Making the Switch

[nsinha73]

Our firm has finally decided to make the switch from DataCAD, but to which one? We are not sure either Revit or ADT. I am familair with Revit as well as ADT. But rest of our staff is uncertain. Please help us decide.

[dhurtubise]

Revit is a true BIM software, no contest here.
But there is a million thread about it, just run a search you will get a lot of information

[david.kurtz]

Yup... This is a BIG open ended question talked about much all over the place; I tend to sum it up like this (others may greatly disagree) considering the two different “BIM” implementations for the two products in question.




Do you want a parametric BIM model contained in one database where the geometry knows about each other and can react accordingly to nested constraints, rule checks and share/coordinate that across disciplines? (read: you must commit to learn a different way of "drawing" and thinking about CAD)


Do you want a BIM based on AutoCAD technology where you segment building elements into many DWG's that are managed and linked together with the ability to create custom scheduling & reports on that data in a non-parametric (per se) model? (read: based on widely used technology, but put into that established framework)

Vague explanation I know...

6 years ago I was hired to convert a 20 person Midwest Architectural firm that did mostly commercial work from a product called Allplan (shudder) into a solution that was provided by Autodesk (for industry compatibility). At that time I chose ADT as the employees were familiar with AutoCAD. ADT is based on AutoCAD and the consultants they hired were AutoCAD only shops. Previously they had used Datacad 8 and did only 2D work so the interface to AutoCAD was fairly familiar and less of a shock.

The pitfalls I encountered were:


The users repeatedly fell back on 2D line, arc, circle drafting. Ignoring the "object" tools when in a hurry.
The users got caught up with technical customizations in ADT that detracted from the design time, but proved very powerful when used properly.
The (eventually) powerful scheduling and reporting tools weren't as fully utilized as they should have been because of the time to master.
Training was looked at as secondary due to the familiarity of the interface.
Users leaned toward using SketchUp to remodel the design work in 3D due to the straight forward interface and immediate speed. Yet this greatly decreased the life cycle of the building data's re-usability as a 3D entity; work was re-done over and over as the design changed.
Pluses I encountered were:


Time to productivity was short as the tools were very familiar.
Interchange with consultants was (fairly) clean and we were able to deliver DWG data to clients (Federal/State Institutions and Hospitals) per their contract requirements.
Large datasets were able to be made and managed on medium powered machines (then, today it's a bit different due to video card requirements for AutoCAD).
Power users (me mainly) could leverage LISP, VBA, VBscript, Diesel & other languages to achieve complex customizations in-house that were second-to-none.
The community support and install base of AutoCAD was massive compared to other solutions then. This eliminated the need to pay for VIP support in the pre-subscription support days at Autodesk.
If I were faced with the same situation today, in 2006, with Autodesk owning Revit and with this type of quality community and subscription support, with a understanding that my users would benefit from learning parametric BIM in a new, controlled environment: then my choice (don't tell the guys in the ADT groups I said this!) would be Revit.

Others opinions may vary greatly; these are just my own. But I encourage you to locate the Autodesk reseller for your area and ask them to demo projects similar to the jobs you do in both products. Consider your local industry and clients too: then realize that you really should invest in some training to get a return-on-investment, no matter what the product you choose.

Aside from the above. Do note that I am biased, of course, about if you should choose subscription or not. :-D


--
David Kurtz
Autodesk Product Support
Building Solutions Division
Manchester, NH

[Scott Hopkins]

ADT is not a viable option if you want to get into Building Information Modeling. The majority of people who buy ADT find it too complex and painful to use as a BIM program and end up using it as a 2D drafting tool with a few bells and whistles. The only two real choices for BIM are Revit and Archicad. I have used all three programs and think Revit is far superior. If Revit didn't exist I would be using Archicad but never ADT. Get a 30 day trial disk of Revit. For most people Revit is love at first sight.

[Steve Cashman]

We used to use ADT and ran away from it after getting exposed to Revit. There is no comparison. ADT is like putting a fancy kit car fiberglass body on a beater where Revit is a soundly build sports car from the frame to the body.

We found the learning curve to be way to long on ADT and we didn't really see any efficiencies. Revit is designed for architects by architects and you notice it and benefit from it throughout the program.

ADT is being phased out by Autodesk. Revit is the future. True BIM (ADT is watered down pseudo BIM) is a better, smarter, way to practice architecture.

I know this sounds a bit over the top, but I don't want you to waste your time with ADT. Good luck.

[sfraney]

I absolutely agree with the last post. I'm a licensed architect responsible for entire projects from from start to finish. I've used ArchiCAD, ADT, Autocad, and everything in between, becoming quite in expert in all, BUT, when Revit came out, it simply blew all these away. Revit is the future, I'm still not sure why Autodesk hasn't discontinued ADT yet? Wouldn't it make sense for Autodesk to just cancel ADT sooner then later and use the ADT development team to start helping out with Revit development team. It's gotta be a waste of time and money.

Going to Revit will also allow design firms to cut overhead with wanna-be-architect Autocad Managers who make eveything "Autocad" appear so mystical and complex. Architects and designers should not feel hostage to these people. Putting the control of design documentation back into the hands of the architects and designers is the way it should be. Revit allows this to happen quite wonderfully.

Stick with Revit.