Global Settings

[garystan]

   When you need to simulate the sunshine on another part of your house, use the example
   in the two pics.       One is a pic of the final rendering.   And the other is  a guide line to
   help you figure it out.
         But.........do this setting in small increments.   And mark down your settings for future
   reference.

                                                                                                             garystan

[Allan Chesney]

Hi garystan,

Thanks for explaining this. I have always found the concept hard to translate into where the sun is but you are right in the way you explain it. Of course for printing plans it really does not matter - just enter the North arrow at the appropriate angle but where I have always had problems is working out what angle to put the north point to get the sun to shine into the window where I want it.  

After a long time, I finally realised that if I want the sun to shine into a window on the right side of the home I only have to set the Global Setting compass to point in that direction - right (or 90), into a left window point it left (270). Up (0) puts the sun on the top (north) side of the house as it sits on the screen and down (180) on the side of the house facing the bottom of the screen. In other words, on the compass, the arrow is pointing TO the sun for the Southern Hemisphere - in the Northern Hemisphere it is all reversed of course - the arrow is pointing AWAY from the sun (the arrow is the direction of the sunlight).  Thankfully I do not do any jobs for people in the Northern Hemisphere so I do not have to worry about that!

An interesting side point and tip for Southern Hemisphere users:  The plant encyclopedia seasons are oriented to the Northern Hemisphere only. In the Southern Hemisphere you have to set the calendar 6 months wrong, or you get spring flowers blooming in Autumn (Fall) and all the trees lose their leaves in Spring!! For those who do not know the Season Change option, you will find it at the end of the Landscaping toolbar or on the  menu at Insert / Landscaping/ Gardening/ Plant Seasonal Change...

Allan

[garystan]

  Allan :

           Thanks for  backing me up on this.   Being you 're the  "professor/teacher"  here (compliment).       
           Except for the background (which didn't do too much for the picture),   I was  astounded at the
           result.   WOW!   
                I know, after all this time (of using Turbo),   I'm still amazed at what the end result can be.
                I know it sounds a little goofy.
                But...........I'd still like to learn more about the program.    Short of the programming side.
             
                                                                                                      garystan                                                                                                
             

[Allan Chesney]

Hi garystan,

I know what you mean about being constantly amazed at the results you can get from TFP.  I still feel that way after 10 years or more using it and I still find things I did not know about.

As far as learning more, just try evereything to see what it does and double click and right click everything (especially in dialog boxes), you will be surprised sometimes how far down you can drill at times.  You may find Jack's training videos useful too. You would know most of the basics of course but there are undoubtably things there that you have not come across yet too or other ways for doing things.

The bathroom looks good by the way!

Allan