need advice

OK, at last a real software question for you. i am thinking of going into interior design. i need a software program that i can draw floor and/or wall plans to scale on. i have a c series emachine, xp home and office 2000. none of the programs (that i can find!) allow me to draw things to scale. (i need 'graph paper' or something like it) or even a tool bar that has a ruler on it. if anybody knows how to access that type of thing from windows or if there's another program i could get, or if you can think of anything else that might be useful????? much aloha

 

i use Jasc PaintShop Pro 8 and it has a ruler in it. There is also a ton of stuff that you can do in it but it takes time to get to learn where all the stuff is since there are so many options. I'm pretty sure you can download a free trial on the jasc website. You'll have to check it out.

 

You could try SketchUP... which is quick and easy, or go for somthing a bit more substancial, like VectorWorks or AutoCAD.

Unfortunatley, for doing proper CAD stuff you are going to have to pay for it.

I would recomend a proper Vector drawing package over a bitmap editor, as it will be HEAPS faster (imagine working on a piece of paper the same size as your house )

 

really? they had screens that long ago?

 

ahhhh

*runs and hides in the corner*

 

Yeah we used 'em as a smarta** filter

 

you lot just rock!! thanx for the input. I've printed out the replies and will work my way through the suggestions. i will of course let you know what works for me. (eg $3,4OO is so far outa my league i cant even consider it. thanx again for the prompt and helpful replies. (i knew you lot would know!) aloha Laurie

 

ahh. thanx babe. (and of course the best ideas are born in the pub!)

 

Thanks Halo... might need some of those myself (oddly enough, in order to make an UK Limited partnership, it REQUIRES you to have company stationry, with the address and contact details along with a list of all partners. Weird eh?)

 

i am sooooo fed up. i reviewed the sites suggested and somewhere came up with a FREE download for something called 'design lite 3D. took ages to download with very complicated instructions. appeared all over the place by the time i had finished. half the files don't open, or make no sense when they do, half the tools don't work, or make no sense when they do. instructions are incomprehensible, and i still couldn't do a simple floor plan! have now spent most of the morning uninstalling the damm thing. i know some of you are gonna say 'what do you expect for free?', but i still cant believe that such a simple operation cannot be done on this very complicated, expensive (for me at any rate) bit of equipment!!! i remember being able to do this on an ZX80!!!(shows how old i am!!) oh well, back to the pencil, paper and rubber! i will hafta buy one, but a) it will hafta wait a month, and b) how will i know if when i get it i will understand what to do. much aloha. PS i tried to email MS to ask if there is a particular program for windows, but as my Windows was pre-installed they kept referring me to e-machines, who referred me straight back. i have now sent both a LETTER !!

 

http://www.cadstd.com/

Try this. It might work for you.

 

i just LOVE you people. ill check them out and let you know the result. much aloha etc. kiss kiss

 

thank you both so much. i downloaded both free programs. firstly they both downloaded without me having to do anything piculier. second the help menues and instuctions appear easy to follow (i obviously hafta spend some hours 'playing' to be sure....but on the surface it looks good.) between the two programs i should be able to do pretty much anything i need. once again mahalo and aloha.

 

im curious as to which one u are going to choose.

 

i let you know as soon as I've spent some time with them. I'll do a kind of beginners mini review if you'd like. aloha