Project visualization/Home renovation software

[mjernigan]

Cheers all, and hope you're having a good Labor Day...

I'm a Sketchup fan, especially after stumbling across the plug-ins that allow photorealistic rendering of Sketchup views. BUT.... LOML is less enamored of Sketchup and has her eye on a couple of different (and more expensive) products. We're replacing kitchen cabinets and counter tops, and considering adding or moving a wall.

Have any of you had any experience with either of these, or some other similar product?

Better Homes and Gardens' Home Designer Suite, or HGTV Home Design & Remodeling Suite

Both look promising from the publisher's information, but would love to have some input from folks I trust (e.g. you guys).

Thanks for any help or suggestions you can provide.

[Tom Slick]

IKEA has a free 3d cabinet planner on their website that works pretty good. The only issue is you have to figure out which of their cabinets are the same size as you'd like to use.

How real does she need it to look?

[mjernigan]

Thanks, Tom...

She needs it to look pretty real, and so do I, unfortunately.... I suppose we're both "visualization-ally" challenged. On the bright side, these all do a pretty good job. The Sketchup plug-ins look great, but it's a bit more difficult to model in Sketchup than it APPEARS to be in the other two I'm considering.

Home Designer Suite is here, and a plug-in for Sketchup, Podium, is here. The rendering looks better in Podium, but the modeling seems to be a lot easier in HDS.

Dunno, but probably will spend the bucks on HDS...

[siliconbauhaus]

or you could pay me to do your layout and render it as that's what I do for a living