Michael and Phil,

I would agree 100% with Phil's suggestion about building a model of your 
space. There are several ways aside from the importing of ACAD dwgs. You 
can draw a scale model floor plan from field measurement (always 
remember to include the thickness of walls, etc. so you don't end up 
with cumulative errors in room dimensions). Sketchup allows you to 
import a scanned drawing or image and scale it to use as a base plan for 
floor plans and elevations. You can easily draw your model on top of 
those drawings and then turn them off when you are done.

Best,

Larry Fisher

On 2/25/2011 10:40 AM, Phil Raino wrote:
> Michael, I second Larry's suggestion of Sketchup; after getting past 
> the nominal learning curve, I've found it versatile for a number of 
> applications. I've built reusable/repositionable models of the various 
> free-standing exhibit cases I have available to use, have figured out 
> graphic material placement and dimensions, have prototyped book and 
> document mounts, and have presented mock-ups (enhanced with a 
> standalone freeware renderer) to management. Also, a wealth of 
> tutorials are available on the Sketchup site itself or on YouTube.
>
> One other thought: A scale-accurate layout of your spaces is 
> invaluable in planning the size and placement of your exhibit 
> materials, and aids in materials cost estimates. I had the good 
> fortune to locate AutoCAD .dwg models of my library's floorplans, 
> which were importable in the free version of Sketchup 6 (7 and a 8 
> have removed this functionality, but it's in all the Professional 
> versions), and built the model up from that. It's well worth the 
> effort of any additional measuring required.
>
> Phil Raino
> Exhibits Developer, Special Collections Research Center
> The Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library
> George Washington University
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 25, 2011 at 9:00 AM, Michael Reuter 
> <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> 
> wrote:
>
>     Our staff is looking for freeware or inexpensive software that
>     will allow us to manipulate the design of our exhibit walls. 
>     Ideally, this software would allow us to move photos, text panels,
>     and even create conceptual immersion modules that we could then
>     present as a visual aid in describing the design that our staff is
>     looking to create. Thanks for any help you can give.
>
>     Michael Reuter
>
>     Curator of Collections/Registrar
>
>     Milwaukee County Historical Society
>
>     910 N. Old World 3rd St.
>
>     Milwaukee, WI 53203
>
>     414-273-8288
>
>
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