Interior Design
Supplies and Resources
General Information
To provide a more realistic overview of what is expected, the faculty has provided this general information. As in all visual disciplines, the purchase of supplies and materials is required to support a successful completion. Graduates of the interior design program leave with a variety of technical and artistic skills to help them prepare and present professional design solutions. In order to learn these skills, it is necessary for students to make an initial investment (typically 2-3 hundred dollars) per semester the first and second years of the program. Each individual course will provide the student with required supplies.
The largest investment students make is in textbooks, which, unlike in some majors, are not returned at the end of the semester, but are retained for use in future classes and in professional life. The majority of the books used in the interior design program are not college textbooks, but rather professional reference resources that are used throughout an interior design career.
Similarly, many of the tools and much of the equipment purchased for design and art foundation courses will last a lifetime if properly cared for. Students should be aware, however, that some relatively expensive supplies, such as rendering markers and pencils, vellum, plotter paper, etc, can become a financial burden if not used and cared for thoughtfully.
Not all computing and printing expenses encountered through the program are covered by Georgia Southern's student technology fee, primarily because they result from specialized programs and equipment used only by the interior design department, and do not benefit the student population as a whole. Just as dance students may be required to buy special shoes, or biology students a lab coat, interior design students contribute individually to the specialized equipment which benefits their education but is not beneficial to students in other majors. The equipment in this circumstance is technology related, but because of its specialized nature, it cannot be covered by the student technology fee. This may include but is not limited to specialized paper, color ink cartridges, presentation materials, outsourced printing costs, samples, field trips, etc. Students will be notified in advance if special costs are associated with a course or project.
Interior Design Program Technology Recommendations
Pre-interior design majors:
The software utilized throughout the interior design program requires computers with above average speed and memory. While computer labs are available for students to work on assignments, the time and accessibility of the labs varies. For students who commute to school or those who prefer to work from home in a more controlled environment, we recommend purchasing a personal computer/laptop.
Before purchasing any personal computer, we highly recommend doing some research and reading the following information regarding the software used in our program.
A desktop computer, though not portable, is typically a better option for getting more for your money; however, if interested in purchasing a laptop, be sure to research the best options. A great place to start is through PCWorld.com. This website explains a lot of the terms associated with computers and even gives you guidelines and things to look for before purchasing. Follow the link below to access PC World’s top 15 ranked notebook PC’s. The site contains a chart of the top ranked notebook PC’s, and allows you to compare them based on options, price, portability…etc. Please note that the notebooks are divided into three different categories: “desktop replacement”, “all purpose notebook”, and “ultraportable”. Be aware that notebooks with higher price tags are not necessarily better. The higher price could indicate that the notebook is more portable but with less options and power. Use the charts to compare notebooks and know exactly what you’re getting. http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,118802,00.asp
The software used throughout the program (that requires specialized computers) includes the following:
- AutoCad
- AutoCad Architecture
- Revit Architecture
- 3DS Max Design
- Adobe CS4
Please read the information below provided by the manufacturer (Autodesk) for system requirements for running these programs. You will want to make sure that the computer you want to purchase meets the strictest requirements (especially for 3DS Max® and Revit Architecture®).
**It is important to note that AutoCad® does not currently have a Mac supported version of the program; therefore, AutoCad® will only work on a PC. AutoCAD® is the software used for computer aided drafting courses in our program, and is the standard for the industry. We do not recommend purchasing a Mac for this reason (unless you have a Mac computer running a dual operating system).
Minimum Requirements for Notebook PC (Based on manufacturer’s system requirements):
**note on operating systems: the campus standard is still Windows XP; Windows XP or Windows Vista will run our programs; as of January 2010, only AutoCad® has been tested to run effectively with the newly released Windows 7. Other programs we utilize have not yet been tested to run effectively with Windows 7, so use caution before purchasing a computer running Windows 7, or check the Autodesk website for updates: www.autodesk.com
1. System Requirements for 3DS Max Design:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?siteID=123112&id=13571366
For 32-bit Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 |
For 64-bit Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 |
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2. System Requirements for Revit Architecture:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?siteID=123112&id=12431819
System Requirements for 32-bit Autodesk Revit Architecture:
- Microsoft® Windows Vista® 32-bit (SP1), including Ultimate, Business, or Home Premium edition, or Microsoft® Windows® XP (SP1 or SP2) Professional or Home edition*
- Intel® Pentium® 4 1.4 GHz or equivalent AMD® processor
- 3 GB RAM (1 GB RAM if no rendering is required)
- 5 GB free disk space
- 1280 x 1024 monitor and display adapter capable of 24-bit color
- Windows® Internet Explorer® 6.0 (SP1 or later)
- Microsoft Mouse-compliant pointing device
- Download or installation from DVD
- Internet connection for license registration
System Recommendations for 32-bit Autodesk Revit Architecture:
- Windows XP Professional (SP2 or later)*
- Intel® Core™2 Duo 2.4 GHz or equivalent AMD processor
- 4 GB RAM
- 5 GB free disk space
- Dedicated video card with hardware support for Microsoft® DirectX® 9 (or later)
- Internet Explorer 6.0 (SP1 or later)
- Two-button mouse with scroll wheel
System Requirements for 64-bit Autodesk Revit Architecture:
- Windows Vista 64-bit (SP1), including Ultimate, Business, or Home Premium edition, or Windows XP Professional (SP1) x64 edition*
- Pentium 4 1.4 GHz or equivalent AMD processor
- 3 GB RAM
- 5 GB free disk space
- 1280 x 1024 monitor and display adapter capable of 24-bit color
- Internet Explorer 6.0 (SP1 or later)
- Microsoft Mouse-compliant pointing device
- Download or installation from DVD
- Internet connection for license registration
System Recommendations for 64-bit Autodesk Revit Architecture:
- Windows XP Professional x64 edition (SP1 or later)*
- Intel Core 2 Duo 2.40GHz or equivalent AMD processor
- 8 GB RAM
- 5 GB free disk space
- Dedicated video card with hardware support for DirectX 9 (or later)
- Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 (or later)
- Two-button mouse with scroll wheel
3. System Requirements For AutoCad:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?siteID=123112&id=13784795
For Windows Users
For 32-bit AutoCAD 2010:
- Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional or Home edition (SP2 or later)
- Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® dual-core processor, 1.6 GHz or higher with SSE2 technology
- 2 GB RAM
- 1 GB free disk space for installation
- 1,024 x 768 VGA display with true color
- Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 7.0 or later
- Install from download, DVD, or CD
OR
- Microsoft® Windows Vista® (SP1 or later) including Enterprise, Business, Ultimate, or Home Premium edition (compare Windows Vista versions)
- Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon dual-core processor, 3 GHz or higher with SSE2 technology
- 2 GB RAM
- 1 GB free disk space for installation
- 1,024 x 768 VGA display with true color
- Internet Explorer 7.0 or later
- Install from download, DVD, or CD
OR
- Microsoft® Windows 7 (see note below)
- Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon dual-core processor, 3 GHz or higher with SSE2 technology
- 2 GB RAM
- 1 GB free disk space for installation
- 1,024 x 768 VGA display with true color
- Internet Explorer 7.0 or later
- Install from download, DVD, or CD
For 64-bit AutoCAD 2010
- Windows XP Professional x64 edition (SP2 or later) or Windows Vista (SP1 or later) including Enterprise, Business, Ultimate, or Home Premium edition (compare Windows Vista versions), or Windows 7 (see note below)
- AMD Athlon 64 with SSE2 technology, or AMD Opteron® processor with SSE2 technology, or Intel® Xeon® processor with Intel EM64T support and SSE2 technology, or Intel Pentium 4 with Intel EM64T support and SSE2 technology
- 2 GB RAM
- 1.5 GB free space for installation
- 1,024 x 768 VGA display with true color
- Internet Explorer 7.0 or later
- Install from download, DVD, or CD
Additional Requirements for 3D Modeling (All Configurations)
- Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD Athlon, 3 GHz or higher; Intel or AMD dual-core processor, 2 GHz or higher
- 2 GB RAM or greater
- 2 GB hard disk space available in addition to free space required for installation
- 1,280 x 1,024 32-bit color video display adapter (true color) 128 MB or greater, Microsoft® Direct3D® capable workstation class graphics card
Other Required Software:
- Anti-virus software (such as Norton Internet Security)
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher)
Additional Required Supplies/Hardware to Consider:
- External hard drive (min. 500GB)
- External mouse for laptop (touch pads are hard to draft with)
- Package of CDRs for turning in assignments
- Integrated wireless PC card (for use of wireless internet provided in our buildings)
Questions:
Specific questions concerning technology purchases for pre-interior design majors may be addressed to Professor Amy Boyett at amyboyett@georgiasouthern.edu
