Free 3d Architect Software
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Easy-to-use home design software that you can use plan and visualize your home designs. Create floor plans, furnish and decorate, then visualize in 3D, all online! Create your floor plan in minutes, it’s super easy! Experiment with different designs, you can try out anything View your home in 3D, the perfect way to visualize Get.
- In addition to m TinkerCAD, Meshmixer is a free 3D modeling software published by design software giant Autodesk. If you think of TinkerCAD as a scalpel — simple, but precise — then Meshmixer is a veritable toolbox, bringing an array of useful tools to manipulate, add to, splice and merge 3D models with ease.
- Architecture Software House Drafting Software. This type of software is most commonly used by professionals. 3D System Layout Tools. These free interior design software programs are used by most professional. Home Design Software. Home design software is one of the most popular tools used.
The best home design software is a great start to designing your own dream home or make alterations to your current one. It’s a great way to visualise what your new home could look like inside and out, or how that modification you’d like to make would fit in with the rest of your property.
Once you’re done designing your dream house, you can export the plans in formats architects, contractors and construction workers can use to bring your creation to life.
This program earned the top spot in our review of the best home design programs. It includes everything you need to design a home and is one of the easiest programs to master.
To find the best home design software, we used each program to design a single floor plan with common components like windows, doors, stairs and furniture. Our main scoring criteria was how realistic the software's images look, since the purpose of the software is to give end users an idea of what to expect as they modify and customize their homes.
In addition, we considered ease of use. This subjective evaluation was based on how long it took to learn to use each program, create a floor plan, design the menu and more. We also considered how often programs unexpectedly crashed and how many built-in support options they have.
Finally, we compared the programs' features, scoring them on whether they have features such as roofing and electrical wizards, plumbing planning tools, and object libraries, and how easy they were to use.
After more than 180 hours of testing the best home design programs on the market, Virtual Architect Ultimate is our top pick. It’s our favorite option for most people because it’s easy to use and learn and has advanced features to help you design every aspect of your home.
How much does home design software cost?
Home design software can cost as little as $13, and inexpensive programs are great for making basic indoor layouts. A full-bodied program can cost up to $100 but is well worth the price if you want detailed control and are designing your entire property.
What should you look for in home design software?
To find the best home design software, we considered how difficult it is to get the hang of each application, particularly for people who don’t have experience with this type of program.
We noted whether we needed to consult tech support or other help tools, such as video tutorials, to complete our review. Here are some other points to consider when choosing a house plan program as well as some of our insights from reviewing them.
We focused on programs that covered all aspects of home design, including architecture, landscaping, interior design and more. These programs provide everything needed to create a full house plan from the foundation up.
However, there are more specific design programs available. And the best one for you depends on the type of project you’re planning. If you have more specific needs, you probably don’t have to pay extra for an all-in-one program.
For example, if you’re only interested in landscape architecture, there may be a better program for you in our best landscaping design software buying guide. The programs in that category include advanced tools for designing your lawn and garden so that the outside of your home is as spectacular as the inside.
If you’re more focused on inside the home, you may want to look at our best interior design software buying guide. These programs are great and can help you renovate and remodel your existing home, whether you want to knock down walls or simply rearrange your furniture.
And while we named Home Designer Suite our best pick for Mac users, we have an entire category devoted to the best home design software for Mac.
Best OverallVirtual Architect Ultimate Home Design
It includes everything you need to design a home and is one of the easiest programs to master.
Best ValueTurboFloor Plan Home & Landscape Deluxe
If you don’t need all the features found in more expensive software, this program may be your best option.
Best for MacHome Designer Suite by Chief Architect
Only three of the home design products we reviewed worked on Macs, and this is by far the best of them.
1. Virtual Architect Ultimate: best overall
3d Home Architect Download
Virtual Architect Ultimate
It scored an A+ in our ease of use tests – no other application received marks that high
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Of all the home design programs we reviewed, Virtual Architect Ultimate is the best you can buy. It scored an A+ in our ease of use tests – no other application received marks that high.
Anyone can learn to use it, but you should expect to spend at least a few hours exploring all its tools and features.
This program includes nine highly detailed, predesigned floor plans to help you get started, and you can customize them to fit your needs. More advanced users can start from scratch and build a plan from the ground up. Virtual Architect strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and power, making it a good choice for novice designers and experts alike.
In case the preprogrammed designs aren't right for you, the program has a number of wizards that walk you through all the steps you need to follow to design kitchens, decks, bathrooms and more. It also has a large object library full of plumbing fixtures, lights, furniture, and other objects to put the finishing touches on your design.
One of the best things about this program is it automatically calculates what materials you need to make your dream home a reality. It also has a cost estimator that gives you an idea of how much money it will take to turn your design into a reality.
This is the most complete home design software we reviewed. With thousands of objects, wizards and tools, it has everything you need to design your entire home. No other program comes close.
2. Home Designer Suite: best for Mac
Home Designer Suite by Chief Architect
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
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When you use a Mac, you often don’t have access to popular, useful programs. This is not the case with Home Designer Suite.
It’s comprehensive, covering all aspects of home design, both inside and out. If you use a Mac, this is the program you want.
Home Designer Suite is also one of the few programs that’s compatible with both SketchUp and Trimble 3D Warehouse. As such, if you like a plan found in either one, you don’t have to rebuild it from scratch. Additionally, once you’re done designing, you can export your plans in multiple formats that can be used by professional builders and architects, making the handoff to contractors a cinch when construction season rolls around.
Another great thing about this application is it lets you customize every aspect of your digital design. In addition to having structural features such as walls, doors and stairs, it includes a library of more than 6,500 objects, including couches, beds, entertainment centers, plants, lamps and dressers. Nearly anything you can think of to put in your home, you can plan for with this program. However, its plant library is less than a third of the size of our favorite program's.
3. TurboFloorPlan Pro 2019: best value
TurboFloor Plan Home & Landscape Deluxe 2019
If you don’t want to shell out extra cash for features you may never use, consider TurboFloorPlan Home & Landscape Deluxe
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
You don’t always have to buy the best of the best to get what you need out of a program. If you don’t want to shell out extra cash for features you may never use, consider TurboFloorPlan Home & Landscape Deluxe.
It doesn’t have all the tools and features we looked for, but it has enough for most design projects and costs about half as much as its competitors.
This program comes loaded with 45 sample plans you can adjust and make your own. You can also import scanned floor plans. These features are great for beginners who don't know where to start as well as people who simply want to build on other great ideas.
TurboFloorPlan Home & Landscape Deluxe is an easy program to master. It scored an A in our ease of use tests. Rather than blindly click around the screen to figure out how to use its tools, you can consult the program’s video tutorials to learn how to use each one to its fullest potential. However, unlike Virtual Architect Ultimate, it doesn’t have wizards to walk you step by step through the room creation process. Even so, you should get the hang of it quickly.
4. DreamPlan: Best for small projects
DreamPlan
It costs about $20 and has most of the essential features you need for small projects
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money or use a complicated program to design your home, DreamPlan may be right for you.
It costs about $20 and has most of the essential features you need for small projects. The program includes a roof wizard and can import scanned floor plans. In addition, its drag-and-drop interface was one of the easiest to use.
However, DreamPlan isn't a good option if you want to completely remodel your home. It’s simply not as powerful or comprehensive as other programs we reviewed. For example, it has weak electrical and plumbing planning tools, and it doesn’t include a cost estimator. Additionally, it has only one sample home plan and a small object library.
5. Total 3D Landscape: Most sample plans
Total 3D Landscape & Deck Premium
Total 3D Landscape & Deck Premium has over 1,000 sample plans
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Total 3D Landscape & Deck Premium has over 1,000 sample plans. Virtually all the home design programs we reviewed include sample plans, but they generally have fewer than 50.
As such, Total 3D Landscape & Deck Premium is a great choice if you’re not sure what you want or just like to have a lot of options.
However, when we tested this software, we found it was the hardest to master and use. It’s also missing some key features. For example, it lacks a framing editor, and you can't trace existing floor plans. Additionally, while the library has a respectable 800 items, it’s a far cry from our top pick’s library of over 7,500 objects.
Best free home design software
If you want free home design software, RoomSketcher Home Designer is worth considering. It’s a basic program that boils home design down to its most basic elements. It’s easier to use than any of the for-pay programs we reviewed. Its simple drag-and-drop interface and premade home elements make it easy enough for even the most novice user to design a home.
It includes basic tools that help you make a floor plan by placing walls, windows, stairs and doors as well as allow you to furnish the home with a variety of objects. None of these tools are as powerful as those found in for-pay programs. However, they can get you by if you don’t mind generic furniture, appliances and decorations.
One way the program stands out is you can design online. You can download the app and start a design, and your project uploads to the cloud. You can then access and work on the design on the RoomSketcher website from any computer with an internet connection. Also, the program's apps work on Android and iOS mobile devices, so you can work from anywhere.
A downside of the free version is you can only save five designs, though you can purchase five more for $10. This is a theme throughout the program – it frequently tells you that you can buy advanced features such as more objects and 2D and 3D floor plans.
2D & 3D views
All the programs we reviewed are 3D design software. As such, you can see your finished dream home in both 2D, which is flat and looks like a blueprint, and 3D, which has dimension, texture and color. The 3D view gives you a realistic idea of what the results will look like.
We were especially impressed with DreamPlan because it lets you design in 3D by dragging and dropping elements into your plan. It then automatically converts your plan into a 2D blueprint that includes dimensions. This is opposite from most programs, which require you to build structural components in the 2D view.
Sweet Home 3D also has a neat feature that lets you view the 2D and 3D plans simultaneously. As you place features and objects in your 2D design, you can see them automatically render in the 3D view. This makes it easy to spot floating objects – objects that should sit flush to the ground but don't. This error can happen when you build in 2D, and you can only see it in the 3D view. This feature also quickly checks that everything is balanced.
Object libraries
We counted the number of 3D objects in each program's library. Some apps, such as Punch Home & Landscape Design Premium, have thousands of items in a variety of styles, including tables and windows of various lengths. Others, such as Sweet Home 3D, have basic objects, such as windows and doors, that serve mostly as stand-ins – you can add and modify them to your desired dimensions, but you can’t customize how they look. We found that programs with large libraries make it easy to set up and accurately envision your finished design, since their items serve as more than just placeholders. These programs typically include more decorative items, such as vases, as well as robust window treatment options.
Most of the programs we tested allow you to supplement their libraries with thousands more objects by importing items from popular third-party websites. SketchUp and Trimble 3D Warehouse are the most commonly used, and they have thousands of free objects. Most programs are only compatible with one third-party library, but one of our top picks, Home Designer Suite, can import objects from both databases.
Home design applications also include landscape objects in their libraries. As with the total object library, we counted the number of plants each program has. We noted whether they were legitimate outdoor plants or just indoor, potted plants. Typically, the more objects in the plant library, the easier it is to make your gardens look exactly how you want.
Import plans and tracing features
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Another fun feature is a floor plan tracer. With this tool, you can open a picture of a home, a sample floor plan or a blueprint and trace the aspects you want to use in your own design. This is a great way to mesh a lot of ideas into one house plan. It is also valuable if you have your existing home’s plans and hope to design an addition. Using the trace tool, it's easy to extend a wall and create another space that is proportional with the measurements and layout of your current home.
Landscape tools
Designing your yard is just as important as creating your home. In addition to a healthy plant library, look for software with other outdoor objects, such as barbecue grills and outdoor furniture, to help create a beautiful oasis. If you choose an app like Total 3D Landscape & Deck Premium, you can use garden templates that make it easy to envision and create your landscapes.
While testing, we found that DreamPlan's topography tools are the best and easiest to use. Topography tools recreate your lot's natural hills and dips, and they can help you picture what your lawn will look like if you bring in more dirt to build it up. However, you should leave most of the topography planning to the professionals.
You can also use deck and fence designer tools, which work much like home design programs’ room-building features – you can connect a deck to your home and set an exterior door as an access point. The same texture and material custom design tools used to update your home can create a deck that is aesthetically pleasing and complements the house’s exterior.
What home design software do the pros use?
When we evaluated the best home design software on the market, we asked professionals what they use in their everyday work. Whether we talked to architects, landscapers or interior designers, they all had the same answer: AutoCAD.
Autocad has been the industry standard for designers since it launched in the early 1980s. At the time, the ability to design on a computer was revolutionary. And as the years and decades went on, the program grew to make use of faster processors, new operating systems, enhanced graphics and more powerful computers. The best in the business, you pay a premium for the privilege, with yearly subscriptions costing over $1000.
What home design software is used on HGTV's Fixer Upper?
If you’ve watched shows like Fixer Upper on HGTV, you may wonder what they use to remodel homes. Joanna uses SketchUp Pro to make her designs. This is professional-grade software that costs about $700, which is far more expensive than the programs we reviewed. However, it includes the full spectrum of tools professionals use to create their designs. We don’t recommend this product for novices or casual users, but if you think you’re up to it, you can download a free trial to see if it’s worth the price.
You can also try SketchUp Free, a web application that's good for small projects or designing custom furniture, decorations and other objects. Once your object design is complete, you can upload it to SketchUp 3D Warehouse, then import and use it in most of the programs we reviewed.
What home design software does Property Brothers on HGTV use?
Property Brothers is another popular show on HGTV. It's a reality show about identical twin brothers who find run-down homes and renovate them. The walk-throughs they use on the show are generated by Neezo Studios at about $10,000 an episode.
The software used to create these visualizations is called Neezo Renders, which you cannot buy from Neezo Studios. Plus, it is well out of the price range and skill level of casual users. No software we reviewed even comes close to displaying the high-resolution details Neezo Studios can.
However, there are 3D walk-through features in some of the programs we reviewed, including Virtual Architect Ultimate, DreamPlan, Home Designer Suite and Sweet Home 3D. Even though they don't create the same eye-popping results, they can give you a good 3D approximation of your design.
Best home design software for iPad
There are several home design apps you can download on your iPad. The highest rated app in the iOS app store is Home Design 3D Gold. It is quite intuitive and feels more like a game than an architectural or interior design application. It allows you to create both 2D and 3D floor plans by placing doors, windows, walls and more. The app also has a sizable library of furniture, plants, decorations and other objects.
In addition to displaying a photo-realistic 3D preview of your design, this app has augmented reality features. You need the ARKit to make it work, but once you have that installed, you can take a tour of your design as if it were already built. This is invaluable for spotting flaws and getting a better idea of how you want your home to look.
You can download this app for $10.99. However, if you’re reluctant to purchase the app, you can start out on Home Design 3D for free. It’s a watered-down version of the program, but it still has many of the great features found in the Gold version.
How can I draw house plans?
Like any new skill, learning to draw house plans requires a great deal of practice. The amount of knowledge required to do it properly is intimidating. However, not knowing how or where to start designing shouldn’t stop you from doing it. All the home design software we reviewed have at least a few built-in training features. Some offer simple tips, while others have full-blown tutorials that walk you through the process step by step.
There’s also a plethora of ways to learn the basics and best practices of home design. For example, there are thousands of videos on YouTube about the subject, both from regular users and software manufacturers. If you’re willing to put in the time it takes to find the right information and commit to learning it, there’s little stopping you from mastering any of the programs we reviewed.
How to design your home on a budget
If you design your dream home with no limits in mind, you probably won’t be able to build it – especially if you’re on a budget or just frugal. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make sure your design is as practical as it is beautiful.
If you’re moving into a new space, you first need to determine what purpose each room will serve. While it may be obvious which rooms are intended to be bedrooms, dens and living rooms from the house's layout, you’ll have a much better idea of what you want when you know what each individual room will be used for, especially if it's outside of its obvious function.
The next step is to take exact measurements of your home. You can use these measurements when you rebuild your space in the home design software. Just remember, they have to be exact – if you approximate, the furniture you buy may not fit in the spaces you expected it to.
Taking your homemade plans to a professional
Once you have your plans the way you want them, it’s time to build. However, all the contractors, professional architects and designers we talked to told us they are extremely wary of homemade plans. Their chief concerns revolve around non-professionals not understanding things like spacial flow and wdesign accuracy. Contractors also told us that homemade plans generally don’t take into account local zoning ordinances and misunderstand things like plumbing and electrical work.
So, before you get too far into the building process, you need to make sure your plans stand up to professional standards. Emco msi creator. Running them past a local architect is a great idea. They can give you an idea of where you may be going wrong. You can also hire them to use your plan as a basis for a better design than you can make yourself.
Product | Price | Overall Rating | Ease of Use | Home & Floor Plan Design | Interior & Room Design | Landscape & Garden Design | Help & Support | Ease of Use | Roofs & Pitch Wizard | Electrical & Plumbing Planning | Sample Home Plans | Import Scanned Floor Plans | Framing Editor | Drag and Drop | Trace Floor Plan | Cost Estimator | Metric Measurements | Export File Format | Object Library | Import Third-Party Objects | Stair Generator | Curved Walls | Cabinet Designer | Textures | Additions & Remodeling Tools | Plant Library | Plant Encyclopedia | Landscape Templates | Topography Designer | Fence Designer | Water Features | Deck Designer | Video Tutorials | FAQs | Telephone Support | Windows | macOS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Virtual Architect Ultimate 8 | View Deal | 4/5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | A+ | A | + | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | DXF, BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF | 7500+ | SketchUp | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 7500+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | $ | ✓ | ✖ |
TurboFloorPlan Home and Landscape Pro 2019 | 3.5/5 | 4.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | A | A | 45 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | DXF, DWG, VRML | 4700+ | SketchUp | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 3800+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✖ | X | ✓ | ✖ | |
Punch Home & Landscape Design Premium 20 | View Deal | 3.5/5 | 4.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5 | 4.5 | B+ | A | 45 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | DXF, DWG, BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF | 4700+ | SketchUp | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 4000+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✖ |
Home Designer Suite 2019 | View Deal | 3.5/5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | 4 | B | A | 31 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | DXF, BMP, JPG, PNG | 6500+ | SketchUp, Trimble 3D Warehouse | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 1200+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✖ |
Punch Home & Landscape Design Essentials 20 | View Deal | 3.5/5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | B+ | A | 45 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF | 4700+ | SketchUp | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 3200+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✖ |
DreamPlan | 3/5 | 4.5 | 4 | 3 | 2.5 | 4 | 4.5 | A- | C | 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | DDP | 65+ | SketchUp | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 6+ | ✖ | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | $ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Total 3D Landscape & Deck Premium 12 | View Deal | 2.5/5 | 3 | 4 | 2.5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | A+ | B | 1015 | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | BMP, JPEG, TIFF | 800+ | Not Supported | ✖ | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 60+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✖ |
Sweet Home 3D | View Deal | 2.5/5 | 3.5 | 3 | 4.5 | 1 | 3.5 | 3.5 | N/A | C | Online Gallery | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | SVG, PDF | 1200+ | SketchUp, Trimble 3D Warehouse | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 22+ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✓ | ✖ | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Total 3D Home Design Deluxe | View Deal | 2.5/5 | 3 | 4 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 5 | 3 | A+ | B | 1015 | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | BMP, JPEG, TIFF | 700+ | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 60+ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | ✖ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✖ |
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The number and variety of 3D software packages on the market is staggering, but many of the top applications in use by commercial film, gaming, and effects studios cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
It's true that most commercial applications offer time-limited free trials or abbreviated learning editions for students and hobbyists. If you're planning to work in the computer graphics industry one day, these are well worth exploring even if you can't afford a full license, because your skills in the commercial packages are what will ultimately land you a job.
However, plenty of free 3D software suites are out there for hobbyists, independent filmmakers who don't have the budget for expensive software, and budget-conscious freelance professionals who have found all the tools and power they need in cost-free solutions like Blender or SketchUp.
Just because the software is free doesn't necessarily make it any less valuable. This list isn't exhaustive. There are dozens of other free 3D tools available beyond those mentioned here. However, these are the strongest of the bunch.
Blender
What We Like
Interface vastly improved over early versions.
Great for video games and animation.
Nearly on par with expensive professional 3D modeling programs.
What We Don't Like
Less useful in designing architecture and objects like furniture.
Heavy use of shortcuts to execute commands can be daunting for new users learning the software.
Blender is easily the most versatile entry on this list, and in many regards, it compares favorably to top digital content creation tools like Cinema 4D, Maya, and 3Ds Max. To this day, it stands as one of the greatest open-source development projects ever conceived.
Blender is full-featured, offering a complete range of modeling, surfacing, sculpting, painting, animation, and rendering tools.
The software is good enough to have produced numerous impressive short films and is in use by several professional studios.
Blender was criticized early on for having a confusing interface, but don't let outdated complaints steer you away. The software was given a thorough overhaul recently and emerged with a fresh interface and a feature set that aims for parity with the best.
While you don't see Blender in any Hollywood effects pipelines where Autodesk and Houdini are deeply ingrained, Blender has steadily carved out a niche in motion graphics and visualization, similar to where Cinema 4D excels.
Pixologic Sculptris
What We Like
Makes quick editing easy.
Excellent tool for learning the art.
Users can transition to ZBrush without a difficult learning curve.
What We Don't Like
Rendering can be slow at times.
Lacks some useful tools and features found in other software.
Sculptris is a digital sculpting application similar to ZBrush or Mudbox, but with an easier learning curve. Because Sculptris uses dynamic tessellation, it is essentially geometry-independent, meaning it is an ideal learning package for someone with few or no modeling skills who wants to try his hand at sculpting. Sculptris was originally developed independently by Tomas Pettersson, but is now owned and maintained by Pixologic as a free counterpart to ZBrush. Sculptris is aimed at beginners. The website offers video tutorials and an assurance that the skills you learn in Sculptris easily translate to ZBrush.
Sculptris was last updated in 2011. Pixologic still allows downloads but warns that as legacy software, it's no longer maintained or supported.
SketchUp
What We Like
Great for architectural modeling.
Large library of models available.
What We Don't Like
Interface may be a challenge for new users to get used to.
Importing 3D models created in other programs can sometimes be a problem.
SketchUp is an intuitive and accessible modeler, originally developed by Google and now owned by Trimble. SketchUp excels at practical and architectural design and probably has more in common with a CAD package than traditional surface modelers like Maya and Max.
Like Blender, SketchUp has been amazingly well received and has gradually carved out a niche with professionals in the visualization field due to its ease of use and speed.
The software has little in the way of organic modeling tools, but if your primary interest is in architectural modeling, SketchUp is an excellent starting point. You begin by drawing lines and shapes and then stretch and copy them to make whatever you like. You don't have to draw everything, though. SketchUp offers an enormous library of free 3D models to get you started — search the 3D Warehouse for what you need.
Wings 3D
What We Like
Good tool for learning 3D modeling basics.
Supports many other 3D file formats.
What We Don't Like
Doesn't offer features beyond the basics.
No animations.
Wings is a straightforward open-source subdivision surface modeler, which means it has similar modeling capabilities to Maya and Max but none of their other functions.
Because Wings uses traditional (standard) polygon modeling techniques, everything you learn here is applicable in other content-creation packages, making this an ideal starting point for anyone looking to learn how to model for animation, film, and games.
Tinkercad
What We Like
Easy-to-learn interface.
Design tools are online, no software to download.
What We Don't Like
Doesn't fare well with very complex designs.
Requires an internet connection.
Tinkercad is an impressive suite of free, lightweight 3D tools offered by Autodesk as an easy entry point into the world of 3D. Autodesk develops five different applications under the Tinkercad banner, including modeling and sculpting apps, an iPad based creature designer, and a tool to assist with fabrication and 3D printing.
In a way, Tinkercad is AutoDesk's answer to Sculptris and Sketchup and is meant to interest beginners in 3D without the tremendous learning curve of their Autodesk's flagship applications: CAD, Maya, Max, and Mudbox.
Daz Studio
What We Like
Includes lots of props and models to use.
Strong in animation, image, and film creation tasks.
What We Don't Like
Limited sculpting, modeling, and surfacing tools.
Easier to create new models in other 3D software and import for use.
Daz Studio is an image creation tool that comes with a wealth of characters, props, creatures, and buildings that you can arrange and animate to create still images or short films. The software is primarily meant for users who want to create 3D images or films without the overhead of creating all their models and textures by hand.
The software's animation and rendering toolset is fairly robust, and in the right hands, users can create impressive shots. However, without a full range of modeling, surfacing, or sculpting tools built in, your content can become limited unless you're willing to buy 3D assets in the Daz marketplace or create them yourself with a third-party modeling package.
Still, it's a great piece of software for people who just want to jump in and create a 3D image or film without a whole lot of overhead.
Mandelbulb 3D
What We Like
Free 3d Architect Software
Create impressive fractal objects and scenes.
Can play around with formulas to see what you get.
The website offers downloadable examples to experiment with.
Free Easy 3d Architecture Software
What We Don't Like
Takes some time to acclimate to this software.
Interface is overwhelming at first and not as intuitive as other 3D software.
Free 3d Home Architect Software Download
If you're interested in fractals, Mandelbulb 3D should be right up your alley. The application certainly takes some getting used to, but the result is stellar once you know what you're doing. The 3D fractal environment includes color, lighting, specularity, depth-of-field, and shadow and flow effects used to generate amazing fractal objects. If the concept of fractals is Greek to you, visit the featured artists' section of the Mandelbulb website to see the types of things you can do with this software.
Autodesk Software (Free but Limited)
What We Like
Free top-tier 3D design software if used only non-commercially.
Powerful and feature-rich software tools that are industry standards.
What We Don't Like
Steep learning curve when starting to use these complex software packages.
Software can have hefty system requirements and be resource intensive.
Free 3d Building Software Downloads
Autodesk offers virtually its entire software line free for non-commercial use to 'students and community members.' However, you don't have to be enrolled in a school to download them. If you want to work in the industry eventually, knowing Autodesk software is a valuable skill, so this is a highly recommended path. The only limitation is that you can't use any of the software in commercial projects. Among the educational downloads are 3DS Max, Maya, Inventor Professional, and AutoCAD.