A/E/C SYSTEMS 2001
Report from the CAD for Principals Open Forum
held Tuesday, June 19 at A/E/C Systems 2001

See the Presentations (Acrobat Reader required):  

CAD for Principals Introduction
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Kristine Fallon presented a brief update of CAD for Principals activities in the past year. The presentation also included the initial goals, methodology and participants in CAD for Principals. She described the background and process of creating the CAD Software Evaluation, which was published earlier this year by PSMJ.

A Description of the CAD Software Evaluation

Alex Maxim of NBBJ outlined the methodology on how the CAD Software Evaluation was created, who evaluated the vendors and what the general findings of the evaluation were.

How Useful is the CAD Software Evaluation to a Real-world Business?

Robert Ritger is Director of Design Systems at Hillier Group in Princeton, New Jersey. His firm is performing an independent evaluation of three of the CAD software products evaluated in the CAD Software Evaluation. Hillier has put together two teams for each of the three CAD products to be evaluated, including Autodesk’s Architectural Desktop, Revit, and Bentley’s MicroStation Triforma. The goal of the project is to select and use a single CAD software to standardize how CAD documents are produced throughout the entire company. Hillier will adapt the metrics in the CAD Software Evaluation to their own use to make a final selection.

CAD Vendor Updates		  

The following are presentations from each vendor that outline initiatives taken by the Vendors since the CAD Software Evaluation was published to address the evaluators' criteria and comments.
    AEC DesignWare
    Autodesk
    Bricsnet
    Graphisoft
    Revit

Best Practices in Work Processes

Ken Stowe is Director of Project Services at George B. H. Macomber Company. He discussed some ways that advancements in CAD and electronic process informaiton sharing will streamline design communication and enhance the professional design services delivery process.

Most Valuable Next Step for CAD for Principals?		  

Kristine Fallon asked Open Forum attendees for suggestions as to what would be the most valuable next activity for CAD for Principals. Some suggestions she presented were: Upgrade the CAD Software Evaluation to evaluate the latest changes to the software; evaluate how computers are being taught in architectural schools and how that effects the quality and usefulness of architectural school graduates; address interoperability issues and suggest means for architectural firms to communicate despite the fact that they use different vendor’s platforms.

Attendees suggested and enthusiastically supported the idea that CAD for Principals provide guidelines to improve the use of CAD software in architects’ work processes. Software interoperability and training were also popular initiatives.