Home Design Using Cad

As one of the few crazy idealistic people trying to buy a house at the moment; mainly

due to the current economic climate it seems other potential buyers are taking cover in their mum's attic until this all blows over. To make the situation even more exciting I foolhardily made my bid before the building even came on to the market so could not comment on the apparent 'recession' push the price in my favour. My reckless approach to the side, I am now confronted with the task with the duty of teaching myself interior design and true to form wanted to get a computer in the mix somewhere.

Last year I reviewed Google SketchUp for Click and thought that I'd give it another spin before decided it was possibly a little bit too complicated for the relatively simple room designs that I wanted to create. I was looking for something more along the line of the basic CAD (Computer Aided Design) applications that members of the public are allowed to use in stores such as IKEA. After a little searching I stumbled across a free of charge, open source application called 'Sweet Home 3D' which seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

There are several different versions of the software available, including those for Linux and Mac Operating Systems however most users will probably be interested in the 25mb Windows version which can be downloaded free of charge from http://sweethome3d.sourceforge.net. Interestingly there is also a Java version which runs directly from any Java compatible Internet browser therefore removing the need for an initial download and installation.

As the name hints, this application is mainly intended for those looking to do some interior design at home; it isn't a fully blown CAD package. To make matters easier you simply supply the measurements of your room so walls will be in the correct positions, then it is just a matter of placing things such as sinks, showers and counters. All the furnishings are split into separate sections like 'kitchen', 'bathroom' and 'bedroom' which makes choosing the right piece extremely easy. More than 50 types of furnishings come with the initial installation however there are literally several hundred additional 3D models can be freely downloaded that range from a bath to a spiral staircase.

The colour and size of the objects can be easily changed, so while you might not be able to locate the exact match for the sofa on page 5 of the IKEA catalogue you should get a fairly good match. Once content with your 2D design you can then able to switch to a full 3D view so you can get more of an idea as to how it will look in the flesh.

Even though Sweet Home 3D isn't the most comprehensive CAD package available, this is also what makes it so recommendable. In contrast to applications like AutoCAD, it literally takes minutes to get familiar with its workings instead of the three months to learn and costing you several hundred pounds/dollars. Those looking for an advanced package will more than likely be dissatisfied but those interested in quickly knocking up a room design/floor plan will find this application ideal.

by: Chris Holgate

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