Top 5 architecture software: – There can be various reasons for a person to look for architecture and plan designing software. You may a student of architecture looking to enhance your skills by practising virtually- it saves material as well as money. You may be a layman seeking to chalk out a floor plan for a new house, or simply interested in juxtaposing room positions and walls to get an idea as to how they would look in actuality if built.

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Architecture software can be really useful in preventing regretful experiences later when the home has been constructed a wrong way, which is costly as well as a huge headache for the persons the house belongs to. If you are clear about how you want your house to be built, it is less likely that there will be mistakes in construction, and this can only be guaranteed by the use of a good architectural software.

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For whichever purpose you require architecture software, the internet offers a wide range of such software, and a lot of them come free of cost, which is the most desirable to all of us. This article will list the top 5 free architecture software so all you have to do if you are confused is, pick one of these, and just download it online.

5. DesignWorkshop Lite

This free software offers 3D design for home and floor plans as well as any landscape you wish to see a realistic model of. The interface is really user-friendly and allows features such as elevation, projection, lengthening, zoom in and out, adding names to objects and materials and a visual walkthrough experience for the user. Text messages can be added, and the user is free to make drawings with a virtual pencil. Shapes like circles and rectangles are also available, and so are the cut-copy options. Users are free to import backdrop images in JPG, GIF, PICT and a few other common formats.

This software is not ideal for floor plans, though you can attempt to use it to create one. Users have complained of more than necessary mouse control, and lack of sophisticated designing tools. This software is great for you if you mainly want to view 3D images of a given space, and are not looking for advanced architecture tools. The simple UI is ideal for a user who is not very experienced in editing and designing online.

4. My Virtual Home

This is great software specifically for those who want to envision and plan what their home will look like, as it shows the user an actual rendering of the effect certain type of construction of say, walls, doors, bathrooms; will have on the layout and structure of the home. This software offers highly creative and interactive models of objects, surfaces, materials and also determines what the lighting will look like in different parts of the layout. For those who don’t wish to hire an architect, or just want to get an idea of what they want their home to look like so they can instruct the architect likewise; this software is perfect. Moreover its free of cost and it includes details of material and service suppliers alongside- how to contact them, the rates charged etc- so you don’t have to go hunting for a supplier separately once you’ve selected and liked a material. Not only building supplies, also home decoration and garden supplies are provided.

A drawback of this seemingly perfect software, though, is that it was created to target a vastly Australian audience. So unless you’re staying in Australia, the cost of materials offered, as well as the suppliers, won’t be of any good to you. For the designing purpose, this software is wonderful, but it is not designed to adapt and cater worldwide, so that’s a big con for us.

3. AutoCAD Architecture

This is oriented specifically towards all those budding architects, and the already established architects as well. Filled with advanced tools that every architecture student comes to be familiar with, this software offers precision in detail, easy drafting and creation of designs smoothly. AutoCAD Architecture comes in two versions: free trial and paid. The reason this software features at number 3 on this list is because it offers professional architectural tools, and although the free version is only a trial, any architect or aspiring architect who uses this is guaranteed to fall in love with it- the paid version is then totally worth the one-time expense. Fully compatible with Windows ( both 32 bit and 64 bit), this software is unique in the fact that the drawings you create will demonstrate real life behavior- smooth material displayed as smooth, rougher material shown as grainy, and so on. This is extra cool for the architects out there as they would like to see their creation taking form. Sadly, though, if you don’t want to shell out the minimal price for the full version of this software, this may not be the one for you.

2. SketchUp

This software is quickly gaining popularity among users after Google gave its name to SketchUp. SketchUp comes in various versions such as SketchUp Make and SketchUp Pro- users can choose whichever version they feel suitable to their requirements. SketchUp has faced a lot of criticism for its limitations- that it cannot recognize a shape that is not straight cut like rectangles or circles but has a unique shape of its own; that performance issues slow down the speed and functioning of the software and similar complaints.

But it provides many add-ons and a forum where help is provided freely and timely, not to mention some of the really good features it offers- it is very easy to learn, generates clear 3D images, allows you to take charge of flooring, woodworking, creating additional fixtures such as garage, shed, deck, etc. Every object, surface, and material come with its own unique texture, which is definitely a plus. Lack of accuracy is a problem, but with the developers working hard to fix that, SketchUp should soon become even more popular. Its biggest pro remains till date its user-friendly interface.

1.Revit Architecture

This one if free for all students and education-related professionals, and Revit also offers a free three-year license to use the software to all other users, which is really great. The free membership makes this software ideal for architecture students. Highly structured and professional, this software will save any changes you make as soon as you make them, and will continue modifying the landscape/plan you’re working on to give you an ideal experience. Accuracy is a major plus point with this software- it guarantees and provides designs neat and free of errors. Users can design any structure and view it in 3D form, draft swiftly, and oversee the building process right from the beginning of construction to demolition of parts the user wants to remove.

Though well defined and clear cut in approach, Revit is not for new learners and laymen planning their homes- only a person with experience in architectural study and design can utilize Revit to create buildings, fixtures, and additional detailing.

If you don’t mind paying, ArchiCAD is also a really good architectural software that provides high-quality designing and efficient performance. Though ArchiCAD provides a free trial just like AutoCAD, users have voted the paid full version to be the only version worth trying or using; the trial does not offer many features to try.

A lot of users don’t want to straight away pay for using software they’re not sure they’ll like, and rely on a trial version to help them decide- but if the trial is not reflective of the features promised in the paid version, customers are not very keen on using such software.

DreamPlan Home Design is another free software that nearly made it to our list, similar to SketchUp in its simplicity and basic rendering, but while DreamPlan offers an extremely limited and unsophisticated range of objects, materials, and tools, SketchUp is far more creative in the options it provides. SketchUp is also extremely user-friendly, which gives it another advantage over DreamPlan.

MicroStation is an architecture software used by many because it provides a stable interface to work with. While that sounds promising, users complain that the software lags a lot and leads to performance issues for the computer. Software that lags frequently and causes disruption in workflow is not at all preferable; hence that’s a no for MicroStation from us.

It is tough to choose the suitable software from all the architecture software options offered on the internet, but cost, reliability, performance and suitability to one’s needs are the biggest and most important factors one has to remember. While it may feel great not having to pay for using software, paid software is sometimes better in functioning and service. But if one does not want to spend any money, they can easily use any of the software mentioned in the list above, and bear whatever flaws it comes with as long as they are reasonable.

A word of caution:

Whichever software you choose to download, always make sure that it is a trustworthy website and not some shady lesser known unaffiliated site that looks even remotely as if it may contain malware. Several unknown sites may look innocent enough, but just one click on the download link can infect your system with viruses. Sites such as CNET download, softpedia and official websites are trustworthy.

Saurav is associated with IT industry and computers for more than a decade and is writing on The Geek Page on topics revolving on windows 10 and softwares.

Professional architecture software makes the processes of design and information management very efficient and fast. Thus, it helps architects increase output and improve productivity considerably.

Depending on the complexity of a software product and the number of features included in its toolkit, it may be pricy. However, some instruments are still available in the market at no charge. Here, we’ve collected a list of free architecture software that could be a great alternative to expensive 3D design, CAD and modeling software tools.

1. actiTIME

Many architects – both solo and small teams – charge clients on an hourly basis. Therefore, they need to make sure that the working time is utilized as productively and efficiently as possible, and actiTIME is meant to help architects with that.

With the assistance of this simple-to-use time tracker, you can see how many hours are spent on projects and tasks and easily analyze individual and team productivity trends. Additionally, actiTIME streamlines client billing and allows for generating detailed invoices in just several clicks. In this way, it saves a ton of time while fostering an immense productivity boost.

actiTIME is very robust, integrated well into your business process, and most important, helps you focus on your business instead of monkeying around with technology. actiTIME has reduced our payroll processing from 4-6 hours per week to 45 minutes per week.

2. Blender

Blender is a free and open-source 3D-modeling solution. It supports all the steps of the model creation process: modeling, rigging, animation, rendering, motion tracking, and also includes video editing and game creation features. This is a flexible tool that should work well for both bigger design firms and self-employed professionals and students. It is highly customizable and can be enhanced with a variety of free community-developed extensions.

3. FreeCAD

This multiplatform open-source solution is a parametric 3D modeler built for creating models of real-life objects. The tool allows you to make 2D sketches and use them to create 3D objects, and vice versa – create 2D drawings based on existing 3D models. It supports various file formats (STEP, IGES, STL, SVG, DXF, OBJ, IFC, DAE and more) so that users can process exported files in other software. FreeCAD is a great tool for both professionals and hobbyists, and can be used in design, architecture, construction, mechanical engineering, and other fields.

4. LibreCAD

LibreCAD is a free 2D-CAD multiplatform solution for Windows, Mac and Linux. It is essentially a community version of QCAD. It allows users to make different types of technical drawings, such as building and room plans, interior design schemes, mechanical part schematics, and diagrams. The main supported file format is DXF, but the tool also allows users to export files to SVG and PDF. LibreCAD should work well for professionals, students, hobbyists and enthusiasts.

5. OpenSCAD

OpenSCAD is an open-source solution for creating solid 3D CAD models and is available for Windows, Unix, and Mac. What makes it different from most 3D modeling applications is the fact that it does not focus on the artistic side of 3D modeling, but instead on the CAD aspects. It’s not an interactive modeling tool, and instead works more like a 3D compiler that renders 3D model based on the description of their properties in a script file, which gives the user full control over the modeling process.

6. My Virtual Home

My Virtual Home is a 3D home design app that was inspired by base-building video games: it includes a set of standard blocks and modifications that you can use to plan the space of your home, office or any other location.

It’s a simple app that is geared more towards beginners and people who are not very proficient in visual design. It’s easy to learn (getting the basics won’t take longer than 10 minutes) and allows users to create a full design in an hour or less. The tool also provides an accurate lighting model, where you can set up your latitude, longitude and season, to add realistic lighting effects to your virtual environment.

Free Architecture Design Software

7. SmartDraw

SmartDraw is an architectural design app with a strong focus on making the process as quick and simple as possible. It offers dozens of templates that you can modify and customize with the help of thousands of ready-made symbols, so you can easily make multiple design variations and pick the ones that meet your needs.

The app is available as both a cloud solution and a downloadable package for Windows. It supports integration with many popular tools like Trello and Jira, so you can optimize your workflow even further, and allows you to export your drawings and plans in different formats, so you can print them out or import them in other apps.

8. Sweet Home 3D

A simple and convenient open-source tool for beginners that’s great for designing interiors and drawing home or office plans that you can later review in 3D. You can create photorealistic images and videos based on your plans, and use different light sources to simulate how the environment would look in specific conditions.

The software allows you to import additional 3D models from other sources, and export your plans in various popular formats.

9. BRL-CAD

One of the oldest modeling applications that has been in active development for over 30 years. It’s an open-source cross-platform system designed for constructive solid geometry design (CSG). It allows you to create, analyze, and edit 3D models that you can later use in other tools and systems.

The tool supports interactive geometry editing, high-performance ray-tracing, a benchmark suite, and geometry libraries for application developers.

10. Sculptris

Sculptris is a simple and easy to learn tool available for Windows and Mac that is perfect for people who are trying to get into the 3D modeling world. It features a very straightforward interface that even someone with no experience in modeling can get started with relatively quickly, but its features are robust enough to build base models that can later be refined in more advanced applications.

11. Meshmixer

Meshmixer is a powerful tool with a strong emphasis on the mechanical functionality of 3D design. It is primarily used to prepare meshes for 3D printing, allowing users to design 3D objects, or clean up their existing 3D scans.

Professional Architecture Software For Mac Pro

Despite being a free tool, it offers some truly powerful features and techniques usually found in more sophisticated industrial grade software: mass optimization, hollowing, scaling and mesh simplification, making it an invaluable tool if you work with 3D printing. It’s best suited for more advanced users and is available for Windows and Mac.

Summary

Professional Architecture Software For Mac Free

Handling architecture, design, and modeling tasks quickly and professionally doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. If you’re on a tight budget, there are plenty of free architecture software out there that can download and try right now.