3D Architect software or similar

fudgecat

Hi, just a quick query. Have any Moneysavers used a DIY design/planning software package? If so, which one did you buy and how effective did you find it for the purpose? We have become a bit lost in the packages out there and the various versions!
Many thanks for reading this.

tonyh66

depends on what you want to do, sketchup might be adequate? check youtube for demos of software you might see one you can live with.

rnc

I have used http://www.sweethome3d.com/ extensively from planning room layouts to help visualising and designing our extension.


While it may not be as sophisticated as some of the professional packages out there it is free and a lot of information is available on the internet about it.

troffasky

The only reason I would pay for one for personal use is if I already had experience of it. There are plenty of free alternatives out there, so give a few of them a go before splashing the readies.

Free stuff tends to have more user-generated content like forum posts and Youtube tutorials.

I've used Blender with Archimesh and will be giving Archipack a spin shortly, but this is not necessarily a recommendation for Blender. I use Blender because I'm already familiar with it and have scaled the learning curve over the years. It's not for the faint of heart.

Jackmydad

troffasky wrote: »

The only reason I would pay for one for personal use is if I already had experience of it. There are plenty of free alternatives out there, so give a few of them a go before splashing the readies.

Free stuff tends to have more user-generated content like forum posts and Youtube tutorials.

I've used Blender with Archimesh and will be giving Archipack a spin shortly, but this is not necessarily a recommendation for Blender. I use Blender because I'm already familiar with it and have scaled the learning curve over the years. It's not for the faint of heart.

When I've looked at these packages in the past, the learning curve seems pretty steep.
I'm fairly competent with drawing packages like Inkscape or Corel Draw too.