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3D Home Planning Software?

Posted by Cliff on from the virtual-furniture-moving dept.

thorar asks: "I'm willing to move to another flat in town (or to restructure the one I'm currently living in). I'd like to create a detailed map of the apartment to study alternatives without much pencil and paper, possibly with appropriate furniture and 3D rendering. I'm not an expert in Studio Max nor similar softwares. I'd like something as simple as IKEA Kitchen Planner, but all Google serches lead to some software suite that looks unprofessional or Windows95-stylish. What would you use?" There are numerous commercial alternatives for such an application, but is there anything like this available via Open Source?

2 of 73 comments (clear)

  1. The Sims or The Sims 2 by Nighttime · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I know that a lot of people don't bother to play with their Sims but rather prefer to use the game as a house design tool.

    Granted that the grid-based system that The Sims employs for house design means you cannot get an exact scale model of a property. However, you do get a variety of different furniture items with the game and it is possible to design and import your own wallpapers and floor coverings.

    --
    I've got a fever and the only prescription is more COBOL.
  2. Re-evaluate your criteria by Wwolmack · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "I'd like something as simple as IKEA Kitchen Planner, but all Google serches lead to some software suite that looks unprofessional or Windows95-stylish."

    You're doing something on a non-professional level, and expect professional level results on the cheap? I don't think its going to happen.

    You could use some fancy 3d modeling program, but it sounds like all you really need is pencil and paper:
    1. Draw out a floorplan. Its not that hard, just use graph paper. You were going to measure it out anyways (RIGHT?).
    2. Make photocopies of the floorplan. These are to come up with layout ideas on.
    3. Sketch or take photographs of the area, maybe move some furniture around so you mostly see the walls.
    4. Photocopy the sketchs/photos, and draw over them so you can get an idea what it would look like furnished.

    Pencil and paper are great tools, you shouldn't be so quick to discount them just because some program exists. They've been around for a long time, so there must be some advantages to using them.

    The majority of people who probably use home design software are probably not OSS geeks. I'm willing to bet a lot of them are (gasp!) interior designers, landscapers, and architects. Hell, they just might still use Windows 95.

    In any case, here are two possible candidates.
    http://www.imsisoft.com/prodinfo.asp?t=1&mcid=244& cid=

    https://secure.chiefarchitect.com/xcarthd/customer /home.php