colored floor plan

[JoeArchitect]

I'm looking for the easiest way to create floor plan brochure sheets looking something like the attached one. I'm looking for the color/texture in the floors...sort of a watercolor look with some variation...not interested in the furntiture etc...would like to add some artistic looking plants/grass outside..walls can just be 2d black...t.i.a. I have CA10 and Corel Draw...Photoshop elements...I need great resolution...

[dparsley]

you could take a vector floorplan overview from the top. It will show your colored materials you have set

[lbuttery]

vector floorplan overview from the top

that is the starting point but we found it necessary to export as .JPG and then apply "artistic" effects in Paint Shop Pro.

It would be nice if Chief could create a better floorplan that could be used in brochures.

Does anyone know of a published guide to creating floorplans for brochures ? Is there a "standard" ?

Lew

[JoeArchitect]

Some good examples of colored floor plans and artistic renderings are on the web in the form of Ken Piepers work...and Design Basics has some good "watercolor" renderings...

[lbuttery]

Joe:

Do you have a link to Ken Peipers work ?

Lew

[JoeArchitect]

http://www.kenpieper.com/default.htm...1+Kb+Loaded%2E

or http://www.kenpieper.com

ck his links to his illustration...

[ChiefChris]

maybe -

Add as much of the data (furniture, fixtures, solid wall fill, walks/driveways etc.) to the plan as you can - export the plan view as a graphic file then open with a graphic editor program (like photoshop)...and add the watercolor textures.

[JoeArchitect]

when I do that it open it up its ...pixelated...not very good resolution..

[davethedesigner]

Joe - In CA, click on the the "View Tools" camera (not the "Render Tools" camera). Click on "Floor Overview". Once you are looking at the rendered view, click on "View Direction Tools" and pick "Top View". Once you have the top view positioned as you like, go to "File-Export-Metafile". Pick the EMF option, draw a box around your diagram, and save the file in .emf format.

EMF/WMF format are vector line formats. They don't "pixelate" like a picture does. Now, open the EMF file in Corel Draw and combine it with anything else you need.

If Corel Draw does not work, try downloading a 30 day evaulation copy of Adobe Illustrator. It will read EMF files with no problem.

When I want to do something similiar with a properly scaled floorplan I will print a layout sheet from CA to PDF995 and create a PDF file. Adobe Illustrator will then open that file in proper scale. I can then combine an EMF file or whatever else I want to do very easily. I can then pass the work back and forth between Illustrator and Photoshop.

If you are looking for a VERY VERY VERY good book on the subject of architectural illustration go to Amazon.com and check out the following book:

Color Drawing, 3rd Edition by Michael E. Doyle, ISBN 0-471-74190-6

The book is not cheap but it is packed with examples from start to finish and is well worth its cost.

[JoeArchitect]

thx Dave I'll try that. I'm proficient in rendering with pencil, watercolor etc...but I'm looking to do it digitally now...its just easier to keep in the puter now and e mail them around...you know how that goes...I'm looking to take the straight b&w floor plans and straight elevations...import them into CDraw or similar program and fill with color..mottled..watercolor fill...and changing the lines from straight to slightly irregular to simulate hand draw...if I could simulate pen and ink line work with water color fill... I'de be happy...thx

[davethedesigner]

Joe - The author of the "Color Drawing" book demonstrates a great mix between the computer and hand drawing. He has a lot of great examples showing how he gets the hand drawn/hand colored look using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Many of the examples in his book can be done with either the computer or by hand and he shows you how.

[Allen Brown]

Dave,

That's a very good tip. I had not known before what an EMF file was. I tried to import that emf into PSP10, but got an error message stating I did not have enough memory. I next opened a very dumbed down program (Microsoft Picture-It Express 7.0) that I got free somewhere, imported the emf file successfully, saved as a jpeg, opened it with PSP10, and have very positive initial results.

Thanks!

[JoeArchitect]

thx I did'nt realize there was a book like that out there....I'll pick it up....J

[lbuttery]

Joe:

go to amazon and search for that book and then look at the other books that are like it that Amazon displays. Lots of choices.

There is a professional organization for Arch, Illustrators that might be worth joing also. Do a google to find them.

Lew

[JoeArchitect]

Thx Dave...I was able to send emf's to Corel Draw 9. (bought in 98 and didnt use it much)...I seem to be able to apply fills etc now....so I'm excited about that...I can send them from the camera overviews or the floor plan etc..thx again...J