Customer Reviews

Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer Pro 8.0 [OLD VERSION]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Home Designer Pro software is a cut-down version of the full Chief Architect product (allowing a building to be drawn that is less than 4 stories tall). It is a good product for professionals in the residential construction field -- WAY better than the others available. If you have version 7.0, Chief Architect's website would be a good visit -- they update to version 8.0 for products purchased between certain dates.

I have been an avid user/teacher of Chief Architect Inc software since 1995 (I mainly use Chief Architect X1 in my /drafting and design business) but the line of consumer software like Home Designer Pro 8 is a great way to introduce yourself to professional level output. Yes it is a cut-down version in terms of choices and productivity tools that are available in its "Big Brother" (Chief X1) but at 1/5 th the price it makes up for the extra steps its economy warrants. The only thing that is more difficult to do in Pro than Chief X1 is curved roof planes, other than that it can easily do what programs costing many thousands more can do.

David J. Potter

I've been using Autocad for +20 years, and taught Autocad for 4 years. I JUST PUT IT TO SLEEP after using Home Designer Pro 8.0 !!!!!! If you are into designing Custom Homes, the software pays for itself on the preliminary design phases. Designing in 3D is a wonderful experience!!! However I did purchase it considering it as a full trial before purchasing (+2000 dlls) the full blown version Chief Architect for detailing the design. Once I buy it I will still use HD 8.0 for designing interiors, remodeling or landscape jobs.
IT IS THE BEST SOFTWARE I HAVE EXPERIENCED.
After so many years, Autocad is too big and complicated rocket science tool, expensive, 2D process, time consuming, if you are designing Custom Homes. With HD 8.0 I feel liberated and enjoy designing, with Autocad, you never finish feeding the beast!!!

I recently got the BHG Designer Pro 8 version and started by watching the video tutorials and skimming through the extremely thorough manual. This was adequate to get me started on using the software even though I had no previous design or CAD experience. In very little time I had reproduced my architect's plan and was looking at it in 3D. This helped us identify changes to our architect's plans (and getting my wife's agreement) and no doubt we saved a lot of money than making these changes after the work starts. I have not yet developed my roof building skills to where I can match my architect's drawings but I am working on this.

I also experimented with importing my architect's plans into Pro and using the CAD to Walls features and amazingly in a matter of seconds my architect's plan was in my system. As it turned out, I reverted to the manually drawn plan since I was having some problems (probably me rather than the software) with the doors and windows in the CAD to walls drawing and doing it from scratch was easy enough anyway.

This is a fantastically powerful, feature laden program and the many things I have tried actually work !!! I have not used any competitors' design products so I cannot compare across these. However, if you have basic computer skills, this program is easy to use even for complex items of a plan. Important thing is to do the homework of watching the tutorials / skimming the manuals before using this immensely powerful system. Also they have a very active user forum and lots of great info there too.

I purchased HomeDesigner Pro 7.0, and then upgraded to version 8.0. The software is pretty good, especially for a one level floor plan. It gets pretty iffy, for multi level plans. The videos are helpful, but I keep looking at Barnes and Noble, for a book that would explain how to use some of the really great features of this product.
What really bothers me, is that when I now start the program, I get this popup window that informs me that an "update" is available. Normally, when I see that an update is available, it is a no cost update to the current version. But...no, this update is for a $200.00 upgrade to the next version. THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE!!! And it's pretty annoying to have to click the NO button, just to start the software that I've already paid for.
Functionally, the libraries don't really include uptodate materials, and eventhough this is supposed to be a Chef Architect product, it's really turning out to be a poorly supported product.
And then there's this UBS device, used to make sure that the software is being run legally. Well, if you can tell that I don't have the latest version of your software, why do I need to have the stupid USB device taking up one of my ports?
So, I have to say that the product is not really bad, and can be pretty useful, but this whole issue of making sure that the software is being run legally, and the annoying "Update" messages makes me sometimes regret that I've spent the money. It's beginning to look like a money pit.

I have tried all of the other home designs products on the market, well maybe not all, but most. This one is the best but does have some limitations. If you make a change in a wall type, all the walls in the drwaing change. You can't select one wall and alter it.
Other than that it is the best, takes a little practice to learn how to use but is vastly superior to any other I have tried.
If your doing an addition or remodeling or a whole new home, this is the one to get.

Most folks know this has a steep learning curve. What you might not know is the company produces new versions at an amazing rate, changing very little, and then drops all support for previous versions. Plunk down $500 and get dropped like a hot potato after a few months unless you shell out more for the latest version.
If that's not bad enough, all the little quirks in this program will provide endless frustration if you try to produce a set of plans for actual construction. Most professionals do not use Chief so forget about porting your plans to someone who can actually finish the design.
Maybe I'm not the smartest at this sort of thing. I have a job and a life, and cannot spend every waking hour fooling with this program. I thought I was paying $500 for something that would make it easier to get to the final plan stage. It's taken years and I could have saved a lot of time without this program.
This program is so unfriendly you might as well draw plans the old fashioned way, with pencil and paper, and pass it along to someone with a real design program. You'll be money ahead.

I had Punch Software and it was giving me problems with the roof planes so I got this for $479. This is a more rounded software - it gives me problems with walls, ceilings, and roofs. Make a change to the size of your plan and the walls revert to ...well, they change to what the developer had in mind apparently! This is good if you want to design garden sheds or double wides but step away from the norm and you have a fight on your hands.

I LOVE this software! I was very impressed with the ease of the learning curve for it. The menu based user-friendliness makes it enjoyable to use. Once you get used to using the program, it is easy to venture into trying the CAD tools that are available as well. I have no prior CAD program experience, and was able to produce "blue print" quality prints for submission to the building department for an addition on my sister's house. Everything from basic floor plans to the foundation, plumbing, wiring and elevations. Very, very nice.
My only issue with buying this software is that about 1 1/2 months, they released the next version of it. wish I would have known, it would have waited. The next version had some upgrades that would have been very helpful. Other than that, I was very pleased. I might also add, that I was able to attend some of the webinars that Chief Architect offers, they were VERY helpful and well worth the time.

Designer Pro 8 has corrected several bugs with the 3d rendering and does not crash when the image is revolved. Additional add on items are appreciated.

Adapting to the new menu bar layout is easy and after a couple of time becomes fairly intutive.

For ease of use, I highly recommend this product