CA & Home Designer compatibility?

[function9]

Just wondering if anyone knows what the workflow and compatibility would be between CA and Home Designer Architectural?
I’m about to purchase CA and a friend of mine is interested in purchasing the Home Designer Architect software to try out before moving to CA. We intend to work on a few projects together in the coming months and I’m curious to know if it’s possible to work on a project across the two packages? For example; If I was to start a project and build the terrain could my friend then build from that OR would she need to have terrain, slab/ walls/ roof etc first?
From the video it appears as though home designer can do the same things?

http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/...architectural/

looking at the screenshots, Home Designer looks the same as CA except has less tools...

[perryh]

If you plan on framing, and doing full working drawings, I would suggest Chief Premier.

[function9]

Thanks Perry, yes I'm purchasing that, I'm more asking what the compatibility was with the two software packages & if I wanted my friend to help me on some projects could they even open the same file or use some of the same tools etc.
I'm not expecting it to be the same just keen to know if the two can 'play together' at all
cheers
Dave

[lbuttery]

Yes, all of the HD products are a sub-set of Chief Premier

with HD PRO having the most features but still only approx. 20% of what Chief has

HD products can edit (with some caveats) plans that are created or edited in Chief as long as the "edit flag" is set in Chief first

PRO has manual roof and framing and cabinet tools etc
but it only has a 1 page layout with minimal layout tools

you can create a many page layout but only 1 page at a time

do a search on the Hometalk forum for "compare" and there is a chart that lists the feature differences between HD PRO and Chief Premier

its also on the HD website and maybe the Chief website but I don't remember where

PRO can be a good place to start but bottom line
if you are in business give serious consideration to getting Chief Premier

Lew

[function9]

Thanks Lew, appreciate that. I'll search for those item and pass onto my friend. My friend said she could purchase HD and get a discount off CA premier later on which sounded good, I also mentioned to her that some people on here are selling older versions too ...so there are some purchasing options out there.
Dave

[David J. Potter]

Home Designer Pro 2012 will do auto and manual framing at 25% the cost of Chief Premier but most things that you can do easily in Chief Premier take more steps and procedures in Home Designer Pro.

Home Designer Pro 2012 and Chief Premier X4 can both work and edit the same plans, I have done this numerous times with my clients.

HD Pro 10 works with X3
HD Pro 9 works with X2
HD Pro 8 works with X1

You must stay in sync with the versions HD to Chief to maintain that 2-way communication

DJP

[function9]

Thanks David! thats really good to know.

[perryh]

I thought that the hd line didn't use p-solids, and I use that all the time. Is this still true?

[lbuttery]

Perry:

I think that is true

they have to use soffits and slabs etc

or make symbols in Sketchup

Lew

[perryh]

What happen if he uses one in Premier, then his friend needs to work on it, will the p-solids show up in the HD line.

[lbuttery]

Perry:

anything done in Premier will show in the HD products
same as the client viewer

they just can't edit those objects

Lew

[perryh]

ok, thanks Lew

[function9]

Perry:

anything done in Premier will show in the HD products
same as the client viewer

they just can't edit those objects

Lew

Thanks Lew, I'll mention this to my friend