Tuesday, December 20, 2005

The Top 5 Reasons to Switch to ABS

What’s so great about Autodesk Building Systems? Why should I walk away from a proven product like AutoCAD, when I have so much invested in it? These are very valid questions that many CAD Managers and Owners are asking themselves lately. Of course the answer can be different for everyone of them depending on individual needs and uses of the software, but I would like to offer up what I see as the big ticket items that make ABS so appealing.

Compatibility
At last, I can open any ADT drawing file without issue. I can link to VIZ Render which comes with ABS. I can plot to DWF and 3D DWF. I can export ABS objects to AutoCAD choosing to flatten them to 2D AutoCAD entities or convert them to be read by an appropriate object enabler. The time I have spent in the past dealing with compatibility issue was wasted time.


Faster
I produce construction documents faster in ABS. I have an arsenal of productivity tools that have cut my production time down considerable. 2 line duct, pipe and conduit can be drawn with standard elbows and transitions in little more than the picks it takes to define it’s length. Objects are keyed to layers so I no longer have to assign or manage their layers.

More Accurate
Properties stored in my objects can be instantly linked and reported in customizable schedules. Those links means I always have the correct data in my schedules.

More Design less Draft
Engineering data in the DWG is used as a graphical tool that speeds the design process and highlights trouble spots. Getting drafting work done faster means I spend saved time engineering the best design, making my clients happier and saving me post design questions and rework. Built in sizing capability for duct, wire, sanitary and schematic pipe allow me to quickly start and revise designs.

Third Party Partners
Trane Trace 700
Elite
Eastcoast CAD
Geo Praxis

In the posts that follow, I will explain the ins and outs of my top 5 reasons to switch to ABS.

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