- Landscaping Design Software For Mac
- Landscaping Software For Mac Free Download
- Landscape Software Free For Mac
This is a free version of the popular program targeted at architects. VisionScape is popular free garden design software for Mac which works online and lets you create any property virtually including gardens and landscapes. A large number of products and design features are available on this program to enable you to quickly design your garden the way you want and using whatever items you want. Design your Next Home or Remodel Easily in 3D. Download DreamPlan Free on PC or Mac. Design a 3D plan of your home and garden. 2D/3D interior, exterior, garden and landscape design for your home. Landscaping software packages have emerged as the best means of making DIY landscaping projects. They offer you the tools that can come in handy when working on a landscaping project at home. Landscape design software has many benefits to offer to a user which include ease of use, flexibility and dynamism.
At my college, I teach a course named “Computers in Landscape Design” where I train landscape design students in AutoCad and Adobe Suite Programs, among others. These programs are tremendous for landscape designers who wish to use industry-standard software like regular landscape architects; however, they can be very expensive.
Landscaping Design Software For Mac
Students often do have access to free trials of the software, but for anyone interested in continually using them for the purposes of their professional business, eventually they will need to pay for the programs. To provide some perspective, currently the subscription for AutoCad software is around $200 per month. Unfortunately, this is just too expensive for many new business owners.
Students often ask me if there are any free landscape design apps that work well for professionals. Over the past several years, I tested many free landscape design apps on various projects. In this article, I will review the pros and cons of the market’s five main free landscape design applications.
First, I won’t keep you guessing – my recommendation for the best free app is iScapes. The iScapes app is by far the best free landscape design app among its peers, having quality graphics, a solid user-interface, and a good plant library. In the table below, I provided a breakdown of some of my ratings for each of the five design apps. In case the image is too small, click here to download the pdf version. I will provide some helpful insights of each app in the sections that follow, along with some common issues that may influence your decision before downloading. But before you head off and just download the iScapes or PROLandscape app, I want to give you a little piece of wisdom I’ve accrued over my years of design. There is no substitute for a poor knowledge of landscape plants or design. If you are new to gardening or landscape design, before you purchase any app, I would highly suggest picking up a copy of The Essential Garden Design Workbook along with some essential drafting supplies and learn the old-fashioned way. Not only will it be fun, but you will be a better designer by doing this.
Okay, that’s my word of warning – now onto the reviews
Finally – before I diveinto each application – I must state that noneof these free programs compare to the professional industry standards ofAutoCad, Vectorworks, PROLandscape, or Dynascape. Although these programs dohave some good features – they just simply cannot match the quality of theprofessional software. But for those designers that are looking for a cheapoption that can get the job done, some are worth checking out.
iScapes (Rating: 16/20 )
The iScapes software offers a free and paid premium subscription service. The paid service offers a larger plant library, along with additional image downloads, and project archives; however, the free version is very useful for a beginner landscaper or do-it-yourselfer. The biggest disadvantage of the app is that it is currently only available for iPhone or iPads. For Android users, they will need to find a substitute. To try iScapes, click here.
Pros: The biggest advantage of this app is the graphic quality of the three dimensional landscape elements. The drag and drop interface, along with the visual characteristics of the app make it very useful to professionals doing quick designs for clients on-site.
Cons: As with most of the apps you will see on the list, the major disadvantage is that if you want additional quality add-ons, you will need to pay. A more extensive plant library, along with additional project storage is available with payment.
Home Outside (Rating: 10/20)
I originally had high hopes for the Home Outside app, as the average app review was 3.8/5.0 with many positive comments. After having used the app in many different types of projects, I was disappointed in the lack of three-dimensional perspectives and the limited plant library. To test out the software, click here.
Pros: For plan graphics, the renderings are quite nice and the app allows for the importing of google maps of your customer’s property.
Cons: The biggest downside to the app is the lack of any real plant library. The plants are categorized by “tree” or “shrubs” with no indication or availability to specify the planting in the free version. The paid version does offer some extra features.
Home Design 3D (Rating: 5/20)
Home Design 3D was an intriguing app that had very distinctive reviews when I originally had downloaded it. People seemed to either love it, or hate it. Unfortunately, I was one of the latter. The app is very useful for interior planning and design, but falls short for any realistic landscape design applications. To try the app, click here.
Pros: The only thing the app has working for it is the 3D aspect. The three-dimensional rendering capabilities are better than I would have expected for a free app.
Cons: The user-interface is very poor and the app itself is not intuitive. This combination makes for a very difficult experience for a designer, especially when there are other options available. I would hope that future updates provide pop-ups or a tutorial at the beginning to help designers navigate the platform prior to starting a design.
PROLandscape Home (Rating: 5/20)
I will start off with a disclaimer. In one of my classes, I train designers on the PROLandscape Professional Softwares (Planner, ImageEditor, and Proposal). These are good (but expensive) programs that are very useful for design. I believe it is a great marketing strategy by the developer Drafix to provide this free app to showcase some of the basic features of their paid programs.
With that being said, I found it difficult to provide an honest review of the free version because I kept remembering the full functionality of the paid programs. In any case, I did my best to realistically provide good feedback on the user-interface. Overall, there are many elements that can be improved. To test this out app, click here.
Pros: The free software has many similarities with the overlay perspectives of Home Outside, but with a greater plant library. The biggest drawback of the software is that most of the plant database is only offered for the paid version.
Cons: The app is not very intuitive and there is very little within the program to provide help or support. Also, there is a limited availability of plants, with poor customization, and relatively no ability to modify the existing library.
Sketchup Viewer (Rating: 5/20)
I had originally downloaded the Sketchup Viewer because I had received a recommendation about the app from another designer. I already have extensive knowledge in Sketchup, along with a variety of other 3D Software programs including three-dimensional CAD, Rhino, and Revitt, so I figured the Sketchup Viewer was worth a try. In general, it was a big disappointment as the viewer does not really offer anything valuable for a designer that does not have access to the base-program of Sketchup. To test out the viewer, click here.
Pros: If you have the ability to work on a regular computer to complete a great 3D model in Sketchup, the Viewer is useful -essentially just a tool to view the model and show it to your client on site. Other than that, the viewer does little else.
Cons: It is not a design software and offers no specific landscape capabilities. The app is obsolete without actually using Sketchup to generate the landscape model.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for the best free landscape design apps that also offer some assistance in designing and showcasing designs to clients in a professional manner, then I would recommend iScapes. If you do not have an iPhone or iPad, use Home Outside.
None of the free apps have great functionality when compared to their paid counterparts. If you are starting out in the design profession, the free apps might be worth exploring but you will quickly find better value from some of the other paid alternatives.
If you haven’t already – check out my article on Gift Ideas for Landscape Designers – you can use the money you’ve saved on some nice things for a fellow gardener, or yourself.
For more articles on Landscape Design, please be sure to check out our Design resources and landscape Business articles.
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PRO Landscape design software includes photo imaging, CAD specific for landscape design, night and holiday lighting, 3D rendering and complete customer proposals. And we’ve added PRO Landscape Companion for iPad and Android tablets so you can create landscape designs right on your tablet.
Jan 23, 2019 The Best Mac Landscaping Software. We have been reviewing Mac landscaping software since 2009, spending more than 200 hours testing and researching different software packages. The best Mac landscaping software we found was Punch Landscape Design for Mac. This program is easy to use, has a great selection of samples for inspiration and includes. The first step to creating that perfect backyard landscape is to explore the many free downloads and commercial virtual landscaping products available online. With top virtual landscape design tools, free trial landscape design software, or an easy to use free landscaping app download developed for smart phones and tablets, you can develop a true-to-life rendering of the perfect outdoor. But to have your own pool, you need to design it first. Here are some of the features that a pool design software could offer you. Design the Landscape The first thing you have to do when creating your pool is to design the landscape. The software lets you do this as it also acts like a Landscape Design Software. You can make CAD drawings. /question-mark-on-apps-mac/.
Landscape design software is useful for plotting softscape layouts, which include trees, vines, shrubs and plants and hardscape layouts, which include pergolas, fences and walls. It simplifies the task of landscaping and you can use it to transform your outdoor space into a piece of art. This software is available in the form of paid and free versions. If you want to be directly involved in designing your home landscape, it is advisable to look for sites that offer landscape design software free, which is great for starting out.
Read More: Best Landscape Software
The importance of landscape design program
Landscaping a home is essential but is not easy. There are many factors to consider when landscaping such as how large or small your outdoor area is, the corners and angles present, the scope or elevation of the lawn and the weather in your area among other things. It is essential for you to come up with creative ideas so that you can seamlessly integrate the natural and manmade features of your landscape to make it more functional and beautiful. This is the reason why it is advisable to utilize the landscape design software free.
Landscaping Software For Mac Free Download
Read More: Best Garden Center Software
Simplifies the task of landscaping – Landscape design software allows you to eliminate the task of drawing plot plans in order to manually design the landscape. Note that it is possible for you to forget certain details when designing a landscape manually. A software program allows you to organize your thoughts and remember to include all the important details.·
Allows you to complete the task fast – Landscape design software only tales a few seconds to come up with ideas when using a software program.
Allows you to visualize the entire process – When using this software-Landscape design software, you do not have to imagine the way your outdoor area will appear after you are finished with designing it. You will always know how it will appear after you are done.
Features to consider when getting landscape design software:
Virtual planning – It is essential to look out for Landscape design software programs that allow you to scan a photos of your outdoor area and then superimpose hardscape and softscape features on them.
Growth prediction – Look for programs that are able to predict the growth of trees and other plants and display what they appear like when they are grown.
Cost estimation – It is advisable to get a program that will help you note the cost of designing your landscape at every stage.
Plant encyclopedia – This feature allows you to search and identify shrubs, trees and other plants that can grow well in the climate of the area where you live.
Ease of use – The ideal landscaping program should not give you trouble when using it. It should have an intuitive and simple interface.
Top 10 Best Landscape Design Software Vendors:
SMARTDRAW
SmartDraw – Create Flowcharts, Floor Plans, and Other Diagrams. Design landscape plans, deck plans, and patios with SmartDraw. Landscaping templates and thousands of landscape symbols included.
Free Landscape Design For Mac
IDEASPECTRUM
Landscape design software for gardens, patios, decks, and more. Award-winning landscaping software for homeowners and professionals. Free trial download.
IDEASPECTRUM
SKETCHUP
Build incredible 3D models for landscape architecture and watch your ideas come to life. Get a free trial of our online 3D architecture software.
PROLANDSCAPE
Landscape & garden design software and apps for landscaping professionals. PRO Landscape includes photo imaging, CAD, quotes, 3D, and iPad/Android apps.
PROLANDSCAPE
/thespruce.com-free-garden-planners-1357749-22-6fd65bec4ef846e786438df53abae792.jpg "Software")
PUNCHSOFTWARE
Home Design Software for Windows and Mac. Easy to use tools for Do-It-Yourself Landscape Design, Interior Design, Kitchen Design, Bathroom Design and Home Improvement.
DYNASCAPE
Cost based estimating, job tracking, job costing, time tracking, timekeeping, reporting, CAD, design, software for landscape professionals.
DYNASCAPE
CSDHUB
CS Design Software – truly intuitive, powerful tools for landscape design. Home of CS Artisan, CS Helios, CS Flora and the National Plant Specification.
Landscape Software Free For Mac
LANDS-DESIGN
Lands – 3D Lands Design for Rhino. Lands includes a variety of tools to distribute plants, trees, shrubs and flower beds, individually, in rows, in forests…
LANDS-DESIGN
LANDSCAPE-CREATION
Landscape design software for 3D visualization of landscaping ideas. Experience the benefit of landscaping 3D software with multiple-aspect visual rendering.
KEYSOFTSOLUTIONS
Keysoft Landscape designs and develops professional landscape design software, helping you create, modify, validate and cost up impressive 2D and 3D landscape drawings quickly and easily, ready to show clients.
KEYSOFTSOLUTIONS
Best Landscape Design App
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