Rating: 
Summary: THIS IS WORTHLESS
Review: This program was only good for making a color board. It also takes up a lot of memory/space on the computer, and manuevering the camera in the walkthrough is a nightmare!!! For an easier program where you can download a sofa, end table, etc, you see on the internet, and rendering very photo realistic pictures, I suggest trying two products for home design: Custom Home 3D Design and 3D Home Architect Professional 5.
Rating:
Summary: Avoid At All Costs!
Review: This software is pure crap! Please read the email I sent to their tech support department several weeks ago, then, go and buy ANY home designing software from Punch! To wit: I recently purchased your software, Total 3D Home Deluxe 6.0. After several truly frustrating days of trying to use it to design a home, I find it completely inadequate, buggy in the extreme, and a 'total waste' of my money, since software that has been opened and installed can't be returned to any vendor, no matter how liberal their policies.
I usually would not take the time to write an email such as this, but I MUST say something about the various, and multitudinous issues I faced in attempting to design a home with Total 3D. First off, I had several problems of a nature that can only be called 'fatal': sudden, 'unannounced' crashes to the desktop being foremost among them. Also, the backup file was quite regularly corrupted by these frequent crashes, which forced me more than a few times to start over, either from scratch, or from some earlier point that may just have well been the very beginning.
The documentation for error messages is severely incomplete, with only a very few of the most frequent ones mentioned. There is only vague 'advice' on how best to 'probably' solve truly MAJOR issues which, left unfixed, result in a completely unusable design AND file, and, again, crashing to the desktop, and some times taking down the machine as well.
Case in point, after carefully and tediously spending many hours RECREATING my file from scratch, the software mysteriously 'dropped' one of my outside walls, making the file crash-prone, buggy, and completely unusable. Is there a way to fix this type of error? If there is, its not mentioned in the documentation, or the FAQs, or anywhere on (their) website or (their) help files. (And did I forget to mention that the hapless user can 'forget' tech support - not surprisingly, (they) never answer their emails!). Walls routinely resize themselves, whereas individual rooms sometimes flatly refuse to be resized, no matter how hard you tug. Objects (such as lamps and windows) also have the disconcerting habit of moving to what they deem to be 'better' locations (especially lights), with no explanation mentioned anywhere as to why this should be so. I spent many frustration sessions trying vainly to place porch lights, which seem to have a mind of their own.
I'll stop now. Needless to say, I've had a very bad time with this software. Since I can't return it to CompUSA, and since I would definitely NOT sell it to anyone, or even give it as a gift, I am forced to salvage what I can; my various plan layouts, attempt to print them, and then go back down to CompUSA to try another product, from one of (their) competitors, more than likely the industry leader in this type of software, Punch! Thanks for nothing!
Rating: 
Summary: An OK program, depending on what you need it for
Review: Unlike many of the other reviewers, I am having no problems using this product. No crashes (running WinXP Pro on a 300 MHz Celeron from 1999). This may be because I am only using it to model a 1000 sq. ft. condo. This program is a fine one for testing interior design ideas. I'll be ther first to tell you that the tutorials, help, and manual are horrible. It took me 2 days to figure out the main power of the program (which isn't really mentioned in the manual). This program is great if you have objects or textures that you want to import and apply to walls, floors, or the generic furniture in the program. It also has a lot of power when you start browsing the product catalog (note: Items in the catalog are separate from items in the program, but can be imported and look ok when they are.). When using the program, learn to use the product catalog, import features, and design center early. It's confusing, but it will be worth it. I am still confused by this process (along with many others).
This program is very counter-intuitive, but there are ways to figure stuff out. Expect to get part done with a project and then realize that you have to start over. YOU CAN GET GOOD INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS AND RESULTS FROM THIS PRODUCT BUT NOT MUCH MORE. It is not 'Home Designer' software. Don't expect to design a house and give the plans to your builder.
I only paid $25 for this program and am glad I didn't pay the MSRP of $40. It's worth the money I paid for it. If I wanted something better I would have gone with BHG's Home Designer Suite 6. You can download a demo at Chief Architects website. It's a better program, but costs 3-4 times as much.
You can decide for yourself. If you're actually building something (addition, whole house, etc.) don't go with this program, it won't help you at all. If you just want to see what your living room will look like with a different color paint, floor, or furniture then it's worth a shot.
Rating:
Summary: An OK program, depending on what you need it for
Review: Unlike many of the other reviewers, I am having no problems using this product. No crashes (running WinXP Pro on a 300 MHz Celeron from 1999). This may be because I am only using it to model a 1000 sq. ft. condo. This program is a fine one for testing interior design ideas. I'll be ther first to tell you that the tutorials, help, and manual are horrible. It took me 2 days to figure out the main power of the program (which isn't really mentioned in the manual). This program is great if you have objects or textures that you want to import and apply to walls, floors, or the generic furniture in the program. It also has a lot of power when you start browsing the product catalog (note: Items in the catalog are separate from items in the program, but can be imported and look ok when they are.). When using the program, learn to use the product catalog, import features, and design center early. It's confusing, but it will be worth it. I am still confused by this process (along with many others).
This program is very counter-intuitive, but there are ways to figure stuff out. Expect to get part done with a project and then realize that you have to start over. YOU CAN GET GOOD INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS AND RESULTS FROM THIS PRODUCT BUT NOT MUCH MORE. It is not 'Home Designer' software. Don't expect to design a house and give the plans to your builder.
I only paid $25 for this program and am glad I didn't pay the MSRP of $40. It's worth the money I paid for it. If I wanted something better I would have gone with BHG's Home Designer Suite 6. You can download a demo at Chief Architects website. It's a better program, but costs 3-4 times as much.
You can decide for yourself. If you're actually building something (addition, whole house, etc.) don't go with this program, it won't help you at all. If you just want to see what your living room will look like with a different color paint, floor, or furniture then it's worth a shot.
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