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froghead · Mar 17, 2005, 11:01 AM

My father in-law is thinking about swtiching, but he does house design work on his PC on app called Cheif Architect. I can't find a mac version and macs have a weak spot on the apps line up with house design/planning software.
Its fairly basic and straight forward, but it tells the materials needed and the cost after plugging in the parameters.
He uses it essentailly for floorplans.
This is the only hurdle he has in swtiching, and I can't find anything decent design wise that doesn't cost thousands...any suggustions?

Thanks...

Mithras · Mar 17, 2005, 11:27 AM

Chief Architect retails for over $1,000, unless he gets it in some other way.
Anyway, I'd have a look at:
* SketchUp ($475). Great design tool, though it doesn't do materials lists.
* VectorWorks ($995)
* ArchiCad (around $1000, sold & packaged by dealers)

I'd try your query over at the Architosh Forums, you'll probably get more help there.

froghead · Mar 17, 2005, 11:34 AM

I didn't see any mac version of Chief Archtect and I was just at their site. I am acutally at the Architosh site now! l ol
Do you know which of the programs you mentioned is closest to Chief Archtect?

Thanks, I have been looking and its an area I am not familiar with, and my in-laws have dial-up.....argh!!!

So its hard to do any serious research on it so this is immensly helpful! thank you

froghead · Mar 17, 2005, 11:37 AM

and for the record he needs materials lists as that is one of the huge benefits he sees in the program.

Thanks

Mithras · Mar 17, 2005, 11:48 AM

No, there isn't a Mac version of Chief Architect. I'm just pointing out that if he bought that program for $1,000, it's reasonable that he might pay a similar amount for another program.

If he's really devoted to this program, though, I'd just let the matter rest. No point in shelling out major bucks just to switch.

hmurchison2001 · Mar 17, 2005, 01:21 PM

Tell him to run Chief Architect under VPC. Just tell him to buy Office 2004 Professional that has VPC. CA isn't going to be that hard of a program to run.

Deimos · Mar 17, 2005, 02:00 PM

I'd forget switching and just have 2 computers. One to run his architecture software, and perhaps a Mac for everything else.

If he's invested years of effort into the app he is using just now, and it does him good; then it'd be silly to dump it and plummet into the unknown.

As to VPC, try to get a demo of it somehow and see how his program performs under it, I wouldn't be too hopeful though.

I faced a situation like this a few years ago, and there's no way I'd have dumped the software I used then.

froghead · Mar 17, 2005, 05:40 PM

He uses the program in a very basic way.
He uses it for alot of reasons for the costs and products that need to be purchased.
His PC died, do he would have to buy two computers at t his point which he doesn't want to do.
And he is tired of the problems he is having with security with his pc on the net.
Is there no program that is simliar enough? Its only one program he uses that isn't on a mac?

hmurchison2001 · Mar 17, 2005, 06:02 PM

Nope..there's really nothing close to Chief Architect. However you say he's using it in a very basic way so it's hard to tell if a smaller Mac compatible app is needed.

tooki · Mar 18, 2005, 04:40 PM

Originally posted by hmurchison2001:
Tell him to run Chief Architect under VPC. Just tell him to buy Office 2004 Professional that has VPC. CA isn't going to be that hard of a program to run.

Sorry, but running your main application under VPC is just plain stupid. VPC is barely usable for occasional use. For everyday use, it'd drive you insane. (Heck, VPC was making me batty after just a few hours' use -- to do a task that would have taken 30 minutes on a $300 PC. And it wasn't a complex app, it was just MS Project.)

If he's willing to switch apps, a Mac might make sense. If not, it'd be smarter to just get a new PC.

tooki