Autodesk, AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Revit and Tokens

 I've been a user of Autodesk products for so many years, it's kinda embarrassing. I call myself an AutoCAD "Olde Fart" sometimes. I can remember when..... Well here goes something new, Tokens to use the program. Back in the day, you purchased the software, later to become known as a perpetual license. I seem to remember that this cost something like 3500 CDN$ back in 1985. Than small upgrade fees every so once in a while, 100 to 200 not that much more than that. The whole software industry worked like that. Then companies realized that this was not sustainable.

Then came subscriptions, annual and monthly. Choose between a higher price per month or a better deal if you commit to a full year. Now we have per day, usage tokens. I'm an architect, and over time I'm using these products less and less. I'm just not working as much. So what to do to use these programs in a cost effective fashion. Especially for a person like me that only uses them occasionally.

AutoCAD and Revit both have full versions and LT versions. 3ds Max only a full version. Oh and I forgot to mention the AEC Collection, the whole kit and kaboodle one price. and the AutoCAD/Revit LT Suite, Shish.  So here goes:

AutoCAD (3D Capabilities)

2900 CDN$/ Year

360 CDN$/ Month

29.05 CDN$/ Day (7 tokens at 4.15 per token)

AutoCAD LT

755 CDN$/ Year

95 CDN$/ Month

No Flex / Token version available

Revit

4160 CDN$/ Year

525 CDN$/ Month

41.15 CDN$/ Day (10 tokens at 4.15 per token)

Revit LT

770 CDN$/ Year

95 CDN$/ Month

No Flex / Token version available

AutoCAD/Revit LT Suite

945 CDN$/ Year

120 CDN$/ Month

No Flex / Token version available

3ds Max

2780 CDN$/ Year

350 CDN$/ Month

41.15 CDN$/ Day (6 tokens at 4.15 per token)

AEC Collection (AutoCAD, Revit, 3ds Max and a whole bunch of other software)

5085 CDN$/ Year

635 CDN$/ Month

No Flex / Token version available

WOW, I hope I have not lost you. So many options, depends on how much you are going to use the product or products. Given that I might use a program once a week, and even then perhaps not the same program, flex/tokens might be the route. 

Full version of AutoCAD = 29.05/day * 4 days per month = 116.2 per month

slightly more than paying for AutoCAD LT for 1 month.

Nuutsumuut Lelum - Snuneymuxw First Nation

 In the category of some of my favorite buildings in Nanaimo. Nuutsumuut Lelum - Snuneymuxw First Nation complex on Bowen Road is right up there.

Built in 2018, this complex provides 25 units of affordable housing. It meets a critical need for urban aboriginal housing.  

Situated along a main thoroughfare in Nanaimo, it also is adjacent to one of the largest parks in the city. The complex is organized around a central exterior meeting space for residents to interact with one another.

The exterior is clad in the locally found cedar wood.

Celebrating 2 years on Vancouver Island

Images of buildings and landscapes on Vancouver Island. click here.

Chapter 9 - Is Published..!

Unfortunately, I have been away and not able to work on my videos. So here finally is chapter 9. Chapter 9 covers how to setup a drawing onto a drawing sheet. I hope you like it.

Click Here to view the Video

Chapter 8 is here

Chapter 8 is now available. This chapter covers how to create a symbols library for Architectural Drawings using AutoCAD LT 2022.

To view the video click here:

Chapter 7 complete - Chapter 8 coming soon

Continuing with my video series, Creating Architectural Drawings using AutoCAD LT, I have just finished chapter 7, which covers editing objects, creating one drawing from another. 

To view the video Click Here:

Architectural Drawings with AutoCAD LT 2022

 I created a few new chapters in my video series.

To access chapter 05 Click here.

To access chapter 06 Click here.

Architectural CAD with AutoCAD LT 2022 - Chapter 04

Here is a new chapter in a series I am creating for AutoCAD. In this chapter you will draw a small building module and learn how to use drawing and construction commands. You will also be introduced to layers and see how to transfer elements from one drawing to another.

You can view the video by clicking here. I hope you enjoy it.

New Videos and Book - Architectural Drawings with AutoCAD LT 2022

 I hope, over the next few months, create a few new videos on creating architectural drawings using AutoCAD LT 2022. Eventually I'd like to get this all down in print. Here is the link to the video. Hope you like it. More to come.

New course at Seminaire de Sherbrooke

This month I started a new course at the Seminaire de Sherbrooke. I be teaching a workshop course where students are expected to produce construction drawings for a building which contains a steel structure. I'll give you updates along the way.

Creating Dimension Tags

Annotation Tags have always given my students a bit of difficulty. I've put a series of instructions in a document. I hope to create a video of it soon.

Here is the document

Images from students from my recent Vanier College group

Student: Mohammed Lofti Maghaddam, Modeling: Autodesk Revit Rendering: Autodesk 3ds Max

Student: Mohammed Lofti Maghaddam, Modeling: Autodesk Revit Rendering: Autodesk 3ds Max

 

Student: Alireza Babaeimanesh, Modeling: Autodesk Revit Rendering: Autodesk 3ds Max

Student: Alireza Babaeimanesh, Modeling: Autodesk Revit Rendering: Autodesk 3ds Max

It's published..!

My first course with Digital Tutors has recently been published. To go to the course click the link below:

Modeling Residential Exteriors in AutoCAD

Student work from Vanier CAD AEC Program

Hi All, I thought I would continue posting some of the student work from Vanier College's AEC CAD program. This week it's some work from Dario Silva. Who worked on a small theater building during his project courses. Here are some of the final images he produced.

And here is an image he produced after the course in Luminon.

Basic Pivot Door for Revit

Subsequent to creating an AutoLISP routine for creating a basic pivot door for AutoCAD I created a Revit family to do the same thing. I'm careful to create objects so it will allow for proper application of materials once you get to 3ds Max. Give it a try, If I see there is some interest I'll make some improvements to the door.

Click here to download the Revit Family.

Here is the link if that does not work:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/d5dm1b7y7e3bvtv/Pivot_Door.rfa

Enjoy

AutoCAD Lisp Command to Draw Windows

Although there are a number of ways to create architectural 3D CAD Models, AutoCAD still remains as a major modeling tool in my day to day work. The problem remains that AutoCAD does not contain the modeling capabilities of Revit Architecture. So I have spent a fair amount of my down time at my job developing tools to accelerating 3D modeling within (vanilla) AutoCAD. I thought I would share with you some of my experience, and develop some new commands that you can have fun with, and hopefully help you with some of your AutoCAD modeling projects.

Here is a command which will create a simple window based on selecting 2 points on an opening which has been created in the facade of building.

The UCS should be oriented parallel to the face of the building. Then you would select the lower left corner followed by the upper right corner. The window is then created automatically.

The window command creates 2 layers for the window frame and glass, and places those objects on those layers automatically. In the above illustration, I've recessed the objects by moving them after the fact to improve the illustration.

You can download the Lisp routine here. 

Or use the following URL: http://www.mediafire.com/download/pav98m98q418r9q/Window.lsp

Have a good one, cheers

Update to Window.lsp click here

Wall Unit Revit Family

I thought I would share another one of the Revit families I created in the past. This one was created to solve the problem of a flexible wall unit which could accept various sized flat screen televisions. In addition, more flexibility was designed into the unit as well. Let me know how you like it.

You can download it here.

Alternatively, here is the URL:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/siks4ni0l6p875x/Wall%20Unit.rfa

Have fun and let me know how you like it, cheers.

Shutter Revit Family

Here is one of the first Revit families I ever created. Pretty simple but I think it's useful none the less. Here are a couple of images of the family.

Here is the link where you can download the file:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/yc7lusa3yyv1rsy/shutter.rfa