This paper discusses the process of choosing CAD software. Our focus is on selecting software suitable for land use professionals.

First things first - If you want an easy to use (and free tool) for landscape and garden design use download GardenCAD by visiting http://www.gardencad.net. The designs shown below were produced using GardenCAD.

Simple garden design plan produced using GardenCAD.

Here a hand sketch and some images of suitable plant were assembled in GardenCAD.

GardenCAD is a clone of AutoCAD and is command compatible to a large degree. It is an ideal tool to start learning to use CAD.

Background

There are many different CAD programs on the market – AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, Caddsman, IntelliCAD, Design Cad 3D, TurboCAD, Qikdraw, Catia, Solidworks, IronCAD, MicroStation, MiniCAD, Foresight, LisCAD, WESCOM, to name but a few. They all have various strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps the most important thing to note is that they mostly save their drawing file in different file formats, variously called .DWG, .DGN, .CTA, VEC, AI, etc. Because the file formats differ, moving data from one CAD program to another is not necessarily a trivial task, so you need to 'get it right' when making the choice of software, especially if you need to accept work from others and pass your work on to associates.

Where does your organization sit in the scheme of things?

In selecting CAD software, our advice is to first define where you or your organization sits in the ‘flow of information’ for the design work that you carry out. This will be different for each business. A firm of mechanical engineers who manufacture their own products and designs and develops ‘in-house’, can choose any CAD program that suits their needs; they don’t care what others are using as long as the software they choose suits their staff and the job is done efficiently.

However, landscapers architects and garden designers, by the very nature of their profession, must recognize that they are invariably dealing with drawing files that come from other design professionals (surveyors, civil engineers, architects etc). Thus there is a need to consider not only their own requirements, but it is critical to be aware of the CAD software that others in the 'supply chain' are using.

Vendors of CAD software will tell you that they have included an export function to create what is called a Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) file which makes drawing translation a simple task. Be aware however that the translators providing for the generation (and importation) of DXF files are not perfect and do not deliver seamless translation.

As an example, most CAD programs do not understand polylines used by IntelliCAD and AutoCAD. These get converted into short line segments as the DXF file is generated. Flexibility of editing in a subsequent drawing session in the 'receiving' environment is then compromised. This drawing file incompatibility issue is not a trivial concern. We have experience in a job where profitability was severely compromised because (as we discovered at a very late stage) the survey software used for the base drawing (WESCOM) uses AutoCAD text shape files to place tree symbols – letters appeared in the AutoCAD drawings where we expected to see existing trees. Many hours were lost trying to track down the source of the problem.

Many CAD programs now claim the ability to open DWG files without conversion. Again, be wary of this claim; try before you buy. There may be an ability to do this, but the software may not open the DWG files generated by the latest release of AutoCAD.

Making the choice

There may be tension between your needs and those of the supply chain. On the one hand, you may want the ability to implement 3D rendering, to output rendered images in a format suitable for a commercial printer, the capability to paste aerial photographs as a backdrop to your drawings and the ability to smoothly work with multiple views of drawing files which are greater than 10 Mb in size (in a design for a very large wetland  for instance).

In our opinion, MicroStation software, from Bentley Systems, certainly meets these criteria far better than does Autodesk's AutoCAD from or IntelliCAD. However, in many states of Australia MicroStation has less than 10% of the market share (in Western Australia MicroStation holds >50% of the market) so you would have to eliminate MicroStation from your list of potential CAD programs, because it is unlikely to be used in your supply chain.

Making a logical choice

As mentioned the first step in choosing CAD software for landscape architects is to look at the local market and then at your own supply chain.

Local Market

In South Australia and Victoria there is no question that IntelliCAD and Autodesk’s AutoCAD software dominates the market. Our guess is that >80% of CAD files are created in .DWG format used by IntelliCAD and AutoCAD in these states. This leads to the conclusion that after downloading and trying out the free GardenCAD software, the first piece of software purchased for a garden design or landscape office operating in South Australia and Victoria should be IntelliCAD (cost $A395.00). A second choice would be the full AutoCAD ($6500 or AutoCAD LT $2200).

Supply chain

Suppose that your supply chain is a little unusual in that 50% of your work comes from a firm of architects who used to use MiniCAD on Macintosh computers and now use MiniCAD on a Windows computer. Ask yourself the following questions. "Are you getting drawings from these architects presently? Do they work well enough in (say) the IntelliCAD/AutoCAD environment you currently use (through DXF exchange)? Is it absolutely crucial to have at least one copy of MiniCAD in your office?" "Are there a pool of qualified landscape architects who are MiniCAD competent whom you can draw on for a project?" "What would be the real cost if you had to complete a project entirely in MiniCAD? "

Is the CAD software to be AutoCAD 2005 or AutoCAD LT or IntelliCAD?

Having established that the .DWG format used by AutoCAD will be the office standard, a choice then has to be made between the full AutoCAD (at $6000.00) and AutoCAD LT (at $899.00) or IntelliCAD ($395). We are biased because we sell it, but would recommend IntelliCAD, simply to try things out. It is not a major commitment of funds. You can then get some training either in-house or via distance learning and see if it meets your needs.

Final choice

Now it is time to look at your own specific requirements more closely. Which version of AutoCAD will do the job for you? The list of questions below (in no particular order of importance) should assist in decision making.

Image files: Is there an absolute requirement for pasting carefully registered scanned images into drawings? In AutoCAD 2005, images can be placed in drawing files, but, like XREFs, they are not actually part of the drawing file. The image is linked to the drawing file through a path name or a data management document ID. Linked image paths can be changed or removed at any time. By attaching images using linked image paths, you can place images in your drawing, only slightly increasing the drawing file size. Early versions of AutoCAD LT did not have the ability to load this type of composite drawing, but LT 2000 now does. If you need this feature, then perhaps you can get an associate company with a full AutoCAD 2005 to create the base drawing with its attached image files and then use LT 2000 for your design work. LT can handle pasting .GIF, .JPEG and .PCX files into a drawing, but it may not give you the degree of control that you are after.

It pays to keep checking on the features in the current version of AutoCAD LT, it tends to leapfrog the full AutoCAD. The development of IntelliCAD is also remarkable, check our web site from time to time. A trial version of IntelliCAD 4 is now available for download.

Using WMF Files (from AutoCAD LT 2000 help file)

WMF (Windows metafile format) files are frequently used to produce clip art and other non-technical images that you need for drawings. You can insert a WMF file into AutoCAD LT as a block. Unlike bitmaps, WMF files contain vector information that can be resized and printed without losing resolution. If the WMF file contains 2D solids or wide lines, you can turn off their display to increase drawing speed.

WMF files can contain both vector and raster information. However, AutoCAD LT reads only vector information. When a WMF file containing raster information is read into AutoCAD LT, the raster information is ignored.

Programming:

AutoCAD LT is not programmable. Ask yourself "Do you have a requirement for using any of the programming languages that come with the full AutoCAD (AutoLISP, VBA, ARX etc.)?" If you choose LT then you cannot run (say) a program to read a data file of points and create a (rectangular) surface mesh with facets to give you the surface topography of a site including contours. In the same way, you cannot use AutoLISP to create a new command (we call it VERIFY) to enable you to audit a finished drawing against a project or company standard. the VERIFY command checks fonts and blocks used, layer names etc. The ‘Pack and Go’ feature of AutoCAD 14 is a great feature where project files are being exchanged, but relies on AutoLISP being present.

3D Design:

Do you need to work in 3D? You may like to, but have you got the skills now? AutoCAD LT can read and display drawing files with 3D information in them, but it cannot create some very complex 3D shapes. Can you create and manipulate these complex 3D shapes in the full AutoCAD now, or is it a pipe dream?

Rendering: 

AutoCAD LT does not allow rendering (creating photo realistic 3D images with light sources with (say) a sky with clouds as a background. Before you say 'yes I must have this feature', are you willing to spend the time to learn to draw in 3D? It is not a skill quickly acquired. Is there and alternative? Can you learn to use your digital camera more effectively and then use Photoshop to dress up images, pasting them back into AutoCAD for final presentation. Maybe you can learn to build simple 3D geometry as a wire frame image and then 'dress it up' using Paint Shop Pro.

Fonts: 

Do you need to use TrueType fonts in drawing? Although IntelliCAD has full command equivalence and almost all of the features of the full AutoCAD - it is programmable, can produced rendered 3D images and works with native .DWG format, has a content explorer, can open multiple drawings at once, an is less costly ($445.00 vs. $6000.00+).

Cost: 

How much money does your budget allow? Each CAD seat needs a software licence. The full AutoCAD has a hardware and/o a software lock, so you can have the program loaded on several computers and simple move the lock around as needed while  AutoCAD LT and IntelliCAD need to be licensed for each computer on which they are loaded.

Recommendations:

Option 1: High Cost

Each office to purchase one (1) copy of the full AutoCAD ($A6000.00+). Subsequent CAD seats to be AutoCAD LT 2000 (upgrade earlier versions of LT to AutoCAD LT 2000).

Option 2: Low Cost

Each office to purchase copies of AutoCAD LT 2000 for each CAD seat - (upgrade earlier versions of LT to AutoCAD LT 2000). Strike an arrangement with a consultant to use the full AutoCAD should there be a need for programming (base maps containing images, generation of surface meshes, calculations of cut and fill volumes etc.). Purchase one (1) copy of IntelliCAD to be used across both offices so that staff can experiment with 3D model making, rendering and outputting to film. When capability clearly demonstrated, move to a single copy of the full AutoCAD 2005.

Option 3: mini cost

Buy a single copy of IntelliCAD and spend money on training either group or one-on-one or via distance learning.

Note: Be very aware that Autodesk want you to stay on an upgrade path. As an example, in July, 2004 we were told that we only had 6 months to go before we are unable to upgrade our copy of AutoCAD 2000 to 2004. AutoCAD 2004 will not write out files to early versions of AutoCAD. Even in 2009, Autodesk, the makers of AutoCAD still adopt this draconian system.

Training: 

We are of course biased, but once you have chosen and installed your software, we believe that you need to be taught to use it correctly. Visit our courses pages for more information. Our courses feature flexible delivery - come to our training facility at times that suit you.