[mrm3]

Just a simple thread asking people when planning their HC conversions what software tools they have used (if any) to help conceptualise. I have seen some good 2d and 3d ones in various threads.

I'll start with:

Google SketchUp:

Link: http://sketchup.google.com/product_suf.html
Price: Free (need to pay for a pro version which links into google earth !)
Other info: great for creating adhoc 3d objects. You can rotate around and do everything to scale. Very simple interface and easy to learn.

Sample of my planned Home Cinema:

xray specs:

Plan3d

Link: http://www.plan3d.com
Price: ongoing monthly subscription works out about £25 a year.
Other info: Great for designing the whole house and layout in 3D.Very simple interface and easy to learn. has similarities to google sketch up. Best suited for whole house.

Good samples on website... I may post mine later.


PS Be interested in some good 2d ones.... like one seen in the the Sweets/Drinks cabinents in your Home Cinema thread with an image by waf-tastic.

[Rian1988]

Wow, those are amazing, how hard was it using the google one?

[mrm3]

they have 3 basic video tutorials which take a couple of minutes each which get you started

then you play around and it is very easy...though still learning !

[Arttu]

Did this with Google SketchUp:



This is not my final plan for my HT but propably close to what will be built in the beginning of next year. I´ve enjoyd SketchUp and recommend it for everybody who want to use free software and to people who want something easy to start with. With this you don´t have to do everything right. You can save your progress as a different project and continue shaping anyone of your projects anytime. This makes it possible to see where different choises take you.

[ab1385]

Can you draw, say, a house in Google Sketchup, and then somehow do the interior in the same model, or do you have to do a separate interior model?

[mrm3]

Originally Posted by ab1385

Can you draw, say, a house in Google Sketchup, and then somehow do the interior in the same model, or do you have to do a separate interior model?

Yes you can. But I think you may find a general house software program may be quicker like plan3d.

SketchUp you can do everthing but may take longer but will get more detail. You can then upload the house to google earth and put it in position and everyone in the world will see it. This bit I think you pay for.


I have used both. Plan3d for house and room layout and proposed extensions/conversions. Sketchup for room layout for HC.

There is so much to Sketch Up lets you do flythroughs etc plus excellent online support in the way of videos, documents and forums. The modelling is so strong that it can be used to create game objects and export in the appropriate format. FREE TOO !

Problem is you can't stop playing around with it.

[miceri]

Definately gonna give this a go - I have been trying different software to make a plan of my hi-fi/cinema room so that I can figure out the acoustic properties. Cheers fella!

PS - Just tried it, will take some getting used too, you picture looks like an old classic compared to my playschool attempt

[mrm3]

Originally Posted by miceri

Definately gonna give this a go - I have been trying different software to make a plan of my hi-fi/cinema room so that I can figure out the acoustic properties. Cheers fella!

PS - Just tried it, will take some getting used too, you picture looks like an old classic compared to my playschool attempt

make sure you try the tutorials, they are very short and simple but get you going... then download the pdf user guide for more help...

there is a lot to take in but it is a good learning curve

[obvious]

What about basic 2D top down layout design? Is there something really simple to use?

[IronGiant]

Yes, graph paper and scissors Yes, really

Work out what scale you need to fit on a piece of A4, then cut out your furniture from another sheet. Everything can be moved round in seconds.
We had a kitchen computer designed, and as it was an odd space were told that they had come up with the best that could be done with the units available. We were not happy with the design so did the graph paper trick and very quickly came up with a much better design.

Dave

I did this in sketchup for work, my boss is building a few flats and wanted a quick look at what the spacing would be like for kitchens and bathrooms and the like But our architect only supplies us with paper plans.
So i scanned them in cropped it down to the edges
Imported the picture into sketchup and sized it to scale along the z axis to the correct size.
Then its just a case of drawing the walls and floors on a new layer and pulling them up to the correct height.

Also on the online library/exchange has a load of ikea furniture you can just drag and drop into your models

Heres some examples of what you can do with a bit of practice

[mrm3]

nice one

sketchup is so addictive