TIMBER10 Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Hi Are there any members out there using Home Designer Pro on a Mac? I am running a Macbook Pro using OSX 10.9.5. I am looking to replace my existing CAD software (Turbocad 18) with something more geared to house design and landscapes and also something which does not require me to purchase 3rd party rendering software. I want to be able to produce rendered images and rendered short "walk through" videos of projects. I imagine that like most CAD software, Home Designer Pro was originally built to work under Windows. Are there any downsides to using the Mac version? I am very concerned about the learning curve - this was pretty big with Turbocad - so ease of use is a priority. I am also concerned that the 3D library is only accessible online. Since I work in areas where I am often unable to access the internet is there any work around on this. Could one download chunks of the library in one session? I would be very grateful for any comments. Many thanks Joe Clarke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 As far as I am aware it works exactly the same on Mac as it does in windows with a couple of limitations Due to MAC OS ie you can't import .skp files from Sketchup but you can import .dae files. The 2016 versions of Home Designer titles were released today , so your timing is good. Forum User Warrenwest is using Mac OS so hopefully he sees your thread , or you could try PM him too. HD Pro does not do Photo Realistic Renderings if that is a goal , only Chief Titles are capable of that , it does do standard Renderings and Walkthrough though. I would just download the free trial version and play around with any features ,ask some questions and see if its for you. the main library downloads fairly quickly , but there are also many free libraries to choose and install as needed , but you do need the internet for that. You can download everything while you have access and just install libraries as needed though. Pro and Chief (maybe all Titles now?) need to have access to the internet at least every 2 weeks to sign into the security server , Chief can use a hardware lock though if needed ($60 USB key) but Pro doesn't have that capability AFAIK. So you don't need to be connected 24/7 to use Pro , and as long as you get a connect ever 14 days to "call home" you will be fine, otherwise the Program won't open. (BTDT ) M. EDIT : Pro maybe able to use the hardware lock but it isn't available under MacOS ..... no drivers. http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/category/202/0/10/Home-Designer/Security-Hardware-Locks/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katalyst777 Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I have a Mac Pro as well as a Windows 8 laptop. The only real difference that I've noticed is the location of "Preferences."Download and import whatever catalogs you want from the website. You'll only be able to update them with an internet connection, but just using them if they are already loaded on your computer doesn't require you connect.Depending on the quality of renders you want, you may actually want to check out the Premier X7 software which has ray tracing capability. Probably best to contact the company's Sales folks directly for differences between the versions and to figure out what would best suit your needs. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidJPotter Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 It is hard to predict what you consider a good, high resolution render or video animation. Home Designer Pro does renderings, plans and animations but not "high Resolution". It does a great job for what you pay for. Learning curve is a wild variable in terms of people and their self discipline, ability to study and practice. It is easy for me to say "it is easy to learn", I did my learning years ago but the process is ongoing and never ending in terms of application. It is easy for me because I love what I do and so the stressful failures just fueled my zeal to succeed. In the end, this software is a useful tool. It has lots of settings, dialogs and check-boxes, it takes time to learn where they are and what they are for. Whatever you decide to do, we are here to help you if you wish it. DJP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warrenwest Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Hi, Yes, I am running HD Pro on both my iMac and my less powerful macbook air without any issues to report except the importing of .skp files which hopefully will be sorted out in the near future by the Google guru's. Im looking to upgrade to CA Interiors because I need more professional renderings for my design business but Pro has served me well. It was a bit of a learning curve for me ( and still is ) but I never had any previous experience with this kind of software before like you do. Kbird 1 answered all you other questions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIMBER10 Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 Many thanks for all the replies to my query. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warrenwest Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 incidentally, I have just downloaded HD pro 2016 and running it side by side on the same machine the improvement in speed ( regarding working in 3D ) is much faster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Yes nice improvement for many in 2016 and Chief X7 , they redid some of the 3D rendering programming apparently , The last update that X7 got actually mentioned HD 2016 even though it wasn't released yet . So Pro 2016 not X7 Interiors then? M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warrenwest Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Well I will step up in the meantime, just checking for bugs at the moment but sadly I will still have to shell out for the ray tracing capabilities of X7 in the future W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlenaBodnar Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't realize we had to create a different post, the topic just said "home designer pro on mac". Thanks for the reply. I deleted my question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlenaBodnar Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Ordinarily I'd say this belongs in its own post rather than hijacking an old one that isn't even related, but this isn't really the kind of stuff we can help with on the forum. Keep working with the software's Support people on this one. Just had another thought, if you haven't already, check out this Knowledge Base article. It's probably got much of the same stuff you'll work on with the company's techs on. KB-01056: Troubleshooting Registration Issues If you were able to register before though, I'd guess something is different now stopping it from being able to connect. Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't realize we had to create a different post, the topic just said "home designer pro on mac". Thanks for the reply. I deleted my question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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