Modelling in Max vs AutoCAD

[biglolly]

In our office, most of the modelling of buildings and such is done in CAD and then file linked in to Max. Before joining the company I did everything in Max - prefer the modelling tools e.t.c. The guys here however all did it the reverse. Whilst I think their system is pretty good, it mostly means that if they're doing internals, everything has razor-sharp edges and in my opinion, that looks terrible.

I like the non-destructive modelling and editing you can do in max too. As far as I know, CAD can't really do this.

What are the general thoughts on this? I think one of the reasons we model in CAD is for accuracy in tracing over the autocad dwgs. This works pretty well and you do get a good result, but it's the harshness of the model and the difficulty in re-editing it without having to launch another app that bothers me...

In fact, the truth be told, I detest modelling in CAD, which is why I rarely do it any more.

[nvanherpt]

http://chaosgroup.com/forums/vbullet...ht=autocad+max

i prefer max now but CAD has it's place.

[glorybound]

MAX vs CAD

MAX has tools you can't find in CAD and everything you can do in CAD you can do in MAX. MAX has a steeper learning curve so unless you take the time to learn it CAD probably seems easier.

[natty]

CAD has it's place and its problems when using the models in max sometimes...

[Morne]

I've been modelling in CAD for about 12 years now. If your co workers models are sharp or seems harsh its because they're too lazy or dont have time to make it look nice. Its simple and a no brainer to round edges in cad. I model about 2% in max. 2 years ago I modelled a tank in CAD and it came out pretty good I think. Also for archviz stuff I dont think you can come close to the speed in CAD using MAX. CAD is far quicker in my opinion not even to speak about BIM programs like revit and semi BIM like AutoCAD Architecture.

My 2 cents.

[glorybound]

Revit

I wasn't thinking Revit when CAD was mentioned. You can't model faster then you can in Revit, but I have had some pretty messy Revit models come my way. I guess it is a all relative. I think if you have 3 people, all proficient in their modeling software, Revit would win hands down, then MAX, then CAD.

Just my opinion

[gilpo]

I second glorybound. Revit is great. However, the person using it needs to know be proficient in max and vray so they know what types of geometry renders well and what doesn't. My Revit models wouldn't translate at all into construction plans because of all the tricks I've developed to make the model render well. It all just depends on what you are more comfortable modeling in. For me, it's Revit.

[rayo-v]

I think CAD modeling was worse a few years ago, solid modeling in AutoCad got better lately. I hardly have to do any editing in Max as I used to.
Is still hard to compare the two techniques, both have their benefits.

[pailhead]

I think modeling in CAD is cumbersome. I remember wanting to learn how to model in CAD using one of those Omura books, and i abandoned the idea after a really complicated table modeling lesson, which was in fact, just a couple of cylinders really.

The only thing i miss in max is something like the otrack function or whatever it's called. Every time i want to create or move something relative to a point i end up drawing rectangles, and thats at least a 3 step process - create a rectangle, size it, snap it...

[Clifton Santiago]

I don't know anyone who has switched to modeling in MAX who has ever regretted it.

[pailhead]

Well, i find it kinda hard to navigate an architectural model. I only recently started using isometric view in max, but i still do a lot of stuff in perspective. I approach architecture the same way i would approach anything else, a human sculpture, a car, a gun..

Often i get lost in in complex models, while in cad, it's somehow, i don't know how to describe it, i guess you can model with it while wearing a blindfold, just by crunching numbers and tracking stuff.

Also, when i model in max, none of my walls have thickness or volume, i ignore the inside of a building alltogether, which sometimes proves to be a problem.

[natty]

I think modeling in CAD is cumbersome. I remember wanting to learn how to model in CAD using one of those Omura books, and i abandoned the idea after a really complicated table modeling lesson, which was in fact, just a couple of cylinders really.

The only thing i miss in max is something like the otrack function or whatever it's called. Every time i want to create or move something relative to a point i end up drawing rectangles, and thats at least a 3 step process - create a rectangle, size it, snap it...

I agree, but it is what you are used to i guess..

[Clifton Santiago]

@pailhead: To do what you are describing in MAX, you can always snap to the point in question, then use the Move Transform Type-In, then Offset:World input/spinners, either in the pop-up or the baseline.

[pailhead]

You are right, thats not what i wanted to say though. ou can do that when you're moving objects, i guess thats no different than how you would do it in CAD.

What i meant to refer to was shape drawing in max. When you need to draw stuff like loft/bevel profiles, a sloped roof and such... It's much less convenient than CAD, or even sketchup.

I model sloped roofs in max using editable splines with trim and extend functions, but it's painful...

[bob-cat]

I too used to model in CAD for 10 years, but now way prefer Max, although it has been a long transition.

The ability to materialise and map as you model I find fantastic and the 3D navigation allows for a really quick 2D -> 3D transition. I also found some odd geometry and regular crashes when importing 3D from CAD/ADT/REVIT.

I find the linework tools in CAD very fast, so my work flow is polyline the major and complex elements in CAD and then its max all the way.

I have a little system for transferring between the two, a "script" in CAD saves the selected stuff to a temp CAD file and then I switch to Max where I have another script which imports the temp cad file - nice and quick!