This guide will show you how to design a landscape over a photo using Realtime Landscaping Photo.
The first step is to take a picture of the area you wish to landscape using a digital camera or cell phone. We recommend taking your pictures when the sun is behind you and to keep the camera as level as possible.
Next, upload the photo to your computer using the directions provided with your digital camera or cell phone.
When you first start Realtime Landscaping Photo, the following welcome menu will appear:
To begin, click Start a New Design using the Wizard. The following dialog box will appear:
Click Next and then select the type of picture you would like to import. Select Background Photo and click Next.
Select the photo you want to import and click Open. If you are happy with your selection, click Next, or click Select Picture to choose another image.
Next, you will be prompted to input a file name for your picture. Click Set File Name, type in the desired file name and click Next.
By default, the wizard will make a copy of your picture. If you happen to make changes to the original image, you can always reimport it using this wizard. Click Finish, to complete the wizard and import your picture.
The picture you imported will now be the background and is ready to be landscaped.
The image below shows the interface of Realtime Landscaping Photo with each section labeled:
To zoom in and out, rotate the Middle mouse wheel and hold it down to pan the view. You can also use the Zoom and Pan tools located on the toolbar on the left-hand side of your screen.
To add grass to your design, click the Region button. Left click to place points and create the outline of your region, then Right click to place the last point.
Next, select the following material image in the Object Properties panel, to take you to a variety of region materials:
A dialog box will appear with a large selection of region fill materials. Select the Grass category, make your desired selection, and then click OK.
If you would like to further customize the appearance of the material, you can use the options found in the Object Properties panel.
To add a flower bed to your landscape design, click the Region button again and create the outline. Left click to place points and Right click to place the last point. Select the following material image to choose the material for the flowerbed:
Once the dialog box appears, select the Ground category, make your selection from the variety of options and click OK.
To further edit the appearance of the material, you can use the options found in the Object Properties panel.
To add edging to your flowerbed, click the Edging button. Left click to place points and Right click to place the last point.
Next, we will make adjustments to the edging so that it follows the curve of your flowerbed. To select all the points in your edging, Left click and drag to highlight the points. Note that selected points will appear red in color, while unselected points will appear yellow. Alternatively, you can select multiple points by holding down the Shift key on the keyboard while Left clicking the points you wish to edit. Click Edit Points and select Spline to match the curve to your flowerbed.
Click the material image seen below, to change the material of your edging.
A dialog box will appear and you can choose from a variety of different edging materials, including some from National brands Belgard, R.I. Lampus, Eldorado Stone, and Unilock. Make your selection and click OK.
To further customize the appearance of the edging, you can use the options found in the Object Properties panel.
To add a plant to your landscape design, click the Plant button.
Click the plant image seen below and it will take you to a large selection of plants.
To easily find a specific plant, click the Search option. You can make searches by common or botanical name, as well as by type and planting zone. Type in the name of the plant and click Search. Make your selection and click OK.
Left click to place your plant in the landscape design. To adjust the plant size, Left click and drag the green box found at the corner of your selection. To rotate the plant, do the same with the green circle instead.
Here is what the landscape design looks like after more plants have been added:
To add 3D objects to your design, such as furniture, fencing, cars, and more, click the Accessory button.
A dialog box will appear with a large selection of accessories. Make your desired selection and click OK.
Left click to place the accessory, then you can adjust the size and rotation as desired. The following options can be adjusted to help it match the perspective of your photo:
By default, objects are drawn in the order that you added them. This drawing order is easy to adjust. For example, if you want the following plant to appear in front of the planter, Left click to select the plant and click the Bring to Front button. Additionally, you can also change the drawing order in small increments by pressing the F and B keys on the keyboard repeatedly.
Once you have completed your landscape design, you can either print it or export it as a JPEG or PDF file. Note that anything that extends into the gray area outside your background image will not be printed. Here is the completed landscape design.
Thank you for reading this guide, and please feel free to contact us for more information about our landscaping software.