Room Arranger, version 3.6

This program is intended for designing room interiors. It allows you to place furniture, items and other objects. You can additionally move and rotate objects, change their colors and dimensions. But you can also plan your entire flat, one floor of the house or a new garden.

This file serves as a help for the program and we recommend you to print it and eventually read it. Pressing F1 anywhere in the program will show this help focused on the appropriate chapter.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. License Agreement
2. Guide
   1. Install And Uninstall
   2. Getting Started, Creating the Room
   3. Adding Objects
   4. Object Selection, Making New Complex Objects
   5. Layers
   6. User library
   7. Adding Labels
   8. Saving Into File, Printing And Export
   9. Explore in 3D
3. Dialog windows overview
   1. Project Properties
   2. Room Walls
   3. Rooms in the Project
   4. Library
   5. Object Properties
   6. Label Properties
   7. Object Listing
   8. Explore in 3D - Setup
   9. Local Coordinates
   10. Print
   11. Merge Projects
   12. Transformations
   13. Options
4. Localization

LICENSE AGREEMENT

Room Arranger is shareware. You are free to evaluate Room Arranger (the "Program") for a period of 30 days before you are required to register the Program. Once you register the Program you will receive a serial number that you can enter in Help->Register window.

As a registered user, you will receive:

• A license entitling you to use this and all future releases (which will be made available for downloading from our Internet web site);
• E-mail notifications about new releases;
• Preferential technical support by e-mail at no charge;
• An end to "Please Register" messages.

You may not copy, adapt or reverse compile the whole or any part of the Program without the author's permission. You may not rent, lease or lend the Program.

The Program can be distributed only free of charge and in unmodified form. Vendors of shareware software may charge a reasonable disk duplication and handling fee.

Warranties and Liability
The Program is provided "as-is", and no warranties of any kind (including implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose), express or implied, are made as to it or any medium it may be on. Under no circumstances will the author provides any other remedy for direct, indirect, special, consequential, punitive, incidental or other damages arising from it, including such from negligence, strict liability, or breach of warranty or contract, even after notice of the possibility of such damages.

Installing and using the Program signifies acceptance and agreement to the terms and conditions of this license. If you do not agree with the terms of this license you must cease to use the Program and remove the Program from your storage devices.

Ordering

Limitations

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INSTALL AND UNINSTALL

The program is distributed with an installation program. Leave "Additional Languages" checked if you want to install other languages (not only English) and then select the directory to install in. You can launch the program from the Start menu. If you already have an older version, you don't need not uninstall it (keeps registration) and the new version should be installed in the same directory.

In order to uninstall the program you must launch the Uninstall command from the Start menu (Start-Programs-Room Arranger) or select the corresponding item in Start-Settings-Control panel-Add/Remove Programs.

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GETTING STARTED, CREATING THE ROOM

At first, you should look at the example. Open it using the menu command Project->Open and select the file Sample.mst (distributed with the program). Shortcuts to the samples are also located in the Start menu. Try to study it and play with objects. Then you can create your own room using the menu command Project->New.

At the beginning, you should define the dimensions of the room. You can do it in the window Project->Change Size. All numbers in the program are in centimeters, but you can change it and, when planning airfield or the layout of new houses, the unit can be meter, inch, etc... If you would like to change the unit and you already started to design your room, you can convert the entire room including all objects in it to some different unit.

Whenever you see this button, you can open a window where you can convert numbers in yards-feet-inches system to the number expressed in one unit (e.g. inches).

See Project Properties window.

Walls

Measurement

Local Coordinates

Windows and doors are the first objects to be added to the room. You should place them very precisely.

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ADDING OBJECTS

Objects are added in two possible ways: either from menu Objects->Add Object or right-clicking on the free space in the project. Try to find required object in the library. If you have found it or there is an object only with different size (you can change it afterwards), add it to the project with double-click or selecting it and pressing Enter.
See Library window.

If you can't find the object in the library, button Add basic object will bring the dialog where you can select the shape and other properties of the new object.

If you place the mouse cursor over the object in the project and wait a moment, a brief info about it will appear. And using a right-click, you can select one of the following commands from the pop-up menu:

1. Properties - edit the object properties
2. Duplicate Object - create a copy of the object
3. Remove Object - delete the object
4. Lock / Unlock - prevent object from moving
5. Group / Ungroup - create complex object from the selection (see next chapter)
6. Place to Layer - move object to the different layer (see chapter about layers)
7. Bring to Front ...
8. Send to Back - these functions are good for placing the objects on the top of another object (for example put TV on the cupboard, push a chest under the table,...). In that case, you must sort them with these two commands. These commands do not affect z-position.
9. Rotate 90 Degrees Right ...
10. Rotate 90 Degrees Left ...
11. Rotate 180 Degrees - quickly change the rotation

See Object Properties and Label Properties windows.

Menu command Objects->Listing is dedicated to displaying the list of all objects in the project. You can remove objects or change their properties by clicking the right mouse button.
See Object Listing window.

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OBJECT SELECTION, MAKING NEW COMPLEX OBJECTS

Delete key is for removing the selected object, Alt+Enter shows its properties, Ctrl+R and Ctrl+L rotates the object. You can select other objects with Page Up and Page Down keys. You can also copy object to the clipboard Ctrl+C and then pasting it to another (or the same) project Ctrl+V. If you want to deselect the object, you can click anywhere on the free space in the project or press Esc or Ctrl+D.

In order to select more then one object you have two possibilities. To add or remove single object to/from the selection just click on it using left mouse button while holding Shift. To select objects in a region, you can draw a rectangle around them. To select all objects in the project except for doors and windows, press Ctrl+A.

Then you can change properties to all of these objects together. Furthermore you can align all selected with commands in menu Objects->Align or Distribute. Checking the Relative to Project there means that for example Align Left command will move all objects to the x-position 0 instead of aligning their x-position according to the left-most object.

Groups

Last performed change of position or properties of objects and the project can be undone by the command Edit->Undo or using a toolbar button.

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LAYERS

If you have large amount of objects in the project and some of them are placed on the top of others, you can split them to two (or more) layers. For example, if you have small cabinets under the long table and you want to see them and arrange them, the best thing is to have those cabinets in the separate layer and move this layer under the layer with the table. Another example is to dedicate one layer to the energy or water distribution. The last tricky example: the lowest layer contains carpeting, etc. - basic rectangles one unit high. You can hide it in order to see the grid.

At first, you will have to show layers window (View->Show Layers Window) and create a new layer. There is always at least one layer in the project and one of them is active (it is selected in the Layers window). New objects are added to this active layer. You can move the object to the different layer with the command Place to Layer in its context menu.

Layer order also affects the z-order (not z-position) of the objects in the project. All object from the higher layer are drawn on the top of the objects from the lower layers (change this order using buttons on the Layers window). To see the objects from the lower layer, you can hide higher layers unchecking the checkbox.

Removing the layer will also remove all objects placed in it. It is better to merge layers. If you want to remove only one layer out of three, hide the third one and Merge visible layers. All layer operations are undoable.

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USER LIBRARY

There are many objects in the main library, but you would like to add your own objects and remember their definition for later use. The User library is here just for this purpose. You can find it as a first library page when adding new object and you've certainly spotted it on the right side of the Object properties window, which serves for creating of the user library as well.

If you select some predefined object on the right side and press Load button, its properties will be transferred into the object from the project that you are currently modifying.

Similarly, pressing Save button will add (or update) the object to the library. Object is saved with some name, so try to input something reasonable, accurate and general at the same time.

The User library is stored in the file named Catalog.msk in the program directory. You should not edit it manually. It is much better to use menu command Objects->Browse User Library. Then you can:

• add new objects: fill in something on the left side and insert it using Save button to the library. You can transcribe some real paper catalogue this way.
• edit existing: select the object on the right side, press Load, edit it on the left and press Save.
• delete or rename existing: right-click on the object and select appropriate option.

See Object Properties window.

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ADDING LABELS

There is a special object, which can be added to the drawing. It's Label. You can create new label similarly to any other object either from menu or using right mouse button. Unlike object captions, label can stay anywhere in the project. It can also carry more lines of text and, especially, you can select its font, which size is changed according to the zoom level in the project.

See Label Properties window.

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SAVING INTO FILE, PRINTING AND EXPORT

It is strongly recommended to save your drawing into the file from time to time. There are several commands in the Project menu for this purpose. You can open the files also using a double click in Explorer or any other file manager, or dragging the file into the program window.

You can also print your work (Project->Print). Select the paper orientation in your printer setup. In the bottom side of the window there is a schematic view on the paper and you can select (and edit) what shall be printed along the image.
See Print window.

Furthermore, you can save the result as an image (Export submenu, don't hesitate to use PNG format, everyone can open it and the image very small) or copy it into the clipboard and subsequently insert it into a text editor (like MS Word), add some comments and then print it. As a default, 100% zoom is always used for printing and export (the most accurate drawing). You can change it in Options.

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EXPLORE IN 3D

In order to make any use of 3D view, you should set height and z-position for all objects in their properties. Furthermore, you will need some external VRML viewer; it is not part of the installation program. Two of them are described below, both of them use Internet browser's window for the viewing.

Please, study their help, navigation in virtual worlds is quite difficult (before you get accustomed to it). All moves are performed with mouse (press left mouse button and drag). There are three exploring modes: Walk, Slide (including panning and flying), Tilt (rotating the view), you can switch among them using the buttons in the viewer (see images). If you switch off gravity you can fly.

Room Arranger generates several sights of the project for you. They are accessible in the Viewpoint list and you can go through all of them (in case of Cosmo Player) using keys Page Down and Page Up (recommended). The first viewpoint is the start position you choose in the program.
See Explore in 3D - Setup window.

Cosmo Player

Cortona

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PROJECT PROPERTIES

Menu: Project->Change Size.

Width, Height

Project dimensions. Width is the dimension along the x axis, height along the y axis. If the project contains only one room, change these values.

Edit Walls

Shows the window for advanced wall adjustment - if your room is not rectangular or you have more rooms in the project.

Rooms

Shows the window for setting floor and wall colors - use when you have more rooms in the project.

Space around the project

Free space around the project, including space occupied by walls. Small button next to Top space will copy the Top value to all other values.

Grid

Properties of the grid that can be displayed under the project, it helps you to conceive of distances.

Wall thickness

Default wall thickness. All walls in the project has this thickness, but you can change them separately in Edit Walls.

Wall height (3D)

Height of the walls in 3D.

Unit name

Unit. Important when adding objects from the library.

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ROOM WALLS

Walls listing

Properties of the selected wall are displayed on the right. The last item is blank record prepared for adding a new wall.

From, To

Position of the start and end point in the project. Width and height of the project are automatically changed to fit the walls; it means that you don't have to keep walls in the project dimensions entered before. If you try to edit these values, the blue circle in preview will show you the location of entered coordinates.

Alignment

Position of the wall with respect to the coordinates - it can be above them, going through them or bellow them.

Thickness

Wall thickness.

Height

Wall height in 3D.

Save

Confirm and save changes for selected wall.

Remove

Remove selected wall.

Pick x, Pick y, Pick xy

These buttons are here to help you find the position if the wall should be connected with another (existing) wall. First, select From/To and then click, which coordinate you want to pick. Then move mouse cursor to the preview and select the point (highlighted with blue circle).

Preview

Selected wall has red color. You can also select the wall by clicking on it in this image.

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ROOMS IN THE PROJECT

Please see Sample Apartment project for rooms definition.

Rooms are automatically determined from the walls. When you create a closed polygon out of walls, the new rooms is created inside of them. Wall thickness is not taken into account, only its start and end points, so connect the walls coordinates properly (Coordinates pickers are recommended). You don't have to split walls in every room corner, intersections are created automatically.

Rooms

Select the room from the list.

Selected Room

Properties of selected rooms. You can change its name, floor color and wall color for 3D view.

Statistics

Information about the selected room, displayed in selected unit. Room dimensions, walls perimeter, floor area and total project floor area. Wall thickness is already subtracted.

Preview

The border of selected room has red color. You can also select the room by clicking on it in this image.

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LIBRARY

You can add the object to the project with double-click or select it and press Enter.

Library selection

The library is divided into several pages; this is their listing. The first page is User library.

Add basic object

Leaves this window and shows the window for adding object having basic shape (rectangle/block, circle/cylinder, etc..).

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OBJECT PROPERTIES

Type

Change the shape of the object. It is disabled for complex objects.

Caption

Text that appears on the object or the name of the object in the User library.

Width, Length (Depth), Height

Dimensions along x, y and z axis.

Position x, y, z

Position in the project. L next to it indicates you have local coordinates turned on. This point it marked in the preview as a red cross. If you want to use decimal numbers for object position, you have to enable it in program options.

Rotation

Rotation in degrees. You can adjust the rotation using the helper beside it and if you hold Shift key, the rotation will change in 45 degrees multiples.

Colors

Various colors. If you uncheck them, appropriate part of the object becomes invisible.

Style

Line style, dashed lines can be used for objects on the top of something else.

Snap to wall

Object must stay in/at the wall. This is valid for windows and door by now.

User library

See User library chapter for details.

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LABEL PROPERTIES

Position

Position in the project. L next to it indicates you have local coordinates turned on.

Alignment

Text alignment.

Font

Select label font.

Colors

Various colors. If you uncheck them, appropriate part of the object becomes invisible.

Text

Text, can have multiple lines.

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OBJECT LISTING

Displays the list of all objects in the project, but only from the visible layers. You can remove objects or change their properties by clicking the right mouse button. It is possible to copy the entire listing to the clipboard and paste it in some text editor.

See also: Layers

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EXPLORE IN 3D - SETUP

Menu: View->Explore in 3D

Start position

Position of the first (initial) viewpoint. It can be saved into to the project file.

Select in the drawing

You can select the start position with the mouse.

Rotation

Rotation in degrees. You can adjust the rotation using the helper beside it and if you hold Shift key, the rotation will change in 45 degrees multiples.

Walls transparency

Select if you want to see the walls. [default: solid]

Zoom

Zoom level of the virtual world. 200% means that 1 cm in the project will be 2 cm in the virtual reality. [default: 100%]

Look from height

Distance between the floor and eyes. [default: 160 cm]

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LOCAL COORDINATES

Menu: View->Local Coordinates.

Origin

New position of the origin of the coordinates in the project. The x-axis is still growing from left to right and y-axis from top to bottom of the image. Z-axis is not affected

Select in the drawing

You can select the origin with the mouse.

Use local coordinates

Switch on/off local coordinates.

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PRINT

Menu: Project->Print.

Printer

Name of the selected printer.

Setup

Select the printer, paper orientation, print quality...

Maximize

Drawing will be as large as possible according to the paper size and the presence of additional texts.

Scale

Print project in certain scale, i.e. 1:50 means 1 cm on the paper is 50 cm in reality. The highest possible scale is shown next to it.

Print in color

Print in color or only in gray scale. [default: on]

Page border

Free space on the paper. [default: 1.5 cm]

Title

Check it if you want to print some big caption above the image.

Draw scale

Check it if you want to print scale under the image.

Note 1, Note 2

Check it if you want to print some additional information using smaller font under the image. The project dimensions are filled to the Note 1 if it is set in Options.

Tip 2: if you use inches, the image may have too low resolution when prining in 100% zoom. Uncheck the option Export in 100% zoom in program Options, zoom in and print.

See also: Saving Into File, Printing And Export, Options

Print does not work after 30 days when you are still unregistered.

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MERGE PROJECTS

Menu: Project->Merge Projects

Current Project - Shift

Position of current project, drawn with black color in preview.

Merge With - Browse

Load the project (the file) you would like to add to current project.

Merge With - Shift

Position of loaded project, drawn with red color in preview.

10 small buttons at the bottom

These buttons will set the shift of both current and loaded project as marked on them. The first 5 buttons set x coordinate, while remaining 5 buttons work only with y coordinate.
Note: wall thickness is not taken into account in these actions. Please adjust relevant coordinates in order to overlap connecting walls.

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TRANSFORMATIONS

Menu: Project->Transformations

Convert Units - From, To

If you select both units (from/to) and press Do it button, the entire drawing will be converted to result unit. It means that not only the unit name will be changed (see Project Properties) but all numbers (dimensions and positions of all objects and walls) will be multiplied by certain coefficient.

Shift - x, y

Given numbers will be added to positions of all objects and walls.

Scale

Dimensions and positions of all objects and walls will be multiplied by given number.

Rotation

The entire project will be rotated including all objects in it. The number has to be 90 degrees multliple.
Note: you will probably have to reposition the windows.

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OPTIONS

Menu: Configure->Options

Default unit name

Unit used for new projects. [default: cm]

Auto-size window to fit

Change the main window size according to the size of the project and zoom factor. [default: on]

Open files in best fit

Start with the zoom in which the whole project can be shown. [default: on]

Can move objects without selection

If unchecked, first you have to click on the object in order to select it, then release the mouse button and then you can move it. [default: on]

Decimal numbers for object positions

If unchecked, object position can be only the whole number. For example, if you move with the object in zooms other then 100%, new position will be probably decimal number. You will need to check this option if you use foot as a unit. [default: off]

Show layer name in object quick info

You can see the layer name in which the object belongs in the window that will appear if you fix the cursor on it. [default: on]

Export always in 100% zoom

Use 100% zoom when Saving as an image and printing. This image can be very large and maybe won't fit in the computer memory. In that case uncheck this option. [default: on]

Add text with project dimensions

Draw text with project dimensions on the bottom left part on the image file or into the Note 1 when printing. [default: on]

Default object colors

Initial colors of the new object.

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LOCALIZATION

Since version 1.11, the program is distributed also in other language mutations, not only in Czech. Translations are provided by normal people (like you) who find this program useful and they want to support it.

If you want to join them and help with the translation into some non-translated language, you already saw any program in that language, contact us using e-mail jadamec@bigfoot.com. You will have to translate only one text file (all translations are in the Language directory) and insert the correct constant into the LanguageID line (I will provide it). Just keep the same sense, the rest is fully up to you. Conversion of this help file is optional and not recommended.

Detailed instructions:

1. Before you start translating, always check the website if somebody else has not already done it! Download the latest version. We will gladly answer any your e-mail questions.

2. Look into the installation directory with the languages (typically C:\Program Files\Room Arranger\Language) at the existing translations using a simple text editor (Notepad, TextPad, UltraEdit...) and find the language closest to you, preferably English - i.e. file arr_en.lng. Create a copy of this file with the name derived from the new language name (i.e. arr_de.lng for German).

3. In that new file, translate all strings after ItemN=, change the language name on the top of the file and write any other number in LanguageID (we'll change or send you (if you want) the correct constant for your language). Please note that words after # character serve only as a hint for you to find the proper form of the words before this character. You can remove this comment (including #) after use.

4. Start the program and choose your new language. Go through all dialog windows, check the accuracy and see if all texts fit in the space dedicated to them. If not, try to use another phrase or abbreviation. When editing the language file with program running, you must reselect the language in the configurations or restart program to apply changes.

5. Send us your product; we are looking forward to it!

6. When working on newer versions of the program, you will have to translate about 30 new clearly marked items every time.

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