I am a woodworker who is just beginning to consider house remodeling. I was measuring my home’s rooms in preparation for sketching a layout, and it occured to me that I should invest in a design/layout program. First off I need to determine linear footage for all interior trim. Later I might want to layout kitchen cabinets. Can anyone recommend some software choices for me? I don’t necessarily need 3D visualization right now.
Thanks
Doug
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I spent $99 and bought Home Designer 6.0 by Chief Architect about a year ago. It is "branded" as Better Homes and Gardens but the software is owned by Chief Architect. Chief Architect has a professional version for much more money but I found this version to be good for the home user and laying out walls and exploring options. It does have 3rd views but most of them will have that feature. You can do floor plans as well as cabinets, furniture, etc.
I used to do CAD work so using this program was very easy for me. I can't say how'd be if you've never done CAD type of work before. My guess it'd be easy as the interface is pretty simple
I could not get the program to do my dormers right (shed roof dormers) but overall it has been pretty good for what I wanted it for and that was for laying out options for a kitchen remodel I want to do. I can't say it's the best but all the products in this price range seem similar.
I've attached a couple of JPG files so you can see what the output is like.
Diane
Diane,Thank you for the quick response. You gave me just the information I needed. This suite of programs is still priced at $99 and it looks quite acceptable to me. Although I have never used a CAD program, I am confident that I will be able to master it quickly. The 3D stuff looks great!Happy New Year,Doug