Which 'CAD' software?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

My head is spinning trying to figure out the correct Autodesk software..

I am a tutor at Brighton Film School and have asked to teach a 'CAD-type' software to the art department students who mainly work on technical drawings for set design etc. They would also like to be able to turn these drawings into 3D for previz and potentially even 3D for vfx/compositing purposes. The 2D designs should be printable in industry-standard formatting.

Which Autodesk product would you recommend I should teach?

Many thanks,

PJ Palomaki

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

I see that you are visiting as a new member. Welcome to the Autodesk Community!

I believe for CAD type functionality you might consider AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT for your students. This is good general-use software that can be utilized for a wide variety of drawings and documentation. It is also capable of 3D and rendering.

You might also consider REVIT or REVIT LT  as they actually can do the 2D and 3D at the same time. Rendering can also happen in both packages.

For photo-realistic rendering, designs can be brought from any of these applications into 3DS MAX.

All of these can be downloaded as free 30-day trials so I suggest you give them a try to see which will meet your requirements.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

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@john.vellek wrote:

Hi @Anonymous,

I see that you are visiting as a new member. Welcome to the Autodesk Community!

I believe for CAD type functionality you might consider AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT for your students. This is good general-use software that can be utilized for a wide variety of drawings and documentation. It is also capable of 3D and rendering.

You might also consider REVIT or REVIT LT  as they actually can do the 2D and 3D at the same time. Rendering can also happen in both packages.

For photo-realistic rendering, designs can be brought from any of these applications into 3DS MAX.

All of these can be downloaded as free 30-day trials so I suggest you give them a try to see which will meet your requirements.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

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@john.vellek - Will you please clarify the 3D and rendering comments you made in regards to the LT products?

[Anonymous]

Excellent, thank you John. So something like Fusion 360 is more geared towards product design and not so applicable for my students? I'm also looking long term for my students, paying for CAD vs Fusion 360 (which I think I read you gat get free license as a student, teacher, non-profit and a startup of turnover less than $100K or something) is a big issue.

In terms of AutoCAD LT, isn't it only for 2D and if you want to create 3D geometry, you have to use the full AutoCAD?

Also it seems that Revit is Windows-only software, which rules it out..

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

@Anonymous is correct in pointing out that LT is only 2D. Definitely my error! My slow Internet connection on my flight made me type my response a few times and I obviously missed it in my final post. Lesson learned - Dont work while flying!

I apologize if my post was misleading, as it was not my intent at all!

If you are looking for cross-platform then AutoCAD is likely the wise choice. Be sure to check the Educational licensing options though as the software can be used for free too!

Yes, Fusion 360 is great for product design. So, the software will largely depend on what you are having them design and document.

Here is a link to product comparisons that yo might want to explore so you have a better understanding of features of each application you are considering.