Program for 3D garden design. Review of free programs for creating landscape design
Agree, with powerful support it is much easier to improve your garden plot. Then the flower beds from spring to late autumn will always be covered with flowers, and the alpine hill will be visible almost from the gate. And the hedge will look not like a wild jungle, but like a work of art.
Master landscape design programs and you will immediately see how much more convenient it has become to create masterpieces.
We offer an overview of the 20 TOP programs for visualization of landscape design - the most popular and interesting. There are also free programs among them.
The full name is X-Designer 3D garden planner. Developed by IDDK. One of the simplest, but quite functional programs.
It will also take a little time to master it - up to half an hour.
The program is shareware. After the trial period ends, the full version can be purchased on the company's official website.
Advantages: 3D mode allows you to see the area in space. You can set the size of the plot, time of year, date, time of day, and “plant” plants. And thus see how the landscape will look at night or during the day, in spring or late autumn. Like the previous product, X-Designer allows you to see changes in the site in perspective. A useful function is terrain modification.
Flaws: Quite simple functionality, which was reflected in weak graphics. However, it is possible to imagine at least approximately what a personal plot will look like.
Website: http://iddk.ru/ru/
The software is the result of the work of DiaComp. Under the name “Our Garden” the developer has released several versions of the programs. For example, Our Garden 6.0 Omega, Our Garden 9.0 Ruby, Our Garden 10.0 Crystal.
The program is accessible and understandable. Allows you to model your objects, calculate estimates, and present the site in a volumetric projection.
The program is shareware.
Advantages: an extensive catalog with plants and their detailed characteristics. The landscape can be supplemented with other objects: garages, houses, gazebos, ponds, etc. Trees and shrubs can be shaped. Change the terrain. The finished sketch can be saved, viewed at different times of the day and year, viewed in 3D mode and printed.
Flaws: For experienced landscape designers, it may seem overly simple.
The Google SketchUp utility was developed not exclusively for landscape design, but for constructing three-dimensional objects in general. However, it has proven itself well as a program for creating landscape design.
It was originally a Google product, and you can still collaborate online with other company products.
Two versions of the program: free and paid.
Advantages: 3D model of the site, you can develop a new model or use one presented on GoogleEarth. In the paid version, the program works in tandem with Google applications. You can set the terrain, shady and sunny areas of the area.
Flaws: The free version has limited functionality. But the paid version has many more features and will appeal to experienced designers. Only suitable for Mac OS versions 10.8, 10.7, 10.5 Intel and 10.6 Intel
A beautiful and powerful computer program in which the created landscape looks very realistic.
The program is shareware.
Advantages: 3D projection, the details are perfectly drawn in the sketches. The ability to see the landscape in perspective, a large library of objects and models. You can not only print the sketch, but also create a video. Drawing up an estimate.
Flaws: there is no Russian version. The paid utility is expensive.
6. Sierra Land Designer
The program is similar to the Russian utilities of the Our Garden series, but has broader functionality. Despite the rich catalog of models, it can be supplemented with individual items.
The program is shareware.
Advantages: shows the site at different times of the day and in different seasons. An extensive database that can be supplemented with your own objects. Allows you to make adjustments according to your own measurements and change the illumination. An opportunity to see how landscaping has changed in the future.
Flaws: Initially, all objects are two-dimensional. But finished projects have a three-dimensional image. Not Russified.
7. Punch Home Design
A universal utility for working with landscapes, buildings and premises with convenient graphical tools. Contains many modules, objects, textures. If necessary, you can edit them.
The program is paid. A 15-day trial period is provided. You can download the free trial version on the official website.
Advantages: There are 2D and 3D projections, you can switch between them without losing data. The program analyzes materials, tools, decor and other objects for their compatibility. The pictures are very realistic. The ability to create an estimate, set parameters, print or send by email.
Flaws: the program is paid. But during the trial period you can evaluate whether it is worth buying or not. Software and a virtual walk around the site will help with this.
The developers of the interior design program FloorPan 3D decided to occupy another niche and released version 12 Deluxe to help landscape designers. All the same simplicity and three-dimensional graphics. But now you can model a plot of land, load measurement data, relief, vary time, illumination and climate type.
When installing it, make sure that there is enough free space on your hard drive.
The program is paid. After familiarizing yourself with the functionality, you need to buy a key from the developer.
Advantages: the project being developed can be seen from any angle. The ability to “install” fences, gates, gates, lay paths, and draw up estimates. The finished project is exported to a computer. The visual travel function remains with the ability to add or remove objects along the way. A huge catalog of everything that is needed on the site - from rolled lawns to statues and lanterns.
Flaws: In a short period of time, it is sometimes difficult to assess the usefulness of a utility. Unrealistic graphics. There is no program in Russian yet.
9. TurboFloorPlan 3D Home & Landscape Pro
TurboFloorPlan Landscape is a convenient and easy-to-use program with a wide variety of functions and objects. In it you can design the interiors of houses and create masterpiece landscapes with your own hands.
The program is shareware.
Advantages: understandable to both ordinary users and specialists in the field of landscape design. In addition to plants, shrubs, and trees, there are various objects for the garden: bridges, fences, ponds, buildings, sculptures, etc. You can create estimates. There is also a 3D projection, a visual tour of the site.
Flaws: the program is not Russified. However, its interface is intuitive.
10. Complete Landscape Designer 3
Another program for landscape design. You can work both with the main background and overlay objects on a digital photograph.
You can download the program without registration on the website.
Advantages: There are many objects in the library: buildings, plants, etc. You can search by certain parameters, select the type, degree of moisture and acidity of the soil.
Flaws: The interface is English, but it’s easy to understand. There is no three-dimensional image, so the layout of the site can only be seen in a plane.
The Landscape Design program is easy to use. You can create a completely decent site project in it.
The program is free.
Advantages: you can create a full-fledged project from scratch. Doesn't take up much space and doesn't require a lot of RAM. The functionality is clear even to a beginner. Large database of objects.
Flaws: the project is clearly visible in 2D mode. 3D projection is also available, but its quality leaves much to be desired. In the program you can create a project for yourself, and not for sale.
This complex covers interior, architectural, and landscape design. It creates luxurious three-dimensional projects with detailed graphics.
The program is paid. You can see how the program works in the demo version.
Advantages: detailing, 3D projection, a wide selection of objects in the catalog, textures, special effects, limitless design possibilities.
Flaws: energy intensive, difficult for a beginner, high price.
13. 3D Home Architect
A program with a fun and simple interface. Beginners can handle it, but it will also be interesting for professionals. You can choose plants based on their characteristics.
The program is paid.
Advantages: reports an error if objects are out of place, for example, stacked on top of each other. A rich library of various positions allows you to create various projects, change vegetation, buildings, lamps, etc. You can create an estimate. Upon completion, the finished project is sent to your computer or email. The project is created in 3D mode.
Flaws: not Russified. The graphics are a little weak, although this is enough for the project.
14. Better Homes and Gardens Landscaping & Deck Designer
A simple but functional utility for designing the landscape design of a site, including. The program was created by Chief Architect.
The program is paid. But on the website you can see her work.
Advantages: excellent graphics, a lot of plants and background information on them, and other objects with the help of which the landscape changes. Detailed drawing of the site, including its relief. 3D visualization of the project. Lighting options. An opportunity to put the garden into perspective.
Flaws: English version.
This is not just a utility. This is a series of landscape design programs released on disk. There are programs and encyclopedias, useful tips on arranging lawns, ponds, fences, growing conifers, shrubs, etc.
1. Home Design 3D Outdoor/Garden
An application that allows you to completely create a landscape project: garden, plot, playground. You can enter measurements of the site, mark the location of the house, complete the project with furniture and various objects (there are a little more than 100 of them in the database).
There is an opportunity to see the spatial landscape.
A good application with great potential. You can not only create new landscape projects, but also edit ready-made photos of the site. There are functions for adding plants. True, prices are indicated in conventional units. But they can also be edited.
The ability to save a project and send it by email, transfer data to a computer. The project is visible in three-dimensional graphics.
The only thing is. At difficult stages, the application asks for a key. At the time of writing, the developer did not indicate how to obtain this key.
3. Landscape design
You will not be able to create or edit projects in this application. This is a collection of beautiful courtyards and their individual zones. But it will help you find a common language with the client and understand how he sees the landscape.
Agree, it’s better to show it once than to try to explain it in words a hundred times.
4. FloraMe -Landscaping made easy
An English-language application that allows you to vary the landscape. There is a choice of soils and plants. At the end, you can save or edit the project.
You can’t call it a professional program for planning a plot at a dacha or near a cottage, but you can play with textures and flora.
An application that allows you to develop a rough site plan and planting plan. Upon completion, you can export the project to clients or to yourself by email.
An important function is creating a project based on a digital photo.
Great tool for planning. Now the client will visually imagine what the site will look like. The only negative is the paid, more advanced version. And the English language creates inconvenience. So, you just need to learn the terminology - it will come in handy.
In this age of computer technology, it is much easier to perform some tasks with the help of machines rather than manually. Architectural and landscape design were not left out either. Now any non-professional user can create a simple project in a few minutes. In this article we will look at the main programs for planning the site of a country house - paid and free, with an interface in Russian and English.
Simple programs for site planning and design
Let's first look at a list of simple programs that are often free. Even a beginner without experience will be able to make a plot plan in them.
Garden Planner
Garden Planner is an easy-to-learn program from Artifact Interactive for designing a site in 2D format. Its advantages are that you can plan your site in literally 5 minutes. The only downside is that the interface is in English. But it is simple and intuitive.
Design Interface
In the program you can specify the dimensions and create a plan in just 5 minutes! The base of objects will be sufficient for the average summer cottage.
Example plan created in 5 minutes
There is also an online version of this application. It is practically no different from the desktop one.
FloorPlan 3D
FloorPlan 3D (TurboFloorPlan Home and Landscape Deluxe 2017) is a multifunctional complex for designing buildings, houses, offices and plots. Suitable for both professionals and beginners.
Interface screenshot
The interface is quite simple, so you'll get the hang of the program pretty quickly.
2D plan view
In FloorPlan 3D you can customize the sizes, colors and materials of objects. There is also a Vedomosti service where you can calculate estimates and costs of materials. Thus, the program is perfect for creating a plan of objects on the site, as well as a plan of your house with the arrangement of furniture and an estimate for construction.
X-designer
X-designer is a garden plot planner in 3D format. This product of the Russian developer “IDDK” allows you to design your site without special skills. In the program, you can choose a plan view from above or 3D display. The interface is entirely in Russian.
Also in X-designer you can control the terrain of the site, seasons and days. The library contains more than 500 objects.
Professional Design Products
The next line of products is designed for professional graphics processing and drawing up high-quality plans by specialists.
Our Garden Crystal
Our Garden Crystal version 10 (previous version Our Garden Rubin 9.0) is a program of the domestic developer JSC DiComp. It is not only a design tool, but also a real encyclopedia of gardening. The database contains information about more than 17,000 plant species, including about 2,000 roses. It is possible to select plants according to more than 20 parameters: soil, life span, growth rate, etc...
It is noteworthy that there is a built-in photo editor into which you can insert real photographs of objects, then process them and insert them into your summer cottage project.
The program designer has a 2D and 3D view and allows you to design the terrain, paths, ponds on the site, decorative elements and construction objects.
Sierra LandDesigner 3D
Sierra LandDesigner 3D is a design application for landscape design in 2D and 3D format. The developer of the program is Sierra, a company known to many video game fans. Unfortunately, the program is old (2000) and cannot be found on the developer’s official website. However, you can download it on the Internet. There is a Russified version of the program.
Punch Home Design
Punch Home Design is a package of products for visualizing the interiors and appearance of a house and a summer cottage.
The simplest product “Punch! Landscape, Deck & Patio v19" allows you to design a landscape using a library, the import and export of which is possible from other AutoCad and Sketchup programs!
It is as well suited for professional design as Realtime Landscaping Architect, and its integration with other 3D objects makes it indispensable.
SketchUp
SketchUp is a free software package for 3D modeling not only of summer cottages, but of any object or object in general. Suitable for beginners who want to plan their garden in three-dimensional form. For corporate clients, you will need to purchase a license.
The program has its own database of objects, which is updated by users. You can add them to your plan.
Example of searching for a 3D object “spruce”
Despite the fact that SketchUp allows you to create a site plan, its main purpose is 3D modeling. Therefore, it is most likely suitable for landscape design.
One more example
Realtime Landscaping Architect
Realtime Landscaping Architect is a program for site planning in 2D and 3D format for the Windows operating system. This product is distinguished by a more professional approach to design and is suitable for advanced users, as well as landscape designers.
Interface screenshot
The program is also distinguished by more detailed drawing of objects. The Plus package database contains 10,400 models, of which 5,100 are plants; the Architect package contains 16,400 objects, of which 7,200 are plants.
X-Designer: 3D section (IDDC) CD RUS
The program will give you the opportunity, without risking effort and money, to freely experiment and find the optimal project for your summer cottage. The program will help you design a functionally and artistically holistic summer cottage without requiring special training in computer modeling. You will be able to choose the right place for residential and commercial buildings, lawns for relaxation and gazebos, plan the planting of flower beds, ornamental and fruit crops, build a rock garden and lay paths...
Designing takes place in a three-dimensional editor - you fill the space using objects contained in numerous libraries: trees, shrubs, flowers, building elements. The space of the site can also be actively modified - add slides, dig holes for reservoirs, change the topography, recreating the features of the landscape of your real site...
All objects consist of several parts, and the color, texture, size and relative position of the parts can be changed, thereby obtaining an infinite number of combinations, that is, new objects.
By changing the date on the calendar, you will see what your site will look like at different times of the year. And by changing the time of day and observing how the lighting changes in the area, how the shadows from buildings and trees move after the sun, you can determine the optimal placement of light sources.
After finishing your work, “photograph” your site from different points and save the plan so that in the future you will be able to translate your project into reality.
Peculiarities
A great feature is that you can save (“photograph”) your site plan sketches from different angles so that your design can be brought to life.
You have a unique opportunity to create first-class models without special training.
Planning
The program is a constructor with which you can plan a small summer cottage and see how it will look in different seasons (winter, spring, summer, autumn) and in different lighting (morning, afternoon, night). In order to start planning, you will need to create a surface - a landscape on which you can place various objects: trees, shrubs, plants, decorative and household items and buildings.
Reality
The surface can be changed to make it similar to your real site: you can use stones to lay out an alpine slide, lay paths, plant trees and shrubs, lay out flower beds and mark out a place for a pond. You will find the necessary objects for arranging your site in the libraries included with the program. They can be used simply as cubes - select the one you need and add it to the scene. Objects consist of parts that can be replaced and changed; you can even change the color and texture, adding maximum resemblance to the original. And if the desired object is not available, you can change ready-made ones or create your own.
Seasons
Having arranged your site, you can see how it will look in different seasons - just change the date on the calendar. By changing the time of day and observing how the lighting changes in your area, you can choose the optimal placement of light sources. A great feature is that you can save (“photograph”) your site plan sketches from different angles so that your design can be brought to life.
Compound
On the disk you will find a detailed description of the program, instructions for working with it, and hot keys used in the program. The disk is equipped with a search system, with which you can easily find the necessary information using one word.
Fantasies
Transform your home project! Whether you are starting a serious project or just fantasizing about future buildings, the “X-designer. Garden plot planner 3D" will help you. Stop dreaming and start designing your own masterpiece!
Minimum system requirements:
Operating system: Windows 2000/XP
Processor: Pentium III
Memory: 512 Mb
Video: Direct3D compatible (ATI 9500+; nVidia 5600+)
CD-ROM: 4x
DirectX 9.0c
Genre: Graphics, design
Publisher: IDDK
Series: X-Designer
Carrier: 1 CD-ROM
Interface language: Russian
When working with landscape design, you cannot do without specialized computer programs (software). I have long wanted to compile a selection of the most relevant ones. I think now is the time to do this.
The software is necessary not only for specialists, but also for beginners. And so that no one is offended, I publish different selections for both.
Newbies are always lucky!
What do beginners need? Maximum function and simplicity – minimum cost.
If you want to arrange your home or create a beautiful summer cottage adjacent to your house, then the publication “Landscape Design on the Computer” will help you use the proposed software, create beautiful landscapes, simulate the details of the landscape design of a country house, build luxurious gardens and small architectural forms of a large country house at home, to simulate elements of an urban landscape.
The book will be useful for both beginners and professionals who want to familiarize themselves with some garden modeling tools.
We have figured out the skills to work in the program, they are easy to obtain.
1. X-Designer. Garden plot planner 3D
The package will help you design a functional and artistic summer cottage, without the need for special knowledge of computer modeling. You can choose the best place for all buildings, lawns for relaxation and gazebos, simulate planting flower beds, create a rock garden and lay paths...
You design in space, using objects contained in numerous encyclopedias: flowers, trees, shrubs, building elements. The space of the site is modified - you can add slides, dig holes for ponds.
By changing the date on the calendar, you will clearly see how your landscape will look in different seasons of the year. And by changing the clock to day or evening, observe how the lighting in the area changes.
After finishing your work, you “photograph” your project from different angles and save it, so that later you will be able to recreate your project.
The new program has:
- Planner with various tools such as stairs, paving, small architecture, fencing, etc.;
- A photo editor that allows you to work with digital photographs of a site;
- A plant library containing descriptions of more than 15,000 ornamental plants from around the world. They can be sorted according to 25 criteria.
- etc.
Both programs are intuitively simple. It doesn't take much effort to understand them.
For professionals!
For these seasoned masters I have 3 suggestions:
1. AutoCAD (full description + buy with license)
Allows you to easily and efficiently develop sketches, visualize them and draw up project documentation. When creating AutoCAD, Autodesk's main goal was to increase designer productivity. The introduced program tools speed up the completion of tasks, allow you to quickly find the necessary command and quickly master work techniques.
2. Autodesk Land Desktop
Autodesk Land Desktop allows you to create a huge number of terrain projects and vary them using Terrain Model Explorer, as well as:
- Construct a relief according to any positions: coordinates, horizontal lines, surface breaks, etc.
- Visualize terrain using 3D edges or a regular network of lines.
- Create horizontal lines with the required spacing and display style and much more...
3.3d Max
This package has numerous tools for designing 3D projects of real or imagined objects of the surrounding world of various shapes and complexity using various techniques and mechanisms. It is complex and it can take years to learn ALL the package and ALL the features. But for simple manipulations, a few days will be enough.
Here is a link to a good portal with lessons on 3d Max.
These 3 professional software packages are specialized and are used by professional engineers and architects. Therefore, if you are a beginner, you should not waste time, because... There are even training courses for using these programs.
The next 2 options are also professional, but more in demand, simpler and more informed in terms of filling the program with supporting information. The last one is the most praised.
- Chief Architect
- Punch! Professional Home Design
Essentially, they are the same, but the second quality of the instruments is better.
When developing a design project for a personal plot, it is very important to have a visual representation at the different stages of its preparation. Landscaping, garden accessories, paths and ponds - all this can be organically and simply arranged using landscape design programs. Let's look at free apps.
Common to all: what to look for when choosing
When developing design projects, you should be guided by the principle “the simpler, the better.” If a certain software product satisfies the requirements in the context of a specific project, there is no point in chasing advanced tools for creating high-level graphics.
Most design visualization programs have primarily a presentational purpose. This is important when doing custom work, but if the development is carried out for yourself, mastering complex CAD mechanisms will result in an ineffective waste of time.
In the practical development of landscape design, you should always leave room for imagination. It is unlikely that you will be able to fill the one-to-one scene in the foreseeable future with the same elements that will take place in the real physical world. Therefore, the primitivism of objects in the virtual environment and the low degree of detail are more of a benefit than a disadvantage. They make it possible to evaluate the general, global side of the design without being distracted by minor details.
Considering the above, we recommend paying attention to software marked “for beginners”. Also of great importance is free access to educational literature authored by the creators of the program or the developers using it.
It is worth noting that the lack of a Russified version of the software usually does not become an obstacle when developing simple gardening and landscape design projects. Also keep in mind that the concept of free for this kind of software is very conditional: even professional tools have a trial period, during which it is quite possible to develop your own project, but you will not be able to use a paid program for commercial purposes.
Working with Content Libraries
The basis for working with most landscape design programs is the use of ready-made elements from a standard set. You simply create a scene of the required dimensions, and then place the necessary content on it: lawns, paths, buildings, trees and decorative paraphernalia.
One of the most popular free products, Sierra Land Designer, contains several modules with the ability to freely import projects between them. The strength of this kit is its impressive library of garden plants, complemented by recommendations for climate suitability, planting, care and life cycle features. The program suffers from a weak visualization tool: the garden planner has a two-dimensional top view, but after layout the project can be viewed in a rather modest 3D visualization module.
A developed community of users plays an important role in working with landscape design. SketchUp, for example, although not designed as a program for detailing garden plots, has an extensive library of 3D models that have been previously created and used by other users. Sketchup does not have a built-in encyclopedia of plants, but it allows you to create a visual environment with a high degree of detail and variety.
The golden mean in terms of libraries and display quality is FloorPlan 3D. The program has a developed set of components and design templates, both ready-made and third-party. And this doesn't come at the expense of usability or graphics.
User Interface Differences
Almost all programs differ in their individual layout of controls. This directly determines ease of use, speed of development and completion of the project.
For example: SketchUp has a very wide range of tools for editing and moving objects. They are located on two panels in different parts of the screen and can be customized individually. The same feature distinguishes most CAD programs (Autocad, ArchiCad, etc.): everything that should be at hand is located on the main editing screen, and all additional modules, such as setting the parameters of individual models, relationships between them and tools visual display are located in additional internal windows.
A slightly different organization scheme is used in programs that are specifically aimed at garden and landscape design. In Sierra Home&Land Designer 3D and 3D Home Architect Design Suite Deluxe, working with the project and its components is divided into stages, each of which has a separate module with its own tab. Switching between them is absolutely free; at any time you can go back and, say, reconfigure the global parameters of the scene or the properties of a group of objects.
Visual environment
Most free programs do not pretend to provide high-quality graphics processing with good realism. But in their segment, they still differ from each other in the method of visual presentation and the degree of image elaboration.
The simplest programs, such as Expert Landscape Design or Garden Planner 3, are designed to effectively arrange objects on a site plan. 2D overhead views, purely schematic displays and, with rare exceptions, the inability to set up and film a scene for presentation are the hallmarks of programs designed for low-level design.
There is a special class of landscape design tools that use photographs to construct scenes by collaging them or rendering pseudo-3D. This group includes Realtime Landscaping Architect and 3D Home Landscape Designer. They allow you to walk around the site in three-dimensional mode and have the opportunity to film the project scene from unique angles or simulate conditions of changing weather and time of day. The main function of such programs is to automate the manual processing of photographic materials in graphic editors.
The best detail and photorealistic rendering are used by such 3D modeling “monsters” as Autodesk 3ds Max, Maya, Punch Home Design and SketchUp. These programs do not (with the exception of special plugins) have the means to work specifically with landscape and park design, but they allow you to work with sources of natural and artificial lighting and fully support shadows. This is possible due to the rendering included in a separate program module, therefore, with some effort, you can take incredibly realistic pictures of your virtual site. Unfortunately, such opportunities are quite expensive: the programs have high system requirements and take time to master.
User level
The potential complexity of interacting with a program can be assessed by the range of its capabilities. Placing elements of a standard library on a plan using Expert Landscape Design does not require any preparation at all, while setting up a high-quality display in Sierra Home&Land Design can require several hours of attention and a number of unsuccessful attempts.
Don't forget that in the long run it's better to start with mid-level programs such as SketchUp or the more specific Complete Landscape Designer in order to master the full range of basic CAD capabilities for landscape design.
Help in this matter will be free and paid literature on developing projects in a specific program, various thematic forums and communities. For almost all of the programs described, there are series of videos with examples of work, from which you can evaluate the capabilities and control scheme of the program in a matter of hours.
Recommended sequence for developing your own project
Finally, we will suggest the optimal sequence of actions that will allow you to master most of the software’s potential in two or three evenings and quickly develop your own project. When you decide on the choice of program, study 3-5 lessons demonstrating work with both individual models and their groups and entire scenes, explaining the very concept of development.
When creating your project, start by designing and setting up your global scene. Remember that objects can be grouped and hidden once you've finished working on them, so you can focus on specific areas of the scene. When individual details have been worked out, start arranging them globally.
At the final stage, work is carried out with the special capabilities of the program: setting up materials, textures, lighting, simulating different conditions and angles. Obviously, the project will not gain physical implementation in one day, so you should return to the virtual plan of your site from time to time to look at it with fresh eyes and finalize small details.