TurboFLOORPLAN Pro update

[Shonner]

I downladed the TurboFLOORPLAN Home & Landscape Pro update.  But before I run it, what version does it update to and do people here like it better than the retail version?

[Allan Chesney]

I an not aware of an update to TurboFLOORPLAN - we have been hoping for one for some time so if you have found it somewhere please let up know where. I would have expected an announcement in the news section of the Forum if it was available.

Maybe you are referring to TFP replacing Floorplan 3D V11 as V12. If so, it does not 'update' it but replaces it and 3D Home Architect too I think. It takes previous versions a whole lot further as flexibility is concerned.

Allan

[Steve Clarke]

Hi,

Check Product Updates on the TurboFloorPlan Support page.

There are updates for all versions.

I wonder if they include the FloorPlan v11 and previous import utility as advertised on Letter for FloorPlan Users page?

(Can't see any notifications the patches have been released, or any details of what the patches include.)

[Mike D]

I checked my "About TFP" under "Help", and found mine to be

Version 12.00.C1.551 Build Date Wednesday August 22 2007

I downloaded and installed the update, and it's now

Version 12.01.C2.586 Build Date Friday Feb 29 2008

[Mike D]

I also just ran 2 short advanced animations back to back (without re-starting) and both came out the same........no wash out!

After install, the catalog & your build file have to be converted.

Mike

[Doug.S]

Wow....thanks for the notification of the updater.....too bad IMSIDesign never mentioned anything here., in the last 2 months since updater was completed......they don't seem to care about the user community at all.

Install on laptop went smoothly.  I have NO idea what bugs were fixed.

Ran a simple one room render, no lights....render ran 265/500  (q=3) and no sun thru open door (bug not fixed)...but the results still look quite good (except for no sun on floor thru door)

[Shonner]

I just now noticed the path for the update download mentioned a "12-1" in it.  So version 12.1 then.

The web guys are more concerned with showing off their Earth Day and Being Green artwork rather than informing visitors of software updates.  I really had to look for the links manually.  I think Google helped me out.

It looks like the user guide PDF for TFP HLPro 12.01 is a different file size.

[Mike D]

I also see an (I think I didn't see it before...) additional option in advanced rendering right below the "enable sunlight" checkbox allowing a choice for sky conditions......

Ran a simple one room render, no lights....render ran 265/500  (q=3) and no sun thru open door (bug not fixed)...but the results still look quite good (except for no sun on floor thru door)

Doug, maybe you discussed this before, but I never read it if you did. Your pic makes me wonder.......... could it be the "door open %" in 2D setting causing that? OR have you tried placing some glass in the door?

Mike

[Doug.S]

I also see an (I think I didn't see it before...) additional option in advanced rendering right below the "enable sunlight" checkbox allowing a choice for sky conditions......

Doug, maybe you discussed this before, but I never read it if you did. Your pic makes me wonder.......... could it be the "door open %" in 2D setting causing that? OR have you tried placing some glass in the door?

1. Good eye !!....sky conditions render option new in 12.1 version........is a carryover/addition from FP11 which worked reasonably OK.

2. I'm not sure of why the render error.....IIRC Allan found it long ago in TFP12.0...search this forum for earlier posts. 

I set door 50% open in 3D, don't remember what the default 2D setting was....but the 2D setting "should" not affect the 3D render....but the 3D setting does....at least for the door position and ability to see thru the door opening.....but there were issues with sun shine thru and, IIRC, also with shade or other objects like billboard or plants rendering correctly thru the door open view.

[Doug.S]

Just updated my desktop and it updated differently.....several of the program settings changed....like no background photos, did not find the catalog and had to set it, no check on "commander" etc.  SO be sure to check your program settings after update to 12.1.  Also defaulted to run house builder wizard on start-up...laptop still defaults to blank template file but desktop update deleted the auto template check-in-the-box and I had to re-find the template....but was easy to do. Re-start off TFP12.1 left the new settings as I set them when shut down last....so they "stick" OK.

I see, I think, a new "quality" setting for renders....'fastest custom #1' with setting at 40 (was 100, and still is for lowest #1 but not = custom)....oops...went to do a render and it was not there....but you can set a "custom" quality level render by changing the render option "number of steps" and it adds to the list as "custom"....I was really intending to change the number of steps for display update but accidentally hit the wrong box...learn something everyday.

Guess I'll need to try render with hw accel. "on", on my desktop which could never render properly with HA "on"  (laptop does render and run with HA "on" all the time)....

Desktop still has problem rendering with HA "on"....mouse cursor gets "stuck" and I must click many times until render windows gets off of "not responding".....but if I turn HA off, it runs normal/OK.  And note that monitor display window in 3D looks different if HA is on vs. off.....one way is brighter and other is more contrasty.....I normally run HA "on" for design and viewing and turn it off for renders...and if I forget...."not responding" reminds me quickly to reset HA.

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Doug,

I can't believe they did not tell us the update was there!  What is the section headed News and Announcements for if not for that?  When I think of all the render/reboot/render/reboot etc, etc, etc, that I have done over the last few weeks - and I needn't have!!!!

Yes the "no sun through open door" problem still exists and the "render outside, then modify viewpoint and move inside" doesn't work anymore as a workaround.  I have found another one though - use a box shape to place on the outside of the doorway and set the material to transparent - then the sun will shine through! Odd but it works!

"HA" worked, even during rendering, for a day.  Next time I used it TFP froze and the Reset caused a crash, so nothing has changed there either.

At least the need to reboot the program between renders to stop the 'white out' has been fixed and so has the Custom Size image (and save as a JPG!). So quick check lighting renders are now possible, so that has to be a big bonus. The black squares on plant are gone too on Advanced renders.

I have posted a number of other items and test images under 'Looking For Help' (http://forum.turbofloorplan.com/index.php/topic,522.0.html

About to try interior lighting tests next.

Allan

[Shonner]

News and Announcements here is just for news and announcements about this forum software.

[Doug.S]

I just now noticed the path for the update download mentioned a "12-1" in it.  So version 12.1 then.

Help about shows my laptop update as version 12.01.C2.586   2-28-08

I'll re-verify but my laptop 3D drop-down list works as before...shows perspective, overview, place new camera . . . but I think I remember my desktop has changed and only lists "place new camera".  If still true its not a big deal because cameras are easy to setup, but sure makes one wonder why the s/w update might act differently...tho I noticed this once before with someone else's .bld file posted here a while back....so maybe its a file not a global thing?

[Allan Chesney]

News and Announcements here is just for news and announcements about this forum software.

Admittedly the only announcement in there is when they upgraded the size of documents that we could post, but, according to the description, it is for "News and Announcement from IMSIDesign", so I think they intended it to be used for more than just forum technicalities.  Since the only subject of the forum is TurboFLOORPLAN, a long awaited update to fix many problems is surely NEWS so the least they could have done is told us.  I have wasted many hours doing multiple renders tests and finding work arounds, only to find now that the problems (some of  the main ones anyway) were fixed several months ago!  If you had not see the item on their website and mentioned it I hate to think how much longer we would have waited to find out. Thank you very much for mentioning it! Many have mentioned on the forum in that period that a patch was coming and unbeknown to us it was already there!!

Unfortunately the company seems to ignore the forum, as they did with the previous V1- V11 forum.  The FloorPLan 3D forum is still announcing a V11.2 update that occurred years ago and still no mention of a V12 and now an update to that.  Users of the V11 forum are continually asking when it is going to be updated or a new version released and, if they missed the single entry mentioning V12, they still do not know that it was released - 9 months ago!  It is a good product, but a shame that it is not better supported by the company not just the users.

Allan

[Shonner]

Envisioneer is doing their part.  IMSIDesign is doing their part.  Someone else has been out-sourced to do this forum.  Then you have the TURBO folks.  None of them seem to be on the same page.

If you go to Fry's and look at this software on their shelves, you'll see PUNCH! is there.  Turbo is there.  House & Garden is there. Instant is there.  Broderbund is there still.  It's a mish mash of 3D home design products.  Each with their home, landscape, decking, and pro bundles.  Madness.  I grew up on the 3DHA Deluxe Suite 6+ variety.