Autodesk Build, based on the former PlanGrid, is construction productivity software. It includes tools to collaborate, collect, and manage project information throughout the project’s construction and operations lifespan. It enables document centralization and tracking.
$39
user per month
Autodesk Fabrication
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Autodesk Fabrication, based on the ESTmep+ construction and estimation software developed by Applied Software and acquired by Autodesk in 2018, allows users to Create MEP models, generate estimates, and drive fabrication. The Autodesk Fabrication line includes Fabrication ESTmep, as well as Fabrication CADmep, and Fabrication CAMduct.
PlanGrid performs really well in all aspects of construction from the general to the sub/trade. The platform distributes and communicates project documentation in an extremely user-friendly manner. As with most software, it is cheaper the larger the scale of the project. In situations where the project is relatively small, and the trade contracts are also of relatively low dollar value, the product can be cost-prohibitive.
1. This software best suits in the fabrication projects, because it generates the most accurate data for the fabrication of the model as compared to other softwares. 2. Due to its high end output the working on this software is a bit hard then other softwares because there is manual command for every step. 3. This softwares suits best when we need to do the routing adjustments completely manual because it does not show any errors just like other softwares.
Plangrid is the best SaaS I have seen for ease of uploading construction plans and automated organization of those plans.
For companies that are not using other products for mobile access, the Plangrid mobile apps are perfect to allow people on and off site to share and collaborate in many phases of construction project documentation.
Plangrid has a very responsive technical support team (although it is pretty much email only).
Plangrid's website layout is easy to use and understand and allows new users to jump right in and do basic to moderate tasks without little training.
It uses the database for the modelling of HVAC, Plumbing and electrical services. Using the database makes the model most accurate to the real time implementation as compared to other contemporary softwares.
It treats every fabrication element separate. Hence modifying or updating the element does not hamper the other model elements.
AutoDesk fabrication is much more flexible to implement different manual routings which is not that much flexible in other softwares.
Maintaining the whole number lengths of ducts is very easy in this software. Where others struggle to do this easily.
The photo attachment process is a bit complicated. In ProCore (another similar software I've used), you can upload photos directly into RFIs for your reference, or into e-mails. For PlanGrid, you have to first upload the photo into the documents tab, then link them into the RFI. It's not intuitive and can add confusion to the documents tab.
Photos can't be directly uploaded. Between different devices and colleagues, it's possible you'll get an important photo outside of the PlanGrid photo capture feature within its app. Again, it's complicated for users to use.
In their new drawings viewer, the icons for actions do not have icons available. I had to use them all in order to understand what they meant, and I'm fairly tech savvy. I'm not sure if a new person to PlanGrid will pick up on each icon's abilities very easily.
There's no all-in-one solution in CM, but PlanGrid is fairly barebones, and I don't believe it has any ability to connect to other software. There's no ability to take meeting munites; you can hack the field reports feature to accomplish this, but it's clear that was not the intent of the designers.
This software needs the central file system so that multiple people can work on a single file at the same time.
This software needs high end graphics which make it tuff to work in 3D space. If this problem can be solved then the efficiency of completing the job will improve drastically.
In this softwares we have to prepare separate sheet on every file because we have to use separate file for separate work. This hampers in maintaining the same standards of the submission interface of the sheets.
We are at the point where we have shown our teams what is possible with this software. We cannot take it away and go back to the way we used to do things. I think that they would push back on us to give them access to something electronic. It is a good program that we will continue to use
Very well thought app, easy to use and provides fast access to the project's plans (your own and your team's), improvements in the annotation posibilities and on-site report generator will be appreciatted. The punch-list report generator and the current/previous plan version compare tools works flawlessly. Haven't used the RFI's nor field report options yet
Online chat during business hours is extremely helpful. The Plangrid staff has gone above and beyond many times to help us. One time they even offered to completely rebuild our 900+ sheet project so I could slip sheet a few old drawing revisions! This undoubtedly would have taken hours on Plangrid's end. They are always responsive and are continually improving, listening to user feedback.
Plangrid, while not serving the external document distribution function, is unrivaled for internal document distribution and sharing in the construction industry. The speed at which documents are navigatable, the ability to download your projects for viewing without an internet connection, and the document mark-up and photo tools place it head and shoulders above the competition.
It helped us "wow" a joint commission survey in 2016 and have a successful survey because he loved how we could access plans on an iPad, check suite sizes, and didn't have to carry around huge, heavy sets of life safety plans.
