ART-SHOP X-Lite

Printers capable of of handling the third dimension are a major step in production automation. But before the machine can start cutting and assembling pieces together, the design must be made and this is a task that falls in the hands of enthusiasts. Specialized applications are used, with ART-SHOP X-Lite being dedicated to interior design.

Other than sufficient space on your hard disk drive to hold all of the application's elements and a moderate configuration for a smooth workflow, you also need a great deal of patience both to get accustomed with all of its features and put them to good use. This is because of a rather rough design, with multiple windows that tend to lack practicality.

The main window represents your interactive workspace, fitted with most controls and options. In terms of creation, the application puts a decent amount of 2D and 3D utilities at your disposal for geometrical shapes and specialized elements like tubes or objects with extrusion.

However, it's pretty difficult to design an interior by drawing each line, attributing it color and making all finishing details. This is where the catalog comes in handy, which is sadly kept in a different window you cannot attach to your workspace.

The application lets you follow several steps you can visit as you see fit in case you missed any details. Since you get to design a style for a closed environment, one of the first steps is to set up the walls. A few presets are available, with various fields for technical details. These can all be modified from the workspace to make it blend with your design.

You can take advantage of a rich content library fitted with categories like kitchens, brickwork kitchens, modulars, offices, bathrooms, shops and open space wall unit. Needless to say that they hold specialized objects, each with size specifications and various styles that can be customized.

Adding objects is pretty easy, and there are even options to have them automatically arranged according to the type of room you build. It might take some time to add all finishing touches, with a rich library of materials and technical details that can be adjusted.

In the initial screen, the application gives you the possibility to manage currency options. This comes in handy because dedicated tools let you view and edit price specifications so you get an idea of how much the design costs. It applies to objects and finishes, with options to generate a list of all items with cost and print it out on a sheet of paper.

Taking everything into consideration, we can say that ART-SHOP X-Lite might not be the best of its kind, taking some time to get acquainted with its features. However, the abundance of libraries cleverly organized in specific categories, thorough technical and visual editing options, as well as price calculator and report builder manage to make it practical overall.