Thread: Manage DIY projects with a free online planner

Start by paying a visit to the Mydeco link at the top of the page. Enter the requested:details and click 'Create my account'. There is no need to fill in the information on the displayed profile page, so feel free to click the 'Skip this for now' link. By this time, a confirmation email should have arrived in your email inbox - just click the link it contains to confirm the new account. Now click the 'Plan my room' link in the top navigation bar.

Click the get started button in the Tool 1 : Complete Room Planner section, and the room planner will load in a new browser window. Close the welcome screen and then decide the shape ofthe room to be worked with. If the room is rectangular, click 'Create new room' and enter the relevant dimensions before clicking Create. Alternatively, click 'Empty room shapes' and locate the thumbnail that most resembles the room that is to be decorated.

Drag and drop the room shape from the template selection bar onto the room plan at the bottom of the screen. The room can be resized as required in one of two ways. The first option is to simply drag and drop walls to the desired location, keeping an eye on the dimensions as they change on the plan. The second option is to click a wall and then enter the necessary dimension in the Length box in the right-hand Wall panel. The room height can also be adjusted here.

To get a better idea of how the room looks, it is possible to change the viewpoint. In the lower portion of the screen, drag and drop the camera to a new location using the rotation option to turn the view as necessary. To the right, the height and angle of the camera can also be adjusted. Links at the bottom of the main preview window can be used to switch between Plan and Side view, while the slider allows for zooming in and out. The four buttons in the right-hand Camera panel can be used to adjust the view in the smaller room preview window in the upper right-hand corner ofthe screen.

To start adding essential room components, click the Build tab at the top of the screen. Click the Windows icon, select a window style and then drag and drop a window onto a wall in the plan - windows can be moved after initial placement. With an individual window selected, the right hand panel can be used to change colours and sizes. Repeat the process for doors and use the Walls And Alcoves section to add any extra room features that are required.

To get a better idea of how the room looks, position the camera in the planner section of the screen and then click the Bigger & Better button in the top-right preview panel. The preview window will enlarge to display a more detailed preview ofthe room and this can be viewed at any time during the design process. When trying out ideas, it can be useful to click the Save As button to save progress. Click Shrink View to return to the main planner.

To start adding furniture and accessories to the room plan, click the Furnish tab at the top of the screen. Click one of the icons representing the six main categories of furnishing or click Everything to view the entire selection. Each category is made up of a number of sub-categories, and you can move through these using the menu displayed above the planner window. As with walls and doors, furniture can be dragged and dropped onto the room plan to see how it looks.



The mydeco site lists genuine furniture items available from a number of online retailers, and in many cases it is not possible to customise the dimensions of individual items (because they're the actual dimensions, obviously). However, it is possible to search for items of furniture ofa particular size, and it is usually possible to find a very close match for an existing piece of furniture or something that is going to be bought for the new room. Tick the box labelled 'Search by dimension' in the top panel, and then draw a rectangle on the plan to the required size.

Having added the furniture that will be included in the completed room, it is time to choose wall and floor coverings. Click the Decorate tab at the top of the screen and then select one ofthe sub-categories. When furnishing the walls and floor it makes sense to switch room view, so click the Side button at the bottom of the screen. When working in this mode, an'ows to the left and right of the room preview can be used to rotate the view.

In the paint section, click on the colour palette in the region of the desired colour. A close-up of the chosen section will then be displayed to make it easier to select an individual colour. As with furniture and accessories, paint colours can be dragged and dropped into place on the room preview. Colours can be dropped onto individual walls, or onto one of the icons on the pop-up that appears while dragging, to add the current colour to either the ceiling or all walls at once.

Painting walls and the ceiling in this way does not take long, but things can be sped up by turning to one ofthe pre-defined colour schemes. Drag and drop a colour scheme onto the room preview to see how it will look. Many of the schemes include a patterned feature wall if this is unsuitable, it can be adjusted by applying a new paint colour over the top of it. The Undo button at the bottom of the screen can prove useful when trying out new ideas.

With everything in place, it is possible to view a larger preview of the room design and layout. Click the Hide Panel button at the top ofthe screen to expand the room preview. The Zoom slider and navigation arrows can then be used to work through the room to check how everything looks and to ensure that furniture has been positioned correctly. 10 make any changes, simply click the Show Panel button and work through the various tabs again.

Once the room has been completed, click the Save As button in the right-hand panel. Enter a name and optional description for the room, indicate whether it should be made public or private and then click 'Save room'. It is then possible to start work on designing another room by clicking the New button beneath the three dimensional room preview in the upper right-hand comer of the screen use the Open button to access room designs that have already been saved.

In future, completed rooms can be accessed by clicking the My Profile link on the main Mydeco page. Move to the Rooms tab and any saved rooms will be listed - click 'Edit my 3D room' to make additional changes. In order to show off designs, they must be made public. Click the Make Public link on a room thumbnail, confirm the action arid then click the preview to view the room. The web address ofthe room can be emailed to others to see what they think of the new design.