Chief Architect or Home Designer Pro?

[scoeng]

I was looking into software purchasing, but need some input from someone who has an in depth knowledge of the products.

So a little about me...was in architecture working for firms in So. Ca. for about 17 years, was a CAD Manager at my last office using ADT 2006. This was painfully complex and customizable, but it was AutoCAD, so it was "industry compatible". I'm technically savvy and know what it takes to put a good set of plans together. Fast forward, I've been mostly out of the industry for the last three years, and moved to Colorado. I have a contractor friend whom I've been doing CAD work for, but the ADT 2006 I've used is not cutting the mustard for 3D visualization.. or sections.. or elevations.. or... or.. If you have any experience with AutoCad, you know my frustrations with drawing things multiple times and changing multiple times to produce drawings.

My friend (the contractor) told me about Chief Architect, and my immediate response was, to direct him more towards either Revit or Archicad (my preference), since I had heard very little about CA. After a little more in depth review, I have come to appreciate CA for what it is, and man, the potential for saving time... along with pretty good 3D rendering abilities. In review of a website, I noticed that Home Designer Pro (HDP) has bi-directional support with Chief Architect. That peeked my curiosity, and so I did a little research on HDP...

Now, for the real questions:

I know that I cannot expect CA results for less than 1/4 the cost, but since budget is a large factor here, what exactly are the limitations of HDP in comparison to CA? I see it's compatible with CA (files can be shared between the programs), and that Chief is offiering upgrade credit, so I'm not sure where I could go wrong? I would really appreciate some some insight on these and any other differences. I also feel that the layout and philosophy behind the programs must be similar and therefore not be a waste of my time when we can afford to upgrade to CA. Is what I'm thinking correct? Are icons the same? Layout? I am aware of sheet size limits (18x24 if I remember correctly), what other limitations are there? I have a current client that needs 3D visualization "on the fly", and I'm thinking this is a good starting point, but just need some input from those in the "know". Then when funds become available, I can purchase the full CA and be able to bring my files forward with me! One other thing...are there any licensing issues with using the HDP as a professional? I'm not really doing much work, but I have done a couple of projects per year for the last 2 years.

Any help you can provide or enlighten me on would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.