Architecture - Archicad vs Chief Architect

Author

Archicad vs Chief Architect

Beibbs

2006-10-24, 1:25 pm

Hi,

i'm new round here. I already checked in the forum for a comparison
between the two programs but couldn't find all the answers to my
questions.

I work in a promoter, recently I begun designing our villas with 3D
Home Broderbund.

But as you can understand this program is very limited and only for
home users and i'm searching for alternative. I came to the
conclusion that I have to choose between archicad and chief architect.

-What I'm looking for is a software to produce renderings and 3D
Images for advertisement purposes, to make advertisement in the
magazines, in the internet and so on.
I don't do all the project process, constructions, drawings because
this is done by our architect, I just take his project with exact
dimensioning and do the high quality 3D Image.

-Another use of the software will be, for ex if I see beautiful villa I
can take a hint and create a similar villa in my own software. Draw
ideas and see how they look.

But of course I need high quality renderings and sometimes I have to
draw complex villas with curved walls, parabolic walls (for example I
couldn't draw with 3D home Broderbund a curved wall with progressive
height. It means a curved wall that begins at 0 height and ends at 2600
cm height.

-And, due to the fact that I'm already used to use 3D home Broderbund
and Chief it's his big brother I'd need to ask you how does
archicad works with textures and landscape and plants.

For ex: if I have to choose the finishing of a wall I simply have to
apply a texture (brick, paint etc) by simply choosing the wall and
applying a texture or is it more complex?
Does the program come with a good texture library and good gdl library?
How does the landscaping process works (hills trees etc)?

Could someone help me in the final choice?

Thank you very much for any suggestions.

clintonG

2006-10-24, 1:25 pm

Chief Architect (CA) is less expensive and easier to use but as a former
reseller I recall CA has always been limited for rendering as it required
using its own materials libraries. If the architect doesn't like a
particular stone pattern you may be SOL when using CA as the libraries are
limited compared to what is available for the "Big Three" CAD vendors which
have the most market share in AEC-CAFM applications.

ArchiCad from Graphisoft is one of those Big Three CAD programs the other
two vendors are Autodesk and Bentley. ArchiCad is much more expensive than
all of them and has many benefits but is actually way behind the curve than
Autodesk and Bentley who have licenses the .NET Framework. I know you're not
a programmer but 3rd party support is greater for Autodesk and Bentley
products than Graphisoft's.

I should also point out the CA was the pioneer in object oriented CAD having
the first object oriented CAD program being sold commercially (really, I go
way back). CA (and its little brother 3D Home) was literally developed by an
unemployed rocket scientist from the Southern California defense industry.
Too bad he f*cked up though and delegated marketing to a big fat c*nt for
Idaho who f*cked up all the early adopting resellers and customers. The fat
c*nt f*cked the business up so bad they had to sell licensing rights to
Broderbund to stay in business. Broderbund downsized CA and sold it as 3D
Home Architect. Then Revit came on the scene, Autodesk bought Revit and the
rest is history.

If you're serious about making money in the way you say you are you would
probably be better off buying Revit noting it is used by way more architects
and other AEC-CAFM customers than ArchiCAD and has greate 3rd party interest
thus more choices available to you to provide a better service.

<%= Clinton Gallagher
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/
MAP 43°2'17"N 88°2'37"W : 43°2'17"N 88°2'37"W

"Beibbs" <beibbs@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1161703134.467819.148460@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> i'm new round here. I already checked in the forum for a comparison
> between the two programs but couldn't find all the answers to my
> questions.
>
> I work in a promoter, recently I begun designing our villas with 3D
> Home Broderbund.
>
> But as you can understand this program is very limited and only for
> home users and i'm searching for alternative. I came to the
> conclusion that I have to choose between archicad and chief architect.
>
> -What I'm looking for is a software to produce renderings and 3D
> Images for advertisement purposes, to make advertisement in the
> magazines, in the internet and so on.
> I don't do all the project process, constructions, drawings because
> this is done by our architect, I just take his project with exact
> dimensioning and do the high quality 3D Image.
>
> -Another use of the software will be, for ex if I see beautiful villa I
> can take a hint and create a similar villa in my own software. Draw
> ideas and see how they look.
>
> But of course I need high quality renderings and sometimes I have to
> draw complex villas with curved walls, parabolic walls (for example I
> couldn't draw with 3D home Broderbund a curved wall with progressive
> height. It means a curved wall that begins at 0 height and ends at 2600
> cm height.
>
> -And, due to the fact that I'm already used to use 3D home Broderbund
> and Chief it's his big brother I'd need to ask you how does
> archicad works with textures and landscape and plants.
>
> For ex: if I have to choose the finishing of a wall I simply have to
> apply a texture (brick, paint etc) by simply choosing the wall and
> applying a texture or is it more complex?
> Does the program come with a good texture library and good gdl library?
> How does the landscaping process works (hills trees etc)?
>
> Could someone help me in the final choice?
>
> Thank you very much for any suggestions.
>

Beibbs

2006-10-26, 1:25 pm

Hi Clinton,

Thank you for your reply and suggestions.

I attach here a couple of images of a Spanish promoter that has
wonderful 3D and renderings. Take a look and maybe you could tell me
what kind of programs they used to create them.

Thank you

Regards

Roberto

http://www.aifoscosta.com/uploads/e...rena_info22.jpg
http://www.aifoscosta.com/uploads/golfhills_info21.jpg

clintonG ha escrito:

> Chief Architect (CA) is less expensive and easier to use but as a former
> reseller I recall CA has always been limited for rendering as it required
> using its own materials libraries. If the architect doesn't like a
> particular stone pattern you may be SOL when using CA as the libraries are
> limited compared to what is available for the "Big Three" CAD vendors whi=
ch
> have the most market share in AEC-CAFM applications.
>
> ArchiCad from Graphisoft is one of those Big Three CAD programs the other
> two vendors are Autodesk and Bentley. ArchiCad is much more expensive than
> all of them and has many benefits but is actually way behind the curve th=
an
> Autodesk and Bentley who have licenses the .NET Framework. I know you're =
not
> a programmer but 3rd party support is greater for Autodesk and Bentley
> products than Graphisoft's.
>
> I should also point out the CA was the pioneer in object oriented CAD hav=
ing
> the first object oriented CAD program being sold commercially (really, I =
go
> way back). CA (and its little brother 3D Home) was literally developed by=
an
> unemployed rocket scientist from the Southern California defense industry.
> Too bad he f*cked up though and delegated marketing to a big fat c*nt for
> Idaho who f*cked up all the early adopting resellers and customers. The f=
at
> c*nt f*cked the business up so bad they had to sell licensing rights to
> Broderbund to stay in business. Broderbund downsized CA and sold it as 3D
> Home Architect. Then Revit came on the scene, Autodesk bought Revit and t=
he
> rest is history.
>
> If you're serious about making money in the way you say you are you would
> probably be better off buying Revit noting it is used by way more archite=
cts
> and other AEC-CAFM customers than ArchiCAD and has greate 3rd party inter=
est[color=darkred]
> thus more choices available to you to provide a better service.
>
> <%=3D Clinton Gallagher
> NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
> URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/
> MAP 43=B02'17"N 88=B02'37"W : 43=B02'17"N 88=B02'37"W
>
>
>
>
>
> "Beibbs" <beibbs@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1161703134.467819.148460@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

clintonG

2006-10-26, 1:25 pm

There's no way to look at a computer generated rendering and determine which
software was used.

The "encinar" project is more realistic that the "golfhills" project though.
Look at the windows? Do they render translucnet the way windows actually
appear or are they rendered as black ink? Look at the leaves on the trees.
Little details like this require tens if not hundreds of thousands of
polygons.

I would verify my comments about Chief Architect libraries but I knowing
what I know about the AEC markets if you are going to work with architects
most of them are now using or beginning to use Revit or ArchiCad because
B(uilding) I(nformation) M(odeling) is becoming the standard in demand by
their customers who want buildings modeled as databases. Revit and ArchiCad
both render but the best results still require using other rendering
products. Many architects use Architectural Desktop also from Autoslime and
it too supports rendering but best results require using additional
software.

I'm not that the best guy to tell you much more but I can and have put you
on the right track and as I said if the choice were mine and my customers
were architects as opposed to home builders I would be using Revit with
other rendering software.

On the other hand, if my customers were home builders -- as they once
were -- I would get the f*ck out of the design, drafting and rendering
business and train myself to write web software -- as I have -- because
where I live around Milwaukee, United States, most of the home builders are
stupid, they are thiefs who buy one and steal the rest and then tell you if
you do not support what they steal they will never give you anymore work,
they cheat and will not pay fair fees and when they do agree to pay they lie
and often make yu wait many many months or go to court to collect.

Come to think about it most of the architects were and are the same way but
good luck to you!

<%= Clinton

"Beibbs" <beibbs@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1161877868.402795.143840@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
Hi Clinton,

Thank you for your reply and suggestions.

I attach here a couple of images of a Spanish promoter that has
wonderful 3D and renderings. Take a look and maybe you could tell me
what kind of programs they used to create them.

Thank you

Regards

Roberto

http://www.aifoscosta.com/uploads/e...rena_info22.jpg
http://www.aifoscosta.com/uploads/golfhills_info21.jpg

clintonG ha escrito:
[color=darkred]
> Chief Architect (CA) is less expensive and easier to use but as a former
> reseller I recall CA has always been limited for rendering as it required
> using its own materials libraries. If the architect doesn't like a
> particular stone pattern you may be SOL when using CA as the libraries are
> limited compared to what is available for the "Big Three" CAD vendors
> which
> have the most market share in AEC-CAFM applications.
>
> ArchiCad from Graphisoft is one of those Big Three CAD programs the other
> two vendors are Autodesk and Bentley. ArchiCad is much more expensive than
> all of them and has many benefits but is actually way behind the curve
> than
> Autodesk and Bentley who have licenses the .NET Framework. I know you're
> not
> a programmer but 3rd party support is greater for Autodesk and Bentley
> products than Graphisoft's.
>
> I should also point out the CA was the pioneer in object oriented CAD
> having
> the first object oriented CAD program being sold commercially (really, I
> go
> way back). CA (and its little brother 3D Home) was literally developed by
> an
> unemployed rocket scientist from the Southern California defense industry.
> Too bad he f*cked up though and delegated marketing to a big fat c*nt for
> Idaho who f*cked up all the early adopting resellers and customers. The
> fat
> c*nt f*cked the business up so bad they had to sell licensing rights to
> Broderbund to stay in business. Broderbund downsized CA and sold it as 3D
> Home Architect. Then Revit came on the scene, Autodesk bought Revit and
> the
> rest is history.
>
> If you're serious about making money in the way you say you are you would
> probably be better off buying Revit noting it is used by way more
> architects
> and other AEC-CAFM customers than ArchiCAD and has greate 3rd party
> interest
> thus more choices available to you to provide a better service.
>
> <%= Clinton Gallagher
> NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
> URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/
> MAP 43°2'17"N 88°2'37"W : 43°2'17"N 88°2'37"W
>
>
>
>
>
> "Beibbs" <beibbs@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1161703134.467819.148460@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

RickR

2006-10-26, 5:25 pm

You might look at products from www.softcad.com

ArchiTECH.PC is very similar to ArchiCAD and SoftCAD.3D is a stand
alone modeler/renderer that has architectual functions.

RickR

Beibbs wrote:
> Hi,
>
> i'm new round here. I already checked in the forum for a comparison
> between the two programs but couldn't find all the answers to my
> questions.
>
> I work in a promoter, recently I begun designing our villas with 3D
> Home Broderbund.
>
> But as you can understand this program is very limited and only for
> home users and i'm searching for alternative. I came to the
> conclusion that I have to choose between archicad and chief architect.
>
> -What I'm looking for is a software to produce renderings and 3D
> Images for advertisement purposes, to make advertisement in the
> magazines, in the internet and so on.
> I don't do all the project process, constructions, drawings because
> this is done by our architect, I just take his project with exact
> dimensioning and do the high quality 3D Image.
>
> -Another use of the software will be, for ex if I see beautiful villa I
> can take a hint and create a similar villa in my own software. Draw
> ideas and see how they look.
>
> But of course I need high quality renderings and sometimes I have to
> draw complex villas with curved walls, parabolic walls (for example I
> couldn't draw with 3D home Broderbund a curved wall with progressive
> height. It means a curved wall that begins at 0 height and ends at 2600
> cm height.
>
> -And, due to the fact that I'm already used to use 3D home Broderbund
> and Chief it's his big brother I'd need to ask you how does
> archicad works with textures and landscape and plants.
>
> For ex: if I have to choose the finishing of a wall I simply have to
> apply a texture (brick, paint etc) by simply choosing the wall and
> applying a texture or is it more complex?
> Does the program come with a good texture library and good gdl library?
> How does the landscaping process works (hills trees etc)?
>
> Could someone help me in the final choice?
>
> Thank you very much for any suggestions.

LinkBot