Every once in a while I read something that makes me turn my head. Last week it was an article written by a major CAD Magazine – and re-posted multiple time on the various Autodesk websites – espousing the virtues of AutoCAD® (and LT) and rejecting low cost alternatives. I understand the “why” it was written. I just disagree with the thought process. In my opinion, Autodesk is on the forefront of innovation. I may not like their pricing strategies but it’s hard to argue that they do not invest those dollars into making new and exciting products. The question companies and ultimately the people that work for them have to ask is whether those investments are beneficial to them? Are the dollars being invested back into AutoCAD® (and LT) or are they funding different areas of development with those extra dollars? On one hand Autodesk wants us to purchase AutoCAD® and AutoCAD LT® as if it were a commodity – just order it online like a a printer cartridge – and on the other hand they want a premium price for the product.
The crux of the article was 5 reasons to not move away from AutoCAD® because it “makes better sense technically, organizationally, and financially than the competitor alternatives…”
I was wondering if the author ever had to make payroll…or did any contracting work…or had to make a project come in under budget…or or or…
Anyhow, I have some alternative ideas regarding the authors 5 points as follows:
Top Five Reasons for Purchasing Low-Cost CAD Software
Point 1: “Does the CAD software have a consistent command vocabulary?”
AutoCAD® does have the lion’s share of the marketplace with millions of seats and that makes their Command Vocabulary the “defacto” standard. That said, the low-cost CAD alternatives in the marketplace know this when they enter market. Whether it’s BricsCAD® or another low cost alternative, they know the barrier to entry is that users must feel familiar. In fact, they need to be so comfortable that “change” becomes a non-issue!
Having been in the software industry for quite some time, I can tell you that change is tough. Personally, I hate it. Learning a new piece of software takes time and energy. However, CAD software is a commodity. The time it takes to learn BricsCAD® for 2D drafting is non-existent because it is a drop-in replacement.
The following are the “Additional diagnostic questions” posed by the author that were not explored but implied:
“How much will that extra support time cost your organization?”
As an owner of many AutoCAD® licenses, I can tell you with much certainty that the main support mechanism for AutoCAD Support is as follows:
- Public User Forums
- YouTube Videos
- Service Pack 1 of any new version
In my opinion, Companies like Bricsys realized that Autodesk has all but abandoned support of AutoCAD® and AutoCAD LT® for everyone except those who hold very large seat counts. That’s why they offer an Annual Maintenance Subscription that still offers SUPPORT direct and through their dealer channel! In the past, Annual Maintenance was called UMS – Update, Maintenance and Support. Most companies have reduced this to Updates (new versions) and Maintenance (service packs).
“How much time could you save if all your users utilized the industry standard AutoCAD® command vocabulary?”
Take BricsCAD® for a test drive. You will quickly realize this is not an issue. If something is missing or you want an exact translation to the AutoCAD functionality then the BricsCAD® for AutoCAD® Users is a an excellent source of information and updated yearly!
Point 2: “Does the software support high productivity work methods?”
Autodesk invested countless dollars in the early years to produce an outstanding product. The Sheet Set Manager, Custom User Interface (CUI) Files, Tool Palettes, Content Explorer and Dynamic Blocks are all performance and productivity improvements on basic CAD.
Most of the features are an exact duplicate or enhanced for additional performance improvements. Don’t misunderstand, BricsCAD® is not an exact CAD duplicate – but it comes pretty close! For example, they have yet to fully implemented dynamic blocks but they can read and edit them. But, they have implemented most of the AutoCAD® productivity enhancements over generic CAD as well as additional productivity enhancements not included in AutoCAD® (or LT).
Take a look here for a detailed comparison of features and take a look here for an in-depth review of features.
All said and done, the cost saving will be huge and the learning curves will be minimal as your users will be up and running in no time leveraging the same drawing practices and cad standards you have always used in the past!
The following are the “Additional diagnostic questions” posed by the author that were not explored but implied:
“What would it cost to create workaround methods for these commonly used techniques in another program?”
This question caught me off guard as (over-the-years) we continually have to implement “workarounds” until AutoCAD Service Pack 1 is released. I’ll leave it at that!
“How much would it cost to deploy those solutions?”
Minimal or less than the new desktop subscription licensing being implemented by Autodesk.
“What would it cost to train users to utilize them?”
Take BricsCAD® for a test drive. You will quickly realize this is not an issue. If something is missing or you want an exact translation to the AutoCAD functionality then the BricsCAD® for AutoCAD Users is a an excellent source of information and updated yearly!
“And, finally, how much productivity would you leave on the table so you could use a “free” CAD program?”
Point 3: “Does the software support TrustedDWG™ compliance and file interoperability?”
TrustedDWG™ compliance is not the only solution to a DWG file format. OpenDWG provides a well established and native DWG functionality. Used by software developers worldwide, OpenDWG provides the seamless functionality to read and write DWG files. BricsCAD® implements the OpenDWG functionality…just install the trial and open your AutoCAD® DWG’s. It becomes evident very quickly that there are no issues.
Further, BricsCAD Communicator® adds Import/Export capabilities not even found in AutoCAD®!
The following are the “Additional diagnostic questions” posed by the author:
It is highly unlikely that Autodesk will go out of business or stop supporting AutoCAD LT® next year – can you say that about your low cost/free program?
BricsCAD has been in business since 2003 and is thriving! The OpenDWG Alliance goes back even further to 1998 and is supported by well known companies such as Siemens, Bently, Intergraph, Tekla, Oracle and many others. I’m confident that BricsCAD® and the OpenDWG Alliance will be in business next year!
Point 4: “Does the software support broad import, export and overlay options?”
Take a look at our comparison page. BricsCAD® has more options. More Import/Export/Overlay functionality out of the box. Add in BricsCAD Communicator and the two products do not even compete.
The following are the “Additional diagnostic questions” posed by the author:
What would the absence of these options mean in your typical project workflows?
What could you do if you had more?
How much time might you spend finding the right drivers and conversion utilities to deal with these types of shortcomings in another program?
What could you do if you had more?
Are you willing to live with limited abilities just so you can use a “free” program?
Exactly my point!
Point 5: What does low-cost software ‘actually’ cost?
When you make up numbers on the back of an envelope, it’s hard to argue so I will not even try. The reality is no software is bug-free. Just look at the Autodesk Forums. The rule of thumb in the industry is do not move to a new version of AutoCAD® until Service Pack 1 is released. This is the reality.
At 1680/year/user for AutoCAD® in the subscription only universe of Autodesk, can you not afford to look at BricsCAD®?
At $870 for BricsCAD® Professional License including first year Updates, Maintenance and Support, you owe it to yourself and your company to at least take a look. Volume Discounts are available!
Summary
I’ve seen lots of companies go out of business because they don’t innovate and try new avenues. Change is tough. Maybe BricsCAD is a viable low-cost CAD solution…and maybe it’s not. We should never put our head in the sand given an opportunity to learn something new that could help us be more successful!
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