What do architects use on Mac OS X?

Lightwave 9
Archicad 10

other bits

Cinema 4D
Bryce
Vectorworks
Ashlar Velum - amazing!

 

Couldn't you just install Windows on the MacBook and run the Windows software?

 

So you could use OSX on your spare time and for your personal use, and use the windows side for school and work. The Apple isnt going to be much more expensive than a PC lappie anyway, might as well be able to have both.

 

For 3D, SketchUp Pro (won't be UB until version 6 is released by the look of things), ArtlantisR

 

From what I've read SU runs not too bad under Rosetta if you max out the ram. Hopefully SU Pro 6 should be out soon and then it should really fly. I'm using it at the moment with an iMac G5 Rev A 1.8 with no problems.

ArtlantisR Studio is already UB and ArtlantisR (just rendering, no animation) is supposed to be updated to UB this month.

I'm waiting until SU is UB before going Intel.

 

If you want to study architecture and use a Mac, then you should check-out Architosh.com.

 

I know you don't want to use Windows - but don't discount the ability for your MBP to run it - particularly for say Rhino. I wouldn't be to afraid of switching between Windows and OSX - you'll really just need to pick the tools for the job and run them however you can.

I work with a pretty well known international firm, and although we mostly use microstation we are starting to move towards to using Rhino a lot, with Sketch Up for quick work and the less '3d technical' people. I wouldn't bother with Autocad really - even though it's what most firms (in the US...?) use, you won't become a great architect by knowing how to use it. Learning something like Rhino will give you a tool that you can use to create whatever you can imagine. Saying that though - Ashlar-Vellum Cobolt seems similar to Rhino, and does run on OS X (I don't know if it's UB yet). It may be worth a look.

As for Microstation - Microstation SE was the last version available for Mac (and I think it was OS 9 only maybe, so it wouldn't even run on the new intel Mac's). Archicad is by far your best bet for architectural work on the Mac (imoo). I think there was also a new free-form modelling extension recently released for Archicad 10, which may also let you do Rhino style modelling without having to run Windows.

Good luck,
a.

 

SketchUp doesn't run too bad under Rosetta, but you can definately feel the difference (on a side note, I LOVE SketchUp and I do ALL my modelling in it). That being said, there is definite slowdown when you start getting a big model. I have been working on a huge house for work (using my Macbook w/ 2 gigs of ram) and once I started addig a lot of detail things started to slow down bad. Sketchup 5.0, by the way. It runs great on my windows centrino 1.4 w/ just 512 ram- better than on my Macbook, but the mac is still useably under Rosetta.

I do need to get around to buying XP sp2 so I can see how well Sketchup runs under windows on the mac.

 

Among the architects using Macs that I know, VectorWorks is fairly popular. I't's 3d and has an add-on rendering component called RrenderWorks. It's a program that is heavily oriented towards architects and construction. It's also cheaper than AchiCAD.

 

Mac Architecture Software

I am a Project Manger for a large company and currently my Architect uses a program called PowerCadd by Engineered software. Check out http://www.engsw.com/.

Good Luck