Architectural CADD News by Software
   
Last Updated : May 3, 2000

 

FastCAD

Evolution Computing, Inc.--- (FastCAD)

Fastcad bulletin board ----- http://fastcad.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/000488.html

Recent Descussions

(These comments came from a FastCAD internet discussion, after someone mentioned the 1997 CADD Rating for FastCAD being "obscure")

From : adaxis@hotmail.com

Date : 5/1/2000

>I searched your listing and could not believe that you left my favorite program off the list. You have EasyCad - now in obscurity and Not Recommended. I don't know about that, but Evolution Computing's FastCad is alive and well and runs circles around other listed programs. What Gives?


To : adaxis@hotmail.com

From : glangdon@shore.net (Geoffrey Moore Langdon)

Date : 5/1/2000

FastCAD was certainly one of my favorites, and was near the top of the list circa 1994. They developed the AEC extension for I think both FastCAD and EasyCAD which made it even better.

I do list them on the primary list of Web Resources on Architectural CADD from the top page of www.architecturalcadd.com, and I do have them listed under General Purpose tools in the HOT CADD NEWS section.

However, I am not sure what happened. The company simply doesnt market and advertize extensively, user groups are essentially non-existant, no magazines, no news in the CADD magazines (note that since setting up that HOT FASTCAD NEWS section in Feb. 1999 there has been nothing). All that is taken into consideration in the rating listings. Of course you are looking only at the 1997 listing from almost 4 years ago, but, no, they haven't gone up at all.

If I hear from users such as yourself, testimonials about how it is helping their practice, I certainly will post them, and it will help FastCAD's rating.

The best possible thing the FastCAD users could do to rise to the forefront of choices for CADD is to have a Team in the Designers 3D CAD Shootout in Washington DC next month. Until then, I, and most other potential CADD users, cannot take FastCAD too seriously as a real design office solution.


From: Stuart Baxter <StuartBaxter@holmes-p.co.uk>

Date: Wed, 3 May 2000

Dear Sirs

I was directed to your web site by comments on the Fastcad bulletin board; http://fastcad.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/000488.html and although we are not an American practice felt that you should be aware of the discussion, which I whole heartedly agree with. Our practice http://www.holmes-partnership.com/ has 18 FastCad users and despite repeatedly trying other CAD packages we have been unable to find an alternative product which is so powerful, easy to learn and use for 2D work.

As 2D work is the mainstay of most architectural offices it is essential that the software is both reliable and efficient. I cannot recommend FastCad enough and would suggest you investigate the product further and consider adding it to your list of CAD products. Regards Stuart Baxter


From: "Jayo, Francisco" <Francisco.Jayo@med.va.gov>

Date: Wed, 3 May 2000

We use: Windows 95, FastCad32 ver 6.037, Rhino ver. 1.1, Autocad ver. 14, Microstation 95, Accurender 3, Softdesk 8

For your information FastCad32 is alive and well. We only use Autocad and Microstation for conversions but the real productivity tool is FastCad32. It is by far the best High end 2D CAD software. Speed (5-10x Autocad), Interface efficiency(multiple level select by process is faster than any other), Support response in minutes, Flexibility and Adaptability, DWG/DXF compatibility. Rhino is also an excellent 3D tool which along with FastCad32 can beat any software. Why do your 3D shootouts exclude combinations of software? You should take another look at FastCad and/or EasyCad, why do you say it is obscure?

Francisco Jayo, Veterans Administration, One Veterans Plaza Station, San Juan, PR 00933, 787-641-2915


From : Geoffrey Moore Langdon

I have noticed that a number of you have noticed the four year old information about FastCAD in the CADD Ratings section of Architectural CADD Consultants. As a Consultant who researches all this information and disceminates it through publications and consulting full time for a living, I have a problem you can easily see with just putting all that information out live - and free - to the Web. As an academic, I would love to freely distribute what I have, but I would be broke in seconds and you all would loose what I hope is a potentially valuable resource. Thus I can assure you that the information about FastCAD in my book - Architectural CADD : A Resource Guide, in my presentations, in my articles, and in my regular written collumn, is all far more up to date.

However, since the FastCAD people don't hit the news, advertise, or have as many user group meetings around here as a number of their competitors, I do indeed need your help - the help of actual users as well as from the software developer - to give me testimonials, news flashes on new developments, and so on, which I can indeed add to the existing section on FastCAD on the Architectural CADD Consultants site called "Hot FastCAD News". The Architectural CADD Consultants web site documents between 50,000 to 200,000 hits per week, so it would definitely behoove some FastCAD people to get their news in there.

I mentioned to several architects and CADD experts the onrush of messages I have gotten this week from FastCAD users, and all of them said "what-CAD ?" I myself am quite familiar with the software, and have also taught classes in it (besides liking it a lot, as unquestionably it is the fastest and has the best viewing tools), however, I believe I have seen perhaps one mention about it in the past 60 issues of the various CADD magazines, so few people could argue with me that FastCAD needs more press or exposure.

Without being in the forefront of peoples eyes, as one of their prime, say 10 choices for CADD in their design office, there is no way that new potential buyers will consider adopting FastCAD. The FastCAD users that think so highly of their software can help, (and make sure their favorite software not only stays in business but grows to offer new features), is to come forward and have a Team in the Designers 3D CAD Shootout, which will be on June 6th in Washington DC. The field is still open. Only two people (with their laptops) and a spokesman are needed. This year it is not a competition, but rather a demonstration, so, if FastCAD were there, it would only be fantastically great. We do indeed allow combination Teams, who use one software for 3D and another for 2D, and have had several such Teams in the past (Arc+ and ConceptCAD, AutoCAD and 3D Studio, etc.) for this year we already have a Team using ADT2 and Viz, PowerCADD (a 2D only package) and Design Workshop (a 3D only package), and also a Team using AutoCAD and ArchiCAD together.

The only criteria is to actually develop a building we ask for in three hours, designing it, producing all the plans, sections, elevations, details (specific ones we ask for), and perspectives, and walk-throughs. Over the past five years we have seen this all actually done in 27 different CADD packages. If even two people out there think FastCAD is really in the same league, they should come forward (there are subsidies as well as prizes) and demonstrate it at the Design Shootout.

If not, then, it would prove that FastCAD is indeed in obscurity.