Revit on Mac

[Anonymous]

Hi why dont make  mac revit architecture I think is as important as the pc

thanks

[Keith_Wilkinson]

yes, I think you are correct - this comes down to business and profits as is often the way,.

I wonder if Archicad or Vectorworks were to focus on one platform or another and put the money saved into promotion what difference it would make. As a business you have to set out your stall on what your goals are. In this game you can still vote with your feet and change what software you use, there is choice but is the alternative attractive enough and does it ultimately make your life harder just so that you can sit in front of your shiny Mac?

[Anonymous]

Well, there are particular reasons I use my Mac.

Apart from the fact that it has a much more comprehensive set of fonts for things like DTP and design, there are things like the in-built PDF support, the favourite locations and tabs in Finder, OSX Services, Spotlight, lack of viruses, lack of the abilityby our IT people to interfere with how my machine works , drag and drop support throughout the OS (send a bunch of files to a printer without opening an application for example) and all sorts of other things which make me more productive.

Then there are things like longevity, and the fact that my machine doesn't slow down simply because of accumulated crap in the Registry, the fact that I don't get registry screw-ups than can stop my machine working properly, and things like higher quality hardware. If you've used a mac laptop style keyboard and got used to the way the keys work, I suspect you won't go back to a traditional PC-style one.

I'm using a 2008 Mac Pro with dual quad core Xeons. It's still really fast and great for BIM. Over the lifespan of the machine, it has cost me less than the equivalent PCs I would have had to buy every 3 years. I'm guessing that in a couple of years I'll need an upgrade, but I think that constitutes real value.

Then there is the actual hardware design of the laptops. I use a 2013 Macbook Air at home and it's running far better than most 3 year old windows laptops. It runs like it did when it was new. Using a trackpad on a Mac is so much nicer than on most Windows laptops. Backlit keys, auto-on when you open the lid with almost instant internet connection, way better battery life. PCs are catching up, and Windows 7 and 10 are good operating systems but you don't get everything. Windows machines are built down to a cost. 

Choosing a Mac is almost like the equivalent of choosing say a Lexus or a Mercedes over a Renault a Peugeot or a VW. In terms of basic functionality they do the same, but the quality and reliability are streets ahead.

I could go on, but I'm pretty sure I bored you a long time ago 🙂

The thing it illustrates is that there are proper demonstrable and genuine benefits for me. It's not just that I like overpriced shiny, cool-looking designer kit.

Using Bootcamp for Windows apps eliminates the benefits of OSX. 

[Keith_Wilkinson]

why not just go and use Vectorworks or Archicad then? Job done.

[Anonymous]

I currently use both, but as the office IT Manager (in addition to my principal job) I have to manage Revit for our Engineers.

[Keith_Wilkinson]

Ah yes, in that respect I can understand your pain.

[ToanDN]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Well, there are particular reasons I use my Mac.

Apart from the fact that it has a much more comprehensive set of fonts for things like DTP and design, there are things like the in-built PDF support, the favourite locations and tabs in Finder, OSX Services, Spotlight, lack of viruses, lack of the abilityby our IT people to interfere with how my machine works , drag and drop support throughout the OS (send a bunch of files to a printer without opening an application for example) and all sorts of other things which make me more productive.

Then there are things like longevity, and the fact that my machine doesn't slow down simply because of accumulated crap in the Registry, the fact that I don't get registry screw-ups than can stop my machine working properly, and things like higher quality hardware. If you've used a mac laptop style keyboard and got used to the way the keys work, I suspect you won't go back to a traditional PC-style one.

I'm using a 2008 Mac Pro with dual quad core Xeons. It's still really fast and great for BIM. Over the lifespan of the machine, it has cost me less than the equivalent PCs I would have had to buy every 3 years. I'm guessing that in a couple of years I'll need an upgrade, but I think that constitutes real value.

Then there is the actual hardware design of the laptops. I use a 2013 Macbook Air at home and it's running far better than most 3 year old windows laptops. It runs like it did when it was new. Using a trackpad on a Mac is so much nicer than on most Windows laptops. Backlit keys, auto-on when you open the lid with almost instant internet connection, way better battery life. PCs are catching up, and Windows 7 and 10 are good operating systems but you don't get everything. Windows machines are built down to a cost. 

Choosing a Mac is almost like the equivalent of choosing say a Lexus or a Mercedes over a Renault a Peugeot or a VW. In terms of basic functionality they do the same, but the quality and reliability are streets ahead.

I could go on, but I'm pretty sure I bored you a long time ago 🙂

The thing it illustrates is that there are proper demonstrable and genuine benefits for me. It's not just that I like overpriced shiny, cool-looking designer kit.

Using Bootcamp for Windows apps eliminates the benefits of OSX. 

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Your post is so passionate and long that my Windows PC crashed twice before finish reading it.

[Anonymous]

Because we like Revit!  But we love our Macs.  We want to see Revit on the Mac!  The benefits of working on a Mac were clearly laid out by Architects.  

Here's some of the software I use for work.  The only remaining hole in my workflow is Autodesk Revit....  

Adobe Creative Suite - available for mac

Sketchup - available for mac

Maxwell Render - available for mac

Artlantis - available for mac

Microsoft Office - available for mac

Autodesk AutoCad - available for mac

Rapidweaver - available for mac

Archicad - available for mac

BimX - available for mac

In addition there is all of the apple software & functionality.

iCloud, iphotos, iMovie, iMessage, siri, airplay, handoff, icalendar, 

The only remaining hole in my workflow is Revit which is still after so many years NOT available for mac.  All of these other softwares are available but still not Revit.  

[Anonymous]

I agree whole heartedly, without question Mac’s have a firm foundation in design and graphics with internal architecture that works seamlessly together. I was a PC advocate for 30 years and during that 30 years I have had 35 PC’s and windows based Lap Tops. Since I made the switch, over 7 years ago, I couldn’t be more ecstatic and have only had 1 iMac, 1 Macbook pro, and 1 Mac Pro…all of them still working like new since I purchased them. In the same amount of time, if I was still using windows based PC’s then I would have had to replace them at least 3 times, costing me more then the Apple products, not to mention down time and loss of projects. During these past 7 years, I have had no viruses, no malware, or blue screens or down time in design and production…just non-stop performance. You would think that Autodesk would desire their premier software to run on technology that makes it function better, is more reliable and on hardware that isn’t problematic….even if the market is smaller.

[CADmonkey_UK_Building_Services]

OK I'll bite.

Revit on a Mac will be like Acad on a mac - ie the bare bones of the product just to say "we did it". But it won't happen because there's no value in doing it. If you are an architect and you only have one computer, it needs to run windows. The hardware is irrelevant (being kind here - I'll ignore the one-button mice) because it's all the same these days anyway.

Macs will never take over the Construction Industry, because the rest of the industry runs on PCs. Architects are just one cog in a big machine.

Apart from the fact that it has a much more comprehensive set of fonts for things like DTP and design,  - Architects don't work in the Design industry, they work in the Construction industry. (You know, the one with all the ugly men in big boots and sweaty engineers. It's not all colour swatches and feature lighting.) Save your DTP skills for marketing.

in-built PDF support  I've been creating and plotting PDFs since Autocad on Windows 95. No Acrobat required.

lack of viruses,  - Never had a virus in 20 years, always had protection. Macs aren't immune, there just aren't enough of them. Careful what you wish for.

lack of the ability by our IT people to interfere with how my machine works -  I might just be jealous of this, but it's a bit childish if I'm honest, and says more about your company than general practice.

Then there are things like longevity, ...my machine doesn't slow down simply because of accumulated crap in the Registry, ... I don't get registry screw-ups than can stop my machine working properly,... - I've had my current PC for 4 years and it fully boots from cold in under 40 seconds. I reinstalled the OS (Win 7) about a year ago when I got my 480gb PCI SSD. I'm in no hurry to upgrade. Nothing slows it down.

...and things like higher quality hardware.  I've got the same LG 28" screens that the Macs have, I have a 7-button CADmouse that cost me almost a £100. The system itself is an overclocked custom build and came with a 3 year warranty (as standard). A few of the components have a 5-year warranty, the PSU has 7.

If you've used a mac laptop style keyboard and got used to the way the keys work, I suspect you won't go back to a traditional PC-style one. I've got a mechanical keyboard that weighs a ton and I hate using those dead calculator keys. RSI is something I'm trying to avoid (see also multi-button mouse)

I'm using a 2008 Mac Pro with dual quad core Xeons.  OSX is just window-dressing these days so your hardware comes from the same production line that mine does. 2x2.2Ghx eh? I've got an Intel 12-core chip clocked at 4.5Ghz.

Then there is the actual hardware design of the laptops.......Windows machines are built down to a cost. My 2009 Thinkpad W700 still runs everything when it need to. 17" 1920x1200 IPS screen, Quadro graphics, hardware colour calibrator, inbuilt Wacom tablet & stylus, 8Gb RAM, twin RAID HDD, full size keyboard, 170W PSU.

Choosing a Mac is almost like the equivalent of choosing say a Lexus or a Mercedes over a Renault a Peugeot or a VW. In terms of basic functionality they do the same, but the quality and reliability are streets ahead. My machines haven't skipped a beat since I first turned them on. And I use mine to the hilt. The PC hardly ever gets shut down.

I could go on, but I'm pretty sure I bored you a long time ago 🙂  Ditto there old chap

The thing it illustrates is that there are proper demonstrable and genuine benefits for me. It's not just that I like overpriced shiny, cool-looking designer kit. - I have no problem with that, so long as you can accept that my kit is shinier and bigger

Using Bootcamp for Windows apps eliminates the benefits of OSX.

And using Mac in the Construction industry eliminates a lot of the benefits of collaborative working.

If you need power and productivity in the construction industry, there is only one choice.

Macs had an edge years ago when they were married to the likes of Adobe but the divorce was acrimonious and long overdue.

[ToanDN]

Holly cow, did you type all that on a Mac? Because according to folks, a Windows machine would have crashed several times already.

[Keith_Wilkinson]

jeez dude, 35 PC's in 30 years... for an IT support company you must be like the goose that laid the golden egg! 😉

I've been in my current job for 3 years and the PC was here when I got here... still running absolutely fine...

[CADmonkey_UK_Building_Services]

Ha! I should have pointed out that I've had Call Of Duty running in the background for a few days too.

Holly cow? Who's she?

Have some specs:

Built by Scan/3XS Systems:

Intel i7 3960x processor overclocked by supplier

400GB Intel 750 Series PCI SSD

16gb pc1600 ram

Quadro 6000 w/6gb RAM

Silverstone TJ09 aluminium case

3DConnexion CADmouse

Logitech G710 keyboard

Asus Xonar Essence STX Sound Card

3.2 Tb assorted hard drives.

[Anonymous]

I used to work for a contractor, so I understand the construction business, and I'm not a 'sports car and pixie boots' kind of architect 🙂 but design is what some of us do. I'm an architect, not a CAD monkey.

I simply refute your view that you have to have a Windows machine for construction. Nope. It doesn't affect collaborative working at all. Not a jot. I've been working on predominantly D&B projects for best part of 15 years and I've had no issues. For BIM we have IFC, and it works well.

You may have had no problems with your Windows machines, but I've been acting as our CAD Manager in a multi-disciplinary office of 70 people for over a decade. Your experience is by no means typical!

This is not a big Windows v Mac discussion. That's not really the point, it's not really useful, and there's no end to it!

The point is that some people choose to use Macs, and for entirely justifiable reasons. I'm not dissing PCs, you run what you want to run. My points were there to head off the Mac-haters, and there are lots of them with an irrational dislike of Apple. 

I have a few applications (Microsoft Project, NBS Building and Contract Administrator) that I run inside a VM, and given the spec of my machine and the demands of that software, it's fine. For BIM it would be mental.

The focus of this thread has been Autodesk's refusal to openly tell customers that it won't build a Mac-native version of Revit. As I mentioned previously, the decision not to port it is entirely understandable, but not very customer-focussed. Their refusal to be open with customers is more problematic, and even less customer-focussed.

[CADmonkey_UK_Building_Services]

"Your experience is by no means typical!" Fair point, but then neither are Mac users experiences 'typical' by virtue of numbers.There's a lot of 'I use a Mac at Uni and I don't wanna PC' and I think it's important to be realistic when talking to students from inside the industry they're hoping to work in.

I take issue with USPs that aren't USPs at all. Mac users doggedly want Windows software and will put up with too many compromises to obtain satisfaction. What's the point? It really seems more idealogical or emotional than practical to aim or campaign for a pure 100% Mac environment. Just get a **** PC and use the same tools as everyone else without limit or compromise.

I could have got my PC for a third of what I paid for it and I'm sure it would have been fast and capable and reliable because I would have chosen all the components myself. The mistake is to trust someone like Dell or HP to supply a 'unit' (which is what Macs are).I see the appeal: very convenient and easy to support, but built to a price. My custom build cost me £150+parts and included a guaranteed overclock.

I'm sure the ideas are very popular with the Young People , but Apple=Quality and Windows=Nightmare stopped being true a long time ago. And everone love's a cheeky underdog, but that's not Apple these days is it? And it ain't cheap. To use your car analogy you're advising first-time drivers to consider nothing less than a Range Rover as the cost-effective choice.

Sometimes my PCs feel like Trigger's Broom. You have me on that.

[Anonymous]

I agree with a lot of your points actually. 

I don't necessarily agree with the issue regarding manufacturers - you ideally want a manufacturer with a great reputation for quality and customer service, but you also arguably want a manufacturer/supplier that is likely to be in business in say 3 years time.

As I recall, your machine came from Scan. Excellent company, but will they be in business for the next few years? If they are, how likely is it that they won't be taken over, and the parent company decides it doesn't give a toss about custom-built PCs, and simply decide to supply components?

There's a reason companies buy from the likes of Dell and HP. It's not necessarily the best reason, but it's a safe one. They might go the way of Gateway, but it's very doubtful, IBM are still in business, although not hardware.

The business class machines are not built down to a price in the same way as consumer machines. That's why there is a cost premium. I used to work for a large practice where the IT Manager used to get cheap machines from wherever he felt was cheapest at the time. It was dreadful, no quality and no consistency. Cheap, but false economy.

The likes of Dell and HP remove this kind of mentality from decision-making, up to a point!

Next is the idea of choosing an operating system. There is one big stumbling block at the moment to Macs in some offices, and it's a Revit-shaped one. Almost everything else is easy to overcome. In my spare time I develop rendering software. It runs on PC and Mac. It's a choice we have made. There is a probably a hit in potential profits, but it's extending our customer base and providing the best support we can.

I agree that Windows is not the disaster it used to be, but I spend far too much of my time fixing people's machines because they are full of malware. You can make them secure, but it requires some technical knowledge or at least awareness.

I agree with the notion that if you rely on using a computer for a living, it's kind of incumbent on you to understand how it works, and learn how to maintain it. It was the same with technical pens, technology has just advanced somewhat. However, the reality is that most people don't understand anti-malware and assume that because they have installed their antivirus software, it will protect them against everything for ever, without doing anything else. Windows machines absolutely need this, Macs don't. Yet.

I'm not sure I agree with the Range Rover analogy. That's taking it too far 🙂

It's a bit like like taxis. They are tools that people use to make a living, and people don't often go for the cheaper option. I see a lot more Mercedes than Dacias!

[Anonymous]

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Steve Brown
Architect
steve@designbuildllc.com
Design Build LLC | www.DesignBuildLLC.com
922 Cedar Grove Rd, Broomall, PA 19008
610-355-9876-phone │610-355-2360-fax

[ToanDN]

[Anonymous]

The problem is not "looking for mac compatible products", the problem is "why it doesn't exist as a native software", running on bootcamp is nasty...

[Anonymous]

work in progress yet??

[Zeynoun]

you know, no enough money and programmers, and this company is getting worst snd worst. I am using now archicad instead of "REVIT" , and even for 3D sketchup google is faster and better that 3DMAX after having all these render olugins because of this issue, I gave up of all Autodest excuses.. I am no more Autodesk user tho