Home Designer Pro -or- CA Premier


wazzubrad
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I recently purchased Home Designer Pro and am learning how to use it. For the most part, I love it and I am having a lot of fun. I am a home builder but my son is sick so I have stepped away from work until we can get him up and going again. I am interested in designing a home for our family and am using HD Pro to put together a permit set of plans. I would also like to start putting together a few other plans to market for future Spec's and also like the idea of being to customize my own plans and make changes as needed, as my time will most assuredly not allow!

 

So far it seems that I can accomplish everything I need to get this done. But, I am constantly second guessing whether it would be better to bite the bullet and purchase CA Premier before I get any further along. I noticed in the trial version of CA Premier, that there are default views to send my plans to the Layout. Which is inconveniently missing from HD Pro.

 

How to you feel about this? Is it worth the price of the upgrade?

 

Thank you for your input!

 

-Brad

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Hi Brad!

 

Glad you are considering upgrading to Chief Architect Premier. It offers a lot of powerful features that can make creating construction drawings much easier. 

 

Below is a link to a comparison chart showing direct differences between Premier and Pro. It may help to see the features of both programs right next to each other.

 

http://cloud.homedesignersoftware.com/1/pdf/sales/x7-feature-matrix-hdpro2015.pdf

 

Please give us a call at 1-800-482-4433 if you have any questions about the upgrade! 

 

Chief Architect Sales

Jenna

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Brad,

 

I learned how to use Chief Architect Premier back in 1995 while supporting a family. I started with a program then called "3D Home Architect" (a forerunner of Home Designer). I was never sorry I did, I also love working with Chief Premier and Home Designer Software as a profession. I started out as merely a remodeling sales designer, then chief designer, then started my own drafting business in 1999. When younger I was a sub contractor and punch out Man, then Construction Supervisor.

Chief Premier is rather expensive compared to Home Designer Pro but you are also buying every possible tool and choice to support and implement professional 3D modeling and plan production. Chief Architect Premier has helped me have  something that I love to do and make a good living while doing so.

The software does nothing by itself, it must be learned to be of any use to anyone. It is worth the trouble, just be honest with yourself and your own intentions towards it.

 

DJP

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My wife got me Home Designer Suite 2015 for Christmas.  We are planning a major addition/remodel of our 1920s bungalow.

 

I love the program/edition we purchased, but am strongly considering upgrading to Pro 2015 due to the ability to do custom framing and some other things that Suite is just limiting me on.  I like the idea of being able to cut out the architect except for final approval (i.e. print my own plans for permits and contractor bids, etc).  The ability to do all of that seems very limited in Suite.

 

BUT I just looked at the comparison PDF for Pro 2015 vs Premier and it's saying that you cannot do custom roofs that have exposed rafters with Pro?  Exposed rafters is a very common craftsman design element, so it is fairly important to our plans.

 

I was very confused because the sample image on the product page on the website for the Pro 2015 version specifically shows a bungalow style home with exposed rafters.  I saw that image and thought hey, they must be showing me a picture of plans that were created using the software they're describing, right?  But then I see that PDF chart and now I don't know.  Can someone confirm?

 

My other craftsman style item that I'd like to include is tapered porch columns (again, typical craftsman style).  Anyone know if Pro 2015 can do those?

 

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Columns are symbols from the library , you don't actually build them , and yes they are in the library.

 

You cant do Rafter Tails   in Pro  you can do exposed rafters by turning off the soffit and exposing the framing.....

 

I would highly suggest you download the Pro Trial and play with it  , same for the CA X7 trial , open a copy   of your plan in either and try stuff. neither can save anything you do , so don't close the Program (minimise it) till you finish playing.

 

You would need Pro I think at a minimum to do ConDocs for permitting etc, assuming your City allows HomeOwners to do there own permits , ie here you must be an Architect or Registered Designer. You will likely need a licensed Engineer for structural Drawings too and possible Air movement.  A lot of City's have this information on the Building Dept Website.

 

M.

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My wife got me Home Designer Suite 2015 for Christmas.  We are planning a major addition/remodel of our 1920s bungalow.

 

I love the program/edition we purchased, but am strongly considering upgrading to Pro 2015 due to the ability to do custom framing and some other things that Suite is just limiting me on.  I like the idea of being able to cut out the architect except for final approval (i.e. print my own plans for permits and contractor bids, etc).  The ability to do all of that seems very limited in Suite.

 

BUT I just looked at the comparison PDF for Pro 2015 vs Premier and it's saying that you cannot do custom roofs that have exposed rafters with Pro?  Exposed rafters is a very common craftsman design element, so it is fairly important to our plans.

 

I was very confused because the sample image on the product page on the website for the Pro 2015 version specifically shows a bungalow style home with exposed rafters.  I saw that image and thought hey, they must be showing me a picture of plans that were created using the software they're describing, right?  But then I see that PDF chart and now I don't know.  Can someone confirm?

 

My other craftsman style item that I'd like to include is tapered porch columns (again, typical craftsman style).  Anyone know if Pro 2015 can do those?

Ordinarily you'll want to start your own thread, rather than replying to an existing one. 

I agree with Mick to check out the trial versions, or contact the company's Sales department directly, since most of us here on the user forum have only had one version of Home Designer and aren't really the best to ask about comparisons.

http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/company/contact.html

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Columns are symbols from the library , you don't actually build them , and yes they are in the library.

 

 

 

M.

 

Sorry to hijack the thread.

 

Thanks for the reply and the suggestion to do the trial.  I may just do that.  I am definitely leaning towards the Pro 2015 version.

 

Regarding the columns, it looks like there are only a few very basic ones in the Home Designer library.  Online there are a bunch (including Craftsman style columns) but they are only compatible with Chief Architect Premier.  http://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?r=site/detail/772

 

I guess perhaps I could try and make my own custom object?

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search the forum for columns or posts , I uploaded a library of some I made last year.

 

Not sure if Pro libraries are different from Suite but don't think so, but yes you can make your own from shapes etc as you will see if you find my library.

 

M

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  • 1 year later...

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