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MAC software

MADianito

So, what 3d software can i find for Mac??? (without using virtual PC)

RHINO?, 3D MAX/VIZ??, MAYA???, LIGHTWAVE??, FORM Z??

 
Aug 4, 04 11:41 am
Dan

Maya runs on newer macs so does form-z. No to rhino and max/viz. not sure about lightwave.

Aug 4, 04 11:47 am  · 
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anatomical gift

Form Z, Maya, Lightwave, Cinema 4D.

Aug 4, 04 11:47 am  · 
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proto

has anyone tried running some of the listed above via unix or linux on a mac?

Aug 4, 04 11:52 am  · 
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proto

i mean, some of the "softwares" listed above

Aug 4, 04 11:52 am  · 
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MADianito

is actually a good choice for architects MAC over Pentium?? (im still in my new laptop dillema!)

Aug 4, 04 11:57 am  · 
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Dan

MADianito, buy a pc. you need to learn autocad to get a job. no autocad on mac.

Aug 4, 04 12:11 pm  · 
 · 

true, autocad is not available on mac. but during my process on applying for jobs, i find that bigger firms use autocad, whereas smaller firms like to use independent software such as vectorkworks, datacad..etc. maybe there's the price issue..

but software isn't really such a big issue MADianito. it's just a matter of your personal preference and comfortability in whatever system you chooses. be it mac or pc.

however to answer your first question, there's Maya, Lightwave, Form Z, ArchiCAD(2D and 3D, though the 3D is not as superior as the others), Cinema 4D,BOA, Bryce (mostly for landscape, presentation purposes)

Aug 4, 04 2:32 pm  · 
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melvin

i think the artistic side of architects gets in the way of pragmatism when it comes to the question 'what computer platform will our firm use?' Bigger firms tend to go to PC because they ultimately have no choice. Smaller firms still can get by using the Mac CAD programs and 3d.

Nevertheless , you can't argue agains the fact that PC's support superior software for design/architecture/visualization.

I'm a 3dMAX guy, and love the integration of it with Autodesk/Macromedia/Adobe products.. Form-Z is the best I've come across for architecture, although even the best renderings are still nothing in comparison to those of 3dStudioMAx. Maya is still too parametric to ever really be applicable to realistic architecture.

Mac software.....use Vectorworks and Form-z. Render in Maya if you must, but by that point you should have bought a PC anyhow. use your Mac for photography/graphic design stuff.

Aug 4, 04 3:09 pm  · 
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luckyitem

go to architosh for design software for mac.

I'm in the same boat....I don't want to switch to pc, but I'm forced to.

I'd love to just buy a new powerbook, but alas, the lametards at autodesk refuse to make autocad for mac. It's a good thinig pc laptops are cheap and disposable!

Aug 4, 04 4:09 pm  · 
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DelGaudio

I too feel pushed into the crappy Windows environment for lack of support of Max and AutoCAD.

HP announced today that they're going to start shipping laptops with Linux installed instead of Windows. Hopefully that trend will pick up with other manufactures. Hopefully, by then people will realize Longhorn (now delayed what 3+ years) is a joke and will be looking for more reliable solutions like Unix based systems (i.e. Linux and OSX). I think it will be a while before we see AutoCAD on a Unix box but from there its only a hop skip and a jump to OSX.

Aug 4, 04 5:53 pm  · 
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SV

just run autoCAD on virtual PC

Aug 4, 04 5:59 pm  · 
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MADianito

still, there's the thing that MAC r only for "pretentious" architects...i dunno, i actually i've always been using PC, and i know acad and max/viz, and rhino, but i dunno, somehow i've always been atracted or tempted to buy me a MAC... (maybe im pretentious)... i dunno i guess its like "in the closet" gay ppl feels when they wanna come out...lol (no offense, its just an example)

Aug 4, 04 8:32 pm  · 
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Gabriel

virtual pc is no longer supported by panther so we can finally lay it to rest..
i think i'm in the same camp as everyone else who uses mac.. i have no idea what a good architectural platform is.. Archicad is used at my office but i can find little to recomend it.. we have been experimenting with sketchup however and i think it really has potential as a down and dirty visualization program.. i've heard viz is the platform for the mac but i have no firsthand experience

Aug 5, 04 1:38 pm  · 
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montana

I've been using Mac's for years now for graphics design and web development. Now that I started my architecture studies, I don't want leave my precious mac-platform.

Everything is so nice and easy with a mac, except the CAD work. There doesn't seem to be a decent CAD application for mac at all! How frustrating. I've been waiting for a Deneba CAD upgrade to test it on and to run it on Mac OS X, but it seems it is not coming.

ArchiCAD is ok, but I'd really like to see AutoCAD on Mac. It shouldn't be so fucking hard! We all know that there certainly is a market for it!

Aug 5, 04 4:36 pm  · 
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Dan

actually, montana, they used to make autoCad for the mac, up until version 12. But the incredibly small number of mac's out there made it an unprofitable venture, so it was discontinued.

Aug 5, 04 4:58 pm  · 
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Gabriel

I'm hoping that there will be more cad platforms ported to the mac soon.. the earlier cost issues are almost gone. mac's will never be able to compete with the low budget segment but they are finally comperable to mid range work stations.. and now that even autocad isn't the budget platform it used to be.. there might be at least a industry recognitin that there is a niche for a decent cad platform for the mac.. who knows.. when you take into account that a huge reason for autocad's popularity is its piratability, you might see things change. here's hoping

Aug 5, 04 5:23 pm  · 
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zepplin100

"ArchiCAD is ok, but I'd really like to see AutoCAD on Mac. It shouldn't be so fucking hard! We all know that there certainly is a market for it!"

Architosh.com had this whole petition drive a few years ago for AutoCad to be ported to Mac OS X. Honestly, I think its as much of a political issue as much as it is a profitably issue. I'm sure there would be a market for AutoCad on a Mac, especially considering how many firms use Apple computers. Almost a year ago Autodesk promised to release a reader for DWG files for the Mac. Many hailed it as the first step towards a full version of AutoCad. You can read about it by going here:
http://www.architosh.com/news/2003-09/2003c-0909-dwf6formacosx.phtml

I'm hopeful that more firms will embrace OS X, I'll go nuts if I ever have to switch.

Aug 6, 04 6:34 pm  · 
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NSJ

@Last ported Sketch Up to OSX and from everything I've read, they're happy they did. Surely the market for Acad would be larger, though granted (and I don't really know because I'm not a programmer) the coding may be more involved.

Aug 7, 04 9:24 am  · 
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spak

proto - yeah id be interested in knowing if it anyone could get some of these programs running straight from unix(osx)- i think that really we are gonna have to wait about 5 years till we have decent cad programs for mac (archicad is as good as it gets im afraid). longhorn is a joke - its going to have to be a pretty bloody amazing peice of software to justify the 3+ years more of development - and judging by Microsofts track record, i would say not.

its a really exciting time right now - 12 months ago linux finally became a serious os - i dont think it will be too far around the corner till it starts taking large bites out of microsoft market share - apples market is so niche that they dont have to worry so much .

as linux/unix/osx are so similar - mac may get back door access to software through large linux market share. fingers crossed

Aug 9, 04 6:24 am  · 
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doberman

what exactly is wrong with PC's? they're just as user friendly as macs, cheaper and faster + you can run pretty much every piece of software available on the market. ok pc's are pretty damn ugly but who cares, really? i'm so tired of this mac snobs who keep saying they're so much better and cooler than pc users. macs are just stupid computers too for christ's sake! well ok they're nice to look at but even that is debatable...

Aug 10, 04 10:59 am  · 
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bigness

4 words for you:

Blue Screen Of Death

'nuff said

Aug 10, 04 1:04 pm  · 
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Andrew Kudless

4 more words:

Spinning beachball of death

Aug 10, 04 1:35 pm  · 
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Dan

Personally, i don't think you'll see autoCad on PC's again. It just doesn't make economic sense to spend all of that time on programmers and production to run on a computer with less than 2% market share.

Who knows, maybe they'll find some way to make a crappy port of it.

Aug 10, 04 2:03 pm  · 
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Brim

you mean macs...

Aug 10, 04 2:15 pm  · 
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Brim

I'm just too set in my ways with PC's (autocad & max) to make a switch. I have two relatives that use macs all day long - works for them. PC's work for me. Macs are damn expensive but nicely packaged. PC's are cheap and ugly, easy upgradeable / scalable.

Aug 10, 04 2:18 pm  · 
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Dan

yeah, mac's. sorry.

Aug 10, 04 2:21 pm  · 
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bigness

4 more words:

Spinning beachball of death


if you concentrate on it, and try to focus your third eye on the centre of the spinning ball, you will find see the light, steve jobs will appear to you in a shining golden hawaiian shirt and will show you the way to the Big Kernel. And thou shalt be saved.

Aug 10, 04 2:27 pm  · 
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Francisco David Boira

OK.
Not sure if MAC's are the right option for architecture?
This is how it goes at the GSAP (2oo5 graduating class)
There are about 10 guys with powerbooks G4’s and what do they do with them?
Watch DVD's 9 of 10.
3d work with MAYA: 2 students (One of them super good with Maya by the way!)
Play mp3's 10 out of 10.
Graphics: 10
So, for most of them it’s obvious that they are fashion whores and can’t escape the need for a gigantic IPOD that can't do shit past the first month of studio time.
PS: I have a vintage mac for Quicken, HP zd7ooo for maya, graphics, archinect etc..., and a Dell XPS tower at home for studio work when I don't feel like been at studio.

Aug 10, 04 2:55 pm  · 
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bigness

i like the idea of not knowing how to use autocad. it tells me i'll never work for a big commercial firm. i find that reassuring.

BUT i guess i will cave in to pear pressure and get a pc when the unit tutor will dictate his rendering requirements.

So, question...

what do you recon is the minimum set up fpr a pc to rum max and autocad on? we're talking student work here

Aug 10, 04 3:10 pm  · 
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mauOne™

PI + 64MB RAM for acad 14, that will take care of all your 2d needs

PI + 128MB ram for max R2 or 3 and you can make decent 3d if you have imagination

the rest is just luxury and keeping up the pace to the corporation stuff

Aug 10, 04 3:17 pm  · 
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bigness

that low?

ok, cool, i thought i had to spend a fortune. so from september its the best of both worlds!

thanks!

Aug 10, 04 3:28 pm  · 
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bd

Mac's being more expensive than PC's is just not true. Compare Mac's with top brand name PC's (ie not Dell) and Mac's are often cheaper:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4521-6527_7-5021302-1.html?tag=dir.tp

Sony 17inch Laptop $2,500
Apple 17inch Laptop $2,200

There is no problem in using a Mac or a PC for architecture (Mac make is easier not to use AutoCAD - this must be seen as an advantage).

Maybe IT support is something to consider - every problem on my Mac I can solve, my PC need some specialist help from the IT department.

My mac runs all the stuff i need - Photoshop, indesign, ArchiCAD. And my PC does too - AutoCAD and ArchiCAD. But I know which one is more pleasurable to use.

Aug 11, 04 8:05 am  · 
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epochmax

"Personally, i don't think you'll see autoCad on PC's(sic - Mac) again. It just doesn't make economic sense to spend all of that time on programmers and production to run on a computer with less than 2% market share."

The only reason why Mac has less than 2% of the architecture market is because of AutoCAD. As silly as it is, ACAD being the only CAD software i know with a command line, it's probably the only such software that allows total control of your production. And it's integration into the MAC platform is crucial especially now as more architects/firms are getting more multi skilled and there's a very thin line that borders architecture/DTP/video & film nowadays when it comes to producing design proposals.

If Autodesk ever come up with a MAC version, I'm switching in a heartbeat.

Aug 11, 04 8:47 am  · 
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Dan

bd, Mac's are only cheaper when you compare them to sony computers which are notoriously over priced. If you compare them to any other brand, they ususally are several hundred $ more for a slower machine.

XP pro has been very stable, haven't had to call any IT people to solve little problems that occasionally arise.

I do think that Macs are a good product, and exceptionally well designed. I think the same thing about Bentley's. But the price just doesn't justify the gains.

Aug 11, 04 8:52 am  · 
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bd

Dan

I can't help myself, i'm in love with my powerbook

Aug 11, 04 10:06 am  · 
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Dan

Yeah, they are pretty sweet looking. No denying that.

Aug 11, 04 10:14 am  · 
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Francisco David Boira

You guys have to be kidding me here.
Please elaborate how a MAC performs any better than a PC when using Photoshop or any graphics 3d software?
I really would like to understand this because I feel it’s just a fetish thing that nowadays doesn't seem to make any sense.
Don't get me wrong MAC freaks I like them, and as I said in my last post I own a PowerBook G3 with the primordial use for editing video and graphic information (its pretty neat the buttons are all geared towards FINAL CUT PRO no letters just symbols…ok now I just use it as my file cabinet / organizer.
But to tell you the truth the more I use PC's the harder it is to find any major differences other than menus / interface looks cuter on a G4.
*so please explain why people would say something like this: “…I use pc for cad work/ 3dmax / Maya ,and then my Mac for layouts and Photoshop”

Aug 11, 04 11:32 am  · 
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MADianito

in my humble opinion...(and i also like mac's but i think pc's r "more conveniant" for architecture).... well u just need the G4 to give a nice slide show of the project (presentation) to ur clients, wearing ur armani black suit...everything else...u just pull ur t.shirt in and work during the week in ur smelly appment with ur PC rippin' the shit out of 3d, acad, and everything u must need to make a nice presentation for ur G4 :-) (yes PC r u gly, but u can't marry ur PC or ur G4)...peace

Aug 11, 04 6:31 pm  · 
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mauOne™

the MAC vs. PC discussion should go down in the archives of the 20-21 century as the most controversial discussion in the history of humanity.

Aug 11, 04 6:44 pm  · 
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MADianito

lol....that and any political issues arguement in family gatherings

Aug 11, 04 6:53 pm  · 
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more like the most annoying discussion in the history of humanity...

Aug 11, 04 7:41 pm  · 
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Francisco David Boira

...but still none of you (exept perhaps MAD) tries to address my question about MACs.
*Please refer above. I am honestly very interested in a useful answer.
thanks guys,

Aug 11, 04 8:39 pm  · 
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Ormolu

Francisco: sometimes the softwares differ signifcantly between the two platforms. For instance, with FormZ, the Mac version has a lot more color options - CMYK picker, Crayon Color picker, HLS, HTML, RGB, etc. The PC version has only the typical Windows-style color wheel (at least this is true up to 3.9.5) - so there is less control over the rendering results. There are other differences in various other softwares, usually with similar color and output options.

Aug 11, 04 9:25 pm  · 
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mauOne™

to address the question, i see no important difference;
where i work there's this guy in the comunications department that has sold his soul to the devil for a G5, and he seems the happiest in the world, he works mostly on that with freehand, premiere and photoshop, and he does wonderful things.........on the other hand i have a great PC, the one i asked for....and i do mostly 2d ACAD and 3d MAX, but i also work with freehand, premiere, and photoshop among many more others (many more than the guy with the G5), and i can produce as much, as fast and as good as he does, but he's happy with his thing and im happy with mine.


i think the differences are ony on numbers and on "paper", benchmarks as they call them, and those differences matter to those people who are interested in the benchmark competition (other kind of geeks), to my kind of geek, those numbers are irrelevant, i am interested in the final product, and there i see no difference but what the talent can do.

there ya have it; i've participated in the most controversial discussion in the history of humanity :O)

Aug 11, 04 10:45 pm  · 
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Francisco David Boira

Thanks guys...these are the kind of responses I was looking forward to read.
Very helpful.

Aug 12, 04 8:19 am  · 
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MADianito

lol

Aug 12, 04 1:00 pm  · 
 · 

actually, one the the many reason mac performs better in graphics software is the color issue. mac uses colorsync that works very well when matching color on screen and paper, without expensive hardware. then of course there's the productivity and benchmark tests etc....

Aug 12, 04 3:40 pm  · 
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sanofiSYN

Virtual PC-

Like a lot of others on this thread, I've always been a PC user and so am very accustomed to it, plus you can run almost any software. However, I prefer the Mac Powerbook design better and it's very powerful without weighing 10lbs or too thick, so it'd be easier to tote around. What I'd like to know is if using Virtual PC gives you all the advantages of a PC - run any software (even non-MAC versions), allow easy file transfer from PC to MAC, and so forth. Is it really as simple as being a PC inside the body of a MAC? Or otherwise? Also, how's stability?

Aug 12, 04 9:59 pm  · 
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David Zeibin

I haven't been running it a lot, but yeah, it's basically like having a PC inside your Mac. The first time you run full screen mode will kinda give you the creeps. On OSX, you can transfer files fairly easily between the two systems using your Public folder in your home folder. This automatically mounts when you boot VPC.

I think stability is, well, as good as the version of Windows you're using is. The main trade-off is speed. It can be damned slow. I've had reasonably decent performance on a Dual G4 867. I'm sure the G5's would smoke that, though, when VPC version 7 comes out...

And to note, Win2K Pro ought to be faster than XP on VPC, especially if your video card ain't super rad.

Aug 12, 04 10:28 pm  · 
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sanofiSYN

Zeiblin-

Do you know when the new VPC version is supposed to be due out?
I'm leaning heavily on getting a MAC then, but how slow are we talking about? Annoyingly so?

Aug 12, 04 10:40 pm  · 
 · 

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