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"Buildings are no longer just designed visually and spatially" Really? I'm pretty sure we can visually and spatially envision the building better then we ever could before with 3D modeling software like Revit and Navisworks, being able to create 3D perspective views with one click of the mouse.
Im sorry but this guy just sounds like an old timer who is stuck in the past.
I still feel there is value in hand drawings, but I dont think design or architecture is suffering because of CAD software.
We use Revit in our office and I don't think we would ever go backwards due to its efficiency, but the consensus among the seasoned people is that Revit in particular DOES result in some suffering on the quality side. Something about a false sense of security, as well as the reliance on "families rather than realities" (of things like movement, water penetration, gravity, installation logistics). I'm not a user so I can't corroborate that these difficiencies are due to the software.
Lamenting the loss of hand drawing in the creative process, Michael Graves observes that an emotional connection to the work is lost with the reliance on the computer. Thoughts?
People forget too, that tools (which both hand drawing and CAD are) are tools. A great camera doesn't make a lousy photographer a good one. They are still a lousy one, just one with an expensive camera. A great photographer can take a great photo with cheap camera.
Same thing with CAD. If you cannot design your way out of a paper bag CAD isn't going to help you be a better designer either. A good designer may like drawing by hand more (and hand drawing may have a place) but CAD is a tool they may have to use.
As an aside, my father is an architect who only draws by hand (he doesn't use anything computers). I had a hard time ordering him his pencil leds, electric erasers, and a few other supplies. I don't believe they are made anymore and we had to search for a while on eBay.
I guess it's rare to get hand drawn stuff anymore.
I'm not a user so I can't corroborate that these difficiencies are due to the software.
They're not. See below:
Quote:
Originally Posted by richb
People forget too, that tools (which both hand drawing and CAD are) are tools. A great camera doesn't make a lousy photographer a good one. They are still a lousy one, just one with an expensive camera. A great photographer can take a great photo with cheap camera.
Same thing with CAD. If you cannot design your way out of a paper bag CAD isn't going to help you be a better designer either. A good designer may like drawing by hand more (and hand drawing may have a place) but CAD is a tool they may have to use.
Agreed. CAD and digital design software is a tool. It is not creative on it's own and cannot create anything on it's own. It is merely a tool for the artist/designer to use to create what is in theri mind's eye. If you're good at using the software, you're not thinking about what buttons/icons to use, you're merely creating, just as you would with a pen/pencil. The people that lament it like this are people that are NOT good with the software and find the act of using the software getting in the way. That's a valid concern, but the conclusion drawn is fallacious.
We use Revit in our office and I don't think we would ever go backwards due to its efficiency, but the consensus among the seasoned people is that Revit in particular DOES result in some suffering on the quality side. Something about a false sense of security, as well as the reliance on "families rather than realities" (of things like movement, water penetration, gravity, installation logistics). I'm not a user so I can't corroborate that these difficiencies are due to the software.
I hate Revit (and archicad for that matter) BIM is awful software as it's near impossible to be creative using it. I'm not saying autocad is any good mind you but at least you're not restricted by the limitations of the software in the way you are with BIM.
Saying that I can't wait for Rhino BIM to be released (Rhino IMO is by far the best CAD program available.)
I hate Revit (and archicad for that matter) BIM is awful software as it's near impossible to be creative using it. I'm not saying autocad is any good mind you but at least you're not restricted by the limitations of the software in the way you are with BIM.
I disagree. You can be way more creative in Revit than building codes allow. Ever use massing models to create complex shapes? You can create some very Frank Gehry-esque buildings that way. And revit is fantastic for dointg MEP work, with collision detection and real-world flow study for air handling.
Quote:
Saying that I can't wait for Rhino BIM to be released (Rhino IMO is by far the best CAD program available.)
I have Rhino. It's very good, but I prefer other software for 3D modelling, though.
I really miss the tactile sensations from hand drawing, but AutoCAD can be faster, especially for portions of the drawings which are primarily the same from one set of drawing to the next.
Drawing programs aren't all that good for doodling out the preliminary designs. I'll usually use paper and pencil for the preliminary doodles. Once I kinda have an idea of what the basic design will be, then AutoCAD is helpful in drawing things to scale, although I think a keyboard and mouse is a very poor replacement for my old huge desk with parallel bar, ink, pencils and electric eraser. Plus those big lights on either side, those were nice, too.
The drawing board got used for all sorts of things other than just drawings, too. If I had the room, I'd set up another big drawing board. Borco is good stuff.
Do any of you guys use a Wacom type tablet/screen for drawing? You can do all the hand sketching/painting you want, or use the pressure sensitive pen as the input for CAD/3D modeling.
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