RISA vs. RAM Advanse

[Structures33]

Hey all - I'm trying to decide between RISA 2D & 3D and RAM Advanse. I'm familiar w/ RAM, as I use the modeler, steel and concrete programs. It looks as though RAM Advanse has more options and would be a better program but you never can tell until you get into it and that's why I'm asking the forum.
The price for me will be about the same to obtain RISA 2D and 3D as it will be for RAM Advanse.
I have not used either but have watched the online tutorials. Has anyone used both and what are your thoughts, preferences etc?
Thanks in advance.

 

[strguy11]

I dont have the experience with Risa, but Ram Advanse is a pretty good program, especially if you use the RAM SS. Advanse also has design modules for footings, trusses, masonry walls, tilt-up walls, which are fairly good tools.

 

[prsconsultant]

RISA is extremely user friendly. If you are thinking of BIM in the near future, go with RISA. Capability wise, both programs have more or less all the features you normally encounter in a Structural firm. RISA has better compatability with REVIT than RAM products. RAM tech support is far superior than RISA.

 

[JAE]

RAM was first out of the block with the gravity design stuff (RAM Structural System, Concrete Beam, bar joists, etc.) Their software in this regard is pretty good. This software doesn't solve a matrix but depends on non-redundant framing only.

RISA has been a long time analysis/design program that is a matrix analysis solver - very user friendly and very competent software. (i.e. not too many bugs)

At some point, RAM ventured into the matrix analysis market at about the same time RISA came out with RISA Floor. So they both began to compete.

I've never used Advance (RAM's matrix analysis program) so can't comment on its features/abilities. RISA Floor is coming along nicely with upgrades and new features to better compare with RAM's Floor modeler/designer...

RISA 3D is great and prsconsultant is right that RISA is more directly interfaced with Revit, but I do think that RAM has some means of communicating with Revit as well...maybe not as good - but not sure.

RAM is owned by Bentley which is a direct competitor to the Revit software so how good they will interface in the future is unknown.