AutoCAD is mostly used for the creation of 2D drawings using single lines, geometric shapes, 2D families, etc. When drawing in AutoCAD the drafter will need to apply all changes in plan view and facades independently.

Even though 3D modeling can be done manually, they do not look as realistic; neither are they as effective as computer-aided drawings. AutoCAD aids in fashioning 3D objects with colors, materials/textures used on a plethora of surfaces, thereby making them attractive and simpler for the user to visualize the end product.

If there are any changes that are required in manually drafted paper drawings, the draftsman would have to draw again. But in CAD, the in-built tools enable a number of revisions and modifications quickly and easily. You are allowed to edit or delete details simply by utilizing user-friendly commands.

Find moreRevit has three different versions, each used for a particular discipline. The usual process of multiple disciplines working through the system begins with the architect beginning the house plans model in Revit Architecture. From this, he or she sends the model to the Structural and MEP Engineers. Each department now links the architecture model into their personal workspace within their own choice of a Revit discipline version. After this, every department begins work inserting beams, trusses and columns, pipes and other electrical connections. Once this is completed, the engineers send the models (different from the ones originally sent) back to the architect. The architect finishes the process by linking each model into his or her personal architecture model, and each will show up in the correct locations. All the work created by the engineers will contain the original files inserted prior to initiation.

GRAPHISOFT, the company behind ArchiCAD, is one of the proponents of OpenBIM, which simplifies how different teams and professionals work on a project. So it doesn’t matter if you’re a freelance architect, as long as you use ArchiCAD, you know that structural engineers and other professionals involved in the project will be able to view your work using the software tools they have at hand.