Home Designer Architectural

This company should be embarrassed to release such poorly designed software in “2021”.

My husband loved the older version (a few years ago) because it used words; the newer versions use unintelligible pictures and he is at a loss as to how to decipher them, so he gave up on this $200 program and went back to the older one.

First of all it takes quite some time and effort to learn. I would say there is very little that is intuitive. You get a lot of fluff options such as kitchen gadgets and light fixtures. However REAL features such as two different roof pitches is not possible. You also cannot change defaults on roof types. I hope you want a hip roof because that is the only default roof there is. Again really? a simple gable roof is not a choice as default auto build roof? I made the mistake of buying this twice, learn from my experience, and dont buy once.

The app is very difficult to use and will frustrate you on many levels. If you purchase new computers frequently, be ready to contact them to unlock your license if you try to move it to a new machine. On the third time, theyll try to charge you additionally to unlock the software youve purchased.

I have used AutoCAD for several years at work and it is over priced & can be not user friendly from time to time. Im retired now & wanted something to design houses. I couldnt believe how many features this software has for the price. Plus the help files & videos do a good job providing the inexperienced cad designer with good software instructions.

I ordered it in USB and received a disc. WTH??? Good thing I have an external disc drive or I would be returning it since the intended recipient has no way to load it.

I have had program for 5 months. It is difficult to change a plan once you start it. If you spend considerable time on a house plan but then want to modify it such as change terrain, modify walls, delete a basement etc it is a very cumbersome process and often easier to start over. Modifying stair riser height is not available so matching stairs to lofts is difficult. Having said that there are many great features in the program.

Very Easy to use, Good amount of features that you get for the money. I use this program for fun and to design homes and other buildings. Budget friendly, went through chief architect to upgrade from a previous version. Love the new rendering engine for 3D views. It will take some time to get the lighting just right but once you get the hang of it very easy from that point on. Followed manual and you will be up in no time. I highly recommend this software. Five Stars. Thank you for taking the time to read my review.