Program selection

[spacelim]

hi there, i need some advise on choosing the rite program for me to work with. As we know chief architect come in various of different program software, therefore as an interior designer which one of it should i go with?

[lbuttery]

Hmmm, a very open-ended question

 

only you can make that decision

 

CA does have a features comparison chart on the Homedesigners site and the Chief Premier site

probably best to look those over then come back and ask more specific questions focused on your needs

 

also depends on your business plan etc

 

Chief Premier Interiors would seem the logical choice -  but ???

 

CA does have a nice upgrade policy of applying the full cost of a product

towards the upgrade to a higher product

 

so start where you think you need to start then be prepared to move up as needed

 

also contact CA' sales team as they can discuss your needs and advise

 

Lew

[MarkMc]

If you need much in the way of working drawings go with premier.

Most notably missing from the interiors version:

detail to view which allows you to convert a view to a cad drawing- needed to fix lines created from workarounds and to dimension things that chief won't snap to (most parts of cabinets or cabinet doors), premier also let's you fix lines in layout interiors does not. When I only had interiors something had to be exported to cad to edit on every job.

Project browser, aids production

Anno sets - I need completely different sets than what is being talked about right now but the usefulness can't be underestimated. Some I need to have dimensions snap to "locate" certain items, others different ones. Watch Scott's videos and play with a trial.

Of you get interiors and upgrade within a month there is no extra cost, other times a slight upcharge which is waved when they run a sale. Still cheaper to go all in during a sale than to upgrade, at least that's how it seemed to me.

There are other little things but not as important.

The downside to using premier for me is it nows has a lot of extra layers that I will never use but can't remove since the program wants them. An annoyance but for me well worth the time gained elsewhere.

[lbuttery]

I thought CA gave full credit when upscaling to a better version ?

 

upgrading is going to a newer version and that will entail an extra cost

as you are getting newer features etc

 

Lew

[MarkMc]

Lew, first 30 days.

  I think it was an extra $100 unless during a sale (at least that was what I was told when trying to convert  during a sale and complaining that conversions were not on sale despite promo saying they were) Don't really know what I paid for the conversion I just got since I put it on my secondary x5 license which was no longer on support so had to pay upgrade to x6..

 

I'd add that the OP or anyone is better off evaluating their needs themselves. If you call in for kitchen the line they offer is that "if you don't go inside the walls you don't need premier" I heartily disagree with that statement, more so now that I have premier.

[lbuttery]

Mark:

 

I generally recommend buying Premier for "everyone"

even a homeowner doing only their house

 

once the project is done - they can sell it and recoup most of the money

 

just about anyone in business should have Premier

 

Lew

[MarkMc]

just about anyone in business should have Premier

 

Lew

Agreed