
You can plan accurate scaled 2D drawings alongside your 3D model, and presentation options include fly-overs, walkthroughs and even fully immersive VR experiences, if you have the necessary hardware. Once you reach the level of SketchUp Pro, functionality becomes more advanced. While SketchUp is ideal for those with some experience of 3D modelling – the opportunities for customisation are effectively endless – for beginners, SketchUp’s free online 3D Warehouse contains hundreds of thousands of useful objects, from vegetation to vehicles. For pinpoint accuracy, you can even import the exact terrain data for your garden using SketchUp’s Geo-location tool.

Sculpt 3D terrain to match your backyard, either entirely from scratch or by modifying an existing 3D model. There's a limited palette of predefined materials to choose from for free, including common textures such as stone, brick and vegetation – again, a paid subscription will expand your options considerably. There's 10GB of cloud storage included free – upgrade to SketchUp Shop to make this unlimited. The free version of SketchUp offers web-based 3D modelling, with the modelling tools you need to draw, extrude and move basic geometric shapes around to build your landscape.

(Image credit: SketchUp) SketchUp review: Design features
