In SketchUp & LayOut for Architecture, you'll learn a step-by-step workflow that will enable you to eliminate CAD from your workflow, focus on your design,. SketchUp Pro Classic is the tried and true desktop modeler that you have known for years. Compare it with new subscription offerings and start designing.
Related Articles
- 1 Convert a 2D Model to 3D Using AutoCAD
- 2 3D Studio Max Vs. Alias Studio
- 3 What is an Alternative to Adobe Pagemaker?
- 4 What Is AutoCAD Software?
You can choose Sketchup if you want a 3D design and modeling program that's easy to use, and relatively inexpensive. Sketchup Pro's sticker price is half that of AutoCAD's. Google also has a free version of Sketchup, which contains all essential design tools. Choose AutoCAD if you want tools for every conceivable modeling approach and for any requirement a design project might impose. Other factors helping you choose a program include file formats, NURBS surfaces and rendering engine.
Ease of Use Versus Feature Richness
If you need maximum flexibility in choosing a design approach, AutoCAD is the program to choose. AutoCAD's toolset is so large it has multiple workspaces, including those for 3D modeling and basic drafting projects. Each workspace has a distinct and customizable user interface. If you need to get up and running quickly with creating designs, or just prefer a program that's easy to use, Sketchup is the program to get. One feature that makes Sketchup so easy to use is its Inference Engine. This feature guesses what you're trying to design based on your mouse movements. This engine is highly accurate, especially once you know what mouse movements the Engine looks for. For example, the Rotation tool reads where your mouse cursor is in on the program's drawing canvas, and what viewpoint is currently being shown, to determine which 3D axis to rotate an object around. By contrast, AutoCAD requires you to explicitly indicate the axis of rotation by clicking an axis.
NURBS Surfaces
AutoCAD lets users create NURBS surfaces, but Sketchup does not. NURBS surfaces are potentially much smoother than surfaces composed of polygons. Use them to model organic, natural forms, such as animals and plants, and other objects that are devoid of any straight lines. Modeling with NURBS involves positing control points in 3D space, and adjusting tangent handles of those points. The tangent handles let you determine the slope of the surface entering and exiting the control point. If you need to model organic forms with the maximum degree of accuracy and realism, choose AutoCAD over Sketchup.
File Formats
AutoCAD is fussy compared with Sketchup, when it comes to file types it will import. The program will only load designs made with AutoCAD, in contrast to Sketchup's ability to load in AutoCAD files and the widely used 3DS files. If you need to have maximum file portability, consider getting Sketchup instead of AutoCAD.
Rendering
If you need to produce photorealistic images to present your designs, choose AutoCAD over Sketchup. AutoCAD's rendering engine can simulate shadows, a wide variety of lighting scenarios and many other facets of optical phenomena from the real world. Sketchup renderings display shadows and presentation-quality graphics. However, anyone viewing the rendering will know it's a rendering rather than photo.
References (2)
- 'AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD 2012 LT Bible'; Ellen Finkelstein; 2011
- 'Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual'; Chris Grover; 2009
About the Author
Darrin Koltow wrote about computer software until graphics programs reawakened his lifelong passion of becoming a master designer and draftsman. He has now committed to acquiring the training for a position designing characters, creatures and environments for video games, movies and other entertainment media.
Cite this Article Choose Citation Style
Koltow, Darrin. 'Sketchup Vs. Autocad.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/sketchup-vs-autocad-28233.html. Accessed 10 November 2019.
Koltow, Darrin. (n.d.). Sketchup Vs. Autocad. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/sketchup-vs-autocad-28233.html
Koltow, Darrin. 'Sketchup Vs. Autocad' accessed November 10, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/sketchup-vs-autocad-28233.html
Note: Depending on which text editor you're pasting into, you might have to add the italics to the site name.
Haven switched to using SketchUp and Layout for both the design development (DD) and construction document (CD) phase back in 2008, after lack of enthusiasm with 2D drawing programs. The programs are intuitive to use and backed with friendly customer service, and they allow us to accurately model the entire project. This helps to convey the experience of the space to the client before construction is even begun. We’ve realized the benefit of using SketchUp for a long time. What we didn’t realize until attending SketchUp Basecamp this year was how few people are using Layout to create their drawing sets, especially construction documents.
SketchUp is an easy to use 3D modeling program that is widely used by a variety of disciplines. Layout was made to create drawing sets from this 3D model. By setting up scenes in the model and importing this into Layout, you can even create an intricate set of drawings like construction documents. This keeps the drawings accurate and allows opportunity to visually portray the feeling of the space while containing technical information as well for contractors to build from.
Below is an example of the difference of using Layout. The first two images were drawn with Layout and the second two images are from a 2D program that we previously used. While both are beautiful in their own right, using Layout certainly helps add depth to the drawings. Everyone has different abilities of being able to visualize a space from looking at a flat 2D drawing. By using a variety of 2D and 3D scenes, we're able to convey the character of the space.
The floor plan of a custom residence that contains a lot of technical information, but also begins to convey a sense of the space.
A couple of sections through the same custom residence as above. By layering scenes on top of one another, Haven is able provide sections to scale while also giving depth to the space.
The floor plan of the 'Aldergrove Residence' drawn in a 2D program.
The elevations of the 'Aldergrove Residence' drawn in a 2D program.