Articad design times!!!

Just out of interest really, I have had a sales lady from Articad message me to obviously sell her product. 
Can you all using Articad really produce the design visuals you put on here for a kitchen in UNDER 20 minutes?
Or is it all a bit of a set up, grouped together thing?

I can drawer the outline of a room in 2 mins
I can't plan a kitchen in 20 mins from scratch. (though that is due to design, not the CAD)
I can't get my door details, textures and lighting right in 20 mins (well maybe about 20-30 mins, just sorting those out)
I can render one good HD image in 20 mins.

Articad is quick to use, but its the details, lighting and textures that take the time to get right. then renders at 20 mins an image.


I spend an afternoon, to go from doodles on paper to 3 or 4 HD renders

mister_mitch wrote:I can drawer the outline of a room in 2 mins
I can't plan a kitchen in 20 mins from scratch. (though that is due to design, not the CAD)
I can't get my door details, textures and lighting right in 20 mins (well maybe about 20-30 mins, just sorting those out)
I can render one good HD image in 20 mins.

Articad is quick to use, but its the details, lighting and textures that take the time to get right. then renders at 20 mins an image.


I spend an afternoon, to go from doodles on paper to 3 or 4 HD renders

That is still fairly quick but like you said, it's not so much the initial put together, it's the playing around, the trying to get like a particular floor/worktop/colour etc etc etc that you have been asked to show and the dressing up.

Can do a design in 20 min but it's getting the textures and lighting which takes a bit longer then i render in the daz highest setting at 1920 x 1080 or 2560 x 1440  using render to file which can take up to 1.5 hours to render. I use hi res textures which helps to make the renders take longer. Haven't used Articad's default HD settings in about a year now! Just not good enough.

Articad has a favourite's section for quick install of saved worktop accessories, sketchup models and such and also the ability to save material settings making it quicker to apply in future designs. I have all types of settings for doors, flooring, worktops, walls and more all setup ready to be applied when needed.

Joe wrote:Can do a design in 20 min but it's getting the textures and lighting which takes a bit longer then i render in the daz highest setting at 1920 x 1080 or 2560 x 1440  using render to file which can take up to 1.5 hours to render. I use hi res textures which helps to make the renders take longer. Haven't used Articad's default HD settings in about a year now! Just not good enough.

It must have taken you a good few minutes to put all those books on the bookcase the other day:lol!:

Ha Ha just a little!

Chris A wrote:Just out of interest really, I have had a sales lady from Articad message me to obviously sell her product. 
Can you all using Articad really produce the design visuals you put on here for a kitchen in UNDER 20 minutes?
Or is it all a bit of a set up, grouped together thing?

The design can be done in 20 mins and even rendered but it won't look that good if all the defaults are used for materials and lighting.

For quality renders the render engine's materials, lighting and settings need to be pushed beyond the defaults. Our hardware also has a major factor on editing and render time.

HAve you had a demo yet of Autokitchen's latest software?..... It does have the option to use proper GI with 3D Studiomax's render engine but as yet I have not seen any real examples of it being used either by users or in the product promo renders. They seem to keep showing it with point lights which are not always set into a physical light source and with GI point lights should for most of the time be switched off.

To me they seem not to want to show it due to how long it can take to perform a render...like overnight...

Sometimes I do not mind leaving my machine running so long as it's worth the wait..

... We only have one chance to make a first impression to a customer is how I look at it.... being the first to deliver a design is not always the best thing...

Darrel wrote:

Chris A wrote:Just out of interest really, I have had a sales lady from Articad message me to obviously sell her product. 
Can you all using Articad really produce the design visuals you put on here for a kitchen in UNDER 20 minutes?
Or is it all a bit of a set up, grouped together thing?

The design can be done in 20 mins and even rendered but it won't look that good if all the defaults are used for materials and lighting.

For quality renders the render engine's materials, lighting and settings need to be pushed beyond the defaults. Our hardware also has a major factor on editing and render time.

HAve you had a demo yet of Autokitchen's latest software?..... It does have the option to use proper GI with 3D Studiomax's render engine but as yet I have not seen any real examples of it being used either by users or in the product promo renders. They seem to keep showing it with point lights which are not always set into a physical light source and with GI point lights should for most of the time be switched off.

To me they seem not to want to show it due to how long it can take to perform a render...like overnight...

Sometimes I do not mind leaving my machine running so long as it's worth the wait..

... We only have one chance to make a first impression to a customer is how I look at it.... being the first to deliver a design is not always the best thing...

That's what I was thinking about the 20 minutes thing.
I haven't tried or seen the latest version  hope too sooner than later. I would hope they aren't trying to hide how it takes so long but interesting thought.
Am I the only one that feels nervous pressing the render button when it is going to take a while just incase something has been overlooked

Twenty minutes on the design and then about four days trying to get the damn floor just right!

Chris A wrote:That's what I was thinking about the 20 minutes thing.
I haven't tried or seen the latest version  hope too sooner than later. I would hope they aren't trying to hide how it takes so long but interesting thought.
Am I the only one that feels nervous pressing the render button when it is going to take a while just incase something has been overlooked

I never do...
.... I do small preview renders usually by making the GUI of the program (either TurboCAD or ArtiCAD) smaller so it takes a fraction of the time for a proper one but keeping the same aspect ratio the same for the final render size so the Tone Mapping does not get affected with different dimensions.

Mingerz wrote:Twenty minutes on the design and then about four days trying to get the damn floor just right!

I feel your pain

I'd like to offer my opinion here too Chris.  As much as the software has the ability to get pretty good renders 'in the end' unfortunately the settings/tweaks are very much user lead.  The level of understanding you need to get the results like Daz, Joe, Jayne and Mitch (not necessarily in that order ) achieve is pretty high.  The area which really lets the software down are the availability of architecture items. I'm not saying this isn't the same for other software but its an area which isn't right just glares at you.  I simply don't buy in to the method of using a Sketchup door or window and putting it in place.  This task would take longer than drawing the room up in the first place on most occasions.  Considering the available selection you have at your disposal at the moment I think you would be terribly disappointed.

Minch wrote:I'd like to offer my opinion here too Chris.  As much as the software has the ability to get pretty good renders 'in the end' unfortunately the settings/tweaks are very much user lead.  The level of understanding you need to get the results like Daz, Joe, Jayne and Mitch (not necessarily in that order ) achieve is pretty high.  The area which really lets the software down are the availability of architecture items. I'm not saying this isn't the same for other software but its an area which isn't right just glares at you.  I simply don't buy in to the method of using a Sketchup door or window and putting it in place.  This task would take longer than drawing the room up in the first place on most occasions.  Considering the available selection you have at your disposal at the moment I think you would be terribly disappointed.

Hi Minch, Thank's for your input.

I think I did know the answer to the salesladies claims, pretty much what everyone on here are saying, you know when you have that 1% niggle in your mind that others are on a better option and you must be doing something wrong.  As you have also said, there are good things and not so good things in all the softwares.
It can be a bit of a pain when you want to do the very best in your field hey!!!

Over the years I have used a few CAD software packages and ArtiCAD still offers the best renders in my opinion. It does take time for the extra tweaks but it does not have to. Many of on here have OCD and want all our images to be as good as possible but with a little practice, there is no reason you cant get a functional image rendered in this time on an average sized kitchen. With the arrival of V21 things should be far easier and quicker.
My main issue with ArtiCad is their lack of communication and updates.  It is so frustrating getting an update but have no idea what is new in the update. All other companies I have used issue I newsletter explaining what has changed and the reason.

Stumpy wrote:Over the years I have used a few CAD software packages and ArtiCAD still offers the best renders in my opinion. It does take time for the extra tweaks but it does not have to. Many of on here have OCD and want all our images to be as good as possible but with a little practice, there is no reason you cant get a functional image rendered in this time on an average sized kitchen. With the arrival of V21 things should be far easier and quicker.
My main issue with ArtiCad is their lack of communication and updates.  It is so frustrating getting an update but have no idea what is new in the update. All other companies I have used issue I newsletter explaining what has changed and the reason.

I think pretty much anybody else who writes  software has a "Change log" when they release patches or new versions.

They definitely have persistent salespeople, after the other weeks conversation where I said I will get in-touch if I ever needed to, still more messages.......

I will try not to take is personally about my renders   

Whos this from Chris? Your local area manager? What do you currently use? Articad certainly has the edge in terms of visuals and since your company is all about selling the visuals and the "look" I think at least allowing them to demo to you is worthwhile.

Jaynehiddleston wrote:Whos this from Chris? Your local area manager? What do you currently use? Articad certainly has the edge in terms of visuals and since your company is all about selling the visuals and the "look" I think at least allowing them to demo to you is worthwhile.

Hi Jayne,

Presume she covers this area from Articad. At this stage I'm not providing enough for any upgrading with any softwares so don't want to waste anyone's time.

Once that salesman's got his foot in the door it's a Welcome to the Articad fold Chris!

Go for it! Just make sure it's V21 they show you as I'm told that the inframe capability should be comparable with Autokitchen.

How can they say "in half the time"?. For a start is not always about speed and learning a new piece of software take time to learn. I guess it does not hurt to have a demo but the fact of you not wanting to waste someone's time is always harder to say no when they are physically with you.

One argument you clearly have is that you have not even had a demo of the new version of Autokitchen and like anything if we have the funds we generally look at upgrading the software we already own and are familiar with.

All very valid points. I'm just off down the garden to have another look for that money tree so I can have one of each and be in Visuals heaven



Does everyone else, buy then yearly subscription fee or lease/rent their packages? (or my option of buy then not have subscriptions/upgrades)   

No support then no upgrades or catalogue downloads with Articad! When i bought it i traded training for support! At the min it's support and still no v21 upgrade! Any day now! Maybe! Could be!   Only joking Articad I'm Sure it will be this month...... please!!!

buy it. but dont pay list price.

Articad are like double glazing sales - list price, discount price, show specials - I don't think i know of two people who have paid the same for it