When looking to find robust and effective building information modeling (BIM) software for electrical engineering uses, it’s a challenge to find ones that rival or beat Autodesk.
One potential program that has garnered some attention is DDS Electrical, a part of DDScad, developed by a Norwegian company with a history dating back to 1984. Let’s look deeper into DDS Electrical using the Electrical Engineering BIM Scorecard to assess its suitability and functionality for electrical engineering tasks.
For more information on how the 10-point scorecard works, see this video that discusses it further. You can also download a scorecard graphic to help personally score BIM software.
Scoring DDScad
Using the BIM scorecard, we can measure how well DDScad performs on electrical engineering tasks. The scorecard consists of ten “yes” or “no” questions designed to evaluate the software’s suitability for electrical engineering needs.
- Does engineering exist?
- Does MEP exist?
- Does electrical engineering exist?
“Yes” for all of these. DDS Electrical has positioned itself as a full electrical engineering containing essential engineering elements.
- Can you insert electrical devices?
DDS Electrical does allow users to easily incorporate electrical devices into their projects.
- Can you create a panel schedule?
While there are some terminology differences, DDS Electrical does offer a function like panel scheduling for users to manage circuits and distribution systems.
- Can you perform voltage drop?
The marketing materials weren’t clear on voltage drop calculations at first, but yes, DDS Electrical does indeed allow for these calculations.
- Can you perform panel load calculations?
To some extent. DDS Electrical appears to have basic panel load capabilities, allowing limited feeder and service load calculations.
- Can you do a fault calculation?
This is difficult to verify since DDS Electrical doesn’t clearly show short circuit analysis in its documentation. It would take digging deeper than their marketing materials to make sure of these items.
- Can you do a single-line diagram?
DDS Electrical does offer specific features to support the creation of thorough single-line diagrams.
- Can you do multi-family dwelling calculations?
This is also difficult to verify based on marketing materials. A trial installation of DDS Electrical would be required to uncover its multifamily dwelling calculations or other advanced calculation abilities.
What This Means
With an overall score of eight out of ten on the Electrical Engineering BIM Scorecard, DDS Electrical is a comprehensive solution for electrical engineering uses. Its capabilities exceed AutoCAD and match parts of Revit.
While it needs more evaluation to be certain, DDS Electrical does appear to be a comprehensive solution for modern electrical engineering design, and as an alternative to Autodesk tools, you can consider exploring DDS Electrical as a potential upgrade.
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