TheSwede

I have decided to hold on to the Home Designer software because it´s nice and logical to use. I will keep the Architectural version for a while, but in the future I will upgrade to Pro (I already miss the Multiple-Select editing "tool" avaiable in the Pro version).

Yes, I think it is a good idea to clarify my goals first. I will just design houses/buildings for fun..for my own pleasure. You know..have an idea in my head and then try to design it in a 3D software. Maybe sometimes I want to do a 3D-model of an already existing house. The most interesting for me is the exterior design, I think (the look of the house from outside, parking lot, the landscape around the house etc). It is also interesting to "draw" the inner walls and decide where the toilet, living room, master bedroom etc should be placed. Right now I dont care much about how the kitchen would look like or if there is isolation in the walls and so on. I think I'm not really aware of how flexible a programme like the Home Designer Architectural really is. It feels like it is rather "static" and not the best software to use if you will create a house with a more unusual design. How about Sketchup? I downloaded the free version yesterday and played with it for an hour or so. It was completely different to Home Designer Architectural..not so logical I would say. Also more difficult to use as a newbie, I think. But on the other hand I feel that it has great potential..everything you want to do with the exterior design is possible to do. So..I feel that with the Home Designer software it is possible to design everything from the look of the house, the landscape, garden, kitchen, place furnitures and so on..but how you can do it is somehow restricted. The Sketchup software is a software that focus on the exterior design of a house (only your own magination is the limiting factor of what you can create) and not so much on the landscape, garden, interior design, materials etc. Right or wrong!?

I have just purchased the Home Designer Architectural version and I think it is a nice version to begin with. I also feel that 3D programs are something I will keep using in the future. Over time I will get better and learn more (I hope), so the big question is if a more professional version of the Home designer/Chief Architect program is the way to go for me in the future!? I will just do this for fun..for my own pleasure. But I want to design/modeling european houses/buildings..real houses/buildings. I have red that Home designer/Chief architect is not the best program for that. I do not want to learn a completely new program in the future, so instead of learning everything about the HD Architectural now..maybe it is better to choose another program for amateurs and then buy a more professional version of that program later?

Today I decided to buy the Architectural version. It is now downloaded and installed! I have gained an insight into the program through the trial, but newly begun, there is much left to learn about all the opportunities available in the program. The Architectual version feels like a good version to start with, I think. The day I find that the tools in this version are not sufficient for me, I will upgrade to the Pro version. But right now I think I'm happy with my choice!

Thank you very much for your answer and advice! I think I am going for the Pro version - it feels right,,and if I had bought the Architectural version I probably had upgraded to the Pro version after some weeks or months anyway. I'll play with the Pro trial version one or two days more before I decide completely, but right now the Pro version feels like the right choice I must say..

I am a newbie to all kind of 3D-programs, but have become interested in designing/modelling houses and other buildings. I have downloaded the test version of Home Designer Pro and I liked it very much. It seems to be a great program for my needs (but as a beginner it is hard to know what the needs really are..). I have compared different versions of the Home Designer and the more professional Chief Architect Premier X8. The Premier is to expensive and I don't need such a professional software to do what I want..I think. The Home Designer Suite packade seems on the other hand to be a little bit to simple. So..Pro or Architectural version!? When I compare these two versions I can see that there are a lot of things missing in the Architectural version which can be find in the Pro version. But many of these things do I not know if I need or not. I don't know how essential they really are.. Some things would I have liked to see/do in the Architectural version: editing a couple of windows, doors etc at the same time, rotate the whole plan/house, set the north point and building the roof manually. But I think I can live whithout these things..at least for a while. I think it is best to go for the Architectural version first..and if it is not enough it is allways possible to upgrade to the Pro version later. What is your opinion? Do you think I will miss some functions or tools if I go for the Architectural version instead of the Pro? My reason to go for the Architectural version in the first place is to save some money. But if I will miss some very important features with that version I will rather pay the double and get me a copy of the Pro version. So..which version do you recommend me to start with? Thanks!