Drawings of garden projects in different computer programs. Landscape Design Program

the Internet

The development of landscape design is a task that arises both for specialists who carry out real projects and for ordinary homeowners and gardeners who dream of creating a piece of paradise on their site. To solve this problem, different programs are used, suitable for different requirements in this area.

Design programs are used for fast and intuitive design. They are easy to learn, they can be used by a person who does not have special knowledge to make landscape design sketches. Programs for professionals based on three-dimensional modeling and programming may differ in complexity and lower speed of project creation, but in return give the user complete freedom of creativity and graphic presentation of the material. Let's compare the main programs used in the landscape design environment, and determine their compliance with the tasks.

With the Realtime Landscaping Architect program, you can create a detailed landscape project with very beautiful and neat design graphics. A pleasant interface and simple logic of work in combination with a large library of standard elements make the program suitable for both professionals and beginners in landscape design. Realtime Landscaping Architect combines both designer properties and drafting and modeling tools. The advantage of the program is the ability to create an individual home project. Site items are assembled from library items. An important feature is the ability to model the relief with a brush. High-quality visualization in real time is another plus of the program, and the function of animating a person in a scene is a real highlight in the graphic presentation of the project.

Despite its construction orientation, Archicad is also used for landscape design. For these purposes, the program has a library of elements (with the possibility of its subsequent increase), the function of creating drawings and estimates, unlimited possibilities in the design of a residential building. Relief in Archikad can be created on the basis of topographic survey or modeled by points. Unlike other programs, there is no brush modeling of the relief and the creation of parametric landscape elements, for example, custom paths, is not available. Archicad can be recommended for modeling simple and formal landscapes in addition to the main building design.

Our Garden Ruby

Our Ruby Garden is a program that you can safely advise people who are fond of gardening. This is a simple three-dimensional landscape design editor that does not pretend to perform complex projects, however, unlike all other programs, it pays the most attention to the plant library. It is implemented in the form of an encyclopedia, which contains comprehensive information about various plants that can be added to the project. Our Rubin Garden does not have such graphicality as Realtime Landscaping Architect, it is impossible to make detailed drawings in it, as in Archicad, but thanks to the Russian-language interface, convenient configurators and a flexible tool for drawing paths, the program can be used by a completely unprepared user.

X-Designer

X-Designer has similar advantages to Our Garden Ruby. These include the Russian-language interface, simplicity and formality of creating objects. The application does not have the same powerful plant library as its sister plant, but it has several important differences. The project scene in X-Designer can be reflected for any season, including grass / snow cover and the presence of leaves, as well as their colors on the trees. Another nice feature is the flexibility in terrain modeling that even Realtime Landscaping Architect can envy. Nevertheless, despite its advantages, X-Designer looks rather outdated, and its library of elements cannot be replenished. This program is suitable for simple and formal projects, as well as for training.

As a versatile and super-functional 3D graphics program, Autodesk 3ds Max can easily cope with landscape design. This program is used by professionals, since it does not actually limit creative work. Any 3D model of a plant or inanimate object can be easily downloaded or modeled on your own. You need to create realistic grass or random scatter of stones - you can use additional plugins such as MultiScatter or Forrest Pack. Realistic renderings are also created in the 3ds Max environment. The only limitation is the lack of the ability to create drawings based on the completed scene, as in Archicad. Professional work in Autodesk 3ds Max will take time to learn and practice skills, but the results will be worth it.

Punch Home Design

Punch Home Design is a somewhat rude, but functional program with which you can design a house and an adjoining plot. The main focus here is on creating a home, for which the user can use various configurators. In landscape design functions, Punch Home Design has no advantages over Realtime Landscaping Architect, plus it lags slightly behind in terms of graphics and usability. The program cannot build a relief, but there is a free modeling function. The Punch Home Design program can hardly be recommended for creating landscape design for professionals and amateurs.

Envisioneer Express

This program, like Archicad, is used for designing buildings, but at the same time it has quite good functionality for landscape design. The highlight of the Envisioneer Express is the huge library of objects, especially plants, which will allow you to create a personal and lively project of the local area. Using the program, you can get estimates and drawings for the project. Envisioneer Express will also allow you to create high quality sketch renderings of the scene.

FloorPlan 3D

FloorPlan 3D is a building sketch modeling tool that also has landscape design capabilities. The functions of reproducing nature around the house are rather formal. The user can fill the scene with flower beds, paths and plants, but the rough and non-Russian interface will not allow getting pleasure from creativity. The graphics of the program are inferior to both Realtime Landscaping Architect and Punch Home Design. For quick garden modeling, it will be easier for a beginner to use X-Designer or Our Ruby Garden.

SketchUp

A sketch, by tradition, is used for sketching three-dimensional modeling. Unlike specialized landscape design programs, SketchUp does not have a designer function and a large library of elements. This program will not be able to cope with landscape design tasks to the same extent as Autodesk 3ds Max, but it will allow you to quickly create a sketch model of a house and an adjoining area. Professionals often use SketchUp in cases where a detailed study of the scene is not required, and the speed of work and graphical presentation come first.

So we examined the main programs used for landscape design. As a conclusion, we will describe for what purposes one or another of them is better suited. Fast modeling of landscape objects - SketchUp, Realtime Landscaping Architect, X-Designer, Our Ruby Garden. Development of visualizations and drawings of adjacent areas - Archicad, Envisioneer Express, FloorPlan 3D, Punch Home Design. Designing complex landscapes, performing professional visualizations - Autodesk 3ds Max, Realtime Landscaping Architect. Creating a model of your own garden or a house plot - Realtime Landscaping Architect, X-Designer, Our Rubin Garden.

With the help of certain programs, you can visualize the site, garden and any other landscape. This is done using 3D models and additional tools. In this article, we have selected a list of special software that will be an excellent solution to create a site plan.

Realtime Landscaping Architect is a professional landscape design software. It provides users with a large set of libraries with three-dimensional models of various objects. In addition to the standard set of tools that became the basis for such software, there is a unique feature - adding an animated character to the scene. It looks funny, but it can be used in practice.

With the help of a huge number of different settings, the user can customize the project individually for himself, using certain weather conditions for the scene, changing lighting and creating arrays of vegetation. The program is distributed for a fee, but the trial version is available for download for free on the official website.

Punch Home Design

The next program on our list is Punch Home Design. It is intended not only for site planning, but also allows for complex modeling. We recommend that beginners familiarize themselves with template projects, there are several of them installed. Then you can start planning your house or lot by adding objects and vegetation.

There is a free modeling function that will allow you to create a primitive 3D model with your own hands. A built-in library is available with materials that will be appropriate to apply to the created object. Use 3D view to stroll around your garden or home. A small number of motion control tools are intended for this.

SketchUp

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the SketchUp program from the well-known Google company. With the help of this software, any 3D models, objects and landscapes are created. There is a simple editor that contains the basic tools and functions, which is quite enough for amateurs.

As far as site planning is concerned, this representative will be an excellent tool for creating such projects. There is a platform where objects are placed, an editor and built-in sets are present, which is enough to create a high-quality project in a short time. SketchUp is distributed for a fee, but the trial version is available for free download on the official website.

Our Site Ruby

This program was created exclusively for landscape modeling, including site planning. There is a built-in editor, three-dimensional projection of the scene. In addition, an encyclopedia of plants has been added, which will allow you to fill the scene with certain trees or shrubs.

Of the special and unique, I would like to note the possibility of calculating an estimate. You simply add objects to the scene, and they are sorted in a table, where prices are then entered, or filled in advance. Such a function will help to calculate future calculations for the construction of the landscape.

FloorPlan 3D

FloorPlan is just a great tool for creating landscape scenes, indoor and yard arrangements. It contains all the essentials that will definitely come in handy during the creation of a project. There are default libraries with various models and textures, which will add more uniqueness to your scene.

Special attention has been paid to the creation of the roof, there is a special function here that will allow you to edit a more complex coating exactly as you need. You can customize the roof material, slope angles, and more.

Sierra landDesigner

Sierra landDesigner is a handy free program that allows you to equip a site by adding various objects, plants, buildings. By default, a large number of different items are installed, for the convenience of searching, we recommend using the corresponding function, just enter the name in the line.

Use the Building Wizard to create the perfect home, or use the pre-installed templates. In addition, there are simple render settings, which will make the final picture more colorful and saturated.

ArchiCAD

ArchiCAD is a multifunctional program that allows you to engage not only in modeling, but also in the creation of drawings, estimates and reports on energy efficiency. This software supports the design of multi-layer structures, the creation of realistic images, work in facades and sections.

Due to the large number of tools and functions, beginners may have problems mastering ArchiCAD, but then they can save a lot of time and work in comfort. The program is distributed for a fee, and we recommend downloading the trial version to study everything in detail.

Autodesk 3ds Max

Autodesk 3ds Max is considered the most versatile, feature-rich and popular 3D modeling software. Its possibilities are almost endless in this area, and professionals create modeling masterpieces in it.

New users can start by creating primitives, gradually progressing to more complex projects. This representative is also great for landscape design, especially if the corresponding libraries are loaded in advance.

There are a lot of programs for 3D modeling on the Internet, they cannot all fit into this list, so we have selected several of the most popular and most suitable representatives, with which you can easily and quickly create a site plan.

Having at its disposal a country house, summer cottage or a small plot of land, the question arises about its rational use. Not always, your own imagination can give such ideas that are easily implemented, so a program for landscape design will become an indispensable assistant. Using it, you can create various projects, taking into account your own preferences and site sizes.

Development of landscape design in a special program

Today, there are about a hundred available landscape editors that allow you to create real miracles. Let's get to know them better, having considered the main functions and capabilities, and taking into account the level of the user's preparedness.

The first thing to look at is the level of preparedness of the user. If you do not use newfangled gadgets and know at least about computers, it is better to give preference to programs for the home user.

All that is required is to enter the necessary parameters of the personal plot and select the design solutions you like, which, by the way, are enough in the database.

If you need to create drawings and layouts yourself, and the program is required for work, you can take any graphic editor adjusted to the necessary parameters.

Interface of a special program for landscape development

Typically, such exterior software is not free and is in limited access. To work, you will need a licensed version, which you will have to buy from the developers.

Top 5 programs for home use

The graphical editor for beginners has the most intuitive and simple interface, and also allows you to create new and make adjustments to existing projects. This is convenient, since it is not always possible to find out how certain elements will look in real life. Let's take a look at five of the simplest, most affordable and lightweight graphics editors for beginners.

Garden Planner (X-Designer)

This landscape design program is the simplest, as it does not require additional skills and knowledge to work.

X-Designer program interface

All that is required of the user is to select the type of site, enter its dimensions and enjoy the selection of certain decorations. The rich library has a wide selection of the following components:

Residential buildings:, outbuildings, verandas, attic);
Landscaping of the site (vegetation typical for a particular region);
Small architecture (statues, fountains, flower beds and multi-level waterfalls).

At the design stage, the program is able to prompt the user about the profitability of the installation of a particular structure. This is especially true for trees and shrubs. It is difficult to imagine what the tree will be like in a couple of decades and where it is better to plant it in order to get the maximum benefit.

It will help you do this quickly, and, most importantly, the editor has a high level of realism, allowing you to see what the suburban area will look like in a few years.

There is an opportunity to photograph the project and get a real plan of landscape gardening of the summer cottage, thanks to which subsequent work will be carried out.

Our garden Crystal 10

A graphical editor, the functionality of which is much wider. Just like the previous ones, the program has an extensive database and the ability to view images in 3d format. This greatly facilitates the design, since it is possible to obtain a full-fledged picture that is displayed from different angles.

It has a unique feature not found in other editors - automatic formatting.

An example of landscape development in the Nash Sad program

That is, the user chooses any elements he likes for landscape design, and the program independently indicates the optimal places for their location, taking into account the features of the area and its size. This is convenient when there is no spatial thinking. You can download a program for creating a landscape for any site on the Internet. This procedure is completely free.

Despite the English name, the program is fully Russified and presented for full access to any user. A feature of the planner is a rich base of green decorations. Flower beds, on which a wide variety of plants grow, can be created taking into account the climate and minimum temperatures in the cold seasons. This will avoid the death of plants in real life, when inexperienced landscape designers are not aware of the features of the plantings.

Also, a wide map is offered for each plant, where there is all the information about care, watering and frost resistance. In real time, you can see how the flower garden will look in the coming years, taking into account the growth and reproduction of the given plants.

It will not be difficult to download the program, it is low-capacity and does not require special features from the computer.

3D Home Architect

The uniqueness of the planner lies in the fact that it helps to combine landscape design elements with buildings and a living area. It is very important for the landscape to fit harmoniously into the overall picture of the territory, therefore the architect is indispensable in this case. Working with 3d helps to get multifaceted projects not only for home use, but also for professional purposes.

Are you in the mood for landscaping your own garden? No problems! And there is no need to run to a designer, whose work is very expensive. Of course, consultation with a professional will never hurt, but this is not always possible (at least for material reasons), and in any case, you first need to figure out what you want yourself. Moreover, it is possible that you will not need a designer, for example, if the dream of your whole life is to create a cozy garden in Japanese style with your own hands.

Obviously, before going to the nursery for planting material, it is advisable to design a virtual model of the garden, as this will help you decide which plants and landscape structures you need and in what quantity. And here two questions immediately arise: where to get ideas for design, because few non-professionals have a design taste, multiplied by the experience of growing numerous garden plants, and how to create such a virtual project?

As for the first question, the answer to it can be obtained by studying various design solutions for decorating the garden, for which you will have to refer to the relevant literature or electronic encyclopedias. The latter option is preferable due to the presence of a conveniently designed search engine in such encyclopedias, which will allow you to quickly navigate.

There are two options for solving the second question. You can take paper and start creating numerous plans and drawings that will have to be redone more than once - and it is not at all a fact that the project implemented according to one of these plans will ultimately really turn out to be the embodiment of your dream, because it is difficult to imagine the creation created on the plan in volume. Or you can use a suitable software solution for the visual design of a garden - many of them are quite easy to learn and will be within the power of any computer user. With their help, you can quickly create a virtual garden project (and taking into account the terrain): schematically depict a house on the plan and plant trees and shrubs around it, create lawns and break flower beds, for which you just need to drag the necessary objects from the library, place them on plan and indicate the age of the plants. And also to simulate other elements of garden decor: link individual garden areas with paths, install a fence, place lanterns and lamps to illuminate the site at night, build a pond, etc.

As a rule, two methods of creating landscape projects are technically possible: from scratch or based on real photographs (Fig. 1). The latter is very convenient, because the majority of the question of landscape design arises only when the house and other buildings have been built long ago and there are already some green spaces. When using this technology, the base image of the house is first loaded, and then new plants and various landscape structures are introduced into it, which allows you to fit new landscape elements into the existing ones. Thus, for example, you can effectively decorate the driveway to the house with plants, arrange containers with flowers and lanterns, etc. If the project is developed from scratch, then it begins to build with the creation of the terrain, that is, the formation of elevations and slopes existing on the site - for this it is necessary to outline the raised or lowered areas on the plan and apply the appropriate transformations to them. Then, large objects, that is, buildings, are added to the project - the fastest way is to simply load a typical building that is suitable in style, however, if none of the type of buildings suits you, you can design it yourself. After that, they move on to introducing objects such as fences, gazebos, gates, etc. into the project - usually they are taken from the built-in library, but many solutions also offer the ability to load their own elements: three-dimensional models and / or objects cut from photos. When finished, textures are assigned to all elements. At the next stage of work with the project, paths are laid, a reservoir is created, decorative structures are placed, single plants are planted, a hedge is formed, climbing plants are placed on the walls of buildings, etc. At the end, the lighting is set up by placing decorative lanterns along the paths, on the wall at the front door of the house, at the gate of the house, etc.

Figure: 1. An example of a landscape project created from a photograph

The resulting versions of projects (there may be several) are easy to view in two-dimensional form, and then walk through them in a volumetric view (Fig. 2), inspect from all sides and find out which one is preferable for you. If necessary, you can subsequently make changes to the project, and the final project can be printed in the desired views. You can also create an AVI presentation to demonstrate the created project (this opportunity is more interesting for professionals), which is carried out by installing and configuring several view cameras on the plan, defining the sequence of their switching and the display time for each camera.

Figure: 2. Possible two-dimensional project plan and its volumetric representation

In addition to viewing the project at the current moment, it is usually possible to see the model of the garden after some time (Fig. 3): in a year, two, ten, etc. - this will help to understand if the plants are correctly positioned, taking into account their characteristic growth force. Less often, it is possible to view the garden at different times of the year (Fig. 4), which will allow us to assess the level of attractiveness of the plantings not only in summer, but also in other periods. It is also worth noting that in a number of rendering solutions, the display of a shadow is provided, thanks to this it is easy to adjust the planting of plants, taking into account their photophilousness / shade tolerance. The above viewing possibilities are very relevant for non-professionals, since they may not possess such information (that is, data on the degree of growth of plants, their decorativeness in different periods and the level of photophilousness / shade tolerance). All this allows you to relatively quickly get a fairly professional (in terms of taking into account the biological characteristics of plants) landscape design without resorting to specialists.

Figure: 3. View of the landscape over time

Figure: 4. Landscape view at different times of the year

Landscaping CDs

The list of similar solutions offered on the market is more than impressive, but we will focus on only a few of the most interesting ones. In our opinion, novice landscape designers should familiarize themselves with the Landscape Art series encyclopedias, which cover all the basic aspects of landscape design and contain comprehensive and beautifully illustrated materials. We also found the discs “Professional Tips. Landscaping "and" Landscaping. Styles and Directions ". The first one is interesting in terms of studying various options for decorating a summer cottage, taking into account the minimization of material costs and one's own efforts, and the second highlights the basic principles and trends in garden design and provides many original style ideas that will interest enthusiastic gardeners.

Series "Landscape Art"

Developer: Landscape art

Price: 119 RUB for one disk

Currently, the series has released six discs: “Landscape Art. Lawns. Landing. Flower beds ”,“ Landscape art. Ponds in the garden "," Landscape art. Practical advice. Water in the garden ”(Fig. 5),“ Landscape art. Paving. Ladders. Retaining walls "," Landscape art. Practical advice. Paving. Ladders. Retaining walls "(Fig. 6) and" Landscape art. Practical advice. A stone in the garden ”(fig. 7). These discs describe in an accessible and concise form technologies for creating lawns, planting plants and arranging flower beds, examining various types of paving, building stairs and retaining walls, and providing detailed color schemes of such structures. The technologies of the construction of reservoirs and their design are covered, it is described how to care for the reservoir (including fish and plants living in it) at different times of the year. It also tells about the variety of stones and their use in landscape design. All theoretical material is accompanied by numerous illustrations that can be useful when designing and creating your own garden.

Fig. 5. An example of a reservoir in the garden (“Landscape art.
Practical advice. Water in the garden ")

Fig. 6. Photo gallery with examples of garden paths
(PA "Landscape art. Practical advice. Paving. Ladders.
Retaining walls ")

Fig. 7. An example of using stones in group plantings
(Software "Landscape art. Practical advice. Stone in the garden")

Developer: VIEM

Price: 249 r

This disc covers a multitude of design projects and discoveries, all designed with the understanding that all work can be done alone. Various aspects of the design of a summer cottage are considered here: the construction of spectacular ridges, the creation of hedges, front gardens and curbs (Fig. 8), the arrangement of garden paths, the construction of stairs, benches, fountains and bridges, the use of supports, etc. Detailed graphic diagrams accompanying theoretical materials, photo gallery and professional advice ensure b aboutgreater availability of information and help to avoid mistakes and unnecessary costs when arranging a suburban area.

Figure: 8. Presentation of wooden front gardens and curbs
("Professional advice. Landscaping")

Landscaping. Styles and directions

Developer: ID COMPANY

Price: 119 RUB

This encyclopedia covers the basic principles and trends in garden design and allows you to understand the design styles - the description of the styles is accompanied by colorful garden layouts (Fig. 9) and helpful comments. The program offers many original ideas: the laconicism of the Japanese style, the charm of miniatures, monochrome graphics, a roof garden, a twilight garden, a garden with a stream, a bathhouse, a swimming pool and much more. There are even interesting solutions that allow you to combine business with pleasure: garden - vegetable garden, garden - playground, etc. As a result, the reader can choose the style they like as a ready-made guide to action, or independently develop their own unique style based on the existing ones.

Figure: 9. One of the options for the layout of the garden (software "Landscape design.
Styles and directions ")

Landscape design software

There are many different software products on the market for the design and visualization of landscape projects. However, many of them are aimed at landscape designers, that is, they are more difficult to master and are not cheap. And those solutions that are intended for non-professionals, for the most part, leave much to be desired. At the same time, in both software groups, it is still possible to single out programs that are of interest to home users and provide them with all the necessary tools for landscape design. We settled on Realtime Landscaping Plus, Our Garden 9.0 Ruby, TurboFLOORPLAN Landscape and Deck and a group of solutions from the Punch company! Software. All of them can be successfully used to create a landscape project for your own garden.

The most attractive, in our opinion, are Realtime Landscaping Plus and Our Garden 9.0 Ruby. The first is supported by a large number of three-dimensional models of plants (see table) and a well-thought-out technology of use, thanks to which a project can be prepared in it faster than in other solutions. In addition, this program seemed to us the easiest to learn, which is very important for home users. But, unfortunately, water objects (for example, reservoirs) cannot be added to projects in it. In turn, the indisputable advantage of the program "Our Garden 9.0 Ruby" is the Russian-language interface and the presence of a very detailed and well-prepared encyclopedia containing background information on caring for plants, diseases and pests. But it does not display shadows when viewed in three dimensions, which will undoubtedly cause problems for many amateur gardeners, who are unlikely to be well versed in terms of light-loving / shade-tolerant plants. In addition, the list of plant objects available for use in the project is noticeably smaller than in other solutions, and the program is not cheap.

As for the other utilities discussed in the article, they are less attractive. The TurboFLOORPLAN Landscape and Deck program has wide functionality and allows you to implement any landscape design in projects, but it is rather slow and more demanding on system resources. As for the Punch solutions! Software, then the greatest opportunities in terms of landscape design are presented in the Punch Master Landscape and Home Design program, but it is also inferior in functionality to the listed solutions from other developers.

Realtime Landscaping Plus 4

Developer: Idea Spectrum

3 GB

Work under control: Windows XP / Vista

Distribution method: shareware (functionally limited demo version - http://www.ideaspectrum.net/demos/plus/plus203.exe)

Price: US $ 79.95

Realtime Landscaping Plus is one of the best solutions for designing and rendering landscape projects (Fig. 10), which is great for both landscape designers and non-professionals. Its main module is a built-in planner, as additional ones are the Realtime Landscaping Photo photo editor and the Realtime Picture Editor.

Figure: 10. An example of a project created in Realtime Landscaping Plus

Projects are created from scratch or based on real photographs (Fig. 11) - in both cases, this can be done not only manually, but also with the help of built-in wizards, which greatly simplifies the task. For example, when creating a project from a clean slate by the landscape wizard (Fig. 12), the user just needs to specify the size of the plot, select the style of the house and the fence, and determine the location of the house relative to the fence on the plan - the result will be an editable standard garden project with a house, patio, fence and driveway to the house. As a result, you only need to manually modify the terrain and introduce plants and decorative elements. If the conceived project is not typical in terms of buildings, for example, it has fragments of curved walls, then you will have to create the corresponding elements manually - this is also not difficult (since they are formed from editable basic objects: frames of walls with a roof, doors and windows), but it will require time. After that, if necessary, textures made from real photographs can be applied to the walls, gables and basement of the house - this will ensure aboutgreater credibility. Then a fence with a gate is installed and paving of individual sections is carried out, retaining walls, hedges, small architectural forms, lamps adjustable in height, size and color of light rays, as well as single stones, their borders and plants, taking into account their age, can be added. Plants can be of two types: 3D models and 2D images cut from photographs. The latter are correctly incorporated into the project, automatically rotating when the scene angle is changed, and look more realistic than the models, but the latter, when viewed in three dimensions, vibrate under the influence of the wind, which, of course, is not important for the result, but looks very impressive. All embedded objects are customizable. By default, a short list of parameters opens for any of them (this is convenient for amateurs), but there is also an extended list that provides more fine tuning (Fig. 13). It is possible to create custom vegetation and save it in the database for future use. A toolkit for importing 3D models has been implemented, and to simplify this process (since many non-professionals simply have no idea where such models can be obtained), it is provided to download models from the database of free Google 3D Warehouse models. But it will not be possible to add water objects (fountains, waterfalls, streams, reservoirs, pools, reservoirs, etc.) to the project - their implementation is not provided for in this solution.

Fig. 11. Creation of a project based on photography in Realtime Landscaping Plus

Fig. 12. Creating a project using the landscape wizard
in Realtime Landscaping Plus

Fig. 13. Editing advanced hammock parameters
in Realtime Landscaping Plus

The created plan can be viewed in perspective projection and in the form of a volumetric image with quite realistic lighting and shadows. When viewing, plant objects (if they are 3D models) will sway under the influence of the wind, sometimes birds or butterflies will fly in the air. You can see the three-dimensional landscape during the day and night, as well as after the specified number of years. While viewing screenshots are allowed - they are saved in BMP files and then can be printed. The project plan is also printed out and it is easy to create an AVI presentation from it. An estimate function is provided that can be printed and exported to a text file.

Our Garden 9.0 Ruby (Garden Composer)

Developer: DiComp OJSC

Required amount of free hard disk space: 4 GB

Work under control: Windows XP / Vista

Distribution method: comercialware (no demo)

Price: 3800 RUB

The program "Our Garden 9.0 Ruby" is a solution for the design and visualization of landscape projects (Fig. 14), which is intended for both professional landscape designers and amateurs. It includes a built-in scheduler, a photo editor (allows you to work with digital photography of an object) and a resource editor (provides the ability to add 3D models and textures to the database). As well as an extensive illustrated encyclopedia containing detailed information on more than 15 thousand plants, including their diseases and pests (Fig. 15), which makes this solution more attractive for non-professionals.

Figure: 14. An example of a project created in the program "Our Garden 9.0 Ruby"

Figure: 15. Page of the encyclopedia built into the program "Our Garden 9.0 Ruby"

Projects can be created on the basis of real photographs or from scratch (Fig. 16) - in the latter case, it is allowed to use a drawing made by hand on paper as a background (it will have to be scanned first), which somewhat reduces the design time. When creating projects from scratch, the terrain is taken into account. Buildings are added to the project with the help of a wizard - you can limit yourself to simple typical buildings or build an object of the required type from them, like from children's blocks. For b aboutfor more credibility, it is possible to apply textures to the house made from real photographs. The necessary shapes of fences, stairs and retaining walls are also created with the help of craftsmen (Fig. 17), in the same way the paving of individual zones is formed. Small architectural forms and plants (including trimmed ones) are added from the library, it is possible to trim plants according to your own stencil with the help of a wizard. When planting plants, their age is taken into account. You can use your own objects in the project, obtained by selection from photographs or scanned illustrations. It is possible to lay paths along complex curvilinear trajectories, as well as the construction of flower beds, reservoirs, etc. of complex shape. For texturing objects, textures from the library or arbitrary texture images available in the user's collection are used. A toolkit is provided for illuminating the garden with lamps and lanterns of different power and height.

Figure: 16. Creating a project from scratch in the program "Our Garden 9.0 Ruby"

Figure: 17. Correction of parameters of stairs, fences and sheared forms
in the program "Our Garden 9.0 Ruby"

The created plan is viewed in the form of a volumetric image, but without displaying shadows (in the daytime and at night, in any month of the year and after a specified number of years) and can be printed and sent to a specific email address. Based on the finished project, it is easy to draw up and print an estimate, as well as create an AVI presentation.

TurboFLOORPLAN Landscape and Deck 12

Developer: IMSI / Design

Required amount of free hard disk space: 750 MB

Work under control: Windows 2000 (SP4) / XP (SP2) / Vista

Distribution method: shareware (15 days demo - http://www.imsidesign.com/Products/FreeTrials/tabid/437/Default.aspx)

Price: US $ 39.95

TurboFLOORPLAN Landscape and Deck is a solution for designing and rendering landscape projects (Fig. 18), targeted by developers for a wide audience. Includes a landscape project planner and an extensive illustrated encyclopedia containing concise information on more than 7.5 thousand plants and rules for their care (Fig. 19), as well as background information on the main diseases and pests of horticultural crops. This solution has the basic functionality for this kind of applications and allows you to create projects taking into account the terrain and the size of buildings and landscape structures, but it cannot be classified as fast. In addition, many operations in it, in our opinion, are not implemented in the best way (you have to repeatedly click on the buttons and open various windows), and there are no wizards - as a result, it will take more time to master it, and the development of the project will be longer.

Figure: 18. An example of a project created in TurboFLOORPLAN Landscape and Deck

Figure: 19. Page of the encyclopedia built into the program
TurboFLOORPLAN Landscape and Deck

Projects are created from scratch (Fig. 20), it is possible to install scanned paper drawings as a background. Work on the project begins with the formation of the relief. After that, buildings are added by choosing one of the typical variants of houses or by creating it manually - in this case, you will have to determine the contours of the foundation, build walls and create a roof (all this taking into account the length and height of the corresponding objects), and then embed windows and doors. Upon completion, all elements of the buildings are textured, it is possible to apply textures to the house made from real photographs. At the next stage, they proceed to the landscape design itself - paving and laying paths, constructing retaining walls for plant zones, planting plants in them and placing other elements: a terrace with a staircase, a fence with a gate, small architectural forms, a pool, a pond or a fountain, and also all kinds of lights and lamps (Fig. 21). When introducing plants, their age is taken into account. Embedded objects can be of two types: 3D models and two-dimensional images cut from photographs, which can be taken not only from the built-in library, but also imported.

Fig. 20. Creating a project from scratch

Fig. 21. Correction of parameters of retaining wall and lantern
in TurboFLOORPLAN Landscape and Deck

The created plan is viewed in a perspective projection, from any of the installed cameras, or in the form of a volumetric image with realistic lighting and shadows - in the latter case, various rendering options are possible, including rendering with a miscalculation of global illumination. It is possible to view the landscape in the daytime and at night, in different months (taking into account the country), and also after a specified number of years. There is functionality for printing a project plan and generating an AVI presentation based on it. It is possible to draw up an estimate - it is easy to print and export to a text file.

Solutions from Punch! Software

Developer: Punch! Software

Required amount of free hard disk space: from 540 to 700 MB

Work under control: Windows (all versions)

Wayspreading: Punch Master Landscape and Home Design and 3D Home Architect Landscape Design Deluxe - comercialware (no demos); Punch! Super Home Suite - shareware (15-day demo version for 100 launches - ftp: // [email protected]/SuperDemoSetup.exe)

Price: Punch Master Landscape and Home Design 10 and Punch! Super Home Suite 3.5 - $ 49.99 3D Home Architect Landscape Design Deluxe 9 - $ 39.99

Punch software solutions! exist in several modifications: the programs 3D Home Architect Landscape Design Deluxe 9, Punch Master Landscape and Home Design 10 and Punch are targeted at a wide range of users! Super Home Suite 3.5. They all relate to solutions intended for landscape design, and have a similar interface. These programs allow you to design the exterior of the house and (using the same 3D Landscape Design module) its landscape design (Fig. 22). As for the differences between the two, the Punch! Super Home Suite also allows you to model the interior of the house, and Punch Master Landscape and Home Design has advanced tools for landscaping (more types of objects available and there is a Plantfinder module that provides effective selection of the necessary vegetation in the database - Fig. 23) and supports PhotoView technology, which allows create projects based on real photos.

Fig. 22. An example of a project created in Punch Master Landscape and Home Design

Fig. 23. Vegetation selection options through Plantfinder

The creation of the project (Fig. 24) in all the named solutions begins with the formation of the relief by drawing topographic curves or by loading a real topographic plan of the area. Then the walls are erected - either on the basis of one of the typical layouts, or manually, designing each of the walls separately (the length, thickness and height of the walls are easily adjusted, and their alignment is performed automatically). After that, windows, doors and a roof are added to the house under construction, choosing the necessary elements from standard options, and, if necessary, an open veranda or a patio is attached to the house. If a real house has already been built, then you can not create it, but immediately embed the corresponding photo into the project (only in Punch Master Landscape and Home Design). Then they start landscape design - they create paths, fences, mini-fences and support walls, form paved areas, etc., and then decorate all objects with textures from the library. You can also build mini-ponds, although there is no special tool for this purpose - the same Fill tool is used as for paving, just when texturing the pond, the texture of the water is set. At the last stage, flower beds are created and plants are planted - for any plant object, you can specify the age and specify the degree of light and moisture-loving in the properties of the object.

Fig. 24. Create a project from scratch in Punch! Super home suite

Created projects are viewed in 2D and 3D (in perspective and orthogonal projection), you can also see how the landscape will look in a few years. For a more natural rendering of the project, it is easy to adjust the lighting by determining the position of the sun and the intensity of its glow, and add shadows. The finished project is printed, its two-dimensional plan can be saved in a DXF file, and the volumetric representation of the project can be exported to a graphic file. There is also an automatic calculation of costs for the acquisition of materials necessary for the implementation of the project, the formation of an estimate and its printout.

On sale you can find the Russian-language edition of the 3D Home Architect Landscape Design Deluxe 9 program - "3D-modeling: landscape design" (publisher "Russobit-M" http://www.russobit-m.ru/catalogue/item/3d_home_architect_landscape_design/), offered at a price of 207 rubles.

Designing a future summer cottage with the help of A1 sheet and a simple pencil has gone far into the past. Today, the life of engineers and designers has simplified with the advent of special programs that have their own base of ready-made objects, with which you can quickly create a 2D and 3D model of a summer cottage to your liking. There are a lot of such programs now, most of them are paid and intended for specialists. Next, we present to your attention some easy-to-use free DIY landscape design software.

One of the simplest landscape design programs that can be mastered by a summer resident who owns a computer at the "beginner" level. The program is very useful and also free. With the help of Google SketchUp, you can create a model of a summer cottage in volumetric form, while all objects will not need to be drawn manually, the database is filled with various types of plants and buildings. If you do not find a suitable object, then using the tools on the panel, you can easily draw an object.

Torrent for the program: http://www.torrentino.com/torrents/476282

This program is also well suited for beginners and lovers of computer design. Sierra Land Designer 3D 7.0 is a handy landscape design program, because has a simple interface, many objects and also allows you to choose weather conditions, in connection with which you can determine the advantage or disadvantages of the location of various objects on the site. This program is free, the link to download it is provided below.

Artweaver Free is an analogue of the more popular Photoshop program. The only difference is that Artweaver Free is completely free and also simpler. The program has many functions and is ideal for people who have not previously simulated objects on a computer.

The program for landscape design X-Designer is free and allows you to model a summer cottage in a volumetric form. In this program, you can change not only the weather conditions, but also the time of day, which will allow you to see the model of your site in the dark and during the day and, if necessary, add / remove lamps on the site. Also, the X-Designer program has a wide range of plants and various objects for landscape design, which allows you to quickly and conveniently create a model of your summer cottage.

"Our garden. Ruby 9.0 "is a free program for landscape design and design, which, like many of its analogues, has a huge number of ready-made objects and plants for easy modeling of a summer cottage. The interface of the program is quite simple, so there shouldn't be any difficulties during use.

Other programs for landscape design of the site

In addition to the above free landscape design programs, today there are many simpler and vice versa, more complex programs.

3D Home Architect Home Design Deluxe 6.0
Our Garden Crystal 10.0
Garden planner 3

For those who already have experience in modeling the landscape design of a site, it is necessary to use more complex and functional programs, such as AutoCAD, 3D Max, Punch! Professional Home Design "and" Photoshop ". We draw your attention to the fact that these programs may not be free, because more advanced design functions open up for you.

After familiarizing yourself with these programs and choosing the right one for yourself, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the specialists in the planning and design of the suburban area with your own hands!