the_marq

I have been poking around on Google trying to find a nice program that will allow me to design a set of plans for my basement. A simplfied CAD program essentially.

So far everything that I have found on the web is either too simple or does not have a free trial so I can suss out its features before I commit.

I want a program that:

--has a complexity level of Photoshop (or thereabouts)
--has the ability to create custom design features (furniture, wall textures, artwork etc...)
--Design in 2D (top down) view and then allows for a 3D walkthru

There has to be something like that out there, has anyone used something like this that they could recommend?

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MexicanOnABike

wow... you're asking for alot. for the room design in 2d, you could use a simple program called VISIO (made by microsoft.) http://www.microsoft.com/office/visi...o/default.mspx

OR, maybe you can use 3dstudio max or any other software of the kind and learn to make the shapes? or just download them from free sites like 3dcafee or 3dbuzz.

maybe you could pay for a copy of autocad? i think that would be the best bet.

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bendsley

Yeah, lets go buy AutoCAD 2006 for $3,750 or Autodesk's 3DSMax 7 for $3,055.
Shit, that makes AutoCAD LT 2006 sound like a bargain at $800.

Are you serious in recommending he goes and get's one of these products to help him design a basement? I'm sure he wants to do the construction within a year. It would take him that long if not longer to fully understand how to work with and use one of the programs you listed.

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the_marq

Hmm, maybe I'll just use Unreal Tournament 2004...

I have seen some programs that come close, so I know I am not asking for the impossible. I'll have to keep looking.

BTW, my wife is an engineer and knows how to use AutoCad, but she does not see it working the way I want it to for this project.

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#3 in a series

the_marq

Here is a good example that looks like what I am after...

http://www.designingonline.com/servi...placement.html

But I hesitate to drop $100 on it without a trial...

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MexicanOnABike

Well i got 3dstudio max 2, 3, 5, and 7. so yes if i was to do this project, which i already did many times, i'd just do it all myself. My brother got autocad #, #, and the last version. . . he could do all of this himself too.

Like i said, he could get visio which is what my dad used to design the backyard.

Not saying you should but who needs the "full" version anyways?

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zxello

Start > Programs > Accessories > Paint ..... ftw

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Jinn

http://www.download.com/3D-Home-Arch...-10307819.html

When my parents refinished their basement, thats the program they used. I fiddled with it, and it sounds exactly like you want. Best of all, it's got a free trial. You design it on the floorplan level, but there is a 3d Camera you can position and move within the space you've just created. I was able to re-arrange the furniture in my room (with exact dimensions) and see how things would look in 3D space if I put my desk over there, and my bookshelf over there...

That's my 2c..

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jwoody

Are you doing this because you want to design your basement or because you want to use some 3D software?

Do you want to produce building plans for the basement or are you planning the layout of a finished basement?

If you just want to plan a basement, I suggest using scaled paper cut-outs on a scaled plan of the basement.

That's what I do and I'm a pro, and I've got a badge to prove it.

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