Sweet Home 3D 7.6

Overview

Sweet Home 3D is an impressive virtual interior design application that gives users the ability to predict what a room will look like after making aesthetic and/or structural changes. This software is a must-have for anyone that is interested in undertaking a remodeling or interior decorating project.

Installation

Installing Sweet Home 3D is surprisingly easy, with an intuitive setup process that even the most novice computer user could complete. The file size is a bit chunky at more than 30 MB, however the software is very flexible in its compatibility, working in almost all versions of Windows, including Windows and NT, ME, 98, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, Server 2008, and 7.

Interface

The interface is less flashy than one would expect from a 21st-century 3D architecture/remodeling suite. However, the functionality completely makes up for this shortcoming with impressive graphics and accurate geographical spacing. In terms of appearance, the interface is similar to that of Microsoft Paint, with the majority of the features accessible via self-explanatory button icons located along the top toolbar and left pane.

Pros

• Gives you an in-depth view of what a room will look like after the project is complete, so you can budget more efficiently and waste less time shopping for unnecessary items.

• Lets you import two-dimensional building blueprints to create a 3D map of any room(s) you're thinking about redesigning

• If you don't have a house plan you can draw your own using a plethora of drawing/editing tools

• Choose from various preset furniture models or create your own custom piece of furniture by specifying dimensions, and then feel free to arrange/rearrange it throughout the virtual room. You can search through the extensive catalog for specific furniture pieces using criteria like size or type, or you can browse through the neatly organized categories that classify furniture by room.

• Change the texture, color, size, thickness, position, and thickness of every aspect of the room, including floors, ceilings, walls, and furniture.

• Available in 19 different languages

• Supports multilevel structures

• Lets you add text annotations throughout the house plan to improve project management

• Tweak lighting/shadowing effects to create additional realism in your three-dimensional plans

• Open source code gives developers the ability to create custom plugins to extend functionality, and there are already a decent number of plugins available.

• Quickly print/export your project into a vector graphics image, 3D file, video, bitmap, or PDF in various file formats.

Cons

• Relatively old-fashioned user interface

Alternatives

There are several free 3-D modeling/architecture software available online, with the most notable alternatives being FloorPlanner, 3Dream, Google Sketchup, and Autodesk Homestyler. Of the aforementioned competitors, Google Sketchup is by far the most popular.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a way to save time and effort on your next remodeling, building, or renovation project, Sweet Home 3D would probably be your best option. Instead of going through the hassle of physically moving around furniture, or trying to use your imagination to visualize concepts, consider the benefits of having a software that lets you create a lifelike simulation of your finished project before you even begin.