Rating: 
Summary: Very, very, very frustrating!
Review: After trying Punch's version and finding only a very limited selection of plants, I purchased this product. I don't know yet what the capabilities of this program are. After 2 days I'm still trying to figure out where a green square box on the screen is coming from. You would think that running a search on help for "green", "green line", "green outline", or "green box" would turn up something but, no, there is nothing. The manual and built-in help seem identical, and very superficial. There is nothing intuitive about this program. I'm guessing most people buy this software, try to use it, and set it on the shelf. I routinely use over 75 software packages and teach adult ed computer courses so this is coming from an experienced user. I've even successfully designed several remodeling projects in Chief Architect. Chief Architect was the creator of 3D through version 4. It's now marketed by Better Homes and Gardens. I chose to try this product because of it's superior plant library. If you absolutely have to do your own landscaping plan, I'm guessing this will do the job but have a glass of wine first [from a very large jug - you're going to need the rest] and plan on spending an enormous amount of time. If you're like me, you needed that plan "tomorrow" and that just isn't going to happen. If you do try this program, it will help you to know that it comes with limited house templates so you'll either have to use one of those or import a plan you created in either v5 or v6 of their home design package.
Rating: 
Summary: Time consuming and difficult to manipulate
Review: I struggled with this software for a couple of weeks then gave up. I'm no rookie-I am familiar with AutoCAD, Access, Excel, Word, Adobe Photoshop, Powerpoint, Project etc etc and this program just didnt seem to follow any of the rules. Realizing that a 3D image(incidentally there was no house template anything like mine) was going to take about as long as it took to landscape a garden, I tried 2D-hoping to superimpose walls and vegetation on a photo of my house...hours later i still couldnt easily construct the scene.
If this were any other type of product, I would be retuning it for a refund-but with software you dont get to take it back.....so unless you want to spend many hours in front of your computer-rather than in the yard I suggest you pass on this.
Rating:
Summary: 3D Home Architect Landscape Design Deluxe 6
Review: I too wish that I would have researched this title before I purchased it. After rebates and in store discounts this program ended up $14.99, so I figured I couldn't go wrong, right? WRONG!!!!! This program is so sorry that it is not even worth that much. I spent the entire night (and I do mean ALL NIGHT) trying to figure it out, but to no avail. This program is not only confusing but highly frustrating as well. It states right on the front cover "Easy-to-use landscape and garden design". The only thing easy to use about it was to load one of their designs already completed and look around. The instruction booklet or onscreen help are worthless, neither one offered any solution to problems I encountered. I have used 3 other programs over the last 8 years, and this one is by far the worst. This program in my opinion is terrible; I would not use it if they gave it to me for free. This title is definitely being returned. Also, so much for the 90 day money back guarantee, I have to pay to mail it to them in order to get reimbursed for the program.
Rating:
Summary: What a waste of my time (and money)!!!
Review: I wish I have read other reviews before buying this product. I spend several hours trying to use this program (the manual does not help much)and ended learning by trial an error (many hours later). It is not friendly or easy (and I have used with many other programs).
My second problem was that I wanted to design a garden around my house and there is no feature or template to outline the house (at least not mine). There is not even a feature to draw just lines to show the house, so I have no idea of where to place the landscape in relation to my house!!!!!! And for sure I am not going to buy the House Design software just to be able to place the landscape somewhere.
It was very frustrating!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Time consuming and difficult to manipulate
Review: I've drawn all sorts of garden plans and elevations by hand for years, but I was in a hurry to kick out a piece of work this weekend. I purchased this program because I thought I'd be able to quickly draw simple features, plop in a few basic plants and render elevations. After all, version 3 of this program, although pretty clunky, was fairly basic and easy to use. The newest version MUST be much more intuitive. WRONG! The tools operate NOTHING like any human being I know actually draws. If anything, this program is LESS intuitive than earlier versions. Way too much emphasis on "catalogs" and automatic features and not nearly enough on ease-of-use. Amazing how software actually keeps getting worse instead of better. The folks who write these things really need to rethink from scratch how people create these types of drawings manually. At this point, pencil, ruler and quadrille paper are faster and easier (and cheaper)and yield better results. Don't waste your time and money on this.
Rating:
Summary: Stunningly awful - NO "Stars"
Review: I've drawn all sorts of garden plans and elevations by hand for years, but I was in a hurry to kick out a piece of work this weekend. I purchased this program because I thought I'd be able to quickly draw simple features, plop in a few basic plants and render elevations. After all, version 3 of this program, although pretty clunky, was fairly basic and easy to use. The newest version MUST be much more intuitive. WRONG! The tools operate NOTHING like any human being I know actually draws. If anything, this program is LESS intuitive than earlier versions. Way too much emphasis on "catalogs" and automatic features and not nearly enough on ease-of-use. Amazing how software actually keeps getting worse instead of better. The folks who write these things really need to rethink from scratch how people create these types of drawings manually. At this point, pencil, ruler and quadrille paper are faster and easier (and cheaper)and yield better results. Don't waste your time and money on this.
Rating:
Summary: So Much for Creating a Plant List for my Garden!!
Review: When I purchased this program, it had only one review from the cad fellow who said "skip it" because it was not user friendly. I disregarded his review because of the program's extensive plant encylcopedia --9500. Well, I had an old Sierra Garden Design program that turns out to have been MUCH MORE useful. The new program allowed me to search by plant and soil properties, but I couldn't figure out how to print the information it provided,never mind save it!! I wanted a print-out of plants and plant pictures to add to my water logged garden site. This program stinks. Then I tried to draw my garden, it was hopeless. This is truly one program to skip. Trust the reviewers. There are four of us now saying dump this one!!!!
Rating:
Summary: So Much for Creating a Plant List for my Garden!!
Review: When I purchased this program, it had only one review from the cad fellow who said "skip it" because it was not user friendly. I disregarded his review because of the program's extensive plant encylcopedia --9500. Well, I had an old Sierra Garden Design program that turns out to have been MUCH MORE useful. The new program allowed me to search by plant and soil properties, but I couldn't figure out how to print the information it provided,never mind save it!! I wanted a print-out of plants and plant pictures to add to my water logged garden site. This program stinks. Then I tried to draw my garden, it was hopeless. This is truly one program to skip. Trust the reviewers. There are four of us now saying dump this one!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointed
Review: Wish other negative reviews I have now read had been posted before I purchased. I had a similar experience - product sounded like it had everything I needed - but I'll never know. I too spent several hours on multiple occassions trying to "figure it out", but this software is painfuly unfriendly to use. After sinking many hours into it I gave in and emailed user support. Several days later I got an email saying, sorry we don't do "how to" user support, but try this web site, which was equally unhelpful. I might give it one more try before throwing in the towel and returning it, but if you haven't bought yet, stay away.
Rating:
Summary: Skip this one
Review: Wished I'd researched this turkey before purchase. If you need to use the terrsin/3D features - you're done for. If you need to design something in real life and you use this program - you're done for.
|
