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jegray7
Joined: 31 Jul 2007
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:24 am Post subject: Interior design student seeking advice! |
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Hello all,
I am currently taking an Intro AutoCAD course and we have been asked to do some research on how interior designers and residential planners are using this program in the real world. I have to admit that, especially after taking the traditional drafting course, I am finding the program a little challenging, but also I am having a hard time seeing how I would use this on a day to day basis as a designer. Any input would be greatly appreciated. When do you use CAD in the production process (i.e. preliminary design, design development, etc.)? What types of standardization do you use? And are the advantages or disadvantages that CAD brings to your practice?
Thanks
Jen |
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phansford
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 534
Location: SW Ohio
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| Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 5:31 am Post subject: |
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There are lots of CAD programs out there.... AutoCAD is the biggest name.... god only knows why because its not the best program. I personally use PowerCADD . I have a couple of friends that use Archicad and swear by it. Engineers love AutoCAD - go figure.....
All that said, I use CAD or the computer in every aspect of my work. I still own a drawing board (just sold one and was glad to get $150 for it and the drafting chair). But it is used to sketch - not draft. I might do some quick design work on the board, but move quickly to the computer. Like many architects, I can come to be able to design on the computer. I use Sketchup for modeling. I have used Photoshop for renderings. I have a library of furniture I use to do interiors.
My pencil or sharpie marker has been replaced by a mouse. Some architects use a wacom pad with a stylus (give them that pencil feeling). Quite frankly, I won't hire anyone who does not know the computer at some level (photoshop or hopefully some CAD). It really is that simple.
Don't get caught up in what program to learn. Just get experience on CAD, your eventual employer will invest in any other training.
BTW - Sketchup is free and I highly recommend you download it and learn it. It is simple to use. Check the gallery of users. |
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beersdesign
Joined: 27 Jul 2007
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 4:10 pm Post subject: Interior Design CAD |
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We lay out all our millwork, light fixtures, furniture, details - everything in AutoCad. I work at a multidisciplinary firm that does architectural, engineering and interior, and we do everything in CAD (http://lpbatlanta.com). The benefits of Autocad are that we can see how everything lays out and fits together - the finished product before the product is actually finished. The file organization in Autocad is also important, especially as we have multiple disciplines working on the same job. With XREFS, two different disciplines can work on the same job at the same time. Plus, when everyone follows the same standards, it makes workflow very smooth and allows us to be really profitable. It is a complex program, but it is also very powerful as well.
Where are you located? There is a great AutoCad training company in Atlanta I can recommend to you.
_________________
beersdesign
modular homes |
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kmapro
Joined: 03 Mar 2006
Posts: 118
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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Just as beersdesign is, I am also located in the Atlanta area.
I am a residential designer and have used AutoCAD religiously for my designs. I will agree with phansford that ACAd is probably not the best tool out there for architectural type design, but it is what I learned and have just continued along that path.
Once you use ACAd for a while, it will become second nature to you and you will see the benefits of the program. ACAD is a very powerfull tool, it is just not disciplined in to one certain aspect of design. It is more of a braod design program.
I have been using ACAD for over 12 years and I have yet to tap into the whole spectrum of what it can do. I would be amazed if I was even using it to a quarter of it's abilities.
Now, with interior design, I recommend more of a modeling program vs a design program. I have recently purchased a copy of Envisioneer by CadSoft. It was an inexpensive program that is geared more torward residential and interior design. I am just now starting to learn on it, but i have seen what it can do and I am impressed. |
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Tim M
Joined: 09 Aug 2007
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:21 pm Post subject: subject |
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I've worked in various forms of interior design in previous lives, now I'm in construction. I've found PUNCH to be really really really user friendly and rapid. Anything that exports .dxf files is a great place to start, you can refine as you go. From there you can even move over to MAX or anything else and get as crazy as you want with your materials, bump maps, ray-tracing and rendering , etc. I used to just measure out the interior of the room or space with a regular tape, constructing the model as i went along right in front of the client. I found it easy to get instant yes / no ideas (especially kitchen design... seeing as how I'm not a cook and was working without any formal education)
Otherwise employers are generally more than willing to train on their suite of choice.
Hope that helps.  |
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usarender
millennium club
Joined: 01 May 2004
Posts: 1258
Location: San Diego, Ca
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:07 pm Post subject: Autocad is a huge cumbersome program |
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Let's face it. The world is locked into the AutoCad standard, simply because it is the most integrated, widely used and diversified platform out there. But it is certainly not the best ! In fact, it is a monster in my opinion, something so big and complex that is should not be used an an optimal design tool. It can serve as a uniform integration system of drafting and file exchange, at best.
There are so many great and infinitely better Cad design tools out there that leave AutoCad in the dust in terms of allowing for ease of use, more creativity, flexibility and intuitive use. Autocad is to technical, requires to much time to learn (high learning curve), is cumbersome, not designed from scratch for design professionals. It is a program trying to do everything for everyone, by adding application upon application, third party programs upon the platform, and so many hundreds of applications that it becomes to big, to complex, to cumbersome and in my opinion should not be considered a standard for design professionals to use. They should be familiar with it, but flee from it like a plague, when it comes to using it for design work.
As explained, there are an infinite number of excellent 3D or 2D design and production cad tools out there to use that are easier to use, more oriented towards the designer and much more intuitive and productive to use for a designer of any type !
Since you are taking an AutoCad course, obviously, your teacher may dis-agree, simply because of the fact that he or she is teaching the program. But we designers and professionals with many years of experience in the profession, and with software, know otherwise.
Mr. Nelson |
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