The program opens with this shed wizard. The 2D designs are used for custom designs, while the 3D designs are automated. I will assume for a moment a simple shed will be needed, so the 3D design will be used. After, clicking on the 3D shed, the next window is the style of shed — a gable shed or a barn shed. There are several other windows that asked for size, stud spacing, floor type, roof type, and inside walls. After the program has the data, it begins the design process. The program starts by drawing the shed floor, then the walls are drawn, the door cut out, the siding put on, the roof framing added, and finally the roof itself.

I have noticed a bug with this drawing, the right side of the shed drawing, the surface texture shading is not complete. Also, there is no door. Since, there are overhead doors, single swinging, double swinging, single sliding, double sliding, and many types of Dutch doors, it is easy to see why there is no door on the drawing. During the drawing process, if the design calls for a floor, the plywood is not staggered, as is done during construction. Since this a 3D design, the drawing maybe rotated , so that different views can be viewed. Also, if the drawing is done without shading, the stud framing can be seen. Since, the drawing is done with layers, by making some layers visible and others not, more detail of the design can be viewed. This technique can be used during printing to make a hard copy of this detail.

So what is needed to make this shed? Under the file menu, is the material list command. Print out the list, take it to the home center, get the material, and start building.

The only major problem with the 3D sheds is that there are only two basic designs. Look at shed wizard, and notice that the first window has a 2D shed. By clicking on the 2D design, about a dozen shed and office designs come up. 

There are four parts to this drawing — a front, a side, an isometric drawing, and a floor plan.  These drawing are editable, so windows and  doors may be changed, plus fixtures may be added. The program comes with several libraries of scaleable predawn symbols. After the additions are made, the user can draw the framing elevations for each wall. I have noticed that the material list command does not work with the 2D design. The list output does come, so the user can manually make the material list. 

Want to know a dirty little secret? The way the program designs sheds is by the use of the developer’s toolkit that comes with DesignCAD 3D MAX Office (which I reviewed in the February, 2002 issue of PC Alamode).  So Instant Shed & Shop Design has a 3D design engine in it. Now not all the functions found in DesignCAD 3D MAX are there, but most of them are there. Not bad since I found Instant Shed & Shop Design  at a local store for a penny under twenty bucks. So if a user needs a cheap 3D CAD program, this program can be used instead. And just think, it designs sheds also.