What software are you using to create your layout design?
Cheryl Hewitt
8 years ago
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smm5525
8 years agoI used 3dplanner. It isn't perfect because there are some cabunetS that just aren't available (or I was too tired to figure out) but it's not too bad and user friendly. Here's a 3 d I created
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Need suggestions for software for designing your own house plans
Comments (6)The key issue is whether you are trying to design the house or create construction documents - two very different goals. Many homeowners tend to think of the "design" of a house as a "plan" when, in reality, it is just one of many ways to help someone to visualize the actual design and it is not always a very good one for complex designs. Plans, elevations, details and schedules work well for builders because they aren't trying to evaluate the overall design, only build the house one piece at a time. IMHO nothing compares to SketchUp for preliminary design at any price (SketchUp basic is free, SketchUp Pro is $495, the Student version of Pro is $49/year and a trial version of Pro is free.) Since it is unlikely a homeowner will have the knowledge to draw a set of construction documents I would suggest sticking to preliminary design and hiring someone with the proper experience to do the rest. A SketchUp model can be easily looked at in plan view especially with the Section Tool shown in the link below. It doesn't take a skilled drafter much time to enter the information from a SketchUp model into a 2D CAD file because the drafter can use the tape measure tool to find all of the dimensions (if they are not already labeled in the model) and it is possible to import a 2D version into almost any CAD program (Pro has DXF export and the free version will need a plugin script that is available free online.) SketchUp may seem intuitive and for a grade school student it is but for a house designer it has so many valuable features that it requires taking a course at a school or online to be used effectively. You should study and experiment for a month before starting to design your house. There are books available at Amazon and online courses from SketchUp and from SketchUp for Dummies/aidanchopra.com. When I open a SketchUp model from 10 years ago I am surprised at how few of the features I was able to use. There is never an end to learning with any CAD program. Each new version of the software adds incredible features. SketchUp view inside model...See MoreHas anyone used software to create a pattern?
Comments (2)I have played around a bit with some of the free online pattern makers (check out knittingfiend's). I can figure out how to use the pattern generator, but I'm not sure that what I end up with is necessarily more useful to me than what I could figure out on my own. I don't know if the types you pay for would give you something more helpful or not. I'd be more likely to find a pattern with a collar that you like and a pattern with the rest of the sweater you like and ask some knitters for advice on splicing them together. I need written instructions (I can't do charts, I can't wing it, I need it spelled out for me) so if I have to meddle with a pattern, I tend to rewrite it before I actually do any knitting. I found a site that sells a pattern for a raglan style cardigan with a shawl collar. But they use a superchunky yarn, so you may need to do adjustment for the gauge of the Cashsoft. I'm linking to the pattern just in case you wanted to check it out. Here is a link that might be useful: cardigan...See MoreKitchen layout help..what software do you use?
Comments (3)For learning SketchUp there's a pretty decent series of books called "Google SketchUp for Interior Design and Space Planning" or some such. I bought them last winter when I was first learning it. The books ended up being a bit too basic for me, since I learn computer stuff quickly -- it's what I do for a living. By the time the books arrived I'd already learned most of what was in them. But for someone who's just starting out I think they'd be good. The series has 3 books. They're all pretty thin and fairly inexpensive. I bought them on Amazon. I agree that graph paper is a good place to start, though. Or go buy a cheap architects' ruler at Office Depot. I think I got one for $5 or so. Laura still annoyed that Google got rid of SketchUp...See MoreWhat software do you use to make layouts & test cabinet colors/styles?
Comments (7)LWO- take a look at the Bluebeam app I mentioned- only available for iPad (which I consider the dark side :) I almost got an iPad mini just to use it. I still might but tech can simply be a bottomless pit and I always have a list. You can download a trial of the full BB (standard -no need for CAD) version on your laptop to get some idea of using it. Be a good idea to check the iPad resources they list to see which tools work and which don't before taking the plunge. Take a look at the sequence tools- great for numbering cabinets on pdfs from 2020 floor plans. Overall you can: markup, measure, place shapes, places appliances, doors, windows (to scale) draw lines, make notes, and insert an image. Getting an image to scale takes a little practice/math, measuring isn't too hard. The iPad app also imports photos and video taken with the tablet which is one of the big reasons I consider it. I kicked around a Surface Pro- I travel a lot and was looking to cut some of the weight. It's easy enough for me to move the Chief license. 2020 is a pain but I don't use it enough to care :) I have a 1.5 lb USB monitor for a second screen that will work with it. Transferring a Bluebeam license between machines is a pain and I couldn't live without it. A full version is $250 and (and I already have two), tack that onto an i7 Surface..$$$. I'd just as soon put 2 grand into an upcoming Skylake laptop. So I shelved my Briggs and Reilly bag and got a back pack for now; saved a few pounds and my back :)...See More
sheloveslayouts
8 years agoUser
8 years agosheloveslayouts
8 years agobeachem
8 years ago
wildchild2x2
8 years agosheloveslayouts
8 years ago
Kim Ladin
8 years agoI use Home Designer Pro Interiors. It's not perfect (you can only do face-frame cabinets, not frameless; it won't do automatic elevations; you have to hack them), but it's pretty easy to use and only $80.
Here are a few screen shots from my in-progress design:
Kitchen design · More Info
Kitchen design · More Info
Kitchen design · More InfoCheryl Hewitt thanked Kim Ladin
javiwa
8 years agosheloveslayouts
8 years agoKim Ladin
8 years agobeachem
8 years agoI use this for my base with all the boxes http://tommaitland.net/graphpaper/.
After saving a screen print, I put it in Paint and made adjustments. I prefer the screen print over their save option because the grids are more visible.
Here's a sample of one iteration. Door mullion changed again as my mockup shows that the doors were too small in inset for my preferred design.
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