Tip of the month! February: Creating a virtual tour

This month we bring you a more detailed explanation of the new virtual tour feature from the last program update. Simply put, it allows you to load a number of panorama files, combine them and create a composite panorama file, a virtual tour. Really useful when presenting multiple rooms, or wishing to show a specific space from more angles. To get started, select virtual tour from the export options, found in the file menu.
 

 

What is a virtual tour?

• A virtual tour is a panorama file that can consist of multiple panoramas

• The file has the extension .ppan3 and can be viewed in Palette Move and in the Palette Cloud

• The viewer can switch between panoramas

• You can insert jump labels

• When the viewer clicks on a jump label in a panorama, the program automatically loads a linked panorama

• This allows you to create a virtual tour of a project, for example

What panoramas can be used?

• All panoramas created in Palette CAD can be imported

• This can be the current .ppan3 format and the older .ppan2 and .ppan formats

• You can also import panorama photos in .jpg format

• In addition, you can use a virtual tour to convert existing panoramas into the .ppan3 format

Importing panoramas into the virtual tour

• Press the “Open” button to import a virtual tour in .ppan3 format

• The “New” button starts a new, empty virtual tour

• The “Add” button adds a panorama in .ppan, .ppan2, .ppan3 or .jpg format to the virtual tour

Editing individual panoramas

• The “Panoramas” list shows the panoramas currently loaded along with a preview bitmap

• When a panorama is selected in the list, the preview window on the right displays the panorama as in Palette Move

• You can move around in the panorama and jump to other panoramas

• You can rename a panorama

• You can define the direction of viewing for a panorama

• The direction of viewing is the orientation of the panorama when it is launched (e.g. by clicking on a jump label)

Saving the virtual tour

• The virtual tour is saved as a file with the extension .ppan3

• Basically, a virtual tour behaves the same way as a “simple” panorama

• For example, a virtual tour can contain a single panorama, in which case it is identical to a “simple” panorama

• You can use the “Create preview” to define which image to show when displaying the file

• This preview bitmap for the virtual tour is displayed, for example, in Palette Move in the selection of loaded panoramas or in the Palette Cloud

• Select a panorama

• When you create a preview, the current setting of this panorama is saved as a preview for the virtual tour

What are jump labels?

• A jump label is a marker (icon) in a panorama

• When the viewer clicks on this jump label, the program loads another panorama

• In Palette Move VR, all you need to do is look at the jump label

• Before loading the panorama, the program performs an animated zoom to the jump label to simulate a movement

• Placing jump labels at appropriate positions in the panoramas creates the impression of a tour

Setting and editing a jump label

• You can set and edit jump labels in the currently active panorama on the “Jump labels” tab

• On the left is list of jump labels in the panorama

• When a jump label is selected, it is displayed blue in the panorama

• New jump label: This button sets a new jump label in the active panorama

• The program displays a list box containing the panoramas available in the virtual tour

• Click on the position in the panorama

• Delete: This button removes the selected jump label

• Link: This button links the selected jump label to another panorama

• The name of the panorama is automatically applied to the jump label 

There you have it, now time to give it a go yourselves, and don't forget to show off on our Facebook page to get some kudos. You can also check out the virtual tour from the pictures above, just visit www.palettecloud.net and enter the pin 83898354. Have fun!

Greetings from Stuttgart

Your Palette CAD Blog Team

Tip of the month! January: v9.08-10 release notes

Seems year 2017 is off to a pretty spectacular start, and there we were all fearing that 2016 is going to be unbeatable. Congratulations too to any of you that have still managed to keep your resolutions going, I made it a whole 16 days this time around. What better way to kick off in the new year than to give you a quick overview of the latest features, read on!

Palette CAD 9.08

• When combined light sources are selected, the brightness for the complete light source can be set in the setting section
• The wood technology board and the general board can be controlled via a setting section when they are selected in the project
• A standard staircase can be inserted into the scene from the menu “Insert / Board” (the staircase must be licensed for this)
• Standard staircase: For winding staircases, a string wreath can be created automatically in the corner to connect the stair stringers
• Standard staircase: Steps and landings for staircases can be mortised into the stair stringers
• Wood technology: The nested distribution has been expanded for continuous floors or sides in the rear panel of carcases and has been adapted to better suit the new wood technology 4.0
• There is now a setting option for the board projection in the nested distribution
• Many smaller improvements and bug fixes

Palette CAD 9.09

• A camera (Perspective) can be fixed so that it can no longer be shifted with the mouse (“Freeze camera”)
• If a zoom has been set in a perspective, the zoom remains the same when the camera is moved
• Selected light sources can be hidden permanently in the scene (“Hide light source in the scene”)
• The adjustment range for the brightness of light sources has been modified so that the effect on the brightness in the scene is reproduced more intuitively
• Rendered views in the Exposé are saved in compressed form and only require about 1/3 of the previous storage space
• There are animated objects in which, for example, doors or drawers can be opened in the scene via a slider (“State animation”)
• The Palette CAD object editor is required to create your own animated objects
• Importing files in the DXF and DWG formats has been optimized
• When importing large drawings in the DXF and DWG formats, you can select a partial area which is to be imported
• 3D lines and 2D drawings: Working with an arc through two points, it is now possible to enter either the height of the arc (distance) or the radius of the arc
• The creation and editing of 3D lines has been revised and is now more uniform and intuitive
• Wood technology: In a wood technology board, a “false mitre” can also be created now in which the board is only partially cut with a mitre
• Wood technology: Features in the wood technology board can be converted into alternative features (e.g. pocket to cutout or series of holes to individual holes)
• Palette Play files can be output in the format WEBGL, making it possible for them to be viewed in modern browsers without a plug-in  

 

Palette CAD 9.10

• There is an import function for PDF files that can import 2D plans as exact vectors
• This allows you to send architect’s plans as PDFs for use as construction templates
• The DXF/DWG import now shows a preview in which you can select a detail and only import this detail into the project
• The DXF/DWG import shows layers that you can hide individually
• Images (bitmaps) can be imported as objects with no thickness This allows you to place a scanned plan on the floor as a construction template, for example
• There is a new simple way of creating a multiple material from several materials
• 360° panorama images can be used as a background for cameras
• This requires creating a material with a panorama
• The panorama can also be a 360° panorama photo
• Palette Move can now also display stereo panorama images as VR
• Panorama images for Palette Move can be combined with jump labels so that viewer can “jump” from one panorama to another (File / Export / Create virtual tour)
• When creating a virtual tour, you can also import panorama photos
• Panorama images can be created so that you can upload them to Facebook
• Animated object: you can now animate sub-objects that cannot be selected as subgroups in the project
• Tile patterns created as a mix of different tiles (patchwork) can now be configured to prevent the same tiles being placed next to each other
• Tiling can now be simply removed in the setting section on the left in order to re-tile the surface 

Plenty to sink your teeth into then and some really cool features that you have been asking for, which we will look into in detail in the coming TOTM posts. Make sure to check them out and make sure to have some fun too.

Greetings from Stuttgart

Your Palette CAD Blog Team

Tip of the month! December: Palette for all to try

Seeing as it is the season for giving, we have decided to give everybody a chance to try out Palette CAD for free. Below you can find links to a demo version of our design software, as well as, a guide to help you get started. The detailed step by step instructions will show you how to create a bathroom from start to finish. So what are you waiting for? Give it a go.

Before we start it is very import to notice a couple of small points. Aim of this guide is to create a room completely from scratch in under 20 minutes. The instructions below may seem daunting, and perhaps a lot to take in, but, in reality, with a little practice, it can be done in less than 3 minutes. The reason for such detail is to provide even a user that has NEVER worked with a CAD program, a chance to accomplish impressive results, as well as, learn the basics, and understand the Palette CAD philosophy (simple to use, close to reality and logical). By learning the steps below you will already have great knowledge foundations to plan on your own.


1. Download and install both Palette CAD 9 and demo data catalogue below.

Palette CAD 9 Demo ( Password: MWLTDPAHMTANL)
Demo data catalogue

2. Start Palette CAD 9.

3. From the pop-up menu select “Start Palette CAD in DEMO mode” and from the next screen select “OK”. Should a “Software Update” window pop up select “Cancel”.

 

4. Now we will design a simple 4x3m room. To start off with select “Create project with room” from the start screen.

5. To keep it simple let’s leave the room size and layout as standard. Select “OK”.

6. Now we will insert a window and a door. From the top ribbon go to the “Insert” tab and click on the “Window” icon. A pop up screen will appear with a large number of options. For the time being ignore them and select “OK”.

 

The window will now be hanging on your mouse pointer (imagine that you are holding it in your hand and now you need to place it). Place it anywhere within the blue square in the top left view named “Front”. A number of further options will appear on the left hand side of your screen. Click on “Center horiz” to bring the window in the middle of the wall.

7. Next we will insert a door in the opposite wall. Procedure is almost the same, take an object and place it where you need it, very logical following real life situations. So, first click on the right hand side wall in “Plan” view to select it. This is where we want the door, you will also notice the “Front” view has now changed to show this wall. Now click on the “Door” icon and again just select “OK”.

Once again, with the door still hanging on your pointer, place it anywhere along the ground in “Front” view. Last center the door using “Center horiz”.

8. Floor tiles come next. From the top ribbon select “Design” and click on the “Material catalogues” icon. A new window will open, material browser. On the left hand side is the list of your available libraries with details/previews on the right, very similar to that of a windows based file explorer function. Idea here is to find the file you need and load it into the design. From the left side select “demo materials”, then “tiles”, then “fl6060”. On the right hand side you will see a preview of available materials. Simple drag and drop “fl6060_floor_tile_anthracite” completely out of the browser window and drop it onto the room floor (orange highlight shows the target area).

9. We will follow a similar path for walls. As we have four walls we will do them simultaneously by using the material list option. On the right hand side of the screen you can find your object and material lists, which show you all the objects or materials in your design that are selected. When nothing is selected all objects/materials will be shown. Next select “Material list”. If you have followed the above instructions only door materials should be visable, as it is still selected. Simply click anywhere outside of your room design (white space). Now all materials in the plan are listed. Scroll down until you find “Wall Covering”. As before now find the desired material and drag and drop it onto “Wall Covering”. So back to “Material catalogues” , “tiles”, “fl3060” and drag and drop “fl6030_decor_nacre” onto “Wall Covering”. EASY! If the Material/Object browser doesn’t close automatically click on the cross in the top right corner of this window (not the program) to close it.

10. Now for the bath elements. Under “Design” tab click on the “Object catalogues” icon. Next open “demo catalog”, “bath fitting sets” and double-click on “row 1 left corner shower with washbasin and WC”.

Under length type in 400 and select “OK”.

With object still hanging on your mouse pointer, place the set in the top left corner of the room using the “Plan” view. You know it is exactly in the corner when you see the black grip appear as you hover over the corner.

11. Next a bath in bottom left corner of the room. Back to “Object catalogues”, “demo catalog”, “bath elements” and select “corner bath left”. Position it as before.

12. Finishing touches time. Our room needs a ceiling. Add one by going to “Insert” tab and select “Ceiling”. Choose “In room” and simply click anywhere inside your room in “Plan” view.

13. Let’s add some sunlight. Go to “View” tab and click on “Daylight”. Tick the “Sunlight” box and close the window via the cross.

14. It’s almost picture making time. First step is to select the correct camera position and add a suitable background. Most of the visualisation is done using the “Perspective” view. For this design we will use “Camera 2” which is found in the dropdown menu next to “Birds view”, accessed by clicking on the little down arrow. Enlarge this view using the icon just right of the word “Perspective”.

To add the window background simply RIGHT click anywhere within the “Perspective” window. From the context menu that comes up select “Background”.

In the following window tick the “Background” box. Now click on the white box just below it to search for the desired graphic.

Now back in the material browser select “demo materials”, “Demo materials”, “D_HG_meadow_with_hedge”.

Drag the “Size” bar down to 78-82% and select “OK”.

15. Finally select the visualisation mode from the drop down menu you wish to see and render away. It is found just left of camera selection feature. Using the down arrow you can choose between Virtual Reality (fast), Ambient Light (photo realistic), Watercolor and Marker.

There it is, your first Palette CAD plan. Now that wasn't so difficult or scary, in fact, hopefully you had fun doing it. If you wish to get the advanced version of this guide to really test yourself or want to find out more about our products and services just send us an email at info@palettecad.com. We look forward to your feedback.

Wishing you all a magnificent 2017!

Your Palette CAD Blog Team