Project Interface Features

(please visit the Help Pages or Demo Version for much more detail on each of the features)

Floorplan Layout Elements

• 2 Icons Styles
  • "Cedia Style" and "Homeowner-Friendly"
  • switch them with a button click
• 6 System Type Layers
  • toggle icons on/off for both floorplans and reports
  • Communications, Audio/Video, Security, Lighting, Control and Other
• NEW Custom Icon System
  • customize the program's Standard Icon set with new names and order
  • custom Icons come in 3 shapes & 2 types in all 6 system layers
    • Type 1 is simple
      • you get 3 icon shapes in each system layer (you rename them)
      • they drop from the menu as usual, then you select the icon & click on it's label field to edit it's label
        (though each instance of the icon can have a different label, they are reported by the icon's name from the menu)
    • Type 2 is far more advanced:
      • you add a new icon to the menu, then edit it's shape, label, name, order and view... create as many as you need
      • save your icon settings to the server main & backup files
      • Type 2 Icons are treated just like the Standard Icons, they are reported and displayed as if they were built-in
      • create as many as you need
      • full set of Reset & Backup options to help you maintain and protect your icon settings
• Drag/Drop room assignment for reports (use with Room Areas and/or Titles)
• Room Area Tool
  • you can plot them over floorplans, turn off their visibility, then when you drag an icon into a room, it will be automatically assigned
  • you can also opt to show them as white boxes, which you can use to layout a preliminary design without obtaining floorplans
    (this feature was requested for inexpensive bids on jobs you may not get)
• Room Title Tool
  • icons can be dragged over them for assignment
  • they will stay upright when the page is rotated
• Text Tool
  • good for simple notation and the text always displays upright
  • adjustments for font size and horizontal alignment
• Portrait & Landscape Orientation
  • adjust all pages and elements to fit either orientation with a button click
• Aspect Ratio
  • adjust all pages and elements to fit your printer, covers 6 of the most popular print sizes (8.5x11, 11x17, 24x26, 18x24, 12x18, 22x34)

Report Generation

• Report Icons by Room & Floor
  • data is set when you drag an icon over a room area or room title
• Report Icon Totals for the Project - self explanatory
• Layout Options
  • toggle the report title on/off (your browser may print it in the header)
  • toggle the system layer names on/off
  • upload a banner image or use your logo to include at the top of the report
  • toggle the borders on/off for the report's table borders
• Content Options
  • each page can be toggled to be included/excluded in the reports
  • you can choose to ignore the icons from system layers that are turned off
    (this can allow you to print any combination of system type reports)
  • you can also choose to print just the current page (toggled or not)

Image Uploading

• You can upload JPG image files for use in several areas of the Interface
  • your Logo in Title Block and Cover Page
  • you can opt to use a different logo on the Cover than the Title Block
  • custom cover page main image - use a picture of the client's house, an elevation rendering... etc.
  • floorplans - you can import a file to each page, it will resize for the best fit
  • other Images - you can upload any JPG you like to use in a page with a title block, i.e. rack elevations, block diagrams, jack details... etc.
• 60 MB of Image File Space
  • enough space for at least 50 projects using images at 1600x1200 pixels (approx 300 image files)
  • the space can go much farther with Flash Vector Files (see Image Services)
  • extra space is available as an upgrade ($20/month per 20 MB block)

Login & User Access Level

• Company User Profiles
  • assign your employees with a password that will grant their access level
• Access Levels
  • determine the permissions for your users (very simple 3 level system)
• Client Login
  • your client can login to their project (separate data file), they only have access to what they need
• Client Interface
  • includes a chat log to consult with you, authorize changes, or perhaps just play around with their layout

Project Data Files

• Login Override
  • if a company user is logged into a project you wish to open, you can override their login, which will stop them from saving over your changes. This should be done with caution, check with the user first to make sure they have saved or are even using it (logout gets missed in many ways)
• Company Chat Room
  • mostly just for checking with a user before overriding their login
  • you can initiate a chat request, if the user is logged in, the Interface will open the chat window and let them know you requested it

Design Consultation

• Client Interface
  • each project has a separate data file for use in client/builder/architect meetings, or perhaps your client could use it to layout their preferred locations or approve changes... etc. (use your imagination)
• Client Level Access
  • those who login have very limited access to a separate project data file
  • it's simple: they just use your company login and their project password
  • the default password is the project name in lower case
  • you can opt to assign a custom project password
  • you can auto-generate an email that tells them where and how to login
• Client Chat Log
  • the chat log can be useful for live chat, noting changes back and forth... etc.
• Live Load Session
  • any user in a client file can start a live load session
  • the Interface will reload the floorplan from the server every two seconds
  • this lets them just sit back and watch the changes you make while consulting (phone, chat or otherwise) with them