Housing and Community Development

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Does your software vendor feel more like a partner - or a parasite? 

A decade ago, I didn't mind paying what at the time seemed a fairly high price for unfriendly but workable software.  After all, it's a necessary tool.  Back then, expensive professional tools used to last a long time.  No more it seems.  These days, software from companies like Autodesk 'expire' after a few years - meaning you can't reinstall the software if your computer crashes.  In fact, a 'subscription' (yearly fee whether you want updates or not) is now required.  To make that stick, the file format is intentionally not backward compatible.  And of course software costs continue to escalate - even as business continues to be poor.

Am I the only one shocked at $13,000 for a 'required' upgrade for 3 seats?  Buy by March: 'or else'!

Am I the only one that cringes at being asked to sign up for an annual subscription for upgrades that I don't need or want?

Am I the only one with a feeling that if a fraction of the 86,000 members of the AIA put up a fraction of what we are each spending each year on software, we could buy or develop our own tools - and control our destiny and costs? 

Fees down, costs up; upgrades forced by threats of being orphaned. 

Am I the only one with a creepy feeling that we have a parasite infesting our profession?

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Michael Malinowski AIA
AIA Director - California Region
Applied Architecture, Inc.
Sacramento CA
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You mention the "Big A," but it isn't alone in such expenses.  It seems that MS Office is "required" by all offices as well as other "must have" software suites.

Through my decades of working for other offices, I've seen these two software suites toted as "required" - only to watch as people use spaces and carriage returns in their documents instead of formatting and draw everything on one layer in one color in their CAD programs.  One office I recently worked in literally drew in one layer and even blocks were too complex for them.  They might as well have been drafting by hand on paper for the "benefits" that CAD was providing them...

When I went out on my own, software expense was a major factor.  So I looked into other offerings than the "big names" that everyone seems to require.  The amazing thing is that many of these are just as capable, easy to work with, and provide file formats that directly exchange with the "big name" programs.  Yes, there are glitches at times.  But nothing that I haven't found to be surmountable.  For one client, who was worried that my files would be an issue, I promised that as part of the project I would come in and "clean up" on my own time any drawings on their "big name" software that didn't directly translate.  When asked later on whether there were any issues with the files, he said he was more than happy with them once I had "cleaned" them.  I replied that what he was using was the direct files from my program - no cleaning at all.

I don't see that we, as architects, have to get into the software writing business.  But I do feel that we need to take a better look at the software that we are using.  Other suites out there are much more in tune with what we do as architects than the "Big A" to begin with - which I have always found somewhat clunky.

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Thomas Bank AIA
Owner/Architect
Simply Stated Architecture, P.C.
Lemoyne PA
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In spite of what the AIA would have you believe there are other software packages out there that are better and less expensive and may not be so overbearing.
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Richard Jenkins
Principal
Jenkins Architecture
Raleigh NC
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Istra Hernandez, AIA
President
Hernandez-Bauza, PSC, Architects
San Juan
Puerto Rico

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You are not alone.  

I have been asking myself the same questions you are presenting.  The business practice of trapping the User who bought and invested in training for the software and practically forcing him to pay yearly upgrades he doesn't needs or wants or else he looses all, is a questionable one.  I just want to keep my head above water and stay working with the software that serves me well.  Why somebody should prevent me from doing so?

No partner from my point of view.

I've been using the Vectorworks Designer Package for 7 years and have been very pleased with the performance of this program. VW is an object oriented program allowing for instant 3-d modeling while providing outstanding 2-d graphics for both design and construction documents. Revisions can be made in either 2 or 3-d while updating all associated drawings. In addition to architectural modeling, the program performs site modeling, rendering, lighting and BIM functions. In short, you don't need add-on packages to get you through most of your work.
The support community is extensive, both on-line and through an extensive video and print library.
The initial cost is considerably less than the industry standard software and yearly upgrades are inexpensive.
I run the program on a Mac and have had minimal problems with crashes,etc..
I was a hand drawing dinasaur for 35 years and was up and running in fairly short time.


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Vincent Oles AIA
Owner/Architect
Vincent Oles Architect AIA, llc.
Salt Lake City UT
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2012 13:22
From: Istra Hernandez
Subject: Partner or Parasite: how do you feel about your software?



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Istra Hernandez, AIA
President
Hernandez-Bauza, PSC, Architects
San Juan
Puerto Rico

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You are not alone.  

I have been asking myself the same questions you are presenting.  The business practice of trapping the User who bought and invested in training for the software and practically forcing him to pay yearly upgrades he doesn't needs or wants or else he looses all, is a questionable one.  I just want to keep my head above water and stay working with the software that serves me well.  Why somebody should prevent me from doing so?

No partner from my point of view.

These comments reflect my sentiments on the high cost of software upgrades as well.

I have been a Bentley Microstation user back since they were IBM Microstation (for the PC).

And i was on Bentley's Select (yearly maintainence agreement) for 9+/- years (since its inception), and it was doable when business was good; but when things slowed down and I needed to 'Park' one of my licenses, I was told that it was 'all or nothing' for Select on the 3 seats i had. So luckily (since I had purchased the seats earliest enough in the License Agreement that i was able to convert my seats into fixed seats (that won't expire)at the version that was current at that time (2009) and i have been working in that mode since then.

However, it is coming to the point, because other programs we have to communicate with are updating, that I am going to have to Anny-up to get back to current with Microstation, or make a change in my whole CAD software. And I was hoping someone would develop a tag-on engine for doing production docuents that would work with the great little, user-friendly 3D SketchUp software; but have seen nothing down that line yet, only weak add-ons and/or work arounds.

And going the ArchiCad direction is another consideration I have had, but I'm not convinced that they are going to be around in another decade, as for the onslaught of Revit (for who knows why) is so strong.

What am like the others, what am I missing, there has got to be a good solution for this major component that so dramatically affects the operations of each of our firms. 

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James Stergas AIA
Architects Stergas & Associates
Tequesta FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2012 13:22
From: Istra Hernandez
Subject: Partner or Parasite: how do you feel about your software?



-------------------------------------------
Istra Hernandez, AIA
President
Hernandez-Bauza, PSC, Architects
San Juan
Puerto Rico

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You are not alone.  

I have been asking myself the same questions you are presenting.  The business practice of trapping the User who bought and invested in training for the software and practically forcing him to pay yearly upgrades he doesn't needs or wants or else he looses all, is a questionable one.  I just want to keep my head above water and stay working with the software that serves me well.  Why somebody should prevent me from doing so?

No partner from my point of view.

Maybe we are all missing a beat. Maybe we should be charging our clients a subscription to our design services. A year after the project's construction, we will send them an invoice to keep their design subscription "current." Perhaps we will show up once a year, rearrange the furniture, then send another invoice the next year...


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Kenneth Parel-Sewell AIA
Principal
One World Architecture, LLC
Louisville KY
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This has been an excellent discussion topic and I've enjoyed reading about what other software programs are available. In my professional career I've used AutoCAD, Architectural Desktop, MicroStation, and Revit. I've been using Revit since version 7 and while I like it and its 3D capabilities which help communicate with clients, it is not without its problems. I'm not sure if the problems are rooted in the program itself or the operating system it is built on. Sadly, until Autodesk commits to developing the software to operate on Macs as well, we'll never know. I'm not a Mac user yet but I'd be willing to give it a try once I start earning money again. Until then....

The software industry seems to have failed in acknowledging that architecture profession is struggling and can't afford to pay their extortionate fees for new software or upgrades. The lower their sales, the more they seem to charge. Clients don't know, much less care, how much it costs you to do business. Their primary focus is often how much it's going to cost them.  

My opinion: all software regardless of price are parasites if they don't offer much or anything of value to the final product. I agree with Michael on all points. Sadly to say, I am now a hostage of the software because although I know how to draft by hand, I never did so in the professional world. I would be completely slow and unproductive when it comes to putting a construction drawing set together.

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Eric Helgoth
Jackson WY
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I have not used this software yet myself, but it appears to be a very good solution for people who need to produce CAD drawings in dwg format and is fully compatible with AutoCAD. Best of all, it's free.

http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/free-cad-software/ 

The company that makes this software also does SolidWorks, the standard program for Industrial Design.


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Scott M B Gustafson, Assoc. AIA
Principal
MAISON ORION
Los Angeles CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-29-2012 12:00
From: Eric Helgoth
Subject: Partner or Parasite: how do you feel about your software?

This has been an excellent discussion topic and I've enjoyed reading about what other software programs are available. In my professional career I've used AutoCAD, Architectural Desktop, MicroStation, and Revit. I've been using Revit since version 7 and while I like it and its 3D capabilities which help communicate with clients, it is not without its problems. I'm not sure if the problems are rooted in the program itself or the operating system it is built on. Sadly, until Autodesk commits to developing the software to operate on Macs as well, we'll never know. I'm not a Mac user yet but I'd be willing to give it a try once I start earning money again. Until then....

The software industry seems to have failed in acknowledging that architecture profession is struggling and can't afford to pay their extortionate fees for new software or upgrades. The lower their sales, the more they seem to charge. Clients don't know, much less care, how much it costs you to do business. Their primary focus is often how much it's going to cost them.  

My opinion: all software regardless of price are parasites if they don't offer much or anything of value to the final product. I agree with Michael on all points. Sadly to say, I am now a hostage of the software because although I know how to draft by hand, I never did so in the professional world. I would be completely slow and unproductive when it comes to putting a construction drawing set together.

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Eric Helgoth
Jackson WY
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