now get to work:D ....but to be honest....it's not for those of us that post a couple of work related pic's or questions.....it's for those jokers who facebook/ myspace all day and play the minimize window game ....we have all seen them. And we ask ourselves, almost everyday, "how the hell do they keep there job here?" A little off topic;)

[CHE]

I use a Mac for production work. I am runing Modo, Sketch Up and Photoshop on OSX and I switch to the windows partition for AutoCAD and the occasional 3dsmax job.