The distinction between CAD and BIM

[Garry Taylor]

Hello Everyone,
What distinguishes CAD and BIM from one another? How many different CAD and BIM formats exist? Is it tough to learn CAD or BIM? Which is better for my future professional life?
Help me out, please.

Gurukul Of Civil Engineers

 

[WiSEiwish]

Perhaps others can chime in with better explanations, but I'll provide examples based on my experience.
CAD = Autocad and I would say it is used for the purpose of producing drawings.
BIM is more of a concept than an actual piece of software. In my case I use Autodesk Revit. We create 3d models and share them with the other members of the design team for the purpose of coordinating efforts. With everything shared and linked in to your discipline's model you are able to design less in a vacuum. Revit also can be used like autocad to produce drawings.

Ultimately Cad or revit or whatever software is just software. You learn it as you need to based on the specific demands of your company. I didn't have any formal training on any software that I've used and have been able to become very capable with what I use, so you just need to get yourself into a mindset where you seek to learn and seek to get better and the ability will follow.

As far as your professional career goes, you will likely be using what your employer uses, so the ability to be flexible and approach software with an open mind is going to be very useful as you will likely use all sorts of stuff in your career.

 

[IRstuff]

CAD would be one component within a BIM.

https://www.autodesk.com/industry/aec/bim/benefits-of-bim

https://www.autodesk.com/collections/architecture-engineering-construction/building-design

https://www.autodesk.com/collections/architecture-engineering-construction/infrastructure-design

https://www.autodesk.com/collections/architecture-engineering-construction/included-software

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

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[KootK]

There is considerable overlap between BIM and CAD. One perspective:

1) CAD & BIM are, at their hearts, databases of stuff.

2) CAD is primarily a database of drawing objects: lines, circles, points, etc.

3) BIM is a database of higher level building components: windows, rebar, columns, etc.

This makes BIM a more powerful tool in many respects. It creates a model that "knows more" about the thing being modelled and can therefore be usefully queried on the things that it knows. As such, I think that it would behoove your career to learn BIM if BIM is used in the industry in which you'll work. That said, there are also many functional reasons for a BIM operator to also know CAD. So, realistically, you'll probably want to learn both.