Virtual Architect Home & Landscape Platinum Suite

If you believe Norton Anti-virus scanning, do not buy this software. It fails their scanning. Novadevelopment customer service is non-existent.

I researched all the home design software on Amazon and mistakingly chose this one. The product works and really isnt difficult to use. It comes with a great users guide. It is more advanced so is not for someone looking for a basic program. The real disappointment with this program is the interior design portion. For having HGTV in its logo, youd think it offered great choices for design. However, the choices are minimal. This program has 100s of design options - not thousands. You can change the color and finish of furnishings, but not the style. There are almost no decorative accessories and you need to be creative in making a walk-in closet. One bonus is that you can download some additional elements and add to the program catalog.

What a disaster! Spent hours just trying to lay out three planes of a basic rectangular rear yard perimeter block wall with equally spaced pilasters. This is not something super complicated or which should require much time. After wasting a good chunk of an evening, I tried to input a floor plan as it advertises you can - another disaster. I followed every step and yet after many attempts, it either wasnt accepting the format of the original plan or it simply doesnt do what it is advertised to do. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.

I have been working with this program for a short time I have noticed that it is starting to shut down on its own,. I have been having trouble installing some of the fixtures in the bathroom. I am not pleased with this program thus far.

Say you wanted to draw out a small (square) basement to aid in a redesign?.... Forget it, get some graph paper and a tee square. The time it would take to become proficient with this software would be better spent playing angry birds.

Real steep learning curve for me. Its ok but was not as powerful as I hoped. It does help in planning a project.

It is not a bad program (not sure exactly which HGTV I bought, may have been Ultimate (computer no longer works)) but has a few quirks, like you can always see a shadow of the furniture and walls on the floor beneath, which drove me crazy. It also took awhile to figure things out that I think could have been made easier. But at least it has much more flexibility and detail then the Chief Architect Home design essentials which was a complete waste of my money. Guess you have to spend much more to get one that works well. I looked at sketch up and noticed it looks just like HGTVs, the icons and set up looks identical, but I have not tried sketch up at $695!

As a website designer, and definitely not a draftsman, I use this program to draw house plans for a home builder client. Does the trkick.

Program is not clear on instructions

I hate the fact that you can install it but not get in to it without a code that apparently doesnt come with it. And the help click is $10 per question