Computer users have a tendency to spend quite a bit of time indoors, which makes it seem odd that landscapers would be working so closely with software engineers these days. Nevertheless, there are many reasons an exterior landscape designer might want to employ digital tools when working on a landscaping project. Read more below on how using software can improve work for a landscaping company.
Traditional computer-aided design applications are usually the first ones landscapers turn to when they look to try out some new tools. Higher-end solutions let users adjust how scenes are lit, thus making it easy to see how a layout might look at different times of the day. Elaborate layouts might use the topography of the land around a garden or lawn to make dramatic solar patterns. Access to solid computer programs makes this kind of planning much easier.
Design isn’t the only area where software is making inroads in the landscaping sector. Inventory lists have quickly gravitated toward online environments. Consumers may wish to order commercial lawnmower equipment when they’re first breaking into the industry. Once they have enough gear to support all of their staff, they can use a piece of database software to keep track of them.
Scheduling applications are also good for those who plan to do a lot of work on behalf of outside clients. Networked solutions can let people request landscaping services without ever having to make a phone call. This is a good idea for particularly busy services that tend to get orders at odd hours of the day. It’s also a good idea for growing companies that don’t yet have a full marketing staff.
Landscapers who want to implement software into their workflows might not even need that much equipment to get going. When you compare it to something like solid surface design, wireframe modeling is a far simpler process that doesn’t require nearly as much computer hardware to handle. This technique gives outdoor designers the freedom to see the insides of solid objects as they build them. That’s good for those who plan on laying out statues or other physical pieces in their layouts.
Almost any type of drawing program could make it into the field, however. Those who want to try using computer software as part of their landscaping business might want to initially experiment with a simple paintbrush application. Though it can be hard to sketch out sophisticated designs with a mouse, the use of a digital pen or an art table can make even a rather basic program into a strong design tool. Freehand art software gives users the ability to put in almost any symbols they’d want to.
Technologists have integrated large numbers of architectural and engineering symbols into the Unicode specification. While you might normally think of this standard as spelling out which emoji to include in text chat windows, it also gives landscapers plenty of symbols to include in their documents. Something as basic as a word processor or a text editor can suddenly become extremely useful for landscapers the moment designers start using these extra features.