Interior Design Advice

[mansell01]

Hi

 

I came across your web site and would like some expert opinion. I am an Interior designer, and specialise in bedrooms and kitchens i use a cad package which is aimed at the kitchen and bedroom market. What i would like to get is a package where i can design living room furniture, as well as kitchens if possible, also it should have a walk through option and give good rendered images. Could anyone recommend a software that will accomadate my requirements?

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Mansell

[Cad64]

What program are you currently using?

 

There are many programs out there that can do what you are asking. It just depends on how much you want to spend. These programs range in price, anwhere from free Sketchup to expensive 3DS Max and Maya, and many other programs in between. So it basically boils down to cost.

 

Another factor is ease of use. You need to find a program that you are comfortable with. All software manufacturer's offer 30 day trial versions of their programs, so make sure you try them out before you purchase them. This is very important.

 

So, what is your budget? How much are you willing to spend on new software? This will help narrow down your options.

 

Also, be aware that you may need to upgrade your computer if you want to render out walkthroughs and high quality images.

[Strix]

is the work you're doing currently pretty much just drag and drop?

 

one thing that I had difficulty with moving from AutoCAD to SketchUp was that both pieces of software 'think' very differently, so although from a standing start SketchUp would probably be the easier to use, I was banging my head against the wall with it on occasions!

 

as CAD64 says - make good use of the free trial periods for the most popular packages, and perhaps visit our 3D showcase forum to see the kind of images produced and which packages are being used

 

I believe there are some of those which are produced in a CAD package but rendered with another package (somebody will correct me if that's wrong :wink: )

[mansell01]

Hey Cad64 thanks for replyng to my message.

 

In response, i have two packages one is called planit fusion, and the other is called compusoft winner. They are good for what i needed them for but i want to move to the next stage. The final image quality in these packages is really good, as it pleases the clients.

 

I can send you one of the images i have created if you send the email as the file size is too big.

 

Back to your question, i'm looking to spend no more than £3,000 as the above packages cost me the same amount.

 

My computer spec is pretty good so hopefully i dont think i'll have much of an issue with that .

[mansell01]

Hi Strix thank you for message

 

 

With regrads to the programs it has some drag and drop features, but i dont mind spending time learning new software.

 

Are you saying design the design in one package and make it look better on another package. (this will be very time consuming is there not one package that can compromise both?)

 

[Cad64]

Most 3D programs will allow you to design your models, texture them, set up a scene and render all in one package. Some people will design in one program and then render in another, trying to get better quality, but with today's rendering engines, you can get really nice looking renders from just about any 3D program out there. Provided you know what you're doing of course. :wink:

 

As for which program to get, I can't really tell you that. It's really just personal preference. The programs I use work great for my needs, but they may not be the right fit for you. It looks like you've got the funding to pick up just about any software package you want, so my best advice would be to do as I mentioned before and download trial versions of programs you think you might be interested in and test them out to see which one best fits your needs.

 

Autodesk owns most of the big names now, so you might want to browse through what they have to offer.