Comments on: Better Homes and Gardens Picture Painter Home & Landscape http://www.incraa.org/390-better-homes-and-gardens-picture-painter-home-landscape.html Tue, 11 May 2010 12:23:31 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: William Gilmyers http://www.incraa.org/390-better-homes-and-gardens-picture-painter-home-landscape.html#comment-413 William Gilmyers Mon, 10 May 2010 03:31:40 +0000 http://www.incraa.org/390-better-homes-and-gardens-picture-painter-home-landscape#comment-413 I'm thinking of redoing my basement and thought this looked like a good product to use to get some ideas. I have no CAD or construction experience, so I was just looking for something pretty easy to use get design ideas. The product does exactly what it says it will, which is fine but a bit limited. If you want to take a picture of a room and see what it would look like with a new color of paint, it's good for that. <br /> <br />However, if you want to add any additional design elements, like moldings or other additional items, your pretty much out of luck. Very little is included with the package,a few TV's and such, but no furniture. You can import images, colors and textures, but the level of difficulty goes up quite a bit if you want to do that. Does seem to have more exterior and landscape elements than interior ones, though I didn't look too hard at those as I'm doing an interior project. <br /> <br />Suffice to say it is not enough to get very far planning any kind of remodel. Still, if all you are trying to do is change the color of your walls or house, it's not a bad tool for playing "what if". Just don't expect it to help you figure out what that room would look like with a wall moved or crown molding installed. <br /> <br />I'm going to look at some of the other Chief Architect CAD software to see if that's a little more up to the task. Rating: 3 / 5 I’m thinking of redoing my basement and thought this looked like a good product to use to get some ideas. I have no CAD or construction experience, so I was just looking for something pretty easy to use get design ideas. The product does exactly what it says it will, which is fine but a bit limited. If you want to take a picture of a room and see what it would look like with a new color of paint, it’s good for that.

However, if you want to add any additional design elements, like moldings or other additional items, your pretty much out of luck. Very little is included with the package,a few TV’s and such, but no furniture. You can import images, colors and textures, but the level of difficulty goes up quite a bit if you want to do that. Does seem to have more exterior and landscape elements than interior ones, though I didn’t look too hard at those as I’m doing an interior project.

Suffice to say it is not enough to get very far planning any kind of remodel. Still, if all you are trying to do is change the color of your walls or house, it’s not a bad tool for playing “what if”. Just don’t expect it to help you figure out what that room would look like with a wall moved or crown molding installed.

I’m going to look at some of the other Chief Architect CAD software to see if that’s a little more up to the task.
Rating: 3 / 5

]]> By: AmandaGal http://www.incraa.org/390-better-homes-and-gardens-picture-painter-home-landscape.html#comment-412 AmandaGal Mon, 10 May 2010 02:53:11 +0000 http://www.incraa.org/390-better-homes-and-gardens-picture-painter-home-landscape#comment-412 If you have no experience with Photoshop or any other image software, then this may be a good product for you. It is basically point and click replacing of one area with another (and you can add fixtures and appliances and such). <br /> <br />If you know Photoshop, then just use it. This software is very easy to use, but I can get the same results with Photoshop. <br /> <br />The one good thing is the paint and wallpaper/tile/appliance/etc samples are extensive. You do not have that in Photoshop. That being said, they didn't always match what was available locally. I did far better taking snapshots of patterns and tiles and using an image editing program. Rating: 3 / 5 If you have no experience with Photoshop or any other image software, then this may be a good product for you. It is basically point and click replacing of one area with another (and you can add fixtures and appliances and such).

If you know Photoshop, then just use it. This software is very easy to use, but I can get the same results with Photoshop.

The one good thing is the paint and wallpaper/tile/appliance/etc samples are extensive. You do not have that in Photoshop. That being said, they didn’t always match what was available locally. I did far better taking snapshots of patterns and tiles and using an image editing program.
Rating: 3 / 5

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