general
3D CAD - pretty commercial italian site. English translations and quite a few links. [11/03]
caddepot - links to hundreds of CAD shareware addons, and even a few free CAD programmes. [07/02]
cadinfo - good software links, news and shop. [07/02]
cadalyst - news, reviews, links and free code downloads. [07/02]
digital architect - Architectural Record's computer zone. [08/03]
ten links - CAD and technology portal.

schools
Key Centre for Design, Computing and Cognition - at Sydney University. Free lectures weekly during university.[11/05]

archicad
Going from strength to strength and still available for macintosh.($$$)
graphisoft - archicad home base.
arckiklub - australian-based tips, tricks, and forum.
arckitech - archicad in Australia. Downloads, jobs, and news.

autoCAD
You've got to know it but you don't have to love it. ($$$) AutoCAD Lt has most of what you need (excluding 3D tools) at a cheaper price($$).
alt.cad.autoCAD - a busy autoCAD newsgroup - access here is via google groups.
archT - an independent alternative to Architectural Desktop. It also works with some versions of IntelliCAD.[10/04]
autocad blocks - free blocks at this italian language site. Hit "blocchi".
autodesk - autocad site. The place to go when you get one of those scary "unhandled access violations." Search the support database for a remedy.
autodesk newsgroups - accessed here via google groups.
cad online new zealand - an online store selling autoCAD and third party autoCAD Lt enhancers. [07/02]
comp.cad.autocad - a busy one (access via google groups).
Iobjects - here's an AutoCAD add-on site with many freebie blocks and routines. Looks very good but a little tricky to get used to the navigation.
fbe online learning - autoCAD tuorials from the University of NSW.
point a - autodesk's portal with links, downloads, and forums.

microstation
Still our favourite. No longer available for Macintosh. Hard to obtain too (in Melbourne at least). ($$$)
bentley - microstation' s australian arm.
comp.cad.microstation - very busy news group - access here is via google groups.

rhino
Talk of the town. If you like NURBS curves you've probably already got it.($)
rhino 3d - home base.

sketchup
I've had a small play with this and it's quick to pick up. Very good for all pre-documentation massing tasks. And cheap. Not really suited to advanced modelling and curvy stuff.($)
sketchup - home base.
pushpullbar - lively Melbourne based forum and component centre.

vectorworks
Cheaper but has limitations. Some like its user-friendly interface, which has a lot in common with graphics programs. It works on Macs too and has apparently gotten much better with later versions. ($$)
nemetschek - vectorworks' new owners. Ozcad provide local support. [07/02]
peach-ease listserv archive - a busy listserver, accessible on the web through this site.

other CAD & CAD-related programs
artifice - busy 3D cad discussion.
ecotect - a suite of freeware/shareware software programs aiding passive design. Programs include sunshading calculators and thermal comfort calculators. The programs are also available combined, in Ecotect. Worth a look. Now (July 2002) they have a free add-on section with many a handy tool. [07/02]
LCAid - a lifecycle assessment tool that can import drawing files, specifically developed for Australian climate zones.

CAD file conversion, viewing
cs view - a web plug-in that let's user's view hundreds of file types including many vector formats, within a web browser. Trial version is free.
cadviewer - java-based software that, when loaded on to a webserver, enables dwf files to be read on both PC and MAC platforms. Free and Pro versions.

extranets / project hosting
csiro media release  (5/98) - 'building industry to talk the same lingo' discusses CSIRO research into interoperability. [link fixed 01/02]
bsite - a new Melbourne-based extranet site - in prototype stage but with a good walk through if you register.
cosential - an american ASP solution for the AEC industry.
point a - autodesk's extranet system.
viecon - Bentley's extranet system aimed at the engineering industry and microstation users.

virtual architecture

electronic shadow - Naziha Mestaoui and Yacine Ait Kaci investigate the join between architecture and new media. Requires Virtools WebPlayer in some areas (an easy 800Kb download that may change your display settings). The Palerme 3D interactive that I visited was a moving stack of digital terrain models.
fractal architect - The acceleration of computing speeds has made the rendering of fractal geometries a lot easier, as Jim Harris shows on this site. Not sure if its that much easier to build though. [03.06]
international journal of design computing - australian journal dedicated to researching virtual environments. The last issue was in 2004. [03.06]

commercial 3D visualisation services
3D Arc - a smart little site featuring architectural rendering specialists. [11/03]
3D design architect - Sydney, Jakarta, Bandung, Singapore.
Deneb Design - east coast based 3D modelling design visualisation company. [10/04]
Glasson Murray Group - West Australian specialists in 3D visualisation and VR. [11/03]
jonathan muller - Melbourne
oko art studio - Melbourne.
raw solutions - Melbourne-based.
uno en uno - a Buenos Aires based firm with an international documentation and visualisation service.[10/04]

macs
Apple Computer Aust. - macintosh resources.
Architosh - resource site for architects using the mac for CAD.

system utilities
mike lin - has put together some very useful freeware programs to help you reduce the startup times on your PC.

other
building environments - a very innovative english site offering 3D vector files of building products, and good project profiles with photos.
Filemaker - useful database progam - cross platform.
irfanview - the best little image viewer and resizer around. Free too. [07/05]
microsoft - hard to avoid site - everything to do with Windows - not necessarily easy to find what you're after.

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