How to Use Landscape Lighting Software

Before you begin any landscape project, it is important to put together a plan of action. You can get out a pencil and a piece of paper to draw a diagram of the landscape project--or you can potentially create a much more accurate picture of what the final landscape project will look like (in a 3-D graphic with full color) using quality landscape software. Many landscape software choices give you the ability to place lighting on the landscape for dramatic nighttime views.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer meeting the minimum system requirements for the software

1. Take a picture or draw a rough diagram of the landscape area you plan to light so you can recreate the landscape in the software.
2. Create a digital representation of your property and the landscape area you want to light.
3. Drag and drop various types of lighting to different areas of the landscape to see your options. Remember, you want to create lighting effects for dramatic nighttime views, not recreate sunlight by adding too many lights.
4. Create different lighting effects by varying the distance the light shines from various objects, shining lights almost straight up objects, placing lights high and low, casting shadows on walls and creating silhouettes by placing lights behind objects.
5. Experiment with different colored lights to see what effect this has on garden areas, walkways, walls and other areas.
6. Save the different versions of lighting for later comparison. Use names like Front Yard Version 1, Front Yard Version 2 and so forth.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchasing landscape software can help you save money and achieve the exact look you want for your property, because you will know exactly what to purchase to create various landscape lighting effects.
• Take a couple of minutes to register the software before you use it, so you can make use of the warranty and other benefits that registered users receive.
• The more accurate your representation of your landscape is in the software, the more accurate you can make the landscape lighting.
• If you are putting together a new landscape project, create five or six different representations and then use the look you like best.
• Prepare yourself to spend a little extra time learning how to fully use the software before you create landscape masterpieces.
• Don't buy the cheapest landscape software you can find--especially if it does not show the lighting options you want to see.

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