CAD/Architecture Apps?

ArchiCad is good, its also UB to intel, and the Educational version is a free download.

japasneezemonk said:

ArchiCad is good, its also UB to intel, and the Educational version is a free download.

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I agree, i use archiCAD and it's a very easy and powerful program, i would try not to use AutoCAD if you could, although it's the Professional standard, it has a VERY steep learning curve.

You could use the free Fisher-Price alternative: http://sketchup.google.com/

Josh2022 said:

Hey, thankyou for that information, I seemed to have missed that link to the free download before. The watermark on the free version is no big deal to me, thankyou again!

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I believe you can also get the Student version for cheap, $70-$80 an doesnt have a watermark, the only thing as far as i can tell, is if you print something, there's a border that says it's the Student version so that people dont take advantage.

I downloaded Archicad 10 student very recently, and it would not install on my Macbook. I was under the impression it wasn't UB?

Archicad is free for students as someone else pointed out. Other things to add to your student drafting toolbox are Edrawing and Sketchup. I'm pretty sure the student version of Vectorworks is under $300 but if you have an Intel iMac you can probably get AutoCAD for cheaper. As an Engineering Student, I also like to use Maple, Matlab, and Solidworks as well. Does anyone know if there is a student version of Ashlar Vellum? I have heard that that program is good too...Another nice little program is Physics 101 SE (it has all of the formulas where you just fill in the values for college Physics 1 and 2) but I'm not sure if would be of much use to an architecture major.

I use Alias and Solidworks..but both in Windows. While I would love to work in the OSX environment, at least now our machines can run these programs now.

Solidworks isnt good for designing spaces, but I know people that use Vectorworks for such things.

Vectorworks is great... I use it in my 6 person firm. Along with the Mac it is the one program that has let me concentrate on design and not computers. It is easy to use, powerful enough for almost any project and is cost effective. It also handles AutoCad drawings well enough that I have no problems converting my engineers drawings for our use.

Well know Mac firms such as Bolin Cywinski Jackson (designers of the Apple Stores and Bill Gates House, and a great deal more) I think are using Archicad.

Architosh is a well known site for architects using Macs...