Is there a program out there that you can use to design a cake so you can show a client what you had in mind?
Something where you can, say, pick a circle or sqaure or whatever shape you want that cake to be, then change the colors, add patterens, toppers, stuff like that?
I'm all ears if there is one. How handy would that be. I can decorate the heck out of a cake, but when it comes to drawing one....UGH!!! Not pretty!!
My husband actually has been thinking of making a program like this for my use. He's tossed around the idea of possibly marketing it as well, but he has no idea what kind of demand there would be for it or what people would be willing to pay. He is interested in hearing what people would like from such a program, though...?
I would LOVE a program like this!!! I have searched endlessly on the web and can't find one. ribbitfroggie - I would definitely buy it if your husband wrote one! I would even be willing to test it out 
~Chelle
edited to add: The price I am willing to pay would highly depend on the features available in the program......but $100-$200 would not seem unreasonable to me for a program like this. I have tons of suggestions of what the program should have/be able to do.....just PM me is you're interested!
Actually, if you could post your list of ideas here, I think it'd be easier, so other people could see the list and add to it (or maybe get inspiration for more features from your list). If not, PM is fine too!
Sure, that's fine. Here is what I'd want in a program like this (I'm sure I am forgetting something, so like ribbitfroggie said, please post your ideas as well):
1.Basic cake shapes (round, oval, square, petal, heart) in both 4" and 2" heights and all the available widths (4" - 18/20", whatever the biggest sold)
2.Illustrations of different borders, both top and bottom (such as rope, shells, reverse shell, shell w/flutes, ball/pearl, ruffle, etc...) There are others....but I can't think of them.
3. The borders done in 3 sizes. For example, shell border.....have one that uses a small star tip, such as 14 or so, one that uses 18/20, and another that uses 32 or so....to give an idea of the size of the border compared with the size of the cake
4. Ability to stack or tier the cakes after designing them
5. Different types of writing (script, printing, cursive)
6. Colors - both for the base icing on the cake and all the additions (borders, writing, etc...)
7. Flowers to add to cakes. Such as roses, sweetpeas, and others that are taught in Wilton classes
8. Basketweave option for sides of cake
9. Side designs such as scrolls, pearls, diamond impression
That's all I can think of at the moment......just the basic elements that make up a cake (IMO).
I'm sure there are things I left out.....
~Chelle
Ok, I'm spoiled because I have access to Adobe Illustrator for work and also at home, which you can easily draw out any shapes and color as you want. It's a pricey program, but I highly recommend it if you will use it often. There are lots of tutorials and books, even classes on Illustrator available.
With Illustrator, you can create your own "library" of art elements and then drag and drop into place later. I'm planning on starting that project myself soon.
A second thought would be to try using the Microsoft programs or whatever writing/drawing/presentation programs are already on your computers to build sketches. You could draw out the elements and save one file with everything in it to copy and paste into new designs. So sitting down for a while to get everything drawn out once, you won't have to re-invent shapes every time.
Also, if anyone knows a software person, I would love to work with them (I can provide art elements) to build a program like this, I think it's a great idea!
My husband actually uses a combination of Illustrator and Photoshop to do any mockups I need for my customers, but I've been asking him for a program like this off and on for a while, because for one I can't use either of those programs very well, and two I'd like to be able to do mock-ups on my own, especially if I'm sitting down with a customer on-the-fly (and I'm horrible at being able to just sketch stuff out!)
He's getting excited about the idea of working on it now, which is never a good sign, either! 
Another question from my husband: what would you use this more for: tiered wedding cakes, or non-tiered cakes? We were talking and realized that designing a one-or-two-tier birthday cake has very different customization than a wedding cake would (i.e. you don't really write on the top of each wedding tier, or put a FBCT on it, stuff like that).
That's true.....didn't think about that. I was thinking more for tiered and wedding cakes.....don't really know why I thought of writing!!
~Chelle
Wow! That would be a great program! I would definetly use it for wedding cakes but, also to design celebration cakes. Then the possiblities would be endless!
Just recently I had a sorority member ask me for a wedding like cake. The only thing i could do to give her ideas is to make a small pamflet with a bunch of ideas for her to circle and such with pictures of TYPES of designs from here on CC. She appreciated it but, I would've rather put together my own design!
I was playing around with drawings when I did my first wedding cake contract. I used word, with drawing features. It came out great as far as being able to show the client, but took forever because it wasn't set up for this. It was pretty cool, but I wouldn't do it again because it took so long to add all the lines and the rest of the details. I'd love a program like this. I also can't draw for anything.
I even tried to copy and paste it and put it in here, but it won't copy for me. Oh well.
I was playing around with drawings when I did my first wedding cake contract. I used word, with drawing features. It came out great as far as being able to show the client, but took forever because it wasn't set up for this. It was pretty cool, but I wouldn't do it again because it took so long to add all the lines and the rest of the details. I'd love a program like this.
This is why I asked, I only have "Paint" on my computer that I am aware of (I use this crazy machine only for internet and my photos 
) This is what I came up with after an hour! (see attached) I'm looking for something that I can whip out in a few minutes.
I would love a program like this. It would be good to sit and be creative. It would be easier to see how something would look before you tested it out on a cake.
Doug, I can't tell you how many times your templates have helped me. But I agree with others, for me personally, I would need a program for tiered wedding cakes. I would like to see something of detailed scroll work on the sides of the cake, so that I can show flower designs drawn on w/RI. I have been practicing that a lot and finally got a wedding cake I can do it on.
On the Frosted Art website (I think its www.frostedart.com), there is a build your own cake section just like the program you are talking about.
Yeah, I ran across that site before and saw the cool make-your-own-cake page. My husband says he's planning something a bit more full-featured, though, since it'll be its own program instead of a website. Stay tuned! lol
would it be possible for your program to also calculate the amount of product that would be used in the cake it designed, and the aproxamate cost based on a user based price in put. Basicly i would like to enter the cost of my raw product in the the program and the program would tell me how much the cake would cost to make?
This is such a good idea. I hope your husband can include a section to add notes, recipies, etc. Let me know. I will definately buy one. 
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