Format:CD-ROM Platforms:Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows XP Genre:Childrens Construction Software Games ESRB:Everyone Media:CD-ROM Operating System:Windows Vista Shipping Weight (lbs):1.3 Dimensions (in):7.6 x 5.3 x 2.3
Release Date:October 20, 2008 Availability:Usually ships in 1-2 business days Condition:Brand new,factory sealed.Shows very little shelf-ware .100% satisfaction guaranted or your money back.Thank you for your support.WE SHIP NEXT BUSINESS DAY IN BUBBLE MAILER WITH TRACKING NUMBER. g
Failed from the startJune 14, 2009 William L. Stowe 9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I purchased and installed this product, went through the registration process only to have it fail in the authorization step. I could only run in "trial" mode and many of the features were unresponsive. After reading other reviews I elected not to attempt a rescue - returning for refund.
GlitchyMay 4, 2009 L. Rodriguez(Salt Lake City, UT USA) 8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I was mostly after the landscaping portion of this software. After a few quick clicks I had the basic layout of my house and I moved on to the exterior design. I tried to draw a small retaining wall and attach it to the house, but it immediately drew a roof over it! I deleted it, then altered the house roof to represent what we actually have, and then went back to designing. Lo and behold, only a few clicks later I see that the roof is back over the retaining wall, and my house roof has been redrawn, too! I monkeyed with that for a few minutes before I decided it just would continue to be glitchy. I wanted this program to help me decide what plants to put in the retaining wall, but if I can't even build one in the program, my project is doomed before it starts.
Other problems: moving placed items is problematic because you need to select different tools from a drop-down menu to do different things. Rotate? Select the rotate tool from the drop-down menu. Move? Select the move arrow from the drop-down menu. Resize? Select the other arrow from the drop-down menu. What should simply be a point, click and drag is now a multi-step process that is more an excercise in frustration than anything.
You can't pick plants by flower color. Zone, type, water requirements and sun requirements are all that are offered, unless you know the name for the plant that you're searching for or are happy to browse through the existing catalogue.
I've worked with a lot of programs. I'm familiar with word processor programs, drawing programs, photo editing programs, and even web design and other architecture software. I don't do it for a living, but mostly for hobby (as the majority of users probably do). All of that experience didn't amount to anything, and when I looked through the help menu and the forums (another medium I'm familiar with) I couldn't find anything.
When looking for information in the help about adding a bay window, the instructions directed me toward toolbars that don't exist, and features I don't have. Very frustrating! I'm going to take them up on their money-back-guarantee and return this product today.
Took six hours (!) to install on VistaSeptember 14, 2009 Omega(Colorado Springs, CO USA) 7 out of 7 found this review helpful
The title says it all. First time I tried to install the thing, I gave up. The DVD-drive was just spinning and nothing happened. I then went to Punch! software's website and found a little piece of information stating that it could take 15 minutes before the software started to install on Vista. I turned off all the power management functionality in Vista, dropped in the disc, and voila. After just an hour, it started installing. 5 hours later I had a window up stating "Preparing to install... Please Wait". Well, I waited another hour before trying to bring up the task manager. As it turned out, there was no way of stopping this installation short of cutting the power to the PC. After this, the software does appear to function. But 6 hours to install a piece of software like this??? I gotta ask: Did they really try their own software on a Vista PC before it was released? I have my doubts. Would I buy it again? Absolutely not.
Wasted Time and MoneyOctober 31, 2008 James A. Wolfe 15 out of 19 found this review helpful
I bought this product with the single purpose of designing and building my workshop. Having been involved with steep learning curves on other software, I also enrolled in Punch University to learn how to use the software. After looking at the first lesson, I realized I couldn't find the tools they were using. I couldn't find the toolbar. After an email to them, I get a call from Customer Service telling me that the University provides instruction in an entirely different product and no, there is no training available for the version I bought. Tuition was rerfunded a few days after they said it would be so I decided to go it on my own. Understand that I am no neophyte to drawing and CAD programs. After many false starts and hitches, I have the building drawn and fire up their "Power Tool" called Framing Editor and hope to get a materials list and a drawing. No joy. Software wouldn't print from that view and the materials list didn't include framing. Gave up and threw in the towel. They got me on this one so be careful if you're considering this software. I gave it one star because the system wouldn't let me go lower. On the piece of [...] scale this thing reeks.
Jim
Nothing but frustrationJanuary 24, 2010 LT(CA) 4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I purchased this looking to play with some ideas about the design of our future home. I had been using Google's Sketch-up with some success, but wanted something aligned more specifically with architecture. My expectations were not high, and I didn't expect fantastic results from this program designed for amateurs (which I am), but the product is complete waste of money. My experiences have proved:
1) It only works well on a 90 degree grid. While it can make walls at angles, it obsesses to snap to points that have nothing to do with what you want. To create a room with 3 walls at different angles, I was forced to draw 3 different rooms separately, change the orientation of each, then merge them together and remove the unwanted walls. It's worked, but the approach results in other problems later.
2) It obsessively puts a roof on every floor regardless of how many floors the design is. I remove them, and they return. Unfortunately, I don't want roof lines running through my second floor rooms.
3) While it can make curved walls, and decks--good luck getting the results you want. Again, it demands to snap to its grid which you cannot override. The "Detail" tool helps, but you have to do a dozen or so attempts to figure out how to anticipate what the program will end up doing--very frustrating.
4) It automatically creates roofs for you, but does not delete the old roofs. In my issue 2, after getting the 3 rooms merged, I would have to go back and manually delete the floating roofs on each floor of the plan. Each time you change something--yes, it magically creates a new roof design, but the old one remains needing to be cleaned up. Adding to the frustration is the fact that there is NO way to turn off the auto roof nightmare.
5) The packaging claims all kinds of furniture and fixtures included. This may be true as after 2 months of failure trying to get even a simple design to work, I have not used these features much. However, I have discovered that there are no kitchen sinks included. Additionally, wall cabinets suffer the same auto "snap-to" syndrome and demand to align on some internally designated point rather than where you want.
6) Another auto "snap-to" issue is working with walls. Sometimes you can place a wall where you want, often times it insists that it be on, start, or end on some internal mystery point. I've found I can overcome it by extending walls far beyond what I want, then go back and cut them to size--but this is more work, and often the program decides to adjust the connection points and puts everything out of alignment.
7) You cannot stagger the limited 3 floors to accommodate uneven ground. It proved impossible to have the garage at one level, and the main part of the house a few feet higher. Each floor has to be flat and level to itself and in relation to any others. I even tried making the garage the 1st floor with the main house the 2nd without success.
8) Back to the evil auto roof feature: while they claim you can customize your roof design, good luck if you want anything that strays from a 90 degree grid of the auto roofer. I tried to create a roof section wrapping around a courtyard area--impossible. Again, the auto roof insisted on "fixing" it for me--which of course was not at all what I wanted.
9) If you use the program to design a perfectly 90 degree square house with 1 flat floor, it's pretty easy to do. If you want to do anything that strays from this, the auto features and limitations on controls prove to make the experience a difficult nightmare of frustration and failure.
Bottom line--the program has proved 100% useless for my amateur needs--Google's free Sketch-up is far more useful and flexible. Save your money and the frustration, don't buy this product.
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