Home Designer Suite was created by Chief Architect. This version of the software is an all-in-one product that is perfect for those who want to design homes, decks and landscapes. Your designs will be validated against standard building principles. It will help you to create a new home, remodel and existing home or add exquisite landscaping. This application also includes sections on interior design and a section on kitchens and baths that will help make your dream house become a reality.
Aesthetic Appeal
Prepare to be dazzled by Home Designer Suite as you navigate through the interface to create your projects. The graphics are so detailed that you feel as if you have entered another world when you access the 3D and doll house views. The interface is simple and easy with all of the most common tools right at your fingertips. The editable home plans are beautiful, as well as the furniture, appliances, and fixtures in the object library. The library contains over 6,000 items for you to use. However, if you do not find the objects that appeal to you, you may download new object libraries from the web, from game room set-ups to the finest kitchen furnishings, Home Designer Suite won’t let you down.
Features & Tools
Home Designer Suite has many helpful tools that get the job done just the way you want. They range from curved wall tools to vaulted ceilings as well as viewing your project in 2D or 3D. One of the more helpful features that we enjoyed was the view options. You can view your home with a framing, glass, or dollhouse view, while simultaneously looking at your floor plan. The detail in these views is excellent and allows you to get an almost hands-on experience merely from looking at it.
Most home design software has walkthrough and aerial views, but Home Designer Suite provides the ability to record both views onto a video file (AVI format), which will spice up any possible demonstrations.
As you begin your project, a screen pops up allowing you to choose from a list of home design wizard styles. This allows you to design your home in a pre-defined décor style. If you find yourself struggling to come up with an overall theme for your room designs, you may attain inspiration from their Design Planning Center that has numerous articles and hundreds of pictures of professionally designed and decorated rooms, kitchens and house styles.
Some new features that caught our eye include tools to make ADA compliant ramps, pass-thru tools that allow for the creation of an opening in a wall between rooms and deck and framing buy lists that are great for creating a shopping list and lumber budget. There are several new productivity tools, including options for creating a variety of different doors, gable and hip roof toggle tool, tape measure and 3D centering.
We also appreciate the remodeling section of Home Designer Suite, as it will allow you to move a wall in order to add some additional space to an existing room. It will also allow you to change a color in just a click of a button. For even more details of the project you are doing, they have included cross-sections, which we found to be very helpful.
Support & Documentation
Home Designer Suite is all about support. Through the help option, you can access many online training videos that will help you tackle your project. Their collection of videos seems to grow exponentially with each new version of their software. There is also contact information on the site if you need more help. Printed manuals are also available and can be quite helpful for beginners or experienced designers to refer to.
Ease of Use
Ease of Use is Home Designer Suite’s middle name. The buttons and layout of the software is so efficient, that you can have a home designed in minutes. A unique feature that we noticed is in the 3D view; you can choose an object and move it without having to go to the 2D floor plan. We also like that you can use the 2D and 3D views simultaneously through out the project.
Summary
Home Designer Suite is an excellent choice for anyone needing to design or remodel a home. The interface takes a little getting used to, but when you get the hang of it, you will feel like a professional. Some of the design tools and view options can be a little tricky to work with, however, this is an exceptional choice when it comes to home design software. If you're patient with this software, it's going to pay off for you in a big way in the long run. This is an excellent choice for anyone who is looking to redesign or remodel their home.
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