Floor Plan forPalm OS

Version: 1.1

Date: December 4, 2002

 

Users Manual

(c)2002 Stand Alone, Inc. All rights reserved.


 

Table of Contents

1      Welcomeand Registration........................................................................................... 4

1.1       IncludedFiles....................................................................................................... 4

1.2       SystemRequirements.......................................................................................... 4

1.3       InstallingFloor Plan............................................................................................. 4

1.3.1        WindowsInstallation................................................................................... 5

1.3.2        MacintoshInstallation................................................................................. 5

1.4       RegisteringFloor Plan.......................................................................................... 5

1.4.1        NecessaryInformation................................................................................ 5

1.4.2        Enteringthe Registration Code.................................................................... 6

1.5       ContactingStand Alone, Inc................................................................................ 6

1.5.1        E-mail........................................................................................................... 6

1.5.2        Fax............................................................................................................... 6

1.5.3        WorldWide Web......................................................................................... 6

1.6       CustomerSupport............................................................................................... 7

2      DesignOverview......................................................................................................... 7

3      Overviewof Features.................................................................................................. 7

3.1       StartScreen.......................................................................................................... 7

3.1.1        StartScreen Controls................................................................................... 8

3.1.2        StartScreen Menu Options......................................................................... 8

3.2       LayoutScreen...................................................................................................... 9

3.2.1        LayoutScreen Controls............................................................................... 9

3.2.2        LayoutScreen Menu Options................................................................... 10

4      UsingFloor Plan........................................................................................................ 11

4.1       ChangingMeasurement Units and Tips Settings.............................................. 11

4.2       ChangingColor Settings..................................................................................... 12

4.3       Creatinga New Drawing.................................................................................... 12

4.4       Workingwith Boundary Walls.......................................................................... 13

4.4.1        Addinga Virtual Boundary Wall............................................................... 14

4.4.2        Beginninga Corner Floor Plan................................................................... 14

4.5       Addingand Positioning Inner Walls.................................................................. 14

4.5.1        Addingan Inner Wall................................................................................. 15

4.5.2        WallHeads and Tails................................................................................. 15

4.5.3        MovingWall Heads and Tails................................................................... 15

4.5.4        ShowingWall Measurements.................................................................... 16

4.5.5        MakingSmall Adjustments....................................................................... 16

4.5.6        Viewingand Changing Wall Information................................................... 17

4.5.7        FixingWalls............................................................................................... 18

4.5.8        Workingwith Virtual Inner Walls.............................................................. 18

4.5.9        Aligninga Wall Horizontally or Vertically................................................ 19

4.5.10      Erasinga Wall............................................................................................ 20

4.6       AddingWindows and Doors............................................................................. 20

4.7       Workingwith Objects........................................................................................ 21

4.7.1        Addingan object........................................................................................ 22

4.7.2        Movingan object....................................................................................... 23

4.7.3        Modifyingan Object................................................................................. 23

4.7.4        Rotatinga Rectangle Object....................................................................... 23

4.7.5        Fixingan Object......................................................................................... 23

4.7.6        CircleObjects............................................................................................ 23

4.8       Magnification..................................................................................................... 23

4.9       CalculatingAreas............................................................................................... 24

4.10     Organizingand Sharing Drawings...................................................................... 24

4.10.1      Naminga Drawing..................................................................................... 24

4.10.2      Savinga Drawing....................................................................................... 25

4.10.3      Duplicatinga Drawing............................................................................... 25

4.10.4      Revertingto a Saved Drawing.................................................................... 25

4.10.5      UsingCategories........................................................................................ 25

4.10.6      BeamingDrawings..................................................................................... 25

 


1    Welcome andRegistration

Floor Plan provides tools to create and modify drawingdiagrams on Palm Powered™ handhelds.

1.1       IncludedFiles

The archive includes the following files and folders:

File/Folder

Purpose

Readme.txt

Explains how to register and order the software.

Floor Plan.prc

Installs Floor Plan on your Palm Powered™ handheld.

Mathlib.pdb

Installs additional software required to run Floor Plan.

Order.html

Automatically establishes link with Standalone, Inc. website.  Places Floor Plan in your shopping cart. (If this does not happen automatically, click the Click to order link to go to our website.)

License.txt

Contains the software license agreement. Please read this before using the software. By installing, copying, or otherwise using this software, you agree to be bound by the terms of the license agreement.

Manual

Contains the HTML version of this manual. The images subfolder contains the graphics for this manual.

Table 1 Floor Plan Files and Folders

1.2  System Requirements

Palm OS version 3.3 is required. Visit http://www.standalone.com/palmos/to obtain an updated list of supported Palm Powered™ devices. This manualrefers to any compatible device as a “Palm Powered™ handheld.”

1.3  Installing Floor Plan

Software such as the Palm Desktop™ enables your Palm Powered handheld to receiveinstallation data from your desktop computer.  Read the documentation thatcame with your Palm Powered handheld to ensure that the Palm Desktop or similarsoftware is properly installed.

1.3.1 Windows Installation

Do the following steps to install Floor Plan using a Windows-compatibledesktop computer:

1.     Download the Floor Plan installer (.exe file) from www.standalone.com , saving it to aneasily accessible location such as the desktop.

2.     Click the executable icon. The installation wizard opens on the screen.

3.     Complete the steps specified by the installation wizard.

4.     Perform a Hot Sync operation with your Palm Powered handheld. Floor Plan is automatically installed on your Palm Powered handheld.

1.3.2  MacintoshInstallation

Do the following steps to install Floor Plan using a Macintosh computer:

1.     Download the Floor Plan file (.hqx file) from www.standalone.com , saving it to aneasily accessible location such as the desktop.

2.     Double click on the FloorPlan.prc and MathLib.pdb files

3.     The install tool will open.

4.     Perform a Hot Sync operation with your Palm Powered handheld. Floor Plan is automatically installed on your Palm Powered handheld.

1.4  Registering Floor Plan

Floor Plan is shareware, software that you can download and try for free.The time-limited demo version of Floor Plan includes all of the featuresavailable in the licensed version. After 30 days, the demo version will onlywork with a valid registration code. Registration includes free upgrades to anyfuture version of Floor Plan.

There are several ways to order your registration code:

·        Orderonline at our website. This is the easiest way to register. The secure onlineshopping cart requires a current Netscape or Internet Explorer browsers(version 4.0 or higher).

·        E-mailyour registration information to sales@standalone.com.We will send the registration code.

·        Faxyour order to us at (773) 477-2579.

1.4.1  NecessaryInformation

Have the following information ready before you register:

·        Your exact name as it is entered in your Palm Powered™handheld, including spaces.

·        Thecomplete list of programs that you wish to register.

·        Paymentinformation. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover andpersonal checks.  To pay with a credit card, provide the card number, theexpiration date, and the type of card.

·        Contactinformation. Please provide an e-mail address, mailing address, and phonenumber.

1.4.2  Entering theRegistration Code

Do the following to enter the registration code before the 30 day evaluationperiod has expired:

1.     Open Floor Plan from the Applications menu.  The start screen appears.

2.     Select Options → Enter Registration Code from the menu. The Enter Reg Code screen containing a numerical keypad appears. The Name field shows your nameas it is entered into your Palm Powered™ handheld.

3.     Tap the numerical keypad to enter the registration code.

4.     Tap the Register button.

Do the following to enter the registration code after the 30-day evaluationperiod has expired:

1.     Open Floor Plan from the Applications menu.  The registration information screen appears.

2.     Tap Enter Registration. The Enter Reg Code screencontaining a numerical keypad appears. The Name field shows your name as it is entered into yourPalm Powered™ handheld.

3.     Tap the numerical keypad to enter the registration code.

4.     Tap the Register button.

Please e-mail us at sales@standalone.com if you have anyquestions about registering.

1.5  Contacting Stand Alone, Inc.

There are several ways to get in touch with us. E-mail is preferred. If youhave any questions, comments, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contactus.

1.5.1  E-mail

Internet: info@standalone.com

1.5.2  Fax

Fax: (773) 477-2579

1.5.3  WorldWide Web

http://www.standalone.com

1.6   CustomerSupport

Please e-mail us at techsupport@standalone.com if you have problemsstarting or running Floor Plan. Include the following information to help usisolate and identify the problem:

2    Design Overview

Floor Plan for Palm OS is an applicationdesigned to enable the user to create, store, and manipulate simple technicaldrawings in the Palm OS environment. However, the basic Palm OS screen isconstrained to 160 pixels square, so that not much detail can be representedwithout greatly magnifying the drawing. Floor Plan overcomes this obstacle byletting the user represent dimensions in the drawing of a higher resolutionthat can be drawn on the screen. For example, you can draw a door opening anddesignate the width as 3’ 6 1/2” even though the drawn representation of thatdoor would be indistinguishable from that of a door that is 3’ 6”.

 

Therefore Floor Planis designed to be a tool to draw representational, or scale drawings. It is nota free-form drawing program, and is more constrained in its abilities than sucha program would be.

3     Overviewof Features

This section summarizes the screens, controls and featuresof the software.

3.1  Start Screen

A single record is called a drawing.  Use the start screen to create, sort, and open drawings.

 

Figure 1 Start Screen

Tap the name of a drawing to open it. For example, tap thewords rec room on the screen shown inFigure 1 to open the drawing drawing named rec room.

3.1.1 Start Screen Controls

Table 2 summarizes the start screen controls.

 

Control

Name

Action

Sort Selector

Select from the pull-down menu to sort drawings in ascending order by name, creation date, or modification date.

View Selector

Select from the pull-down menu to view the names, creation dates, or modification dates of drawings.

Category Selector

Select from pull-down menu to view drawings saved within specific categories.

New Button

Begin a new drawing.

Table 1 Start Screen Controls

3.1.2 Start Screen Menu Options

Tap the Menu buttonto the left of the graffiti pad, or the words Floor Plan in the upper left corner of the screen in order toview the start screen menu options. (Table 3)

 

Options →

Action

Comments

Preferences

Opens the Preferences dialog box.

Read section 4.1, Changing Measurement Units .

Set Colors

Opens the Show Date/Edit Colors screen.

Read section 4.2, Changing Color Settings.

Beam Software

Beams the Floor Plan software package to another Palm handheld.

 

Beam Database

Beams all Floor Plan drawings to another Palm handheld. Note that this is a two step process. You must beam the software and the Math library separately.

 

Enter Registration Code

Enter registration information for Floor Plan software.

 

About Floor Plan

Show version information of Floor Plan software.

 

Table 2 Start Screen Options Menu

3.2  Layout Screen

Use the layout screento view and edit drawing drawings. The drawing opened on the layout screen isthe current drawing.

 

  

Figure 2 Layout Screen – (L) with wall selected, (R)with nothing selected

The title bar shows the name of the current drawing. Below this is a text area where Floor Plan shows information about thecurrently selected element in the drawing.  In Figure 2, the text areashows the words Unnamed wall, as thewall is as yet untitled.. The text area is empty when no drawing elements areselected. 

3.2.1 Layout Screen Controls

The layout screen contains a button tool bar on the bottomof the screen. This area varies depending on whether a wall or object is selected.

 

Icon

Name

Purpose

Item is selected

Quit-and-Save

Save the current drawing and return to the start screen.

Info

View or edit selected wall or object information.

Eraser

Erase the selected wall or object.

Protractor (wall selected only)

Show angles (in degrees) between adjacent walls.

XY Components (wall selected only)

Show the horizontal and vertical components of the distance between the tail of the selected wall and the boundary walls.

Software: Microsoft Office

Zoom

Magnify the current drawing.

Nothing is selected

Quit-and-Save

 

Hammer

Create a new wall or object

Ruler

View wall lengths

Area Tool

Calculate the areas of full or partial enclosures.

Notebook

Enter notes about the drawing.

Software: Microsoft Office

Zoom

 

Table 3 Layout Screen Controls

3.2.2  Layout Screen MenuOptions

Tap the Menu button tothe left of the graffiti pad, or the words Floor Plan in the upper left corner of the screen, to view thelayout screen menus.

 

Drawing  →

Action

Comments

Undo

Undo the last change in a wall or object.

 

Redo

Redo the last undone change in a wall or object.

 

Set Name

Opens the Set Drawing Name dialog box.

 

Read section 4.10.1, Naming a Drawing.

 

Revert to Saved

Discards any changes that were made since the current drawing was last saved. 

 

Duplicate Drawing

Makes a copy of the current drawing.

Unnamed drawings cannot be duplicated.  Name the current drawing before attempting to duplicate it.

Delete Drawing

Delete the current drawing without saving it.

 

Beam Drawing

Beams the current drawing to another handheld.

Read section 4.10.6, Beaming Drawings.

Fix All

Fixes walls and objects so they cannot be moved.

Read section 4.5.7, Fixing Walls.

Unfix All Walls

Unfixes walls and objects so they can be moved.

 

Recalculate Floor Area

Recalculates and draws floor areas with colors and shading (on color handhelds)

Read section 4.9, Calculating Areas.

Table 4 Drawing Menu

 

The start screen and layout screen have the same Options menu.  Read Table 3 Start Screen OptionsMenu, for more information about this menu.

4    Using Floor Plan

This section explains how to set up and create drawings.

4.1  Changing Measurement Units and Tips Settings

To open the Preferences screen(Figure 3), select Options → Preferences from the menu, or enter /R in the graffiti area.

Figure 3 Preferences Screen

Floor Plan applies the Starting units setting to new drawings.  The default settingis Feet. Change the setting to Metersin order to create metric drawings. Changing this setting does not convert the measurement units ofexisting drawings.

 

Checking the Show Help Screens checkbox causes Floor Plan to automatically showhelp screens during certain operations, such as adding a new wall. Uncheck the box to turn off automatic help screens.

4.2  Changing Color Settings

Do the following to change the color of drawing elementssuch as walls, doors, or measurements (Color enabled handhelds only):

1.      Select Options→ Set Colors from the menu, or enter/L in the graffiti area. The ShowData / Edit Colors screen appears.

2.     Click the color bar to the right of an element such as Door. A palette shows the available colors.

3.     Tap the desired color on the palette.

4.     Tap the OK button. Floor Plan applies the new color to the element.

5.      

Tap the Set Default Colors button to restore the default color settings.

 

Floor Plan automatically adjusts its palette according tothe graphics capabilities of the handheld on which it is installed.  Forexample, Floor Plan shows a 4-color palette for a 4-color display, and a256-color palette for a 256-color display.

4.3  Creating a New Drawing

Do the following to create a new drawing:

 

  1. Determine the dimensions of an imaginary rectangle that is just large enough to enclose the area being planned.  For rectangular buildings or rooms, these dimensions will match those of the outer walls.
  2. Tap the New button on the start screen.  The Choose a starting form dialog box appears.
  3. Make sure that Rectangle is checked.
  4. Enter the lengths of the Longer side and the Shorter side of the rectangle using the graffiti pad or the keyboard. Pull-down selectors allow you to specify fractional lengths.
  5. Click the Done button. The drawing layout screen appears, showing an empty rectangle. The sides of this rectangle are boundary walls that mark the perimeter of the drawing.

4.4  Working with Boundary Walls

Boundary walls are the sides of the rectangle surrounding adrawing.  Boundary walls cannot be altered, and new walls cannot be addedoutside of them.

 

A real boundary wallrepresents an actual wall.  The plan for a rectangular building typicallyhas four real boundary walls. (Figure 4)

 

Figure 4 A Floor Plan with Normal Boundary Walls

 

A virtual boundary wallis a line that marks a given length on the drawing, but does not physicallyexist. The patio deck drawing in Figure 5 has a virtual east boundary wall thatrepresents empty yard space. 

 

Figure 5 A Floor Plan with A Virtual East Boundary Wall

4.4.1 Adding a Virtual Boundary Wall

Do the following to add a virtual boundary wall.

 

  1. Tap a normal boundary wall with the stylus.  The wall is highlighted.
  2.  Tap the information icon. The Wall Info screen appears, or Tap and hold over the wall for a second or so.
  3. Check the Virtual checkbox.
  4. Tap the Done button. The wall appears in a lighter color to indicate a virtual wall.

 

The Virtual checkboxcan be unchecked at any time to restore a normal wall.

4.4.2  Beginning a CornerFloor Plan

A square corner is adrawing that has two adjacent virtual boundary walls.  Do the following tobegin a corner drawing:

 

  1. Determine the dimensions of an imaginary rectangle that is just large enough to enclose the area being planned. 
  2. Tap the New button.  The Choose a starting form dialog box appears.
  3. Tap the Square corner checkbox.
  4. Enter the length of the Longer wall and the Shorter wall of the rectangle using the graffiti pad or keyboard.
  5. Click the Done button. The drawing layout screen appears, showing a rectangle with two adjacent virtual boundary walls.

 

Another way to create a corner drawing is to create a Rectangle drawing and then convert the virtual boundary wallsindividually as explained in Section 3.4.1.

4.5  Adding and Positioning Inner Walls

Inner Walls arecreated within the boundary walls.  This section explains how to work withinner walls.

4.5.1 Adding an Inner Wall

Do the following to add an inner wall:

 

  1.  Tap the hammer icon.  Select New Wall from the popup menu.
  2. Tap an existing wall with the stylus to establish a connection point for the new wall.  The new wall appears in a highlighted color.
  3. Tap an empty area to de-select the new wall.
  4. Alternatively, you may tap and start dragging the wall from its start point to its end point. Lift the stylus when the end point is set.

 

Tapping an empty area instead of a wall in step 2 producesno results because a new wall must always connect to another wall. The wallproviding the connection point is called the base wall.

4.5.2 Wall Heads and Tails

A head(H) symbol anda tail(T) symbol mark theendpoints of a wall. Use the boxes that contain these symbols as handles tomove the endpoints of inner walls.

 

When no walls are selected, no head or tail symbols areshown.

 

When a wall other than the wall in question is selected, theunselected walls show the H and T symbols.

 

When a wall is selected, its active end is drawn as an openrectangle, and its inactive end as a closed rectangle. The active end is theend that is moved as the wall position is changed, and it is also the end whoseposition will be changed when the hard buttons at the bottom of the handheldare pressed.

 

4.5.3 Moving Wall Heads and Tails

Do the following to move an inner wall head or tail with thestylus:

 

  1. Tap and hold the stylus on the head or tail.
  2. Drag the head or tail to the desired position.
  3. Tap anywhere off of the wall to de-select it.

 

When adding a new wall, holding the stylus on the connectionpoint allows you to immediately drag the tail of the new wall into the desiredposition.

 

Dragging a wall head or tail may change both the length and angleof the wall.  The next section explains how to view the numeric values ofthese measurements.

4.5.4 Showing Wall Measurements

The ruler, protractor, and XY ruler tools located on thelower toolbar (Table 7) show numeric wall measurements. 

 

Icon

Name

Purpose

Ruler

View wall lengths and lengths between wall junction points.

Protractor

View angles (in degrees) between adjacent walls.

XY Ruler

View the horizontal and vertical components of the distance between the tail of the selected wall and the boundary walls.

Table 7 Measurement Tools

Tap a measurement tool icon once to view the measurements.Tap the icon a second time to hide the measurements. Notice that Floor Planactively updates the measurements as you drag the heads or tails of innerwalls.

4.5.5 Making Small Adjustments

The stylus is not precise enough to control smalladjustments, and some adjustments are not accounted for by changes in the drawnposition of the wall. In other words, you can make small increments in thelength or position of a wall without actually causing the wall to move on thescreen. Use the hard buttons (Figure 6) to move a wall head or tail (Figure 7)in steps of 1/8 inch (or 1 centimeter in metric mode), or larger increments ifthe wall is over 50’ in length.

Figure 6 Hard Buttons

 

Software: Microsoft Office

Figure 7 Effect of Hard Buttons on the Tail of an InnerWall

Select a wall with the stylus before using the hardbuttons.  The  symbol shows the active endpoint that is in focusand under the control of the buttons.

 

Button Name

Action

Date Book Button

Switch focus between head and tail.

Address Book Button

Move endpoint left.

Scroll Up Button

Move endpoint up.  Scroll up if boundary wall is selected.

Scroll Down Button

Move endpoint down.  Scroll down if boundary wall is selected.

To Do List Button

Move endpoint right.

Memo Pad Button

Switch focus between head and tail.

Table 8 Hard Button Functions

4.5.6 Viewing and Changing Wall Information

Use the Wall Info screen to view orchange the properties of a wall. (Figure 8)

Figure 8 Wall Info Screen

To open this screen, select a wall and tap theinformationicon, or tap and hold the stylus over a wall.

If desired, enter the Name field andenter a name for the wall. This name will appear in the text area of the layoutscreen when the wall is selected.

The from head row shows the distancebetween the head of wall and the head of its base wall.  Select thenumeric fields with the stylus and change them via the graffiti pad in order toreposition the head of the wall in relation to the head of the base wall. Usethe pull-down selector to specify fractional lengths.

The length row shows the length ofthe wall.  Select these fields with the stylus and change them via thegraffiti pad in order to increase or decrease the length of the wall. Use thepull-down selector to specify fractional lengths. If you enter a length that islarger than the maximum length of the wall (the length at which it intersectsanother wall) then the length will be set to the maximum.

Tap the Erase button to erase theselected wall.

Tap the Notes button to enter noteslinked to the drawing.

The following sections explain how to use the Fixed, Virtual, andHorizontal checkboxes, and how to adddoors and windows.

4.5.7  FixingWalls

Fixing a wall ensures that it cannot be inadvertently movedlater. Do the following to fix a wall:

 

  1. Open the Wall Info Screen
  2. Check the Fixed checkbox.
  3. Tap Done.

 

To fix all of the walls in the drawing at once, select FixAll from the Drawing menu, or enter /F in the graffiti area. Select Unfix All to change the fixed status of all walls.

4.5.8 Working with Virtual Inner Walls

A virtual inner wall can be used like a tape measure to markthe position of actual walls. The virtual wall in Figure 9 shows where exactly 19’5/8” separates the west boundary wall and the slantedinner wall.

 

Figure 9 A Virtual Wall Providing a Width Measurement

A virtual inner wall can also provide a base wall for astructure that is surrounded by empty floor space.  Figure 10 shows adrawing in which a virtual wall provides a base wall for an isolated supportbeam.

 

Figure 10 A Virtual Base Wall for a Support Beam

Do the following to add a virtual inner wall:

 

  1. Select the wall with the stylus.  The wall is highlighted.
  2.  Tap the information icon, or tap and hold over the wall. The Wall Info screen appears.
  3. Check the Virtual checkbox.
  4. Tap Done. The wall appears in a lighter color to indicate a virtual wall.

 

Virtual walls behave like real walls, with the exceptionsthat real walls may cross virtual walls, and that virtual walls are ignored infloor area calculations.

4.5.9 Aligning a Wall Horizontally or Vertically

Aligning an inner wall with a boundary wall ensures that itwill always form exact 90 degree corners with other aligned walls.  Thissimplifies the creation of rectangular forms. Do the following to align aninner wall:

  1.  Tap the protractor icon to view angle measurements.
  2. Tap an inner wall.  The wall is highlighted.
  3. If desired, drag the tail of the wall slightly out of alignment in order to see Floor Plan align it.
  4.  Tap the information icon. The Wall Info screen appears.  A Horizontal checkbox appears if the wall is within 44 degrees of being a horizontal line, or a Vertical checkbox appears if the wall is within 45 degrees of being a vertical line. This box is checked if the wall is already aligned.
  5. If necessary, check the Horizontal or Vertical checkbox.
  6. Tap Done.  A dialog box appears, asking you to confirm the change.
  7. Tap OK.  The wall is aligned and the angle measurement shows 0° or 90°.

4.5.10               Erasing a Wall

Do the following steps to erase a wall.

 

  1. Select the wall with the stylus.  The wall is highlighted.
  2.  Tap the eraser icon. A confirmation dialog box appears.
  3. Tap the OK button.  The wall is erased.

 

Note: A base wall cannot be erased before its branchingwalls are erased.

4.6  Adding Windows and Doors

Windows and doors can be added to any walls.  Do thefollowing steps to add a door:

 

  1. Determine the distance between the edge of the door and the head of the wall.
  2. Select the wall with the stylus.  The wall is highlighted. (Figure 11)
  3.  Tap the information icon. The Wall Info screen appears.
  4. Tap the Doors/Windows button.  The Doors/Windows screen appears.
  5. Tap the New button. The Detail screen appears. (Figure 12)
  6. Tap the stylus in the Name field.
  7. Use the graffiti pad to enter a name for the door.
  8. Make sure that the Door checkbox is checked.
  9. In the from head fields, use the graffiti pad to enter the distance between the head of the wall and the edge of the door. A pull-down selector allows you to specify fractional lengths.
  10. In the width field, enter the width of the door. A pull-down selector allows you to specify fractional lengths.
  11. Tap the Done button.  An entry for the newly created door appears in the Doors/Windows screen. (Figure 13)
  12. Tap the Done button. The Wall Info screen appears.
  13. Tap the Done button. The door appears as a part of the wall. (Figure 14)
  14. Tap an empty area to de-select the wall.

 

Figure 11 Wall without Door

Figure 12 Detail Screen

Figure 13 Doors/Windows Screen

Figure 14 Wall with Door

 

Repeat this procedure to add windows or other wallfeatures.  In step 8, check Windowfor a window or Other for a wallfeature that is not a window or door, such as a painting, clock, or mirror.

 

The Doors/Windowsscreen (Figure 13) lists the elements—doors, windows, and other features—addedto the wall.  Each element in the list has four sections which show, fromleft to right, the element type (Dfor door, W for window, O for other), the user-assigned name of the element,the distance of the element from the head of the wall, and the width of theelement.  Tap an element on the list to select it.  Tap the Edit button to open the Detail screen and modify the element.  Tap the Delete button to delete the selected element.

4.7  Working with Objects

Floor Plan also letsyou add objects to your drawings to represent furniture and other free-standingthings. Your objects may be circular or rectangular, and rectangular objectsmay tilt to any angle. Objects to do interact with walls in any way, nor withother objects

4.7.1  Adding an object

 

      

Figure 15. Creating a new Rectangle object

To create an object:

    1. Tap the hammer button. From the popup menu, select New Rectangle Object.
    2. Tap anywhere on the screen. A small, horizontally oriented rectangle is created.
    3. Tap and hold on the rectangle.
    4. The Object Info screen is opened.
    5. Enter a name for the object and dimensions.
    6. Tap Done.
    7. The Object is modified in the drawing. Note that there are component bars which show the dimensions from the closest edges of the object to the nearest walls.

 

      

Figure 16. Setting Object Attributes

4.7.2  Moving an object

 

To move an object,tap, and immediately drag in any direction. Movement is constrained by theboundary walls. You may also use the hard buttons to make small movements in ahorizontal and vertical direction.

4.7.3  Modifying anObject

 

To modify an object,tap and hold. The Object Info screen is opened, and you may enter newattributes.

4.7.4  Rotating aRectangle Object

 

Rectangle Objectscan be rotated by entering a non-zero angle attribute. A negative anglerepresents counter-clockwise rotation from the horizontal. The object is drawnas an outline and may be moved freely.

 

    

Figure 17. Rotating a rectangle

4.7.5  Fixing an Object

 

Objects may be fixedlike walls, by checking the fixed checkbox. A fixed object will have a smallcross at its center.

4.7.6  Circle Objects

 

Circle Objects aremanaged much like rectangle objects, except there is no angle attribute, andonly 1 dimension.

4.8   Magnification

You may magnify most drawings by tapping onthe Zoom button.

 

  1. There are 2 levels of zoom.
  2. Tap the Zoom button once to magnify the drawing once, and a second time to magnify further.
  3. Note that in some cases, memory constraints may prevent you from magnifying to the 2nd level.

 

When zooming, a horizontal scroll bar isdrawn if needed.

 

All functions are operative in magnifieddrawings.

4.9  Calculating Areas

The area toolcalculates the floor areas of rooms and partial enclosures.  To view floorarea information:

 

1.      Tapthe wall area icon.  On color handhelds, color fills show where eachenclosed area begins and ends. Numeric area measurements appear in square feet(or square meters).

2.     Tapany area on the drawing to hide the color fills.

3.     Tapthe wall area icon to hide the numeric area measurements.

 

The color fillsappear only after Floor Plan recalculates a new set of areas, after theposition of walls have been changed.  Select Recalculate Floor Area from theDrawing menu to recalculate the current floor areas and view the color fills asecond time.

 

Moving a wall causesFloor Plan to hide area measurements and put the area tool icon into an off(gray) state. This enables you to tap the tool again and recalculate the areameasurements.

 

Note that floor areameasurements are estimates based on the drawing itself, which is not drawn toexact scale. Therefore, even regions which have equal areas may not displaywith equal results.

4.10  Organizing andSharing Drawings

This Section explains how to name, save, categorize, andshare drawings.

4.10.1               Naming a Drawing

To name a drawing:

 

  1. Select DrawingSet Name from the menu options, or enter L in the graffiti area.  The Set Drawing Name screen appears.
  2. Enter the name using the graffiti pad.
  3. Tap the Done button.  The name appears in the upper-left corner of the screen.

 

You must name a drawing before duplicating it.

4.10.2               Saving a Drawing

 Tap the quit-and-save icon at any timeto save the current drawing. 

4.10.3               Duplicating a Drawing

Select Duplicate Drawing from the Drawing menu once adrawing has been named and saved. A copy of the drawing will be created withthe same name and “copy” appended to the end of the name. You may copy a singledrawing multiple times.

4.10.4               Reverting to a Saved Drawing

Reverting to a saved drawing discards any changes that weremade since the drawing was last saved.  Select DrawingRevert to Saved from the menu options, or enter /R in the graffiti area.

4.10.5               Using Categories

Drawings can be organized into categories such as Business, Personal, SW Properties, Cubicles,etc.  Floor Plan saves drawings inthe Unfiled category by default.Do the following to save a drawing into a different category, such as Personal.

 

  1. From the layout screen, tap the drawing category selector (the small box in the upper-right corner of the screen that says Unfiled). A pull-down menu of categories appears.
  2. Select Personal from the pull-down menu. The current drawing is automatically saved into the Personal category.

 

Create new categories as you would with any native Palm OSapplication.

4.10.6               Beaming Drawings

To transfer a drawing to another Palm device using the infra-redbeam, select DrawingBeamDrawing from the menu options, or enter /B in the graffiti area.  The Beam screen appears to show the status of thetransfer.  Make sure that Floor Plan is installed on the receiving device.Also, a user with Floor Plan v 1.0 will not receive drawings correctly fromusers with versions 1.1 or above.

 

HotSync, Palm Powered, and Palm OS are registered trademarks of Palm, Inc.