Furniture designers for self-design: a review of the best software

Furniture design

With the development of computer technology, the production of many products has become easier and more accessible even to non-professionals. Regardless of whether you work in a professional workshop or want to assemble interior items by hand, furniture design software will greatly simplify the process. In it you will be able to calculate the correct dimensions and assess how the idea will look in real life. In this selection, we will consider applications that allow you to create projects of any complexity on the computer.

Before you install software for the design and manufacture of furniture products, you should decide what kind of functionality you need. If assembling interior items is your hobby, you are unlikely to need options with built-in estimates and other tools for mass product launching. And if you are making custom home goods, then you need an option that covers all aspects.

3D Suite Furniture Showroom

3D Suite Furniture Showroom can also be used to draw drawings, but the functionality is more suitable for visual presentation. A simple interface allows users with any experience in the field to quickly master the software. When you create schemes, you can view and edit the result from three perspectives, you can see the project from any point and run a virtual preview.

This program helps you quickly arrange objects in the room by applying the principle of “sticking”, that is, the added objects automatically go to the back of the wall. This significantly saves time when drawing up a plan. It is worth noting that the developers of the software have stopped supporting their product, so you can download it only from unofficial sources.

Pros:

  • Several modes depending on the task at hand;
  • There is a collection of objects with the possibility of manual modification;
  • Can be used to form sales documents with categorization by sections;
  • The software does not have high system requirements and can run even on XP.

Cons:

  • Limited functionality;
  • It is more suitable for creating photorealistic presentation than layouts.
Furniture design

T-FLEX Furniture

T-FLEX Furniture Designer comes in three variations: “Expert”, “Designer” and “Salon” for planning of any complexity. Each is suitable for a specific type and scale of tasks. “Expert” is used for modeling complex products, further serial development and includes a large set of documentation and settings. “Designer” can be used for custom orders in large factories as well as for personal purposes. “Salon” is used for complete customer support, from the initial order and visual presentation to the execution of sales documents. Modules can be downloaded individually or installed on a PC as a single complex.

Pros:

  • Designs of any complexity, from single orders to mass production;
  • The estimate module helps to calculate the cost of manufacturing and take it into account in the total price of the goods;
  • Developed projects can be modified in other similar editors.

Cons:

  • The object library must be downloaded separately;
  • Stable rendering requires a powerful PC with a strong video card.

SketchUp

SketchUp is one of the world’s most popular solutions for creating schematics and 3D visualization. The application uses high-speed parametric design which allows fast rendering of complex plans with the highest level of detail. You can use it mainly for manual sketching, but thanks to the built-in RedKit Easy Kitchen SketchUp library, you can also run an automated modeling system. The sketches created can be converted into photorealistic, high-quality images.

Pros:

  • Easy operation, accessible even to beginners;
  • Contains a huge library of 3D elements;
  • You can work online for free;
  • Created sketches can be finalized in other modeling editors.

Cons:

  • More suitable for design and hand-drawing.

K3-Furniture

K3-Furniture Designer is used for professional or independent production of interior items. With its help, you can draw the design of kitchens, cabinets, closets and other products of any complexity. It will save a lot of time spent on calculating the budget and compiling documentation. Based on the 3D model created in the internal editor, a complete set of design documents is generated for further work. The created documents can be sent immediately to the production machines or you can start assembling yourself.

Pros:

  • Compatible with warehouse and accounting applications;
  • Verifies that the assembly is correct;
  • Selects materials and calculates their cost.

Cons:

  • Requires a constant Internet connection.

Sawyer 

Sawyer is designed to create nesting maps to help calculate cuts for economical use of resources with minimal waste. The application uses data from the stockroom, which is used to calculate the dimensions of blanks. Sawyer’s actions can be automated or all necessary parameters can be set manually. Users can also keep statistics on leftovers and calculate cost percentages. The software greatly helps to optimize the operation of the company, because with its help you can not only save on non-waste production, but also keep stock records.

Pros:

  • Formation of specifications in automatic mode;
  • Updating of warehouse materials with the possibility of sorting;
  • Creation of a job queue based on a ready catalog of items.

Cons:

  • Lack of design and visual representation options.
  • The software is discontinued from development, so you can not download the official installer.

WOODY

WOODY is considered one of the best software for the furniture business, as it creates drawings in automatic mode, based on the model you draw in the editor. The feature of this option is that the virtual fabrication is run from real materials, based on data from the warehouse residue database.

As you create or modify the sketch, the designer adjusts the angle and selects fasteners depending on how the parts fit together. Realistic rendering of images is present, and users can create photos and presentations not only of the product itself, but also of individual design elements. Adding OBN, STG, 3DS formats from other builders is supported.

Pros:

  • Extensive database of finished elements that can be modified manually or embedded as is;
  • There is a function for calculating the cost of resources used and their consumption;
  • Automatic creation of drawings and specifications with an indication of the size of parts.

Cons:

  • Lack of technical support;
  • Development of the software is discontinued, there may be problems when installing on new versions of Windows.

PRO100

PRO100 is one of the most frequently used programs in salons selling interior items, because it allows you to create high definition presentations, showing the client the goods in an apartment environment. Additionally, the software is able to create assembly maps and detailed drawings for exporting them to other nesting software. PRO100 supports three-dimensional layout and viewing at any angle. The development of complex elements with oblique, radius and asymmetrical details is supported.

Pros:

  • Clear operation and user-friendly interface;
  • Highly detailed and realistic three-dimensional visualization;
  • You can use a preset base or make your own products and save them.

Cons:

  • No reference markers for positioning;
  • Can’t create drill hole and fixture maps;
  • No edge mapping capabilities.

Furniture design software is a must if you are in the business. Such software will save you time on manual drawing of fixtures and drawing of documents and help you optimize the cost of materials. If you need an application for visual viewing and cost calculation, we advise you to download Interior Design 3D builder. The software supports all Windows builds, consumes a minimum amount of system resources and has a clear user-friendly interface, so you can get to work immediately after installation and start.