CAD experts?

[RoyJackson]

Re: CAD experts?-Chief Architect

040-505 Chief Architect 8.0 Enterprise Edition Bundle - 5 Licenses - limit one per account $3995.00
041-506 Chief Architect 8.0 Enterprise Edition Network Lock - 5 Licenses - limit one per account $3995.00
010-201 Chief Architect 8.0 Professional Bundle - 2 Licenses Parallel Lock - limit one per account $1995.00
011-201 Chief Architect 8.0 Professional Bundle - 2 Licenses USB Lock - limit one per account $1995.00
012-201 Chief Architect 8.0 Professional Bundle - 2 Licenses Password Security - limit one per account $1995.00
020-100 Chief Architect 8.0 Full Version - Parallel Lock $1495.00
021-100 Chief Architect 8.0 Full Version - USB Lock $1495.00
022-100 Chief Architect 8.0 Full Version - Password Security $1495.00
030-300 Chief Architect 8.0 Base Version - Parallel Lock $995.00
031-300 Chief Architect 8.0 Base Version - USB Lock $995.00
032-300 Chief Architect 8.0 Base Version - Password Security <font color=red>$995.00</font color=red>

Right from the site...

You can do AutoCAD Lite for two or three hundred less.
IntelliCAD even cheaper...
But it looks like the learning curve may been simpler for Chief Architect 8.0.

However, I'd still do a search on eBay for these programs. The version you find may not be the latest (for AutoCAD, I wouldn't go older then Version 14) and, always a possibility of bootleg version (pay by PayPal). You'll still save some cash though.

 

[tc35dforme]

Ron,

I'm a daily AutoCadLT 2000 user, soon to upggrade to 2002LT. You bet AutoCad is more pricey, but it is the running standard and a lot of bang for the buck. If you serious about running it, its probably worth the cash. Once you buy a full price copy the updates are fairly cheap ( $ 200 ). You may want to do a search for a new copy of LT2000i ( egghead.com ). It'll do the job and save a few bucks up front.

In terms of exporting, your gonna want to export a .plt file to the print shop. This file is a 'plot' file and contains all the specifics as to how thick ( heavy ) the various lines are and all the other specific aspects of the drawing. Most decent shops accept the .plt file electronically ( email ) and plot it for you ...ready when you get there !

Likewise, .dxf files cannot always support the specific details that your drawing may contain. when the .dxf is imported by another user, some items may not translate quite right ( linetypes, text styles, dimension styles, etc ) especially if you are sending someone using a different program.

If you don't have a lot to do, maybe find a kid at the local technical school looking for a project or a few bucks.

Good Luck!!

[ hey, I just noticed in your bio that we're almost neighbors...just another thought...Autocad offers an student or acedemic version of Autocad that is available to teachers or students ( you must know one !!?? ). The only hitch is you need to use a school ID to order it. I'll try to get some info and post it ]

 

[RoyJackson]

Likewise, .dxf files cannot always support the specific details that your drawing may contain. when the .dxf is imported by another user, some items may not translate quite right ( linetypes, text styles, dimension styles, etc ) especially if you are sending someone using a different program.

Yeah, we really had problem using ".dxf" files sent in by the customers. The dwg. would be there, but the fonts, dimension lines etc were normally screwed up.

The customer used ProE (nice but BIG $$$'s). Our engineer was using Solidworks, I (in QA) was using IntelliCAD (I captured parts of the drawing for use in quality documents). IntelliCAD would open and print (or plot) any AutoCAD file with no loss in format (although we may have to open the printer/plotter driver and change settings somewhat). ProE, however, was a different issue.
Our applications wouldn't open a ".plt" file. When I used AutoCAD 14, we could save as that, but normally that file was automatically generated when saving as a ".dxf"

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: CAD experts?-Chief Architect

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Fax: (208) 664-1316

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.chiefarchitect.com/PDFs/80brochureScreen.PDF>8 Page Chief Architect PDF brochure-simple as 1-2-3...</A>

 

[patrickg]

John,

Good call. I second what John Miller the third said. I have 3D Home Architect 4.0 and Floor Plan 3D Design suit
A__N__D Chief Architect 97. I designed my mom's house with Chief Architect. Not too steep of a learning curve. Pretty good libraries of appliances, furniture, cabinetry, windows, doors, and on and on. You can build your own as well. Pretty good 3D perspective views, walkthroughs, dimensioning and so forth. I am not a trained architect and this program didn't make me into one but after the fact the builder paid me a couple of good complements. In the year after he finished it (couple months to go on that year yet) after having argued with me about certain features he built some spec houses that look very suspiciously like some of the stuff I did on my mom's. He and I became friends along the way and he admits now that too many people he toured through my mom's hose in the building process liked what I did for him to ignore it so he built some spec houses and was quite successful with them.

I of course, not being an architect, surfed the internet for ideas to synthisize and Chief Architect 97 made it relatively easy. I did not go to large format standard plans or prints. I did a lot of site visits and was available to make small changes. This might not work for every builder/owner team but is the reason I can't comment on the output from Chief Architect. I printed everything on 8 1/2 by 11 paper. Only a few mosaics, mostly just smaller prints of sections and complete elevations and plan views with a few 3D perspectives. Requires faith and trust. Worked for me. Could have been a disaster with a less honest, forthright, and experienced builder.

Best of luck to anyone with DIY architecture aspirations. I'm gonna get help on the next house I build (mine) as it is more complicated than my mom's single floor, 3 br 3 bath open plan with 2200 sq ft.

Patrick