Hi Guys,

My GF and I have decided we're going to build a house. We've got loads of ideas, and we would like to make some sort of plan.

These days, there are dozens of programs out there which all promise to be very easy to work with, and help you build your dream house.

I've bought one of these programs today (easy computing's Super architect 3D platinum), which says 'designing your own house has never been so easy and complete. An intuitive interface will help you to build the house of your dreams in no time". Wrong. I've been at it all night now, trying to make it understand the measurements of my piece of land. No chance. I've paid more than $100 for this piece of |#@! and I can't make it do the simplest thing.
Mind you, I'm probably mostly at fault here, but my point is I guess this program expects you to be an architect before you can work properly with it, which I'm not.

It looks like I'm $100 poorer, and not one step further. So I would like to ask you guys: do you know of any software which I can use? Which is easy to work with? And -preferably- which has a demo version which I can try before buying first (which I should have done in the first place...)?

Thanks!

Having 'downloaded' a couple of these programs in the past i'd have to say they are visualization tools and nothing more. Something to take with you for your first meeting with the architect.

Building a house is a dream of mine. But unless someone leaves me some land in a will i doubt it'll ever happen.

Your experience is in line with mine.

The other thing software can't do is provide any practical advice about home layout & style - flow if you will. An experienced pro will understand when a particular layout will cause problems, either avoiding or compensating for them.

No software, whatever the price can help with that.

.

I have quite a bit of experience with "FloorPlan 3D" (500+ hours playing with it) and have, for the most part, been satisfied. It is inexpensive (~$40)and somewhat buggy but I have found workarounds for nearly all the bugs.

Don't think for a minute that you are going to sit down, open up ANY of these programs, and immediately design a house. For me, the learning curve for FP3D, before I could do anything remotely useful, was probably 50 hours.

The version of FP3d I'm using is v10; v11 added a few capabilities and got rid of a few bugs. But the current version now for sale is called "Turbo Floor Plan" and the interface is enough different that I bailed on it after half an hour. No doubt it is every bit as good as the previous versions, but since my v10 does what I need, I felt I didn't need to go through another learning curve. Turbo FloorPlan is available as a fully functional free trial download, good for 30 days. Go here to download it. FP3D also has a very good bbs chat site, similar to this bbs, with very helpful people on it. You'll find it here.

From what I have read, Punch Software's software is considered to be the best of this genre. I purchased it for $170, and after fighting with it for about 10 hours, gave up on it and went back to FP3D. I felt it to be exceptionally complex and unintuitive, but that may well be because I was used to FP3D and expected Punch to do things in a similar fashion, so when my hard-earned tricks and techniques from FP3D didn't work I became disgruntled and blamed the software when the fault may have been mine.

You will not be able to create blueprints suitable for actual construction with this type of program. You WILL be able to work out the design, both interior and exterior, enough to give an architect exactly the idea(s) you have in mind.

tanstaafl.

Edit: I'm attaching a couple of pictures created with FP3D to give you an idea of what the program does.

You might try this:

http://sketchup.google.com/

I've been telling my friends that I'm going to build on my ranch property for too many years now, apparently.
For Christmas, one gave me this book and another gave me this software.

My mom tried the Punch! software a couple of years ago, but she wanted something that would tell her intimate details for stud walls. The learning curve was also quite daunting and, in the end, off-putting. Then again, she wasn't after a 'new home design' tool, but rather a way to easily design and build small improvements. In short- there's no substitute for expertise.
As Andy says- this is purely a visualization tool.

Meanwhile... I *do* need a visualization tool for my case. I'll be looking around with what I can do with these gifts.
We'll see how far I get with my Spanish/Pueblo Revival ideas.

Sweet.

I'm looking forward to the unveiling a few shooting star parties from now....

Oh, I know. I didn't expect this either. I knew there was going to be a learning curve, but I didn't think it would be such a steep one...


Thanks for those links, I'll give it a try. It can only be easier than that software I've got here...

The software I've got is also Punch! software. I'm happy to read I'm not the only one fighting with it. It indeed looks like very powerful software, but I guess it works best when you can take some lessons to learn how to use it. There are *so* many options, it seems impossible to figure them all out by ones' self.

... which is exactly what I want to use the software for. I am no architect, nor am I aspiring to be one. I just want to make our designing ideas as clear as possible to him before he starts drawing the final blueprints. Because us making him redo all his drawings over and over until it's *just* right will only end up costing us extra money, something I want to avoid. Building a house is incredibly expensive as most of you will probably agree, and so I'd like to save some cash everywhere I can.

Impressive! Really! Is that your own house?

Tried it, but didn't like it. It's a bit *too* basic. Thanks for the suggestion though!

This is exactly the same software I've bought. You're in for a fun time, trust me!


Agreed. Which is all I need it for. But it would be nice if they would lower the learning curve a bit. The software now comes with some example videos, but there are too few of them to be of any real use. The manual that came with the software seems daunting at first, but then things become even worse when you start reading it and realise this is only a 'quick start' guide.
As said, this is indeed some very powerful software. Shame 'powerful' usually equals 'hard to master'...


Cool! Good luck with that!

Also look at qcad (google)

Simple CAD software but very useful to sketch things like layouts etc.

The biggest factor is my trepidation wrt financing. It's quite a bite to take! Look for developments to unfold in stages rather than one single grand unveiling.


With a 50 hour learning curve, it's gonna suck for a while.


I'll have a look around the internet and see if there isn't a user forum for support (moral, if not otherwise). I hope there's one out there- if not I might be tempted to become a BBS administrator!


Thanks! Good luck to you, too.

Edit:
A quick googling for "Punch! Home Design Forum" got me a couple of links that look promising.
One is private-
http://punch-alternatives.com/base/
and the other is from Punch! Software-
http://forums.punchsoftware.com/

Well... sort of. It's the house I designed to build in Mexico, but (as of two days ago) it looks like I may go a different route. I have been offered a completed house (not as exciting as mine, IMHO) for considerably less money than it will cost to build the one I designed, and the view is fantastic. (see attached) It is in Ajijic, Mexico (where I am writing this on SWMBO's laptop).

Upsides:
---$200K less expensive;
---No stress of building a house;
---Truly fantastic view;
---"Built-in" caretaker service when away;
---Immediate access to highly knowledgeable locals;
---6 to 12 month earlier date of occupancy;
---Total household expenses (gas/water/sewer/electric/taxes/part-time maid+gardener/phone/DSL Internet/TV/Maintenance): ~$100 per month. (That is not a misprint: Approx. one hundred US dollars per month!)
Downsides:
---Only 2/3 the living area;
---No guest quarters;
---No yard;
---Limited storage (I won't mind, SWMBO will be less enthused)

Even if I had the extra $200K, it would be a hard choice.

tanstaafl.

I found an amazing house with many styling cues I'd like in my design.
I don't have $8M, though, but the realtor's house-tour website is very upscale.
Breathtakingly beautiful and absolutely massive.