Top 3D architecture software. Best architecture software programs in 2025

Introduction

While architecture is an ancient job, it has been chiefly dominated by written and drawn documents. Fortunately, technological evolution has overthrown work with pen and paper, and the entire range of architecture-related documents can now be created and modified digitally.

Since architectural development is a fairly complicated process that encompasses multiple different stages of modeling, there are a massive number of software solutions available on the market for different purposes and end goals. As such, choosing the correct one is a burden for a lot of people.

Luckily enough, we’ve prepared a list of the top 35 3D architecture-related software applications that covers many different branches and subdisciplines of architecture.

Benefits of architecture software

Architectural design software has made a major contribution to the transformation of the entire sphere in recent years, allowing bigger, better, and more detailed projects to be created and managed with ease. Here are some of the more prominent benefits of architectural software:

• Higher drawing accuracy compared to traditional drawing methods
• Ability to create and replicate 3D drawings with relative ease
• Easier data sharing and greatly simplified data usage
• Drawings are significantly harder to damage or destroy when they are in digital form
• Digitalization offers greater accessibility, and the data storage process is less complicated

At the same time, it would be fair to mention several issues with architectural software as a technology, and most of these issues are also borderline impossible to fix, so all anyone can do is get used to them:

• High purchase/maintenance costs for the software itself
• Many of the disadvantages of computers, such as susceptibility to virus attacks and hacks, as well as general issues such as software instability, hardware crashes, etc.
• Architectural software is often rather hard to learn and get used to

CAD software has been a massive help for architects all over the world, offering its users many benefits, including easier communication, better collaboration between architects and other project participants, faster and more efficient drawing in general, and better presentation of the future results to clients.

BIM and CAD

One important matter that needs to be remembered before choosing is the difference between BIM and CAD, since BIM and CAD solutions make up the majority of our software list. While CAD solutions are used to create accurate representations of ideas and designs of detailed 3D models and renderings, BIM is used to fill these models with various information, such as information about HVAC, wiring, plumbing, material costs, and so on.

BIM is often a connection between the construction process and CAD, since it makes the most of the accuracy of computer-aided design and applies it to real-life dimensions and specifications.

BIM can perform a multitude of functions that are not necessarily related to architecture as well. Another way to understand BIM is to look at it as a workflow that helps teams with project visualization and as an issue-solving solution, to a degree.

Now that the introduction is over and done with, it’s time to move on to another topic: choosing the correct architectural software for your specific situation.

How do I choose the best architectural software?

The process of figuring out the specific software solution for your needs can be problematic, since the market for this kind of software is massive, and it is rather difficult to predict which features you will need in your future work as an architect. The choice of software is often one of an architect’s first major decisions.

At the same time, it is important not to be lured in by the software with the most reviews or the most positive rating in general, since it may lack certain features that only you need in your work, or it may simply be a solution that is too expensive for you to maintain payments for.

There are several different factors you must remember when choosing a particular architectural solution, and each of these involves two or more questions you must ask yourself to figure out your final choice. In the list below, we present seven different factors:

Industry standards

Of course, one of the biggest deciding factors is the software that other experts in the field are using. This also includes what is popular in your specific region or your study environment, what is popular with large enterprises, and what software is currently in high demand.

Another interesting point that must be clarified here is the level of support and explanation available for a particular solution. It is not unusual for very popular software to have little or no educational material available, so this question is something that every potential client must research beforehand.

Personal preference

Your past experience with specific software can also be a large deciding factor, especially if you have already found a piece of software that you are comfortable working with. This statement also works in another way: maybe your current solution has certain features or design choices that you do not want in architectural software.

It is borderline necessary for a company in need of architectural software (or any other enterprise-level software, for that matter) to figure out what they want the software for. An overall wealth of features may be useless to you if the solution is not suitable for your specific use case. Here are a few examples of questions that may help in figuring out what you may need from an architectural solution:

• What problem do you want to solve with the software? Is there a solution you are currently using for the same purpose? What are the specific problems of that solution?
• How much cooperation is necessary for this particular task? Do you have to communicate with other team members on a regular basis or is it optional?
• What is your own profession or occupation? What area of the architectural industry are you working in? Are you working on a team or as an individual?

Difficulty of working with software

It is normal for architectural software to be rather sophisticated and difficult to learn from the get-go, though there are a few examples of software that is relatively easy to get into. Software such as SketchUp can be rather simple for beginners and provides enough information for the user to be ready for some of the more complicated architectural platforms.

It is important to remember that simplicity does not equal lack of quality. This statement applies to plenty of industries, including the architectural software industry. However, it is useful to have a clear understanding of your own skills in terms of architectural software when choosing a software solution, so that there are no additional inconveniences with your future software based solely on it being too difficult for you to work with.

Current hardware

Another common variable for architectural computer programs is their demand for powerful hardware. It is strongly recommended to learn the software’s recommended specifications before purchasing it, since architectural programs tend to be extremely demanding on this front.

This is also where you may arrive at the important choice between on-site software and cloud-based solutions. The former is usually more versatile and offers more features on average, but it is also completely dependent on the performance of your current hardware. The latter is often not as feature-rich, but compensates for this by being more versatile and costing less up-front (there is no need to purchase expensive hardware).

There is also the problem of “perpetual licenses” that often result in users purchasing subscriptions anyway (to receive customer support and regular feature updates). This tactic is far from consumer-friendly, but there are many solutions that do so anyway, especially when it comes to enterprise-level software.

Capabilities of software

The architectural design software market is extremely large, including many different variations of software, different features, and so on. It can be a tool used mainly to create concepts, it can be used for actual designs, it can have presentation capabilities, it can have the ability to render actual objects, and so on. These parameters are just examples of many different sides of architectural software, and the topic must be thoroughly inspected before committing to actual software purchases.

A good way to approach this issue is to separate all of the features that you want from an architecture solution into two categories: “nice to have” and “must have.” This will give you much more understanding of the specific features you should look for and what is not strictly necessary for day-to-day work and not worth investing in. Reviewing the capabilities of your current architectural software may also reveal some of the features you are looking for.

Price of the software

It is important to remember that while the market for architectural software programs has both paid and free products, this does not mean that paid products are always better than free ones. Additionally, the price of architectural software does not always directly correlate with the quality or versatility of the software.

There are also plenty of solutions that offer tiered pricing of sorts and hide certain features behind a higher paywall than the standard package. As such, thorough research on this issue is highly recommended.

Compatibility of software

Since the market is rather large, compatibility should be one of the biggest deciding factors for any architect. Architects rarely work independently, and many projects involve collaboration between different architects and other professionals in the field.

Compatibility is therefore extremely important when choosing architectural software, since your software will be a detriment to the efficiency of the whole project if it lacks compatibility options. This is why we are presenting our massive list of the best architectural computer programs, adding a detailed explanation of each application’s capabilities.

Methodology for choosing best 3D architectural software

The market for architectural software is vast, diverse, and highly competitive, making it a daunting task to select the best solution for a particular company’s needs. This article aims to mitigate the problem to a certain degree by presenting a selection of respectable architectural tools and solutions while explaining the methodology behind our choices.

Customer rating

Customer ratings provide an overall view of public opinion on a product. In this case, we are talking about BIM software, of which there are different options available. Gathering customer ratings from resources like G2, TrustRadius, and Capterra is a quick and easy way to showcase average public opinion of a particular solution.

Capterra is a platform that aggregates reviews and makes sure that the authenticity of the reviews is maintained by conducting various thorough checks on all users. The platform does not remove any customer reviews at the request of the product. There are currently over 2 million registered reviews on Capterra across a thousand different categories.

TrustRadius is a review platform that guarantees the authenticity of each review through extensive multistep processes. The platform also has an in-house research team to ensure that the reviews are informative and useful. It is important to note that vendors cannot edit or delete customer reviews on TrustRadius.

G2 is a reputable review platform with a vast selection of 100,000+ vendors to choose from. It has accumulated more than 2.4 million verified user reviews and employs a built-in review validation system that ensures the authenticity of every review. G2 also provides a range of other services including tracking, investment, and marketing, if needed.

Key features, benefits, and shortcomings

Listing the key features of a solution along with their advantages and disadvantages can be quite challenging. Moreover, the term “architectural software” covers various types of software which each have unique purposes and sets of features. However, there are certain features that are considered basic enough to be present in most examples of the software:

• Modeling and visualization allow for the creation of digital representations of buildings and landscapes, enabling the visualization of designs from different perspectives. 2D drafting tools can assist in creating detailed plans and sections.
• Collaboration and communication features enable architects, engineers, and other stakeholders to work together effectively. Shared models, markups, and version control ensure everyone is on the same page, and design changes can be communicated with ease.
• Building information modeling (BIM) integrates the various aspects of a building into a single, intelligent model, including materials, costs, schedules, and sustainability. This allows for a more holistic approach to design and construction.
• Architectural software integrates building codes and regulations to ensure that designs adhere to the relevant standards, avoiding costly rework and delays during construction.
• Seamless data exchange between different software programs is essential for architects who work with a variety of tools, from structural analysis to energy simulations. This type of interoperability streamlines the efficiency of workflow by eliminating the need for manual data entry.

Pricing

The cost of software is a crucial factor that directly influences a customer’s decision to purchase a solution or not. There are various examples of architectural solutions that are relatively expensive and offer different sets of features. This issue can be subjective and depends on the individual case. Our pricing information includes the features provided at each pricing tier (when possible), which enables customers to compare the cost of a solution with its set of features.

Documentation and customer support capabilities

Both documentation and customer support are important when it comes to choosing and describing architectural software. The former provides an overview of how easy it is to find information about a specific feature or capability, while the latter covers the speed and efficiency of problem solving from the customer’s standpoint. It is important to go over these parameters when describing software, in general, since these areas are both often overlooked and do not get enough attention as it is, especially considering how much damage poor documentation or ineffective customer support can bring to the end user.

Personal opinion of the author

This issue may vary from one example to another, offering a short overview of the application, some interesting fact that has not yet been mentioned, or something else entirely. The main goal of this category is to present the author’s opinion on the subject as an additional, more subjective point of view on the product.

To simplify the navigation to a certain degree, we separate our list of recommendations based on several important factors, including the price and the target industry. Our first and biggest group by far includes examples of paid 3D architecture software.

Best 3D modeling software

3DS Max

3D Studio Max (or 3DS Max) is another example of the CAD software developed and provided by Autodesk. While it is true that 3DS Max has several similarities with AutoCAD, the former is more common in the video games industry thanks to its pre-visualization capabilities. Additionally, the software is great for general architectural needs, and its popularity makes it easy to find helpful courses online that teach how to use the software for free.

3DS Max excels in handling complex lighting scenarios and detailed scenes, making it an outlier in an already saturated visualization industry. It provides an extensive modeling toolset and advanced rendering capabilities with robust animation. We should also mention that the existing integration capabilities of 3DS Max with other Autodesk products are also improved upon by an extensive plugin ecosystem, offering a lot of freedom in terms of how many unique architectural situations it can assist with.

Software’s contribution to the design segment of the AEC industry:

Late design development is the most noteworthy stage for 3DS Max in the design phase, as well as any other project stage that relies on either high-quality visuals or animation. The primary purpose of these features is to communicate design intent, which works best with complete or late-stage designs rather than early design concepts.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.6/5 stars based on 102 customer reviews
• TrustRadius – 8.1/10 stars based on 36 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.3/5 stars based on 278 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Easy collaboration and integration between disciplines
• Plenty of useful features such as 2D pan zoom snap or 3D animation capabilities
• Great rendering quality

Shortcomings:

• Keeping up with price changes is a challenge
• High hardware requirements and large size of the software itself
• Long rendering times

Pricing:

• 3DS Max offers two different pricing approaches.
• The first is a basic subscription that can be paid for on a monthly basis, yearly basis, or every three years:
  • $235 per month
  • $1,875 per year
  • $5,625 per three years
• The second involves accessing 3DS Max as a part of the Autodesk Flex program, a “pay-as-you-go” option that offers a daily price in tokens for a number of Autodesk services. 3DS Max’s Flex cost is 6 tokens per day, and there are at least two token bundles available for purchase:
  • 100 tokens for $300
  • 500 tokens for $1500
  • It is also possible to purchase custom amounts of tokens, depending on the needs of the company, and the tokens themselves have an expiration period of 1 year after the purchase.

Complexity, target audience, compatibility, and integration:

• Similar to most Autodesk products, 3DS Max has a reputation for being a challenging solution with a massive feature set. As such, it can be recommended to advanced users, but anyone with a weaker knowledge base would most likely struggle with it for a while.
• 3DS Max targets primarily middle-sized and large businesses, depending on the nature of the project.
• It works with its own proprietary MAX format while also supporting a standard selection of importable and exportable formats, including DWG, FBX, OBJ,  DWF, and so on.
• It can be integrated with many 3D visualization tools and plugins such as Corona, V-Ray, Arnold, and more.

Documentation and customer support capabilities:

• Like Autodesk products, customer support for 3DS Max is managed using a centralized customer success portal. It allows for emails, phone calls, and online tickets to be used to contact the customer support team, and active Autodesk Subscription users can also use the live chat.
• The customer success portal also provides convenient access to a variety of learning materials about 3DS Max, including tutorials, FAQs, articles, videos, user guides, and a separate Autodesk Learning platform.

Customer reviews (original spelling):

• Roldan A. – “It was a good experience. 3DS Max was the very first software I have used. During that time there is not much tutorial found in YouTube, so I have to figure out things on my own. But, yes, it was very much doable. Persistence is key to learning. You cannot be lazy in reading documentations. But with todays copious amount of learning videos and institutions, it shouldn’t be easy to learn 3DS Max. Persistence and time are keys to learning. It takes time and persistence as 3DS Max is not an easy software to learn.”
• Adnaan E. – “3ds Max is an incredibly powerful 3D modeling and animation software that is industry-leading. It provides users with a wide range of tools and features to help create complex 3D models and animations. While the learning curve may be a bit steep and the price tag may be a bit high, it is an excellent choice for professionals who need a powerful and feature-rich 3D modeling and animation software.”
• Lindsay W. – “I love the flexibility of 3ds Max. Whether it’s architectural or character design, this program can render great results. I currently use this program for architectural modeling, but there are many times where I enjoy the ability to custom design something very unique within the same program.”

My personal opinion on 3DS Max:

3DS Max is a 3D modeling solution from Autodesk that is supposed to be the main competitor of solutions such as Rhino. It has a highly complex rendering and animation toolset for creating extremely detailed visuals, and its modeling capabilities are some of the most detailed and customizable to date. It does take a long time to render most of its projects, and it is also extremely expensive, even by this market’s standards. All in all, it is not the best solution Autodesk provides to architects, but it is also definitely far from the worst.

CATIA

CATIA is popular software created by Dassault Systèmes to create incredibly accurate and complex models of almost anything in the world. It is widely used in many different sectors, not just architecture, but also aerospace, high tech, automotive, etc. Additionally, CATIA offers a practical collaborative environment via the cloud version of its software, and its surface quality control capabilities are practically unparallelled.

At its core, CATIA is a product development platform that is popular among automotive and aerospace development companies. It provides a comprehensive feature set that covers the entire development process from conceptual design to manufacturing, and its advanced assembly management capabilities are irreplaceable in more complex industries where there is a need to provide both complexity and precision for product models. It offers industry-specific workbenches and powerful knowledge capture features, making it a very convenient solution for complex products with strict technical requirements.

Software’s contribution to the design segment of the AEC industry:

CATIA is at its best during complex design development processes, especially in projects that have a need for sophisticated geometry or complex manufacturing requirements. It can also be used for mechanical engineering to a certain degree, with advanced surface modeling capabilities working in tandem with precise engineering features.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.6/5 stars based on 209 customer reviews
• TrustRadius – 7.7/10 stars based on 56 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.2/5 stars based on 247 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Tool with great versatility in the hands of someone who knows how to work with it
• Convenient and detailed model visualization capabilities
• Can be integrated with many other CAD/PLM tools

Shortcomings:

• It takes a long time for an average user to get used to the interface and the logic behind it
• Requires high-end hardware to work properly
• Some features seem unnecessary in the context of a CAD solution

Pricing:

• CATIA is a solution that includes many different modules and parts, and the only official way to obtain pricing information is to contact 3DEXPERIENCE’s sales team and request a personalized quotation.

Complexity, target audience, compatibility, and integration:

• CATIA provides a vast feature set with tremendous potential for expansion, but it is also challenging to get into, making it suitable only for advanced users.
• CATIA’s target audience is large companies and a small selection of medium-sized ones.
• It uses the proprietary CATProduct and CATPart data formats alongside support for importing and exporting STEP, IGES, STL, DWG, 3DXML, and other data formats.
• It can be integrated with other solutions in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, such as DELMIA, ENOVIA, SIMULIA, etc.

Documentation and customer support capabilities:

• CATIA is a creation of Dassault Systèmes and offers a relatively normal set of capabilities when it comes to customer support. There is a designated customer support portal and three different ways to contact it: email, phone call, and a ticket system.
• The website also offers a variety of information on CATIA’s capabilities, including tutorials, articles, videos, a FAQ section, and user guides.

Customer reviews (original spelling):

• Koutarou K. – “In terms of user satisfaction, much focus was made on reducing the need for rendering and animation function characteristics. The mouse cursor is used as an extra visual reason, and each function will provide simple rendering results. Changing the drop-down menu creates a stunning aesthetic, and the set animations are customizable.”
• Özgür E. – “If you’re in automotive industry and not have your own design tool; then Catia is your must to use design software. It is the most complex and capable design tool and perfect for surface modelling. Yes it is not much user friendly and hard to become an expert user; but these doesn’t enough to drop Catia V5 from number one seat…”
• Mohd Nubli B. – “Overall, as a user I have had a positive experience with the Catia software. It is a powerful and versatile CAD/CAM software used by many industries for product design and development. It is also highly customizable, so this will allow users to tailor the software to their specific needs. It also offers a variety of features and tools that make it easy to create complex designs. However, it is expensive software and can be difficult to learn and use, making it difficult for new users to get up to speed quickly.”

My personal opinion on CATIA:

CATIA is an extremely versatile architectural solution from Dassault Systèmes. It has plenty of customers in different industries, including architecture, automotive, high-tech, aerospace, and plenty of other industries. It offers plenty of integration capabilities, and provides detailed model visualization capabilities. There is even a cloud version of the software that assists with collaboration and data sharing, both of which are very basic BIM capabilities.

Solidworks

Solidworks is a comprehensive CAD toolkit that attempts to balance high complexity with ease of use. While it is more of a general 3D modeling tool, it is also useful to architects in many different ways. Another of its advantages is its price, which is relatively low for the market it operates in. It is worth noting that there is a learning curve when it comes to working with Solidworks, although the sheer number of features of the software is more than worth it for most users.

Solidworks puts significant emphasis on working with manufacturing-ready modeling while providing an extensive library of standard mechanical components. It is often considered an industry standard in product development, emphasizing mechanical engineering workflows and robust data management with a powerful collaboration toolset. Product design teams and manufacturing companies use Solidworks for many of their specialized tasks due to the accuracy of the high-precision mechanical modeling it provides.

Software’s contribution to the design segment of the AEC industry:

Solidworks shines in detailed design and engineering stages, offering precise modeling and engineering analysis for manufactured elements and objects on top of versatile 3D modeling capabilities and other features that are useful in product development or the conceptualization of building components.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.6/5 stars based on 737 customer reviews
• TrustRadius – 8.3/10 stars based on 419 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.4/5 stars based on 573 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Great for performing simulations with different material parameters
• One of the best solutions on the market when it comes to 2D/3D environment management
• Large number of different tools to work with

Shortcomings:

• Complex license management system
• Substantial demands on user hardware
• Some tools are difficult to understand or work with

Pricing:

• The Solidworks 3D CAD solution is industry-leading software presented by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. It has three different offers
  • The Standard Offer includes 3D Creator, 3DEXPERIENCE Solidworks Standard, 3DSwymer, and Collaborative Industry Innovator
  • The Professional Offer adds 3D Creator to the package and changes the version of 3DEXPERIENCE Solidworks from Standard to Professional
  • The Premium Offer also changes the version of 3DEXPERIENCE Solidworks to Simulation Designer, while also adding the Premium version of the solution
• Unfortunately, there is no public pricing for any of these offers. The only way to obtain such information is to request a quotation from the company

Complexity, target audience, compatibility, and integration:

• Solidworks is modeling software through and through, which makes it challenging to work with by default. Advanced users are the only user base to whom the software can be recommended without unnecessary confusion and an extensive training period.
• Solidworks works best with large-scale projects and businesses.
• Solidworks has its own proprietary SLDASM and SLDPRT formats, with support for IGES, DWG, STL, and STEP.
• It can be integrated with a number of manufacturing solutions, including many examples of CAM software, PDM systems, and software like CATIA.

Documentation and customer support capabilities:

• Solidworks offers an all-in-one customer portal that provides both customer support and documentation. Customer support can be reached via email, phone call, or a ticketing system, and there is also a live chat option (available only to users with active Solidworks subscriptions).
• As for documentation about the software, it can only be described as extensive. There is a separate website that contains a variety of tutorials and user guides on the subject, and the customer portal also offers plenty of articles, videos, and FAQs to work with.

Customer reviews (original spelling):

• Shubham A. – “We’re creating Robots and industrial solutions for our clients. Some models require kinematic links and joints in order to show the motion in a robot. Therefore, with the help of software, we’re almost doing 60% of our company’s work on the software and it;s generating 70% of revenue using this.”
• Renato B. – “SolidWorks was the first CAD software i ever used, in the start if you use others you are going to think that all the other are too hard to use, but as you become a experienced designer things start to become way better in other softwares.”
• Subhair S. – “I have best user experience on using solidworks. It is one of the cheapest and best solid modelling software available in the market. We use solidworks for designing machineries, conveyors and fabrication drawings. Solidworks simulation tools help us to do stress analysis with that data we can easily able to design stress carrying members.”

My personal opinion on Solidworks:

Solidworks is mostly known for its capabilities in product design and mechanical modeling. It is a sophisticated 3D CAD solution that can model and render extremely complex designs and projects, which makes it more than competent for a number of architectural tasks, especially those that revolve around sophisticated buildings and structures. It can be difficult to work with, and its licensing system leaves a lot to be desired, but the sheer capability of the complex modeling solution is enough to place Solidworks as one of the best solutions in its niche.

Rhino

While the majority of CAD applications are tailored to deal specifically with straight lines and shapes, Rhino was designed as a tool for working with curved lines from the get-go. This makes Rhino that much easier for modeling things that are unusually curved, like supercars, human faces, or intricate parts of building design. Rhino can work with complex non-straight shapes and lines in building design with surprising ease. It can also be customized to anyone’s liking with an add-in system that allows Rhino to be task-specific and somewhat customizable for specific purposes.

Rhino is a unique cross-disciplinary tool that can work in-between many industries, including product design, architecture, marine engineering, or even jewelry. It supports many file formats and is extremely versatile in terms of its modeling capabilities, and its extensive plugin ecosystem provides even more features when necessary.

Software’s contribution to the design segment of the AEC industry:

Rhino is excellent software for early conceptual design due to the highly customizable nature of its free-form modeling capabilities. It can also be used in detailed design, as well, especially when there is a need for complex geometries and precise documentation.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.6/5 stars based on 88 customer reviews
• TrustRadius – 8.7/10 stars based on 47 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.4/5 stars based on 187 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Perpetual licenses
• Relatively easy to learn
• High versatility in both 2D design and 3D modeling

Shortcomings:

• More detailed models may cause the solution to slow down drastically
• Interface as a whole looks somewhat dated
• No native rendering engine with good quality

Pricing:

• Rhino3D’s pricing model is fairly simple: a perpetual license for the software costs $995 for either Windows or Mac version, there are no maintenance fees, and both newer versions and customer support are included in the package
• It is also possible to upgrade older versions of the software for $595 per user

Complexity, target audience, compatibility, and integration:

• By the standards of CAD software, Rhino is not very difficult to pick up and start using, but it is still very challenging software to understand to its fullest, so it can be recommended only to intermediate users and above.
• Rhino is mostly used by small or medium-sized businesses (SMB), although there are definitely some examples of both individuals and large companies that have used the software at some point.
• It has a native 3DM file format and support for a massive number of other formats like OBJ, DWG, DXF, SKP, IGS, PDB, STP, X3D, SCN, etc.
• It can be directly integrated with a number of other comprehensive solutions and environments, including SketchUp, Revit, Unity, the Unreal Engine, AutoCAD, etc.

Documentation and customer support capabilities:

• Rhino’s customer support capabilities are not particularly exceptional, but they are still competent enough to be helpful. There is a designated page on the Rhino website that provides an overview of what kind of support the software offers.
• This includes a collection of ready-made articles on some of the most common issues, as well as multiple options for contacting a live member of the customer support team (depending on location). Two of the most common contact methods are phone calls and email.
• As one of the more popular CAD solutions, Rhino has an active community that helps each other in many ways. The official Rhino documentation covers context-sensitive suggestions in the software itself, as well as FAQs, videos, user guides, and articles on different topics or features.

Customer reviews (original spelling):

• Ilgaz K. – “It’s an amazing 3d Drawing app that with version 7 consists of Nodes (grasshopper) and procedural design). Rhinos render is pretty and easy to use. Overall this program is worth every penny however it needs some time and build to be worth to use it on Industrial Enginering actively(over Solidworks).”
• Deniz D. – “It’s a great experience , i’ve learnt a lot about it like how to use parametric design & merge it with industrial objects for example chairs , sneakers so far and so on . The software is wonderful thats why i keep cheering it.”
• Gal Z. – “The logic of the program and the way its organized is super helpful. Rhino allows me to create objects in multiple ways but there are too many issues that force me to switch programs constantly so as to be able to fully define my objects without errors.”

My personal opinion on Rhino:

Rhino’s main point of interest is its reliance on NURBS geometry in all of its modeling capabilities, making it possible to create extremely accurate and complex models for future use. Rhino is well-known CAD software that focuses on three main target areas: modeling, concept design, and prototyping. Architects are just one example of the professions and specialties that can take advantage of Rhino’s capabilities in their work. Unfortunately, Rhino does not have a native rendering engine, and the overall interface of the software may look dated in comparison with other solutions on the market, which may be deciding factors for some users.

Esri ArcGIS CityEngine

With two separate versions of its product for different skill levels, ArcGIS CityEngine is a powerful visualization and 3D production tool that can easily create detailed buildings with strong communities around them. This architectural planning application is great not only for architects but also for urban planners and the entertainment industry as a whole, and it is capable of rendering and sharing realistic cityscapes. These renders can help in figuring out what structures are feasible to build in the first place before the construction process begins, making it an invaluable tool for almost any project.

The software uses a unique rule-based approach to urban planning that simplifies and speeds up the generation of entire cityscapes without losing the consistency of architectural styles. This way, ArcGIS remains practically unbeatable when it comes to large-scale urban planning studies or development impact analyses. It can also easily be integrated with GIS data, and the ability to visualize different urban scenarios in a short time frame puts it leagues above most of its competitors.

Software’s contribution to the design segment of the AEC industry:

The highly specific nature of ArcGIS makes it useful only during early planning and urban design stages, especially when there is a need for large-scale analysis and major planning decisions. It also excels in procedural modeling, opening up valuable opportunities during initial urban design studies.

Customer ratings:

• Capterra – 4.6/5 stars based on 502 customer reviews
• TrustRadius – 8.4/10 stars based on 140 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.2/5 stars based on 22 customer reviews

Advantages:

• Easy city development with design and planning using highly detailed 3D models
• Speed of 2D drafting/editing is impressive and very convenient
• General versatility and flexibility of tool

Shortcomings:

• Steep learning curve with an interface that is far from intuitive
• The solution itself is relatively expensive
• Mass rendering can slow down even the most powerful systems

Pricing:

• ArcGIS CityEngine can be purchased as a single-use license, as an online subscription, or as a perpetual license with 12 months of maintenance included. Unfortunately, there is no public pricing information available for any of these options, meaning that the only option to obtain pricing information is to contact ArcGIS directly and request a personalized quotation.

Complexity, target audience, compatibility, and integration:

• ArcGIS CityEngine is a complex tool for urban planning and visualization, and its narrow specialization does make it somewhat difficult to assess its suitability for different skill levels. In most cases, these issues are handled only by the most advanced users in the industry.
• The highly specialized nature of ArcGIS makes it highly unlikely that anyone but the largest businesses or companies in the industry would be interested in its capabilities.
• It has its own native CE format while also supporting importing and exporting FBX, OBJ, DWG, DXF, etc.
• It can be integrated with a multitude of GIS solutions and visualization engines, including the parent ArcGIS solution, the Unreal Engine, and Unity.

Documentation and customer support capabilities:

• The Technical Support page on the ArcGIS website provides centralized access to multiple information sources when it comes to customer support and documentation. There are three main approaches to customer support: an online ticketing (case) system, a live chat, and phone calls (all three are subject to workday time frames and other limitations).
• The page also leads to a knowledge base provided by Esri themselves, offering a variety of articles and other materials that are educational or useful. Other documentation that Esri provides for CityEngine includes FAQs, tutorials, user guides, and even sample scripts.

Customer reviews (original spelling):

• Dave F. – “Our field crews and engineering staff couldn’t function without it. Out utilities assets with all of their attributes are on our digital maps. On it we document structures attributes, condition over time, maintenance schedules, and even hyperlink photo and video inspections to each asset. Invaluable information no further away than a click of a button, no matter where in our world that you are!”
• Noam B. – “Despite its drawbacks, ArcGIS is an incredibly powerful GIS software that is packed with features and is perfect for both experienced GIS professionals and newcomers alike. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to use and its expansive library of tools and features make it an invaluable tool for anyone working with geographic data.”
• Timmy T. – “After about 100 hours of being hopelessly lost in the menus, import/export functions, and display properties, an average user will probably be able to impress their colleagues with a tidy and professional display of 2-d or 3-d data in a relevant map background, which very few other freeware programs are capable of creating.”

My personal opinion on ArcGIS:

As its name suggests, ArcGIS CityEngine was created to work with urban projects in the first place. It is a surprisingly versatile modeling tool that creates detailed and functional urban environment plans in no time. Its main purposes and use cases are visualizations of large-scale developments in the urban sphere, as well as city planning and urban design as a whole. The software itself is a lot faster than most of the competition, and a lot of its features are not particularly difficult to work with. That being said, the software’s focus on urban projects does make it a lot less competitive than it could be in the broader architectural software market.