- #Import sketch up to softplan 2016 software#
- #Import sketch up to softplan 2016 trial#
- #Import sketch up to softplan 2016 plus#
- #Import sketch up to softplan 2016 professional#
Some of us felt it was too basic and switched to a program that’s better at creating construction plans, such as SoftPlan or Chief Architect. Landscaping Architect can create a framing drawing, but we had mixed feelings about the result. Jerry Bannister hails from Seattle, Clemens Jellema from Owings, Md., and Kim Katwijk and Jason Russell from Tacoma, Wash.Īlso, you won’t get a permit with a 3d rendering.
#Import sketch up to softplan 2016 professional#
The authors are all professional deck builders. It takes time to build up a library of parts, settings, and preferences.
#Import sketch up to softplan 2016 software#
Any software is only as good what you put into it. If you like it and it does what you are looking for, stick with it. We recommend downloading the one that interests you.
#Import sketch up to softplan 2016 trial#
DeckTools has no trial version, but you can return the program within two months if you’re not happy with it. Most manufacturers provide a free trial period, although some have limitations, like not allowing you to print or save a document. Most can be mastered within a few months. The time required to learn the programs can range from a day to years. Of course, the more sophisticated programs are more costly, but there was a happy surprise: Our overall favorite program for renderings was Realtime Landscaping Architect, and its cost was on the low end.
The cost of these programs ranges from free for basic SketchUp (which we didn’t test) to a few hundred bucks to several thousand. Every feature has to be drawn individually. You draw everything in 3D but has no deck module. It designs decks in a top view, left- and right-side views, and a 3D view, but doesn’t have much in the way of landscaping options.įinally, SketchUp Pro, a souped-up version of Google’s free online 3D modeling program, lets It shows the outside walls of a house and its door and windows, but not the roof. Only one of the programs we tested is sold as a deck design program - DeckTools. Both employ a deck design module to create 2D plan views and 3D renderings. They show the home’s outside, including the roof and everything that goes into the landscape, but nothing inside the home. Two others, Realtime Landscaping Architect and VizTerra, are meant mainly for landscape designers.
#Import sketch up to softplan 2016 plus#
Select the deck button, draw in the perimeter, and both programs will infill the posts, beams, joists, and decking to provide a complete set of construction documents plus a 3D rendering. Two of the programs, Chief Architect and SoftPlan, let you design everything that goes into and around a house. And finally, as with any tool purchase, you need to consider your budget.Įach of the programs we tested - Chief Architect, DeckTools, Realtime Landscaping Architect, SketchUp, SoftPlan, and VizTerra - has good points.
You also have to think about how hard you’re willing to work to learn the program and how much support you’ll require. Do you want a sales tool that produces renderings to show your customers? Or a design tool capable of producing detailed drawings you can give to the building department and your crews? Do you want a cost-estimating feature? Do you want to design more than decks - say, porches or additions? The first step to finding the right one for you is deciding what you want it to do. No single CAD program is best for all deck builders. Whether you’re dissatisfied with your current program or you’re making your first foray into CAD, buying a new program means investing a chunk of time and money hopefully this article will help you spend both wisely.
How do the various CAD programs out there stack up for deck builders? That’s the question we set out to answer.