Auto Save, Backup Files etc.

[Ben Palmer]

What about incorporating Layout into the same plan file...

[cgirerd]

Yes - I'd like that, too. At least the way I work, a given layout file is only connected to one plan file anyway. Lump 'em together and get rid of some more folder clutter!

But let us change the paper size and orientation from within the file easily (like every other program I know of does!) in case the building grows and you suddenly realize you want a horizontal instead of vertical layout...

Christina

[Doug Park]

Funny you should start talking about layouts. That will be my next project. Keep the ideas flowiing, I'm sure some of them will get incorporated.

The embeding of a layout into a plan is something that we are considering. Of course, we want to maintain the way we do it now as well.

We are looking at ways to address the printer setup issue as well.

[Ben Palmer]

I assume that if layouts are in the same plan, the ability to import or send from another plan to the layout will be available. An example is having several elevations on a single model. Need to be able to put this in the layout. Unless of course the ability to add different elevations to one plan is added.

Does this mean that version 11 will be backward compatible with 10? You don't have to answer that.

Thanks for including us in the process. We love it.

[cgirerd]

One big issue I have with layouts, which I was just going to ask about in a new thread, but will throw in here since you mentioned it... I want to be able to send a color view directly to layout and not have to mess with import/export. Half of what I print for my clients are the bitmap raytraced views or the colored elevation views... Give us the option, when we click the "send to layout" button of b/w lines or greyscale bitmap or color bitmap. As it is now, once I export the bitmap views, I usually pull them in to CorelDraw for layout so I can have horizontal and vertical views in the same file and because I feel I have better control. If I could keep bitmap views within Chief easily, I probably would.

Now if you really wanted a slick feature for layout, after allowing for sending bitmaps within Chief, give us the ability to select a paint program for editing, where we can double-click on the bitmap, go into our paint program to crop or adjust brightness & contrast, or whatever, then be right back in Chief. I don't know if that's possible, but it'd be neat!

Or at least give us the ability to crop the bitmaps within layout, so we don't have to put white rectangles over areas we don't want to show...

Thanks,
Christina

[James A. Seiter, P.E.]

I remember discussion about a year ago about the ability to have shaped 'view ports' on the layout page (i.e.- round, oval, etc.) with control over the color or shading of the outline and control over the sizing of the 'view port'. This would be a nice addition to dress up the presentation of our details.

At that time I proved to myself that it could be done by generating a second pl1 plan containing a slab with holes in it which I sent to the same layout page as the details and aligning the details within the hole areas (the holes could be of any permissable shape). Although this worked, I seldom use it because of the time required to align everything.

[spencerdesign]

Does this mean that version 11 will be backward compatible with 10?

LOL. That's a good one Ben!

Sam

[JoeArchitect]

you can store the files zipped if you want save mucho space....