Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Mar 29, 2000 01:45am | #1

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   Just dish out the money. It's worth it. I've been using Softplan for over 7 yrs now and it's a very good program. If you do find the software, it's worthless without the key. And the key will set you back $500.

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   Guest_ | Mar 29, 2000 02:57am | #2

   *You say you've benn using softplan for seven years, how did you learn how to use the software, and were you fluent with other cad programs before using softplan. What version are you using?keith

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   Guest_ | Mar 29, 2000 07:02pm | #3

   *Hey Keith,I don't want to point out the obvious- I don't have a "Keen Eye For It". But it seems to me that if one of us sells you our old softwear and a certain "Big Brother" gets wind of it legal problems may ensue.Just eatin' lunch and thinkin'.

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   Guest_ | Mar 29, 2000 07:31pm | #4

   *I checked with ART and i cud sell my extra copy of Chief Architect, but i woud also be selling my upgrade rights for my second license..the only way Chief Architect works is with a software lock for version 5.0, so the purchaser and seller have to coordinate with ART.the newer, version 6.0 has a hardware dongle, and only works if the hardware dongle is present on the machine....so, bottom line ,keith, for the software yu want , you have to buy the license with it.....but look....brand new... Chief, Vectorworks, or AutoCad lite ,, they are each less than $1,000...so, take the plunge......i did, and i ain't sorry... (Chief Architect x 2)Mike

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   Guest_ | Mar 30, 2000 02:29am | #5

   *mike & all,Thanks for all your inputs, I really never thought of being sued by a "Big Brother", so I guess I will take the plunge and open up my wallet and buy the software direct, how about softplan, is worth the money?thanks,keith

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   Guest_ | Mar 30, 2000 03:07am | #6

   *Hey Mike, what do you think of Chief? I checked out the site and even chewed over the price tag for some time (it's tough to justify the cost for one house) so I thought it would be prudent to download the demo version to see if it delivers, but "results may vary" as they say. Biggest disappointment is with the roofing tools.Keith you can download a demo version of Chief from http://www.chiefarch.com It has all the bells and whistles of the real thing, but no saving, exporting or printing so you can give it a good spin to see if you like it. If you do, you should also take a moment to check out 3D Home Architect Deluxe sold by Broderbund http://www.broderbund.com/homedesign.html . It's actually the same program as Chief made by the same people (ART) with relatively few less bells and whistles and cheap enough to buy just to see if you like it.

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   Guest_ | Mar 30, 2000 06:42am | #7

   *Hold on here. You mean that if I no longer want to use Chief Architect because I decided I liked SoftPlan better that there is something prohibiting me from selling my old Chief to Keith? I made a quick check of recent software (not design software) I purchased and I couldn't find any prohibition on selling it. Whereas I think there are some software vendors that prohibit resale I always thought the selling of COPIES was the problem...hench the "Big Brother" comment. As a matter of fact if Keith would be perfectly happy with a "used" and somewhat older version of these design programs can he not make a legitimate purchase from the original owner? I don't think he was trying to buy a COPY. I thought I would chime in because I was thinking of buying an older version of something...expecting it to be 100% legal. Do you all have something that says you can't resell the entire package...maybe a website...packaging.....??? Thor

4. 
   Guest_ | Mar 30, 2000 04:45pm | #8

   *Thor,Point well said, exactly, the original NOT a copy....keith

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   Guest_ | Mar 30, 2000 05:13pm | #9

   *either i didn't express that succinctly or you guys ain't readin......i can sell it perfectly legal.....what i sell is the license, and with that license goes my rights to upgrade....this is a valuable right... any software worth owning has some method of controlling its use...the old version of Chief (chf '97, a.k.a. vs. 5.0 )used a software lock.. after you load it you have to call Chief (ART) and they will enable it..they won't do it unless you clear it first with them..the new version uses a "dongle" , (vs.6.0), it won't work unless the dongle is plugged into your machine.......i received my 6.0 at a discount, because it was an "upgrade".. so naturally ART wants to control the ssale and resale of its valuable software..and Vector works, Autocad, Softplan and everyone else is going to do the same... or they won't stay in business..they are not unreasonable about this, and i don't know what the terms are, they do want to encourage people to buy the software...Scott...i really like Chief, and i follow vectorworks user group too, so i'm pretty confident that Chief is the one for me, Vectorworks is another notch up the learning curve.....Vectorworks would seem to have benefits for a multi-user office that Chief doesn't...but Chief is very sophisticated, and vs. 7.0 , due out in the later oart of this year will be even more powerful...my understanding of the "roof tool" is that it is the best roof tool in the business, it is just difficult to use for some roofs, but still easier and more sophisticated that the competition.. i think thta layer control is "better" in Acad & V-worksSoftplan is apx.$5k and a much steeper learning curve than V-works or Chief, which are both in the $1K range.....the best demo tool is the CD that you can get from Chief, from what i'm told there are training videos on the CD that are NOT on the download.. i think the CD is $10, i got mine from my independent dealer..Mike

6. 
   Guest_ | Mar 31, 2000 03:30am | #10

   *Keith,I'm using version 10 of softplan right now...actually I'm bouncing between 9 and 10....the main difference is that 10 is windows and 9 is DOS. If you plan on doing quite a few houses, softplan is the way to go....in fact, if you haven't yet, check out a demo. I'm a self taught user but I also attended a seminar last year to pick up some tips and try to dump some bad habits.Good luck!

7. 
   Guest_ | Mar 31, 2000 04:33pm | #11

   *While we're talking about Softplan, I'd like to ask how the other users print a 3D drawing, either line or shaded. I've got Softplan Lite and can't figure how to save the 3D drawing for printing or to print it while it's diplayed. Any hints? Thank You. DH

8. 
   Guest_ | Apr 02, 2000 08:17pm | #12

   *You guys should check out Builders Cad under builders resources at http://www.arriscad.com.Jeff Clarke