Upgrade Suite to Architectural (worth it?) ?


Randall30
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Anybody try the trial version or own Home Designer Architectural who can comment on if you decided to upgrade or if you stayed with Home Designer Suite, and why? I am on the fence (haha no pun intended) deciding whether to pay the $99 upgrade cost (I have Suite 2016). Designing a home that I would hope to build in a year or two, I am not a professional. 

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Upgrades are on sale now -- $69 for the latest version of Suite, $395 for the latest version of Pro.

 

What sort of "design" are you wanting to do? I cannot imagine using anything other than Pro, but you may not need its features. 

 

Same with Architectural. Upgrade if you need something it offers.

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Pro and CA Premier are for users who do that work for a living, that's why they have tools for that work.

 

The lower versions HD are for users who like to do that for fun or as a hobby.

 

Suite can open and edit a Architectural plan and vice versa, I would suggest you master Suite before

moving up.

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So I think I will upgrade to Home Designer Architectural. I have a question--- during checkout, there is the option to pay an extra $15 to get a USB backup; is this really needed? Can't I just backup the downloaded zip or msi file for the upgrade and copy it myself to my own external USB?

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I think you are right in that the back up is for those who are not computer savvy. You will do as you wish but I think having manual roof tools and layout sheets to print to is worth the additional funds one exchanges for Home Designer Pro over Architectural or Suite.

 

DJP

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I would like those roof tools, but it's hard to justify the 300 dollar upgrade cost from architect to pro.  Plus, I just learned that I can do a lot more with the roof than I thought with the cheap versions.  Under Build->Roof, delete roof then build roof.  Set a steeper pitch than the default and select automatic build and let'er rip.  Then you can customize pitches by clicking the walls below specific sections if they really need a different pitch.  I also fixed my porch roof by raising the adjacent interior rooms ceilings to match the porch.  Then I thickened the ceiling drywall to 2 feet so it would look correct.... the attic interior won't look right, but that's ok.

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Why in the world are you building that way?

 

First thing you do is click edit>default settings and set your defaults.

 

Keep auto rebuild roofs/foundation on until the roof is how you want it, then turn them off.

 

For porch ceilings check use soffit surface for ceiling.

 

How about uploading the plan....

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