Architecture 3D Editor's Review

This is one of those rare programs that is equally impressive whether you are using it for practical or professional purposes, or simply having fun. In theory it's meant for serious architectural use but in practice it's likely to appeal to a lot of people who's dreams outweigh their budgets.

If you're just wanting to play about, it's simple to get started and looks absolutely beautiful. You can quickly switch from a 2D design view to a 3D representation of your designed home, complete with a wide range of texturing and materials so that the finished product is very clearly a home rather than just a house. The switching is very smooth, meaning you can make a design change and see the effects in 3D mode virtually immediately.

The most impressive feature is the ability to look at the finished building with different levels of natural and artificial lighting, which is affected by the materials: you even get the sheen and slight reflection where a lamp points towards a polished hardwood floor. It's a great way to see how your design works at different times of the day, again making it feel more like a living project.

If you're using this for a more professional purpose, there's plenty of useful tools. For example, you can easily make sure that any doorways, windows or staircases you build into the project are standard sized for the location the property will be in, meaning you won't come up with a dream design that turns into a financial nightmare as you have to get custom components made.

Pro's: Extremely effective whether for work or play

Con's: Fairly demanding on resources, so best used on new machines only

Conclusions: Great tool whether a new home is a dream or a reality