Design Programs..

ruskent

So whats everyone using for design programs? Or do you guys still use napkins??

I got Pool Studios after the AC show. My new dell insprion 9400 laptop just came in this week. Got a nice 17in screen!

I can't wait to use this on sales. Hopefully it helps.

Btw i love having a laptop. I now surf the web as i watch tv!

dirt diggler

Nothing ... pencil and a ruler and a compass


What do you need Pool Studios for??? (ive never heard of it)

ruskent

Check out http://www.structurestudios.com

They make pool studios.

Cole

How much was is it?

I am guessing it will not produce CD's?

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ruskent

You subscribe to it. 90 bucks a month. Free upgrades. Free training..

No you can't make CDs... But it can make screen shot photos.

dirt diggler

what benefit does it offer?


what am I paying $90 a month for??

ruskent

Helps ya sell. You can design a half decent looking pool in about 30-40 minutes at the customers kitchen table.

You can show the customer what the pool would look like in different shapes, differen finishes, differerent coping/deck. Add in hot tops, water falls, fountains, jets, etc.


You design it in 2d, then you can run it in 3 day and walk around the pool.


Its really an amazing program, and for 90 bucks a month, it really seperates you from your competition.

lukachuki

google has a free design program that is extremely easy to use. I have been playing with it and I could see creating 3d pools to show the customer in just a few minutes. I have not tried any pools myself but I quickly whipped out some brick retaining walls etc.

I have been amazed with the program and the price...i.e free

http://sketchup.google.com

Here's the video that got me excited about the possibilities

http://sketchup.google.com/gsu5vtviewer.html#id=0

A couple of pools drawn in sketchup by others







And my first effort designing for a retaining wall



Anyway worth checking out and you might be amazed by this program like I am.

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lukachuki

I hear you on the laptop comment and the pool studios software looks really nice....I am going to check it out a LOT closer in the next few days. 90 bucks a month is nothing if it helping you sell pools.

Their photo gallery kinda blows you away. Someday I would like to build a pool for a customer like this one below which comes from their gallery.



And by the way this looks like the software for pool design. Sketchup is designed with different goal in mind and I should've checked pool studios out before posting the previous post.

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Less with the jaw more with the paw!

dirt diggler

it's definitely fun ...


im just very skeptical of what effect it actually does have for sales.


For all I know ... it could be that "golden ticket" for me

Or not ...



the only value I see is getting a 3-d image to the consumer - and it DOES have a "woah, cool" factor

but...


Does it draw scale??
Can you base your excavation plans from it?




just playin devil's advocate ... not preachin gospel

Bone Saw

dirt, read this quote 1000 times
Rusk, congratulations on your upgrade. Not only are you going to kill your competition in your client meetings, your execution is going to be 10x more efficient being able to refer to anything you need to know a mouseclick away rather than trying to decipher chicken scratch hand written notes.

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ruskent

Dirt- Yes it draws to scale. You can print it with all to dimensions from the house, property line, etc. You include this with the contract, so then there is no questions on where the pool is suppose to go etc.

90 bucks a month is nothing. The 2200 dollar computer is nothing. Dirt your selling 85k pools right?

dirt diggler

i can't get the demo to work ...

that is a huge benefit if I can draw to scale.

But --- here's my tightwad logic coming out

Whether I make $100,000 a year or $30,000 a year, or 50, 40, whatever ....

That's still $3,280 ...

Cole

I also use sketcup, and it is a very valuable software package after getting to know how to use it.

Nice Work!

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ruskent

I was going to buy a laptop anyway. You can cancel the subscription any time if you find out it doesn't work or if you don't like it.