[ardent]

I have been looking for Mac software for producing Floor Plans of houses and there are many available for Windows in the USA but NOT for Mac.

I live in the UK and do not want to run Windows on my Mac even though this would solve my problem. Having escaped from Windows I do not want to turn the clock back! Over here, most people buy a property "off the peg" whereas in the USA I assume the reverse is the case, hence the great many programs available for you for designing your own home.

So that you will understand what I mean by a "Floor Plan" it is software to enable various shapes or "rooms" (square, rectangle, etc.) to be drawn to specific sizes and then a library of such additional items as Windows, Doors, Stairs, Kitchen Cupboards, Showers to be extracted and placed in the appropriate positions. It is basically a CAD prog for 2D for a specialised purpose. I have seen (in my research) a number of "interior design" progs but these do not interest me.

There MUST be Mac progs available so can someone help me find one?

Ardent

[CambridgePaul]

You could look at Open office — OpenOffice.Org which has a passable "Vector Graphics" suite. It's free and if you don't get on with it you haven't lost anything. To send what you've drawn elsewhere, press "Print" [Apple + P] and then save as PDF.

[ardent]

Thanks, Cambridge Paul, but your idea is not, I regret, what I am looking for, which is a "ready made" program designed for this specific purpose.

I have so far found about 30 Floor Plan programs on offer in the USA and I have been slowly going through them to find one which is Mac compatible. No luck so far but, as I have suggested, there must be some Mac ones somewhere. There are still many Google pages to search through!

My enquiry was to locate someone who could quicken up my search by telling me of one they have used on their Mac.
Thanks again.

[CambridgePaul]

Apologies. Keep in mind that replies here tend towards the generic, because this is an open resource.

The only dedicated program I have used is Microspot Interiors, but my copy is a Classic Application which runs on OSX 10.4 + Classic. In the UK one is either dealing with Kitchen/bathroom planning (for which there are templates) or architect standard plans (with top end software to suit). We may well have a language/culture/building technology issue here ~ floor plans can range from the most schematic — what parts of a building are to be used for what purpose — to extreme detail — how the floor is actually constructed, with the precise location of supporting timbers, under-floor services and maximum loadings. In the UK it is not safe to assume that the corners or walls are square, neither horizontally not vertically, unless one is looking at new build. Drywall/sheetrock are comparatively new additions to the UK's building lexicon. My own home has solid walls which are neither square nor straight — my "rectangular" living room is 15" narrower in the middle than at either end. To be fair, it is nearly 250 years old. In UK terms that is old, but not really old. One of my uncles lived in a house twice that age, with the kitchen ceiling/roof supported by beams salvaged from Armada wrecks. That's what we call "old"!
Good luck in your hunt. You may well have to look at a windoze based program targeting your particular needs.
Paul

[imacmike]

ardent, on 23 September 2011 - 06:27 AM, said:

I have been looking for Mac software for producing Floor Plans of houses and there are many available for Windows in the USA but NOT for Mac.

I live in the UK and do not want to run Windows on my Mac even though this would solve my problem. Having escaped from Windows I do not want to turn the clock back! Over here, most people buy a property "off the peg" whereas in the USA I assume the reverse is the case, hence the great many programs available for you for designing your own home.

So that you will understand what I mean by a "Floor Plan" it is software to enable various shapes or "rooms" (square, rectangle, etc.) to be drawn to specific sizes and then a library of such additional items as Windows, Doors, Stairs, Kitchen Cupboards, Showers to be extracted and placed in the appropriate positions. It is basically a CAD prog for 2D for a specialised purpose. I have seen (in my research) a number of "interior design" progs but these do not interest me.

There MUST be Mac progs available so can someone help me find one?

Ardent

I've been using Punch! Home Design Studio to play with some floor plan ideas. Not being trained in architecture, I wanted something that would make it easy and Punch seemed the answer. I find it easy to use, intuitive, and very Mac like. Not too expensive either. And it works great running on Lion.

[JimboNC]

ardent, on 23 September 2011 - 06:27 AM, said:

I have been looking for Mac software for producing Floor Plans of houses and there are many available for Windows in the USA but NOT for Mac.

I live in the UK and do not want to run Windows on my Mac even though this would solve my problem. Having escaped from Windows I do not want to turn the clock back! Over here, most people buy a property "off the peg" whereas in the USA I assume the reverse is the case, hence the great many programs available for you for designing your own home.

So that you will understand what I mean by a "Floor Plan" it is software to enable various shapes or "rooms" (square, rectangle, etc.) to be drawn to specific sizes and then a library of such additional items as Windows, Doors, Stairs, Kitchen Cupboards, Showers to be extracted and placed in the appropriate positions. It is basically a CAD prog for 2D for a specialised purpose. I have seen (in my research) a number of "interior design" progs but these do not interest me.

There MUST be Mac progs available so can someone help me find one?

Ardent

The best Mac software for home design is made by BelightSoftware.com, Live Interior 3D. Reasonable at US$45.00, may be higher this year. Beligt Software also publishes Swift Publisher. They are in Odessa, Ukrane, and their software is great for producing adverts, catalogs etc. I especially like the 24,000 professionaly produced color clip art and 150 header-size fonts included with Swift Publisher.

P.S. The reason I stopped to comment here, I'm looking for a similar floor plan design app I had on my HD when it crashed last week, that one was free. If I find it I will come back and post where to download it.

JimboNC

This post has been edited by JimboNC: 07 February 2012 - 08:32 AM

[JimboNC]

ardent, on 23 September 2011 - 06:27 AM, said:

I have been looking for Mac software for producing Floor Plans of houses and there are many available for Windows in the USA but NOT for Mac.

I live in the UK and do not want to run Windows on my Mac even though this would solve my problem. Having escaped from Windows I do not want to turn the clock back! Over here, most people buy a property "off the peg" whereas in the USA I assume the reverse is the case, hence the great many programs available for you for designing your own home.

So that you will understand what I mean by a "Floor Plan" it is software to enable various shapes or "rooms" (square, rectangle, etc.) to be drawn to specific sizes and then a library of such additional items as Windows, Doors, Stairs, Kitchen Cupboards, Showers to be extracted and placed in the appropriate positions. It is basically a CAD prog for 2D for a specialised purpose. I have seen (in my research) a number of "interior design" progs but these do not interest me.

There MUST be Mac progs available so can someone help me find one?

Ardent

I'M BACK with the app you are looking for!!

Check this out: http://www.sweethome...om/download.jsp

It's FREE and be very careful in reading the JAVA requirements before downloading. All the JAVA apps required are already on Mac OS X 10.4.11 and later.

You can see what it looks like on the website: http://www.sweethome3d.com/

I've tried it and it works nicely. Also good for landscape deisgn.

JimboNC

This post has been edited by JimboNC: 07 February 2012 - 09:35 AM

[spacepenguin1]

Realise this is quite an old post but in case you haven't yet found any thing I use Interiors Pro for my 3d work and for my 2d floor plans MacDraft Pro