CarsonBDesign Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 Does anyone have any experience with Cedreo and a comparison to Chief architect? Looking to understand the competitive landscape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeLayDesign Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 It sounds odd. I don't know much about it, and haven't heard of it before today; but they don't even have the ability to import DWG files so in my opinion that's trash. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 Having only taken Cedreo for a quick spin, I can't tell you for certain, but I can say with about 99% certainty that at best it offers about 5% of the capabilities you get with Chief. Its not even in the same league. The program seems to have been designed with the goal of quickly designing and visualizing spaces and little else. No CAD tools, no wall, floor, ceiling, or roof assembly layers, no framing, no parametric object components, no schedules or materials lists, not much of anything aside from basic 3D surfaces. As a tool for Construction Documents it seems almost useless. Its like comparing the calculator app to an Excel spreadsheet. If however all you need is the ability to quickly visualize a space or draw a floor layout...still no. I'd go with one of the Home Designer products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarsonBDesign Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 Obviously I'm new here-thanks for your clear insights. What about Autocad vs Chief? It's a fairly big investment thus the questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwideziner Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 this is comparing apples to oranges. Autocad is basically a 2d program whereas CA is 3D based, abetter comparison of CA would be with Revit or Revit LT. I am currently running CA and Revit LT to compare, depending on your requirements CA would appear to be quicker in most areas, however Revit Lt allows more control. LT does not have the auto functions of CA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanC Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 I was trained on Autocad when I was in school at Boston Architectural College and when I graduated in 2010, the design firm I joined chose Chief Architect over Autocad and we have never questioned that decision. Autocad has it's strengths, but Chief Architect was a much better choice for us for so many reasons - ease of use, 3d renderings, schedules, help videos, several options for training, and an incredible team behind the software. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parkwest Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 5 hours ago, CarsonBDesign said: Obviously I'm new here-thanks for your clear insights. What about Autocad vs Chief? It's a fairly big investment thus the questions. Maybe if you could tell us what exactly are you wanting to do with a cad program, we might be able to help you. Are you doing only interiors? 3D modeling? Or full construction documents? Are you working solo? Or do you need group capabilities? Do you plan on doing one of a kind custom homes? Or is your focus going to be remodeling? These are just a few questions that came to mind that might help you in your search for a software solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBCooper Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 From the pictures on their website, it looks like they can only do "presentation" floorplan drawings. I didn't see any pictures showing actual construction docs. Also, for $100 a month, it seems pretty lame that the "professional" version will only let you make 10 full HD renderings per month. Even the "enterprise" version only lets you make 20 per user per month. I can't understand why they would have any limits, especially such low ones. BTW, Chief will let you make as many as you want at whatever resolution you want (even much higher than 1920x1080).. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthd97 Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 On 2/2/2023 at 9:59 AM, DeLayDesign said: It sounds odd. I don't know much about it, and haven't heard of it before today; but they don't even have the ability to import DWG files so in my opinion that's trash. Lol ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenyhof Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 The best is always to go to the software forum and spend a few minutes there. I did that with Softplan - https://softplan.com/forum/ - Helped me to like Chief better. I couldn't find a forum for Cedreo - that says a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthd97 Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 On 3/1/2024 at 10:47 AM, stevenyhof said: The best is always to go to the software forum and spend a few minutes there. I did that with Softplan - https://softplan.com/forum/ - Helped me to like Chief better. I couldn't find a forum for Cedreo - that says a lot This is true but it depends on the type of user that you are. If you are a more in the line of construction and so much in the 3D presentation you may opt for SP. CA is much better for 3D presentation from what I gather from other professional users on this forum. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parkwest Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 On 2/29/2024 at 5:47 PM, stevenyhof said: The best is always to go to the software forum and spend a few minutes there. I did that with Softplan - https://softplan.com/forum/ - Helped me to like Chief better. I couldn't find a forum for Cedreo - that says a lot Hello Steven, I am curious how spending "a few minutes" on the softplan forum made you like chief better? What caught your attention? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenyhof Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 1 hour ago, parkwest said: What caught your attention? Thanks! It was a number of things I do not really recall, but a number of the questions people were asking and the answers that were given. I could tell in a few minutes that Chief was ahead of the game with this type of relationship modeling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parkwest Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 3 hours ago, stevenyhof said: It was a number of things I do not really recall, but a number of the questions people were asking and the answers that were given. I could tell in a few minutes that Chief was ahead of the game with this type of relationship modeling. So you never looked at the free trial before investing? Interesting. What does “with this type of relationship modeling” mean? Thank you for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenyhof Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 50 minutes ago, parkwest said: What does “with this type of relationship modeling” mean? Unlike AutoCAD and others, Chiefs walls, roofs, etc. all work together within a relationship with each object/element to seam things together. Softplan and Cedreo use this same type of relational modeling. Some just do it better than others. To answer your "interesting" query, I have been designing with CAD since the late 90's. It does not take me long to know if a piece of software can do what I want or not. Even when Chief shows us things like auto trusses, I step out of the box for only a moment (meaning, do something a bit more complex) and Chief falls apart. It is these types of things that I would test or spend a few minutes in forums to find out what others are running into to not even bother with a trial. I know of Architects that do such complex work that Chief needs to turn into a manual solid tool (like AutoCAD) just to pull it off. I love Chief and it's automation, but I have also spent time building tools, solids, materials that help me where Chief's automation fails. So far I have been drawing about 120 plans a year with Chief on my own, and few are very simple like they were just 10 years ago when every builder and realtor were building spec homes. You've been here for almost 10 years. I see you have Softplan on your list of tools you use. What is your thoughts on Softplan vs Chief? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parkwest Posted April 15 Share Posted April 15 On 4/11/2024 at 4:45 PM, stevenyhof said: Unlike AutoCAD and others, Chiefs walls, roofs, etc. all work together within a relationship with each object/element to seam things together. Softplan and Cedreo use this same type of relational modeling. Some just do it better than others. To answer your "interesting" query, I have been designing with CAD since the late 90's. It does not take me long to know if a piece of software can do what I want or not. Even when Chief shows us things like auto trusses, I step out of the box for only a moment (meaning, do something a bit more complex) and Chief falls apart. It is these types of things that I would test or spend a few minutes in forums to find out what others are running into to not even bother with a trial. I know of Architects that do such complex work that Chief needs to turn into a manual solid tool (like AutoCAD) just to pull it off. I love Chief and it's automation, but I have also spent time building tools, solids, materials that help me where Chief's automation fails. So far I have been drawing about 120 plans a year with Chief on my own, and few are very simple like they were just 10 years ago when every builder and realtor were building spec homes. You've been here for almost 10 years. I see you have Softplan on your list of tools you use. What is your thoughts on Softplan vs Chief? Shoot! I thought you were going to give dating advice for when you are dating models. ;-) Anyway, I have to run or else I will be late for my appointment... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renerabbitt Posted April 15 Share Posted April 15 On 4/11/2024 at 3:45 PM, stevenyhof said: but I have also spent time building tools, solids, materials that help me where Chief's automation fails you should share these..as a community we come up with some pretty cool solutions but we have to know the problem I always love a good challenge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenyhof Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 Here are a few... This was more of a process in testing to find ways to draw cathedral ceiling beams with the correct wood grain... Chief does not have good garage doors so I made up a few... And this one, another thread about simple rendering one why with some backgrounds I made from Twinmotions, and ended with some pretty nice looking renderings done completely with Chief. Here are some backdrops I made for daily working within Chief. Stem walls using alternative methods... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichmondGC Posted April 18 Share Posted April 18 This discussion offers a good starting point for comparing Chief Architect with Cedreo. The comments by Alaskan_Son clearly point out Chief Architect's superiority in terms of offering comprehensive features for professional design and construction documentation. While Cedreo might be suitable for basic visualizations, for users who need to create detailed construction drawings, accurate material lists, and adhere to building codes, Chief Architect seems to be the clear choice. However, the discussion doesn't mention learning curves for each software. For someone completely new to 3D design software, is Chief Architect's powerful feature set too daunting to start with, or do they offer resources to help beginners get up to speed relatively quickly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBCooper Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 Quote For someone completely new to 3D design software, is Chief Architect's powerful feature set too daunting to start with, or do they offer resources to help beginners get up to speed relatively quickly? Yes, of course they do: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/ https://www.chiefarchitect.com/training/ And there is also this forum, which in my opinion is one of Chief's best resources for new people and long time users. Also, just my opinion but based on many years of using Chief, Chief is easy to "learn" but much harder to "master". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archnot-Boltz Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 My co-worker switched to SP two years ago and thinks that SP is oriented more towards builder details and what it takes to design and draft a set of construction documents. SP (he tells me daily) focuses on fixing things that a builder/designer needs while Chief lets us languish with no Framing for Stairs and Landings. SP gives you automatic joist hanger placement. SP gives you automatic secondary graspable railings that are required by the IRC. and I could go on. From my own perspective and initial use of SP back in 1997 when it was still a DOS program (and the first CAD software that I could wrap my architectural designer head around), SP was a much more mature program than Chief '97 which was 3D Home Architect on steroids and seemed initially, a bit "Mickey Mouse" in comparison. Ultimately, purchasing Chief came down to a better brain to hand interface that felt more like drawing than CAD drafting combined with a great intro price deal of $699.00 (can't remember if more or less) vs about $1900.00 for SP which I couldn't afford in 1998. I've always thought that Chief and Softplan should be bought out by a savy tech company with deep pockets like a Google (except they dropped the ball with Sketchup) and marry SP to Chief and Sketchup and have a badarse baby. But that ain't happening in my lifetime (unless Elon Musk is listening!?). To finish, I'm wondering if X-16 has addressed any of these glaringly missing construction drawing tools that SP has been implementing? Or did we just get another Grand Cabinet Library?! -BB 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HartDeNoble Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 On 4/24/2024 at 3:54 PM, Archnot-Boltz said: My co-worker switched to SP two years ago and thinks that SP is oriented more towards builder details and what it takes to design and draft a set of construction documents. SP (he tells me daily) focuses on fixing things that a builder/designer needs while Chief lets us languish with no Framing for Stairs and Landings. SP gives you automatic joist hanger placement. SP gives you automatic secondary graspable railings that are required by the IRC. and I could go on. From my own perspective and initial use of SP back in 1997 when it was still a DOS program (and the first CAD software that I could wrap my architectural designer head around), SP was a much more mature program than Chief '97 which was 3D Home Architect on steroids and seemed initially, a bit "Mickey Mouse" in comparison. Ultimately, purchasing Chief came down to a better brain to hand interface that felt more like drawing than CAD drafting combined with a great intro price deal of $699.00 (can't remember if more or less) vs about $1900.00 for SP which I couldn't afford in 1998. I've always thought that Chief and Softplan should be bought out by a savy tech company with deep pockets like a Google (except they dropped the ball with Sketchup) and marry SP to Chief and Sketchup and have a badarse baby. But that ain't happening in my lifetime (unless Elon Musk is listening!?). To finish, I'm wondering if X-16 has addressed any of these glaringly missing construction drawing tools that SP has been implementing? Or did we just get another Grand Cabinet Library?! -BB I am really hoping x16 has some great construction drawing tools/improvements. The rendering and cabinets needs to take a back seat in my opinion. x15 was a great update but we need more control with decks, porches, stairs, curtain wall tool, dimension leader lines, etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthd97 Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 X16 will be what it will be despite what we all may hope for in the way of improvements. 3D dimensions and Poche Fills is all that we know about it at present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archnot-Boltz Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 Like my co-worker (who now primarily uses Softplan), I was completely underwhelmed by yesterday's X16 features presentation. Kudos for finally giving us snap points on windows and doors, more control on railings and newels but still didn't go far enough. 3d dimensions seem like a decent way to clarify a detail for a builder or client and of course if you're modeling in 3d. Nothing said about being able to make your deck stair railings align with your deck railings, no secondary graspable handrails (see Softplan) etc. Oh, and the corner shelves thing is nice but would rather have my exterior wall intersections improved and ability to lock the intersections and framing. One day I'll get off my brain and make an analog list. Until then, I guess I'll shut up and wait for the beta to download and hope that there are some hidden gems not covered. -bb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now