This is best consumer level landscaping software out there

After extensive research, I eventually concluded that nothing really good
existed in the low end consumer world of Landscape Design software, but I held
out great hope that Better Homes and Gardens Landscaping and Deck Designer would
be different.

So I took a chance and bought it from Amazon in April. and
After some initial delays in actually getting the product, it was worth the
wait! This software has blown me away after using it just two days now!!


This is the newest 7.x version of the landscaping modules first
introduced in the BH&G 6.x home designed suite. The new version, just
recently released in Mar/Apr 2005 by Chief Architect for BH&G is now
standalond landscaping and deck design product. I suspect a 7.x home designer
suite will eventually follow.

It is clear that this software has
inherited many good things from its more professional rooted product line at
Chief Architect.

This latest Landscape and Deck designer is really easy
to use. It comes with a program CD and tutorial CD. After a quick and easy
installation process ... I found myself able to use this software quite quickly.


This worked for me, since I despise reading confusing manuals and going
through endless tutorials ... this software was easy enought to "figure out",
with a little help from the tutorial videos and the help subsystem.

Each
video clip on the tutorial CD is only 2-4 minutes in duration and shows how to
do several useful things at a time. This "show and tell" approach to learning
really worked for me. I watch a quick video -- then I go do it myself.


Unlike other tutorials, this one is quick and to the point. You won't
spend more than 30-45 minutes to watch all of the videos included. I reccomend
watching the first 1-3 videos, then go try the program yourself, then come back
to the tutorial videos a finish them off after you have an initial grasp of the
program.

There is also a more comprehensive help utility where you can
look up individual topics by topic or search for things within the help system
... very good overall.

This program is easy to use and the 3D
capabilities are very impressive. I had my new home' irregular shapes lot laid
out and my new home located on that lot to within half foot precision in the
first night of use. You almost fool yourself into thinking this program is more
than just landscaping, but there are certainly limits, but reasonable ones.


I was zooming around my lot and house in 3D on the first night of use.
The house roof wasn't exactly correct, but very close ... and thats where the
landscaping program meets its limits ... you can't really make the house
architechturally correct from top to bottom, but very accurate dimensionally and
certainly good for planning your landscape and/or deck.

You can even
take an actual picture and mask out the surrounding and paste that picture onto
your 3D model of the house. That really makes the product yield realistic
looking models. And I did that one side of the house on my first night of using
it.

You can save pictures of your 3D drawing to files, you can even make
a motion video tour of your landscape ideas. I was blown away by the
capabilities. I can't wait to get home and see what else I can do.

I
didn't get into the landscaping till day 2. By the end of Day 2, I had an
initial landscape layout 80% completed. This program is very usable and probably
could be used by a pro if they didn't have the budget for the $1000+ software
out there.

I can't say enough good things about this software. It should
be a top seller within 1 year, if others feel the same as I do. My hats off to
BH&G and Chief Architect -- "home run" guys.