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Programs for designing private houses and cottages. Review of programs for designing houses

You can draw up a house project yourself if you have the skills of a confident PC user and specialized software. This review will help you make a choice among the abundance of free programs for designing houses.

Google SketchUp. House design program

Google SketchUp– a simple program for designing houses, garages, extensions, landscape design and engineering design. The utility allows you to easily create models of buildings, add small details and textures to them, set the exact dimensions of objects and share your own works. The program for house drawings is distributed free of charge, but it also has an extended edition. Google SketchUp works in two modes:

  • design;
  • drawing and modeling.

Features of the Google SketcUP program:

  • support for plugins, layers and macros;
  • creating presentations;
  • compatibility with other applications;
  • importing photographs to create a 3D model based on them;
  • the presence of a huge library of materials, textures and styles;
  • export images of your models.

​You can view and download the program on the developer’s website

Program House-3D

House-3D– simple anda functional program for creating a house project with its interior spaces, allowing you to place numerous interior items and furniture in the rooms of the finished model of the room.

This house modeling program contains a library of materials and allows you to change the material and color of walls and furniture.

​ You can view and download the program on the developer’s website

VisiCon. A simple program for designing houses

VisiCon- a simple program for designing houses. Its capabilities are enough to satisfy the needs of many users who are planning to create their own 3D home. The functioning of the utility is based on the selection of elements from a variety of proposed ones, which makes it easy to create a layout of a residential building. They are stored in a specialized library and divided into categories to simplify the creation of a model of a kitchen, bathroom, office and other rooms. All elements of furniture and interior are as close in shape to real ones as possible, which will ensure greater realism.

VisiCon can be downloaded for free by ordering a demo version of the application.

FloorPlan 3D

FloorPlan 3D– a program for modeling a house, your own apartment or redevelopment of a plot of land. The product has many features of professional applications. FloorPlan 3D is recommended for use by people of any level of computer and graphic editor skills. The abundance of different versions will allow specialists to settle on the appropriate one. For example, Turbo Floorplan 3D Home Landscape Pro is intended for home use and is tailored for 3D home and landscape design.

Memorizing frequently used materials in FloorPlan 3D will allow you to quickly access them, and automatic determination of object sizes will save valuable time. The latest version of the utility, which can be downloaded for free, contains the function of free movement around the created model, viewing it from any angle and height. The result of the work can be displayed on the screen or in the form of a plan or three-dimensional image.

​ You can view and download the program atdeveloper website

CyberMotion 3D-Designer 13.0. House modeling program

CyberMotion 3D-Designer 13.0- a program for modeling a house, subsequent animation and visualization of the resulting three-dimensional models. The product can be used not only for construction purposes, but also to create advertising videos or simple three-dimensional animation. The presence of numerous templates and pop-up information tips will help even a person who is far from modeling to develop a home design. Visualization is carried out after creating drawings of all three types of houses in several ways. The program for designing houses consists of several functional modules:

  • 3D editor;
  • module for creating inscriptions;
  • sweep editor that creates symmetry;
  • landscape editor and others.

Total 3D Home Design Deluxe

Total 3D Home Design Deluxe — house design program, which provides a package of tools for visualizing your home redevelopment project. Drawing up a house project with this application is a pleasure, because it is easy to learn and will allow you to enjoy a realistic, high-quality picture after visualization. The proposed house modeling program allows you not only to create a 3D house, but also to arrange furniture, specifying its colors, select window and door openings, wall color and other important details.

The program is not free. You can buy it on the developer's website

Home Plan Pro. Program for creating house drawings

Home Plan Pro- a program for creating house drawings, which includes a minimum number of graphic elements and menu items. It is recommended to use this utility for users who do not want to waste time mastering the interface and functionality of graphic editors.

Main functionality and capabilities:

  • a large selection of furniture, windows, openings and doors;
  • the presence of several length measurement systems, in addition to metric;
  • support for working with layers and colors;
  • the ability to send the project by mail;
  • function of printing the finished model in several projections.

Xilinx Planahead

Xilinx Planahead- a program for designing houses, aimed primarily at professionals. It is capable of solving a wide range of problems in the design of residential premises. Experienced architects and designers worked to create a collection of ready-made models of dachas and houses. A simple interface and convenient presentation of plans will allow you to make decisions faster, and increased productivity will save the user time spent on project rendering.

It is better to download this professional architectural application for free from the developer's page.

The Ultimate Home Dream. Program for creating a house project

The Ultimate Home Dream– an unpopular program for creating a house project, it can greatly facilitate 3D house design. Using it, you can also deal with interior design, the location of pieces of furniture, the choice of their appearance, and shapes. The presence of Russian localization and a simple interface allow users with any level of training to work with the application.

You can download the application for free from a third-party resource, because the developer has suspended support for the project.

Envisioneer Express. House modeling program

Envisioneer Express is a house modeling program that has all the necessary tools to create a three-dimensional model of your own house, even if it consists of several floors. After completing the design, you can start arranging the furniture, choosing from a variety of ready-made solutions. The proposed program for house drawings allows you to change the colors of the objects and materials used, add windows and doorways by simply dragging them or clicking them. Having drawn a building plan, it easily turns into a 3D model that can be viewed from any distance and angle.

Sweet Home 3D

Sweet Home 3D is an excellent online design program that allows you to easily create detailed plans of rooms and houses, placing various pieces of furniture and interior in them for later viewing in 3D mode. The utility can be easily downloaded for free from the developer’s resource or select the cloud design option, after which the online design program will launch. The site also contains a huge database of various three-dimensional objects available for download. All furniture samples and interior items are divided into categories for greater convenience.

Functionality and characteristics:

  • large selection of furniture;
  • import of new three-dimensional models;
  • ample opportunities to view the finished project;
  • support for resizing furniture items;
  • possibility of printing plans and 3D models:
  • plugin support;
  • replacing textures and creating your own;
  • multiplatform;
  • Availability of an online version.

​Developer's page, where you can download it:

Planoplan. New program for designing rooms online

Planoplan— online design program. A simple interface, low requirements for resources and the presence of the Russian language allow any PC user to master the product. The online design program Planoplan has a wide selection of furniture and allows you to choose the finishing material and color of walls, ceilings, floors and any other objects. The advantage of the utility is that it works without installing any modules. The application allows you to do everything online when it comes to creating 3D models of residential premises.

You have already pictured a beautiful, convenient and comfortable cottage in your head. The arrangement of furniture, consumption of materials, location of engineering systems (plumbing, lighting) and other important details should also be taken into account. But to visualize it, you no longer need to draw primitive diagrams by hand, because you can take advantage of technological advances. Creating a drawing requires certain knowledge from the user, but rich functionality and useful tools can greatly simplify the task.

We will tell you what programs exist for the design, planning and construction of houses in Russian, present a rating of software for modeling and creating a layout and building plan, and also talk about the features of designing and creating a layout in each application.

Review of programs for designing houses

Floor Plan in 3D


This software is easy to learn and aimed at beginner users. In Floor Plan 3D you will find a clear interface, current updates and good functionality. Here you can design a room, apartment, garage or building - even a beginner can do it. The software allows you to design a building with several floors, stairs between them, windows and doorways, arrange furniture and use decorative elements. There is also a feature that allows you to sign layouts and attach text notes to them. All information about the selected materials and past layouts is stored in a database where you can view them at any time.

Disadvantages: The online version is not Russified, and to receive the package in your native language you will have to purchase paid software. A limited set of items is offered for use, which limits the scope for imagination.

SweetHome

This is a simple and accessible tool for the non-professional user. In order to create a house layout using this system, you will need a couple of video tutorials and a little training. Here you can build both 2D and 3D building models. At the development stage, the function of viewing an image from different angles was added. SweetHome is Russified and available online, although the number of finished furniture is very limited: 95 versus 1025 in the licensed version.

The disadvantages include the fact that here you cannot model the landscape, build sections, and you cannot draw up a budget for the implementation of the idea.

Google SketchUp

Easy to learn software, the principle of operation of which will be clear even for beginners. It is enough to find several video instructions in the public domain and study them. You can create 3D models, drawings and layouts and other three-dimensional objects. It's easy to import and export objects, work on textures and contours. It has its own free library of materials; changes during work are immediately reflected in the plan. Included are tools for working with terrain and shadows, layers and dimensions. It is convenient to look at three-dimensional models.

The disadvantages include that you cannot assign exact values ​​to an item, and the limitations of the free version.

Arcon


A convenient tool for creating office, residential and industrial premises, architectural and design objects. This program takes a comprehensive approach to home planning, and has the advantage of a convenient interface in Russian. You can work with documentation and projects without any inconvenience or difficulty. There is a function for selecting a separate part of the drawing, which makes it easy to change the properties of the part or replace it with another. The database is filled with real-life interior items, which you can order on the manufacturer’s website, which is listed in a special section.

With all its advantages, Arcon is not without its disadvantages: even the educational version is paid. The amount of furniture is limited and cannot be changed arbitrarily. There are problems with transferring data to other graphics systems: you will have to deal with the loss of values ​​and properties of objects, as well as the hierarchical relationships between them.

Autodesk 3ds Max

Multifunctional and accessible software with the ability to create three-dimensional models. In addition to developing buildings, cars, rooms, streets and even cities, you can also do animation in this software, which is why Autodesk is chosen by representatives of creative professions. The application is great for static graphics and quick design of interior and exterior objects. You can find a lot of tutorials on this development, because it is popular among both novice developers and professionals.

However, the learning curve can be off-putting for those just starting out in modeling. The confusing interface and difficult to learn software are more suitable for experienced users. Another disadvantage is the high price: 52,000 rubles for an annual license for one, and 78,000 for a multi-user version.

Revit


Revit is aimed at professional designers and architectural planners. The most important thing in the program is the construction of a model of a home not only from the outside, but also from the inside, which is great not only for experts, but also for users who are planning the layout of their own home. Revit allows you to work in a group and easily create libraries. A one-month trial version with a full set of tools is available online.

The disadvantages include unfinished Russification, a large amount of time that needs to be spent on mastering this software, accuracy and sufficient experience with similar developments that are necessary for comfortable use, and high cost - 71,000 rubles for the option for 1 user and 106,500 for multi-user.

Chief Architect

If you are involved in frame buildings, this is the software for you. This is software for developing a private house and other buildings, drawings of individual floors and rafter systems. It is important that similar tasks in similar software take much longer.

However, there are a number of significant disadvantages: it is a very difficult software to master, which is beyond the capabilities of beginners. The program and Manual are entirely in English, so if you don't know this language well, it will be extremely difficult to understand. To work efficiently with this software, you need constant practice and study of all functions and tools.

House-3D


This software is intended for those who want to independently plan their home, but do not have sufficient technical knowledge and do not have design documentation. The developers are positioning their layout as a way to model buildings for those who do not want to understand the intricate functionality of professional software.

This building modeling program is often listed among the best because of its ease of use and rich range of features. Here you can not only create three-dimensional models of buildings, but also develop the furnishings of rooms, as well as work with changing the properties of materials that are used to create walls, facades and other surfaces. At the same time, the interface is simple and understandable even for a novice developer.

But not everything is so rosy: the application’s icons are too small and inconvenient, and the entire design is outdated. It is very inconvenient to select small objects and there is an illogical algorithm for removing details and canceling the action.

ZWCAD Architecture

The system was recognized all over the world, and the new program for house planning only consolidated its success. In the new software, you can create and draw up architectural and construction drawings that will comply with all the parameters of the design documentation for construction (SPDS). Drawing of views and floor plans of the building that meet all SPDS standards, drawing of evacuation and fire safety plans.

CAD has long been loved by domestic users, so you don’t have to get used to the new interface and complex, illogical algorithms for a long time. And if you are new to building modeling and have not worked with CAD before, then you can always contact the support service: online, by phone or on social networks, they will explain incomprehensible details to you and answer your questions.

Functionality

Architects, designers and other specialists use this company's applications to model building details, technical communications, ventilation, industrial equipment and other construction projects. The software package consists of several parts:

  • CADprofi Mechanical
  • CADprofi Architectural
  • CADprofi HVAC & Piping
  • CADprofi Electrical

All modules are compatible with each other and can be installed individually or in combination with other software. This software was created as a CAD tool for two-dimensional and three-dimensional layouts. A library of items indicating the manufacturer, which is constantly updated and supplemented with new objects, greatly facilitates three-dimensional modeling. CADprofi provides the user with a large list of options that help in working on the plan: from automatic numbering and description algorithm to transferring data to main formats for easy editing on another platform (for example, doc, xls, xml and many others).

Acceptable cost

You can purchase either an annual license or a permanent one. At the same time, the price is affordable even for novice users. Therefore, you get a working application with rich functionality, which is several times cheaper than competitors with similar software.

Compatible with major formats

Repeated testing confirms that our application works perfectly not only with older versions of ZWCAD, but also with other CAD software: FreeCad, Autodesk, AutoCad and many others. At the same time, the quality of the drawing does not change when transferred to other platforms. Plans created in these programs are fully compatible with DWG formats and can be edited in any CAD software without the use of software from ZWSOFT. The company regularly releases updates and improves its developments.

Rich library

You can use the catalog of many well-known manufacturers: furniture and decorative elements, tires and cable trays, equipment and electrical distribution panels, parts for chimneys and plumbing installations, and even plants.

High performance

All options and tools are available to you, even if you have a low-power computer. Recent updates have accelerated the productivity of the software, and now in 5 hours you can accomplish what previously required 7 hours of computer time.

Summarize

We reviewed the main programs for modeling buildings and reviewed the most notable representatives of the software, compared their disadvantages and features, meeting modern requirements for performance and convenience. Therefore, if you are looking for a comfortable, functional and inexpensive system for designing houses and industrial facilities, pay attention to CADprofi. This application will allow you to create accurate layouts of buildings with minimal investment of money and nerves.

Anyone who begins construction or redevelopment of a house or apartment is faced with the problem of visualizing their ideas to clearly explain to construction crews “how it should be.” If you wish and have a little PC user skills, this can be done without the help of an architect or designer, namely with the help of programs for planning and designing houses. In order for you to be able to easily choose a program according to your needs and necessary actions, the article provides an overview of free programs for designing houses.

The program is designed to accurately create a project and design premises. With its help, you can create a bathroom, bedroom, living room, office and other functional rooms based on specialized libraries of elements as close as possible to real shapes and sizes, or create an apartment plan, arrange furniture and interior items in a given space, and obtain quantitative statistical information on the project. VisiCon is designed for people without special technical training.

CyberMotion 3D-Designer 13.0

CyberMotion 3D-Designer is a professional-level package for modeling, creating animations and rendering 3D models. The program contains a large number of templates and tips with which even a novice user can create a room and fill it with furniture.

The construction of three-dimensional images in this program is carried out using three drawings: top, side and front views.

The convenient user interface and numerous tools combined into one environment make it easier to work with the program.

CyberMotion 3D-Designer 14.0 can be downloaded.

Home Plan Pro

Home Plan Pro is a program designed for creating floor plans. Among its tools it has a minimum set of all necessary graphic tools. At the same time, there is a fairly large number of different ready-made parts: furniture, fixtures, windows, doors, etc. The program has a built-in fax and smtp server.

Home Plan Pro can be downloaded.

Envisioneer Express is a program designed to develop a 3D model of a house. Using this program, you can create a house plan, including walls, doors, windows and roof, and then convert it into a 3D model. Envisioneer Express tools also allow you to add furniture elements, change the texture of the house frame and the appearance of the building materials used.

Every developer dreams of building a house that will be beautiful and comfortable, durable and unique. The path to this cherished goal begins with a project.

A design engineer will help you create it to suit your needs, taking into account all the important details and not forgetting about everyday little things. He will listen to your wishes and take them into account in future drawings.

Before the first substantive conversation with a specialist, it is very important to understand for yourself what kind of home you need. To do this, you need to estimate the size and layout of the rooms, the type of interior and facade.

Previously, to draw up a rough sketch, you had to pick up a pencil and draw primitive diagrams with it. Today, free programs have been created for designing houses. With their help, you can not only work out in detail the plans of all rooms and create a three-dimensional image of the building.

A large selection of furnishings and engineering systems (furniture, doors, windows, plumbing, lighting) significantly expands the capabilities of free programs. Therefore, they will be useful for those who are planning redevelopment in their house or apartment.

There is a lot of free software. Which to choose?

The abundance of free building design software often makes it difficult for beginners to make the right choice.

Go to any search engine. It will give out upon request dozens of different “software”, called the loud titles PRO, Ultimate, Delux or Gold. Which one should you choose to quickly start developing a preliminary design without spending weeks studying the interface. This task is not as simple as it might seem.

Judging by user reviews, there are three main problems when using free design software:

  1. Lack of Russian language and clear user manual.
  2. Complex and not easy to use interface.
  3. Narrow specialization (plan only, no 3D images).

If you are not fluent in English technical terminology, then you will need a design program in Russian. The second tip is to read the reviews of those who have already used similar software so as not to waste time downloading and testing it. The videos attached to the program descriptions are very useful in this matter. After looking through them, you will quickly evaluate the pros and cons of a particular software, and you will not repeat the mistakes of others.

If the program is large enough, then take into account the hardware capabilities of your computer. The built-in video card does not always cope with 3D images. It periodically slows down and freezes, making it difficult to work. It is best to use such graphical applications on a powerful machine equipped with a good graphics card and a large amount of RAM.

Moving on to studying free simple design programs, we will evaluate them according to the most important parameters for a beginner: the presence of a Russified interface and user manual, ease of use and capabilities (only 2D plans or 3D visualization).

House-3D

A fairly simple program that does not require computer resources. With its help you can model simple building structures, do interior design and design furniture. You can view your work not only in flat drawings, but also in a three-dimensional editor.

This software has a clear Russian interface and a manual “for dummies”, which contains lessons. It has no restrictions on time of use and functionality.

Google SketchUp

Anyone who dreams of getting into 3D interior modeling won't be disappointed by learning the free Google SketchUp program. With its help you can create simple three-dimensional objects, furniture and buildings. Masters of fireplaces and stoves love this software for its simple ability to model in 3D orders - layer-by-layer layouts of bricks necessary to explain the stages of laying a hearth.

The program has a fairly simple interface (unfortunately, only English). An optimally selected set of working tools allows you to quickly create layouts of houses, apartments and rooms. The free version of the program has limited functionality. Despite this, it is quite enough to carry out the preliminary design of a house.

A range of useful Google SketchUp options include:

  • Library of ready-made materials and models. Changes made to a component can be simultaneously reflected in those places in the project where it was used;
  • Working with layers, viewing sections of the model, convenient mode for viewing three-dimensional models;
  • The ability to create a landscape and place shadows from objects;
  • A large number of plugins that expand the capabilities of standard modeling and visualization tools.

Anyone who wants to study this software more deeply can easily find video tutorials, tutorials and manuals online. Judging by the reviews, the project application, a product of Google Corporation, is in demand among developers and novice designers.

You can download the program from the official website. Versions with a limited time period of use are posted here.

Astron Design

This software is designed for modeling residential premises. With its help, you can plan the arrangement of furniture, doors and windows, as well as choose the color scheme and texture of walls and ceilings.

In the Astron Design program, the user will find a wide selection of modular furniture and accessories for hallways, children's rooms and living rooms, bedrooms and offices.

Not only an experienced user, but also a novice user can cope with this software. Having launched the interactive interior planner, you need to set the overall dimensions of the room. After this, you can begin designing the interior, its furnishings and design.

The program's interface is Russian, which can be attributed to its advantages over its English-language counterparts.

Home Plan Pro

As the name suggests, this program is designed only for designing flat plans, without their three-dimensional visualization.

With its help, you can sketch a sketch of any room, providing it with partitions, window and door openings. To complete the layout, the room can be furnished with a variety of furnishings. They are contained in the library of this software.

A minimal set of tools makes it easy to learn and work with this editor. The finished project can be immediately printed or sent by email without leaving the main program.

Home Plan Pro contains various metric systems and supports multi-layer mode, which expands its working capabilities. Unfortunately, the developers did not please users with the Russian interface and detailed instructions. This makes it difficult to master the software. In addition, a little time is given for testing, after which you will have to buy the program.
You can download and install Home Plan Pro by visiting the official website.

Sweet Home 3D

A flat plan is good, but a 3D image is better. This is what the creators of this popular program decided. Its undoubted advantages are Russification and free use. True, it has a significantly limited selection of ready-made furnishings (95 versus 1025 in the paid version).

The program interface is simple and convenient. The left column contains a set of all available furnishings that can be used to create the interior.

Another pleasant difference between Sweet Home 3D and other design software is the simultaneous display of the designed room in plan and in 3D. Therefore, having marked any piece of furniture on a flat plan, you will immediately see it in a three-dimensional projection. The volumetric image can be rotated in any direction, choosing a convenient viewing angle.

Summarizing our first impressions, we can confidently recommend this software to beginners. To download the program, visit the official website.

CyberMotion 3D-Designer 13.0

On all resources that offer downloads of this shareware software, you will read the same text. It says that the program attracts users with many tips and ready-made templates that can be used for spatial modeling (houses, rooms and furniture). The following is the conclusion that CyberMotion 3D-Designer 13.0 is suitable even for inexperienced beginners.

Actually this is not true:

  • Firstly, the program is not Russified and you will have to search for a translation;
  • Secondly, we were unable to find detailed lessons or guides on how to use it;
  • Thirdly, it will be difficult not only for a beginner to master this software on an intuitive level, but also for a user who has worked in Archicad, a powerful architectural modeling program.

Our review only touched on a small portion of home design software aimed at first-time users. However, we hope that we were able to show you the basic principles of its selection and correct assessment.

Well, who among the city dwellers does not dream of having a cozy place where they could hide from the bustle of the metropolis at least for a few days?

Today, making your dreams come true is not so difficult. You can find a ready-made cottage or simply buy a plot of land in a picturesque place and equip it according to your own vision, purchasing a standard project for its development from an architect or developing one yourself. House design programs will help you set up a garden, landscape your yard, and build original architecture and housing plans.

Why is individual design convenient?

First of all, because it allows you to build a house on a site of any geodetic complexity. In addition, it can be made of any number of floors and accommodate as many multifunctional rooms as your heart desires. Independent 3D modeling of houses is an opportunity not only to save a lot of money, but also to spend it effectively, and start doing this literally from the very first stages.

Self-designing houses allows you to save money

Technological progress has opened up a lot of opportunities in this regard. Now, designing houses does not require specific education or drawing skills. Anyone with a personal computer can start creating a model of a future masterpiece. Work can be carried out both online and without an Internet connection. In the latter case, you will need to download some version of the program onto your PC.

Computer design of houses: advantages

Programs for designing houses are not just architectural programs that help you draw out the box of a house and select the design of the facade. They make it possible to visually plan the entire site, that is:

  • place outbuildings and additional buildings;
  • arrange the local area;
  • develop interior furnishings.


A house design program will help you plan the entire site

The main advantages of design programs are:

1.​ Possibility of planning houses in great detail.

3. Financial and intellectual accessibility.

4.​ The ability to correct deficiencies in a timely manner.

5. Availability of 3D options that allow you to view the drawing project as a fully constructed object.


The project is displayed as a fully-fledged constructed object.

Programs for architecture are presented in a wide variety, and they really make it easier to design houses, however, you must understand that even if computerized, this process can take several months, so do not expect lightning-fast results. On average, 3D modeling of a house takes about three months.

Autodesk Homestyler design software

The service developer is Autodesk. It is available on: iOS, Android and as a web application. Distributed free of charge. Has a Russian interface.

The developer company is famous for its professional 3D graphics programs, but only those who have mastered 3ds max can use them. Agree, there is no point in delving into all the vicissitudes of science just to see how a room will look after cosmetic finishing or when rearranging furniture, which is why ordinary people interested in architectural programs were offered a simplified version of a 3D editor working in a browser - Autodesk Homestyler.


Autodesk Homestyler Interface

This house design program helps you quickly visualize the layout of the property and immediately improve it by filling it with furniture and other items available in the attached library.

You can work on the box manually, trying out different interpretations of walls and partitions. For ease of work, users are encouraged not to struggle with 3D modeling of houses from scratch, but to use blank 2D plans that will become an excellent base.

Finding items of interest in the design software is not difficult, as the library is well organized. Everything you need for finishing, construction work, decoration and landscape organization is divided into separate categories of the same name. Each of them, in turn, is divided into subcategories.


All necessary elements are separated into categories of the same name

What does it look like? If you go to the “Finishing” section, you can find subsections: “Kitchen”, “Bedroom”, “Hallway”, etc., each of which contains everything necessary for the improvement of the premises. So for the kitchen there you can choose a sink, a countertop, a set, and other interior elements.

Multi-level design

Although this design program is available for free, it supports the development of multi-level objects, so creating a two or even three-story cottage will not be a problem. But simultaneous viewing of several floors will not be available at once, since the web application window opens only one of the floors at a time.

Another good thing about this program for designing houses is the ability to calculate the amount of material required for the implementation of the created object. All items added to the plan are immediately displayed in the “Shopping List”. And this is typical not only for objects representing the situation. The service will calculate everything: the footage of the baseboards, the square footage of the floor coverings, and the amount of paint. All you have to do is print out the finished list, and you can start asking prices.


The house design program will calculate the amount of material needed

Taking a photo

Another useful program option. The graphic file is available for saving at any design stage. The saved snapshot of the page can be shared by sending it to friends or posting it on social networks. The finished project is available for export in DWG format. You can create a circular panorama of it.


Example of saved images

Specifics of working with the service

Although the proposed program for designing houses is available for use without registration, it is nevertheless worth creating an account. This opens up access to additional benefits. Registered users will be able to save catalog objects as favorites, which will speed up access to them in the future. In addition, the architectural program will give the go-ahead for saving projects in the gallery, with the opportunity to continue working on them as desired.

Not long ago, 3D modeling of houses became possible not only on a web service, but also on mobile devices, however, these platforms provide slightly different functional tasks. Here the emphasis is not on designing the building itself, but on developing the interior of a ready-made room.


3D interior modeling is also available on mobile devices

The program’s project feed, where the work of other service users is posted, will also be available for review. You can comment on them and save them as favorites. You can subscribe to your favorite designers.


Program projects feed

Planner 5D design software

One of the most popular online architectural programs specialized in planning urban and suburban housing. No registration required here. You can work with ready-made templates or design from scratch.

Planner 5D does not limit the user in the number of rooms he can create and the form of their layout. Here you can work on multi-story buildings. A wide variety of furniture and plants are offered.


Planner 5D program interface

However, not all objects available in the design program are used free of charge. To get one-time access to the full database of layouts you will have to pay about $5, so many users prefer to immediately purchase permanent access to the catalog, which costs $20.


The full database of program layouts is paid

Program sections

There are four of them, just like in the previous version:

1.Rooms. Section of the program where the type of rooms is selected, their number and the footage is determined. It is possible to change the color and structural parameters of objects.

2. Constructions. This part is responsible for designing windows, staircases, and doorways in houses.

3.​ Interior. Assistant in arranging interior items, including equipment.

4.​ Exterior. Contains a set of additional courtyard outbuildings and buildings.

5.​ The Planner 5D house design program allows you to view ready-made solutions in 3D format and save the resulting layouts in the memory of your PC.


Sections of the program for designing houses

One of the positive aspects is the speed of work. The downside of the resource is still its low realism and insufficient level of professionalism.

Designing houses in HouseCreator Online

This is also a representative of free programs for designing houses, which allows you not only to develop a construction layout, but also to calculate the approximate cost of its implementation. Despite the intuitive user interface, the site has a video tutorial that clearly demonstrates how to work in the application.


The program has a clear user interface

How does the design software work?

In order to start creating a house, you need to choose:

  • foundation type;
  • foundation width;
  • number of floors;
  • wall parameters.

You can find all this in the pop-up windows that appear when you go to the main page of the program.

The rest is easy to figure out:

1.​ The “Wall” section is the choice of dimensions and location of rooms.

2.​ The “Opening” section presents windows and doors, helps with their placement, selection of shapes, and determination of sizes.

3.​ Section “Roof” - select the type and shape of the roof.


An example of a project made in the program

This program for architecture does not have the option of 3D modeling of houses and the decoration service, so it will not be possible to furnish a home and immediately evaluate the final result. This does not prevent HouseCreator Online from being popular, since it is very good from a practical point of view. The program allows you to select building materials, adjust the thickness of walls and ceilings, and calculate the cost of consumables and work.

House 3D

“The program has convenient functions that allow you to design walls and lay flooring.”

The design program will work for free on 3D modeling of houses, apartment layouts, and interior filling. This is the easiest resource to learn, ideal for those who are just trying their hand at becoming an architect.


The House-3D program is the easiest resource to learn

The software is not too demanding on the system capabilities of the PC, so it functions perfectly even on low-power machines, which in turn does not bother users with a forced hardware upgrade.

Among the operating systems, the house design program recognizes new editions of Windows. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with the others at this stage.

To make the web resource competitive and the program's capabilities even more attractive, the catalog of models of furniture items has been expanded. Moreover, they were allowed to diversify with additional accessories that the user can easily integrate into the created interior.


The program has an expanded catalog of furniture models

Another interesting addition to the design program is the presence of an integrated architecture module. It is used for full-dimensional visualization of an object during the construction of walls, the formation of a roof, the drawing of door and window openings, and the installation of stairs. In a ready-made house layout, the user will be able to design the furnishings.

The program has convenient functions that allow you to design walls and lay flooring. A slight movement of the mouse and objects appearing in 3D space will line up into stylish interiors.


The program will help you choose wall design and flooring

Archicad

A prominent representative of professional programs for architecture. The utility is difficult to master, so it is rarely used by DIYers. And many architects prefer to avoid it due to lack of flexibility. 3D modeling of houses here happens right off the bat and begins immediately with working with three-dimensional images. If you need to create a wall, then take the “wall” tool, the doorway – “door”. The program itself will decide where and what to install.


Designing a house in ArchiCad

The most valuable thing about designing houses in Archicad is that, having correctly drawn a three-dimensional model, you can immediately see the layout of all tiers, facades and sections of the building, without resorting to additional manual drawing. It’s extremely convenient, so there’s no need to look for a better program for designing apartment buildings.


Archicad allows you to see the layout of all floors at a glance

3ds Max

A serious service designed for professionals. To coordinate with the client, the architect usually has to draw several sections of the object in order to determine the height of the ceilings, the location of rooms, windows and other nuances. If everything meets the requirements, then you can move to the 3 ds Max program, where you can dive into creating a three-dimensional layout. Designing houses in this utility is attractive because you can import existing working drawings into the program, rather than creating them first. This eliminates the generation of errors. Upon completion of the 3D modeling of the house, the object is visualized, i.e., a photographic image of it is obtained from different angles.


Visualization of interiors in 3 ds Max

Working with a house design program of this level is difficult even for specialists, as it requires certain skills and abilities, so beginners should not even try to get used to its vastness.


3 ds Max requires certain skills

Envisioneer Express

A not too sophisticated design program distributed free of charge. The utility was created to develop three-dimensional models of buildings, but you can start creating future houses with two-dimensional planning. Drawings of walls, doors, roofs, stairs and windows will subsequently be converted into a full-fledged three-dimensional model. Upon completion of the 3D rendering, the resulting creation can be viewed from different angles and heights, changing the viewing mode from a photorealistic view to a transparent frame.

In addition to “forcing” the box, the house design program has an interior design mode. Correction of the facade and architecture of the building by changing the choice of building materials is also available. The project is saved in a software format, but can be opened by a number of other applications from the 3D design category.


The program has an interior design mode

Google SketchUp

The unique software offers simple solutions for 3D modeling of houses and their interior furnishings. It has a lot of advantages that make using it as comfortable as possible.


Program interface

For greater ease of use, pre-configuration windows have been removed from the program. Now here all geometric parameters are set exclusively by the keyboard.

Another achievement was the Push/Pull option. The original tool allows you to move any of the planes to the side in order to install additional side walls along the trajectory of its movement. Foilow Me moves the plane along a pre-drawn curve.


Google SketchUp home design software

What else is possible in this program for designing houses?

1.​ Prepare macros in Ruby with subsequent output from the menu. They are needed to automate repeated actions. In the software you can find a lot of other developments created by the user audience of the program.

2.​ Support a variety of plugins that help you create, visualize and export objects by moving, rotating and making the created layouts interact.


Installing plugins in the program

3. View sectional layouts and add callouts to them in the form of drawings.

4.​ Support the production of house elements that can be further used in the design program countless times, including editing.

5.​ Work with layers.


Designing a house in the program

6.​ Prepare various sections of objects.

7.​ Use the library of models, materials, styles, uploading interesting solutions to the Internet or replenishing its resources with your own developments.

8.​ Animate transitions from section to section, adjust the position of the demonstration camera.

9. Create dynamic effects, for example, simulate opening a sideboard door by clicking a pointer.


The program allows you to create dynamic effects

10.​ Engage in the design and planning of real-life buildings and create real-life objects.

11.​ Indicate the dimensions of the object in meter or inch equivalent.

12. When designing houses, highlight graphically correct shadows that fully correspond to the given time of day, year, and correspond to the parameters of latitude and longitude of the object’s location.