CAD Software

[Shelley]

Firstly, do not need a professional product.  Do not use it to create plans for permit.

Been using 3DHA v3 for years.  Ver 5 uninstalled once I learned that my files were not compatible.
Xmas.  New PC.  No need for old stuff.  Threw V3 away and installed V5.  Downloaded the upgrade to V5.1

After a painful afternoon, finally got it somewhat.  Actually like the ability to specify wall lengths and the apparent ability to do curved walls.  Have not yet discoved a way to snap all dimensions.  Will be unhappy if that's not possible.

V6 available.  They want to charge me MSRP.  No discount.  

B4 I go any farther I'd like some advice.  Find a copy of V3 somewhere?  By the BH&G product?
Buy V6?  Stay with 5.1?   :-/

I could answer my own question if I thought that V3 was perfect.  It wasn't.  Had limitations.  Haven't used 5.1 enuf to discover its.  Have no knowledge of V6 and the BH&G product.

TIA
ShelleyinNM

[John Raabe]

I have recently tested both Broderbund "3D Home Architect Design Suite 6" and "Better Homes and Gardens, Home Designer Suite 6.0".

I am in the process of putting together a new website where we will be able to help each other modify stock plans or design a new plan.

The new site will have all the design details and structural information needed to add to the basic drawings (floor plans, cross section and elevations) produced with an easy to use CAD program.

(This site is NOT ready to launch but you can get some idea by visiting http://www.planhelp.com/. At this point it talks mostly about the software to run the site, but if you go to downloads you can see some of the things that will be available.)I had hoped that one of these two programs would have enough power and usable features to make me put away the old standby 3DHA ver 3 and move into the 21st century. I was to be disappointed. Both of these programs are crippled in some important way. The BH&G program can read the old 3DHA files but will not produce a cross section drawing of the entire building. 3DHA-6 is a totally different program and not as useful as the older program.

So, for now, in the new project we will be standardizing on the old v3 program for the downloadable and modifiable plan files. I would hope that in the future a simple and full featured extension of the old program will surface. There are certainly limits to the old program, but I think we can work around them by doing work on the printouts themselves and by having additional downloadable drawings for more custom options.

The BH&G program is in fact based on the original program (it was ver 3 of ART's Chief Architect). However, it is so crippled that its primary purpose is to up sell anybody who wants to do any real plans to Chief Architect ver 10 — which now costs around $2000 and takes months of training to learn.

[Shelley]

I knew that ART had made the BH&G product.  Hoped that it would be better.

There are caveats out there warning about running V3 on XP with service pack....which I have.
There is no support of any kind from Broderbund.  Are you intending to become tech support?  That might be a bigger job than you think.

I can get a copy of V3 off Ebay very cheaply.

I read your previous thread about this subject.

I'm likin' this "build  your own element" stuff.  'Course they had to do that since they didn't bother to provide a HWH, boiler, furnace, free-standing slop sink and gawd-knows what else.  But, they do give you 17 million refers to choose from.

I see in 5.1 which I downloaded last night for free that they have reinstated some auto dimensions.  Whew.  But haven't tried it yet.

Based upon your post I'm thinking that it might be wise to keep using what I've got for now.  Like I said, basically use it for floorplanning.   I never could get V3 to cooperate with roofs anyway.  My elevations always sucked.  Had to get husband to draw them free-hand.  Lucky he sees 3D in his head.

Does that seem logical?

ShelleyinNM

[Dan]

I'm not sure what kinda of problems there could be with running v3 under Windows XP with all the latest service packs, but that is exactly what I am doing, and have had no problems with 3DHA v3 whatsoever.  It is somewhat limited (stairs, roofs, and windows are my main pains), but for the price it is still the best option in my opinion.

John, great idea in Planhelp.com, you never cease to amaze.

[JRR]

I bought the "Professional Home Design" by Punch Software.  What a loser!   Not the software.  Me.

My hat's off to all you folks who have the patience to learn how to use that stuff.

...back to my drafting board, my tee-square, and my slide rule.

[John Raabe]

Yes, I am hoping not to become tech support for an orphaned program. There will be lots of disclaimers for new members about that, but I expect that just like this board there will soon be many users who will start to help out with problems.

For anyone who hasn't seen it we have a pretty good intermediate level tutorial on doing drawings with 3DHA — http://countryplans.com/3dha/index.html

PS - I'm running ver 3 on a fully loaded XP machine without problems.

[DavidLeBlanc]

I've used "DesignWorkshop Lite" and like it OK. There are also "for fee" versions, and it works on Windows and Power Mac.

  As reviewed by ZDNET online —

"DesignWorkshop is an excellent modeler with a unique interface, based on a "live" toolbar in 3D space. Fully featured, it allows you to see your work from numerous perspectives, in both wireframe and fully textured modes. The interface is at once intuitive and powerful. I modeled a simple scene quickly and easily. The simplicity and scope of the program was impressive, as was it's elegance. If you're a 3D designer, architectural or otherwise, or just a student or enthusiast, DesignWorkshop is something you should check out. On top of all this, it's totally free, which is amazing as it puts some commercial packages to shame with its ease of use. A great product, highly recommended for anyone interested in 3D.... "

http://www.artifice.com/

(No association with this product, other than as user.)

[Greenbank]

This probably just exposes my ignorance, but I've had OK success with Punch AS18 as a "sketching" tool for exploring plan ideas and the like.

I assume the programs y'all are talking about actually produce drawings suitable for the planning department? Punch claims to but I would be very suspect of the "framing" wizard, as I usually have to dink around in non-standard ways to get the plans to look right.

Biggest frustration in this particular program for me is that it's not friendly, at all, to a sloping site or plans with different roof/floor elevations on a single level.

[Shelley]

Know what I think Greenbank?

Most people (including me) are resistant to change.

Most people who have gone through a painful process to learn and manipulate a CAD program are loathe to redo the process.

All CAD and other programs have flaws.  You pick the one where the flaws matter the least to you.

Most people do not need wallpaper designs and 50 refers in the macro library.  They need a relatively simple, straight forward thing that will draw a floor plan faster than hand drawn and maybe give them a 3D view of the interiors and elevations.

But, wadda I know?  I remember when Windows came out.  Or , as some say, when Mr. Softee ripped off the presentation layer of the MAC.  I was in IT in a Fortune 500 company.  "Windows?"  "I don't need no steeenking Windows"

ShelleyinNM

[glenn kangiser]

Today the project manager on the job I'm on mentioned that  our steel company detailer came out to take as built details for steel changes.  The manager asked him if he had used Auto-cad - He replied that he retired before  Auto-cad was invented.  He's old but his pencil drawings are easier to read than cad drawings.  What I notice is that many cad people don't like to change line weights and other things make large cad drawings hard to read.  Sometimes things will be staring you right in the face but are hard to find.  I guess this wouldn't be much problem for smaller plans.  At least with cad you have a changeable reproducible electronic record

The quick renderings in 3DHA etc. are nice to get ideas of what something will look like though.

[Terence]

Try Sketchup at http://www.sketchup.com/. It is easy to use and the results are worthy of framing.

[Amanda_931]

Is it really worth nearly $500 and the learning curve for one house?

[Terence]

I wasn't aware of the price. I got my copy from someone who upgraded to a industrial type of CAD. That is expensive but it works great. I just use it as a toy.