Which CAD formats should product suppliers be investing in?

In this sixth video of the series, Matthew Duder, EBOSS, looks at the CAD formats and software architects prefer, using key data from our Specifier Insights 2020 research — a study of the behaviour and preferences of 843 architectural practitioners. This video was originally part of a bonus session of our Specified 2020 annual conference.

Revit and ArchiCAD remain the most popular software systems

ArchiCAD and Revit are neck and neck as the two most popular software systems, with 35% of those surveyed saying their practice primarily uses ArchiCAD and 34% saying they primarily use Revit.

There is a relationship between practice size, type of work and the type of software used; ArchiCAD is preferred by smaller practices and those focussed on residential work, while Revit is more likely to be the primary system for larger practices and those focussed solely on commercial projects.

Revit use is growing in smaller practices

While Revit is generally favoured by larger practices, there has been growth in the use of Revit in smaller practices over the last two years. In 2018, only 12% of those in practices with 5 or fewer employees used Revit as their primary software. That has increased to 19% in 2020.

Take a cautious approach to investing in software-specific content

DWG is by far the most popular CAD format — and can be used in both Revit and ArchiCAD models.

Practices often have their own approach to BIM content, so we’d recommend a step by step approach rather than making an upfront investment in a particular format such as Revit. Start with one or two objects and get feedback from key architectural firms to ensure you are headed in the right direction.

In our next blog post of the series, we will look at the usefulness of different digital publications and the events architects prefer to attend.

Copyright © EBOSS 2020 

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