Best CAD house design architect software?

Have you considered a straight edge, a French curve, and some vellum? With this and a decent drafting pencil, you won't have ANY software limitations

 

Just sign up for a CAD class and then purchase AutoCAD at the student price.

 

If it's for fun, and you don't need all the bells and whistles, Broderbunds' 3D Home Architect is pretty damn nice for $60.

 

I used AUTOCAD at school for an engineering drawing class. Works very well, and fairly simple to use.

 

Student Autocad is 2D only. The 3D Autocad program is several thousand $$. Even the 2D version takes serious time to master.

I'd never seen Chief Architect before but it looks like an in-between, much easier to learn and use than professional-geared software like Autocad but quite sophisticated and enough to do plenty. At two grand not cheap but for someone who wants to seriously get into the process of planning their house and is willing to invest the time to learn it and use it, maybe a good purchase...architectural fees run $100 an hour and up for preliminary design work.

For someone who wants to experiment with house plans, exterior elevations, and 3D massing one of the low priced programs like the Broderbund Home Architect is fun and totally adequate. I've had clients bring me plans that they worked out on this type of program and we went from there.

Hand drafting is the old-school way. It's a time honored and traditional discipline and every apprentice architect should have to master it along with CAD. Also very tedious and messy; I'd recommend using the time to learn an amateur-level CAD program.

 

Eric, excellent question.

I first bought the Punch 5 in 1 home design program, and it was actually pretty good at floor plans & 3D flyarounds. Easy user interface. But it couldn't do custom roof lines, or anything other than square flat lots.

Next, I bought TurboCad as it looked like it had a home design component to it - but that part was rubbish.

So I went and spent the $200 on the Punch Architectural Series 3000 program, and have been very happy with it: http://www.punchsoftware.com/products/as3000.htm

I am designing a 2 story garage/bathroom/bedroom addition. My sloped corner lot has a funky shape and I wanted to see what would fit (given an encroaching 10 foot setback on the triangular side yard I have to work with). Although not an issue for me, the only thing I can't see how to do are the little trim details for the eaves etc. which would help fully visualize your brand new design. It has existing designs to modify, and you can export to AutoCAD too.

Hope this helps, (not afilliated etc)
Jon

 

Eric,

I have hundreds of hours of experience with AutoCad and chief arcitect, they are both solid programs with their own pros and cons. However, I wouldnt suggest buying chief arch. if its any more than a few hundered dollars (I have no idea what it costs). Although it is quick 'er' to learn it is still a long process, too long to do only one project with (unless you have lots of spare time). Whatever you choose, have fun

 

Also--take a look on ebay and see if you can find a used older version, maybe 6.0 or so, of ArchiCAD for a few hundred bucks. This is an ultra-sophisticated program designed specifically for architecture. It's very user friendly and easy to learn the basics and will do full 3D building modeling, custom rooflines, etc.

I think Rijk--architect, Fchatter, and Daytona owner--uses this in his practice.

I have V7.0 (9.0 or 9.5 is current, I think) and around $5,000.00 invested in the program, upgrades and addons. Not in the biz any more but it is a tool I use all the time...helping a friend with house remodel ideas now.

 

Incorrect the student version of Autocad 20XX is the full version including 3D. You can even putchase the Arch. or Mechanical Version of Autocad with a student discount. Autocad LT is a 2D only version of Autocad.

And if you ask me how i know this... Simple i have Autocad 2004 student version installed on my Laptop and have drawn a 3D wireframe of the F2003-GA and a 3D solid drawing of a Hewland Transmission.

 

All I took in the way of Autocad courses was the basic, with the 2D LT version...didn't know tht they sold student 3D. Archicad was the program I used in my work.

 

Check out Journeyed.com, academicsuperstore.com and studica.com They offer nearly every piece of software that is avaliable for education discount.