Awesome PC Software

Boogga

Hi, I'm after a computer package that I can install on my laptop so when I visit proposed clients I can blow then away with what their new home or extension will look like. What packages are out there that do this and where can I find them?

Thanks.

Regards,

Boogga

Ed the Roofer

A friend of mine I met at a seminar last year uses Renoworks software. They are now tied in with MarketSharp software as an affiliate I believe.

He did a quick roof demo for me on his laptop and the quality and ease just blew me away. I'm upgrading this spring to a better office system and a laptop for this one very reason. The only drawback for me so far is the manufacturer I primarily use for shingles is not in their selection and category library.

He used his own digital photos and not just stock template home designs that I've seen before. That was really Cool.

Hey, Tamko.....Get with the program please!
Whoops! I just checked it out and they are now.

Is this what you were looking for?

Ed

house bldr

You might check out the Chief Architect program. Not sure if thats what you are looking for but you can do some very cool stuff with it!It is a fairly complicated program just because of all it will do (for me anyway) and on the higher end pricewise but worth looking at!

dougchips

Ed, I just purchased the program before Thanksgiving. You have to load the the product selections, who are you using for a roofing supplier?

Ed the Roofer

Tamko is my primary and Certainteed is my secondary choices for shingle products.

Last time I was in contact with RenoWorks, they said Tamko was not amongst their vendors, they were at one time but pulled out. When I checked out their website yesterday, they were listed amongst the vendors whose products were available. Tamko = about 90 %, Certainteed = about 10 % of what people choose. We also use the higher end Capstones from Elk as well.

I wish the RenoWorks rep would have contacted me as they knew what I was waiting for.

How do you like the software capabilities so far? How cumbersome was the learning curve. It is my intention to bring a laptop in with teir existing home and show them 2 to 3 versions of what style and color I recommend.

Ed

dougchips

We attended a web seminar on the basics of the program. It took about 2 hours to download the program and set up my vendor selection. I practiced by taking pictures of my office complex and then changing the siding types and colors and then changing the windows. THe have a few samples that help with practice. Overall after 3-4 hours you should have a comfort level.

Make sure that you use a camera with good resolution, I bought a 10 mp just for this purpose. Also try to take you pictures straight on and not at an angle.

MattCoops

If you really want to make an impact,
you can make the image of what the customer's remodel will look like look quite realistic

I did this design over weekend with Sketchup for 3D modeling and Kerkythea for rendering.



Both programs are free and available for download. Google owns rights to Sketchup and you can do a search for it. Kerkythea has website for download as well.
Both programs have website forums that will get you far in learning to use.

__________________
Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
(978) 601-8774 | cupantile@gmail.com | view tile pictures and more

Ed the Roofer

Thanks MattCoops,

I'll check those out soon. Do they allow your own digital photo of an existing house and then to change the shingle color and design?

Thats what liked about the RenoWorks. You just outline the image by clicking the mouse at the corners and fill in with the imported product image. It looked like an actual new roof photo was taken and I was very impredded.

Your rendition seemed quite detailed as well.

Ed

MattCoops

for what you're talking about
I'd go for a good photo editor
I like photoshop the best

the software is like $600 and up

but there are ways to get it free around net

__________________
Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
(978) 601-8774 | cupantile@gmail.com | view tile pictures and more

HJ1

mattcoops

I saw this same picture in the gallery on your website. I would have thought that pictures in your gallery would be actual work that you did, not something you made with computer software.

__________________
HJ

MattCoops

It is work that we did. (So is our logo design, and our website design and infrastructure)

We do a lot of 3D modeling for interior design.
That's part of our remodeling package.
And we do this type of work for a couple interior designers we work with.
The customer likes to see how the project will come out,
rather than just recieving a dollar amount.

This work allows us to charge for remodel estimates.
If it's just a floor estimate, we don't go this in depth.

But other remodelers take a lot of time to go in a sale.
If that sale does not come to a close, then thats time wasted.
In this aspect of creating a 3d model in the customers estimate package, we take a said dollar amount (that we take off project if they sign the line). So at least we get paid for the advertising, gas, and time that goes into an estimate.

It's just something to set us apart from the rest.

IF you ever need some design work done, or your website built
give us a call

__________________
Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
(978) 601-8774 | cupantile@gmail.com | view tile pictures and more

HJ1

Thats ridiculous. I think that anyone viewing your website and looking at pictures in your gallery will assume that this is a tile job you did. I think that your website is misleading, especially since there is no indication that you provide any "3D modeling for interior design". Come on Matt.

__________________
HJ

MattCoops

we install toilets over tile floors too
but we don't advertise plumbing services on website either

and we do most of our 3D modeling for interior designers around the area. we already work with them so no real need to have a 3D modeling section in a tile & paint site, dont ya think

and again, we do designs of that nature for remodeling estimates,
and we don't really go into that great of detail on how we do estimates on our website

but you know what, you're right

we're in the process of adding some articles to our site
and we WILL add that to our list of articles

we've done a slew of designs like that for summary proposals for different cities and subdivisions, but they usually go with brick as a material instead of tile
maybe we can attract some more builders and possibly architects with our 3D modeling techniques

thanks for helping us along in our quest to conquer a new year

__________________
Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
(978) 601-8774 | cupantile@gmail.com | view tile pictures and more

HJ1

Since you'll be doing some work to your site, perhaps it would be a good idea to separate the "tile work you have done pictures" from your "design pictures" so that a perspective customer knows what work you have actually done vs whats just a drawing. Its misleading to anyone looking at your site in its current state.

__________________
HJ

Mike Finley

Okay, since it's pick on Matt day...

2 things:

I have to agree about the misleading aspect, any customer seeing this page is certainly going to think that top picture is an example of glass tile work. I can't see how anyone would not.

Also, since you offer services as a web designer, what in the world are you thinking with Google ads running in the middle of your main page? Isn't your website for attracting customers? I've seen 3 or 4 others in business trying to make a few bucks off of Google ads and I just don't get it. If you want to make click thru money, why don't you build some web sites specifically for that purpose?

You've got such a short opportunity to grab a new customers attention (and you would never believe how confused the average person is who uses the internet) why would you do anything at all to shoot yourself in the foot by distracting them with Google ads?

I only say this because you have a lot of talent and I have enjoyed your information on this forum and don't want to see you do things to hurt yourself.

By the way, feel free to pick apart my sites, turn about is fair play.

MattCoops

well, I just put up those AdSense on index page yesterday
just wanted to test it out
Is it really that bad to have on there?
figured it would pay for our AdWord campaign we were starting for this year
Mike, did you happen to click on those links?

and we are doing some site updating
and part of that is some upgrades in our gallery section

thanks Mike

we LOVE constructive criticism

__________________
Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
(978) 601-8774 | cupantile@gmail.com | view tile pictures and more

Ed the Roofer

The thing I would suggest is to label the images on your website. You should show a: Before Photo; then your Computer Created Conceptual Visualization Rendering; then the Final End of Job Photo.

This would show the improvements you made and also that you lived up to the visionary concept created from your software. Make your creative imagination and follow through process part of your entire sales and production process.

Ed

MattCoops

thanks Ed

by the way, do you have a site?

__________________
Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
(978) 601-8774 | cupantile@gmail.com | view tile pictures and more