Using AutoCAD for renovations / interior design

[drauckman]

How do you use AutoCAD for construction?  I was watching the show Income Property and a question on the website asks which software he uses:

http://www.scottmcgillivray.com/resources/faq/

He states he uses AutoCAD, but as a AutoCAD user I am not sure how he gets the visuals he shows to clients.  As well AutoCAD does not seem like the best software for this, is it a vertical product that he actually uses?  His plans are animated using another company, which software would they use?

I can draft out a floor plan in 2D, but getting the 3D design is where all the questions are:

- Where do you find models for all the cupboards/flooring/appliances/ etc.  Do you have to draft them all from scratch?

- How do you apply paint / floor / etc textures?  Is there a library for this?

From all the searching I have done I always end up at custom software that is limited and not very detailed for doing house layouts.  Does anyone have any tips or information on how I would use AutoCAD or one of the verticals to do a room layout and then visualize it with a decent amount of realism?

[pendean]

AutoCAD Architecture or Autodesk's REVIT (not AutoCAD) are geared towards that type of work.

You can do it in plain AutoCAD too, but it takes longer and is more time consuming.

[JoAnn_Hogan]

It all depends on what you are after. The best construction package would be Revit, and rendering is not too bad in Revit. If you are really looking for an AutoCAD package, then AutoCAD Architecture would do the job. But Revit is better. If you are looking for the best of both worlds I would suggest the Building Design Suite Premium.

Here is a link where you can compare the different packages: http://www.autodesk.com/suites/building-design-suite/compare/compare-to-other-products

Hope this helps

[steve216586]

Sign up for classes at your local community college or tech school. I took a class in 2002, as part of my degree program, where we made 2D models of a home, then 3D. We could use the materials out of the box or could import and/or create others. We also learned to use lighting, backgrounds and walk-throughs. After doing it for a few classes, (that part of the class didn't take up the whole term) it became very second nature and not as cumbersome as some of the people on these forums will have you think. It is not easy to learn on your own and I think there are few who know how to use vanilla AutoCAD to achieve professional results. Some of the students' final presentations were so good you couldn't tell they were an AutoCAD drawn model.

I would also like to point out, that the gentleman you reference uses AutoCAD in the manner he does because it benefits his livelihood. He's a professional at what he does and presentations sell real estate. He does it all the time and not only for "special" projects now and then. He also has a staff working for him. I bet a few AutoCAD users. ;-D