Chief Architect : 3D Architectural Design Software

Residential & Light Commercial Design
Chief Architect is a perfect architectural tool for residential and light commercial design to help the client see the design before construction begins. Often the most challenging issue with designing is communicating your ideas and helping the client visualize the finished project. Chief Architect enables the Architect to communicate and illustrate a 3D model of the project reducing frustrations, unknowns and uncertainties. Improve client communication with photo-realistic renderings, quickly incorporate changes and design realistically for your client’s needs with Chief Architect software on your next project.
Design & Visualize with Your Clients
Quickly Generate Automatic 3D Models
3D & 2D Design & Modeling Tools
Kitchens & Baths – Interiors & Exteriors
Turn concepts into realistic 3D models in minutes
Show your clients what the design will look like in 3D or with a virtual tour before you begin construction
3D models are automatic – to see a view, simply point-and-click the camera. Save any view as an image to email or print
Advanced 3D tools: Raytrace, Glass House™, Doll House™, 3D Cross-Section Elevation Slider™ and many more
Design in both 3D and 2D simultaneously
Choose from over 10,000 Library objects to make your designs realistic and match the client’s criteria – easily import name-brand objects
Automatic & Manual Building Tools
Use the powerful built-in Automatic and Manual Building tools to make the most of your design including: walls, windows, foundations, framing, stairs, decks, CAD, electrical and more
Automatic Dimension Tools – click to place automatic dimensions or manually place dimensions
Automatic and manual roofs: hip, gable, curved and more
Advanced roof tools: Auto Dormer™ and Auto Roof Returns™
Automatic framing for walls, foundations, decks and roofs
The House Wizard™ provides a quick way to layout rooms – great for client consultations
Materials Lists and cost estimating – Chief Architect maintains a complete model as you design and automatically generates a Materials List in spreadsheet format
Material Schedules: windows, doors, cabinets, electrical, finish, fixtures and furniture
Powerful Design & CAD Tools
Customize Windows, Doors & Cabinets
Over 10,000 Items – Import Your Own!
A complete CAD tool set, including the Visual CAD Snaps™ to highly customize designs
Choose from a Library of over 500 CAD Details – customize or import new Details
Import DWG/DXF/3DS/OBJ/SKP files
Use the CAD-to-Walls tool to import 2D files and automatically generate 3D models – AutoCAD® compatible
Design realistic kitchens and baths in 3D, dropping in parametric cabinets, changing styles, adding custom countertops, flooring and more
Plan Sets & Construction Documents
Use the Layout tool to produce detailed, professional Plan Sets with framing, elevations, cross-sections, 3D overviews, and more
Layouts are synchronized with your design – change the floor plan, it automatically updates in the Layout
Use the Layer Sets to turn on and off layers to create the exact view for your Plan Sets
Control line weights and styles, set scale, select built-in architectural fonts, choose colors and more
Choose from over 1,000 built-in CAD details, import your own or create custom details
Print anywhere – desktop, large format printers or use a PDF print driver