x8 overview

[hearneethan]

I found out that chief architect is th best home design software there is. What is the difference between x8 and x7. I build a house on the software and cant make the landscape look real and add a beach view please help

[rlackore]

There are no significant landscape improvements from X7 to X8. In my opinion complex landscapes are very difficult to create using Chief's tools.

[Chopsaw]

Post some screen shots of what you have so far and maybe someone will have a few suggestions or pointers for you.  It is mostly a matter of getting the contours correct and applying high quality materials to the surfaces.

[DavidJPotter]

I disagree with Robert on Chief being difficult for complex topography, The feature was added in Version 7 and has not changed much since then. It is a matter of learning to make a change with elevation objects and then evaluating that change before moving on to the next change. 

I have found that importing topography from surveyors or other software tends to create an unmanageable product, too complex for most personal computers to parse per second, so I try to keep mine as simple as possible using manually the tools at hand. I import a graphic topo and then trace over it, checking each change I make as I make it in camera views. 

 

DJP