I can not find where this particular issue has been addressed after searching around for quite awhile. I am using TurboFloorPlan 3D Pro Version 16. I really like the 2D Designer mode for helping us to quickly visualize plans. It really helps us to get a sense of where things are (or supposed to be) in relation to other things in the plan and having the textures applied to the objects, makes it much clearer than trying to figure out what all those single faint lines are in the regular 2D plan. Which leads to the problem - the texture that shows up in the 2D Design mode for the various plants (or at least the ones I've tried) is absolutely HORRIBLE. It is a very pixelated jumble of a few green-shaded squares with a few lighter colors mixed in. There is absolutely no way to tell just from looking at the 2D Design view what plants are supposed to be represented. Many times the size of the actual image does not even seem to correspond with the size of the plant chosen. (Only the invisible bounding box corresponds to the size chosen.) I would like to be able to use the program to plan out my flower beds, using the 3D portion of the program to kind of visualize them and then use the 2D part (especially the 2D Design view) as a planting diagram. And actually, looking at 2D garden plans in magazines where the plant is represented with some sort of an image or quick drawing (like an icon) or even just a circular solid color also helps to visualize color and combinations just as much as the 3D views do.
That brings me to my main question: Is there anyway to change the image or "texture" that shows up in the 2D Design view?
Also: I have seen a lot of discussion here about adding plants as "photoboards". Is there a reason why you would add the plant as a "photoboard" instead of adding it as a plant element? If you add it as a photoboard, you just get a little line showing up in the 2D plan instead of one of the three circles than normally show up indicating a plant and it doesn't really show up at all in 2D Design view. So I am not really understanding the purpose behind the "photoboard" plant.
I have tried my hand at adding a couple of plants from photos that I cut out, but I added them as plant elements choosing NO when it asks to use an "encyclopedia object", then I chose my own properties and picture. That makes a weird two parts of a cut-off half picture show up on the 2D Design view. (It is like it cut the picture in half and moved it over half-way in the bounding box, so the middle of the picture shows up on the edge of the box and the edge of the picture is in the middle of the box - like the mapping is half-off.) I was able to adjust the tile size and mapping to fit the 3D view of the plant just fine, but can not figure out anyway to adjust the 2D Design view. Ideally, I would like to add a second picture of a "top down" view of the plant that would show a circular image of the plant, representing the diameter of the space that it is occupying in the planting bed. Is there anyway to do this?
Alternately, is there anyway to make the 2D plan show a solid color circle for the plant and/or automatically attach the name of the plant (element) to show up in or on the circle that represents it? (I had a program at one time that did that and you just clicked a button to turn the labels on or off. That was a really handy feature.)
This program is not really very useful for easily doing my planing if I can not do any of the things above that I mentioned. The last year or two I have just been resorting to my Corel Draw program and just doing a simple 2D plan with circles and labels. Would love it if I could set this program up to just drag and drop like that and get both a 3D and 2D visualization.
Any help would be appreciated. :)
Hi and welcome to the forum,
In the image below I have shown the 2D Plan View and the 2D Designer's View. My Designer's view does not look like what you seem to be describing - I obviously get representations of plants of corresponding sizes and not pixelated unless you move in ultra close. Even so, these are far from ideal to represent specific plants and no, labelling of them is not automatic.
There does not seem to be a way to apply an image to the 2D View of the plants. the only thing you can do is change the style of the circles used and change the colour of the lines themselves.
The advantage of photoboards is that you can get much more realistic images but you have to bear in mind that the program is designed for 3D viewing of models not 2D plan creation (although it will do this of course). The 2D plan is really only for the purpose of constructing the 3D model.
If you are only interested in the 2D plan of your garden layouts then why not get hold of a set of 2D CAD symbols and import them, naming them after the plant you want them to represent? Just a Google search for CAD Symbols Plants reveals any number to choose from (DWG Format). You could then show the symbols on the plan and a legend at the side indicating which symbol represents each plant.
I may have posted this before but since your are obviously into landscaping design, you may appreciate this one I did using TFP. The plants are all photoboards for the 3D representation. The 2D plan is just part of it to give you an idea, although this was mainly for the paving wall layout rather than specific plants. The plants shown in the 3D views were the ones used in the final design.
Allan
Allan:
Thank you for your prompt response. Your pictures are impressive -- very nice!
You posted this in your comments along with your images.
"In the image below I have shown the 2D Plan View and the 2D Designer's View. My Designer's view does not look like what you seem to be describing - I obviously get representations of plants of corresponding sizes and not pixilated unless you move in ultra close. Even so, these are far from ideal to represent specific plants and no, labeling of them is not automatic."
If you look at your first image of the two plan views closely, you will several very small images. I am guessing that those were flowers. The size difference that I was talking about - "Many times the size of the actual image does not even seem to correspond with the size of the plant chosen. (Only the invisible bounding box corresponds to the size chosen.)" - seems to be much more noticeable with the various flower representations (rather that the trees and shrubs) and when one is zoomed in close. My flower beds are just that - mostly flowers - many perennials, some annuals, some bulbs and very few shrubs and a couple of trees. For an example of the problem I am having, I have two varieties of coreopsis, one of 'Moonbeam' which is only about one foot (about 30 centimeters) both tall and wide and for the other one I used the catalog variety Tickseed 'Sunburst' which was 2' 7.5" (about 75 centimeters) both tall and wide. The program uses the same images for both flowers even though they actually look different. I could maybe be Ok with the 3D image, but the 2D one just makes me cringe. It is four or five dark blue pixels, surrounded by a ring about two to three pixels wide of lighter blue pixels with a few green pixels stuck around the outside -- there are NO blue or even purple coreopsis -- they are ALL yellow, orange, or pink. Not sure why they would pick a blue image to represent a yellow flower! Then the size is about 1/3 what it should be. I have my flower beds in the front yard lined with brick and I carefully sized the texture of the brick that I used in my plan to faithfully represent this. So I can compare the size of the brick with the size of the image - it is about 1 brick wide instead of the 3 wide that it should be (the bounding box and the 2D plan circle IS three bricks wide). The other coreopsis was a bigger one and the image is bigger - 4.5 bricks wide (the bounding box is eight) BUT -- the pixilation is much, much worse as the same square pixels are just enlarged. This size difference (and wrong colors) seems to be the norm for the flowers - I tried several different flowers-penstemon, solidago, marigold, petunia, gaura lindheimeri - with similar results - images much smaller than the bounding box, very pixilated and wrong colors. The gaura lindheimeri 3D picture does not even look a thing like the actual flower.
I think that I would be much happier with the results of adding my own pictures and associating them with various new plant elements. I am still not understanding why you add your own pictures as "photo boards" instead of adding a new plant element and associating your picture with that. Then it at least shows up in the 2D plan as a circle instead of a single line. You could also add info for cost and quantity, and it would show up in the Project Estimate. Maybe it is a bit easier to add as a photo board? Or is there some danger in adding it in as a new plant element?
I have been playing around with the mapping on my own images that I added to my own new plant elements. It seems that if I change the mapping up and down to look "half off" then it appears correct in the 2D Design view but it is "half off" vertically - like the top half is on the ground and the bottom half is floating in the air with the middle cut off at the top - in the 3D view. Seems like maybe that is a programming bug? Shouldn't it appear the same way in both views?
Your idea about adding 2D Plant Symbols was interesting, so I have spent the last couple of days searching around for some free ones to try out. I did find a few, but have not been able to figure out how to actually use them in the program. I can import them, but can not seem to be able to do anything with them after that point. I must not be doing something right. :(
Your bottom image of "Part of Hall Landscape" was similar to what I was hoping would be automatically generated by the program (without having to add a lot of extra things). How were you able to create this "view"?
I have enjoyed using this program and really like its ability to be customized. I have worked on it in spurts. Mostly, I have been trying to recreate our house and the lot that it sets on. So far, I have gotten the basic shell of the house done -- quite a challenge, as it is a two story with three sets of bay windows and some really weird roof lines. One of the sets of bay windows is on the second story out around a corner and forms what looks like a turret. Had to experiment quite a bit to get all of that to come out looking right. I have worked (played around) with several different house and landscaping 3d - 2d software programs over the years. Wish I could take all the features that I like from the various programs and combine them all together. ;D Ha! Ha! I know, just wishful thinking . . .
I appreciate all your help and your dedication to this forum. I have really been helped in figuring out how to do many of the different tasks in creating my house model by searching around and reading this forum. Thank you. :)
When I look at the flowers and very small plants, I see what you mean by it becoming pixelated - not a good look!
I think the main problem here is that the program is not designed for 2D representation. The Plant Encyclopaedia has been sourced from elsewhere and is primarily only intended as a way of giving a landscaped appearance to a 3D model. Clearly little effort has been put into producing a good 2D appearance as that is not the intent of the program. Before a name change some years ago it was known as "FloorPlan 3D", emphasising its 3D focus.
Photoboards are used to again provide better 3D appearance and are simpler to use in standalone manner rather that adding as a plant - but that is fine too of course. The majority of users would not be concerned about it only showing a line in 2D because it is the 3D model they are interested in.
Importing 2D DWG format plant symbols may be the best way to go for what you are trying to achieve. You should be able to just File/ Import / Import CAD File and simply place it in your plan. However it will not show up in Designer View. What you need to do to see it is to change Display Mode from the default Rendered view to Rendered Outline. Line items will now appear - as in the image. Without Rendered Outline on the two CAD plants on the left would not be seen.
Quote from: LJFOS on October 02, 2014, 10:12:24 AM
Your bottom image of "Part of Hall Landscape" was similar to what I was hoping would be automatically generated by the program (without having to add a lot of extra things). How were you able to create this "view"?
This "view" is simply the 2D Plan View and WAS created automatically by the program, although the plant items were just imported CAD files. Photoboards were used for the 3D image but I turned off the 'line' they produced so it did not confuse the plan. The 2D CAD 'trees' do not show in 3D, so there is no confusion there either.
I have about 20 CAD files I can share with you if you want but they are all trees, however you are certainly welcome to have them if they are of any use to you.
Allan
Allan:
Thank you for your help and the information. I will have to play around some more with the 2D CAD symbols, but probably will not have a chance to do that until next week. I would be interested in the 2D CAD plant files that you have. The couple that you put in your example could very well represent certain flowers. :)
Another alternative: more work, not automatic, needs another program, but gives you complete control...
Generate the 2D floor plan view of your choice using TFP....save the image (choose your resolution for image uses later, typically 300ppi for printing)
Open the image in Photoshop and put other images on another layer(s) above the TFP image....use the TFP image as the guide to place...for example a green tree with foliage over the 2D line representation....then save the combined layers as a .jpg image....voila; just what you wanted....including a text box etc.
I too have about 30 vector 2D top view plants......they come with a program called Visio (now owned by Microsoft)...in the form of "stencils" to drag n drop onto a "sheet of paper", and are easily sized etc. with no loss of image quality.
Instead of using Photoshop...you can use Illustrator (or any other vector program like Inkscape) and place such symbols over the TFP 2D .jpg image.
One can easily create vector shapes or find free ones via Google.....your choices are unlimited. Sometimes there are good map symbols that include trees, shrubs, flowers. etc.
Vector programs can output .jpg high image quality pictures.
Since TFP is essentially a vector based program....you could probably do it all in TFP by opening a new file that only uses the floorplan 2D textured output and add other 2D symbols on top....much like Photoshop or Illustrator....but I have not tried that.
Doug.S
Quote from: LJFOS on October 03, 2014, 01:11:58 PM
I would be interested in the 2D CAD plant files that you have. The couple that you put in your example could very well represent certain flowers.
I have attached below two Zip files with the DWG plants symbols I have. As a single zip file it was too big so have split it into two posts. When you import, as you may know, it prompts for the size, so, as you said, even tree symbols could possibly be used for flowers.
If you have TurboCAD or other CAD program (even some free ones) you could add names to these files - just means the name would appear every time the plant was used. Using a side legend may be better - then the same symbol resized and/or rotated slightly could be used for several different plants.
I hope this help,
Allan
Second zip file as mentioned above.
Allan