Years ago I took some time to learn a 3d animation software package called 3ds Max. Given enough time and computer power I can generate nice looking 3d objects and animations. So, I decided to make a few conceptual plans for a home library in 3d. Time is at a premium right now, but, naturally, there are some products on the market that specifically deal with this, making it easy even for someone less knowledgeable than myself to come up with a nice (and architecturally believable) floorplan and a 3d rendering. The tough part turned out to be choosing the right package. After some time I narrowed down the search to two products: Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer Suite 8.0 and Punch! Home and Landscape Design Suite. They are both priced at around $99 and have some crucial features that I am looking for. I want to be able to export my floorplans in DXF format, so that I can render them in 3ds Max, adding better lighting controls and other effects. Note that there is a cheaper version of Home Designer, but it does not have this feature. Also, I want to have access to large libraries of 3d objects. Both packages have such libraries and you can access even more libraries online. Plus, you can import objects from a number of formats.Well, both suites began to look very much the same to me after a while. If only the manufacturers made it easier for me by lowering the prices, so I could own both :) The most annoying thing is that neither software has made demo versions of their programs available. And Punch! does not even have sample renderings or screen shots. I was able to find out, however, that Home Designer Suite is made by Chief Architect, the same company that also makes a professional home design and drafting software packages. You can get a demo version of their Chief Architect X2, even though the process involves submitting a request form. A whole bunch of crucial features are disabled, but you can get a sense of what to expect in their home user market version.
Also, after perusing some scarce reviews I got a sense that Home Designer Suite is slightly more intuitive and provides better looking results. It is also clear that they have a better customer service (as they should, because they also sell $2,000 packages to architects). At this stage I am very much inclined to buy their program, as opposed to Punch! Let's see what happens.
Update: it seems that only 2-d floor plans can be actually exported as DXF from Home Designer Suite...
