Prototyp doet het allemaal met BricsCAD

Prototyp and its 85 engineers work alongside architects to create the facades for some incredible buildings around the world. Their portfolio includes the Gasholder Triplets (Kings Cross, London, UK), the Largo Sofia (Sofia Municipal City, Bulgaria) and the Brickell City Center building (Miami, FL, USA).

Protoyp creates approval, manufacturing and assembly drawings with structural calculations and bills of materials. Their work requires 2D design, 3D parametrics, free-form surface modeling, databases and product configuration. All of these features are a part of their perpetual licenses of BricsCAD Ultimate, BricsCAD Mechanical and BricsCAD BIM.

Hristo Guentchev, Managing Director at Prototyp, says, “Our work requires a very specific combination of 2D engineering and 3D modeling. BricsCAD covers all of the 2D and almost all of the 3D tools that we need. BricsCAD combines features of all software programs that we require, integrating them into one software product. It uses the widespread DWG format, which is the industry standard. In addition, BricsCAD allows us to create BIM models, which we will need more and more often in the near future. ”

3D VERSUS 2D
Another unique feature of BricsCAD, Hristo observed, is that it provides the option to work in a way that best fits an individual’s skill set. Most engineers are experienced working in 2D and some problems are better solved in 3D.
Guentchev explains, “In our line of work, sometimes the 2D path is more productive, and other times, 3D is the way to go. Engineers are not defined by which program they use; they are defined by what they know. And if you’re an engineer who is used to working in 2D, it is much easier to start working in 3D with BricsCAD than with any other tool, because you can just follow the same intuitive pattern.”

He adds, “What distinguishes BricsCAD from the rest is the Sheet Metal functionality, which is really almost a made-to-order tool for us.” BricsCAD Sheet Metal lets you create, import, rework and unfold sheet metal parts in BricsCAD Mechanical using the most intuitive 3D direct modeling techniques.

THE IMPORTANCE OF OWNING THE LICENSES
A major consideration for Prototyp is that Bricsys offers perpetual (permanent) licenses. Choosing BricsCAD makes Prototyp less dependent on its software provider. Owning a permanent license means that Prototyp can choose when and if they upgrade their software. If they choose not to upgrade, they can continue to use BricsCAD at no extra cost.

“At Prototyp, we want to be convinced by our suppliers, year after year, of the need to buy a new license. It’s an equal and forward-looking partnership that way. I strongly believe this, especially for such an important thing as CAD software. We prefer to own our software and not depend on a subscription license.”