CAD Forums > Vertically Challenged

Should I Bim or Vanilla?

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T-Square:
Hello,

I am upgrading my whole system. Alienware laptop(64 bit and maxed) coupled with what flavor of AutoCAD...BIM? I dunno.

To BIM or not to BIM. Not sure BIM for MEP is the way to go for me. How much BIM do I need to do shop drawings? Would having BIM get me more work as a contractor or is BIM really meant for Archies and Enginerrs? Yeah... I said Enginerrs. :-)

I do a lot of Low Voltage systems and the company I do most of my work for is really interested in making the move to a higher level. I'm not certain having BIM would be worth the cost versus just using vanilla AutoCAD.

I'd prefer to have the Revit Structural Suite as it offers the detailing aspect. I like detailing.

Ideally I would like to have both MEP and Structural Suite and I may be able to. Lots of money, but you have to spend money to make money.

So, I guess I am not certain which version I should get. Can anyone give me a clue? I do mostly shop drawings for electrical and I am starting to get more steel detailing work. I like them both. Electrical keeps my computer on and the level of steel work I have right now is more for fun than paying bills. hahahahaha....

Ideas, suggestions?

Thanks Folks. Have a Great Day!

mjfarrell:
I would say leave BIM in the background, and buy what you need or want to deliver the level of service or type of clients you know you can attract.  Study and understand the concepts of BIM.  And when there is opportunity to profit from BIM, go right ahead and upgrade/add software as the profits provide.

T-Square:
MJ,

Kind of what I was thinking. I have loved the idea of 3D since I first saw it back in R12... for DOS. :-) I thought to myself, uhhhh.... why aren't we always drawing in 3D, isn't that how we build it? Guess it was always something like, if you build it.... hahahaha.... seriously though. It was the technology that took time to catch up. Heck... a P90 was a smoking hot machine back then.

Yes, I think what I should do is utilize the vanilla portion of the Structural Suite for my electrical and try and utilize the Structural BIM for the "possible". What I like most about the electrical aspect is what I perceive as better "calculations" of devices, the device panels, loading of panels, warning of overloads, circuit lengths for estimating wire lengths and calculations and the inherit intelligence of symbols... directly tied to the calculations. Right now I don't have that. Elec would do that, structural won't. But, LISP is still around and I still type most everything from the command line anyway. hahahahahaha... I'd say that "Git err.... thing right now, but I just can't do it.

Righto... back to my lines and circles.

Would love to hear from more folks about this.

Have a Great Day!

James Cannon:
Have you considered any middle ground, such as getting Autocad MEP, which contains Autocad Architecture with it as well?

It's not full fledged BIM, but it could be quite beneficial in expediting your processes... unless you're quite set up with customizations that you wouldn't part with them.

Or are you just thinking that the ability to ADVERTISE that you have BIM software in Autodesk Revit that you are hoping to land more jobs?

mjfarrell:
old school thinking here

if the tool doesn't make you any money

don't buy that tool

however if you want to OFFER BIM services....then the burden of BIM is on you to learn, manage, and have the software.
and then find clients and projects that will have needs for that service.

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