home design software tutorial how to
3D Home Architect ver.3 Help Pages


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Developed by Bob Heaney for CountryPlans.com and PlanHelp.com.

3d Home Architect how to

Quick Help Guide

Click one of the links at the left to jump directly into the help pages.

These pages provide help using the software package "3D Home Architect". This simple program works very well for helping you layout a small home floorplan or modify an existing plan you need to "tweak". If the roofs are simple it can even draw an exterior perspective and give you a model to view from different angles.

We are suggesting you use the older version 3 deluxe. Until a superior low-cost CAD program comes along, this is the program we are using for our PlanHelp template files. The program can be purchased inexpensively from Amazon. You can also do a Google search if the offer in the link is gone. Ebay often has copies available. Note that later versions are NOT compatible with  ver. 3 files and later versions of 3D Home Architect are not recommended. The earlier version just works better and is qucker to learn.

3D Home Architect (3DHA) is an inexpensive yet easy to use home design software package. It runs on Windows (you may need to pause your anti-virus program to install it) and on a MAC running Virtual PC. You can use this program to design a building from scratch (within certain restrictions) or modify a developed plan. If you can download a plan template of a house you are considering, the program will help you get a feel for the sizes of rooms and allow you to make changes that may fit your needs or site better. You can grab and drag an eyeball to see interior or exterior perspectives of the building. When used with a structurally detailed standard plan (such as ours) the user can modify interior layouts (non-structural walls), move windows and doors around, design or redesign kitchen and baths, change colors of walls, floors and ceiling, and try out different furniture arrangements. The program also produces usable electrical layouts and an outline materials list. Printouts from the program can be pasted into the final drawings to detail your custom modifications.

This Help Guide is meant to be an aid but will not detail all design possibilities or all elements of the program. There is much that can be built in reality but not all of it can be accurately modeled in any low cost CAD program.

Users should be familiar with the basic use of the program before attempting the "advanced" techniques linked at the left. There is very good help on the CD that comes with the program. Be sure you fully explore this (and watch the short videos!) In addition there is a helpful FAQs page HERE on the old Broderbund site that lists common questions people have about installing and using the software.

PLEASE NOTE: We cannot be a support site for an orphaned software product. That said, we can try to help you understand how to use such a program to design a simple building. Since our plans are meant to be shared, please send us a copy of your files when your design is complete. This lets people use your template as a start for their own customizations (just as you probably did). This is the idea of "open source" plans and is a way for all of us to evolve our designs more quickly.

You can post your evolving designs and ask design questions at the PlanHelp Forum or show them to the public at the open CountryPlans forum.

Go to PlanHelp.com

Go to CountryPlans.com