Swimming Pool Software Downloads and Free 3D Pool Software Reviews to Download

The time has arrived; we have decided that we are going to build a new swimming pool. What should we do first? Here are some ideas to get you started down the right path and on your way to your new fun filled backyard.

The best way to start the process is to locate a property survey, if available, to determine the amount of space available for your new swimming pool. Once you have reviewed the survey, scope out your property and decide the best area and location for your new pool. Try to determine the shape of your pool, where you would like the shallow and deep end, location of the steps, location of water features, equipment location and size and area of the deck. Also think about fencing which may be required, landscaping, outdoor kitchen areas, entertainment areas and yard lighting.

3D Pool Software

Swimming Pool Design

Swimming Pool Equipment
Equipment needed for a home swimming pool equipment and best swimming pool supplies.

Help choosing a Pool for your Home
Home swimming pool choices including inground, above ground, fiberglass, and outdoor pools.

Swimming Pool Landscaping
Landscape design ideas around a swimming pool with free swimming pool landscaping pictures.

Swimming Pool Deck Design
How to build a pool deck design ideas for above ground pool deck & swimming pool decks.

3D Design Software

3D Home Design Software
Free 3D home software downloads with best free interior design software download & review.

3D Landscaping Software
Free 3D landscape design software download and reviews for diy landscaping designs.

3D Deck & Patio Software
Free patio and deck design software download 3D deck software for diy how to build a deck.

3D Home Design Software
Free interior design software including free 3D bathroom, living room, and kitchen software.

BRAND	COST	REVIEW	RATING
Google SketchUp	Free	Google SketchUp is software that you can use to create 3D models of anything you like. Not made specifically for landscaping designs, but you can be creative and have fun trying.
Design Workshop	Free	Not too complicated, and still fun to play around with. Great quality for a free product. An excellent, easy to use, and powerful enough to design a patio. A decent learning curve, so be prepared to spend some boring time at the manual. Either some features don't exist, or I have simply not found them yet.
BBC Gardening	Free	This is a totally free piece of software that you can either download or use on their site. It requires Adobe Shockwave to run it. While this is a basic program, it’s actually pretty good for visualizing and is very easy to use. This program is a drag and drop that lets you design from a top view and view in a perspective 3d mode. You’re not actually able to draw with this or any of the software named on this page. That’s o.k. for now since we’re trying to visualize and get ideas and not trying to complicate things by having to learn a program.
ShowOff.com	Free	For free, this actually is a very easy piece of software to use. They try to get you to subscribe and pay for additional features, but you don't have to and can get away with the basics. This one allows you to import a picture of your yard and drag and drop elements and plants into it. And the whole process was very easy to understand and do. Resizing pictures to proportion and changing angles was also very easy.
BHG	Free	Very dissapointed with this program and wouldn't waste your time. You could do close by creating a bubble graph in microsoft paint. It’s a simple drag and drop program that doesn’t have much functionality. Still o.k. for visualizing and it doesn’t cost anything.
SmartDraw	Free 30 day $220 after	I’ve had this software for a while. To me it was a good investment because I use it for other things. I’ve designed with it a few times but generally rely on my professional software for landscaping plans. They offer a free 30 day trial version. I see the free trial version like this. If you can design your yard in less than 30 days, You don’t need to buy it.
Broderbund 3D	$30-$90	This landscape program has some good tools and is easy to draw with. I really found no quirks with this design software. However, this program and most programs require 600mghz or better to make the 3D and walk around work well.
Better Homes and Garden	$74	I found this to be the closest rival to the professional design software that I currently use which cost me over $700.00. In fact, rather than buying my secondary designer a license of my own design program, this is what he's using now. Much cheaper. The engine behind this program is from Chief Architect, who, from what I understand, are developers of professional CAD software. It shows in this program. While this program has one of the best 3D walk around and capabilities, I tend to judge this and others by the drawing tools that it possesses. And this one has some good usable tools.
Punch Super Home	$13	This product has come a long way since I first tried it. I have to admit that I like this one too. However, it's not one of my top picks. The drawing tools are a little more advanced and there's plenty of them. They take a little getting used to. However, once you figure them out, it moves very quickly.
Landscape and Garden Designer	$20	I've had fun creating garden 'scenarios', watching the plants change through the seasons and grow over time. The library sorts by numerous features and conditions. So far I've planned for a new bed next to a pergola and patio we had installed last year. I put in a plan that I got from a magazine and made changes to include the plants I really wanted. It even tests my plan to make sure the spacing is right, gives me a planting map and shopping list. Now when I go get the plants I know how many, where they will go and I'll have blooms all 3 seasons!!! Designing a house was OK but that's not really what I wanted it for.
Plan3D	$3/month	Design one room, create a three story home, remodel a bathroom or kitchen, or redo your yard. Plan3D lets you see ideas with dimensions in blueprint-like mode. When I first used this app the functionality was poor. However, developers have made alot of improvements and soon to be 3 out of 5 stars.
LandDesigner 3D	$30-$80	This is one of my top picks for homeowners and do it yourselfers. I actually used this garden design software professionally for over a year when I first started out. Regardless of negative reviews, I found it to be exceptional and easy to use. It has some great drawing tools (they take a little time to learn) and a very nice 3D walk around. I'm not real crazy about walk arounds and don't generally use them. But for you, it may be just what you need to visualize your landscaping project.
Gardner Composer	$40	This software doesn't even have what I would consider to be design drawing tools. To create a unique design for your own property with this software seems almost impossible to me. There's an animated demo at the site.