Home design software

Pc-Gamer12

Pc-Gamer12

Pc-Gamer12

Associate
Joined
10 Dec 2012
Posts
682
Hi guys,

can anyone recommend and good 3d home design software, i quite like 3d home design but you don't get many features with the free version, so any help would be great :)

Thanks
 
I used Google Sketchup when I was designing my house a few years ago. Took about an afternoon to learn and you can draw pretty detailed stuff.

It's free and very user friendly.
 
Nightglow said:
One that springs to mind, 'Visual Building Professional', not cheap though.

http://www.visualbuilding.co.uk/products/visual-building-professional
Click to expand...

Something I would have expected in paid-for software is a proper BOM output, but it appears to only give area sizes rather than x number of bricks?
I'm pretty sure Autocad does this, but I won't live long enough to learn how to draw a straight line using that software, the learning curve is practically vertical :eek:

Coincidentally I was toying with a shed design and was wondering about the optimum way of designing it. I think I may have to dust off Excel or something :(
 
Do any of these take into account alternative build methods though?
Like beco, straw bale, wood frame. Or pile foundations.
Or things like renewable energy, water recycling. Interrelated audio/visual cabling?
Do any do heat simulations and sun angles in comparison to heat mass and insulation?
 
Last edited:
Isn't a lot of that more of a matter of what you what to build, rather than what is the best solution?
Like if we have a long summer, people will have straw bales coming out of their ears, and really you are not going to be in that situation until you already have the planning and foundations done. i.e. already committed.
 
bitslice said:
Something I would have expected in paid-for software is a proper BOM output, but it appears to only give area sizes rather than x number of bricks?
I'm pretty sure Autocad does this, but I won't live long enough to learn how to draw a straight line using that software, the learning curve is practically vertical :eek:
Click to expand...

Autocad :(was given a copy a few years back, failed miserably with it, gave up with it after a week.

BITSLICE: Didn't notice BOM output was missing, but Visual Building Professional has quantity report function, giving you the area, so it's easy to work out blocks needed.
Not a pefect way to do it though, you would expect a BOM output on software costing £90.
 
Last edited:
bitslice said:
Isn't a lot of that more of a matter of what you what to build, rather than what is the best solution?
Like if we have a long summer, people will have straw bales coming out of their ears, and really you are not going to be in that situation until you already have the planning and foundations done. i.e. already committed.
Click to expand...

:confused:
Bale is cheap and plentiful most of the time. It's also extremely effective at insulation, easy to self assemble and cost effective.

How can you have planning and foundation done, before you know what you are going to build, that makes no sense.
 
I just remember someone's build having problems when they committed to building a straw bale design, had everything set to go, then a bad summer had them struggling to find materials as everyone wanted to keep it as feed.

Maybe I'm unsure of your direction here :) why do you want to consider so many variables?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom