Likelihood to Recommend AutoCAD LT is suitable for engineers that uses DWG formats casually and don't rely on
AutoCAD as the main tool to issue drawings in the workflow.
AutoCAD LT is best suited for firms that do not use LISP functions in
AutoCAD and do not care about 3D modeling. Although
AutoCAD LT has other missing functions when compared to standard
AutoCAD , these features are of less importance and can't be noticed.
Read full review Real estate is not really the most likely use for Sketchup, since it has so many choices and possibilities. But, it is an innovative way to differentiate yourself from the competition. The program is very well-suited to the myopic seller or buyer who can't visualize future changes and their effect on value.
Read full review Pros The library feature for all areas is to me AutoCAD LT's extra strong point, it makes it easier to find information within the program itself. The fast solutions and precise development of drawings and projects is also another strong point. I use the floor plans, elevations, sections and the hydraulic designs to work with my students on physics projects. The software allows you to scale model and remodel as many times as you need, from simple to more complex designs Importing and exporting files is also very simple to perform making corrections and quick feedback to students easy. Read full review Quickly exploring solutions in 3D: We get a lot of "what if" and "what would that look like" questions. While hand-sketching and hand-drafting can be fairly quick, SketchUp allows me to quickly create 3D and 2D views of a detail or solution, change dimensions and materials in a flash, and show a client or installer the plan in minutes. Creating professional design documents in LayOut: Projects of any scale need good documentation. Using a combination of SketchUp and LayOut, I can create a Design Intent Set, plans for permitting, a set for mechanical trades to mark-up, etc. Having clear, appropriately-scaled drawings with dimensions or notations is a must, and we don't always have the time or budget to get an architect involved! Using live files to guide discussions: Not all clients are "visual" people, so opening their model and orbiting around their space in real time has been extremely helpful. Clients and trades enjoy the perspective views so much that we often include them in the full-sized drawing sets to give a good "overall" view of the project intent. For complex or tight spaces, sometimes un-rendered plans and elevations just aren't enough! Read full review Cons All individual lines are to be made a polyline to perform actions like Hatching, filling, etc which is very hectic. - Wish need not make it in the future. Read full review Ability to import Revit files and libraries. Ability to export true curved vector linework. There are some workarounds, needs to be refined. Create an OPEN MAPS connection. Since the split from Google, the source for high-quality aerials is limited. Ability to dock all menus to the master window on a Mac Ability to develop dockable menu trays on a Mac Read full review Likelihood to Renew We typically wait a few years in between renewing, as even older versions are powerful tools for modeling, and we make sure the amount of feature changes are worth the re-investment.
Read full review Support Rating Sketchup is so intuitive; I can't recall ever looking for official support. However, there are many user forums online that can answer more questions. The usefulness of the online forums is, however, tempered by the fact that there have been many versions of the software under different ownership and support regimes, and thus finding the right information for the right version of the software can be a challenge.
Read full review Alternatives Considered Although
AutoCAD LT is the lite software when compared to standard
AutoCAD , it does all the work when it comes to 2D modeling and issuing design drawings. When comparing it to
BricsCAD ,
AutoCAD LT shines, as it works without freezing and is usually more responsive than
BricsCAD , it just outclasses it.
Read full review It's great to give the customer an overview of how a project will look, but it will never replace the information that a blueprint or engineering drawing can convey. SketchUp is great for the casual user or someone who is just getting started in design work. Other high powered software, such as Solidworks or Inventor is more suited for 3D modeling on a regular basis
Read full review Return on Investment The impact is always positive in my case when I use AutoCAD LT, because I provide intelligent lessons with few resources The negative impact usually happens with professionals who don't like to innovate, study, or put a little more effort into their work. AutoCAD LT enables the enchantment at the end of the project by the public and at the beginning by the students that are delighted with so many tools Read full review SketchUp has definitely had a positive impact on the customer experience with our company. The model can be generated to give the owner a good idea of the final product before actually committing the resources to complete the project. Having simple models created before the work gets started in the field means that issues with elevations or odd angles can be ironed out beforehand and solved with the design team. This has greatly reduced the rework on our more complex self-perform concrete structures! Read full review ScreenShots