| Junk JUNK | Rating:  |
| I was upgrading from verison 3 to 5. I knew something was up when i opened the box. Version 3 has 6 cd's verison 5 has 2 cd's 1 cd has aol on it. What a waste of mony time and packaging. TOTAL JUNK TRASH |
| Total Votes: 0, Helpful Votes: 0, Date: 2008-02-02 |
| |
| I liked it | Rating:  |
| I write this review sitting in the study of a house that I designed entirely myself using the broderbund software. It took me two years, but I was able to make floorplans that a local builder was able to work from and get permits from. My house is exactly as planned and the 3-D model generated by the software is a spitting image of the house. When I show it to people and tell them that it was all done before the house was built they don't believe me. I get the impression from the reviews that people think being an architect is something one can learn in an afternoon from a book. Not so. If you really want to design something that will be built, the amount of time you will spend mastering this software is nothing compared to the time it will take you to understand how all of the various local and national building code rules are going to force you to do this or that with your plan. I am not an architect, but I was able to use this software to enable me to have a house built exactly to my specifications. If you aren't willing to invest a lot of time in it, you should hire a professional. |
| Total Votes: 11, Helpful Votes: 11, Date: 2004-04-27 |
| |
| Most UNINTUITIVE product ever used | Rating: |
| I've been in software development and sales for almost 20 years. This product qualifies as the most unitiutive product I've ever used (going back to DOS days). I've sold very sofisiticated software products that were 100 times easier to use. I can't believe Broderbund trys to sell this as a consumer product. In addition, after working on a design for an hour or so the software would crash and corrupt the file forcing me to recreate my work. Never mind saving your work every few minutes. It didn't matter as it would still corrupt the file. I would highly recommend finding a different solution. |
| Total Votes: 9, Helpful Votes: 8, Date: 2004-03-15 |
| |
| What A Piece Of Garbage! | Rating: |
| Can't add much that hasn't already been said...hard to use, completely counter-intuitive...and the help index and instruction manual are useless. If you type in "soffit," "beam," or "fireplace" there aren't even entries with corresponding instructions! Also, where are commands for crown molding, baseboard, etc? I'll stick with Version 3, which is a much easier-to-use product and offers more features. |
| Total Votes: 12, Helpful Votes: 12, Date: 2004-02-11 |
| |
| This is a HUGE step backward from version 3.0 | Rating: |
| I've used 3D Home Architect 3.0 for years with great success. Even though it's 5 years old, it beats the pants off of version 5.1. Actually, 5.1 appears to be a completely different package, and you can't open any projects that you created with the older versions. Tasks that were so simple with 3.0 are ridiculously difficult and frustrating with 5.1. For example, if you add an interior wall that is not connected to an exterior wall, you have to drag it to where you think you want it, then measure (with a very difficult to use tape measure), then move it again, measure, and repeat until it's where you want it. What happened to automatical visual dimension lines that were in 3.0!!!? The primary problem with this version lies in it's lack of usability. It takes hours to do what took minutes in the previous version. I was grateful for Broderbund's money back guarantee - I took them up on it. This product stinks. The biggest dissapointment is, there's no upgrade path for fan's of 3D Home Architect 3.0, which was (and still is) an exceptional product. I STRONGLY recommend against this product. |
| Total Votes: 15, Helpful Votes: 14, Date: 2004-01-27 |
| |
| Junk JUNK | Rating: |
| I was upgrading from verison 3 to 5. I knew something was up when i opened the box. Version 3 has 6 cd's verison 5 has 2 cd's 1 cd has aol on it. What a waste of mony time and packaging. TOTAL JUNK TRASH |
| Total Votes: 0, Helpful Votes: 0, Date: 2008-02-02 |
| |
| I liked it | Rating: |
| I write this review sitting in the study of a house that I designed entirely myself using the broderbund software. It took me two years, but I was able to make floorplans that a local builder was able to work from and get permits from. My house is exactly as planned and the 3-D model generated by the software is a spitting image of the house. When I show it to people and tell them that it was all done before the house was built they don't believe me. I get the impression from the reviews that people think being an architect is something one can learn in an afternoon from a book. Not so. If you really want to design something that will be built, the amount of time you will spend mastering this software is nothing compared to the time it will take you to understand how all of the various local and national building code rules are going to force you to do this or that with your plan. I am not an architect, but I was able to use this software to enable me to have a house built exactly to my specifications. If you aren't willing to invest a lot of time in it, you should hire a professional. |
| Total Votes: 11, Helpful Votes: 11, Date: 2004-04-27 |
| |
| Most UNINTUITIVE product ever used | Rating: |
| I've been in software development and sales for almost 20 years. This product qualifies as the most unitiutive product I've ever used (going back to DOS days). I've sold very sofisiticated software products that were 100 times easier to use. I can't believe Broderbund trys to sell this as a consumer product. In addition, after working on a design for an hour or so the software would crash and corrupt the file forcing me to recreate my work. Never mind saving your work every few minutes. It didn't matter as it would still corrupt the file. I would highly recommend finding a different solution. |
| Total Votes: 9, Helpful Votes: 8, Date: 2004-03-15 |
| |
| What A Piece Of Garbage! | Rating: |
| Can't add much that hasn't already been said...hard to use, completely counter-intuitive...and the help index and instruction manual are useless. If you type in "soffit," "beam," or "fireplace" there aren't even entries with corresponding instructions! Also, where are commands for crown molding, baseboard, etc? I'll stick with Version 3, which is a much easier-to-use product and offers more features. |
| Total Votes: 12, Helpful Votes: 12, Date: 2004-02-11 |
| |
| This is a HUGE step backward from version 3.0 | Rating: |
| I've used 3D Home Architect 3.0 for years with great success. Even though it's 5 years old, it beats the pants off of version 5.1. Actually, 5.1 appears to be a completely different package, and you can't open any projects that you created with the older versions. Tasks that were so simple with 3.0 are ridiculously difficult and frustrating with 5.1. For example, if you add an interior wall that is not connected to an exterior wall, you have to drag it to where you think you want it, then measure (with a very difficult to use tape measure), then move it again, measure, and repeat until it's where you want it. What happened to automatical visual dimension lines that were in 3.0!!!? The primary problem with this version lies in it's lack of usability. It takes hours to do what took minutes in the previous version. I was grateful for Broderbund's money back guarantee - I took them up on it. This product stinks. The biggest dissapointment is, there's no upgrade path for fan's of 3D Home Architect 3.0, which was (and still is) an exceptional product. I STRONGLY recommend against this product. |
| Total Votes: 15, Helpful Votes: 14, Date: 2004-01-27 |
| |
| Junk JUNK | Rating: |
| I was upgrading from verison 3 to 5. I knew something was up when i opened the box. Version 3 has 6 cd's verison 5 has 2 cd's 1 cd has aol on it. What a waste of mony time and packaging. TOTAL JUNK TRASH |
| Total Votes: 0, Helpful Votes: 0, Date: 2008-02-02 |
| |
| I liked it | Rating: |
| I write this review sitting in the study of a house that I designed entirely myself using the broderbund software. It took me two years, but I was able to make floorplans that a local builder was able to work from and get permits from. My house is exactly as planned and the 3-D model generated by the software is a spitting image of the house. When I show it to people and tell them that it was all done before the house was built they don't believe me. I get the impression from the reviews that people think being an architect is something one can learn in an afternoon from a book. Not so. If you really want to design something that will be built, the amount of time you will spend mastering this software is nothing compared to the time it will take you to understand how all of the various local and national building code rules are going to force you to do this or that with your plan. I am not an architect, but I was able to use this software to enable me to have a house built exactly to my specifications. If you aren't willing to invest a lot of time in it, you should hire a professional. |
| Total Votes: 11, Helpful Votes: 11, Date: 2004-04-27 |
| |
| Most UNINTUITIVE product ever used | Rating: |
| I've been in software development and sales for almost 20 years. This product qualifies as the most unitiutive product I've ever used (going back to DOS days). I've sold very sofisiticated software products that were 100 times easier to use. I can't believe Broderbund trys to sell this as a consumer product. In addition, after working on a design for an hour or so the software would crash and corrupt the file forcing me to recreate my work. Never mind saving your work every few minutes. It didn't matter as it would still corrupt the file. I would highly recommend finding a different solution. |
| Total Votes: 9, Helpful Votes: 8, Date: 2004-03-15 |
| |
| What A Piece Of Garbage! | Rating: |
| Can't add much that hasn't already been said...hard to use, completely counter-intuitive...and the help index and instruction manual are useless. If you type in "soffit," "beam," or "fireplace" there aren't even entries with corresponding instructions! Also, where are commands for crown molding, baseboard, etc? I'll stick with Version 3, which is a much easier-to-use product and offers more features. |
| Total Votes: 12, Helpful Votes: 12, Date: 2004-02-11 |
| |
| This is a HUGE step backward from version 3.0 | Rating: |
| I've used 3D Home Architect 3.0 for years with great success. Even though it's 5 years old, it beats the pants off of version 5.1. Actually, 5.1 appears to be a completely different package, and you can't open any projects that you created with the older versions. Tasks that were so simple with 3.0 are ridiculously difficult and frustrating with 5.1. For example, if you add an interior wall that is not connected to an exterior wall, you have to drag it to where you think you want it, then measure (with a very difficult to use tape measure), then move it again, measure, and repeat until it's where you want it. What happened to automatical visual dimension lines that were in 3.0!!!? The primary problem with this version lies in it's lack of usability. It takes hours to do what took minutes in the previous version. I was grateful for Broderbund's money back guarantee - I took them up on it. This product stinks. The biggest dissapointment is, there's no upgrade path for fan's of 3D Home Architect 3.0, which was (and still is) an exceptional product. I STRONGLY recommend against this product. |
| Total Votes: 15, Helpful Votes: 14, Date: 2004-01-27 |
| |
| Junk JUNK | Rating: |
| I was upgrading from verison 3 to 5. I knew something was up when i opened the box. Version 3 has 6 cd's verison 5 has 2 cd's 1 cd has aol on it. What a waste of mony time and packaging. TOTAL JUNK TRASH |
| Total Votes: 0, Helpful Votes: 0, Date: 2008-02-02 |
| |
| I liked it | Rating: |
| I write this review sitting in the study of a house that I designed entirely myself using the broderbund software. It took me two years, but I was able to make floorplans that a local builder was able to work from and get permits from. My house is exactly as planned and the 3-D model generated by the software is a spitting image of the house. When I show it to people and tell them that it was all done before the house was built they don't believe me. I get the impression from the reviews that people think being an architect is something one can learn in an afternoon from a book. Not so. If you really want to design something that will be built, the amount of time you will spend mastering this software is nothing compared to the time it will take you to understand how all of the various local and national building code rules are going to force you to do this or that with your plan. I am not an architect, but I was able to use this software to enable me to have a house built exactly to my specifications. If you aren't willing to invest a lot of time in it, you should hire a professional. |
| Total Votes: 11, Helpful Votes: 11, Date: 2004-04-27 |
| |
| Most UNINTUITIVE product ever used | Rating: |
| I've been in software development and sales for almost 20 years. This product qualifies as the most unitiutive product I've ever used (going back to DOS days). I've sold very sofisiticated software products that were 100 times easier to use. I can't believe Broderbund trys to sell this as a consumer product. In addition, after working on a design for an hour or so the software would crash and corrupt the file forcing me to recreate my work. Never mind saving your work every few minutes. It didn't matter as it would still corrupt the file. I would highly recommend finding a different solution. |
| Total Votes: 9, Helpful Votes: 8, Date: 2004-03-15 |
| |
| What A Piece Of Garbage! | Rating: |
| Can't add much that hasn't already been said...hard to use, completely counter-intuitive...and the help index and instruction manual are useless. If you type in "soffit," "beam," or "fireplace" there aren't even entries with corresponding instructions! Also, where are commands for crown molding, baseboard, etc? I'll stick with Version 3, which is a much easier-to-use product and offers more features. |
| Total Votes: 12, Helpful Votes: 12, Date: 2004-02-11 |
| |
| This is a HUGE step backward from version 3.0 | Rating: |
| I've used 3D Home Architect 3.0 for years with great success. Even though it's 5 years old, it beats the pants off of version 5.1. Actually, 5.1 appears to be a completely different package, and you can't open any projects that you created with the older versions. Tasks that were so simple with 3.0 are ridiculously difficult and frustrating with 5.1. For example, if you add an interior wall that is not connected to an exterior wall, you have to drag it to where you think you want it, then measure (with a very difficult to use tape measure), then move it again, measure, and repeat until it's where you want it. What happened to automatical visual dimension lines that were in 3.0!!!? The primary problem with this version lies in it's lack of usability. It takes hours to do what took minutes in the previous version. I was grateful for Broderbund's money back guarantee - I took them up on it. This product stinks. The biggest dissapointment is, there's no upgrade path for fan's of 3D Home Architect 3.0, which was (and still is) an exceptional product. I STRONGLY recommend against this product. |
| Total Votes: 15, Helpful Votes: 14, Date: 2004-01-27 |
| |
| Junk JUNK | Rating: |
| I was upgrading from verison 3 to 5. I knew something was up when i opened the box. Version 3 has 6 cd's verison 5 has 2 cd's 1 cd has aol on it. What a waste of mony time and packaging. TOTAL JUNK TRASH |
| Total Votes: 0, Helpful Votes: 0, Date: 2008-02-02 |
| |
| I liked it | Rating: |
| I write this review sitting in the study of a house that I designed entirely myself using the broderbund software. It took me two years, but I was able to make floorplans that a local builder was able to work from and get permits from. My house is exactly as planned and the 3-D model generated by the software is a spitting image of the house. When I show it to people and tell them that it was all done before the house was built they don't believe me. I get the impression from the reviews that people think being an architect is something one can learn in an afternoon from a book. Not so. If you really want to design something that will be built, the amount of time you will spend mastering this software is nothing compared to the time it will take you to understand how all of the various local and national building code rules are going to force you to do this or that with your plan. I am not an architect, but I was able to use this software to enable me to have a house built exactly to my specifications. If you aren't willing to invest a lot of time in it, you should hire a professional. |
| Total Votes: 11, Helpful Votes: 11, Date: 2004-04-27 |
| |
| Most UNINTUITIVE product ever used | Rating: |
| I've been in software development and sales for almost 20 years. This product qualifies as the most unitiutive product I've ever used (going back to DOS days). I've sold very sofisiticated software products that were 100 times easier to use. I can't believe Broderbund trys to sell this as a consumer product. In addition, after working on a design for an hour or so the software would crash and corrupt the file forcing me to recreate my work. Never mind saving your work every few minutes. It didn't matter as it would still corrupt the file. I would highly recommend finding a different solution. |
| Total Votes: 9, Helpful Votes: 8, Date: 2004-03-15 |
| |
| What A Piece Of Garbage! | Rating: |
| Can't add much that hasn't already been said...hard to use, completely counter-intuitive...and the help index and instruction manual are useless. If you type in "soffit," "beam," or "fireplace" there aren't even entries with corresponding instructions! Also, where are commands for crown molding, baseboard, etc? I'll stick with Version 3, which is a much easier-to-use product and offers more features. |
| Total Votes: 12, Helpful Votes: 12, Date: 2004-02-11 |
| |
| This is a HUGE step backward from version 3.0 | Rating: |
| I've used 3D Home Architect 3.0 for years with great success. Even though it's 5 years old, it beats the pants off of version 5.1. Actually, 5.1 appears to be a completely different package, and you can't open any projects that you created with the older versions. Tasks that were so simple with 3.0 are ridiculously difficult and frustrating with 5.1. For example, if you add an interior wall that is not connected to an exterior wall, you have to drag it to where you think you want it, then measure (with a very difficult to use tape measure), then move it again, measure, and repeat until it's where you want it. What happened to automatical visual dimension lines that were in 3.0!!!? The primary problem with this version lies in it's lack of usability. It takes hours to do what took minutes in the previous version. I was grateful for Broderbund's money back guarantee - I took them up on it. This product stinks. The biggest dissapointment is, there's no upgrade path for fan's of 3D Home Architect 3.0, which was (and still is) an exceptional product. I STRONGLY recommend against this product. |
| Total Votes: 15, Helpful Votes: 14, Date: 2004-01-27 |
| |
