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 decorate your home or create a beautiful country cottage area adjacent to the house, then the publication “Landscape Design on the Computer” will help you use the proposed software, create beautiful landscapes, and simulate the details of landscape design country house, build luxurious gardens and small architectural forms big country house, 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. Scheduler garden plot 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 in 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.

IN new program There is:

• 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 compose project documentation. At 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 different 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.

1. Chief Architect
2. Punch! Professional Home Design

Essentially, they are the same, but the second quality of the instruments is better.

These and other programs can be downloaded for free from the landscape design files directory. There is not only software, but also books, magazines, etc. and so on.

The dream of owning your own home usually starts with a simple drawing on paper and a lot of questions. Already at the planning stage, it is important to correctly place all the buildings on the site, to clearly imagine where the gazebo or garage, paths, flower beds, garden, and pool will be located.

For visualization of construction projects and landscape design There are special programs, some of them can be mastered independently . Programs for site planning allow you not only to draw up a plan with all significant objects marked on it, but also to see a three-dimensional 3D image and walk along the marked paths live. With their help, you can “plant” trees and plants in a flower garden, taking into account their adult habit, “build” a house, a gazebo, and even design an irrigation system.

Landscape design programs there are:

1. Paid and free
2. For professional landscape designers and for lovers
3. Designed for working with drawings or for 3D visualization.

Realtime Landscaping Architect

Paid professional program for landscape design and design in 2D and 3D.

The developer is the American company Idea Spectrum. All the company’s activities are devoted to the creation and improvement of the program, the first version of which appeared in 2006.

On the Internet on various file hosting sites you can find links to free program Our Garden Ruby 9, which is no longer supported by the manufacturer.

X-Designer

Punch! Home & Landscape Design

Landscape design software Punch! is part of the product line of Encore Software (USA).

Punch! series programs declared by the developer as a powerful tool for creativity, which contains all materials, tools, textures, furniture, accessories, plants with a description of them life cycle for creating and designing highly realistic landscape designs.

The program contains many standard modules that you can edit to your own taste and even add to digital photographs or scanned plans of your site. At the end of the work, the user will receive drawings, photographs and 3D visualization of their project. One of the advantages of the software is its compatibility with Sketchup.

Several versions of the program are offered for sale, the cost of which varies depending on the functionality and content of object libraries (from 39.99 to 199.99 dollars). Punch! Home & Landscape Design Architectural Series v19 is a complete version for professional landscape designers and architects, with which you can design both houses and plots. Its cost is $399.99.

An intuitive interface, the presence of a huge number of freely distributed lessons and books on working in SketchUp (including on the developer’s website) allows almost anyone to master the art of 3D modeling. All created models have exact dimensions. The result of the work is immediately reflected on the screen - from sketch to finished project. You can view the project from different points of view “from the first person”, as in computer games. A huge number of ready-made objects are offered both by the developer himself and by many forums dedicated to the program.

The paid version includes SketchUp integration with Google Earth, which allows you to download a satellite photo of the area and design directly on it. It is also possible to set exact geographic coordinates for an object and thus obtain information about the insolation of the site at different times of the year.

Paid version SketchUp programs Pro has great capabilities in the field of animation, presentation of projects and export of files to other formats.

comparison table

In the article we examined in detail the most current programs for landscape design. Depending on your level of preparedness, you can choose either the simplest visualization software or master complex tools for creating a site plan, house design and other structures.

You can get acquainted with the application on the website of Super Home Center, which is the official distributor of Sierra programs. Website address – http://www.superhomecenter.com/software/cust_land_designer_3dv70.htm.

Sierra LandDesigner 3D is a professional program for landscape design, which has a large range of tools for solving many design problems. The application contains an extensive database of standard plants for landscaping. You can also enter your own plant options, filter them by growth zone and plant type. Unfortunately, the program does not have the ability to export created projects and images to popular 3D formats.

The Sierra LandDesigner 3D program models the garden, without affecting residential and outbuildings. At the very beginning of work on a project, you can choose the size of your site and then model its surface. You can choose the slope of the surface of the site and the general nature of its profile. At this stage, it is possible to indicate all communications included in the project - water and gas pipes, power cables, roads.

Having decided on the parameters and profile of the site, you can proceed to the next stage - laying out beds and flower beds, flower beds and lawns. When creating a project, you can use a ready-made template or edit the shape of the flower beds at your discretion. You can enter the type of soil used for flower beds and get an automatic calculation of the area of ​​the beds, as well as an estimate with the total cost. The cost of all green spaces planted on the site is calculated in a similar way.

Having created blanks in the form of beds and paths on the site plan, you can plant the plants. The Sierra LandDesigner 3D library includes more than four and a half thousand flowers, trees and shrubs. All library elements will be displayed in 3D mode. In addition, the program library contains comprehensive information about the seedling - its size, flowering time, light-loving properties, preferred soil types, etc. The built-in search system allows you to find plants that match certain natural conditions and the chosen type of garden design.

The program works with its own internal file format, so it will not be possible to process a garden layout created in other applications.

The Design tab of the main program window allows you to add plants and building elements to the plan.

The application allows you to view the landscape in 2D and 3D views. On the Top tab you can set the exact position of the camera, and on the 3D tab you can view the created project in detail from any point. You can also choose to view different seasons and any time of day.

Using the program, you can get wonderful results and very beautiful projects site design (Fig. 3.1).

Rice. 3.1. Three-dimensional landscape made in Sierra LandDesigner 3D

The program is easy to learn, it can be used not only by landscape professionals, but also by those who are just starting to master this area of ​​design.

The Professional Landscape Design Software program is the latest tool that will help in creating a project for a site, a house, and its visualization. The official distributor of the application is Idea Spectrum. On its website (http://www.ideaspectrum.com/index.php) the company provides extensive information about the program’s capabilities and detailed instructions user. In addition, there is a gallery of images of terrain designs created using Professional Landscape Design Software. It's worth looking at these pictures to get an idea of ​​the program.

The application has excellent graphics, very modern design, easy to manage. It will not be difficult for the user to master it and create his own project. Using Professional Landscape Design Software allows you to achieve realistic images of the site when presented in 3D.

Objects are added to the project using special wizards available in the program, which allow you to add ponds and reservoirs, houses and buildings, images, and landscape elements to the project.

The program allows for automatic sizing, which is also very convenient. In addition, you can create a model of the site under different lighting conditions (Fig. 3.2).

Rice. 3.2. Project presented in 3D view with night lighting of the area

The program can automatically generate a project estimate in a special window, taking into account all the materials necessary to create the project.

This window with cost estimates and list of materials is available for viewing on the Idea Spectrum website.

This landscape design program was developed by Punch Software, has great capabilities, and creates a realistic three-dimensional view of the project. In mastering Punch! very simple, requires virtually no training, convenient and understandable. You can get acquainted with the program and its features on the manufacturer’s website - http://www.punchsoftware.com/index.htm.

The application contains a huge number (more than 50 species) of elements of trees, shrubs, and flowers. In addition to the landscaping elements of Punch! contains additional objects: ponds, swimming pools, garden furniture, gates, paths.

When creating a scene in the program, the user receives a two-dimensional plan using various objects from the Punch! library.

The program allows you to present the created project in 3D form. You can save your work in two graphic formats: BMP and JPG, but you cannot export it to other graphic formats.

Punch! has a nice and intuitive interface and can be recommended for use by a wide range of users.

The program with a pleasant interface was created by Russian developers - the DiComp company. You can get acquainted with this product and purchase it on the website http://soft.dicomp.ru/?body=omega. There are also training materials and videos, as well as snapshots of program windows.

The advantages of the application undoubtedly include excellent graphics and the ability quick creation projects. “OUR GARDEN 6.0 Omega” is easy to learn, equipped with a large arsenal of various objects - from gazebos and swimming pools to tennis courts.

The program provides the ability to view an area at night, under different lighting conditions, and its library contains a huge database of plants that can be searched according to specified parameters.

The application contains the following elements.

Photo editor - allows the designer to realize his ideas landscape project against the backdrop of photographs of the client’s garden and home.

Planner - makes it possible to build a plan, 3D image, terrain of the site, as well as create your own objects. The planner is designed to carry out a landscape project for a site and is the main window in which a project plan is created.

Using the Planner, you can create houses, main structures, paths, gazebos, ponds, streams. The program allows you to plan the landscape at your discretion, create and change its relief. Using the application, you can add lighting to your project and view it in 3D, taking into account the season, time of year, position of the sun and time of day.

Resource and plant database editor - designed to edit the properties of existing plants in the library and add new plants to the Encyclopedia. The resource editor is also necessary when adding new positions to the Photo Editor and Planner, for example, textures for walls, floors, ceilings, foundations, roofs; to add new images of windows and doors used in buildings.

Encyclopedia - contains a reference system about plants and how to care for them, the technology of gardening operations and the tools used; on diseases, treatment and prevention of plants.

The project can be presented in volumetric form. For better viewing of the project from all sides and at an angle (Fig. 3.3), “OUR GARDEN 6.0 Omega” provides special settings.

Rice. 3.3. Project presented in 3D view

The program's help system contains extensive information about plants, which is very convenient when designing a landscape. “OUR GARDEN 6.0 Omega” is a high-quality product for professional designers, but due to its ease of use, it will be understandable and useful for novice amateurs.

The program was developed by Garden Graphics (developer's website - http://gardengraphics.com).

DynaSCAPE Professional (Fig. 3.4) is equipped with all necessary elements and libraries of plants and materials. Using this program, you can model road surfaces, drainage systems, site lighting, utility and residential structures, and small architectural forms on a site.

Rice. 3.4. Site plan made in DynaSCAPE Professional

The program contains standard plan templates designed specifically to facilitate and simplify the design process.

DynaSCAPE Professional has a large arsenal of tools, but has one significant drawback - a two-dimensional view of the scene, but with the help of the program you can create detailed site plans.

This application can be used to create detailed plans by a wide range of users.

By going to the Better Homes and Gardens website at http://www.homedesignersoftware.com, you can get acquainted with the interface of this program and other materials. The site also contains a large database of projects made using Landscaping and Deck Designer. For a preliminary acquaintance with the program, the developer provided introductory images of its windows (Fig. 3.5).

Rice. 3.5. 3D design created in Landscaping and Deck Designer

The program is aimed at both professionals and amateurs; it is recommended for people with varying degrees of training and even completely untrained users. Landscaping and Deck Designer is a landscape design editor containing an extensive library standard sets and a wide selection of landscape design elements. Thanks to the ability to edit standard elements from the library, you can achieve variety in design by creating your own original projects. The program is easy to learn, not overloaded with settings and will be understandable even for a beginner.

We will continue to refer to this program throughout the subsequent chapters of this book. As we create various landscaping elements, we'll take a closer look at the Landscaping and Deck Designer controls and learn how to create designs in it.

Using standard elements from the application library, you can create a site plan and view the completed project as a plan or in 3D.

After carefully studying the materials in this book, you will definitely be able to create your own projects in Landscaping and Deck Designer.

3D Home Architect Design Suite Deluxe (developer's website - http://www.3dhaonline.com/) is another program that can help with landscape design. It was created by DiComp. In the future, we will turn to 3D Home Architect Design Suite Deluxe to solve various problems and will be able to get to know it in more detail.

After reading the materials in this book, you will learn how to make a landscape design project in this program (Fig. 3.6).

Rice. 3.6. Main window of the 3D Home Architect Design Suite Deluxe program

Using library elements, selecting materials and adjusting dimensions, you can create a site plan and view it in 2D view. The completed project can be viewed using the program in 3D volume and color, viewed from different angles, in perspective, from all sides.

The wealth of elements, materials and plant components make this program good remedy to create design projects for the site and its corners.