Can anyone compare Chief Architect with REVIT LT

[Justice]

The Advantage of Revit for autocad users is that it comes from the same stable so they should work well together and that is one good way to lure in potential clients along with LT versions. I even saw that Autodesk are offering Revit LT with Autocad LT for $1500 US. They keep dangling the carrots and so if you are a donkey about it, you might end up with lots of learning costs as Richard has indicated and rendering costs etc and other program limitations you just do not need. I am very glad I have CA in my tool box one of the most fast complete home building pakages on the market. Yes they can improve it and will do so over time.

[IRISH]

The Advantage of Revit for autocad users is that it comes from the same stable so they should work well together and that is one good way to lure in potential clients along with LT versions. I even saw that Autodesk are offering Revit LT with Autocad LT for $1500 US. They keep dangling the carrots and so if you are a donkey about it, you might end up with lots of learning costs as Richard has indicated and rendering costs etc and other program limitations you just do not need. I am very glad I have CA in my tool box one of the most fast complete home building pakages on the market. Yes they can improve it and will do so over time.

No, Autocad and Revit do not play well together. They work no better than Chief and Autocad. They have all sorts of import/ export issues. In fact, most Revit resellers will advise you to get rid of autocad and just learn a "better" way (meaning the 3d of Revit). Lots of things not being said with these programs all around. It all really comes down to what your primary market is and what you want to offer. If the decision is mainly based upon upfront costs then, as Richard stated so well previously, you aren't looking at the whole picture.

[Justice]

Hi Gary,
Do you mean you can't export a 3d DWF file from AutoCAD full into Revit, if so the BIM is Botched?

I know they don't play well together if you don't send the right year version of the AutoCAD dwg file.

Thank's to Chief we do have the ability to export and import different year dwg files if we keep SSA up to date.

Even if they tell you to get rid of AutoCAD they will still give you a rebate for it to get Revit Full.

Revit appears to be a very good product to me but not quite as good as ArchiCAD when it comes to radical Architectural Design.

Chief is better value than Revit hands down for run of the mill housing that does not get too fancy.

Cornering the market with an array of integrated products like Autodesk does, should make file translation between the AEC fields simpler?

Those that have the whole picture, would be proficient in using all these high performance programs.

I think it might be good to move this thread to the chat room, Asta La Vista Chieftains!

[IRISH]

Hi Gary,
Do you mean you can't export a 3d DWF file from AutoCAD full into Revit, if so the BIM is Botched?
I know they don't play well together if you don't send the right year version of the AutoCAD dwg file.

Yes, the BIM is messed up. There is no direct, full translation between the products. Remember that Revit started out as an independent company's program. As it kept getting better Autodesk swooped in and bought it up so the programming language underneath Revit is vastly different than Autocad and therein lies the challenge for them. Also, just like Chief, Revit is not backwards compatible with previous versions.

[johnnyprc]

Chief is better value than Revit hands down for run of the mill housing that does not get too fancy.

Its funny, I find Chief to be better even than Revit on the more complex traditional homes (aka "fancy"). I think Revit is better at ultra modern homes that look more like commercial structures - which many architects gravitate to. I think Chief could do better with some commercial design elements, but I find too that you can model custom items in other apps (Sketchup ie) and CA does a great job with this.

Revit and Archicad are more refined products - but CA does more things simply, and easier. In the end what the product did was more important than "how it looked while it did it". I am sure CA is going to update their UI soon and move to BIM.

[lbuttery]

I am sure CA is going to update their UI soon and move to BIM

Johnny:

I wouldn't bet on the BIM

CA so far has shown little interest in "industry" BIM
and seems to be "anti-BIM"

I do hope that changes.....

Lew