Autocad is widely used in the industry worldwide. It is the most popular software for drafting. Though you can do 3d with autocad, the 3d stuff that can be done is pretty limited. 3D Max is a popular software for 3d modeling.

I used Archicad which can do 3d as well, though the rendering is not as good as 3D Max and also the animation for Archicad is quite 'static'. I usually do my modeling in Archicad together with drafting and then import it into 3D Max to clean up the modeling and then do the rendering and animation in 3D Max.

yuexia,

there are lots of time that i would give a simple advice not to jump the gun, and this is one of it .

autocad is actually a very simple software to use. however, it is laden with a vast amount of commands to do lots of other stuff u dont need to learn. meaning, if u dont know what u're gonna use it for, u'll waste ur time learning what u dont need to learn. to be honest, i've only used about 30% of autocad's commands to produce a drawing, and i've never used the other 70%. u'll get confused if u dunno what u're doing.

to put it simply, to learn autocad, u must know what the end product will be. start simple. architects need to draw plans according to scale. so lets start by drawing a box of 1500mm x 1500mm. so u will find commands that lets u do that, mainly (line), (othogonal on/off), (rectangle) and probably some of (extend) and (trim). even with these few commands u can already draw a plan of a house. try it. dont bother with the rest of the commands yet.

when u join the course, u will learn one software or the other. i believe all schools have integrated a portion of computer drafting into their syllabus. so u dont need to take extra classes, coz u'll learn it anyways.

like i said, dont jump the gun. it is better to learn within a context rather than just learning without purpose. autocad is not an encyclopedia that u can just memorize, u know hehe.



and yes, there are vector composition softwares used in architecture, and it is used quite a lot. i think coreldraw is not very popular anymore, unlike 5 years ago. now people use illustrator. but both serves the same purpose - to produce final presentation drawings.

to azarimy:

you have no idea how relief i am to hear someone telling me not to 'jump the gun' cos' everyone keeps asking me, 'so how are you preparing so far?' (and i usually 'er...' i think the reason they ask is because they don't know what else to talk about. haih) okay, i'll try the box thing you mention, just to know the basics. i've actually considered going to (maybe) work/help out in an archi firm, if they need someone (and my friends are all saying, 'you know, i have an uncle/auntie/cousin/etc who's an architect...maybe he/she can help you...' >_< how come everyone except me has relatives who are architects?!!) then someone gave me a veryvery appreciated piece of advice, 'if you're going to (i mean, since you planned to) work with buildings and drawings for the rest of your life, shouldnt you enjoy these last few months before moving on to that other stage of your life? cos' after these few months, i think you wont be able to stop thinking about buildings and floor plans even if you wanted to.'

plus he told me it wouldn't have worked out anyway because 1) the real architects will be too busy to teach me anything 2) i don't have any skills that they need anyway i.e. drafting skills/...(okay, i don't even now what they need...i have not the slightest idea what goes on inside an archi firm ) 3) even if they do hire me, it'll be for doing paperwork like photocopying or sending documents to other places and i wont learn anything useful for my future.

SO

to gildil:

thanks for your info. but i guess i'll just have to wait till i start reading archi and learn the softwares along with my course mates but i'll keep in mind Archicad, 3D Max and (from azarimy) illustrator.

thanks a lot!

Dept. of Architecture, KAED IIUM once again trying to get accredetation this coming 28 & 29th May 08. My batch is preparing every single thing as we're the most senior (5th Year) and we're aiming for LAM Part II while our junior for LAM Part I. Our LAM Part I just expired for current 2nd year batch...Hope that we can get the blanket accredetation for our school...for me, i have to finish my work asap as Atelier ADT already called me to report duty on 19th May as Design Architect...Alhamdulillah

yes, i totally understand what u meant.
ok, now i AM scared!
but seriously, if i work very hard n struggle n everything, i can still shine in the ID field, can't i?
am i right? am i right?
God, i'm so scared!

there are things that u could sharpen urself before joining architecture, and there are things u just have to wait till u start. vocabulary skills and exposures are some of the stuff u can start even before joining architecture. u can do this by joining an office, hanging out with relatives who're an architect or relates to architecture and so on. in architecture, u need to pick up on a lot of things using english/BM, so when i point to a window, u're gonna tell me what kind of window that is, what is it made of, how to construct it, and how to incorporate it in ur design. for example, there are lots of doors used in architecture, and u can start by differentiating between them. what is a fire door? 1-hour retainer? double hinged doors? revolvers? sliding or folding doors?

these are the stuff u can learn before u join architecture.

if an architect do make time to take u in to their office even if u just hold an SPM cert, they WILL make an effort to share their knowledge with u. u see, architects are naturally egocentric creatures. they will not pass a chance that someone would wanna try to learn something from them.

well, good luck to KAEDians, and to u also .

yes, ofcourse u can still shine. work hard, be smart, and socialize.

if you have to struggle in everything, it means that you aren't up to the standard...how can you even enjoy when you are struggling?

struggling in architecture doesnt always mean u're not up to standard. architecture adopts a different type of learning. u learn by giving out what u know, rather than absorbing what others (the teachers) know like in school. alot of people struggle in architecture. those who say they didnt are just kidding themselves .

good luck to you guys, really miss it this time since I didn't continue my Part 2 there....And congrats on your acceptance to Atelier ADT, will see a lot of elite housing project after this...



yeah, we all will be kidding if we said we don't struggle during our study times(i'm still struggling though... )....but if you enjoy the course, it will be the happiest struggle of your life...

I'm not good at drawing. I studied engineering drawing in high school and set a new record - I got 8% for the subject once, the lowest ever!

My problem was I couldn't draw fast so always couldn't finish (I think never at all) all the questions.

So, what do you architects think. Should I take architecture.



This post has been edited by rayza: May 7 2008, 05:25 PM

dude, i don't even took engineering drawing in secondary school or even Pendidikan Seni. I learnt it all from Matriculation, and yeah, i suck at it during the time. It just a matter of practicing yourself time after time to really improve....

don't worry, if you got the passion and the "balls", just go for it tiger...

Totally agree. It's very different from what you have learnt in school .
In my opinion, architecture teachers normally only help you to be clearer about what you are doing or intend to do and your ideas. They won't tell you how to do , because you are the one telling them how you are going to do . They will only give you suggestions , but it's still up to you to choose to listen or not . Even though they give you their suggestions, it's still your own "interpretation" of their sugegstions . What you have designed in your head may not be the same as what they have designed in their heads when giving suggestions. Thus , you will have to always " show" them not by talking only , but by " making(models) " or " drawing" as well . True, The process is quite " strugglling"

This post has been edited by Jia0924: May 8 2008, 04:01 AM

like katunX have said, engineering drawing is a good basis to have when u start architecture studies. however, not having them doesnt handicap u. u can pickup the drawing skills as u go along in architecture. however, it does mean u would need to take bigger strides than ur friends. u'll spend more time in the studio, developing design and producing it. alot of people mistakenly judged themselves. they think if their friends could do a project in 5 days, they assume they could to. NEVER think like that. u must be able to detach urself from the schedules of others and work at ur own time.

trust me, hardly 50% of the time spent in the studio is for design production. i remember myself either playing LAN games, pingpong, carrom or the guitar almost 70% of my time. i know how fast i could do my design. and knowing that other designers tend to follow what others do, i intentionally spend more time NOT doing work, so that everybody else would lag behind as well hehehehe....

Finally, a one week semester break is here!

But the bad news is, I would still have assignments to do; assignments that have to be completed after the break...

Today is the day for Architecturial Aptitude Test and Interview for NUS 08/09.

Hope to hear from those who attended.

I think the first thing you should learn is photoshop/illustrator. from my experience in architecture, you ARE expected to know some graphic composition skills, unless you want to do cut and paste onto boards though. and that is my friend, one of the crucial skills to compose a presentation board.

plus add some knowledge in the field of architecture, read up some books/magazines. know who the hell are le corbusier, mies van der rohe, frank lloyd wright and some contemporary ones; tadao ando, frank gehry and norman foster. and identify their styles/preference - it would help you a lot cause you can explain your design using famous architects' quotes to make your presentation much more powerful.

on the other hand, don't worry too much of learning CADs and BIMS- you will have the chance to learn them in your semester - unlike photoshop.

Mr Azari, check ur Frenster PM box. Sent u a msg there

Anyway guys, havent been logging in for a while. Currently away in Singapore doing my attachment wif RSP Architects.

it's you again dude . nvm , next 2 sem i will be making your GradDinner . nejoy !

Anyone, has a good location to buy colour markers from?
the price is kinda killing me at my area.. [Petaling Jaya]

Hmm..I always go to Win's Art at Kelana Jaya. My school develop a bond with them already so we always get special prices. You can go Melati or Melawati (not sure the actual name of the Taman) as well, in a shop called Advanco. I personally don't go there because it is too far.