The Best 2015 Landscape Design Software Applications You Should Know

Landscaping design software applications allow the user to create landscapes and watch them grow without leaving their desk, let alone picking up shovels and digging holes. In this regard, there is a wide variety of landscape design software in the market today, all offering a wide array of options to help you trade your graph paper and pencil for a computer screen and mouse. However, remember you still need to inventory and the measure the property as well as decide what you want to accomplish.

Choosing the right program to suit your requirements

The choice of any of landscape design software applications comes down to three aspects; the learning curve, cost and capability. Whichever the case, providing a computer-generated design puts a designer a level higher than the other guys, something that makes their design easier to sell. As a design contractor, there are three things you can be:

• The same as your competition

• Worse than your competition

• Better than your competition

Having good landscape design software should put you into the better category than your competition. In this case, here are some landscape design software applications you might want to consider in no order.

DynaScape

This is one of the best landscaping software applications you may want to consider. It produces highly detailed black and white 2D drawings that look like hand drawings, but with more details. With this application, the designer can even change the line weights. The program includes a database of more than a thousand items from all areas of landscaping including swimming pools, ponds, natural stones, mulch, paving stones, water features, trees, hedges, ornamental grass, evergreens, etc. Apart from these, there are woodworking, irrigation and outdoor lighting items. Expect to spend around $2000 plus a compulsory monthly fee for updates, help desk and access to the Horticopia plant database

Earthscapes

This landscaping design software allows the designer to work in different ways. With this program, the designer is able to complement his hand-drawn design or a sample that was created with AutoCAD. It is also possible to create a drawing solely using this software application. Best of all, the designer can be able to upload photos of his landscape, erase parts of it, and then drag and drop items from its library of more than 6000 non brand-specific items onto the photo. The library contains landscaping items such as plant material, rocks, paving stones, and a number of other landscape elements. The good thing with this program is that it also does estimating in real time as the designer is creating his site plan, or by manual entry. Expect to be taken back by at least $1 200 when purchasing Earthscapes.

PRO Landscape

This program is able to do 3D rendering, CAD, photo imaging and estimating. The end result is more professional jobs for the designer. Pro Landscape allows the designer to take digital photos of the site and import them into the design. With this program, the designer is able to do landscape lighting, irrigation and holiday lighting design. The program even has the ability to turn the sun off and give the client a night view. The 3D rendering capability allows the designer to take clients on a virtual walkthrough using actual photos. The program cost around $1 500, with updates made available annually at $300. Technical assistance is free for the lifetime of the program.

Pro Contractor Studio

This landscape designing software application is designed for small commercial and residential applications. It is able to create both landscape designs and irrigation. With this software, clients are able to see the colors of predominant foliage, the decking, the flagstone, and much more. It gives them a feel for what the overall project is going to look like in the end. With this program, the designer can put plants down in color, blend one color to another, make the drawings look like they have been painted with watercolors, add texturing, add symbols, etc. The program’s full license goes for around $1, 200. The buyer has the option to subscribe for $30 per month. If you opt for the subscription option, you have the option to subscribe for a month and cancel as you wish – there is no long term contract.

Realtime Landscaping

With this program, you can be able to do 2D and 3D designs at one of the lowest price points available, at around $400. There are four versions of Realtime Landscaping, Plus, Pro, Photo and Architect.

Vectorworks Landmark

This is another top 2015 landscape design program and that cost around $2000. Add Renderworks, and the designer will have to pay a few hundred dollars more. Renderworks allows the designer to select from a series of texture, turn colors into textures, lighting and shadow settings and to achieve photorealistic rendering. Color palettes from Benjamin Moore, Pantone and other companies are all included.

We are a company that specializes in landscaping, hardscaping, and lawn maintenance in New Jersey. If you choose us as your landscaping partner, you can certainly expect that we put landscape design software into good use when we plan for your landscaping in Morristown, NJ.