Aesthetic Appeal:  

Because there is so much help available in Custom LandDesigner 3D Design Home & Garden Suite, the program is easily learned. There are many sample designs, plants and object choices though, so you’ll need to spend time experimenting to learn how to choose options wisely.

Ease of Use:  

Because there is so much help available in Custom LandDesigner 3D Design Home & Garden Suite, the program is easily learned. There are many sample designs, plants and object choices though, so you’ll need to spend time experimenting to learn how to choose options wisely.

Features & Tools:  

This program has a generous set of features, but unfortunately, you can’t import a digital photo of your home into the program. Custom LandDesigner 3D Design Home & Garden Suite offers a database of existing home designs to choose from; you’ll have to load one of these homes to begin your design.

Even though you can’t import a digital photo, you can input your lot from a plat map, record what you already have on your lot or start from scratch. You can also do impressive stand–alone gardens or landscapes without your home included.

The plant search tool will help you locate the right plants—you can search by several criteria, including: type, shape, height, usage, sunlight, flower color, bloom season, plant features. The searchable plant and object database is customizable; you can also add your own plants or objects.

The program includes a checker that you can run to help identify potential problems—such as plants that won’t thrive in your hardiness zone or trees that are planted too close together.

You can also do a 3-D walkthrough or 3-D fly around of your design, which is realistic.

After you complete your landscape design, you can print out a shopping list or even email your project to your landscaper or other interested parties.

Support & Documentation:  

There are several wizards, tutorials and windows that show you how to accomplish tasks. There is also a content–sensitive search and a How–To Guide. You can email in technical questions, and the ValuSoft website includes a knowledge base and a resource webpage containing links to related sites and books.

Ultimately this program doesn't satisfy most of the basic needs of the amateur or professional landscaper. For more features and functionality, consider Realtime Landscaping PLUS from IDEA Spectrum.