Room Builder for Palm OS

Version: 1.1

Date: December 4, 2002

 

Users Manual

(c)2002 Stand Alone, Inc. All rights reserved.


 

Table of Contents

1      Welcome and Registration........................................................................................... 4

1.1       Included Files....................................................................................................... 4

1.2       System Requirements.......................................................................................... 4

1.3       Installing Room Builder....................................................................................... 4

1.3.1        Windows Installation................................................................................... 5

1.3.2        Macintosh Installation................................................................................. 5

1.4       Registering Room Builder.................................................................................... 5

1.4.1        Necessary Information................................................................................ 5

1.4.2        Entering the Registration Code.................................................................... 6

1.5       Contacting Stand Alone, Inc................................................................................ 6

1.5.1        E-mail........................................................................................................... 6

1.5.2        Fax............................................................................................................... 6

1.5.3        World Wide Web......................................................................................... 6

1.6       Customer Support............................................................................................... 7

2      Design Overview......................................................................................................... 7

3      Overview of Features.................................................................................................. 7

3.1       Start Screen.......................................................................................................... 7

3.1.1        Start Screen Controls................................................................................... 8

3.1.2        Start Screen Menu Options......................................................................... 8

3.2       Layout Screen...................................................................................................... 9

3.2.1        Layout Screen Controls............................................................................... 9

3.2.2        Layout Screen Menu Options................................................................... 10

4      Using Room Builder.................................................................................................. 11

4.1       Changing Measurement Units and Tips Settings.............................................. 11

4.2       Changing Color Settings..................................................................................... 12

4.3       Creating a New Drawing.................................................................................... 12

4.4       Working with Boundary Walls.......................................................................... 13

4.4.1        Adding a Virtual Boundary Wall............................................................... 14

4.4.2        Beginning a Corner Room Builder............................................................. 14

4.5       Adding and Positioning Inner Walls.................................................................. 14

4.5.1        Adding an Inner Wall................................................................................. 15

4.5.2        Wall Heads and Tails................................................................................. 15

4.5.3        Moving Wall Heads and Tails................................................................... 15

4.5.4        Showing Wall Measurements.................................................................... 16

4.5.5        Making Small Adjustments....................................................................... 16

4.5.6        Viewing and Changing Wall Information................................................... 17

4.5.7        Fixing Walls............................................................................................... 18

4.5.8        Working with Virtual Inner Walls.............................................................. 18

4.5.9        Aligning a Wall Horizontally or Vertically................................................ 19

4.5.10      Erasing a Wall............................................................................................ 20

4.6       Adding Windows and Doors............................................................................. 20

4.7       Working with Objects........................................................................................ 21

4.7.1        Adding an object........................................................................................ 22

4.7.2        Moving an object....................................................................................... 23

4.7.3        Modifying an Object................................................................................. 23

4.7.4        Rotating a Rectangle Object....................................................................... 23

4.7.5        Fixing an Object......................................................................................... 23

4.7.6        Circle Objects............................................................................................ 23

4.8       Magnification..................................................................................................... 23

4.9       Calculating Areas............................................................................................... 24

4.10     Organizing and Sharing Drawings...................................................................... 24

4.10.1      Naming a Drawing..................................................................................... 24

4.10.2      Saving a Drawing....................................................................................... 25

4.10.3      Duplicating a Drawing............................................................................... 25

4.10.4      Reverting to a Saved Drawing.................................................................... 25

4.10.5      Using Categories........................................................................................ 25

4.10.6      Beaming Drawings..................................................................................... 25

 


1     Welcome and Registration

Room Builder provides tools to create and modify drawing diagrams on Palm Poweredô handhelds.

1.1        Included Files

The archive includes the following files and folders:

File/Folder

Purpose

Readme.txt

Explains how to register and order the software.

Room Builder.prc

Installs Room Builder on your Palm Poweredô handheld.

Mathlib.pdb

Installs additional software required to run Room Builder.

Order.html

Automatically establishes link with Standalone, Inc. website.  Places Room Builder in your shopping cart. (If this does not happen automatically, click the Click to order link to go to our website.)

License.txt

Contains the software license agreement. Please read this before using the software. By installing, copying, or otherwise using this software, you agree to be bound by the terms of the license agreement.

Manual

Contains the HTML version of this manual. The images subfolder contains the graphics for this manual.

Table 1  Room Builder Files and Folders

1.2   System Requirements

Palm OS version 3.3 is required. Visit http://www.standalone.com/palmos/ to obtain an updated list of supported Palm Poweredô devices. This manual refers to any compatible device as a ěPalm Poweredô handheld.î

1.3   Installing Room Builder

Software such as the Palm Desktopô enables your Palm Powered handheld to receive installation data from your desktop computer.  Read the documentation that came with your Palm Powered handheld to ensure that the Palm Desktop or similar software is properly installed.

1.3.1  Windows Installation

Do the following steps to install Room Builder using a Windows-compatible desktop computer:

1.      Download the Room Builder installer (.exe file) from www.standalone.com , saving it to an easily accessible location such as the desktop.

2.      Click the executable icon. The installation wizard opens on the screen.

3.      Complete the steps specified by the installation wizard.

4.      Perform a Hot Sync operation with your Palm Powered handheld.  Room Builder is automatically installed on your Palm Powered handheld.

1.3.2   Macintosh Installation

Do the following steps to install Room Builder using a Macintosh computer:

1.      Download the Room Builder file (.hqx file) from www.standalone.com , saving it to an easily accessible location such as the desktop.

2.      Double click on the Room Builder.prc and MathLib.pdb files

3.      The install tool will open.

4.      Perform a Hot Sync operation with your Palm Powered handheld.  Room Builder is automatically installed on your Palm Powered handheld.

1.4   Registering Room Builder

Room Builder is shareware, software that you can download and try for free. The time-limited demo version of Room Builder includes all of the features available in the licensed version. After 30 days, the demo version will only work with a valid registration code. Registration includes free upgrades to any future version of Room Builder.

There are several ways to order your registration code:

…        Order online at our website. This is the easiest way to register. The secure online shopping cart requires a current Netscape or Internet Explorer browsers (version 4.0 or higher).

…        E-mail your registration information to sales@standalone.com. We will send the registration code.

…        Fax your order to us at (773) 477-2579.

1.4.1  Necessary Information

Have the following information ready before you register:

…        Your exact name as it is entered in your Palm Poweredô handheld, including spaces.

…        The complete list of programs that you wish to register.

…        Payment information. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and personal checks.  To pay with a credit card, provide the card number, the expiration date, and the type of card.

…        Contact information. Please provide an e-mail address, mailing address, and phone number.

1.4.2   Entering the Registration Code

Do the following to enter the registration code before the 30 day evaluation period has expired:

1.      Open Room Builder from the Applications menu.  The start screen appears.

2.      Select Options → Enter Registration Code from the menu. The Enter Reg Code screen containing a numerical keypad appears.  The Name field shows your name as it is entered into your Palm Poweredô handheld.

3.      Tap the numerical keypad to enter the registration code.

4.      Tap the Register button.

Do the following to enter the registration code after the 30-day evaluation period has expired:

1.      Open Room Builder from the Applications menu.  The registration information screen appears.

2.      Tap Enter Registration.  The Enter Reg Code screen containing a numerical keypad appears. The Name field shows your name as it is entered into your Palm Poweredô handheld.

3.      Tap the numerical keypad to enter the registration code.

4.      Tap the Register button.

Please e-mail us at sales@standalone.com if you have any questions about registering.

1.5   Contacting Stand Alone, Inc.

There are several ways to get in touch with us. E-mail is preferred. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

1.5.1   E-mail

Internet: info@standalone.com

1.5.2   Fax

Fax: (773) 477-2579

1.5.3  World Wide Web

http://www.standalone.com

1.6   Customer Support

Please e-mail us at techsupport@standalone.com if you have problems starting or running Room Builder. Include the following information to help us isolate and identify the problem:

2     Design Overview

Room Builder for Palm OS is an application designed to enable the user to create, store, and manipulate simple technical drawings in the Palm OS environment. However, the basic Palm OS screen is constrained to 160 pixels square, so that not much detail can be represented without greatly magnifying the drawing. Room Builder overcomes this obstacle by letting the user represent dimensions in the drawing of a higher resolution that can be drawn on the screen. For example, you can draw a door opening and designate the width as 3í 6 1/2î even though the drawn representation of that door would be indistinguishable from that of a door that is 3í 6î.

 

Therefore Room Builder is designed to be a tool to draw representational, or scale drawings. It is not a free-form drawing program, and is more constrained in its abilities than such a program would be.

3     Overview of Features

This section summarizes the screens, controls and features of the software.

3.1   Start Screen

A single record is called a drawing.  Use the start screen to create, sort, and open drawings.

 

Figure 1 Start Screen

Tap the name of a drawing to open it. For example, tap the words rec room on the screen shown in Figure 1 to open the drawing drawing named rec room.

3.1.1  Start Screen Controls

Table 2 summarizes the start screen controls.

 

Control

Name

Action

Sort Selector

Select from the pull-down menu to sort drawings in ascending order by name, creation date, or modification date.

View Selector

Select from the pull-down menu to view the names, creation dates, or modification dates of drawings.

Category Selector

Select from pull-down menu to view drawings saved within specific categories.

New Button

Begin a new drawing.

Table 1 Start Screen Controls

3.1.2  Start Screen Menu Options

Tap the Menu button to the left of the graffiti pad, or the words Room Builder in the upper left corner of the screen in order to view the start screen menu options. (Table 3)

 

Options →

Action

Comments

Preferences

Opens the Preferences dialog box.

Read section 4.1, Changing Measurement Units .

Set Colors

Opens the Show Date/Edit Colors screen.

Read section 4.2, Changing Color Settings.

Beam Software

Beams the Room Builder software package to another Palm handheld.

 

Beam Database

Beams all Room Builder drawings to another Palm handheld. Note that this is a two step process. You must beam the software and the Math library separately.

 

Enter Registration Code

Enter registration information for Room Builder software.

 

About Room Builder

Show version information of Room Builder software.

 

Table 2 Start Screen Options Menu

3.2   Layout Screen

Use the layout screen to view and edit drawing drawings. The drawing opened on the layout screen is the current drawing.

 

  

Figure 2 Layout Screen ń (L) with wall selected, (R) with nothing selected

The title bar shows the name of the current drawing.  Below this is a text area where Room Builder shows information about the currently selected element in the drawing.  In Figure 2, the text area shows the words Unnamed wall, as the wall is as yet untitled.. The text area is empty when no drawing elements are selected. 

3.2.1  Layout Screen Controls

The layout screen contains a button tool bar on the bottom of the screen. This area varies depending  on whether a wall or object is selected.

 

Icon

Name

Purpose

Item is selected

Quit-and-Save

Save the current drawing and return to the start screen.

Info

View or edit selected wall or object information.

Eraser

Erase the selected wall or object.

Protractor (wall selected only)

Show angles (in degrees) between adjacent walls.

XY Components (wall selected only)

Show the horizontal and vertical components of the distance between the tail of the selected wall and the boundary walls.

Software: Microsoft Office

Zoom

Magnify the current drawing.

Nothing is selected

Quit-and-Save

 

Hammer

Create a new wall or object

Ruler

View wall lengths

Area Tool

Calculate the areas of full or partial enclosures.

Notebook

Enter notes about the drawing.

Software: Microsoft Office

Zoom

 

Table 3 Layout Screen Controls

3.2.2   Layout Screen Menu Options

Tap the Menu button to the left of the graffiti pad, or the words Room Builder in the upper left corner of the screen, to view the layout screen menus.

 

Drawing  →

Action

Comments

Undo

Undo the last change in a wall or object.

 

Redo

Redo the last undone change in a wall or object.

 

Set Name

Opens the Set Drawing Name dialog box.

 

Read section 4.10.1, Naming a Drawing.

 

Revert to Saved

Discards any changes that were made since the current drawing was last saved. 

 

Duplicate Drawing

Makes a copy of the current drawing.

Unnamed drawings cannot be duplicated.  Name the current drawing before attempting to duplicate it.

Delete Drawing

Delete the current drawing without saving it.

 

Beam Drawing

Beams the current drawing to another handheld.

Read section 4.10.6, Beaming Drawings.

Fix All

Fixes walls and objects so they cannot be moved.

Read section 4.5.7, Fixing Walls.

Unfix All Walls

Unfixes walls and objects so they can be moved.

 

Recalculate Floor Area

Recalculates and draws floor areas with colors and shading (on color handhelds)

Read section 4.9, Calculating Areas.

Table 4 Drawing Menu

 

The start screen and layout screen have the same Options menu.  Read Table 3 Start Screen Options Menu, for more information about this menu.

4     Using Room Builder

This section explains how to set up and create drawings.

4.1   Changing Measurement Units and Tips Settings

To open the Preferences screen (Figure 3), select Options → Preferences from the menu, or enter /R in the graffiti area.

Figure 3 Preferences Screen

Room Builder applies the Starting units setting to new drawings.  The default setting is Feet. Change the setting to Meters in order to create metric drawings.  Changing this setting does not convert the measurement units of existing drawings.

 

Checking the Show Help Screens checkbox causes Room Builder to automatically show help screens during certain operations, such as adding a new wall.  Uncheck the box to turn off automatic help screens.

4.2   Changing Color Settings

Do the following to change the color of drawing elements such as walls, doors, or measurements (Color enabled handhelds only):

1.      Select Options → Set Colors from the menu, or enter /L in the graffiti area. The Show Data / Edit Colors screen appears.

2.      Click the color bar to the right of an element such as Door. A palette shows the available colors.

3.      Tap the desired color on the palette.

4.      Tap the OK button.  Room Builder applies the new color to the element.

5.       

Tap the Set Default Colors button to restore the default color settings.

 

Room Builder automatically adjusts its palette according to the graphics capabilities of the handheld on which it is installed.  For example, Room Builder shows a 4-color palette for a 4-color display, and a 256-color palette for a 256-color display.

4.3   Creating a New Drawing

Do the following to create a new drawing:

 

  1. Determine the dimensions of an imaginary rectangle that is just large enough to enclose the area being planned.  For rectangular buildings or rooms, these dimensions will match those of the outer walls.
  2. Tap the New button on the start screen.  The Choose a starting form dialog box appears.
  3. Make sure that Rectangle is checked.
  4. Enter the lengths of the Longer side and the Shorter side of the rectangle using the graffiti pad or the keyboard. Pull-down selectors allow you to specify fractional lengths.
  5. Click the Done button. The drawing layout screen appears, showing an empty rectangle. The sides of this rectangle are boundary walls that mark the perimeter of the drawing.

4.4   Working with Boundary Walls

Boundary walls are the sides of the rectangle surrounding a drawing.  Boundary walls cannot be altered, and new walls cannot be added outside of them.

 

A real boundary wall represents an actual wall.  The plan for a rectangular building typically has four real boundary walls. (Figure 4)

 

Figure 4 A Room Builder with Normal Boundary Walls

 

A virtual boundary wall is a line that marks a given length on the drawing, but does not physically exist. The patio deck drawing in Figure 5 has a virtual east boundary wall that represents empty yard space. 

 

Figure 5 A Room Builder with A Virtual East Boundary Wall

4.4.1  Adding a Virtual Boundary Wall

Do the following to add a virtual boundary wall.

 

  1. Tap a normal boundary wall with the stylus.  The wall is highlighted.
  2.  Tap the information icon. The Wall Info screen appears, or Tap and hold over the wall for a second or so.
  3. Check the Virtual checkbox.
  4. Tap the Done button. The wall appears in a lighter color to indicate a virtual wall.

 

The Virtual checkbox can be unchecked at any time to restore a normal wall.

4.4.2   Beginning a Corner Room Builder

A square corner is a drawing that has two adjacent virtual boundary walls.  Do the following to begin a corner drawing:

 

  1. Determine the dimensions of an imaginary rectangle that is just large enough to enclose the area being planned. 
  2. Tap the New button.  The Choose a starting form dialog box appears.
  3. Tap the Square corner checkbox.
  4. Enter the length of the Longer wall and the Shorter wall of the rectangle using the graffiti pad or keyboard.
  5. Click the Done button. The drawing layout screen appears, showing a rectangle with two adjacent virtual boundary walls.

 

Another way to create a corner drawing is to create a Rectangle drawing and then convert the virtual boundary walls individually as explained in Section 3.4.1.

4.5   Adding and Positioning Inner Walls

Inner Walls are created within the boundary walls.  This section explains how to work with inner walls.

4.5.1  Adding an Inner Wall

Do the following to add an inner wall:

 

  1.  Tap the hammer icon.  Select New Wall from the popup menu.
  2. Tap an existing wall with the stylus to establish a connection point for the new wall.  The new wall appears in a highlighted color.
  3. Tap an empty area to de-select the new wall.
  4. Alternatively, you may tap and start dragging the wall from its start point to its end point. Lift the stylus when the end point is set.

 

Tapping an empty area instead of a wall in step 2 produces no results because a new wall must always connect to another wall. The wall providing the connection point is called the base wall.

4.5.2  Wall Heads and Tails

A head(H) symbol and a tail(T) symbol mark the endpoints of a wall. Use the boxes that contain these symbols as handles to move the endpoints of inner walls.

 

When no walls are selected, no head or tail symbols are shown.

 

When a wall other than the wall in question is selected, the unselected walls show the H and T symbols.

 

When a wall is selected, its active end is drawn as an open rectangle, and its inactive end as a closed rectangle. The active end is the end that is moved as the wall position is changed, and it is also the end whose position will be changed when the hard buttons at the bottom of the handheld are pressed.

 

4.5.3  Moving Wall Heads and Tails

Do the following to move an inner wall head or tail with the stylus:

 

  1. Tap and hold the stylus on the head or tail.
  2. Drag the head or tail to the desired position.
  3. Tap anywhere off of the wall to de-select it.

 

When adding a new wall, holding the stylus on the connection point allows you to immediately drag the tail of the new wall into the desired position.

 

Dragging a wall head or tail may change both the length and angle of the wall.  The next section explains how to view the numeric values of these measurements.

4.5.4  Showing Wall Measurements

The ruler, protractor, and XY ruler tools located on the lower toolbar (Table 7) show numeric wall measurements. 

 

Icon

Name

Purpose

Ruler

View wall lengths and lengths between wall junction points.

Protractor

View angles (in degrees) between adjacent walls.

XY Ruler

View the horizontal and vertical components of the distance between the tail of the selected wall and the boundary walls.

Table 7 Measurement Tools

Tap a measurement tool icon once to view the measurements. Tap the icon a second time to hide the measurements. Notice that Room Builder actively updates the measurements as you drag the heads or tails of inner walls.

4.5.5  Making Small Adjustments

The stylus is not precise enough to control small adjustments, and some adjustments are not accounted for by changes in the drawn position of the wall. In other words, you can make small increments in the length or position of a wall without actually causing the wall to move on the screen. Use the hard buttons (Figure 6) to move a wall head or tail (Figure 7) in steps of 1/8 inch (or 1 centimeter in metric mode), or larger increments if the wall is over 50í in length.

Figure 6 Hard Buttons

 

Software: Microsoft Office

Figure 7 Effect of Hard Buttons on the Tail of an Inner Wall

Select a wall with the stylus before using the hard buttons.  The  symbol shows the active endpoint that is in focus and under the control of the buttons.

 

Button Name

Action

Date Book Button

Switch focus between head and tail.

Address Book Button

Move endpoint left.

Scroll Up Button

Move endpoint up.  Scroll up if boundary wall is selected.

Scroll Down Button

Move endpoint down.  Scroll down if boundary wall is selected.

To Do List Button

Move endpoint right.

Memo Pad Button

Switch focus between head and tail.

Table 8 Hard Button Functions

4.5.6  Viewing and Changing Wall Information

Use the Wall Info screen to view or change the properties of a wall. (Figure 8)

Figure 8 Wall Info Screen

To open this screen, select a wall and tap theinformation icon, or tap and hold the stylus over a wall.

If desired, enter the Name field and enter a name for the wall. This name will appear in the text area of the layout screen when the wall is selected.

The from head row shows the distance between the head of wall and the head of its base wall.  Select the numeric fields with the stylus and change them via the graffiti pad in order to reposition the head of the wall in relation to the head of the base wall. Use the pull-down selector to specify fractional lengths.

The length row shows the length of the wall.  Select these fields with the stylus and change them via the graffiti pad in order to increase or decrease the length of the wall. Use the pull-down selector to specify fractional lengths. If you enter a length that is larger than the maximum length of the wall (the length at which it intersects another wall) then the length will be set to the maximum.

Tap the Erase button to erase the selected wall.

Tap the Notes button to enter notes linked to the drawing.

The following sections explain how to use the Fixed, Virtual, and Horizontal checkboxes, and how to add doors and windows.

4.5.7  Fixing Walls

Fixing a wall ensures that it cannot be inadvertently moved later. Do the following to fix a wall:

 

  1. Open the Wall Info Screen
  2. Check the Fixed checkbox.
  3. Tap Done.

 

To fix all of the walls in the drawing at once, select Fix All from the Drawing menu, or enter /F in the graffiti area. Select Unfix All to change the fixed status of all walls.

4.5.8  Working with Virtual Inner Walls

A virtual inner wall can be used like a tape measure to mark the position of actual walls. The virtual wall in Figure 9 shows where exactly 19í5/8î separates the west boundary wall and the slanted inner wall.

 

Figure 9 A Virtual Wall Providing a Width Measurement

A virtual inner wall can also provide a base wall for a structure that is surrounded by empty floor space.  Figure 10 shows a drawing in which a virtual wall provides a base wall for an isolated support beam.

 

Figure 10 A Virtual Base Wall for a Support Beam

Do the following to add a virtual inner wall:

 

  1. Select the wall with the stylus.  The wall is highlighted.
  2.  Tap the information icon, or tap and hold over the wall. The Wall Info screen appears.
  3. Check the Virtual checkbox.
  4. Tap Done. The wall appears in a lighter color to indicate a virtual wall.

 

Virtual walls behave like real walls, with the exceptions that real walls may cross virtual walls, and that virtual walls are ignored in floor area calculations.

4.5.9  Aligning a Wall Horizontally or Vertically

Aligning an inner wall with a boundary wall ensures that it will always form exact 90 degree corners with other aligned walls.  This simplifies the creation of rectangular forms. Do the following to align an inner wall:

  1.  Tap the protractor icon to view angle measurements.
  2. Tap an inner wall.  The wall is highlighted.
  3. If desired, drag the tail of the wall slightly out of alignment in order to see Room Builder align it.
  4.  Tap the information icon. The Wall Info screen appears.  A Horizontal checkbox appears if the wall is within 44 degrees of being a horizontal line, or a Vertical checkbox appears if the wall is within 45 degrees of being a vertical line. This box is checked if the wall is already aligned.
  5. If necessary, check the Horizontal or Vertical checkbox.
  6. Tap Done.  A dialog box appears, asking you to confirm the change.
  7. Tap OK.  The wall is aligned and the angle measurement shows 0ƒ or 90ƒ.

4.5.10                Erasing a Wall

Do the following steps to erase a wall.

 

  1. Select the wall with the stylus.  The wall is highlighted.
  2.  Tap the eraser icon. A confirmation dialog box appears.
  3. Tap the OK button.  The wall is erased.

 

Note: A base wall cannot be erased before its branching walls are erased.

4.6   Adding Windows and Doors

Windows and doors can be added to any walls.  Do the following steps to add a door:

 

  1. Determine the distance between the edge of the door and the head of the wall.
  2. Select the wall with the stylus.  The wall is highlighted. (Figure 11)
  3.  Tap the information icon. The Wall Info screen appears.
  4. Tap the Doors/Windows button.  The Doors/Windows screen appears.
  5. Tap the New button. The Detail screen appears. (Figure 12)
  6. Tap the stylus in the Name field.
  7. Use the graffiti pad to enter a name for the door.
  8. Make sure that the Door checkbox is checked.
  9. In the from head fields, use the graffiti pad to enter the distance between the head of the wall and the edge of the door. A pull-down selector allows you to specify fractional lengths.
  10. In the width field, enter the width of the door. A pull-down selector allows you to specify fractional lengths.
  11. Tap the Done button.  An entry for the newly created door appears in the Doors/Windows screen. (Figure 13)
  12. Tap the Done button. The Wall Info screen appears.
  13. Tap the Done button. The door appears as a part of the wall. (Figure 14)
  14. Tap an empty area to de-select the wall.

 

Figure 11 Wall without Door

Figure 12 Detail Screen

Figure 13 Doors/Windows Screen

Figure 14 Wall with Door

 

Repeat this procedure to add windows or other wall features.  In step 8, check Window for a window or Other for a wall feature that is not a window or door, such as a painting, clock, or mirror.

 

The Doors/Windows screen (Figure 13) lists the elementsódoors, windows, and other featuresóadded to the wall.  Each element in the list has four sections which show, from left to right, the element type (D for door, W for window, O for other), the user-assigned name of the element, the distance of the element from the head of the wall, and the width of the element.  Tap an element on the list to select it.  Tap the Edit button to open the Detail screen and modify the element.  Tap the Delete button to delete the selected element.

4.7   Working with Objects

Room Builder also lets you add objects to your drawings to represent furniture and other free-standing things. Your objects may be circular or rectangular, and rectangular objects may tilt to any angle. Objects to do interact with walls in any way, nor with other objects

4.7.1  Adding an object

 

      

Figure 15. Creating a new Rectangle object

To create an object:

    1. Tap the hammer button. From the popup menu, select New Rectangle Object.
    2. Tap anywhere on the screen. A small, horizontally oriented rectangle is created.
    3. Tap and hold on the rectangle.
    4. The Object Info screen is opened.
    5. Enter a name for the object and dimensions.
    6. Tap Done.
    7. The Object is modified in the drawing. Note that there are component bars which show the dimensions from the closest edges of the object to the nearest walls.

 

      

Figure 16. Setting Object Attributes

4.7.2  Moving an object

 

To move an object, tap, and immediately drag in any direction. Movement is constrained by the boundary walls. You may also use the hard buttons to make small movements in a horizontal and vertical direction.

4.7.3  Modifying an Object

 

To modify an object, tap and hold. The Object Info screen is opened, and you may enter new attributes.

4.7.4  Rotating a Rectangle Object

 

Rectangle Objects can be rotated by entering a non-zero angle attribute. A negative angle represents counter-clockwise rotation from the horizontal. The object is drawn as an outline and may be moved freely.

 

    

Figure 17. Rotating a rectangle

4.7.5  Fixing an Object

 

Objects may be fixed like walls, by checking the fixed checkbox. A fixed object will have a small cross at its center.

4.7.6  Circle Objects

 

Circle Objects are managed much like rectangle objects, except there is no angle attribute, and only 1 dimension.

4.8   Magnification

You may magnify most drawings by tapping on the Zoom button.

 

  1. There are 2 levels of zoom.
  2. Tap the Zoom button once to magnify the drawing once, and a second time to magnify further.
  3. Note that in some cases, memory constraints may prevent you from magnifying to the 2nd level.

 

When zooming, a horizontal scroll bar is drawn if needed.

 

All functions are operative in magnified drawings.

4.9   Calculating Areas

The area tool calculates the floor areas of rooms and partial enclosures.  To view floor area information:

 

1.      Tap the wall area icon.  On color handhelds, color fills show where each enclosed area begins and ends. Numeric area measurements appear in square feet (or square meters).

2.     Tap any area on the drawing to hide the color fills.

3.     Tap the wall area icon to hide the numeric area measurements.

 

The color fills appear only after Room Builder recalculates a new set of areas, after the position of walls have been changed.  Select Recalculate Floor Area from the Drawing menu to recalculate the current floor areas and view the color fills a second time.

 

Moving a wall causes Room Builder to hide area measurements and put the area tool icon into an off (gray) state. This enables you to tap the tool again and recalculate the area measurements.

 

Note that floor area measurements are estimates based on the drawing itself, which is not drawn to exact scale. Therefore, even regions which have equal areas may not display with equal results.

4.10  Organizing and Sharing Drawings

This Section explains how to name, save, categorize, and share drawings.

4.10.1                Naming a Drawing

To name a drawing:

 

  1. Select DrawingSet Name from the menu options, or enter L in the graffiti area.  The Set Drawing Name screen appears.
  2. Enter the name using the graffiti pad.
  3. Tap the Done button.  The name appears in the upper-left corner of the screen.

 

You must name a drawing before duplicating it.

4.10.2                Saving a Drawing

 Tap the quit-and-save icon at any time to save the current drawing. 

4.10.3                Duplicating a Drawing

Select Duplicate Drawing from the Drawing menu once a drawing has been named and saved. A copy of the drawing will be created with the same name and ěcopyî appended to the end of the name. You may copy a single drawing multiple times.

4.10.4                Reverting to a Saved Drawing

Reverting to a saved drawing discards any changes that were made since the drawing was last saved.  Select DrawingRevert to Saved from the menu options, or enter /R in the graffiti area.

4.10.5                Using Categories

Drawings can be organized into categories such as Business, Personal, SW Properties, Cubicles, etc.  Room Builder saves drawings in the Unfiled category by default. Do the following to save a drawing into a different category, such as Personal.

 

  1. From the layout screen, tap the drawing category selector (the small box in the upper-right corner of the screen that says Unfiled). A pull-down menu of categories appears.
  2. Select Personal from the pull-down menu. The current drawing is automatically saved into the Personal category.

 

Create new categories as you would with any native Palm OS application.

4.10.6                Beaming Drawings

To transfer a drawing to another Palm device using the infra-red beam, select DrawingBeam Drawing from the menu options, or enter /B in the graffiti area.  The Beam screen appears to show the status of the transfer.  Make sure that Room Builder is installed on the receiving device. Also, a user with Room Builder v 1.0 will not receive drawings correctly from users with versions 1.1 or above.

 

HotSync, Palm Powered, and Palm OS are registered trademarks of Palm, Inc.