Looking for good design software for renovation. Computer literate and have spent time with T square and triangle. Looking for ease of design, estimation, and generate construction documents. Willing to pay some money, but don’t want to go to CAD.
Thanks.
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Replies
Have you looked at Sketchup?
Some here have done some nice renderings with even the free version. Something to think about if to just get your feet wet.
Feet are wet with software used to design present house 10 years ago. Seeking the real deal to create construction documents. Buying craftsman home that needs renovation and have little time to fool around with "almost" design software. Thanks for the suggestion though.
Seek out Piffin or Mike Smith
here or at breaktimeclassic.
Turbocad is inexpensive and works OK. I use VectorWorks which draws circles around most other programs, but it is costly.
Chief Architect has products for you
Light versions to the whole nine yards, very good software for modeling, drafting, laying out construction docs, and rendering scenes.
I've used Sketchup to produce a set of "construction docs" all printed on letter-sized paper, for permitting and building a modest new house. Did the same for room additions, garages, and more. Location was in a rural area with a small unsophisticated building department.
If you are building it yourself or doing most of the remodeling yourself, Sketchup can model absolutely everything you will do, and while you may have to print off a whole 3-ring notebook of prints with dimensions and notes, it can be done.
But, if you have to deal with larger and more sophisicated building departments, architects, engineers, and subcontractors all requiring prints, you will need something like what Chief can offer.
The interior rendering shown was done using Chief Architect.
The framing view rendering was done using Sketchup, and is at 1:1 scale.
Take it from a Professional...
Dirtpour,
Your best option is using some graph paper and a mechanical pencil.
I have seen so many over-enthusiastic homeowners who want to use CAD to design their homes. They buy the software and struggle through the endless hours of frustration learning the complex program. They pour dozens of hours into creating a drawing that isn't really even professional quality but far beyond what the building department requires. Had they just realized that a simple paper and pencil sketch would suffice they could have saved themselves many hours. True story.
Unless you are looking for a new (very aggravating) hobby or thinking about becoming a professional designer I suggest you turn off the computer and buy a pad of graph paper.
If however, you don't want to take my very serious and professional advice - and they never do - then I suggest you download the free version of Google Sketchup and watch the video tutorials!
Sketchup is one of the easiest CAD softwares to learn, it is highly intuitive, it gives instant 3d results, it is free, and it is very quickly becoming the CAD standard such like AutoCad used to be. Note that CAD is a generic software acronym for any Computer Aided Design program while AutoCad which most people just call CAD is a brand name program title from the AutoDesk software company.
Seriously CAD is great if you already know how to use it well and you need to design a whole house from scratch. But even I will simply break out a pencil and pad of graph paper if I just need to move a few walls. For estimating you are better off learning and using Microsoft Excel as it is pretty much the standard for spreadsheets and works great to make household budgets and the like. But again, I do most of my real estimating on graph paper then transfer it to the computer just so I can print it on my letterhead.
CAD is a tool like any other. But you don't need a 12" sliding compound miter saw when a pocket knife will do the job.
I recall my dad's favorite rule of thumb: Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)
DC
"Looking for good design
"Looking for good design software ... but don't want to go to CAD."
So - what does that mean - I want computer aided Design software but don't want Computer aided design software is what you said.