Showing posts with label Sketchup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sketchup. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

B3- Laura Hill

Today, there are various building design software’s to choose from. Typically, we hear about AutoCAD and Revit as the main platforms for todays building modeling. Both of which are great tools for different reasons.
Starting with AutoCAD, the program was originally designed with the intention of helping with manufacturing and mechanical design. With AutoCAD, you typically design in detailed 2D, however the most recent AutoCAD software includes 3D design tools. AutoCAD has become the go to for many firms worldwide, despite its minor complexities in use. AutoCAD is used to create blueprints and floor plans, but has also become a tool for graphic designers, engineers, and project managers. Its format is easily read and understood across the board, however, learning to understand the tools of the program takes time.
This is where Revit comes in as a helpful tool. Revit was designed to simplify the design process, specifically for Architects. Revit allowed for 2D and 3D design from the start, and therefore has managed to perfect these tools. Revit has also recently brought in a 4D aspect, which AutoCAD has not. Revit not only allows you to design and annotate in 3D and 2D drawing, but it allows you to access the building parts and information from a large database. Meaning, if there are features (i.e. furniture, parts, mechanical elements) that you want to add to the building design, you can find those things through the Revit database, look up information on them, and add them to your model. Revit also makes it easy to create drawing sets with the built in sheets tool. Finally, Revit allows you to easily create a building using scaled floors, walls, windows, and roofs, all in the same file, rather than having to create separate drawings for each element and manually scaling.
Google Sketchup is another very easy to use tool for 3D modeling. Google Sketchup is probably the easiest 3D modeling software to learn, and creates some of the most visually appealing designs because of its many components and tools. Google Sketchup is also free software; therefore it was most likely created to reach more of a variety of users as compared to AutoCAD and Revit. Going back to AutoCAD, this software does excel in its capability to transfer into other software. For example, it is relatively easy to take a dwg from CAD and place it into a program like Google Sketchup and build your 3D model from there. You can do the same with a Revit 2D drawing, however, with the 3D capability of Revit being so easily accessible, it doesn’t make much sense to do so.
Google Sketchup is a great tool for quickly creating 3D models without the technicality. However, when it comes to technical building design and models, AutoCAD and Revit are definitely the better options. Although many firms will continue to stay set on AutoCad as the go-to BIM software, I believe Revit proves to be more advanced and overall beneficial to Architectural design and Engineering.


Comments

Allison Lock:
I also decided to compare Google Sketchup with AutoCad and Revit. I like how you emphasized that Sketchup works well for general shapes. A lot of our information was similar, for example, the fact the AutoCAD is commonly used in the industry right now, and the aspect of Revit that deals with the simplicity of the floor, wall, roof, and ceiling constructions. Overall, I like the way you set up your post. It was easy to read and understand the differences that you pointed out between all three tools.

Adrian Kuzniarowicz:

I like how you started out your post with a brief history of the two products you are comparing. For example, specifically pointing out the AutoCAD was created before Revit gives the audience a good backstory of the products. Moving forward with your post, you continued to add specific dates and details of each of the two BIM tools, which made it very easy to read and understand the difference in uses between them. I agree with you that Revit is extremely valuable as compared to other software on the market today.

Monday, January 25, 2016

B3 - Group E - Allison Lock

Revit is a useful modelling tool from which three-dimensional models are readily created from types and families. This post will compare Revit to the alternative BIM tools, Autocad and Sketchup.

Revit is a Building Information Modelling (BIM) system in which defined types or families are added to a sketch to create a structure. Scaled features represent different floor, wall, ceiling, and roof construction types. Families of structural, mechanical, electrical, HVAC, furniture, windows, doors, and other components can then be imported and placed into a model. Revit allows designers to indicate each of the major building systems, architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical, in a single model. This allows for intelligent design as overlaps and multi-system issues can be addressed in the model, reducing the occurrence of surprises in the field. Construction materials and systems are also called out in models.

Autocad is a BIM tool that is commonly used in industry. The program allows for the easy creation of floor plans, sections, and elevations drawn from single lines. Layers can be used to distinguish different systems from one another. In my work experience I primarily focused on site and structural design. At both firms Autocad was the modelling system of choice. Mainly two-dimensional plans were created. Autocad can also be used to make three-dimensional models and sections however in my experience this is not as common. Generally it seems easier to make models in other programs and Autocad is thus limited in this respect. A lack of model information limits component collision analysis and prohibits client visualization therefore many projects may use other programs to create such models despite the process being time consuming and repetitive. However Autocad is also one of the most commonly used tools in the field as three dimensional models are not fully necessary for professionals in the business to be able to construct a building and diagram construction is quick, easy, and can be used to design a wide variety of structures.


Sketchup is a tool that is effective when it comes to creating general shapes. The program can be used to create general shapes that represent either entire complex or an individual structure. Components can be placed and attached to one another to mimic systems however individual systems cannot be loaded and information on systems in not available through the program. Thus Sketchup is a useful tool for expressing the architectural form of a building but is not useful for determining multi-system interactions, component information, or drawing details. In comparison to Revit, Sketchup is easier when it comes to creating odd geometries with slanted walls and other features but Revit includes more information on elements and construction.


I commented on Adrian Kuzniarowicz’s and Mark Lodato’s posts.

Derenoncourt, Pierre. "AutoCAD or Revit - Where Do You Draw the Line?" Pluralsight Creative. Pluralsight, 2014. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.

Huang, David. "Revit vs. Sketchup." Payette. Payette, 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.