Floor Plans

I've done a lot of architecturals myself. Having used AutoCrap since day one I can tell you AutoPimp's products are over-priced crippleware garbage. What I recommend for floor planning property surveys is the use of an inexpensive program such as 3D Home Architect (3DHA). There are programs in the under $80 category that can be used to rapidly produce professional 2D or 3D results that will detail and dimension accurately enough to obtain building permits and get stamped by an architect or engineer if neccessary. Furthermore I taught my 10 year old nephew how to use 3D Home Architect in 5 minutes. Honestly, 3DHA was that easy to learn and use.
Here is the 'gotcha' though. Its a long story I'd be happy to explain if you'd like to talk mano-a-mano which is something I'd like to do myself as I have some questions you might help me answer but the short explanation as told to me is the apparent fact that while 3DHA was the best choice at one point in time I've been told it is no longer being developed by the same group of programmers and the new group has turned it into ca-ca when compared to another product in the same category which was said to now be the better choice. I haven't been using 3DHA for many years now so I can't honestly say either way but I can say with all certainty this is the category of software you want to take seriously. I've done a quick Google search [1] for you and suggest you read through results to get insights into what this category of CAD can do for you.
Contact me with Floor Plans as the subject and send me your # and I'll give you a call.
Hello,

I use DesignCAD for floor plans and other 2D work but it costs $49.95 (DesignCAD Express 16) and I don't know how good it is compared with other products in the same price range.
or

No, these guys are full of baloney. You need the full Architectural Desktop 2006. It will only set you back about $4,000. Then you also need the Autodesk Land Surveying package, plus 3D Studio so you can work in 3D. The total cost should be only around $12,000. Plus, you'll need to upgrade every time AutoDesk rolls out a new release--in other words, every year. With all three packages, it should be a paltry $1,500 or so annually to keep your licenses up to date. Of course, you're going to need a top-of-the-line computer to run all this--the latest AutoDesk products require a minimum of one gig of memory. Shouldn't cost you more than $3,000. You'll need a plotter too, to output full-size drawings. HP makes a nice one for about $20,000. Then you'll need to take classes in order to use all these incredibly and unnecessarily complex tools. Plan on taking a year off from work to get all your skills up to snuff.
Or you could stick to graph paper.
:) Marc

er, right - very helpful.
Marc Clamage wrote:

There are quite a few good choices. One that I think you might like (specially the price) is Qcad. Do a Google search. It is a free download. Quite good.

Solid Edge have done a free 2D package in the past, I have a copy

Scott, Try doing a search for ProgeCAD LT 2006 - it was free when I got it earlier, but it may have changed to a cost option by now.
It does everything that I need, including having the ability to take in full AutoCAD drawings.
Good luck Steve

In my jurisdiction that would be professional misconduct.

In the states we have this thing called fascism. Canadians have also lost their freedoms and liberties to fascists; the melding of corporate interests and government until the two become indistinguishable. They wave the flag a lot and tell us God wants it this way.
Yes, it is against the law to draw a picture of a toilet in the US too.

Political opinions aside, the FACT remains that in my jurisdiction architects cannot just stamp drawings created by others. This may be unique to Ontario, or not. I just want to advise the OP that he should check into the claim you made and its applicability in his jurisdiction.

He had me ROFL.

Michael:
Your observation is true is almost all jurisdictions and applies to both architects and engineers. The operative language is usually some variant of "documents must be prepared under the direct supervision of the architect or engineer."

Clinton:
The "specifications" as you call them are indeed published. They are called the building and zoning codes.
BTW, many jurisdictions do not require an architect's or engineer's seal on the drawings for single family residences or other types of buildings unless they are more than 4000 sq.ft.
That has changed somewhat with the adoption of the IBC and IRC codes which now contain prescriptive requirements which must be met if you do not want to provide calculations prepared by a licensed professional.

Yes, I agree and highly recommend it. A bit more complicated to learn than my previous suggestion of Qcad but far more powerful also. It was still available for download as of a few days ago.

I have sufficient experience working on architectural and engineering projects to know about building and zoning codes. In the State of Wisconsin private sector government agents must be paid for any residential projects larger than two family and any commercial project larger than 50,000 CF. As I recall recently being told by a public sector government agent, Wisconsin's regulations apparently coincide with the adoption of the International Building Codes & International Residential Codes you refer to as most if not all states have already adopted those codes as the sovereignity of our nation continues to be surrendered to the new world odor globalists.
I must acknowledge then my written comments that precede this reply were not well conveyed and were misleading as there are in fact regulations that can and do specify how drawings must be drawn.

I dunno. I work in the People's Republic of Massachusetts (props to Clinton), which is about as Code-ridden a state you can imagine (new buildings have to be earthquake-proof, an event about as likely as the glaciers returning) and I've been at several firms where they kept "pet" registered architects on staff just to stamp the drawings. Not that they sat around doing nothing, of course, but they sure as hell weren't allowed to design anything. At one of my early jobs it was my duty to forge the boss' initials over the architectural stamps--he couldn't be bothered.
Marc

I was using conditional language out of caution. Something my fascist masters expect of me ; ) I know that this is typical in "advanced" fascist countries.

Thank you for acknowledging the problem exists Marc.
I dunno. I work in the People's Republic of Massachusetts (props to

I work in the socialist paradise of New Zealand, and all this stamping and registering of interested parties is just starting to creep in. I have no problem with the new building codes, but with the way they are being used to collect revenue for local councils. The new regs. have added approx. 12 % to the cost of a new building for no added service, and in the near future I am going to have to become a registered drafty. No tests to make sure I know what I'm doing, just a fee to to be paid each year. At the moment, I don't need an archtect/designer to sign off my work, as long as it meets the building standard. I laughed at the 'forging' comment.....I have seen this happen many times when drawings need to be out the door NOW!....use different pens and your left hand for some of the sigs.....