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]> 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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