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Avant-Garde has recently released a trio of software packages covering architectural, interior and landscape design. Written by Don Fudge, with a little help from Mary Carol Smith, each of the packages may be used quite independently. They come complete with program and data discs, manual/tutorial, workbook and quick reference and command cards.

The system requires a 48K Apple and paddles, or you can use a graphics pad, joystick or mouse. A colour monitor and a printer with a hi-res dump facility are also desirable.

As computer manager in a medium-sized architectural practice I have seen many design programs available for the Apple. The one we use currently is Scribe.

It soon became apparent that the Avant-Garde packages are aimed at the lay person and are not meant for professional use. However, they are well thought out and considerably easier to use than many I've seen.

The manuals are quite easy to follow, though in places read like a cross between a Ladybird book and a Shopperama advert. The initial tutorial is supplemented by files supplied on the data disc. Your own home is introduced to the computer on plan (from above) or in elevation (from the side) by using the paddles and "etching a sketch".

Lines can be drawn in varying thicknesses and colours and there is a digital readout showing gradient, etc, in the text window. Accurate dimensions can be entered directly from the keyboard and the architectural design program will calculate distances, diagonals and angles.

In the interior design program everything is automatically kept to the correct scale (to everything else). However in both cases - unless you have a very old printer - any graphics dump is slightly distorted owing to the oval hole in the print head.

Fortunately, text can be printed on the graphics screen so that furniture elements can be labelled, because one box looks very much like another when viewed from above. In fact, the architectural program library includes squares which are quantified as small, medium, large and huge.

Once the design has been finished, elements of furniture or plants can be loaded from the disc library or defined by the user. These can then be positioned, rotated to eight positions and fixed on the plan, which can then be saved to disc as a 33 sector picture.

The coloured examples supplied with the interior design package had been created by drawing an interior projection of a room and then adding library elements in elevation. The end result is a rather childish picture - a sort of 2D perspective.

Despite the limitations of the library there is nothing to stop the user choosing a viewpoint and designing his or her own library elements from it. Alternatively, the standard elevation of elements could be given depth by using the paddles. In short, there is a lot of scope to express any artistic tendencies.

The pictures can be painted and the end result is reminiscent of a hi-res picture from an adventure game.

In fact, this would be a very easy way for budding game writers to create hi-res pictures, although the storyline and setting would be somewhat restricted - Upstairs, Downstairs or the Garden of Eden perhaps.

All the packages are menu-driven with one-key entries and have similar commands, such as Space bar to go to the picture. Esc to go to the menu and Return for a data disc catalogue. The various types of files are readily identified as the program adds a suffix when saved to disc.

Of the three, the landscape design program was by far my favourite despite my hacing no practical interest in gardening whatsoever.

You could set your landscape around one of several houses which are supplied on disc, or design your own garden space. Once your garden is designed the plants and trees can be aged to see the results in years to come.

The picture of a country home set against a mountain backdrop is quite magnificent on the screen but obviously loses a lot when printed out in black and white. There is also the facility to print out a list of everything you have planted.

All in all, I consider these packages fun (or educational) programs rather than for professional use although they would make an excellent introduction to computers. Don Fudge has written two other design programs - also available from Avant-Garde - one for schematics and one for flow charts. Presumably, these are of a similar standard.

Avant-Garde programs are distributed in the UK by Softsel, so your dealer should have no trouble in obtaining them. Prices will depend on the dealer mark-up, but the US prices are $69.95 for Interior Design and Landscape Design, with Architectural Design being $99.95.