3-D design - CD-ROMs for remodeling or redecorating homes

Sunset, Feb, 1997 by Dianne Jacob

CD-ROMs to help you remodel or redecorate your home

With today's new three-dimensional home-design software on CD-ROMs, you can design a dream home, remodel or add to your existing one, choose wall colors and wood textures, furnish the rooms down to the plants, and even get a cost estimate and advice on how to work with contractors. But can an average mortal use these products on a home computer? Yes and no.

The best products are fairly easy to use. It can take a while to become comfortable, but once you get the hang of dragging, dropping, and rotating walls, doors, windows, and other objects, you can succeed. There's a little tedium, though. You can't just scan in a photo of your house and then add on a room. You have to draw at least part of it to exact measurement as a starting point.

A more problematic issue is the kind of computer you own. You'll need a Windows-based multimedia personal computer with a powerful processor, lots of free disk space, and a modem. In addition, the computer must be able to play sound and video. Most of the CD-ROMs require a 486 processor with at least 8 megabytes of RAM - 16 is better. Even the best 486 is slow - it takes forever to "build" a room in 3-D. A Pentium processor with 16 megabytes of RAM is ideal for these programs.

HOME DESIGN ROUNDUP

The following tides indicate the broad range of products on the market.

3D Home Architect Edition 2, Broderbund, $49, (800) 521-6263; Web site: http://www.broderbund.com/3dhome. This is the granddaddy of home design CD-ROMs. The current edition boasts an advanced feature that lets you design an exterior roof, and multiple-level viewing so you can stand in your hallway and look up the stairs. At its Web site, you can peruse tips and advice and post questions on a message board.

Complete Home Designer, Alpha Software, $60, (800) 451-1018 (ext. 117); Web site: http://www.alphasoftware.com. Includes realistic-looking interiors and 1,000 pieces of furniture but is too complicated to use.

Home Design 3D, Expert Software, $15, (800) 759-2562; Web site: http://www.expertsoftware.com. Contains 3-D views and walk-through features. There are few floor plans to choose from, however, and you can't generate a list of materials, use automatic wall dimensions, or export the file to use with other software.

Planix Home Design Suite 3D, Softdesk Retail Products, $59, (800) 2318574; Web site: http://www.softdesk.com. Its interface is difficult to use, as indicated by the nearly 400-page instruction manual. However, this software program features window and door treatments from Pella, as well as more than 150 wallpaper designs from Wallpapers To Go.

Visual Home, Books That Work, $60, (800) 242-4546; Web site: http://www.visualhome.com. Offers detailed interiors and exteriors that look almost photo-realistic. This is the product to buy if you want interior-design help. Experiment with colors, textures, furniture patterns, wood grains, and furniture placement, then go to Visual Home's Web site on the Internet to download furnishings and fixtures, such as an Arts and Crafts wood bed, appliances from General Electric, and faucets from Delta.