Garage design software?

[james]

I remember once seeing a home design software that let you design a house, and it would give you a materials breakdown. I can't find it now. Anyone have something like this? I want around 1,000 sq ft, but have an odd shaped lot, so I'd like to play around with the design some.

 

[davidcalhoun]

I use a software made by Broderbund called 3D Home Architect. After you have completed the drawing, you can print out a material list. Just make sure you specify room height so you get the right lenght 2 X 4s.

You can also take a print to a lumber yard and they will run a material list for you.

 

[Giocatore]

I just use IKEA's kitchen planner. it does the trick

 

[HatTrick]

I have the Punch Home Design software. I'm doing some planning for home remodeling too so I got the platinum version which was the lowest version that had everything I wanted. Its cumbersome, but its very detailed too. List is $80-$100 if you can't find it on sale.

I haven't used it myself, but my brother-in-law recommended Google's SketchUp. He's an architect in the Seatle area and he had a pretty high opinion of it. Now that Google has it its free to download ( http://sketchup.google.com/ ).

Let us know what you go with and how you like it.
Chad

 

[KELLHAMMER]

Sketchup isn't going to give you a materials list. But it is good for designing. The latest Sketchup 6 is free for the non-pro version. It's very easy to learn. A true materials list that is going to be accurate is going to come from software that cost a bit more than 80 bucks

 

[boiler7904]

I've played around with SketchUp over the past couple of months since we got it at work. The really nice thing about it is that there are a lot of third party components available that you can just drop into your model. Items I've seen online are Rotary lifts, Gladiator Garage Works cabinets & accessories, power tools, and a bunch of over garage related items. The big downside to Sketchup is the price. The pro version is $500. The free version is nice but it has limited functionality and expires after 8 hours of use.

 

[bmwpower]

I've played around with SketchUp over the past couple of months since we got it at work. The really nice thing about it is that there are a lot of third party components available that you can just drop into your model. Items I've seen online are Rotary lifts, Gladiator Garage Works cabinets & accessories, power tools, and a bunch of over garage related items. The big downside to Sketchup is the price. The pro version is $500. The free version is nice but it has limited functionality and expires after 8 hours of use.

Who provides the Rotary stuff? Rotary or another company?

 

[PAToyota]

The pro version is $500. The free version is nice but it has limited functionality and expires after 8 hours of use.

There are actually three versions - Pro, the Pro trial, and the Google version. The Google version is free and has no time limit - but it doesn't have the import/export options, cannot print to high quality, and doesn't have the terrain modeling bit. There may be some other things that it doesn't do. But you can do a full model with it and then find someone who has the pro version to print - or use the pro trial version only to print and the 8 hours go a long way.

 

[boiler7904]

Who provides the Rotary stuff? Rotary or another company?

I would guess that it's a third party model that someone created and posted online for other people to use for free.

 

[bluesman2a]

I have the Punch Home Design software. I'm doing some planning for home remodeling too so I got the platinum version which was the lowest version that had everything I wanted. Its cumbersome, but its very detailed too.

I picked up a copy of Punch Platinum today. I tried the demo, and it seems to be the closest thing to intuitive for me. I'm not a draftsman by a darned sight. But with this stuff I can 3D model fairly quickly. It at least bears playing with some more.

Hat Trick, you have any design files you would care to share with a newb for garage design?

 

[james]

Went today and bought the punch professional. Should be okay but will take a bit of learning....

 

[bluesman2a]

Here's the basic design I was able to crank out in a couple of hours worth of trial and error.

It shows the existing shop, with the modifications to add another 1.5 bays for a lift, and a bathroom/physical plant area on the back.

Still to add, the bonus room over the existing area, and interior detail. Having problems building a wall for the roof ends on the 2nd story.