When it comes to drawing up plans for a new room in your house, there are some very sophisticated software tools that can help. Chances are, however, that you don't go in for this kind of makeover very often, and when you do, you aren't inclined to spend a long time learning to use sophisticated software. If this is the case, Design It 3-D could be worth a look. It might also be useful if you want to explore 3-D art and are in need of straightforward software to familiarize you with the principles. The software is a relatively basic in construction, which makes it easy to learn to use. It comes with a good array of shapes to use when building a drawing, including items of furniture, as well as basic shapes you can use to construct all kinds of objects, from planes and cars to abstract art. To get a shape into your drawing you just drag it from the palette onto a grid. With few complex controls to learn, and an easy way to switch between flat and 3-D views, this software is undemanding yet rewarding. --Sandra Vogel
