3D Design
Community
Discussion
|
Artifice 3D Design Community Discussion |
|
Posted by David Stovall on July 12, 1998 at 09:15:20:
In Reply to: Opinions about integrated 2D/3D software posted by gary veasy on June 14, 1998 at 21:32:03:
Integrating 2D with 3D is the holy grail of CAD. So far there is no one program that does both 2D and 3D well though I think Bentley Microstation is close. Few, including Bentley, can go both ways in design and modeling, i.e. move a door in the 2D plan and automatically have it update in the 3D model and vice versa live. Most are one way updates at a given frozen moment. ArchiCAD seems to be one exception I'm aware of.
At A/E/C Systems 98 last month this was a hot subject. One firm, NBBJ Architects in Columbus, OH was making a concerted effort and they gave a seminar. They demonstrated a hospital project using Microstation with Triforma and Auto*Des*Sys formZ. The interior plan team used Triforma and the exterior image team used formZ. Triforma is more integrated. FormZ required more coordination and translation and did not move back and forth as well. They claimed their first pilot project was a success and are now in the process of rolling the office over to Microstation and Triforma--an office previously using AutoCAD and formZ. They said they looked at everything current before making this decision and gave compelling reasons why they felt it was time to start integrating 2D and 3D in actual construction document production. I thought it was interesting.
If the time is right then one would hope Engineered Software (PowerCADD) and Artifice would enter serious development making their programs more seamless with each other. Each has a long history in their respective sides and I doubt either could quickly catch up with the other alone. With reference filing, PowerCADD is now a very serious CD tool.