Hello home builders!
I am in the early planning phase of converting a commercial building into a multi-family residential property. The total living area is 420 m² (4521 sq ft). Since I have lived in this building for many years, various renovation ideas have accumulated over time that have not been structurally evaluated.
Before consulting professionals (architect, structural engineer, building engineer), I would like to prepare these ideas in the form of floor plans to use them later as a basis for discussion with an expert.
I have already looked for software for floor plans:
* ArchiCAD (professional)
* Avanquest Architect 3D (semi-professional)
* Concadus 3D CAD Architect
* ...
Has anyone had experience with architecture software for amateurs or semi-professionals and can recommend something?
Best regards,
Flasher
I am in the early planning phase of converting a commercial building into a multi-family residential property. The total living area is 420 m² (4521 sq ft). Since I have lived in this building for many years, various renovation ideas have accumulated over time that have not been structurally evaluated.
Before consulting professionals (architect, structural engineer, building engineer), I would like to prepare these ideas in the form of floor plans to use them later as a basis for discussion with an expert.
I have already looked for software for floor plans:
* ArchiCAD (professional)
* Avanquest Architect 3D (semi-professional)
* Concadus 3D CAD Architect
* ...
Has anyone had experience with architecture software for amateurs or semi-professionals and can recommend something?
Best regards,
Flasher
Spunk schrieb:
MeinHausplaner, CADVilla is probably too limited for your requirements. Building Information Modeling... for single-family house construction?! Aren’t most architects using AutoCAD or Nemetschek—mostly on MacOS? At least in our case, DWG (AutoCAD) is the exchange format used by the architectural firm, structural engineer, building services engineer, and lighting designer...
Not that I would fully recommend CADVilla, but what exactly do you think CADVilla lacks for a single-family house?
And how did you come across MeinHausplaner?!
ruppsn schrieb:
Building Information Modelling....for single-family home construction?! Probably yes.
ruppsn schrieb:
Aren't most architects using AutoCAD or Nemetschek – mainly on MacOS? That’s why Revit on Windows might be a bit buggy. I don’t have a Mac, always these idealists...
ruppsn schrieb:
And how did you come across MeinHausplaner?! I downloaded it once. Nice little toy. But with an existing floor plan, it’s a bit too fiddly.
And I work full-time with MechCAD. You get trained on the software and see what else is possible. That’s even worse than switching from MS Office to OpenOffice.
What is BIM supposed to be good for? For a single-family house? Just for the sake of doing it? Most single-family homes don’t even have a building services planner...
Don’t get me wrong, I think BIM is great, I use it professionally, and I firmly believe it represents the future of construction planning.
But sometimes it’s like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut...
Don’t get me wrong, I think BIM is great, I use it professionally, and I firmly believe it represents the future of construction planning.
But sometimes it’s like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut...
matte1987 schrieb:
Don’t get me wrong, I think BIM is great, I use it professionally and firmly believe it represents the future of construction planning. No, I don’t misunderstand that. Of course, the future belongs to it. But when you see what MechCAD can do, BIM software is still years behind.
And as I said, I’m trained in a different type of CAD. I already get frustrated when I have to press ESC to end a function or use the keyboard to rotate in 3D. There are better ways.
Of course, it could also be that the annual price of €3,500 (about $3,750) for REVIT compared to around €18,000 (about $19,300) for a single-user license of MechCAD still makes “a small” difference.
Thank you very much for your suggestions!
I have now watched a few tutorials on CADVilla and also took a look at Revit. However, Revit is out of the question due to the price: €2,921.45 per year.
CADVilla is significantly more affordable. Depending on the edition, it costs between €30 and €220, with the option to upgrade to a higher edition for an additional fee.
I had to do a quick research to understand what BIM means, but I don’t think I need it, nor do I fully understand what BIM is all about.
As I said, I want to use the software to digitally capture an existing building and then adjust the floor plans. I find the 3D view very interesting to get an impression of the rooms. It would also be useful if I could draw in power outlets, ceiling and wall openings, stairs, and windows. I also want to create a top view of my outdoor area.
It would be great if I could then hand over my basic plans in digital form to a professional. They could then optimize the room layout, perform structural calculations, or completely redesign everything because the expert has much better ideas.
I have now watched a few tutorials on CADVilla and also took a look at Revit. However, Revit is out of the question due to the price: €2,921.45 per year.
CADVilla is significantly more affordable. Depending on the edition, it costs between €30 and €220, with the option to upgrade to a higher edition for an additional fee.
I had to do a quick research to understand what BIM means, but I don’t think I need it, nor do I fully understand what BIM is all about.
As I said, I want to use the software to digitally capture an existing building and then adjust the floor plans. I find the 3D view very interesting to get an impression of the rooms. It would also be useful if I could draw in power outlets, ceiling and wall openings, stairs, and windows. I also want to create a top view of my outdoor area.
It would be great if I could then hand over my basic plans in digital form to a professional. They could then optimize the room layout, perform structural calculations, or completely redesign everything because the expert has much better ideas.
Spunk schrieb:
That might be why Revit on Windows can be a bit buggy. Does this answer to my question about whether architects mainly use AutoCAD or Nemetschek make any sense?! [emoji848][emoji4]
Spunk schrieb:
I don’t have a Mac, always those idealists... ...or professionals, depending on your point of view. You can also easily run Windows in a virtual machine [emoji6]
I downloaded it once. Nice little toy. No, the question was why you mentioned Cadvilla and MeinHausplaner in the same breath. Sounds like you consider them the same software. But whatever, maybe we misunderstood each other.
Still, recommending any software in the four-figure price range for this kind of requirements profile? Seriously? [emoji6]
That would be like recommending a Hilti when the homeowner only wants to drill one hole in the wall... completely missing the actual need, right? [emoji4]
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