V14 - What's New, What's Changed and What Hasn't

[TL]

I've been using the trial for a while now and I notice that everytime I use the Shed builder or go into the View manager it crashes with a message that Envisioneer 5 has got to close!

I am running Vista 64, and i do have a printer connected. Could the be a 64 bit issue?

Thanks
TL

[crumbum]

Howdy,

Boy am I having trouble printing.  I was able to bring an AutoCad Title/Border sheet into the program as a .dxf but it took several minutes to show up.  I needed to edit the text so I exploded it sucessfully but...
all of the editing tools became so herky/jerky I wasnt able to use that border.  So I tried the standard border in the program and was happy to find out that it would size to whatever printer size I wanted.  I set my default printer to my HP 1220C and picked a paper size of 13"x19" and did a print.  The border printed but not the floorplan model that was showing.  Not sure what is going on there.  I did read that I shouldnt worry about the size of the image showing on the sheet as it would print to scale no matter how it showed but...  I am used to thinking in terms of Model Space/Paper Space when it comes to printing so I was thinking that the border is in Paper Space but maybe not?   I noticed that when I select the border its properties also show that its scale is 1/4"=1' which it shouldnt be.  I would think that its properties should be 1:1

One other thing - is there a way to switch back and forth from View Manager (Print Manager?) to the standard Floorplan views?  I havent found it.  I actually have to close the file and re-open to get back to the floorplan to work on it.

I'm sure all of my problems are probably due to confusion and pilot error.  I have never been the natural computer wizard that some of you are out there.  I am curious if anyone has mastered this process smoothly yet and actually has done all there sheet setups and printing?   If so,  can you please give a detailed step by step on how to do this printing thing.  It would be most appreciated!!!  I have been at this all day...

Randy

[Allan Chesney]

Hi TL, Welcome to the forum,

I've been using the trial for a while now and I notice that everytime I use the Shed builder or go into the View manager it crashes with a message that Envisioneer 5 has got to close!

I am running Vista 64, and i do have a printer connected. Could the be a 64 bit issue?

I am not a PC expert by any means, so I do not understand the reasons for crashes at times. I have not really used any of the wizards other then to try each and that is all. I did not have any problem with them.  Sometimes there are issues on some PCs with different things and sometimes the video card/driver is a problem.  An update of the driver can sometimes fix problems. 

Another easier thing to try though first is to turn off Hardware Acceleration (Settings/Program Settings/Graphics). You could also try the Forum Search on Vista as that has been discussed a few times. 

Do the other wizards cause it to crash?  What about when you just draw a shed or whatever with the tools?
Let us know if any of those things work.


Hi Randy,

I must admit I have not had any trouble printing from my desktop although I have not used it much. (Can't print from any program on my laptop at
present). I have not had any problem with 'jerky' tool either (have do you have HA set?).

To comment further on the worksheets and printing I will need to look at it further later.  I have played with the worksheets themselves quite a bit but not much printing yet. Have a big job on this weekend so it will have to wait till after that.

You can switch back and forth to View Manager by using the Window menu - it is just another window.

Allan

[jjocsak]

Hi Jeff,

Dramatically different.  Clicking View Manager allows you to add a new worksheet for printing your plans in a 'professional' manner.

You are presented with multiple toolbars surrounding a blank sheet of "paper" that has borders and some basic text, plan number etc. Click Insert Model View and a mini view appears of your model with simple selectors for 2D, 3D, Isometic, Elevations and Section view and all the movement tools so you can choose the angle, plan, elevation or part thereof that you want.  You simply select the view and scale you want and Insert each arranging on your worksheet. If you have extensive plans and you need multiple sheets then just create another sheet, Floor plan one, elevations on another, isometric on another, sections on another, cabinet details, roof construction etc, etc, each on their own sheet if you want.

If you want to add text, extra measurements etc or even adjust the plans or add to them you can then just print!  The image indicates the basic part of the process above but as you can see there are many more tools on the toolbars and I have yet to investigate many.

The worksheets are not 'live' in that if you change the model it wont change the sheet. You need to re-insert that view.  Obviously the best thing is to get the model right first or make any minor adjustments on the worksheet itself. Once the model is on the sheets you can 'explode' them so they become separate lines as if done in a CAD program, which really is what this is!

Worth a look if plan printing is important to you.

Below is a quick render of a StrawBale house and a bit of Landscaping I did in from scratch in less than two hours yesterday using vs 14.  I pirnted it out to show around at the Colorado Strawbale Association meeting last night.  Trying to drum up a little business.  Typical of Strawbale homes is the simple passive solar floorplan and large (3' minimum) overhangs to protect the walls.   

Hi Randy,
The image looks great and so quick to do!  Now it is just as quick to have virtually professional plans too!!  Hope it helps in 'drumming up business'!
All the best with it!

Allan

I can't seem to get what your getting in that pic. Are you loading a template to give you the title block, rounded corners?

I can't seem to get a color 2D layout, just black.

When I click on view manager and then new worksheet all I get is a blank space.
You mebtioned that it should have plan number and text, which it does not.

Sorry for being so dense.

Jeff

[Voodooman]

The worksheets are the same as Envisioneer 4.

When EV4 came out the worksheets would not print and I stopped using it.

I hope this issue has been resolved.


Peter

[Allan Chesney]

Randy, Jeff and Peter,
A comment on each of your remarks.

Randy,

I have played with the printing from my own plans using the built in border (not tried an imported one) and did not have any problem. I left all the defaults as they were.  Went to Print Setup and chose printer, paper size (A3) and orientation and then Print and it came out as expected.  Only have an A4 printer so it was on A4 paper (surprise , surprise!). I also sent it to a PDF printer and that worked OK too so I don't understand why nothing came out for you.  I cant see any setting that could have caused your problem. Try the settings I have in the image and see if that works. Also check the View/Layer Properties.  That option seems to have ways to stop layers from printing, although logically they should be on by default.


Jeff,

To get the toolbars and page with the border, you must tick one of the boxes in the View Manager dialog (eg against Sheet 1) although it sounds as though you have done that(?).  This will then open the toolbars, page with borders etc.  Do you not get the toolbars at all and a page but with no borders etc?   Have you given it time to open fully?  it seems to take a little while sometimes. Are you able to Insert plans elevations etc into the "blank space" you get? Try with Hardware Acceleration off also.


Peter,

I don't know if it is Env 4 or not, but it certainly prints OK. When it crashes on my laptop (hoping to get the laptop fixed on Monday)  it says Env 5 but it would logically not be the full Env 5 version anyway, since the FULL version is now around $2,000. I have images of the dialog boxes and most of the toolbars from Env5 and they seem to be identical, but the toolbars are on 3 tabs (Draw, Modify and Tools with the latter displayed) so whether there are other options on the other tabs I don't know.

So far I find these worksheets work well and are fascinating to use, although I do not really have a need for them, as my main work is the 3D visualisation.

Allan

[jjocsak]

Jeff,

To get the toolbars and page with the border, you must tick one of the boxes in the View Manager dialog (eg against Sheet 1) although it sounds as though you have done that(?).  This will then open the toolbars, page with borders etc.  Do you not get the toolbars at all and a page but with no borders etc?   Have you given it time to open fully?  it seems to take a little while sometimes. Are you able to Insert plans elevations etc into the "blank space" you get? Try with Hardware Acceleration off also.



Allan

OK let's do this the simple way, I'm not getting this and I don't know why.

Let's say I have a simple drawing shown in 2D with only the default view tab. (Lower left)

1. Click on the view manager
2. Then click on Views-Add Worksheet

Now I'm up to what you see below. What's next?



Jeff

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Jeff,

Well you are sort of there.  If you just close the View Manager dialog box then you can just insert your plans, elevations etc. as explained in the eariler image. What you have though is a new View not a new Sheet. For some reason your dialog box is different to mine.  I have a Standard and 4 Sheets to choose from.  Clicking the box alongside Sheet 1 provides a sheet with the borders etc, then close the dialog and insert the plans etc.

I thought at first that maybe you did not have the Pro version but I can see from the image that you do.  Where did you start the View Manager from?  I just use the button on the toolbar, but the View menu option still gives the same dialog box. Once you are in the worksheet view the View Manager dailog box is different - it only seems to show active sheets.  To start a new Sheet you have to go back to the model view and click View Manager from there.

All I can suggest is, close down, start a new blank project, draw 4 walls, click View/View Manager and see if your get the same dialog as me.  If you don't then I have no idea why yours is different.  What is your Virseion number?  Mine is 14.00.C.624 10 March 2009.

Allan

[jjocsak]

Allan, that's what I did.
I started a new simple drawing and clicked on the view manager icon either on the toolbar or from the drop down dialog.
My version is the same as yours.
This is very strange that our views are different.
I also uninstalled and reinstalled, but that did not change anything.
That seems to be the problem.

This was the downloaded version that they pointed to in the confirmation email, not a mailed CD.

Any ideas? I could find nothing.

Jeff

[jjocsak]

I solved the problem.

I uninstalled it once more, but this time I went into the registry and removed all occurrences of Turbofloorplan, then reinstalled.
Now I'm getting what you are and understand what you were doing.

Unfortunately the Help still does not work correctly.

Thanks for your help though.

Jeff

[jjocsak]

The real reason was I did not have this checked:



The template that has all those settings.

Jeff

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Jeff.

I am glad that you got it sorted out. Mine is the downloaded version too. Thank for passing on the real cause too - I wonder how many other issues not having the Project template checked may cause? Good to know - another thing to check in case odd things happen to others. The user guide is pretty sparse on the worksheet subject and tools, isn't it?

Allan

[jjocsak]

Hi Jeff.

I am glad that you got it sorted out. Mine is the downloaded version too. Thank for passing on the real cause too - I wonder how many other issues not having the Project template checked may cause? Good to know - another thing to check in case odd things happen to others. The user guide is pretty sparse on the worksheet subject and tools, isn't it?

Allan

Yes it is sparse, that was part of the confusion.

I wonder if there is a way to take an old drawing and bring it into the new template, so I can take advantage of the new features?

Jeff

[securejohn]

TFP (v12) although a very easy program to learn to get the general floor plan and 3D views it lacked two features from my perspective...worksheets and proper section views.

I had an informal chat with the local planning officer with my proposals produced in TFP. This was mainly to get an idea if they would have any real objections. He was very impressed by the 3D views and indicated that they would accept the floor plans but needed better detailed section views. (So close but so far!!!)

I did purchase TurboCAD 6 weeks ago with the intension of using it to do the last bit. But because of a major software programming project thrown at me by work I'm currently struggling for time to learn TurboCad. (Also I'll end up putting function from the software that I'm learning into the software I'm writing. Don't think they will be happy with Cad drawing function in a customer service application! )

It's interesting that Worksheets have now been included. Can anyone tell me if the section view has improved?
Also is it a massive learning curve using v14 after v12?

[Allan Chesney]

Hi John,

V14 is exactly the same as V12 with some great new features, notably the Worksheets. There are elevations and section views and these, along with plans, isometric, 3D line and colour rendered views are all drag and drop onto the worksheet for printing.

Once into the worksheet you can add box descriptive text and extra dimensions etc to elevations for example - they are added with just a couple of clicks.

If your council was close to accepting V12 prints they will go into raptures with these!
Unlike TurboCAD there is no learning curve.

Allan