topic Re: Chief Architect in Collaboration with other software

Chief Architect

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:59:07 GMT

This topic began here:

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=73297#73297

Rashid Garuba wrote:
As an ex Archicad user ("x" primarily due to lack of ANY automation), I can tell you Chief Architect probably goes down this automation route more than any out there, for better or worse... Automatic footings, dormers, house wizard.. etc...

Let me apologize in advance for going a little off topic here, but I'm really interested in Rashid's experience with Chief Architect relative to ArchiCAD.

Rashid,
How long ago did you make the switch to chief Architect? Hmmm, I wonder if I need to look at it again? It seems to have many features I wish ArchiCAD had for residential work...I've been waiting and hoping for Graphisoft to add this level of specificity to their tools... I'm not sure I'll ever see it because its too "Residential" specific.

How effective have you found the automatic wall, floor and roof framing tools? Are they as automatic as they are promoted. I'm not sure how the floor and ceiling framing tools could be smart enough to determine their direction. ..and how about the trusses? Does it make Hip and Jack trusses?

How about the cost estimation functions. It seems like they at least have a basic residential database. Are the reports user friendly and are they easy to maintian/edit?

I like the detailed "builder specific" prompts in the various tool interfaces. Probably a little too detailed for typical architectural work but very much welcome for building professionals and/or contractors.

Looking forward to any comments you may have.

Thanks,
Dan K

Re: Chief Architect

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:07:08 GMT

Rashid wrote:
This topic began here:

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=73297#73297

Rashid,
Thanks for moving the topic per Matthew's comment. Did you have any comments about my previous Chief Architect inquiries? Anyone else out there with Chief Architect experience who might have a comment or two?

Thanks Dan K

Re: Chief Architect

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:22:10 GMT

Dan,

I am barely a year in Chief Architect and as you know it's not a lot of time to become a "guru" if you will. Framing and materials lists are not required of me by my clients though that's likely due to cost some are unwilling to absorb and this maybe be a case on ignorance of the efficiencies Chief can introduce. Therefore I will work my way into these area in the future.

From what I have seen of demonstrations, the framing features in Chief are very good as long as initial setup is done correctly. Thereafter it is completely automatic. All framing elements are editable after auto-creation. Yes it creates Jack and hip trusses quite easily.

I said for better for worse in the other topic mainly as this automation in the wrong hands can create work that "looks" fantastic but may be not be 100% correct.. close to it but still...

You are probably better off joining the user group there and asking these question as there are some gifted users there that would love to speak their minds...

http://www.chieftalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1

There is someone here I know that uses Archicad AND Chief Architect.. hope he chimes in as he has used Chief much longer than I.

Additionally I can physically send you some tutorials on framing and lists that would be very illuminating if you pm/e-mail me your address.

Re: Chief Architect

Richard Morrison — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 01:29:30 GMT

Rashid wrote:
There is someone here I know that uses Archicad AND Chief Architect.. hope he chimes in as he has used Chief much longer than I.

Nice to see you still hanging around here, Rashid!

Well, I don't know if I'm the one you're thinking about, but will be happy to add my thoughts. There was a thread awhile ago that had a few comparisons.

Dan,
It's probably worth downloading the free demo version and spending some time with the program. In a nutshell, there's much in Chief that I wish AC had, and vice versa. And a few things in each program that makes me tear my hair out. I still feel more comfortable producing CD's in AC, but Chief V11 might change that. If your practice is primarily residential, it's definitely worth looking at.

Re: Chief Architect

archislave — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 15:30:59 GMT

It is ironic but I started investigating once again the alternatives to Archicad for residential design - then I saw this topic.

I wonder if Rashid has evaluated Softplan which is another hot debate in itself? At first glance Softplan seems more professional.

Yesterday I saw a press release about Punch software making a new consumer home design software for the Mac. It has 75% of that market for the pc. The features seem more powerful than Archicad for $150. I'm sure there would be a lack of flexibility. I would love to see Rashid compare this to Chief.

http://www.punchsoftware.com/mac/features.html

I am starting to think that the emperor "Archicad" has no clothes and they hid behind the curtain of 'professional' software when these guys are doing amazing things for thoustands less...

It almost reminds me of the '80's when the 'cheap' japanese cars started coming to market and provided great silky engines and gear shifts with thoughful features like storage bin and cup holders. The big luxury guys lilke BMW and Mercedes were above such things being purist basic, but sturdy. It took a long time to realize that getting up to the japanese standards was not a bad thing. Now they have all those features but their unique sturdy image as well. Grahpisoft is one of those old stoic silent type companies. BMW and Mercedes seem much more friendly and emotional these days without losing thier soul.

Re: Chief Architect

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:22:13 GMT

I looked at Softplan a few years and a few versions ago and at that time it was very "closed".. you depended on them to make symbols and it was very odd in operation.. A LOT has changed then so I don't know. It's discussion forum is closed to non users so not easy to get working info on it. I am not actively looking to change as so far Chief is the closest to ideal for my specialty.

Regarding Punch I have no clue.. This from the Chief Forum..

http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?t=14678&highlight=punch

It does seem the natural path of businesses big or small is to get big company disease and a holier than thou attitude.. That said programming is hard..

Take care.

Re: Chief Architect

archislave — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:38:01 GMT

Thanks for that link Rashid. I will Punch Punch! off my list. Do you mind if I try to call you to talk about Chief. I am in the southeast and need a dedicated residential program for the bread and butter 'typical houses'.
Archicad is way to difficult to customize to understand the unique needs of residential, especially the traditional classical wood trim type houses that get built here on the east coast and southeast US.

Maybe I can use Archicad when I get that modernist commision!

Re: Chief Architect

TomWaltz — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:38:13 GMT

It seems decent for creating mediocre renderings, but I'd be curious at how it is at creating construction documents. The couple of plans you can actually make out in their product tour look really amateurish.

Re: Chief Architect

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:53:04 GMT

Generally Software that cheap bothers me... They have to eat right?? For the Hobbyists ok, but not for professional use. As a professional you either pay for proper software and training or pay in lost clients and productivity...

I don't mind a phone call... the later in the day the better.

Later.

Re: Chief Architect

archislave — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 17:38:01 GMT

Thanks, Rashid, for the input and conversation about Chief Architect. I did call sales and she said they would be redesigning the icon for v11 due out in July (great news!) I also read some of their forum posts and see many wish list items. So, this is a little scary knowing no software is perfect. Maybe the devil you know is better than the image of a beconing angel you don't know. Anyway, when I get Parallel and XP on my Mac I will give both Chief and Revit a try!

Re: Chief Architect

TomWaltz — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 17:51:13 GMT

I'd be curious to know how well something more demanding like Revit would run in Parallels.

Re: Chief Architect

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:21:34 GMT

Chief , Archicad, and Revit have long wishlists.. What would be nice to know is the average age of the wishes, representing the response of each vendor. What's the difference between Parrallel's and Bootcamp?? As I said I am 2 years from getting new computers... May give Apple a look out of curiosity at that time.

Re: Chief Architect

__archiben — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 21:19:19 GMT

Rashid wrote:
What's the difference between Parrallel's and Bootcamp?? As I said I am 2 years from getting new computers... May give Apple a look out of curiosity at that time.

'parallels' is a mac application that boots another operating system inside of itself. as such it's slightly slower than booting that system as the primary operating system: it has to translate the commands issued by windows (for example) into a format that the mac system can use, deal with and send back to windows through the same process. it allows you to run mac OSX and windows XP in parallel - switching between the two without shutting the machine down.

'boot camp' isn't really an application as such - it's a method of setting up a mac with a windows disk partition and writing a set of hardware drivers specific to your machine that can be used by windows to run the hardware you're using. boot camp allows you to boot windows on your mac just as you would on PC hardware. boot camp requires you to shut down your machine and restart in order to boot into the other system.

that being said, in two years time apple may have perfected the art of 'rosetta' and 'spaces' into a happy union that will allow us to run win XP in a different 'space' to our mac OS . . . ? now that's what i'm waiting for!

~/archiben

Re: Chief Architect

archislave — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 21:29:58 GMT

One can download the Bootcamp software free from Apple.com. Some say an Intel Mac boots and runs windows better than many pc's.

Parallels can be downloaded as a trial from:
http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/

I also requires the Windows OS of your choice to then be installed through the Parallels wizzard. Windows can be run in a floating or maximized window on OSX where one has the full windows desktop with taskbar and running programs. One can also minimize the entire Windows OS (window) to the dock just like any app in OSX.

It does not have to translate very much since it is running on Intel. Speeds are almost native. I'll try to get it going next week and try a major app like Revit on it.

Re: Chief Architect

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 22:30:03 GMT

Ok I get it... I do wonder if Windows running on a Mac behaves just like windows.. warts included.. At least hardware related crashes should be less.

Re: Chief Architect

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 15:39:33 GMT

Hi everyone,

i'm new round here. I already checked in the forum for a comparison between the two programs but couldn’t find all the answers to my questions. I see this post is really interesting so i''l ask you some help.

I work in a promoter, recently I begun designing our villas with 3D Home Broderbund.

But as you can understand this program is very limited and only for home users and i’m searching for alternative. I came to the conclusion that I have to choose between archicad and chief architect.

-What I’m looking for is a software to produce renderings and 3D Images for advertisement purposes, to make advertisement in the magazines, in the internet and so on. I draw mediterranean houses, ibizas style houses and i never draw wood houses in north american syle.
I don’t do all the project process, constructions, drawings because this is done by our architect, I just take his project with exact dimensioning and do the high quality 3D Image.

-Another use of the software will be, for ex if I see beautiful villa I can take a hint and create a similar villa in my own software. Draw ideas and see how they look.

But of course I need high quality renderings and sometimes I have to draw complex villas with curved walls, parabolic walls (for example I couldn’t draw with 3D home Broderbund a curved wall with progressive height. It means a curved wall that begins at 0 height and ends at 2600 cm height.

-And, due to the fact that I’m already used to use 3D home Broderbund and Chief it’s his big brother I’d need to ask you how does archicad works with textures and landscape and plants.

For ex: if I have to choose the finishing of a wall I simply have to apply a texture (brick, paint etc) by simply choosing the wall and applying a texture or is it more complex?
Does the program come with a good texture library and good gdl library?
How does the landscaping process works (hills trees etc)?

Could someone help me in the final choice?

Thank you very much for any suggestions.

Roberto

Re: Chief Architect

Rakela Raul — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 13:47:12 GMT

http://www.idecad.com/

check the price !!!