Autocad vs Sketchup? Which one is easier to use?

Autocad & SketchUp have their own pros and cons in their respective areas. Both are considered to be easy by the individuals who work within their intended uses. So first, let’s give you all a clear picture on these softwares. Autocad is used as a 2D drafting environment tool whereas SketchUp isn’t much of a 2D tool. SketchUp is a very effective 3D modeling tool for people who are into designing and operate buildings.

Both the softwares have their own advantages and people find them easier according to their accessibility. Autocad includes a good collection of 3D modeling tools while SketchUp is easier to learn and use for a long period of time. Now let’s look at some points which make the difference,

Price

Sketch is comparatively inexpensive to Autocad and has modeling programs that are easy to use. It is to be noted that Google also has a free version of SketchUp which contains all essential design tools. On the other hand, Autocad is considered to be expensive, compared to SketchUp.  

Rendering

Autocad should be preferred over Sketchup if the need to produce photorealistic images arises. Autocad’s rendering engine can simulate shadows, a wide variety of lighting scenarios and many other facets of optical phenomena from the real world whereas Sketchup renderings project shadows and presentation- quality graphics.

Surfaces

SketchUp does not allow the users to create NURBS surfaces but Autocad does. NURBS surfaces are very smoother than the surfaces composed of polygons. These can be used to model organic, natural forms, such as flora and fauna and other objects that are of the straight lines. Modeling with NURBS involves posting control points in 3D space, and adjusting tangent handles of those points.

Ease

Autocad is a very flexible program when compared to SketchUp and the toolset that it comprises is so large that it has multiple workspaces, including those for 3D modeling and basic drafting projects. But SketchUp is the program to get if you need to create designs quickly and use it with ease. The Inference Engine in SketchUp makes it easy to use as it guesses what you’re trying to design based on your mouse movements.This feature guesses what you’re trying to design based on your mouse movements and is highly accurate. By contrast, AutoCAD requires you to explicitly indicate the axis of rotation by clicking an axis.

File Formats

Sketchup is easy to import whereas Autocad is quite fussy. The program will only load the designs made with Autocad but Sketchup’s characteristics to load even Autocad files makes it unique.

On the whole, This blog could give you an exact scene on what is better and easier to use. Though both have amazing features, SketchUp could just take the lead just because of the easy approach. We at Spaceterior, also stress on the importance of software and tools for Interior Design to make your life easier.