Home Design Software Features
Product Information and Features
"I sit down with the customer and draw out the plan. I pop it up in 3D and their name goes on the dotted line. Chief Architect is the best sales tool I’ve ever had."
Michael Caskey, Caskey Construction
Built-in 3D Raytracing – View sample raytrace images
Design by Sarah Susanka, AIA
Author of the best-selling Not so Big House
View the Chief Architect Brochure (pdf)
Watch the Animated Tour of
Chief Architect
Automatic Elevations – add, dimensions, text and other details
Chief Architect
Powerful and Easy
- Create detailed Floor plans, Elevation views and Cross-sections
- Visualize and design with 3D models and virtual tours
- Choose from over 10,000 Library items including CAD Details and name brand manufacturers
- Use automated building tools, like Automatic Framing and Roof Generation
- Create cost estimates with the built-in Material Lists
- Generate complete Landscapes and Site Planning designs
- Use powerful CAD tools to create custom details
- Produce detailed, professional Blueprints and Plan Sets
- With our User’s Guide you can get started with a step-by-step process and design your first house in 30 minutes
- 90-Day Money Back Guarantee
- Free Bonus Library Content – Download the latest new Library content items to quickly and easily enhance your designs
- Free PDF Print Driver – No need for a large format printer – just use the PDF print driver that is included with Chief Architect. Also, it’s great to email files to your clients.
- Free Chief Architect Viewer – Email your design to your clients in 3D. They can take 3D Views, Virtual Tours or review in 2D to make comments. The Chief Viewer is a powerful tool and it’s Free!
Chief Architect was designed from the ground up for residential architectural design. With our Getting Started Guide, you can design your first house in 30 minutes out of the box, guaranteed. Chief Architect enables you to communicate and illustrate a 3D model of your project.
Chief Architect - Summary Feature List
Plan Sets and Blueprints
- Layout, Printing & Plotting
- Built-in PDF print driver – no need for a large format printer
- Multiple Layers and Layer Sets – easily mask layers to create the view you need
- Electrical, HVAC and Plumbing tools
- Plot and Perimeter Plans
- Terrain Modeling, Landscaping Tools and Site Planning Tools
- ICC – Residential Code Checklist
- Time Tracker™
Virtual Tour created in Chief Architect3D Design and Modeling Tools
- Automatic 3D Views with 3D Editing
- Photo-Realistic 3D Rendering
- Glass House™ View
- Doll House™ View
- Material Painter™ – Point-and-Click Colors and Materials
- Color Chooser™ – Choose manufacturer colors, materials or textures for your design – or from a digital photo
- 3D Model Maker™
- Design simultaneously in 2D and 3D
- Create Virtual Walk-Through Tours
Powerful Building Tools
- Cost Estimating with Materials List
- Automatic and Manual Roofs: Curved, Hip, Gable and More View the Roof styles
- Advanced Roof Tools: Auto Dormer™ and Auto Roof Returns™
- Choose from various styles of roofs for Dormers
- Material Schedules: Windows, Doors, Cabinets and More
- One-Click Auto Dimensioning™
- Built-in wall types with layers like ICF walls; design custom walls types
- Advance stair tools for curved, flared, split, straight and more
- House Wizard™ to quickly layout plans or for space planning
- Automatic and Manual Building Tools for: Framing, Roofs, Stairs, Cabinets, Floors, CAD Details, Electrical and More
Powerful CAD Tools
- Visual CAD Snaps™
- Endpoint, Midpoint, Center, Quadrant, On Object
- Tangents (Endpoints, Midpoints, Quadrants)
- Perpendicular (Endpoints, Midpoints, Quadrants)
- Orthogonal (Endpoints, Midpoints, Quadrants)
- Points/Markers
- Intersection
- Over 1,000 Built-in CAD Details
- "CAD-to-Walls" Import; import an AutoCAD®, DXF or DWG map the layer and automatically get a 3D model
- One-Click Cross Sections & Elevations
- Color and Black & White Elevations
Kitchens & Baths – Custom Cabinets
- Parametric Cabinets – Over a 1,000 Styles or Choose from the Built-in Cabinet Library
- Create any custom cabinet including curved cabinets
- Curved Cabinets and Cabinet Hardware
- Block cabinets and other like objects together to create architectural blocks – great for kitchen islands
- Over 10,000 Library items – import your own or create them yourself
- Symbol Import Wizard™ Import DXF/DWG/OBJ/3DS Free Bonus Library downloads – name-brand and generic
- Use the Material Painter™ or Color Chooser™ to set exact colors, material and textures for your design
Deck & Landscaping Tools
- Automatic deck framing
- Customize deck planking and materials
- Choose from a variety to deck railing styles
- Set the north pointer and define seasonal settings for realistic shadows
- Complete set of terrain tools – easily import terrain data
- Over 2,000 Landscaping Plants – 2D and 3D
- Complete Plant Encyclopedia™, with detailed information about each plant including integrated Hardiness Zone Maps
View detailed list of what’s new in Chief Architect version X1.