Design family homes, shopping malls, high-rise buildings or just an apartment within a real 2D/3D environment using all the available tools for planning and visualizing buildings. Overall, dut to its ease-of-use, accurate results and the reasonable price tag, this software will surely stand out of the crowd.

Ashampoo 3D CAD Architecture 2 offers a variety of brand-new features as well as improvements in usability and workflow management. Some of these changes have been brought about through user suggestions and contributions. Use for example the surface design tool to design your own surfaces, wrap objects into smooth shadows for even more authentic interiors, choose from a variety of different solar elements, or go on a virtual tour to fully explore your CAD projects.

On top of everything, Ashampoo 3D CAD Architecture 2 now comes with the Quantities Plug-in. With this plug-in you can easily keep track of complex projects and develop your personal planning strategy.

Here are some key features of "Ashampoo 3D CAD Architecture":

Design and construction:
· Construction in any view, i.e. 2D floor plans, cross sections or 3D
· Polygonal winding staircases (solid or wooden)
· Polygonal landing staircases (solid or wooden)
· Construction aids, 3D/2D guidelines
· 3D /2D dimensioning, snap-to functions for 3D objects
· Accurate positioning using reference points and numerical editing
· Detailed visibilities for each view, settings for level of detail shown
· Structural layers for walls, ceilings and floors

Creative planning with a lot of 3D objects:
· Accurate cross sections through the 3D model
· Assistants for copying properties, select, delete operations
· Comprehensive catalog of 3D objects, materials and symbols
· Create individual 2D symbols for text blocks, legends
· Settings for sun and moon for the illumination of 3D views
· Extendable 3D catalogs
· User definition of structural layers for inclusion in the catalog
· Scale objects

Real-world pictures:
· Define user light sources, punctual and spot lighting, ambient, etc.
· Edit models using materials and texture
· Project management using the project viewer; create layers
· Predefined dormer-types including eyebrow and arched dormers
· Work with patterns and pattern elements; combinations
· Common partial 3D converter
· Predefined banisters for staircases
· Ray tracing, antialiasing, create images during processing

Landscape planning with predefined landscape forms:
· Automatic recognition of openings in walls & facade elements
· Surface editor for surfacing areas and sub-areas, editing in 2D/3D
· Extensive range of functions for roofs and dormers incl. gutters,...
· 2D / 3D plants
· 2D graphic functions
· 3D landscaping with predefined landscape forms, paths, terraces
· Insert openings

Powerful export functions:
· Generate laying plans as a standard option
· Assignment of task items, quantities, export of lists
· Export in various formats e.g. CygniCon Object, 3DS, 3D-DXF, etc.
· Export timber lists in PDF, RTF, Excel or HTML format
· Analysis of surfaced areas with respect to material requirements
· Calculate texture coordinates and point normals
· Integrated calculation functions, assignment of task items
· Convert 3D models into various formats e.g. 3DS, 3D-DXF, VRML1

Requirements:

· PC with processor frequency from 1.8 GHz
· 256 MB RAM
· 64 MB of graphic adapter
· DVD disk drive

What's New in This Release:

· Quantities Plug-in enabling for a deep analysis of the whole planning process
· Surface design tool that lets you design your own surfaces
· Enhanced building planning process for whole buildings or single stories
· Smooth shadows for even more authentic interiors
· Extended 2D functionality
· Data input assistance during planning and construction phase
· Solar elements with own catalogue
· Virtual tour enables you to fully explore your CAD projects
· New 3D objects for kitchen areas, bathroom areas and other areas of the house
· General program improvements like support for imperial system of measurements,
· Pan in 2D view and many more!