*
I lost the address for 3-D Home Architect (v 3.0) bulletin board, a Q&A site. Has anyone got it? Please write to [email protected] Thanks a lot –
Also, do you know the answer to this: I want a bumpout for a kitchen wall. The program wants to default to about 45d. Is there an override? I need 30-some-odd degrees.
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Replies
*
Don,
3D home arch's website is http://www.broderbund.com
I draw walls with other that 45 degree angles by dragging the wall in the direction I need. It does look like it has detents at about every 15 degrees. I'm not sure I'd want to build anything that got down to more specific angles than 15 degrees anyway!
*Thanks Chuck. I'm actually trying for 30 deg., so it ought to work. I'll try dragging again,but I haven't had a lot of luck.Don
*Don, you probably have to de-select something in the preferences. I think something about snapping to a grid or something like that.blue
*Is this a decent program?
*Dog, it's got some nice features and some bugs. I drew a fairly easy complex house with it and found I couldn't get it to give me the elevation that I wanted. I fiddeled around and finally used a second program called Punch! Super Home Suite to draw the elevations. It's a good program for simple stuff: aditions, kitchens, basements etc. You could draw simple houses, and maybe even some complicated ones, with some limitations. It's also a fairly economic (cheap) program. Easy to get started, but tough to work out the bugs. I'd buy it again because I don't want to spend thousands and invest lots of time learning a CAD program.blue
*I've heard that for inexpensive of the shelf CAD it's the best but nmot for professionals on a regular basis. Joe Stoddard over at JLC did an article a few months back comparing the CADs under about a grand. Apparently Bruderbund s program can default to losing an inch here or there to resolve comnflicts on complex designs but for simple floorplans (which is about all most good framers need for typical construction) it is fine. The commands are similar to Chief Architect programs so yuou could upgrade to it easily without a lot of additional learning. You can get a free copy for shipping cost on the CD without book. It is an older version but worth playing with to find out about it. Go here:http://www.unbeatabledeals.com/ubd/affiliates/s/search/default.asp?page=1
*I have done the same thing - went from 3D to ProPunch. It would be great if they to could talk to each other, since they have different good and bad points.Will Chief do roof truss design? Is it a take-off of 3D? I hate going through all these learning curves.don
*yes .. chief will do roof trusses.. i usually design the trusses and then send them out to the mfr.. where they redesign them for the engineering..
*I have used 3D Home Architect for several years now mainly to do a kitchen, baths, and elec circuit identification. The strong points of this program are its user friendliness and bang for the buck.Recently "upgraded" to Version 4.0 and personally find it to be a downgrade over Version 3.0. If you open a file created with 3.0 and then save the file using 4.0, you are not able to go back and use the file with the earlier version. While this may be typical of software, I would at least have liked a "save as" feature.
*I don't have this program; I have TurboCAD. But most of these programs are similar, like cars. As to your problem with the the 45º bit: somewhere there is a menu item where you can change the default angle from 45º to perhaps 15º or 30º or even turn it off. In my program, it's under Options ==> Angles. Yours is probably under some similar pseudo synonym. Try your help gizmo. Read the manual. E-mail Broderbund or go to their web-site and see if they have a forum. Incidently, to get the degree symbol, "º", press and hold the Alt key and type 167 on the number pad. -Peter
*Eric, why don't you uninstall the 4.0 if 3.0 is better? There must be something in there that you like.blue
*ºThanks for the tip PM!I gotta go study some of them characters now. I didn't know that I had to use the number pad! ¿ _ ¬ ½ ¼ ¦ « » _ _ _ ¡ ¦ ¦ ¦ + + ¦ ¦ + Y + + + ¦ É ¢ + z à ê { - » ¶ ñ ¿ _ à ¢ ñ è ƒ P ¥ Ü Ö ÿ Üblue
*Yeah, ain't it cool Piffin? I already forgot the number though...-§{-_Porsqôƒe±}~|¥ƒÖmEqpbô16ƒºThere it is....167!blueps ºººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº
*hugs n kisses to you too big guy
*I still believe you get what you pay for. Having used Autocad for a number of years the recent versions R14 to 2000 is really not that difficult to learn once you get past the initial learning curve.
*rman, it is true. You do get what you pay for. I've used my 3d program twice in three or four years. I don't want to invest more than an hour in learning and don't want to spend thousands on it either.3d is a simplified version that fits my needs exactly.blue
*Peter,If you use TurboCAD, you may want to check out FloorPlan 3D. I've tried all the others, and this is the one I keep coming back to to do designs.Erich
*Don, there's no snap-to or grid as far as i know in 3DHA, and i've been using it for six years or more. Sometimes it doesn't behave well for details until you zoom in to the specific area (the "zoom" tool is at the far right of the tool bar), making the scale as large as possible. Yes, the walls can be angled in 15 degree increments, at least i my version, 3.0.
*I bought and then never used 3DHA. The reason was that it was very restrictive in the types of roofs it would allow. I don't remember which version it was, but it was about two years ago. Have they improved their ability to draw custom roofs since then?
*Roofs are one of the most difficult for any CAD to deal with. As you can imagine, the geometry creates more mathematical work for it to do and increases the chances for error and conflicts. I'm not familiar enough with 3D HA but I doubt that it or any cheapo program will handle "custom" or difficult roofs well.
*Casey, the rooflines was one of the bugs. I spent hours trying to get my program to give me my roofline of choice. Often, I could come close, but not quite get there. That's when I loaded the dimensions into Punch. Punch gave me the roofline that I wanted and I was able to generate a meaningful elevation view.blue
*I don't think I could live with a program that wouldn't draw what I want it to draw. I've found Vectorworks can do anything I want to take the time to learn how to do. Roofs of any ilk are a snap. It'll even do curved walls, but I've not had reason do one yet.Steve
*Steve, how much is vectorworks? how long does it take to learn how to operate it? how often do you use it? What is the nature of your usage?blue
*Blue,Vectorworks runs about 800 bucks. As CAD goes, it's a pretty easy one to learn, especially considering all that it can do. Another couple of hundred bucks gets you a rendering add-on that lets you do sophisticated lighting and rendering. Another couple of hundred bucks gets you a third-party 3D symbol generation pug-in, which makes fast work out of cabinetry, window and doors of whatever diminsions you want, etc.So it's not a cheap proposition. I use it for about one large whole-house remodel a year plus kitchens and such.If you would like I can post 3D design drawings paired with some actual as-built projects so you can see how accurate the renditions are.Steve
*Steve ,please post some examples (in Gallery?), I'm shopping and would like to see some non-vendor drawings, thanks,Phil
*Erich, [post #18] Thanks for the reply. I actually have TurboCAD Designer which does have some 3D capacity but I don't use it. My background was in drafting class in high school and CAD - any CAD - is much better. I've read several books on AutoCAD and it seems that TurboCAD is a knock-off of that but much cheaper and without the stupid, DOS style command line. One thing I did notice is that AutoCAD Light doesn't seem to have the ability to use or import raster graphics but TurboCAD - even $50 Designer does. So I can import a JPG on layer 1 and trace over it on layer 2. As for the later poster whp offers to produce both a rendering and an actual as-built picture, I would like to see that too. But is there any guarantee that the rendering was not done after the fact? -Perer
*blue... Chief can handle roofs pretty easy.. and rendering is built-in..Vectorworks has a little steeper learing curve than Chief..VW , to me, is superior to Chief in a multi-user inviornment... like an architects office where the plan is split among several draftsmen...Chief is faster to get working drawings and the entire package is less than $800... there are no add-on packages like VW has....my architect friends have VW... my builder friends have Chief...the engineers have Acad...generalizations... but.. b but hey, whadda i no ?
*... if you got butt hay, you got potential spontaneous combustion problems...
*Mike, I'm sticking with my inadequate homeowner's programs until the day comes that I need something more. I'll look into them both then.blue
*Phil,Here's the pre-construction drawing of an addition...
*...and here's the as-built addition.
*Here's a different addition design. A small bumpout for a kitchen/DR...PS: when I post this one, it comes up missing when I click the hyperlink. I've tried it twice and still no luck...Computers...ya gotta love em...
*Let's try this one...It's a before and after drawing for a proposed two-story addition. I've got about 30 hours into measuring the existing building and drawing this. I have half a dozen views of this generated.
*Here's one of the first things I did on version 4.0 of the program. It's up to version 9 now. It was a whole-house remodel...
*...and here's the as built project, with a few changes from the drawing...
*Oops. Lets try it a third time. Here's a before shot of that project.Let me know if you want to see anything else.Steve
*Nice work Steve. I can see that Vector works does an excellent job. I'm impressed with the details of the rendering as compared to 3D.If I was serious about designing or drawing, I'd certainly choose Vector over 3DbluePs Nice work too!
*Ditto what he said. Nice work,nice ideas, and thanks.
*Phil and Blue,Thanks for the kind words. My drawings only scratch the surface of what you can do with the program. But like anything, getting it really good takes much more time. You can place all kinds of internal light sources, adjust the intensity, specularity and color of each light, and dial in the sun so it's correct for your location at any time of day or year you choose. You can make your own textures for things like siding and such. You can even create mouldings with bezier drawing tools and extrude them. If I could ever figure out how to use that damn bezier pen tool!I pretty much stick with the defaults out of laziness.It's fun to an extent, but I get tired of it after a while too. I wouldn't want to have to do it day in and day out.Steve
*Will it allow you to create unique objects like a pentagonal cabinet, special sized angled window, set of shelves with a custom profiled cornice or entry entableature? honest inquiry - not a chalenge
*Steve, nice gable detail over the porch--your design?
*Popped right up on my new Mac!
*Seems like a bargain next to autocad. Does it let you sort of move around and see various viewpoints in 3D like Autocad? Does it have window manufacturers programmed into it with various sizes/styles?
*Piffin,>Will it allow you to create unique objects like a pentagonal cabinet, special sized angled window, set of shelves with a custom profiled cornice or entry entableature? You can create anything you can draw with standard 3D drawing tools. You can extrude, rotate around an axis, etc. If you can figure out the bezier tool (I haven't yet), I would say there really is little limit to the objects you could create.For windows and doors and cabinets I have a third party plug-in where you type into a dialogue box the size of the upper sash, size of lower sash, configuration of muntins, size of casings inside and out, etc. Same for cabinets and doors. You type in the parameters and it'll draw them. There are limits to what you can do with that, so I will sometimes do something that's close to what I'm looking for with that plug-in, and then go in and edit what's been drawn with the 3D editing tools to get just exactly what I want. It's faster than starting from scratch. I've created Greek Revival entance entablatures that way and odd shaped windows and doors. I did a door where the corner was clipped by a sloped ceiling starting with a plug-in generated door. Anything you draw you can then convert to a symbol for repeated use with a single click.It'll automate a lot of things but you can always just draw from scratch to get precisely what you need.The cabinetry generator is a little basic. Everything looks like laminate cabinets. What I do with that sometimes is use it for layout purposes, then print the views I need, then put them on a lightbox and trace them by hand, detailing the cabinetry the way I want it. Tedious, but makes a nice presentation. What would be the best for kitchens would be one of the 2000 dollar kitchen programs that have actual factory cabinet symbols pre-made. But one kitchen every couple of years won't justify that expense.Steve
*Mad Dog,I wonder why that one image comes up broken in my browser? I'm jealous. What's your new Mac? I'm working on a old 9500 that's got a G3 400 brain transplant. I went to an Apple store and played with an 867 (?) G4 and 22" flat panel with OSX. I got serious lust. But this old box still does the job. Got my wife a G4 Titanium for her return to graduate school. She wanted to get me an iBook for Christmas, but we really can't afford it, and I think the screen would be too small for design usage.Anyway, yes, you can view the project from any angle or perspective. You can do fly-overs or walkthroughs and record them as Quicktime movies.It'll cut sections in a snap, though I've never really found any need for them. Once you start showing people the 3D renderings, sections seem obsolete. You can turn parts of the drawings on or off, like roofs so you can see the interiors from the air. It has layering capabilities,etc. The real trick is learning how to organize the drawings. I'll often have several variations on a whole house remodel in the same drawing and turn them on or off as I need to in order to generate different options for the client to see.I don't think it has window mfgs.symbols. Maybe available as third-party option. They package it in a deluxe version calle Vectorworks Architect, but it cost a lot more and is really stuff that I would never use.If I used it every day I would do more complex things with it. As is, I haul it out of mothballs a few times a year, so I tend to stick to the same level of usage out of it, which is pretty basic, given what it can really do.Best of all, it's cross-platform, and started on the Mac, so you know they aren't going to bail on you.Steve
*Mad Dog, Piffin,Here's an example of the whole-house Clay remodel with the roof off and from adifferent overhead angle. You can see the angled windows I created for the triple window over the french doors out to the deck. You can also see some crude furniture in the living room and bedroom and cars in the garage.Steve
*Peter, [post #27]The latest version of FloorPlan 3D(v6) will import back and forth from TurboCAD. Ther rendering part of that program is only OK, not great. Version 4 had Lightworks rendering that was excellent. Right now, I do the work in version 4, translate up to version 6 and then import across to TurboCAD for dimensioned drawings. Ugly, but I get good results and it only set me back about $200.You might try the FloorPlan forum to see whats available. http://www.imsisoft.com/forums/Main.cfm?CFApp=232Erich
*Thanks Steve, I have turbocad for some of those accessory creations to my Softplan - do a lot of that clipped corner studff. I got a demo disc of vectorworks but it wouldn't operate o my machine so I never looked again at it but it and autocad light look like some of the most intresting out there. I still love SP but it lacks some conmtrolable cad tools. works mostly with objects.
*Excellent Steve.I'm about sold on it, considering the cost of autocad in comparison. My new mac is an imac, g3. It's got the OSX. So far I kinda like OS9 better for ease of use, but X does have some advantages. It's all incredible to me, I'm not really computer knowledgeable but can understand the lightyears of gap between this and the powerbook it replaced, and the Mac Plus that's still on my desk too, with it's 512k of ram ready to rock at any moment...Tomorrow I was going to call an architect, and commit some serious money to a couple projects, but if I can use this program to create a persuasive look, it would be paid for 3X within a few weeks. Now I just have to figure out where to get this.MD
*bl†<=,œ´´®†¥¨¨ˆø““‘«åß?ƒ©??????¬……æ??ç???˜˜µµ=÷÷>=µ?
*I like mine with a lot of mayo.
*here's a render camera view of the plan we're working on in the gallery.. this is Chf. vs. 7.0
*here's the work in progress...
*Mike, Do any of the symbol libraries include ladders, scaffolding and piles of construction debris? Instead of these idealistic compumputer image views, you need to show the garbage cans, the kids toys scattered around the yard, the dog poop, the oil stains on the driveway [if you have a Ford], the telephone wires, the TV antennas [or is it the satellite dish?] and so on. -Peter
*pm.. that's why i take the as-built photos... reality bites , don't it ?
*Mike,Chief looks really similar to VW when I render without the Lightworks rendering engine. Does it have any built-in lighting effects?Don't ya just love that aluma-pole scaffolding? Wish I could afford some.Steve
*steve.. it has all the built-ins.. but i don't use it much.. i do the 3d walk-thrus with my customers a lot..the customers who are graphically challenged really start to understand what we're going to wind up with...mostly i try to just get working drawings out the door...i don't like to spend a lot of time cleaning up the corners for 3d and rendering...but the guys who work with Chief 24/7 can make it stand up and beg... just like the Softplan and VW.. gurus...i'm no guru.. just a design / build with too many hats.. teh bookeeping hat is being handed off to a bookeeping service , so that should free up more design timevs. 8 should be out before the end of the year.. so i'll probably go to Maine to take a refresher course...hard keeping up.. but well worth it...ALUM-A-POLE.. we got into alum-a-pole when osha was really enforcing staging rules about 4 years ago.. before their budget was gutted..we bought 3 poles and jacks from a roofer who was going out of business.. we just keep adding to it with every job
*Oh Yeah Dog?!!?!b +-rs}tqw¿_ú+ñº¿è_«½¼¼ ¼1_¦_¡»¼++¦RSƒP¥Ü_4ÿÖÖ£Hah! So there!blue
*
I lost the address for 3-D Home Architect (v 3.0) bulletin board, a Q&A site. Has anyone got it? Please write to [email protected] Thanks a lot -
Also, do you know the answer to this: I want a bumpout for a kitchen wall. The program wants to default to about 45d. Is there an override? I need 30-some-odd degrees.