Software Purchasing Resources
- Courtney Morshed
- Eric Drescher Hepburn
- Park, Hanbaek
Below is a list of applications that UTSOA students use. Some of these programs are supported or required for UTSOA courses, others aren't. For information about training, visit Software Training and Tutorials
| Function | Name | UTSOA Labs | PC Only | How Students Use It | Strengths | Weaknesses | Cost Structure | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Design | ArcGIS | Yes | Yes | Free | ArcGIS Online is free for UT students at UT. UT Libraries has a great wiki page with detailed instructions. They also have tutorials for research-related GIS tasks. Once you set up your ArcGIS Online account, you can install the ArcGIS Pro desktop applications. They can be downloaded here. | |||
| ClimateStudio | Yes | Yes | Simulating daylight, electric lighting, and conceptual thermal loads | Free for Education | Rhino plugin. E-mail trig@utexas.edu for the license key. Licenses are valid for up to 7 days at a time. | |||
| Google Earth Pro | Yes | No | Exploring site conditions and contexts | Download high-resolution satellite images | Free | https://www.google.com/earth/versions/#download-pro | ||
| Microsoft o365 | Yes | No | Free | Log in with your EID credentials | ||||
| Microsoft Windows 10 | Yes | Yes | $19.99 | https://store.hied.com/item/Microsoft/WAH+Windows+10/1605667 (requires a login in here first). We don't recommend running Boot Camp on a Mac to use Windows. Virtualizing Windows on a Mac is possible but requires the user to be technologically savvy enough to support it. | ||||
| R | Yes | No | Statistical computing | Free | https://www.r-project.org/ | |||
| SPSS | No | No | Statistical computing | $92.99/yr | https://store.hied.com/item/IBM+SPSS/IBM+SPSS+Statistics/1693258 | |||
| CAD Modeling | Rhino 3D | Yes | No | Iterative massing models Model complex geometry, like curved surfaces Easily create 2D drawings | Highly Accurate, versatile, includes parametric functionality | Somewhat difficult to learn | Perpetual Education/Commercial* License - $195 (per version) * There are no usage limitations on this license. It is the same as the full commercial version and never expires. | If you would like to upgrade a previous license earlier than this, you can do it directly through McNeel for $95 through this link. For proof of eligibility, you can access and save your tuition bill receipt from this link. |
| Sketchup | No | No | Quickly model Share models with students in other disciplines/students without subscriptions to paid software | Easy to Learn, quick Entourage from 3D Warehouse easily enlivens models Files can be accessed online with any computer with a free web-only version | Imprecise, slow when files get large | Yearly Ed. Subscription - $55 Free web-only version (limited functionality) | https://www.sketchup.com/plans-and-pricing/sketchup-studio-for-higher-education | |
| AutoCAD | Yes | No | Create 2D drawings Import and export to a variety of other software | Closest to drawing lines on paper, industry standard for 2D | Somewhat difficult to learn | Free with Ed. Account | https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software | |
| Fusion 360 | Yes | No | Mostly used to model for industrial manufacturing processes like CNC or 3D Printing | Easy to create models using variables | Hard to make non-industrial looking products | Free with Ed. Account | https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/students-teachers-educators?mktvar004=668081&internalc=true | |
| 3DS Max | Yes | Yes | Rendering and animation | Robust material editing ability Integrates with other Autodesk Applications | Difficult to learn | Free with Ed. Account | https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software | |
| Netfabb | No | Yes | Testing and repairing 3D CAD files | Free with Ed. Account | https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software | |||
| BIM | Revit | Yes | Yes | Model at a greater technical resolution than Rhino, with embedded materials and thicknesses Automatic generation of organized 2D drawings | Industry-standard Large library of standard building components Manages collaboration on a single model | Not conducive to loose massing modeling | Free with Ed. Account | https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software |
| Rendering | V-Ray | Yes | Yes | Render light, and sometimes materials, for perspectives and 2d drawings | Good initial results only get better with additional adjustments Ample materials included Available online | Requires a lot of computer power | Yearly Ed. License - $99 | https://www.chaosgroup.com/education/students |
| Enscape | Yes | Yes | Instant rendering plugin for Rhino, Revit, and SketchUp | Fast, real-time rendering will good initial results | Oversaturated at times | Yearly Ed. License - $149 | https://enscape3d.com/educational-license/ | |
| Lumion | No | Yes | This software has never been required in any UTSOA courses and it isn't installed on any UTSOA computers | Vast compatibility with modeling software | Requires a lot of CPU & GPU power | Free with Ed. Account | https://lumion.com/students.html GPU scoring a G3DMark of 7,000 or higher with up-to-date drivers. (Such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650, Quadro K6000, AMD Radeon RX 470 or better) | |
| Blender | No | No | Professional grade, open-source 3D modeling for free | Difficult to learn | Open Source | https://www.blender.org/ | ||
| ArchVision RPC | No | Yes | Populate your renderings with entourage | Yearly Ed. License - $99 | https://archvision.com/shop/archvision-rpc-software-edu/ | |||
| Raster Graphic Editing | Adobe Photoshop | Yes | No | Powerful functionality, from quick touch-ups on drawings to adding layers of depth to renders Link to other Adobe programs for seamless editing | Industry-standard Lots of educational material is available | Expensive | Yearly Creative Cloud Subscription - $199.95 | https://campuscomputer.com/campuscomputer/ |
| Affinity Photo | Yes | No | Alternative to Adobe Photoshop | Similar to Photoshop Often on sale Perpetual license | Missing some of the "smart" features of Photoshop | Perpetual License - $25-50 | https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/ | |
| GIMP | No | No | Free, open-source | Significantly different than the industry standard | Open Source | https://www.gimp.org/ | ||
| Procreate (iPad) | No | No | Intuitive, mobile, able to edit .PSD | Apple Specific | App Store - $9.99 | https://apps.apple.com/us/app/procreate/id425073498 | ||
| Vector Graphic Editing | Adobe Illustrator | Yes | No | Assign lineweight to drawings exported from Rhino, Revit, AutoCAD, etc. Link to other Adobe programs for seamless editing | Industry-standard Lots of educational material is available | Expensive | Yearly Creative Cloud Subscription - $199.95 | https://store.hied.com/item/Adobe/Creative+Cloud+for+Education/1880707 (requires a login in here first) |
| Affinity Designer | Yes | No | Alternative to Adobe Illustrator | Similar to Illustrator Often on sale Perpetual license | Perpetual License - $25-50 | https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/ | ||
| GIMP | No | No | Free, open-source | Significantly different than the industry standard | Open Source | https://www.gimp.org/ | ||
| Inkscape | No | No | Free, open-source | Significantly different than the industry standard | Open Source | https://inkscape.org/ | ||
| Document Layout Editing | Adobe InDesign | Yes | No | Combine drawings into boards for reviews Portfolio design Link to other Adobe programs for seamless editing | Industry-standard Lots of educational material is available | Expensive | Yearly Creative Cloud Subscription - $199.95 | https://campuscomputer.com/campuscomputer/ Sign in with UT ID and search for adobe |
| Affinity Publisher | Yes | No | Alternative to Adobe InDesign | Similar to InDesign Often on sale Perpetual license | Perpetual License - $25-50 | https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/publisher/ | ||
| Microsoft Publisher | No | No | Included with Microsoft o365, simple | Somewhat clunky interface | Free through UT o365 Access |
Updated August 2020
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