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3DHA
v5.0 Upgrades
While 3DHA is one of the best home design software packages
on the market today, there is always room for improvement. There have been many
times when I've tried to get 3DHA to do something, such as install a skylight,
only to find that the feature I'm looking for does not exist in the current
version. Every so often The Learning Company comes out with a new version
of the software. Currently, they are on version 4.0. But I am still using
version 3.0. (you can see more on why I am still using 3.0 by looking under
"About 3DHA", "Version Comparisons") The simple fact
is that the latest version added features I was not interested in having and
failed to add features I was looking to see in this software. The only way
Broderbund/The Learning Co./ART is going to give its users the features we want
is for us to gather our wishes together and let them know what we want. Maybe
then we will get features in the next version (v5.0) that will help us produce
better plans. If that happens, it would be worth the extra money to me to buy
the latest version instead of using an older version. Below, I am posting the
features I would like to see in future versions of 3DHA and I would encourage
others to post features that they find lacking in 3DHA. (use the discussion
board) Below are my primary wants in order of importance.
1.
An "Object Design Studio" where we can create objects that can
be placed in our drawings such as furniture, barrel vaulted ceilings, etc..
Both IMSI's FloorPlan and Punch! Products provide such capability.
It allows the user to create custom objects not supplied in a library. It
would be best if it could import/export/convert 3DS objects.
2. Skylights - There is no other single object that I have read more requests for on the web than Skylights. This alone would cause many people to go out and buy the new version of 3DHA, including myself. (assuming the program glitches found in 4.0 have been fixed by then) The new Floorplan v7.0 claims to install skylights with ease!
3. Defined Materials (like in Chief)
that can be placed on walls and roofs to simulate roof shingles, shakes, and
tiles, vertical or horizontal siding, bricks, blocks, and many other textures.
See the Home Design Software logo in the upper left corner to see how
Material/Texture can add life to an otherwise lifeless 3DHA 3D model.
4.
Curved Walls (from Chief).
More and more these days, curved walls are being used to give a normal home a
custom look. In version 4.0 they added curved staircases, but failed to add
curved walls. This means that you must add the curved staircase as a stand alone
item, away from the wall and using up more floor space than you may want to give
up.
5.
False Ceilings (from Chief).
You can already get your ceiling to follow your roof line in 3DHA. In my home
that creates a great vaulted ceiling. But to draw my home as it currently
exists, and also how a room addition is going to match, I need a cathedral
ceiling. This is where a false ceiling would help. Many homes have false
ceilings somewhere within the plan. A flat, lowered, false ceiling added to a
vaulted ceiling could produce a coffered ceiling. With one feature 3DHA could
add the claim that you could build, flat, vaulted, cathedral, and coffered
ceilings.
6.
Primitive Library Objects. (from Chief) - If the "Object Design
Studio" (from #1 above) is not feasible. These are simple 3D objects that
can be resized and placed in your plan. (see below left) They can be used
to represent real life objects that have a similar shape. It would also be good
if these, and other, objects could be grouped together and locked to form
larger, single objects.
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7.
Texture Planes - This would be similar to the Soffit and Ground Cover
objects but it would be a very narrow Plane that Paint and Texture could be
applied. It could rotate from 0
degrees (horizontal), to be placed on floors, through 90 degrees to be placed on
walls and anywhere in between. The
big difference would be that Doors, Windows and other objects could (using a
toggle on/off check box) break through these planes.
If the user wanted to place a 3' high wanes coating on a wall, they would
create a texture Plane 3' x width of wall at 90 degrees.
Place this plane against the wall and change it's paint or texture
property. Then check the "Allow Openings to
show through" checkbox so that windows and doors would erase the plane
where applicable. At 0 degrees it could be used in place of Ground
Cover to include a tile walkway in a carpeted room.
Currently this can be done with the soffit object, but it does not rotate
between 0 and 90 degrees and when placed over a door (or window), the soffit
shows up in the doorway. (see above right) Or add features to the Soffit Object to accomplish the same
ends.
7.
An absolute Point-to-Point measuring button. (No snap to anything)
8.
Export to .dxf of 3D Cross Sections and Wall Elevations.
9. Add two properties to objects: 1) Lock/Un-Lock objects in place so they can not be moved. 2) INCLUDE IN Material List & Specialty print-out of new section only. (for new construction vs. existing)
11.
Simple Drawing Markup (cad lines) for marking up the Plan View with
Shapes, arrows, etc.
12.
Glass Block - A window-like object that allows semi-transparent viewing,
but can also be placed in curved walls.
