Hey everyone,
About a year ago, I did some preliminary horticultural lighting analyses (PPFD) using demo versions of ElumTools and Revit. At the time, my client wasn’t quite ready to invest in the software, but now they’re all in. In the meantime, I noticed there’s now an AGi32 plug-in for SketchUp, and I’m considering whether it could be a more cost-effective option. SketchUp is a lot cheaper than Revit, and I’m wondering if anyone here has experience using the SketchUp/AGi32 combo?
To be honest, I don’t have much experience with Revit, so I’m thinking the learning curve for either solution might be pretty similar for me. Any thoughts or experiences would be awesome. Thanks!
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I’ve used both AGi32 and SketchUp for some smaller projects, and I can say the SketchUp plug-in works pretty well. For horticultural lighting, the integration with AGi32 is solid. If your project doesn’t require the full power of Revit, SketchUp could save you time and money. Plus, SketchUp is so much more intuitive if you’re new to 3D modeling
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IMO…if you’re not that familiar with Revit, I’d lean towards SketchUp+AGi32 too. Revit is great for bigger projects with lots of technical detail, but for horticultural lighting analysis, SketchUp should do the job just fine. You’ll also find a lot more user-friendly tutorials and resources for SketchUp out there, which can really speed things up.
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I made the switch from Revit to SketchUp+AGi32 myself for similar reasons—cheaper and easier to use for lighting. It’s definitely a lighter software, and for what you’re doing (PPFD calculations), it’ll probably be a smoother ride. AGi32 has everything you need for accurate lighting analysis without the complexity of Revit.
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Depends on your project scale. If you’re doing a lot of cross-discipline work like architecture or MEP, Revit might still be worth it since it integrates everything into one platform. But if you’re sticking mostly to lighting design, SketchUp+AGi32 sounds like a smarter, cheaper move. You might want to demo both if you haven’t already.
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I’ve found the SketchUp+AGi32 combo to be perfect for smaller, specialized projects like horticultural lighting. It’s so much faster to learn compared to Revit, and for PPFD analysis, the AGi32 plug-in will give you everything you need. Unless you’re planning to scale up into bigger projects, SketchUp’s your best bet.