It is possible to create almost any object you want, within TFP, by using the various tools that already exist. Imagination is almost the only limiting factor.
Different tools have different characteristics but are essentually just shapes that can be put together.
The floor is really just a great big flat box with a different texture on each side, but you can also cut it to any shape and cut holes in it also of any shape. By putting different floor cutouts together you can create many curved objects (see Chair and Pelmet in the image).
The ceiling is the same but thinner, but it can also be sloped - as can the Roof and Surfaces tool.
There also also other Shapes available (Box, Cylinder and Tube) and Members that have unlimited profiles (eg TV unit, Copper Tubes, Podium and Microphone).
Walls are only walls because of their height and width etc but they can just as easily be sized to make other objects (eg Wagon Wheel).
All these elements form a big toolbox of things to use to make other things. The image shows just a few example.
The attached PDF is a 7 page illustrated tutorial of how to create such objects and add them to your catalogue.
If there is not enough detail just ask.
Allan
Hi Allan! Thanks!! :)
This pdf-tutorial will be a great inspiration source for me, I have save it to my TFP-folder, that i called, "Bra att ha", "good things to collect"
Robert
Hi Robert,
I hope it helps or gives ideas what can be done. The possibilities are endless.
I am hoping in a future release these different capabilities of the various elements can be put together into a "Toolbox", where walls can be simplified (eg framing not required, extend to roof, dropface etc) and be made available for easilly making cabinet sides, floors and ceilings for top and bottom and shelves, all with their 'cut out' features.
You can do all this now, so it should be easy to strip the unnecessary things and add vertical rotation and save the whole thing to the catalogue without having to export/import.
Just for fun I created this TurboFLOORPLAN image using the Layout tools converted to walls.
Allan
Hi Allan
Great text Allan, but as you knew I'm not new to use the Layout tools, but your tutorial, got looking outside the box further away.
Mr. Chesney :
Your post on creating custom objects is interesting.
I went to download the .pdf file, and I keep gtting an error message
referrring to the file being corrupted.
garystan
Hi garystan,
I have just downloaded it myself and had no problem - it opened instantly. I tried it several times and it worked every time. It has been there for some time now and on the Envisioneer forum too and no one else has reported an issue with it.
Maybe there was something odd happening with your internet connection at the time.
Anyway I have attached it again, so give it another go now.
EDIT: After posting this again I downloaded it from this new link several times and they also worked.
Let me know if you have problems again and I will email it to you.
Allan
Allan :
In your instructions on Making Custom Objects, how do I find " Floor by picking points" ?
garystan
Hi garystan,
If you look closely at the Floor icon you will see it has a 'drop down' arrow on thr right hand side. Click the arrow and you will get the other insert options. You will find this on many other tools also.
Allan
dear sir ,
thank you for all information , what im asking that do you have more design and decoration shapes
thanks
malqasim
Quote from: malqasim on July 05, 2012, 04:06:14 PM
dear sir ,
thank you for all information , what im asking that do you have more design and decoration shapes
thanks
malqasim
Search the internet, Google works well, for 3D objects, or .3ds or .skp or or .bim or go to Google Sketchup Warehouse...lots of free stuff available
Or if you are inventive, Allan's information allows you to make your own if the TFP catalog does not have what you want.
Hi Allan
Is this the procedure to copy one of my 2 story house simple designs from one drawing into another drawing.
I have tried to follow your pdf advice but finish up with only a light coloured correct shape which has no means of editing the house. (I did filter out the background)
Hi Quintain,
Sorry but there is no way of copying a house from one project to another except this way but, as you have found, it is not editable (except total size and textures).
You can save a file as another name of course and add to it.
If what you have is usable in some way but is too light, you can change that by shift selecting all of the textures and change the 2D line colour.
Alkan
Quote from: Allan Chesney on September 29, 2012, 09:31:27 AM
Hi Quintain,
Sorry but there is no way of copying a house from one project to another except this way but, as you have found, it is not editable (except total size and textures).
You can save a file as another name of course and add to it.
If what you have is usable in some way but is too light, you can change that by shift selecting all of the textures and change the 2D line colour.
Alkan
Hi and thank you Allan
How does it sound "it's good to hear and it's not good to hear".
I thought I was simply being slow in my understanding of TFP and there must be away to copy one house plan from a file(project) to another.
Accordingly I spent a number of hours working on it, including using your excellent (no BS) pdf rather than ask what I believed to be a simpletons question.
OK I will go back to my major project and rebuild my houses again.
However, it would be nice if TFP could be designed to do what I wished!!!
Thank you again your help.
You may save some time by exporting a 2D floorplan image, from a .bld file you like, and import that as a 2D image and "trace" or use as a guide to speed up making a new set of walls etc. in your "combined" design.
You will likely need more than one 2D image if you have more than one floor in your bldg.
Hi Quintain,
As Doug said you could export an image to trace, or even better export a 2D DXF file. When imported back in to TFP you can use the ObjectSnap so when you use the wall tool to trace the walls, it will snap to the DXF outline making it easier to trace.
Allan
I always remembered this thread. I haven't done anything special but I used the technique to save individual rooms so that I could play with putting different rooms together in different ways by shifting them around like a jigsaw. However, I notice that, on the 2D surface, the image of the room is rather poor as it looks a bit like some CAD image with criss-cross lines and extra lines. It's nothing like it looks in the original design, from which it was exported. I tried DXF and 3DS but it didn't make any difference. I also did a bedroom suite like this and it looks awful in 2D (just the plain 2D) view. Is there any way to get it to look like the original design?
I found that there was another way to add the element to the catalog. Just used File/Import/Object Wizard which gives extra options to rename the various parts of the appearance. Importing a DXF file as materials also gives fewer parts to the appearance, which might be simpler. Once imported, it can be added to the catalogue by using File/Catalogue/Add Element and selecting the element on the design.
Lastly, is there a way to move the element to a different part of the catalog? Looks like there are some restrictions here. For example, I modified an existing element in the catalogue to use in a completely different group (a bedroom chest became a chest freezer that I wanted to add to the kitchen appliances). I couldn't find a way to move it.
Hi Tony,
Making up objects and saving them this way can be very useful but is really only suitable for 3D purposes. There is no way to prevent the criss-cross lines as that is the way 2D represents the flat surface in imported objects. If you only want it for 2D plans then it does not really work unless you want to use 2D Designer View but that is coloured of course. Again if you only work in 2D then you could simply use the Box and Circle options on the Layout Toolbar to draw these objects in. Obviously this would not help if you are using whole rooms. It is really intends for 3D visualisation.
Adding objects to the catalogue via the Object Wizard has advantages and disadvantages. As you found, you can rename parts and even hide parts (so the object only shows a 2D outline for example, by turning off all the 3D parts). The disadvantage can be finding it again after saving to the catalogue. You must take care to note which group you were going to save it to but can't control where it saves it in that group. When you find it however you can move it to some extent as discussed below.
3DS and DXF can only be imported to sections of the catalogue that do not have attributes attached. For example, windows and doors automatically cut a hole in the wall. There is no way to give your object that capability so you cannot save things into Windows or Doors. If you want to move an object you can do so but only in within the original group where it was imported. You can do this using Catalogue Manager. You could for example, in Interior Accessories, create a Group called Appliances and save your Bedroom chest that is now a Freezer there.
I hope that is some help.
Allan
Thanks, Allan. Shame, but that's OK.
Sorry, I missed this reply; I thought I was subscribed to the topic but I guess not.
OK. Question on sinks. There are no sinks that have the drainer and tub combined; they are either single or double sinks. So I'd like to create a sink (doesn't have to snap to the center of a cabinet surface - in fact, that's a pain). Is there any way to use a single sink in a custom object? It seems I can't place it anywhere, only in a cabinet of the right size. I've kind of made one using a floor, a compressed cabinet, a sink and a counter top with corrugated iron for the drainer. It doesn't work too well, though, mainly as the counter top doesn't seem to be a part of the final object (though I did export to DXF). No big deal, though, I really just need something that appears to be a sink, on the surface, in both 2D and 3D.
Hi Tony,
I have attached a 3DS file of a sink with draining board that may do what you want. Have a go importing that.
To make your own, you just have to put one of the sinks into a cabinet and then use the View Filter to turn the Cabinets OFF, so it then only shows the sink. Now you can cut out the floor to make the draining board, turn off the Terrain in view Filter and export as a 3DS file. It will them import as one object.
Applying the corrugated texture may be a problem - it may go over the sink as well. You could create the lines on the drainer (before exporting as a 3DS!) using the Layout Toolbar Line tool to draw the lines, select them all and select Convert to Member. Choose more or less any member, making it very small to represent the drain lines. You will have to elevate them of course to place them on top of the draining board. This is easiest way to do that is by using a Front Elevation view. Zoom in close on the sink and with all the 'line members' selected, right click and choose Elevate and inch them up to the correct place.
To insert this sink (and the 3DS one attached) you will have to turn off the cupboard top and insert you own "floor" to represent the counter top, cutting hole in it for the sink to sit into.
Hope you follow all that. Ask again if not.
Thanks, Allan. Of course! As I was clicking on the link to your answer, I realised that I may be able to turn off the cabinet or even just use a counter top to put the sink on.
Anyway, thanks for the tips and the sample object. I'll have a go.
Tony
Allan, I downloaded the sink because it wasn't quite what I wanted but would probably do for my purposes. However, when importing the object, I had to use a custom scale of 0.0000025 (or something like that) to get anywhere near the size I needed (I'm using mm as my unit) but the main thing was that there was nothing visible in either 2D or 3D, though it was selectable in 2D. I altered the appearance to use a 2D line and a silver finish, but still nothing visible. The only things I see in 2D are the rotation triangle and the centre dot, but not even a selected outline. Bizarre.