If you missed the 2005 release of Land Desktop, it improved such mainstay features as alignment tables, allowing more options and dynamic resizing when inserting tables into a drawing. It also introduced the Detail Component Manager, which creates and saves construction details such as curb and gutter, fire hydrants and storm drainage pipe for reuse in multiple projects. Somewhat like dynamic blocks, detail components are inserted with parameters such as pipe diameter, so you can select from numerous variations of one detail.

Buy Autodesk Land Desktop 2006 – 39$

To compare notes with previous releases, see the reviews of Revit Architecture 2008, Revit Building 9, and Revit Building 8. Those studying the evolution of Revit can even go as far back as Revit 7 and Revit 6 from the days when Revit was still a single application rather than a platform of multi-disciplinary products.
Conclusions
Getting back to the discussion of what is a BIM application and what is not that was started on the AECbytes blog in response to the recent review of AutoCAD Architecture—which, by the way, is not being positioned as a BIM application by Autodesk—I would have to say that the term BIM has become something of a misnomer, being used to describe all kinds of processes as well as products and everything in between! Given that the term is not trademarked as such, no one can really dictate how it should be used, so if a vendor chooses to uses the term BIM for their product, that is entirely their prerogative. There was some discussion about “true BIM” as opposed to just BIM, and some questioned if there was any such thing at all. While there is no easy answer to such a multi-layered question, I do think that BIM is more about a process than a product. This means that it is possible to do BIM without using a “BIM solution” (for example, take Neil Katz’s work with AutoCAD at SOM which he described in his Viewpoint article last year), just as it is possible to use a BIM solution but still not do a very good job of creating a BIM model.
Since Revit was developed from the ground up with the BIM concept, it has a definite edge in facilitating the process of BIM over most of its competitors which were developed much earlier on. This does not imply in any way that firms using other BIM applications are at a disadvantage and need to switch—they may have mastered the use of their application and could be doing BIM that is comparable, even superior, to that being done by firms using Revit. But the fluidity and ease of use that Revit brings to the BIM process makes it a very attractive proposition for firms who are looking to transition from 2D CAD to BIM. Even after so many years of reviewing Revit, I still marvel at its ease of use, and it’s hard not to consider its usability as a benchmark for evaluating other BIM applications and finding them lacking in this aspect.
That said, BIM is still very much a work in progress. While other BIM applications can certainly do a lot to improve upon their intuitiveness and ease of use, Revit too can look for ways to address the file size challenges that come with its centralized model structure and find ways to improve collaboration among team members. All the BIM applications could do with better conceptual design capabilities, more integrated space planning tools, and more inferencing capabilities and smarts that minimize the amount of modeling users actually need to do. Given the vast realm of potential improvements and possibilities still ahead, I think that no BIM application, even Revit, is anywhere close to being done.

Buy Autodesk Revit Architecture 2009 – 229$

Analysis and Conclusions
As I pointed out last year in my review of ADT 2005, the biggest strength of ADT continues to be its AutoCAD base, offering AutoCAD users a familiar workflow and interface for transitioning from traditional 2D drafting to an object-based CAD approach. From that perspective, ADT benefits greatly from the overall modernization of AutoCAD. The substantial improvements in AutoCAD 2006, including dynamic input, overhaul of annotation, improvements in selection and zooming, and dynamic blocks, all of which are reflected in ADT as well, are compelling enough to warrant the upgrade. In addition, new features such as project standards, isolating objects for editing in required views, display themes, tighter integration between ADT and VIZ Render, and the other enhancements described in this review all add up to make ADT 2006 a solid release. The project standards feature, in particular, is critical as most firms continue to struggle with maintaining consistency in design and documentation across all their projects, as they move away from a drafting-centric to modeling-centric mode of working.
ADT continues to have high system requirements in comparison to AutoCAD. It requires a minimum of 1 GB of RAM and Pentium 4 1.4 GHz processor, while the recommended specifications are even higher: 2 GB RAM and Pentium 4 3.4 GHz processor. (AutoCAD 2006 recommends 512 MB of RAM and a Pentium III or later, 800 MHz processor.) The additional memory and processor speed are mostly due to the integration with VIZ Render as well as the additional 3D capability, surface hatching, and material bitmaps. While most offices that upgrade their hardware regularly will be able to use ADT effectively, it may get increasingly difficult for users to be able to take their ADT visualization work home, unless they have high-end computers for their personal use. However, if ADT is to be used without its VIZ Render visualization capability, its system requirements are not that high and it should work on existing hardware.
The poor 3D capabilities of AutoCAD, which have continued to remain one of its main limitations, are not such a major issue with ADT, since it is based on the use of 3D object-based CAD tools. However, the lack of improvements in 3D in its AutoCAD base do make it difficult to model an unusual or irregular form in ADT for which no ready tool exists. On the plus side, however, the integration with VIZ Render that is based on the superior rendering technology of 3ds MAX makes it possible to generate extremely high-quality visuals and animations from an ADT model in comparison to other building modeling applications.
Taking stock of the application as a whole vis-à-vis the current technological trends in the AEC industry, ADT continues to be a complex application that takes serious effort to learn and master. For those trying to use ADT for implementing the BIM (building information modeling) approach on a design project, it is a daunting task since all the building information is distributed across multiple files divided into several categories such as levels, divisions, constructs, elements, view drawings, sheets, and sheet sets. And this is something that is hard to circumvent, even with the abundant resources that Autodesk can put into ADT’s continued development, since it is intrinsic to the nature of the application. With ADT, you never get out of the feeling that you are drawing, rather than modeling the building. Autodesk also seems to be acknowledging this in their marketing of ADT as “Making AutoCAD better for architects” rather than focusing on its BIM capabilities.
Also, considering that full-fledged BIM adoption is still some years away (see the Executive Forum discussion in AECbytes Newsletter #18), ADT remains a good way for AutoCAD’s vast user base to begin to explore object-based CAD without a major disruption in workflow. Several features, very compatible with AutoCAD processes, can be implemented immediately and can alone be worth the price of the crossgrade from AutoCAD. These include the 2D detailing features, which don’t use the ADT object model at all but dramatically accelerate the drafting of architectural details. Keynoting is a similar easy implementation. And simply using the walls, doors, and windows features of ADT to produce plans efficiently is another quick productivity booster.
If firms who decide to adopt ADT can resist the temptation of falling back to using ADT like AutoCAD, they can benefit from the revitalization of the AutoCAD platform and still chalk up some critical experience which will prove invaluable in full-scale BIM implementation further down the road.

Buy Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2006 – 99$

Buy AutoCAD 2009 x64 – 219$

The new animation layer system in 3ds Max 9 allows animation information to be layered on top of the initial keyed track—like an extension of the old list controller but with more features and depth. This ability offers lots of potential to those who create animated sequences.
The hair subsystem now allows all combining and styling to be done within 3ds Max viewports, as opposed to using an outside module as in previous versions. Adding collision objects causes hair to fit to the body or clothing more realistically. The ability to see more information in the 3ds Max 9 viewport without having to render can save lots of time. You can also use all types of light on hair in 3ds Max 9, unlike previous releases that required specific hair lights.
New features in the cloth subsystem include a new way to tailor clothing within 3ds Max and new cling properties that fit clothing more realistically, as if it were wet or being held to the model via static electricity.
This release implements many new mental ray features (now at v.3.5, and easier and faster to use). Predefined quality-level presets help give a better idea of how the final rendered version will appear. Users receive feedback earlier in the rendering process so if they’re not satisfied with the render, they can quickly cancel it and make the necessary changes before restarting the rendering process. Other enhancements in the new mental ray are targeted toward visualizing architectural spaces.
The Autodesk 3ds Max 9 interface displays mental ray shaders. Image provided by Eyeball NYC.
In 3ds Max 9, I found core-level performance improvements in several areas that provide better overall performance and a cleaner workflow. For larger and/or more complex models, the 64-bit version speeds through tasks much faster because of better use of and access to more system memory.
If you depend on any third-party plug-ins to accomplish your 3ds Max work, note that all plug-ins must be recompiled to work with this new release. As I write this, updated plug-ins are scarce, but they should begin to appear within the next couple of months. Scripts from previous releases work with 3ds Max 9, so that’s a bit of good news. Autodesk 3ds Max 9 comes with no printed manuals whatsoever, nor does it include a specific customization guide. The installation DVD contains electronic versions of the manuals in PDF format, with printing enabled so you can print specific sections or pages that you need.
I tested Autodesk 3ds Max 9 with the MAXBench4 benchmark that Cadalyst uses for testing work-stations and found that it runs without any problems. NVIDIA has released a DirectX version of its MAXtreme accelerated driver, noting that the shaders in 3ds Max 9 are designed for DirectX. I’m currently evaluating our benchmark testing series in light of this information.
System requirements for 3ds Max 9 include Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 or higher (recommended) or Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 4 installed. The 64-bit version requires Windows XP Professional x64. You’ll also need Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or higher and DirectX 9.0c (required) and possibly OpenGL (optional).

Minimum hardware requirements for the 32-bit version are an Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon XP or higher processor, at least 512MB of RAM (1GB recommended) and 500MB of swap space (2GB recommended). 3ds Max supports both hardware-accelerated OpenGL and Direct3D. A Windows-compliant pointing device and a DVD-ROM drive are also required. 3ds Max 9 is optimized for the Microsoft IntelliMouse.
The 64-bit version of 3ds Max 9 needs at least an Intel EM64T, AMD Athlon 64 or higher or an AMD Opteron processor, along with at least 1GB of RAM (4GB recommended) and 500MB of swap space (2GB recommended).
As with any release of 3ds Max, users will find features and capabilities that are really useful, and some that are more of an annoyance. Though this release of 3ds Max is significant, the depth of the changes leave some areas feeling as if Autodesk rushed the release a bit. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a service pack release in the not-too-distant future.

Buy Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 – 339$

Visualize your ideas like never before with lighting effects, materials libraries, walk-through animations, and stunning rendering capabilities.

Buy Autocad 2007 – 69$

Document your design quickly and easily with sectioning and flattening tools, dynamic blocks, and enhanced tables to create clear and accurate sets of construction documents.
Share design information across extended teams with powerful tools for exchanging data.
Migrate easily with tools that help you upgrade while preserving customization of toolbars and menus.

Let’s talk about AutoCad Architecture 8. At first glance one might think that the changes of the ADT 2007 package looks a bit anemic, but after spending a few weeks with the new version I am very impressed. For years I have attempted to work in both Model (actual size) drawing space and then add my annotations to my drawing in one of a number of Paper Space (scaled) viewports. If I wanted to change something, I had to make sure that my annotations were scaled to the appropriate view scale I was using.
This version of autocad makes it possible for the user to automatically resize all scales by setting text, dimensions, blocks and notes to an annotative state. If I start with a Model view and add notes to it in 1/8th scale, it may look too large, but rather than choosing a different dimension or text style I can change everything from notes to hatches by simply setting the model drawing scale from 1:1 to 1/4:1′-0″. Everything resizes. I can change it again to any scale I would intend to plot and I am not limited to changing it on my Model view, I can change it anywhere in Paperspace, on my sheet views before I plot or I can take an item such as a hatch pattern out of the annotative state and adjust the scale as I have done it in the past. This is, perhaps, the most impressive feature that makes this version worth the subscription price.
While we are talking about Subscriptions, let me mention that the subscription provides the user with many great online tools, webcasts and interaction with other in live forums. What I don’t like is the idea that if I decide to skip an upgrade, I must pay two times the subscription price for say Architecture 10 in two years. There is no savings by skipping a release an you may as well budget your finances to keep your subscription current year after year. Personally, I have used the tools available online and found so many useful tutorials that I believe I am using Autocad Architecture 8 in the most productive way.
You can continue to use Autocad as you have in the past. You can create tons of layers and set each lineweight to a layer OR you can use the simplified plot setup. The new Autocad STB settings, for example allow the user fewer choices (unless he or she chooses to over-ride the settings). You can have a Full Saturation; 50% or 25% Screen and a non-plotting mode. I use two basic settings for viewing on screen in color and another for simplified output in black and white based on these simplified plot style techniques.
The trick is to use the new Layer State settings that allow you to save various layer settings in a file that you can retrieve. If you want all your lines to be plotted black on white paper, you change the Viewport Color and Plot styles. Architecture 8 then makes it easy to simply retrieve your original color set up.
Architecture 8 will also track the changes you make in a drawing. You can now use Word as a word editor and Mtext allows the user to align text layouts as you would on a typical document file. The Mtext features have been expanded tremendously so that you can create the notes outside of Autocad and simply link them into your drawing wherever you want. The Autocad database object tracking is so good that any changes are automatically reflected into the drawing where you want them. If you move the notes to another sheet, the database is updated to track the location for later retrieval.
Overall, the program operates as a much more oiled machine and uses the system registry more to store changes rather than outside files. I’m working more in 3D now because the features are available and much less confusing to me. From the Online Webcasts such as “Ask Amy” or the tips from “Heidi Hewitt” I’ve used my subscription to get the most productivity I can from the software. The main reason I don’t consider moving to REVIT (it does make 3-D structural components easier to manipulate) is that I would have to give up the ability to customize architecture 8 much more creatively for my own office standards.
The last item I would like to mention is one that I have not yet learned but exists in this version. Autodesk has linked the Architecture 8 software to Microsoft Office Excel so that you can create schedules much easier and maintain a constant link in the drawings. My goal is to use the freeware version of MultiLat(tm) that I wrote and oonated to the structural community to interact with this version of Autocad and create automated shearwall links within the design spreadsheet and link it to the shearwall schedule in the drawing. The beauty of this is that if my client wants to change a shearwall or remove one that causes me to either nail closer to capacity of the wall and accomodate the additional uplift (holddowns), I can do it within the MultiLat(tm) spreadsheet and automatically update each drawing that references the link.

Buy AutoCAD Architecture 2009 – 219$

Although AutoCAD Architecture still has AutoCAD at its core, it is really a much more powerful and complex program. Some say that the biggest strength of AutoCAD Architecture is that it’s based on AutoCAD. However, at the same time, I have to say that the biggest weakness of AutoCAD Architecture is its AutoCAD core. You might ask—isn’t this a contradiction? Not exactly.
If you’ve used AutoCAD for a long time, then it’s natural to grow into AutoCAD Architecture because you can leverage the skills you’ve built over time while you learn new ones. If you’re using an older version of ADT or AutoCAD Architecture, then upgrading to this latest 2009 version has many important benefits which I will review shortly.
However, it is important to consider the big picture first. Think of AutoCAD Architecture as computer-aided design software that dreams of becoming a building information modeling (BIM) system. AutoCAD Architecture gets closer to realizing that dream with every release, but it’s never really going to get there because it has CAD at its core. Revit, on the other hand, was built from the ground up as a BIM program. But Revit is a very different animal, and ultimately comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges. Both have their places and assuredly have strong futures. For those who prefer the AutoCAD-based workflow, AutoCAD Architecture will remain their design application of choice, and it will allow them to derive at least some of the benefits of BIM, which AutoCAD alone cannot provide.
Analysis and Conclusions
AutoCAD Architecture 2009 has many notable improvements over last year’s version, including a new user interface, integrated search tools, improved feature discoverability, sophisticated navigation controls, a few streamlined workflows, significant wall and space object tweaks, multiline attributed tags, and slightly improved interoperability and visualization features.
Of these features, I believe the improvements to the wall and space objects will be the most helpful in day-to-day work and the integrated search tools and streamlined access to object properties (and match properties) great time savers. I don’t like how cluttered the UI has become but have come to expect it in an application that is built on top of an application that is now 27 years old. I appreciate the fact that Autodesk is trying to make it easier to use AutoCAD Architecture with various tooltips, help files, discussion groups, knowledge bases, blogs, and videos.
In conclusion, I suggest that it is worth upgrading to AutoCAD Architecture 2009 if you are an existing AutoCAD Architecture or ADT user and your firm is manifestly unwilling or not ready to switch to a true BIM solution, preferring to stay on an AutoCAD-based platform. However, I would not recommend AutoCAD Architecture, or even AutoCAD, to students or to firms who are able to allocate enough time to train properly on an application such as Autodesk’s own Revit Architecture that is purpose-built for BIM.

Buy AutoCAD Architecture 2009 32 bit – 219$

A Microsoft Windows XPlike interface provides a familiar environment for straightforward drafting. Content libraries give you the simplicity of ready-made, drag-and-drop content. And DWG format compatibility means you can create and share industry-standard drawings from the get-go

Buy Autodesk AutoSketch 9.0 – 49$

Enhancements to fillets and chamfers will be highly appreciated.
No longer does the radius need to be set to zero for a corner as simply holding down the shift key while selecting entities results in a sharp corner irrespective of the currently set radius or chamfer values.
Similarly it is possible to toggle between trim and extend commands using the shift modifier.
The power of the trim command is also increased with crossing window or fence selection allowing rapid editing of multiple entities in one command.
As an alternative, individual segments of lines, splines and circular and elliptical arcs that share a centre can be joined into single objects.
A multiple option is added to the offset command so that an entity can be repeatedly offset by clicking without needing to restart the command or select entities.
The built-in calculator has been upgraded to include a clipboard, scientific functions, pre-defined variables and conversion between units for length, area, angular and angles.
In the spirit of more efficient drawing through more specific commands to achieve the required result, a rectangle can now be created by specifying one edge and the area.
This only represents a modest time saving for a simple rectangle as this could already be achieved by specifying the second edge by dividing the required area by the first edge length in the dimension input field but makes more sense when a specific area is required including chamfered or filleted corners.
The area of one or more hatches is readily available in the properties window, accessed from the right click menu options.
Entities can be added or removed from hatch boundaries to give greater control after a hatch has been created.
If a hatch is applied to multiple areas simultaneously they can subsequently be separated for each hatch to be edited independently.
The common problem of awkward hatch positioning with respect to the design outline can be addressed by specifying the hatch origin.
Should the hatch boundary be inadvertently deleted, simple geometric boundaries can be recreated from the hatch pattern with the option to be associative if required.
Additional dimension capabilities include arc length with the symbol placed above the dimension text and an intuitive way to add jogged leaders for large arcs where the true centre is off the drawing sheet.
It is also now possible, should the need arise, to change the linetype for the dimension and extension line entities and flip individual arrow heads inside or outside the leader lines as required.
Text handling has finally been improved with in-place editing over the drawing with a transparent or opaque background complete with a ruler for indents and tabs.
Lists can be bulleted, numbered or alphabetical.
Whilst the ever increasing range of commands and options can provide new benefits, it also introduces the risk of an overly complex and confusing interface.
To address this, task based custom workspaces can be created and readily recalled to show only the toolbars, palettes and menus that are used most frequently for each activity type such as geometry creation or drawing sheet detailing.
A new XML based system has been introduced to replace MNU and MNS custom menu files used in previous releases.
The new CUI files are managed through a tree based Customize User Interface dialog which also has an option to import any previous menu settings.
Autodesk has been careful to ensure that customisation can be preserved between releases and in this release users will be relieved to know that the native DWG file format has not changed in order to maintain compatibility of data.
Blocks can be driven parametrically with the ability to add parameter and action definitions.
Parameters define custom properties and specify positions, distances and angles for the geometry whilst actions define behaviours for how the geometry will move or change.
This in effect enables part of a block to be changed or even hidden as if being an active sub-assembly inside the parent drawing.
Should multiple drawings be open when AutoCAD crashes or a system failure occurs, the Drawing Recovery Manager opens the next time AutoCAD is started.
This displays a list of the previously open files with a preview.
The DWF file format is being extended to incorporate 3D data although in the light of some other more 3D centric products from Autodesk and excellent dedicated solid modellers for mechanical design, vanilla AutoCAD is not likely to be a 3D tool of choice.
There is no doubting the power available in AutoCAD 2006, although for many users needing to generate and manage complex drawings it is likely that numerous previous releases of AutoCAD have been entirely capable.
Autodesk is finding some areas to innovate that will deliver improved productivity, but many enhancements feel more like resolution of niggles or anomalies that could have been addressed several releases ago.
For designers and engineers who have encountered the power of truly parametric geometry creation in other CAD packages, AutoCAD’s entity drafting approach feels limiting and outdated.
Although parametric tools have predominantly been implemented in 3D modellers, there have been notable 2D examples that demonstrate the power that could be made available to the army of AutoCAD users who only need to work in 2D.

Buy Autocad 2010 – 339$