Sweet Home 3D is an excellent solution for all those that daydream about redesigning their home, or even for professionals that need a basic mock-up.

The fact that it's based on Java shouldn't put you off either - it works very smoothly with virtually no delays in placing furniture or creating previews. You can take a photo of your finished design, which you can then send on to friends to view who won't need Sweet Home 3D to view it. Unfortunately, the graphics on Sweet Home 3D are not great - many pieces of furniture look blocky, but its designed to give an idea of what an arrangement will look like rather than a perfect picture. These are the basics and Sweet Home 3D is extremely easy to get to grips with. They've also added a much needed auto recovery function if Sweet Home 3D crashes.

This includes a new ability to handle rounded walls, the possibility to store points of view, a new compass and even light and sun management to accurately show how your designs react under different conditions. The latest version adds a new level of realism to Sweet Home 3D. Once you've done this, use the virtual visit tool to get a 3D preview of what it looks like and talk a walk around. To create your rooms, all you need to do is drag and drop elements into the grid view and you'll see them building up 3D in the viewing screen below.

Sweet Home 3D offers more than 50 different pieces of furniture, ranging from beds to lamps and desks tables, but you can import even more from the developer's website.

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