Landscape Vision Design Software Program 5.4

I'll say it right up front: when I test a landscape design software program, I don't bother "studying" it much. That is, I'll browse the Help file and any tutorials offered, and perhaps visit the manufacturer's Web site briefly -- but that's about it. I take this approach not only because I'm lazy, but also because I feel it's more likely to lead to a review more useful to my readers. The average user expects a program to "take over": it should guide the user to the desired results, intuitively. Who has the time to become an expert in a software program, especially if one is not technologically inclined?

Plant-lovers have better things to do than studying how less-than-straightforward menu options work. Drawing a landscape plan with good ol' pencil and paper will seem a very attractive alternative if it's not immediately clear how the options in a program's menu function.

What, then, did I find to be some of the pros and cons of the Landscape Vision design software program, based on my dive-right-in approach? One thing I liked was the plant library, which is conveniently organized by planting zones: you begin by selecting your region's zone, and thereafter you are shown only plants suited to your region. Similarly, you can automatically narrow down plant choices by choosing between plants meant for sun, partial sun, or shade.

Another "pro" is the full screen format. Apparently, users had been critical of the smaller screens of earlier versions. In speaking of program changes, Landscape Vision states on its Web site, "We listened to your suggestions and build our new version accordingly." One of the changes listed is the change to the full screen. A word of warning, though: if your computer's screen resolution isn't already 1024 x 768, you'll have to go into Control Panel to change it.

The "cons" revolve around moving objects around and deleting them. The mechanism for moving objects (e.g., lining up shrubs in a hedge near the screen's border) is clunky. And while the "free-form hardscape" drawings come out crisp, you're able to delete only the last object drawn.

In fact, I don't like this program's Delete mechanism at all. When you hover your mouse over the Trash icon, whatever object is currently selected is deleted. This means it's all too easy to delete an object by mistake. A drag-and-drop deletion method would be preferable.

As of 3/12/07, Landscape Vision sold for $59.95. For that price, I would rate it as average.