What do you think of this news?

[Jeff Mottle]

Hey guys,

 

I was thinking that this PR in today's news was a bit on the edge of CGA scope, but I gave it a try anyway. Can you guys give me some feedback as to whether or not this intersts you?

 

http://www.cgarchitect.com/news/newsfeed.asp?nid=1189

 

Thanks,

Jeff

[Ernest Burden III]

I have a mixed reaction.

 

First, I am pretty tired of the spew from Autodesk. It's always in blathering corporate-speak, and never just says "listen, we bought your bread-and-butter application to kill it. Instead we will push on you what some focus group tells us you must want--never mind that it doesn't work anywhere near as well, and cost many times more. Don't like it? Tough!" Now that would be a good read. Microsoft, Autodesk, Satan--not necessarily in that order.

 

On the other hand, I liked that they focused on a real client and how their product allegedly made a difference in a real project. I have gotten so tired of software companies throwing 'feature lists' at us without ever really considering how useful their software will be in a real production environment. I've got so much shelfware here, all stuff that SOUNDED great, but was not usable in real work.

 

So I would suggest, Jeff, that you resist running press releases touting applications without some of what is in that ADSK PR--an example that illustrates that the product may actually be useful.

 

And why no pictures? Doesn't Autodesk know we're visual people? Throw me some screenshots, some badly composed site shots, stock picture of a draftsman from 1973...

[ingo]

In my eyes its one of another useless "client X proudly uses our software" press releases. It maybe interests CAD people but definitly not us cga folks i guess.

 

In addition i found this on Think Secret today which clearly shows Autodesks ignorance to clients needs and their arrogance. Instead of developing a Mac OS X version they first want a feedback from maybe buyers, great. No risc, no fun guys.

 

[ May 06, 2003, 11:52 PM: Message edited by: ingo ]

[Paul Griger]

Well, I’m a bit biased I guess as I use ArchiCAD.

 

When Autodesk makes claims like;

 

“we took three-dimensional snapshots of the drawings in Revit and posted them to Buzzsaw. Our counterparts in Orlando then marked them up electronically and posted the revisions, and automatic email notifications informed the entire team of the updates.”

ArchiCAD 7.0 was able to send whole construction sheets and 3D shots to clients, have them redline changes, and send them back for revisions.

 

And the design in 3D;

 

“Changes made in the design—moving a wall, for instance—were immediately coordinated and reflected across the project.”

or

 

“client who was having trouble visualizing how a flat roof would look from the upper floors of his building,”

yes, ArchiCAD has been doing this for 20 years AFAIK.

 

So I guess it’s newsworthy that AutoDesk is catching up.

 

IMHO Autodesk is just running their spin machine to persuade users into thinking that AutoDesk is breaking new ground in the arhi world w/Revit. I guess if you say something enough people begin to believe you. Oh, and I’m sure AutoDesk views this press release and others concerning Revit as their way of saying to users of ADT that they should forget about continuing with ADT and should take up Revit soon. The handwriting is on the wall.

 

What I’d like to see is a news release from AutoDesk declaring the date that they’ll stop supporting ADT and force all of those users to learn Revit.

 

Now that’d be a good news tidbit

 

Sorry for the cynicism

[siliconbauhaus]

autodesk = :ngesleep:

[Kerry Thompson]

Hi Jeff

 

This stuff is interesting in terms of concept but this AutoDesk stuff is PR spin. The concepts of BIM have been around for twenty years and it is good to see current software taking it on board. We have been here before though - with the AutoCAD R12 based Advanced Data Extension (I think) which was also supposed to revolutionize facility management etc. at that time. (This technology reads an AutoCAD dwg file using SQL and allows multiple users to work in one dwg file - currently implemented in AutoCAD Map but could be a very powerful AEC tool). I have difficulty in reconciling their centralized BIM approach (Revit) and their distributed BIM approach (ADT) and this is confusing the market. Interesting that a lot of ADT4 feels like Revit. Changes in this area are not driven by the technology but rather the design culture that is able to change to use it - a very slow process it seems.

 

 

Kerry Thompson

[Sawyer]

Gee everything I have heard from those helpfull Autodesk resellers is that Revit is not a good solution at all for big designs. I was told that if you do residential design Revit is the way to go. But the files it creates are far too big far apartmets or office buildings.

 

But the best thing they told me was: "There will always be both programs. There are tens of thousands of ADT users. You really don't think we would just drop them cold do you?"

 

Yes, yes I do.

 

Altho honestly I think Revit would be dropped first. ADT only got to be hip because it was bundled with CAD programs. Revit is a stand alone.

 

One of the things I have always loved is how hated Autocad is. Most of us talk about our rendering/modeling software will a bit of affection. Every drafter I have met curses Autocad and Autodesk. I use Autocad and when I meet Microsation and Archicad users and they seem to really like their program. Autocad users are more resigned to their system.

 

[ May 07, 2003, 01:28 PM: Message edited by: Sawyer ]

[Ernest Burden III]

One of the things I have always loved is how hated Autocad is.

Totalitarian regimes are rarely loved...but they can be effective.

 

I have used Datacad for 16 years and have always loved it. I may switch over to Rhino, which I also love, and Lightscape, and Photoshop and Premiere, and maybe evn After Effects. But I hate Autocad.

 

But what are you going to do? However they got their position of power in this industry, it is undenialble. I still resist, but really all I want is to get my work done. Fighting the ADSK devil is fun, but not terribly productive. Their customers (which includes me for some products) could put the brakes on them, but don't. I guess they just want to get their work done, too.

 

What's really funny about the angst over ADT is--why would you need an overlay to make a so-called architectural product good for doing architectural work anyway? Datacad, and many others, were designed to do architecture, and work great right out of the box.

[garethace]

What's really funny about the angst over ADT is--why would you need an overlay to make a so-called architectural product good for doing architectural work anyway? Datacad, and many others, were designed to do architecture, and work great right out of the box.

 

Anyone who knows anything about computer modelling for architectural visualisation will know, that Lightwave is perhaps one of the easiest and most productive pieces of software to work with.

 

Its interface hasn't changed much over many years, and you can do literally anything with it.

 

I think though, that MAX and ADT saw programs like MAYA, with all the overlays and context menus and everything and decided to have that too.

 

You pay more money for the privelege of this stuff, but it is doubtful whether or not the productivity improves.

 

Actually just on a point of interest, has anyone here ever used MAYA on a big 19-20 inch APPLE MAC CRT monitor?

 

A program like MAX or MAYA nowadays, needs a screen like this i feel to fully make use of the interface complexity, and a powerful display adapter of course, or gpu as they are called today.

[quizzy]

it's more sub-news than real news... it's always interesting to know why others use certain software, but to me, its...... lets keep this site up to date on soft- hard- and thinkware as we did before.. IMHO...

 

My 2 eurocents...