Arcon SmallBusiness combines visual design, professional CAD capabilities and clear project execution in a single program. Produce detailed floor plans, automated 3D models, elevations, section details and working drawings to meet your client’s brief quickly and easily and exchange project-related data with partners via multiple export options. Compatible with Building Regs 4 Plans, our best selling add-on pack containing 240 editable CAD detail blocks for the most common requirements for building regulations. Supplied in both DXF and DWG format, the details in this pack will be appropriate for submissions in England and Wales. Drawings are inline with the June 2022 Building Regs updates.
- Draw floor plans quickly with easy-to-use CAD tools
- Produce architect quality construction drawings, elevations, sections and 3D visualisations suitable for planning permission applications
- Fully customisable items including walls, windows, doors, skylights, roofs, furnishing objects
- Advanced wall editor for creating and storing multi-layered wall construction details
- Includes detailed layering feature for adding hatched walls around windows/doors
- DXF/DWG import assistant and powerful drawings tools for creating working and building control drawings
- Compatible with Building Regs 4 Plans
- Extensive range of window and door types including bi-folding
- Manual and automatic generation of roofs with advanced editor and multi-roof merge feature for producing complex structures
- Landscaping tools for marking out building plots, boundaries, paths, driveways, garden walls, ponds and terrains
- Advanced timber construction display in walls, floors, roof structure
- Make quick changes to your design in 2D and 3D with easy-to-use editing tools
- Import and export formats include DXF, DWG, PDF, JPG, BMP, PNG, 3DS, DAE, IFC, KMZ, O2C
- Publish/Email project – email your project file, 2D plan, 3D image and 3D object of building directly to your client, builder and anyone else involved in your project. Email also contains a link to web viewer where your client can view and interact with the 3D object of building
- Software library includes 1,000’s of indoor and outdoor furnishing objects, textures and architectural symbols
- Quick start guides, video tutorials, help system, FAQ’s and detailed reference manuals
- No subscription fee or recurring payment, just a one-time purchase
- Dedicated after sales team ready to assist with handy tips or help via phone, email, web chat
- Install software on up to 2 computers
- Instant download
Key features
- Suitable for architects, architectural technologists, CAD technicians, planning departments, builders, self-builders
- Powerful and extensive tool-set for creating 2D floor plans, elevations, section details
- Fully interactive graphics for modifying construction elements and individual component parts
- Different icon displays to choose from
- Instant 2D floor plans to 3D models
- Create detailed drawing sets for planning applications
- Further enhance 2D drawings with building regulation information
- Landscaping tools for marking out plot, paths, ponds etc and for setting height levels
- Terrain brush for fine ground detailing
- Library containing thousands of furnishing objects and textures
- Include additional objects direct from Sketchup 3D Warehouse
- Add realism with 3D textures
- Explore the inside & outside of your building with our 3D walkthrough function
- On-screen measurements for directly modifying selected elements in 2D & 3D
- Advanced component editors for windows, doors, walls, stairs, roofs etc
- Range of different stair types including flexible staircase designer for defining all elements of the stairs, balustrades, risers, treads, construction type
- Universal stair tool for defining own outline/shape of staircase
- Set geographic position through Google Maps
- Set time of day and simulate lighting effect
- Add 3D model to Google Earth to view in situ on the correct plot
- 3D textures and bump-mapping capabilities
- Instant elevation viewer
- Break apart 2D elevation & section views for further editing
- Display cross-section of building in 3D
- Plan Element mode for producing elevations, sections & drawing details quickly & easily
- Plan Element mode for modifying 2D elevation & section views quickly using advanced drawing and editing tools
- Plan Layout mode for producing consistent professional plan sets e.g. applications, building regulations, working drawings, site plans, plumbing/heating/electrical layouts etc
- Detailing tools for working and building control drawings
- Trace over existing paper copy of a plan or drawing with our scan/background image assistant
- Advanced dormer editor
- Pre-defined multi-layered wall constructions
- Create multi-layered walls inc. cavity walls. Save your own wall construction detail to library
- Layering function for adding wall hatchings and wrapping detail around windows/doors
- Advanced wall junction options
- Extensive range of windows & doors including bi-folds
- Merge multiple roof intersections. Create complex roof structures
- Room height line display
- Use 2D drawings tools to create 3D models
- Timber construction display in walls, floors and roofs
- Advanced timber construction editor
- Automatic text display of construction element properties
- Create multiple building drawings
- Modify wall levels at varying heights
- Separately texture sections of walls
- Live real-time rendering
- Pre-set lighting scenes available. Modify existing ones or create new ones
- Large database of construction elements
- Supports metric and imperial measurements
- Import and Export DXF/DWG files
- Exchange project-related data via the IFC BIM interface
- STL export for 3D printing capabilities
- Other supported formats include 3DS, DAE, PDF, O2C
- Save to image file (JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF, GIF)
- Publish/Email project – email your project file, 2D plan, 3D image and 3D object of building directly to your client, builder and anyone else involved in your project. Email also contains a link to web viewer where your client can view and interact with the 3D object of building
- Includes video tutorials, in-depth documentation, step by step guides, FAQ’s
- Access to our UK based technical support team
System requirements
Operating system: Windows® 11, 10, 8, 8.1 or 7
Processor: at least Intel® Core™ i3 or equivalent processors
Memory: at least 4 GB
Free hard disk space: approx. 2 GB
Graphics card: standard, 3D capable
Arcon SmallBusiness overview
Frequently asked questions
Are your products Mac compatible?
Arcon SmallBusiness and 3D Architect Home Designer are Windows applications but we have many customers successfully running these on a Mac. If you would like to try and run our home design software on your Mac then you will need to have either Parallels or Bootcamp and Windows installed. Please take a look at Parallels Desktop, a fast, easy and powerful application for running Windows on your Mac without rebooting. See https://www.parallels.com where you can download a trial version.
Before going ahead with purchase, we recommend that you request a trial version of our home designer software to ensure that it operates successfully on your Mac.
What happens after I have placed my order?
Once your order for a download version of the software is completed and processed, you will be emailed download instructions together with a serial code to activate your software. You will be up and running in no time.
What if I get stuck during my project?
Arcon SmallBusiness & 3D Architect support includes Technical, Installation & Activation support via email plus access to our web based tutorials. You can also enjoy our latest comprehensive and interactive PDF guides and video tutorials available under the support section on our website. See Technical Support pages for more information.
How many computers can I install the software on?
When you purchase a single user licence of our software, you will receive unlimited access to the download and an activation key that will allow you to install our software on two computers e.g. home pc and work laptop.
Can the software be installed on multiple computers for others to use?
If you require extra licence(s) for additional users then we have several options available which vary depending on intended use, number of licences required and the version you are running. Please email us at [email protected] for more details.
Can I produce drawings for planning submission?
Plans amd elevations drawn up in Arcon SmallBusiness or 3D Architect Home Designer software are accurate and suitable for submission to your local authority for planning approval. Many of our existing users have achieved this with no previous experience. We recommend referring to your local authority as early as possible to ensure you create plans that meet their requirements.
Which version of the software is easiest to use?
The 3D Architect Home Designer Basic edition would seem to be the most simple-to-use version being at the low end of our product range! However, all our home designer prroducts including Arcon SmallBusiness work in the same way in terms of the basic functionality e.g. drawings walls, placing windows etc. Of course, the more you spend the more features there are so there will be more to learn over time! Because our software products function in the same way, this makes upgrading easier because you will already be familiar with how the software operates.
I have an old version of Grand Designs 3D software developed by you, is there an upgrade to your new versions?
Yes. For users who own a copy of our popular Grand Designs 3D software we can offer an upgrade discount on any of our home designer products. For an upgrade price, please email your existing order number, serial code and product title you would like to upgrade to. Please email us at [email protected]
I have an older version of Arcon 3D software, is there an upgrade to your new versions?
Yes. For users who own a copy of our old system we can offer an upgrade discount on any of our home designer products. For an upgrade price, please email your existing order number, serial code and product title you would like to upgrade to. Please email us at [email protected]
Do your prices include VAT?
For digital products delivered via download, VAT is charged in accordance with EU rules and is charged at your local VAT rate for all countries in the EU Vatable area. Our product pages display prices with VAT included however, if you are buying from outside the UK / EU Vatable area then tax will not be applied to your order and this will be automatically adjusted in the cart.
If I purchase a product, how do I upgrade?
You can upgrade your current version of 3D Architect Home Designer or Arcon SmallBusiness at any time.
For an upgrade price, please email your existing order number, serial code and product title you would like to upgrade to. Please email us at [email protected]
