The BETA for Home Builder 3 is available!
When Blender 3 was released I started working on rewriting Home Builder to utilize all of the new features in Blender including the Asset Browser.
Here is a video that explains what to expect with this release.
How to Install Home Builder 3
Home Builder is now a standard add-on to Blender, so you can install it just like any other add-on.
- Download the latest version of Blender.
- Download the Home Builder Add-on. If you are using Blender 4 download Home Builder 4.
- In Blender to to Edit > Preferences.
- In the Add-on Tab click Install in the top right corner.
- Browse to the home_builder3.zip file you downloaded and click Install Add-on.
- Check the box next to the Home Builder Add-on to enable it.
- I push updates using the add-on auto updater. The Install might be an older version, so click the check for updates button to make sure you are on the latest version.
New Features
- Home Builder Works as a Standard Add-on to Blender
- Complete Rewrite of Entire Add-on
- Better Organization of Library
- Build Library
- Current Room Interface
- Ability to Install External Libraries
Home Builder Works as a Standard Add-on to Blender – Since Blender 3 has implemented an asset browser there is no need to use the custom build of Blender called PyClone. Now you can simply install Home Builder as a standard Add-on to Blender.
Complete Rewrite of Entire Add-on – The entire add-on was rewritten for Blender 3. There are too many improvements to list them all. There are many bug fixes, better layout of the UI, and improved user experience.
Better Organization of the Library – Now that Blender has a built-in Asset Browser all of the assets are displayed in the 3D Viewport Sidebar. The library categories have been simplified to make assets easier to find.
Build Library – The Build Library allows you to snap together components. Parts and inserts automatically snap into openings giving you the ability to add shelves, doors, drawers, and other parts to create your product. All components added have their own properties that can be adjusted to achieve a variety of different results. After designing you can save your custom products to the library for use in future projects.
The best part is the custom products remain parametric allowing you to change material finishes, door styles, hardware, and many other options.
Current Room Interface – The current room interface allows you to see a list of all of the walls in your design. You can hide walls giving you an easier way to design in small spaces. You can also click the View button to quickly view an elevation view of the selected wall.
Ability to Install External Libraries – You can now create and manage your own external libraries. This allows you to create your own libraries that you can share, sell, or purchase from other users.
What Needs to be Finished Before the Official Release
There are a few tasks that need to be completed before the official release
Tutorials and Documentation – Having a complete set of documentation and a list of tutorials is essential for an official release. This not only includes documentation on how to design with Home Builder, but also how to extend and customize the library.
I have some of the documentation finished. You can view the online documentation here.
2D Layout Views – This includes being able to create 2D Plan and Elevation Drawings for your design. I have made some good progress on this, but there is still more work that needs to be done to make this a simple 1 click solution.
Migrate Extended Asset Library – Since the library structure has been update the extended asset library needs to be migrated to work with the new version. The extended asset library is a way that I fund this project. It is very important to me to reward everyone who supported this project early on, so I will be releasing a new version of the library on the Blender Market. Everyone who purchased the extended asset library on my site will automatically get access.
Implement Geometry Nodes – Geometry nodes is a new feature that was added to Blender 3, and can be very useful to Home Builder. The main way this will improve Home Builder is by optimizing the draw time of the assets.
Manufacturing Backend – This is an area I have spent a lot of time on. I know a lot of Blender users won’t find this feature very exciting, but knowing that the designs you create in Home Builder can be manufactured in the real world makes the designs you create much more valuable.
I am currently testing this with one company and we have been getting great results. They are able to send all of the machining information directly to their shop. It cuts all of the parts, creates hardware takeoff reports, and pricing information. This is specific to their machines, manufacturing process, and pricing structure.
This is a service that I will be able to provide to other manufactures in the future.
Thanks for your Patience!
I haven’t been releasing much information as I worked on the migration, but now that I have most of that work finished I will be releasing videos and software updates on a regular basis.
Very nice. I look forward to playing with it and seeing what it can do. I am not sure if lighting companies would be willing to be part of this, but having actual luminaires with the appropriate data/IES file would be fantastic.
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I got an error message when trying to activate this.
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me too
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Let me know what error you are getting so I can help you out. Also feel free to ask on the discord channel https://creativedesigner3d.com/2021/09/08/discord-channel/
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I’m looking forward to the end result.
really a good job.
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I keep getting error when trying to use the builds function
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Ask on the Discord Channel so I can help you out. https://creativedesigner3d.com/2021/09/08/discord-channel/
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no funciona en blender 3.4
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I am working on an issue that will fix errors on MacOS. If you are not using Mac then try asking on the discord channel so i can get more information. https://creativedesigner3d.com/2021/09/08/discord-channel/
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Please Fix the issue on MacOS
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I’m working on it. I should have it available today.
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Hey Andrew, I pulled down 3.0.3, and no install errors… Thanks so much for your effort!
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Hi Andrew, is there a problem using manifactures added with this addon to use in commercial purposes like using in a game? Couldn’t find any license information. Are the models CC0?
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Yeah the models are fine to use, but you might want to remove the manufacturer logo if you are using it in a game.
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I got it, thank you so much
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Hello!
I’m interested in the part about post-processing such as cutting the parts and positions with places to drill holes for assemblies, door hinges and mechanisms. Is machining on a CNC router envisaged.
We use BLUM mechanisms and assemblies entirely, is there a way to add them in the design and when cutting, the positions for drilling and cutting the details remain.
Thank you!
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Yeah all of this is possible, but it takes a bit to set up. If you use the contact page on my website we can discuss this though email.
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Thanks a lot! this is a great tool and makes the already amazing Blender ecosystem even more so.
I just have a little problem after using it to design a home. How can I export these models? I’m rendering my scenes in Unreal and I could not find a way to easily move my creations to Unreal. Is there an apply button somewhere that makes these models into static meshes? Like we do in a modifier?
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Great to hear! Yeah you can make the scene static with the make Assembly static command in the assembly menu. If you ask on discord I can show you a screen shot.
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I can’t add furniture in Blender 3.5, the only functionable is draw wall, floor & light room. Is it a bug? 😥
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already fix after i updated👍
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HI Guys. I have just discovered Blender. My wife wants me to render her kitchen design and I was hoping to use Home builder 3. I don’t seem to be able to install it on my Mac Studio M2 silicon system. I can’t work it out. Is it a PC program only? thank you in advance
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Sorry It”‘s an M1
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Blender Runs on all platforms and should work with M1. Ask on the discord so we can trouble shoot.
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Hi, Andrew!
Unfortunately when i try to put any asset, it gives error!
How can i do?
greetins from Brazil.
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Make sure you run an update in the about interface. If you are still having trouble ask on the discord channel.
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I find your add-on very impressive. Please continue. This is realy a big improvement for professional use of Blender by interiour designers and architects. Architectural offices should cooperate in this development. How do we convince them? Or do they like to pay more for their Revit licenses?
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Thanks. Revit is a good application, but I believe that more and more companies will start to see the benefits of using open source software and make the switch.
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lots of traceback error
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Make sure you run an update in the About Interface.
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I did that still there are these errors comin up
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Great job with this however how much memory, etc should I need? I’m running ubuntu on a amd ryzen 5 5500 with 32gb ram and a rx 580 gpu with 8gb and after I was able to draw a room with a kitchen and fill it with cabinets everything runs so slow I can’t do much else.
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I plan on making some optimizations to keep things running smooth after adding a lot of products. One thing to keep in mind is if you are adding then deleting a lot of cabinets make sure you use the home builder delete command so all reference objects are removed.
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it keeps crashing on MacOS
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Hi, how would I add a second floor to a building as when I try to place a wall on the second floor it puts it on the first
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Right now Home Builder is setup to work well with designing a single room, but I will adding features to be able to design an entire home with multiple floors.
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Pl let us know when multiple floors are possible. I am tired of using many software, even expensive ones, as they miss some simple, essential features and keep adding bells and whistles, hardly of any use. Keep up the good work. Hare Krishna.
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you can use the wall commands (use z axis)
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This is very interesting and can be huge!
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Great addon. But it gives me a Python error both in versions 3.5 and 3.6 when trying to drag from the library so I can only create walls 🙂
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You just need to update the add-on. In the About interface click check for updates. Ask on discord if you are still having issues, and I can help you out.
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Thanks, I did work though after launching blender again so everything is fine. Thank you very much.
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wow sir, i love you for making this ❤
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It is a great addon but it is missing slanted celling option and settings for some specific angle walls are connected with. Is it possible to add all that?
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I can create a better way to do it, but right now I just use the edit wall command to create slanted walls then just model a mesh plane for the ceiling.
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Thanks for considering it. Yes, for now I just go around it by moving an edge on one side to match another wall height on on this side.
May be consider also creating curved walls(apply some radius) and different angles(apply angles) for connecting walls.
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This is exciting! As much as I liked the PyClone version, I never used it much since having to switch back and forth was inconvenient. This I see myself using a lot more.
Do static/parametric assemblies work the same in this version? Or will we need to wait for the documentation to get updated to make our own? (I never learned to make them before, but I’m aware of the tutorials and it was on my to do list).
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They work in a very similar way, but there will be a few interface changes. I will have more documentation about this out soon.
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No worries, that’s more or less what I expected. A massive overhaul in code and workflow naturally requires an equally massive overhaul in documentation. LOL
The addon looks plenty usable as-is in the meantime.
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Just tried this and it was AWESOME, just one thing that I wanted to ask. Is there a way to change the size unit to meters (length, height, thickness, etc) ?
and if there isn’t can you make a switch feature ?
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Yeah in the Home Builder menu at the top there is a command to change units. You can also change them in the Blender scene properties.
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my bad, just found it : )
I’ve been learning character modelling and never cared about unit before, just recently I decided to learn architecture modelling
And thank you very much for the addon, the built in archimesh doesn’t have features as much as yours so I’m really grateful to found this.
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hi Andrew,
im running blender on a Mac and when I download the add-on it creates a normal map, instead of a .zip file. because of the I had no idea how to add the map.
do you have a solution for this?
thanks in advance
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I’m not sure I understand what is happening. Can you ask on discord so I can get more information?
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hello
I’m looking forward to the Manufacturing Backend , I have CNC machines, and I am in the kitchens manufacturing industry.
Sooner, I will buy a new brand ATC CNC machine, and a vacuum membrane machine, and hope that this option will be available .
just a question: can the new release Addon export DXF files, to work with in other software like Vetric Aspire.
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I have the manufacturing backend working, but right now I have to build a custom export for each company based on their machines. I plan to implement a general DXF export, but I am still a ways a way from that.
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I think that enabling an option of arranging the parts on specific dimensions of panels and exporting it as DXF is the best option, and we can use that DXF file in different software that supports hundreds of CNC machines like Vetric Aspire and Artcam. You can make it available for an annual or monthly subscription.
I think that this is the standard in this market.
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Great tool! For the build section would love to see single and double-hung options, adding a rod(s) as an insert. Should work similarly to the adjustable shelf insert.
Also when adding in a single self, and perhaps I don’t have this figured out yet, the ability to set that height by typing in the number, similar to how you can set a wall length by typing the number as you draw the wall
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You can create single and double-hang options with the Single Fixed Shelf. If you right click with the shelf selected you can set the opening height of the top or bottom opening by unchecking the value you want to set. This also creates a new opening you can place inserts into. I hope this helps.
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Ah I found the rods under cabinet accessories.
Would be good to allow the shelf as optional on the double-hung
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Blender 4.0.0. Home Builder 3.0.7. BETA on Linux Mint just making walls, anything else crashes Blender. Any clue?
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I am working on getting it working in Blender 4. Right now Home Builder works in Blender 3.6
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Hi! Very impressive addon… But is there any way to generate fast 2d plans (from cabinets) in Version 3.0.7
I just cannot figure it out…
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I am working on that functionality. I will have a video out soon that explains how this will work.
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I am really looking forward to that…. this will make my work so much more efficient!
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Blender 4.0.0. Home Builder 3.0.7. BETA on Windows 10 … just can making walls, anything else crashes Blender. Try on 3.6 version?
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Yeah it currently works on Blender 3.6. I will release a version that works with Blender 4 soon.
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Big Thank to you! 🙂
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Not work on Blender 4, when you try to use it Blender crash and close
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You need to download and install Home Builder 4. The link is in the documentation. https://creativedesigner3d.github.io/home_builder_3_docs/01_getting_started/
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Many Thx now all work corrctly
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hello i recently installed this add on but as soon as i enable python scripts the app crashes anything i should do to fix it?
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Download Home Builder 4 https://creativedesigner3d.github.io/home_builder_3_docs/01_getting_started/
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In one of your videos I saw you add cabinet fronts but I can’t find the option on Home Builder 4. Thanks!
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The menu right next to the cabinet category allows you to change doors and hardware for the cabinets. If you ask on discord I can show you a screen shot.
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I found it. It was the double gear icon. Thank you.
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How do I change the markup to metric units? It’s a great piece of software.
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You can change your units to metric in the home builder menu at the top of the interface, or in the Blender Scene settings. If you are trying to get the dimensions to display in metric make sure your home builder version is up to date.
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Thank you very much.
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hi Andrew,
How to expand area drawing when using home builder?
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you very much.
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I am not sure what you mean by expand area drawing. Can you give me more information or ask on discord?
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hi Andrew, I installed home builder 4 for blender 4.1.1 but I can’t find it in blender add on. Can u help with this ?
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I found it
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