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Architect won't give CAD files


Cookiepus
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Hi

I have been given the go ahead on a large viz project.

Its a DVD involving lots of animation, fly arounds, walk throughs, video footage, voice over etc.

Problem is the architect wont give the CAD files to client to pass on to me.

He claims they can do the job in house, even though all they have produced is vary basic 3d stills. Kind of "it's my baby and i'm keeping it"

I have worked with the client before and they want me to do the project.

Who owns the CAD plans?

How can we get him to give them up?

Thanks eveyone

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the architects own the drawings as they did them. if they wont give you them then talk to the client. if the client cant make the architects give them to you then the client will have to understand you'll possibly need more time and fees to redraw extra information. just talk to your client. it's all in the communication :)

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I've worked with a couple of developers and architects who've pulled that one on me, and it's frustrating. How can I help you if you don't help me. In my experience if an architect says he won't release the autocad files, it's cause they are afraid of their editable files being out in the open. Hello.... that's why we sign contracts... so we can trust each other!

 

Anyways... My solution which has worked miracles 4 times now, is to request them to create a plot set in PDF format. That way you have a file that isn't editable (directly) but contains the data in clean vector format. (Plotted to PDF from autocad, not printed then scanned to PDF....or else it ruins the point of doing it this way)

 

When you get the files, open the pdf in Adobe Illustrator, select the entire document, and change all the line weights (stroke) to hairline. Then all you have to do is export a .DWG from Illustrator. Open your new DWG in Autocad and double check the scale of your new file with a known dimension.

 

You now have a completely accurate (snapable) cad drawing to work from. Sure you lose your layers, but that's why you just print a hard copy of the original pdf to reference as you model.

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Hi

I have been given the go ahead on a large viz project.

Its a DVD involving lots of animation, fly arounds, walk throughs, video footage, voice over etc.

Problem is the architect wont give the CAD files to client to pass on to me.

He claims they can do the job in house, even though all they have produced is vary basic 3d stills. Kind of "it's my baby and i'm keeping it"

I have worked with the client before and they want me to do the project.

Who owns the CAD plans?

How can we get him to give them up?

Thanks eveyone

 

You are being hired by your client not the Architect. As was mentioned communicate the expense to reproduce the work that is on CAD and give them two proposals. Then your client can deal with the Architect if they choose.

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I'll chime in on this one as I head up the presentation unit within a 100+ architecture firm. We do not hand out our 3d model as it is part of our intellectual property, the client does not own these files and they do contain a lot of developed standards and objects that we have invested in it.

 

I do not have a problem with issuing out 2D dwgs, pdfs etc. But our 3D models are built for the benefit of our firm to make our workflow easier. The thing that gets annoying is when they are requested for free. If an agreement is made upfront to release the model to others, a value is put on it, if not then it is in our contract that the model is our property. We make sure this is known upfront to try and avoid any confrontations later.

 

It happened a lot when architecture went from hand drawings to cad and the engineers would then get our cad files, add a few notes and charge the same as when they used to produce the whole drawing from scratch. The architecture firm was the loser or should I say did not gain as much in that situation and that is similar to what you are talking about. Our models are fully detailed, with great material breakup etc. Why should this be free?

 

I agree with the two fee approach, but when you are dealing with 70+ storey buildings and large masterplanned schemes as I often do, you cant expect or give anything away for free. Perhaps the architecture firm would be ok with giving you a stripped back model to build your model up from?

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Just curious, how does an arch firm handle a muncipality requiring electronic submissions of plans? Can't hold much close to the vest when they do, then it just John Q worker who has access to them, what they do with them is kinda dependant on their morals. I know a few moonlighters who have profited from access to these submittal plans.

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