Import 3DS doors, windows & fireplaces.

[Nik]

Please may we have wall-cutting door, window and fire-place 3DS imports, per 'Classic' FP ??

This time, may we also have some documentation on how to 'rig' imports to suit TFP's door open/close angle etc ??

D'uh, I still remember my fight with FP door imports to determine how to make them auto-align with thick walls: 'centre of extents 2:1'...

[Allan Chesney]

Nik,

I agree that it would be good to have that ability but the doors and windows are so flexible I would be surprised he you could not create just what you want without resorting to imports.

Did you see the second page of posts in the Wall Niche thread in the Looking for Help section? It ended up in doors and windows. You also may find the 'Curved Wall' thread interesting too.

Allan

[Steve Clarke]

Hi Nik,

In the previous FloorPlan the Door Opening only applied to the FloorPlan based parametric doors - e.g. the Interior Doors. The Door Opening didn't apply to the existing 3DS based doors - e.g. the Exterior Doors - so you would never be able to import a 3DS door and get it to open. 3DS objects only have an overall scale. There is no information in the 3DS file to say which part is the door and which part the frame anyway.

I very much expect the same would be true for TFP as well, (even if you could import to the doors category).

(I do agree you should be able to import to windows/doors and get the automatic cut-out - having to add a cutout and moving both together would be more difficult.)

[Nik]

Thanks, Steve, Allan !

I'd read that thread before I saw your replies here...

Agreed, imported 3DS FP doors were limited to wall-cutting. Due strictures of 'Intellectual Property', IMSI would not release the necessary info to allow us to make 'actives', and that's an end to it...

Now, TFP has such different ways of doing things.  I do not know if Envisioneer imports wall-cutting models. If the Big E can't, I doubt TFP can, or will...

Allan's demonstration of TFP's superb arched doorways and windows does, however, offer a light at end of tunnel...

I may be busy with other things until mid-2008, but I'll try to keep up with TFP forum news.

Nik

[Nik]

I've posted a query on Envisioneer forum, on basis that if they do not have wall-cutting imports, facility is unlikely to 'trickle down' to TFP...

[Nik]

I got a prompt, detailed reply. It really showed the differences between Envisioneer and 'Classic' FP...

To summarise, IIRC, Big_E cannot import doors, windows or fireplaces into 'wall-cutting' categories per 'Classic' FP, but has remarkable door and window design-tools. Also, imports may be 'snapped into' wall, and openings added if required...

Okay, that would seem to bury any chance of TFP getting 'wall-cutting' imports.

D'uh...

Okay, I'll probably download TFP trial at end of January, make some doors and windows, stress-test the file-capacity etc before I commit to TFP_Pro and that total re-draw. With a bit of luck, the FP-import filter may arrive in time...

[Doug.S]

Once you get the trial TFP and/or "E" running, please also make some renders and experiment with h/w acceleration on/off.

My findings are that h/w accel. is still an issue, basic renders are not as good as FP, but radiosity renders can be excellent and reasonably fast but are hard to achieve (sun and interior lights hard to "control/predict") and renders are not always repeatable...which is very strange for a PC.

We'd be happy to hear from experienced FP users.  I still use FP at times because I know how it works