BSA Committee on Design Software
BSA Committee on Design Software |
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| Tutorial Seminars | CADD& Small Firm 11/17 | |||
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We plan to have meetings at different offices, and at different schools, so we can see how CADD and other design software is used in various organizations. We will also occasionally meet at the BSA Building in downtown Boston, and have "virtual meetings" online using our dynamic forum as well as things like Netmeeting.
Past Meetings
March Meeting
3 / 28 / 00 -- Tuesday at 6 pm
Hosted by Greg Conyngham, AIA, at ICS in Cambridge, MA.
Featuring ArchiCAD 6.5
(ICS) Integrated CADD Services, 19 Bishop Allen Dr., Cambridge, MA 02139
800-383-5195 // 617-576-8778 // 617-576-5543 fax
gregcon@intcad.com
BSA Design Software Meeting 3/28 Tues
Just a reminder that tomorrow at 6pm our host is Greg Conyngham at ICS.
The featured software is ArchiCAD 6.5
We will also have information and recent news developments on several other design software packages for architects, primerily in CADD, but also in site design, 3D modeling, structural engineering, and rendering. We will have printed review articles, and CDs on these to hand out.
There will be light snack food
Next month : April 19 - Revit
ArchiCAD is the premier software for architects, and an ArchiCAD Team is the current holder of the Architectural CADD Cup - representing that top position, by winning the Designers 3D CADD Shootout in 1999. For longer than any other company, Graphisoft has developed, and even trademarked, the concept of the Virtual Building way for architects to use architecturally smart software with artificial intelligence to quickly and easily "build" a 3D CADD model, easier than cardboard, where all the plans, sections, elevations, and details are automatically generated.
Long a dream of architects, this way of designing really exists today in the form of ArchiCAD, which is now a model for how all architectural CADD software should work someday. Many design firms, not wanting to wait for their old CADD developers to try to redesign their software, find that they gain a serious competitive advantage, and find both themselves and their clients happier, by switching to ArchiCAD now. Besides extrodinary abilities and features, such as xrefs of AutoCAD DWG files, better sheet layout than paperspace, and imaging abilities to trace contours and scanned buildings, ArchiCAD is one of the easiest CADD programs to learn and use, with automatic abilities. The most common statement from astonished experienced CADD using Architects is "you just did in 15 seconds what I spent most of last week doing". Automatic drawing coordination of your production set, walk-through animations, and perspective renderings are all just a side benefit of this penultimate software. The software even automatically coordinates teams of architects collaborating and working simultaneously on the very same building.
ICS - Integrated CADD Services is a full service company for the support of architects, supplying both software and hardware on several platforms. They are the regional value added reseller for ArchiCAD. The also have plotting services, training, installations, and even architectural services. They are also a source for thousands of software products, plotters, and more.
Greg Conyngham, AIA a registered architect, and long time strong advocate of ArchiCAD will show us some of the magic this extrodinary software can do while showing us some of the projects he has done with ArchiCAD as well as some of the other software he recommends.
ICS -- 19 Bishop Allen Dr., Cambridge, MA 02139 -- 617-576-8778
map, driving directions.
April Meeting
4 / 19 / 00 -- Wednesday at 6 pm
Hosted by Karen Krueger, at Revit Technology Corp.
Featuring Revit
Revit Technology Corporation, 300 Fifth Avenue, Second Floor , Waltham, MA 02451
781-839-5338 // 781-839-5300 // 781-839-5333 fax
kk@revit.com
BSA Design Software Committee cohosts Architectural CADD College 2000 October 25 - 26, 2000
tutorials in DataCAD, AutoCAD ArchitecturalDesktop, ArchiCAD, VectorWorks Architect, DesignWorkshop, and IntelliCAD
Meeting October 26, 2000 --- Thursday
10 / 26 / 00 -- Thursday at 6 pm
Hosted by Geoffrey Moore Langdon, at Roseledge, in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts
The featured software is the AllPlan software for architectural design, presented by by Ivan Bereznicki, in Cambridge, MA in conjunction with the BSA AllPlan Designers Group.
We will also take a look at the 3D modeling software you can download for free called DesignWorkshop, as well as a huge library resource for architects called GreatBuildings Online, also free to use.
We will also show you how you too can join the online CADD Challenge.
That day we are also sponsoring the second day of the Architectural CADD College 2000, which features tutorials in DataCAD, AutoCAD ArchitecturalDesktop, ArchiCAD, VectorWorks Architect, DesignWorkshop, and IntelliCAD
We will also have information and recent news developments on several other design software packages for architects, primerily in CADD, but also in site design, 3D modeling, structural engineering, and rendering. We will have printed review articles, and CDs on these to hand out.
There will be light snack food
Meeting February 7, 2001
The February meeting of the BSA Design Software Group will be February 7, 2000 in Beverly Farms, MA
This month the featured software is AutoCAD, and AutoCAD ArchitecturalDesktop3 *** Full description ***
Meeting April 4, 2001
The April meeting of the BSA Design Software Group will be Wednesday April 4, 2001 in Boston, MA
6 - 8 pm
Architects Building, 5 th Floor, 52 Broad St., Boston, MA
Topic : Architectural CADD Software and Technologies
with industry expert Geoffrey Moore Langdon followed by a Job Fair.
Co-Sponsored with the Greater Boston Autodesk Users Group (GBAUG) and the BSA AutoCAD User Group for Architects
This month the theme is AutoCAD, and Architectural software *** Full description ***
CADD and the Small Firm - Thursday September 20
Brought to you by the Boston Society of Architects Small Firms Practice Committee
Professor Geoffrey Moore Langdon, AIA Architect, co-author of CADD and the Small Firm
will give a special presentation on "CADD and the Small Firm" at the BSA Building
52 Broad St. Boston, from 12 to 2:00 on Thursday, September 20.
This presentation is focused on the concerns of small architectural design firms RIGHT NOW on a number of issues concerning their use of CADD and design software. Productivity issues, File Translation between softwares, getting people (particularlly designers and principals) "up-to speed", whether to "upgrade" to new "architecturally intelligent" versions, dealing with CADD managers / plotting services / online learning / CADD salespeople / and networks.
We will discuss the 5 different categories of CADD software, and why it is important for a small firm, in particular, to have at least one CADD program in every category - 2D drafting software, 3D modeling software, digital imaging software, architectural design software, and analysis/presentation/web software.
Design firms struggling with AutoCAD vs. AutoCAD ArchitecturalDesktop, DataCAD vs. DataCAD Plus, VectorWorks vs. VW Architect, and the options of "renting/subscribing" or transitioning to other software such as AutoCAD, Revit, or ArchiCAD, will find this session particularly useful and enlightening.
To clarify issues we will be showing segments of all of the above programs, as well as schematic design software made for principals such as SketchUp, and DesignWorkshop.
This is one opportunity to ask truly frank questions in an environment of architectural colleagues and no CADD salespeople. We also provide you with demonstration versions of all the discussed software to try out yourself and show your colleagues. There is even a free lunch for BSA members (non-members $10) if you call 617-951-1433x221 by 9:30.
Meeting Oct 12, 2001
6 - 8 pm
Architects Building, 5 th Floor, 52 Broad St., Boston, MA
Topics : Revit, BOA, ADT (AutoCAD), ArchiCAD, DataCAD Plus, VectorWorks comparisons, and Design Shootout 2001
News Archives
COFES2000 - The Congress on the Future of Engineering Software will be
held May 17-20, 2000 in Scottsdale AZ USA. http://www.cadsociety.org/summit
November 5, 1999
This is an extrodinarily turbulant time for the companies that create CADD software for the architectural design industry. There are new alliances, mergers, major players re-positioning or even getting out of the game, and, suprisingly, whole new players actually jumping in with new architectural CADD offerings. Some great 2D and 3D software is even available free over the web. Also, a major new area is the proliferation of "architectural construction project extranets" and "project specific web sites" that can allow architects to regain their place as controller of projects with them setting up the system for drawing/project coordination and delivery.
Part of what is fueling all of this change is the saturation of at least 2D CADD into the architectural profession. This makes instant project collaboration possible, but it also means that the CADD software developers need to expand their markets by selling us software with more capabilities - helping the transition from 2D CADD to 3D architecturally intelligent CADD - and offering us construction industry services - automatic specs when choosing building products dynamically from web sites and much more. The software is now getting far more sophisticated and specialized, as well as being aplicable to many more areas of architectural practice, so instead of just getting a CADD program for the drafting department, we now need to find a productive mix of different softwares for use in the various departments of our offices and phases of our designs.
This means that, now more than ever, architects will need a clearinghouse resource to turn to when dealing with the various softwares they use in their design practice. It is my hope that this is what the new BSA committe on Design Software will become. 11/5/99 Geoffrey Moore Langdon, AIA
November 8, 1999
This web site is obviously under construction. It will probably forever be continually under construction as it adds new resources as they are developed. Rather than indundate you with a plethora of "under construction" signs just note that any list without the trademark blue links is not yet done. We can indeed use any help anyone can contribute, and one of the best ways to help is to email us any links you positive of which we are currently missing. 11/8/99 Geoffrey Moore Langdon, AIA
Nov. 10 --- Eagle Point Software
Regional training classes are now available for ArchT. The two-day course is taught by a certified ArchT trainer. The courses are designed to provide attendees with the knowledge and skills needed to become more productive in their use of ArchT. Areas covered in the training course include installing and configuring ArchT, customizing the toolbars, designing, creating reports and layering commands. Special pricing and additional incentives are available through the end of December 1999. For more information, visit http://www.archt.com/training/index.htm
Two new Computer Based Training CD-ROMs for AutoCAD 2000 and AutoCAD R14 contain over 80 lessons, and can be purchased from http://st2.yahoo.com/reicks/combastrain.html
Nov. 11 --- Visio / Microsoft
The Justice Department has requested additional information on the proposed US$1.3-billion acquisition of Visio by Microsoft. Visio shareholders will vote on the merger Dec 13. The deal is Microsoft's largest to date, which might not be completed until Jan'00.
Analysis of the 1999 Designers 3D CAD Shootout for Architectural CADD Systems
On Tuesday November 16 th, at BuildBoston'99 seminar A7, from 9:30 am - 12 noon, Professor Langdon will give a presentation on the 1999 Design Shootout which this year was in Los Angeles in May. He will show videotape of the event and give you analysis and insight as to how and why the various Teams succeeded and failed, as well as insights as to what types of offices the various CADD options are appropriate.
CADD and the Small Firm
With entirely new recommendations updated for 1999, the CADD and the Small Firm seminar, on Wednesday November 17 th, at BuildBoston'99 seminar B43, from 3 pm to 5 pm, Prof. Langdon will aprise us of strategic atvantages of appropriate CADD for small design firms.
Design Software Hosts
People who have volunteered to host a meeting :
Ivan Bereznicki (AllPlan)
Revit Technology (Revit)
Peter Bruckner - Designers CADD (AutoCAD ArchitecturalDesktop, Viz, LightScape)
Greg Conyngham - ICS (ArchiCAD, ArtLantis)
Geoff Langdon - Architectural CADD Consultants
David Sargent (DataCAD Plus, Spirit, Arcon, Renderize, )
Possible Hosts :
MIT Architecture
Wentworth Architecture
Harvard GSD
BAC
Northeastern
Mount Ida College
Endicott College
Suffolk University
Newbury College
Paladin - Arris
DataCAD LLC
BSA New Technology