Autocad for "part-time" civil engineer

Once I tried to draw my own home's plan but could not manage software requires a lot of time and patience.

Pros

It manages extremely large projects with exact measures and details. It gives availability to work in 3D Space. Cloud function helps to get advantage to work as a team.

Cons

It needs strong computer resources. Without qualified tutorials, it is like impossible to work on this program. Besides the price is so expensive.

CAD Can

It’s a very powerful tool and professional grade. The software’s capacity and presence, in the creative industry, provides an alleviating affect to its audience and users.

Pros

I have a lot of flexibility in terms of the mediums I can ease into and AutoCAD truly helps in that aspect. It delivers the workspace to bring a flat design to life in a way that most dimensional design products don’t. One thing for certain is the application’s versatility in making the space feel less technically tedious and more straightforward. The functionality is very simple and gives its user the chance to apply their personal preference into the art board without losing resolution and methodology.

Cons

My only note of interest would be the application’s need for dimensional guidance. While it provides a very nice approach to freeform, it lightly loses touch of having a snap to grid like essence about it more than a majority.

There is a reason that the name AutoCAD is synonymous with drafting

There is a reason that AutoCAD has been the market leader for decades. The software is the gold standard. The software keys getting better and easier to use with multiple ways to use the software (online, desktop, mobile). The price can be prohibitive for those who only have occasional usage like myself.

Pros

The online version is quick and easy to use. They offer a by month use plan which is great for my occasional use. The integration with AutoDesk's other software is useful. The UI is clean and intuitive. New features and updates keep the software fresh and on the cutting edge.

Cons

The software is expensive for my needs and navigating the various licenses and options can be a bit challenging.

Autocad, it was my design school.

With autocad I learned to design with a computer, I learned to model, I learned CAD, it was my initial school.

Pros

Working in AutoCAD is much easier than working on paper. We saved a lot of time and it's much simpler than that. Doing it by hand can be tedious and we also have to consider our prolixity when it comes to doing it on a sheet. As Autodesk is launching new versions, they do not change much with respect to the previous ones so that the user does not have to update to something completely unknown. The latest versions are very similar, except that they add new small functions. The configuration to print a drawing in AutoCAD in different formats is very easy. There are many formats included and we can adjust colors, margins, layers, among many other aspects. AutoCAD has been linked to multiple platforms, with the benefit of being able to export and import files of all kinds. For example, we can bring an image or a block to the software, among other applications.

Cons

The main disadvantage is the high cost of the program, since the license costs a few dollars. Knowing how to use the software fully requires a lot of time since there are many functions that are not so well known, and even that they are of little application, since they are very specific. It requires a very powerful computer to work with the latest versions (especially in 3D). At least 2GB of RAM, 2GHz processing speed, and a space greater than 100GB on the hard drive. If we make an object in 3D, with many details, brightness settings, brightness, details of materials, for the best commercial computer we have, it usually slows down a lot. There are better software to make 3D drawings that are more sophisticated, with more functions and that do not slow down so much when working with a very heavy file.

A little outdated but still reasonable tool

I used to draw everything in AutoCad at my previous employer. Nowadays it seem slow and cumbersome. It's tempting to use because of the ease of copy&paste of previously drawn elements but there is little automation. A single wrong value can snowball into big mistakes. A BIM software is much more desired. I still use AutoCad to draw detail and simple drawing that do not require much coordination.

Pros

Simple and robust software. File compatibility goes back to 1997. Though limited as it I rarely had any problems and there were never any problems when sending files. It opened all dwg without problems (unlike some other CAD programs I've tried)

Cons

Complicated interface and not intuitive. 3d drawing is especially daunting. Automation requires even more knowledge - I've never got to learning how to program titleblocks. Slow startup