Q: What is Haunt Design Kit?
A: Haunt Design Kit, or HDK, is a learning resource for haunted attraction owners and haunted house designers. Our focus is on design and layout using a free software from Trimble called “SketchUp”.
Q: What is Trimble SketchUp?
A: Trimble SketchUp is a free 3D modeling software used by video game developers and architects. It’s most popular use is pre-visualization of construction projects, however for HDK it’s used to digitally create haunted houses.
Q: How can HDK and SketchUp help my haunted house?
A: Simple, it will save you money! By pre-constructing your attraction using SketchUp, you can figure out all the “problem areas” you’d encounter during construction and set-up. It also helps your crew by giving them “real-world” renders of the attraction to look at so that there is no confusion as to how things are to be set-up or constructed.
There are MANY ways this program can help your business and save you money. The software is only limited to your imagination.
Q: What are the “collections and kits”?
A: We’ve created sets of 3D models or “objects” created for use in SketchUp to assist your haunted house designs. The objects can be incorporated by simply copying and pasting them into your projects and with a little practice you can easily edit these objects to fit any design.
Q: Why are your downloads so cheap or free?
A: We get this one a lot…We try to price our products so that they will NOT be a strain on your wallet or budget. All of our products are created with the highest quality standards and go through rigorous testing before anything is ever uploaded to the site. We also are able to save money by not keeping much of an inventory (overhead, since all of our products are digital) and we pass this savings onto you. Enjoy.
Q: How do I download SketchUp?
A: Click here to download the latest version of SketchUp. It’s free!
Q: Do I need any additional add-ons to use the downloads from HDK?
A: No. Everything was created using ONLY SketchUp and you will not need any additional software or add-ons.
Q: How do I download the HDK objects?
A: For our free kits, click on “Downloads” in the menu at the top of this website. Then, simply click on any of the downloads you’d like; a window should pop-up asking you to save the .ZIP file. Save this file where you can easily find it on your computer. Once downloaded, unzip the file and open. You’ll find the SketchUp .skp file inside. For any purchased item, we will email a secure download link. Simple as that.
**NOTE: If using Internet Explorer, please update to the latest version. IE8 has a very hard time reading HTML5 websites, which is what HDK is. So if you’re experiencing trouble viewing the website or downloading the files and are using a version of IE, please update the latest version!
Q: We just can’t figure out SketchUp but we REALLY want to pre-visualize our haunted house…can HDK do this for us?
A: Yes. Haunt Design Kit has created haunted houses in SketchUp for numerous clients and would be happy to assist you with your project. If you find yourself needing our assistance, visit our services page for more information.
