As computers have become more powerful, more opportunities for using them to assist in the design process developed as well. There are many different options and some are free, others proprietary.

These programs can assist with drawing: Auto-CAD, Sketch-up, Rhino, Revit. Drawing or 3D modeling from a program and presenting it digitally is another option. These programs have plug-ins available for rendering:
Auto-CAD, Sketch-up, Rhino, Revit. Post-Production: after a rendering is made, sometimes touch-ups are needed and can be done in programs like Photoshop, and Illustrator.

Consider your personal-computer and what is around or available for use as programs have different levels of rendering capability. What is the technical expertise of the professor and other assistants and what can they help you with? Is the program free or available or costs money?

In the end always consider the type of presentation, the distance and detail needed along with the audience and whom and why this design?

 

Programs:

The computer and installed programs (software) are tools that help designers to design. Depending on the task at hand, CAD can be a great resource. However, not all design should be done on the computer alone.

Programs often used: Photoshop, Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, and Google Sketch-up.

There are multiple programs as designers and students need options, as not all are comfortable with all types of software. technology and software evolve quickly, changing with great speed.

These programs will show possible ways of representing vegetated and living walls with the main focus being in methods used throughout the whole process of designing such walls, rather than the specific programs themselves.

The first program is Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop allows designers to augment and create images as a post-rendering program.

The second program is Rhinoceros or Rhino. Rhino allows designers to work in 3-Dimensional spaces to create objects. Grasshopper is the third program or ‘Plug-in’ for Rhino

Google Sketch-up is the fourth program. This program is a simpler and less costly version of Rhino and is a 3-Dimensional representation program. Depending on the version it is even offered for free to download.

Experience is key: it is up to the designer to know when and how to uses these different methods appropriately.