FloorPlan 3D Home Design Suite 8.0 offers a variety of useful features. You can create a design with different floor levels, automatically insert doors, windows and stairs, and create a virtual reality walk-through tour of your model in 3-D. You can furnish your design with items like cabinets and add fences and gates to your outdoor environments.

This title is easy to install and it comes with a comprehensive guide book that clearly explains all the different functions and how to use them. The booklet provides helpful tutorials which cover all the basics.

In your first lesson, you are shown how to create a very simple three-room cottage and how to insert doors, windows and furniture. There are step-by-step instructions on how to insert two interior walls with supporting drawings and clear guidance on viewing your design in 3-D.

At times this software can seem complex. But if you take it one step at a time and refer to the guide book, you will soon master all the functions and bring your dream home to life. --Justin Hunt

It now contains LightWorks Materials and Lighting and can accomodate any texture you care to add to the program.

Used in conjunction with Designer (a TurboCAD light bundled program) most anything is possible. While CAD is not the easiest to learn, many of the base techniques are within the grasp of those willing to spend some time with the program.

FloorPlan's many customizable symbols can be added to through the use of importing Designer 3ds files. It's existing Window and Door symbols are virtually unlimited in configurations.

You can instantly convert your FloorPlan model to working drawings by importing them to Designer. While in the Print Space Maker, plans / elevations / isometrics along with Door and Window schedules are create with a click. Paper sizes are extensive along with instant Title blocks.

If you want to walk through your 3d model just export to VRML (virtual reality) and navigate through your model with all textures applied.

IMSI provides a Forum for all users to post questions and examples of their work and users from all over the world are present there.

It's biggest weakness is with complicated spaces and roofs but these issues are being improved on with each release.

It runs on all stable operating systems with few complaints by experienced users who have followed the installation instructions.

I know of no program out there that can do what it can for the price.


Does some of what it says on the box...   February 15, 2004
 8 out of 10 found this review helpful

Does many things well, but seems more suited to straightforward, regular constructions. Got a complex roof line? Well don't bother with this. Had I bought direct from IMSI at least I could have got my money back...


Do not touch with a ten foot barge pole!   January 30, 2004
 43 out of 48 found this review helpful

After reading the positive reviews on this site, I ordered a copy from Amazon. It took nearly a month to arrive, so not feeling that good when it eventually arrived.

However I loaded the software onto my PC. This is a machine with 512mb of memory, Pentium 4 2.4 gig running XP Pro with Broadband connection to the internet – in short a reasonable spec’ed machine and considerably exceeds the recommended spec for the product. Once installed, I tried to run the software. The good news is that it brought up the Desktop. The bad news is it then reported “out of memory”. Try to select anything and same out of memory message. Tried running with everything else closed. Same message. Tried applying available patches (8.1), same message.

Tried the BBS mentioned by others here and got answers that it does not work well with XP with the suggestion that this was down to MS, not the product vendors!!!!

Tried the email help service IMSI (publishers) offer and got no reply.

I have had a PC at home for some 15 years. I have run a large PC development group. I am no novice to PCs. Every other piece of software runs fine.

This software is not “fit for purpose”. Avoid it like the plague.

Sorry the Amazon review insists I give it one star – it does not deserve even this.

Next problem is how to return to Amazon and get my money back?


DOES WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN !!!!!   December 1, 2003
 45 out of 48 found this review helpful

Floor plan 3d has been exellent in helping me to invisage a future loft conversion on my bungalo. I originally chose this package due to it being the most bought title - (in amazon), at the time, and many other titles seemed to have negative views from Amazon customers. I did try to find a British software package, but all of them seem to be American including this one.
Although I cannot compare it to other floor plan titles, I found several things that I liked about it:-
1) There seems to be an active ongoing developement of this title by the makers. You can visit their website and upgrade to version 8.1, 8.2 should be out soon.
2) There are chat forums discussing tips, problems etc. and there are also links to 3d floorplan websites were members are actively designing plans and new 'objects' to use within the program. Some of the finished and fully rendered still shots of members designs are quite impresive. There is also a connection with this program and CAD designs.
3) The program seems quite user friendly, and can design in metric or imperial. Within minutes you can have a box on the screen with a roof and door.
4) There are 3 'views' of your design that can be achieved:- as a very profesional looking plan, as a 3 dimensional view which can be walked or flown through, or as a fully rendered and shaded still picture. (This can take several minutes for the p.c. to process).
5) The only problem with it being American is that I don't think you can design a Conservatory, and one of the objects you can add is a 'Gun Cabinet' !!!!
6) The negatives are that it has crashed occasionally but if you save your project every so often, then this doesn't seem to much of a problem. Americanised objects can be irratating when trying to find a British washing machine. And you need to be prepaired to waste many hours trying to get your project just right.
BUT...all in all a winner.