InstantPlanner

Support

We offer you e-mail support if you encounter problems with your InstantPlanner® application, we will be pleased to provide you with help and answer your questions.

Contact support@instantplanner.com

Tutorials
Our tutorials will introduce you to some of InstantPlanner®’s powerful features and help demonstrate typical user scenarios within the program. View them right now by clicking on the links below. The files (.zip) can also be downloaded and saved to be viewed at any time, or even passed on to colleagues!

Whether you are a first-time user or simply curious about InstantPlanner®, take a look at the short demonstration Quick Start. Remember that you can rewind, forward or pause the tutorial at any time!

Quick Start

Introduction to InstantPlanner®

Administrative Tool 1 - Creating a Product Series

Administrative Tool 2 - Editing the Product Series

Line Drawing

Printing

Download all the tutorials as a .zip file (8 MB)

InstantPlanner®AllTutorials.zip

FAQ
Q - I have just downloaded a new version of InstantPlanner® and I would like to know what happens with my settings and product data when I install the update?
A - Your settings and data is safe, just install on top of you present version and you can continue to use your existing product databases and settings in the new version of InstantPlanner®.

Tips
InstantPlanner® is an easy-to-use program, however it is impossible to discover all the benefits at once. Therefore we have collected and created tips that we know will be useful for you as a user.

Do not hesitate to try them.

Adding text to the drawing
Adjusting light sources
Adjusting the drawing-area view using the mouse wheel
Attaching text to an object
Automatic help with lighting your 3D images
Avoiding sharp glass reflections
Centering objects in print frame
Changing camera angle on Auto 3D
Changing Default Color for Generic Items
Changing default color of surface
Changing material or color
Creating Archive Drawings
Creating divided windows
Creating QuickTime movies
Creating surfaces
Cropping a drawing
Drag files straight from Windows Explorer onto the drawing area
Effective zooming
Entering dimensions in other units
Entering fractions of inches in the Line Drawing input displays
Exploding rectangles
Faster dimensioning
Hiding information on the drawing area
Importing 3D files
Limiting the Surface Filling
Locking text changes for dimensions
Locking the line drawing
Measuring an angle
Placing components in exact rows
Placing line drawing components in a quicker way
Pre-setting length step and angle step
Pressing Escape to drop a component
Printouts on separate pages
Quick access to reference points during the drawing process
Quicker selections of multiple objects
Quicker zooming
Replicating a component
Retention of window size and position
Saving drawing area as image file
Saving lighting settings as favorites
Shortcut for Zoom Rectangle
Simpler navigation
Speeding up the 3D image developing on large drawings
Turning off layers in imported CAD drawings
Turning the price on/off
Using InstantPlanner's Help
Working Faster with Large Cad Files
Working more efficiently with large CAD drawings

Adding text to the drawing
Text blocks can be added to layout drawings. You can either connect it to another component or place it freely on the drawing area.

Example:
You would like to add descriptive text for the separate rooms of a building on a drawing layout that you have created.

Proceed as follows:

Select the Text component from the Tools tab and move the mouse pointer onto the drawing area.
NOTE:
Should the text attach to other objects, press and hold the SHIFT key whilst moving the text to the desired position on the drawing area.
Click the text into position.
Move the mouse pointer outside the drawing area to drop the new text component that appears automatically.
The Text Settings dialog box is displayed where you can select desired font, whether it should be in bold or italics and the text size.
Enter or paste in the desired text (could be a multiline text) in the text field below.
Click on OK or Apply.

NOTE:
In the usual way, you can move and rotate the text block on the drawing area. It is also possible the change the text properties and the contents afterwards, by right-clicking and selecting Settings.

Adjusting light sources
You can adjust the color and light strength of any light source (sun, spotlights etc.) that you have placed in the drawing area. It is also possible to turn the light off completely. The shadow resolution can also be changed, and if you wish to, you can choose to have no shadows at all. To access this functionality simply right click on any light source and select Settings.

Adjusting the drawing-area view using the mouse wheel
You can zoom in and out of a drawing in order to view it at different scales. It is also possible to move the drawing area, i.e. pan around, in different directions while still holding a component?

Example 1: Zooming
You are working on a large drawing and you want to shift between magnified close-up views and a smaller-scale overview. Just scroll the mouse wheel!

Example 2: Panning
You are adding measurements to a drawing. In order to snap the measurement to the correct starting point, you need to zoom in to get a detailed close-up view. Now, however, you can no longer see the point to which you were to measure.

To be able to move the plan view at his stage (while still holding your measurement component), press and hold the mouse wheel and move the mouse. The “hand” tool appears, which enables you to move the drawing area around so that you can view the desired area.

Attaching text to an object

There is an easy way to attach text information to an object on the drawing area.

Example:

You would like to insert a text and have it pointing at a certain product detail in a drawing.

Proceed as follows:

Select the Text component from the Tools tab.
On the drawing area, move the mouse pointer close to the component you want to snap the text to.
Before clicking the text into position, determine its angle by moving the mouse pointer in the desired direction.
Click the text into position. Two snap points appear - one is triangular and the other rectangular.
To pull the text away from the component it is snapped to, click and drag the rectangular snap point.
The Text Settings dialog is displayed. Do the necessary pre-settings and move down to the white text box to enter the information you want to be displayed.
In the Line style option, select Arrows.
Click on OK.
An arrow appears between the text and the component.

NOTE:

- By clicking the ”Font Color” button, it is possible to change the text color to red, for example.

- If you want to remove the text, disconnect it first by clicking on the triangular snap point and then delete it in the usual way.

Automatic help with lighting your 3D images
You can have light automatically added to your 3D images even when using the camera manually.

Example:
You have produced the drawing layout and would like to produce a 3D image, without having to spend time adding extra lighting to it.

Proceed as follows:

Take the camera from the Tools tab. Position the camera on the drawing area and aim it by dragging the target point to the area or the object of which you want to produce a 3D image.
Double-click on the camera. The Camera Settings dialog box opens.
Select the Lighting tab and check the Help Lighting box.
Use the camera view to make sure that everything you would like to be on the image is shown.
Render the image by clicking on the Develop button. Two spotlights and a sun are now automatically inserted on the drawing area and will light up your image. They are then removed automatically after the image has been rendered.

Avoiding sharp glass reflections
If you are having problems with sharp reflections in for example window glass, they can be blurred.

Example:
You have drawn a complete layout with windows that take up a great part of the room. However, the objects in the room are mirrored in the windows glass, which takes the focus off the products in the room.

Proceed as follows:

Right-click on a window and choose Material/Color in the pop-up menu that appears.
In the dialog that opens, make sure that Window glass is selected under Surface Name.
Under Color Model/Type, click on the Predefined button. The Predefined field is activated.
Select Glass - slightly mirrored from the drop-down list.
In order to apply the new glass to all the windows in the room, choose All in the Apply to choice.
Click on OK or Apply.

Centering objects in print frame

You can easily center objects inside a print frame.

Example:
You have placed a print frame around a drawing that you are about to print and would like the objects to be centered within the frame.

Proceed as follows:

Proceed to the drawing area. In the upper right-hand corner of the frame you will see a yellow little box. Click on the box once. The objects in your drawing are now centered in the printable area of the frame.

Changing camera angle on Auto 3D

It is possible to change the default camera angle for the images you develop automatically.

Example:
You normally use two Auto 3D buttons in the toolbar to develop 3D images. However, you would now like to show your products from a different angle.

Proceed as follows:

Go to the File menu and select Control Panel.
Select the Auto 3D tab in the dialog box.
In the Camera Position field you use the arrows to select the angle from which you now want the automatic pictures to be taken. If, for example, you want to take a picture from the top right corner of the drawing area, choose the arrow in the top right corner. To take a picture from above, choose the cross in the center.
Confirm the setting by selecting OK.

Please note: All settings made in the control panel are so-called global settings. Accordingly, if you have changed the camera angle here, this will affect all 3D images that you develop with the auto 3D buttons. If you would like to return to the original angle, re-open the control panel, select Auto 3D and click on the Reset to default values.

Changing Default Color for Generic Items

The default color and material setting can be changed for all generic items in the program.

Example:

You often add baseboards and cornices on walls and each time you change the default material from beech to painted white.

Follow the steps below:

Right-click on the baseboard/cornice component in the drawing and select Material/Color from the pop-up menu. A dialog with the same name is displayed.
Under Surface Name, make sure that the Baseboard option is selected. Check the Predefined option and select White from the drop-down list to the right. Click Apply.
Go back to Surface Name and choose Cornice. Check the Predefined option and select White from the drop-down list to the right. Confirm with OK to close the dialog.
Go to the Edit menu and select the Set Default Color option. A message asking you to confirm the default color change is shown.
Select Continue. A new message appears, saying that the new color has been applied and that you need to restart the program.
Select Continue once again.
Restart the program. When placing the baseboard in the drawing area the next time, the new default color has been applied.

Changing default color of surface

You can pre-set the color of the Surface component.

Proceed as follows:

At the top of the Line Drawing 2 tab, select Defaults
Go to the Surface tab and click on the Color button.
The Material/Color Change dialog box is displayed.
Under Surface name, select Top face.
Under Color Model/Type, select RGB Color.
The RGB Color field is then activated on the left-hand side of the dialog box.
Click on the arrow on the right-hand side of the white text field, in order to display a drop-down list.
Choose a color from the list and click on OK or Apply.
In the Defaults dialog, click on OK or Apply

Back on the component tab, you can now see that the Surface has changed its color.

Changing material or color
You can change the material or color of almost all components.

Example:

You want to change the material or color of a component to make it look more lifelike.
You want to show a customer how one or several components looks in another color or another material.

You change the color of a component by right-clicking on it and choosing Material/Color. From the pull down list under Surface Name, you can choose which part of the component the material or color change should apply to. Then select what Color Model/Type you want to use: Predefined Texture or RGB-Color. Choose also the components that should be changed from the pull down list Apply to. Thereafter you select color or material in the right hand part of the dialog box and click OK or Apply to confirm the change.

Creating Archive Drawings

You can package a Configura drawing together with related files?

Example:
You have created a drawing and would like to send it to another Configura user. The drawing contains links to external references – a logotype imported to the drawing area and textures applied to walls and floors in the drawing.

Follow the steps below:

Save your drawing in the usual way.
From here, there are two alternative ways to proceed:
Alt. 1) If you would like to view all external references in the drawing, go to the “File” menu and select “External References”. Click the “Create archive” button.
or:
Alt. 2) Go to the “File” menu and select “Export” -> “Create Archive Drawing”.
In both cases, a “Save as” dialog is shown. Select the desired destination folder and enter a file name.
Click the “Save” button.

Note:
The .omz is an archive format. In order to open an archive drawing, select the file format .omz in the “Files of type” list in the “Open” dialog. Select the file and click “Open”. A “Browse For Folder” dialog opens. Now specify the folder in which you would like the drawing to be unpacked and click “Ok”.

Creating divided windows
You can make divided windows on your drawing.
Example:

You want the windows of the drawing to look realistic.
You want to create a glass wall with partitions.

To specify the number of dividers for your windows, click the button Defaults on the House Components tab.In the dialog box, first choose the Window tab and then the Details tab. In the Number of Divisions field, enter the number of panes your windows should have. Finally click OK or Apply.

Creating QuickTime movies

You can generate QuickTime movies in the program, to give the customer a more complete picture of the environment that you have created. A small movie clip is a great complement to floor plans and 3D images and can easily be e-mailed along with the rest of the presentation.

Example:
You have created a large layout for a customer and would like to present this in the best possible way.

Proceed as follows: Place a camera on the drawing area, in the middle of the space that you have prepared. Place the target point near one of the walls of the room.
Right-click on the camera and select Settings. In the dialog box that opens, select the QTVR tab.
Enter the desired file information under QuickTime File Information.
Click on Browse to determine where to save the file and to name it. Click on Save.
Choose the option Panoramic to create a movie from a specific point. In the program, this point is your camera which rotates half a turn around its own axis. Panoramic movies are produced quickly and generates small files.
Click on the Equalize cam-height button to move the camera on a level plane.
Click on Create Movie. The movie file is generated.
Go to the destination where you saved the file and double-click on it to play the movie.

NOTE: To be able to view the movie, you need to have QuickTime Player installed on your computer. The QuickTime Player can be downloaded for free from www.quicktime.com

Creating surfaces
You can easily create surfaces.

Example:

You want to provide areas on your drawing with floors.
You want to calculate the surface area of a room.
You want to create an object, for example a tabletop.

To use the surface component, the area that you want to surface must be completely enclosed by lines, which are properly connected to one another. The Surface component is located on the Line Drawing 2 tab. When you bring it into the drawing area it is transformed into a paint pot. Place the paint pot within the area you want to surface and click. A gray area is created. To calculate the area of a surface, place the pointer over the surface. The area will be shown automatically.

Cropping a drawing

You can use the Crop command to remove all unnecessary items on a drawing in one step.

Example:

You are only interested in a selected part of a larger drawing.

Proceed as follows:

Select the objects that you want to keep, for example by using the Select Rectangle tool or the Shift key.

Go to the Edit menu and choose Crop. On the drawing area, all the objects that were not selected are then deleted automatically.

Note:
This feature is particularly useful when working with larger imported AutoCAD files.

Drag files straight from Windows Explorer onto the drawing area
It is possible to import external files (bmp, jpg, dwg, dxf etc.) using drag and drop straight from Windows Explorer onto the drawing area.

Example:
You want to use the quickest way to import a dwg file.

Proceed as follows:

Select the dwg file in Windows Explorer and drag it straight onto the drawing area. The AutoCAD Import Settings dialog opens automatically, displaying the selected file name and location at the top.
Click on OK. The AutoCAD drawing will then be imported.

Effective zooming
You can easily zoom the drawing surface in several ways:
The Zoom Rectangle can be found by making a right click on the drawing surface.

You can return to your previous zoom position by double clicking on the drawing surface.

The function Zoom in all Objects will zoom to allow you to see all the components on the drawing surface.

Entering dimensions in other units
It is possible to enter values in a different unit than the one you have selected in the program’s Control Panel, without having to change any settings.

Example:
You are using millimeters as the default dimension unit when running the program. Now you have received a sketch, from which you are going to produce a building layout in the program’s Line Drawing section. All the dimensions on the sketch are however given in feet and inches.

The fastest way to proceed is then to:

Enter all the values in feet and inches, using the feet and inch signs (’ and ”), for example: 6’7”.
Then point at one of the lines for which you have entered a value. A help text shows that the dimension has been converted to the default unit, millimeters.

Entering fractions of inches in the Line Drawing input displays

It is possible to enter values in fractions of inches.

Example:
In order to be able to specify fractions of inches in the program, you must first go to the File menu and select Control Panel. In the dialog that is displayed, as desired unit, now select Feet, inches and frac. of an inch. Confirm by pressing OK.

On the drawing area, you have to press and hold down the Ctrl key and the space bar at the same time just before entering the values for the fractions of an inch.

To enter the value 6’7 27/32 you would then type in: 6’7” Ctrl + Space Bar 27/32.

Exploding rectangles
You can ungroup the rectangles from the Line Drawing 1 tab into separate lines by using the Explode function.

Example:
If you want to remove, or change the height of, one or more but not all the lines in the rectangle, you have to explode the rectangle. If the rectangle is not exploded, it is considered as one object and the changes will apply to all its sides.

If you have drawn a room with a rectangle and want to use the camera's Limited Area for a picture of the room, then you have to explode the rectangle. If the rectangle is not exploded, the camera's Limited Area will not work.

You explode a rectangle by right clicking on one of its lines and choosing Explode in the popup menu.

Faster dimensioning

The dimensioning tool, Continuous dimension, does not only speed up your work in the program, but also allows you to display accumulative dimensions on your drawing layouts.

Note:
If you do not wish to display all the dimension information on the drawing, right-click on the chain dimension and select Settings. In the lower field of the dialog that opens, uncheck the desired option. Remember to select Group or All in the Apply to drop-down list at the bottom of the dialog.

Example:
You have several items in a row that you would like to dimension.
Proceed as follows:

Select the Continuous dimension tool from the Line Drawing 2 tab.

Snap the tool to the first point from which you would like to start the measure and click.

Drag the dimension to the end of the first distance that is to be dimensioned and click.

Select position of the horizontal dimension and its text by moving the mouse pointer in the desired direction. Click to confirm.

Select position of the vertical dimension and its text by moving the mouse pointer in the desired direction. Click to confirm.

Now that you have defined the appearance of the first dimension, this has also been done for the rest of the dimensions in the chain. From this point, it is very quick to position the rest of the dimensions. Move the mouse pointer to the next point to which you would like to measure and click. Repeat the step above until you have completed the dimension chain.

Hiding information on the drawing area
You can determine what to display on your drawing layouts from the View menu.

Example:
You have produced a drawing layout of a large office or a warehouse. The drawing contains dimensions, drawing aids and several cameras and spotlights. Then when you want to start working with the interior of the building, these objects are in your way.

Go to the View menu.
Uncheck the following alternatives in the menu: Dimensions, Drawing Aids and 3D Parts.

The components under each selected option are no longer displayed on the drawing area. They are also greyed out completely on their component tabs.

Importing 3D files
You can import 3D files.

Example:
You need a component that does not exist in the program.

It is possible to import the 3D formats 3DS and STL. This means that 3D objects created in these formats can be placed on the drawing area and displayed in 3D. Proceed as follows:

Select the feature Import 3D object from the Import and Export tab and position it on the drawing area by clicking. The dialog 3D Import Settings is displayed.
In the File field, click on the Browse button to select the 3DS or STL file that you want to import.
In the Properties field, choose select the desired Scale percentage (read more further down on this page), Model space unit and Detail on screen.
Click on OK or Apply.

Limiting the Surface Filling

You can determine how a surface should fill.

Example:
On a floorplan, you would like to apply a color to the walls, using the program’s “Surface” component. However, the color should not be applied to windows and doors.
Follow the steps below:

Select the “Line Drawing 2” component tab and click the “Defaults” button at the top.
In the dialog that opens, select the “Surface” tab.
In the “Limitations” field you determine what the surface should be limited by. Select “All components”. The surface will now be lmited by all components - windows and doors included.
With the option “Line drawing components only” selected, the surface will be limited bythe wall lines only. The surface will then be applied on top of windows and doors.
Confirm and close the dialog by clicking “OK”.
Select the “Surface” component from the same component tab and click in between the walls in your drawing.

Locking text changes for dimensions

You can lock dimension text that has been changed.

Example:
After you have placed a dimension, you have right-clicked on it and selected “Settings”. In the dialog that opens, you have manually modified the dimension text.

In order for the text not to be automatically updated when for example stretching the dimension, select the checkbox “Lock text”.

Locking the line drawing
After you have finished your line drawing and you are about to start placing your own products in there, you can lock the lines in the drawing (walls, doors, windows, columns etc.).

Example:

You want to be sure not to move any lines by mistake.
You want to choose one or more component(s) by using the select rectangle, without including the line drawing.

You access the lock line drawing function from the View menu. In the menu, check Lock Line Drawing. To unlock, choose Lock Line Drawing again, the checking disappears.

Measuring an angle

You can determine the relative angle of an object on the drawing area, using the program’s Measuring Tool.

Example:
You wish to position a desk against an angled wall and therefore need to determine the relative angle of the wall.

Proceed as follows:

Select the Measuring Tool from the toolbar, move it to the end of the wall and click once. A yellow input display appears.
Move the measuring tool to the other end of the wall. The current angle is now given automatically in the display.
Take the desk and place it somewhere close to the wall.
Highlight the desk by clicking on it and go to the Angle menu. Select the Set Angle option and then enter the exact value for the angle in the white text field. Confirm with OK or Apply.
When placing the desk component against the wall, using the mouse or the arrow keys, the defined angle will remain set.

Placing Components in Exact Rows
You can align all types of components with each other. Firstly, place the components you would like to use roughly in a row on the drawing surface. Then select all of them by pressing and holding Ctrl and marking the components you would like to align.

To align them, choose one of the alternatives: Align left, Align right, Align up or Align down from the menu Arrange. The adjustment is done from the component placed furthest to the left, right, up or down (depending on the align alternative you choose).

Placing line drawing components in a quicker way
You only need to click once on the drawing area to place rectangles, doors, windows and other components from the Line Drawing and the House Components tabs onto it.

Example:
When you are about to place, for example, a door on the drawing area, you often miss one of the steps. This means that you end up losing your component.

Proceed as follows:

Take a door from the House Components tab and click once on the drawing area.
Move the mouse pointer outside the drawing area.

Although the component has not yet been defined, it has now been dropped in position on the drawing area. It has adjusted to the size and the appearance that it had whilst still with the mouse pointer. You can now go in and change the component afterwards by stretching and shrinking or by right-clicking on it and selecting Settings.

NOTE:
If, for any reason, you would like to avoid this behavior, press the Escape key (whilst the component is still with your mouse pointer).

Pre-setting length step and angle step
You can pre-set the Length step and Angle step for components on the Line Drawing 1 tab and House Components.

Example:

You want to be able to stretch a line in even steps of 100 mm.
Go to the top of the Line Drawing 1 menu and type in "100" in the text field Length. This determines the length step of the line when stretched or shrunk, by means of dragging the yellow snap points.
You want to be able to rotate a line in even steps of 5 degrees.
Type in "5" in the text field Angle. This deter- mines the size of the angle step that the line takes when you drag the component to rotate it.

Pressing Escape to drop a component

It is possible to use the Escape key to drop a component that is attached to the mouse pointer? This also works for line drawing components that have been clicked into position on the drawing area, but not defined completely.

Example:

You are about to draw a building, using a rectangle from the program’s drawing module. You drag the rectangle onto the drawing area and click once to begin positioning it. At this stage, before being done with placing the rectangle, you realize that it is better to use individual lines to produce the layout.

Since the rectangle is already partly positioned, moving the mouse pointer outside the drawing area to drop the component is not enough. Instead, press the Escape key. The rectangle disappears and you can go back to the toolbox and select the lines instead.

Printouts on separate pages

You can print different areas of your drawing layout on separate pages.

Example:
You would like to send a quotation to a customer, containing a floor plan, an elevation view and a 3D image. The different views should be shown on three separate pages.

Proceed as follows:

You have have the floor plan and a number of elevation views on the drawing area. To insert a 3D image next to these, first render the image. To do so, either press the Auto 3D (detailed) button in the toolbar or manually place and adjust a camera and select Develop in the Camera Settings dialog.
When the image has been rendered and is shown in the image-preview window, go to the Image menu in the top left-hand corner and select Paste.
Determine where to save the image, enter a file name and press Save.
Close all windows that are in the way. On the drawing area, you can now see your pasted 3D image.
Go to the top of the Tools tab and select a Print Frame tool.
Place a print frame around your floor plan. Then move straight to the Print Frame Settings dialog, which is shown automatically.
Select the printer, specify the desired drawing scale and press OK.
Now copy the print frame with the correct settings by right-clicking on the very edge of the frame and selecting Copy.
Right-click again on the drawing area and select Paste. A copy of the first frame is shown on the mouse pointer.
Click and place the copy close to the elevation view. Do the same thing for the 3D image. Press Escape to finally drop the tool. You now have three frames on the drawing area, one around each view.
Select the frame that surrounds the elevation view. Place the mouse pointer on the yellow square in the bottom left-hand corner of the frame, press and hold down the mouse button and drag the frame to desired size. Proceed in the same way with the frame that surrounds the 3D image.
Select Print from the File menu. In the print dialog that opens, check the All print frames alternative.
Click on Preview to make sure that the floor plan, the elevation views and the 3D are on separate pages.
Back in the print dialog, you can now choose to create a PDF file in the usual way and email the whole presentation to the customer.

Please note: Not all customizations have chosen to implement the possibility to create PDF files.

Quick access to reference points during the drawing process
There is a shortcut in the program to get quick access to reference points while drawing.

Example:
You are drawing walls and, at the same time, you would like to place reference points for attaching windows and doors.

Proceed as follows:

On the Line Drawing 1 tab, select the Line or the Double Line component, depending on if you are drawing single or double walls.

Draw the first wall and, while the line component is still on the mouse pointer (i.e. do not leave the drawing area), right-click.

The line will now be turned into a blue reference point.

Place the reference point in the desired location on the drawing.

A line is attached to the mouse pointer again, with which you can continue drawing.

Note:
This feature works with the majority of the components found under Line Drawing 1, Line Drawing 2 and with windows and doors. However, it is not applicable to the Multiple Lines or the Multiple Double Lines components.

Quicker selections of multiple objects
There is a shortcut for selecting multiple objects on the drawing area.

Example:
You want to select the complete drawing on the drawing area. Normally you would go to the toolbar to get the Select Rectangle. However, there is an easier way of getting this command.

Instead, proceed as follows:

Move the mouse pointer onto the drawing area.

Press and hold down the SHIFT key whilst clicking and holding down the left mouse button. Drag the mouse pointer in the desired direction. The select rectangle appears. All objects within the rectangle will then be selected.

Note:
In order to select a component, the blue rectangle only needs to touch or cover part of the component.

Quicker zooming

There is an easier and quicker way to access the Zoom Rectangle in the program.

Example:
When you would like to zoom in on a detail you normally move up to the toolbar to get the Zoom Rectangle.

To instead access the zoom command without having to leave the drawing area, proceed as follows:

Press and hold down the Ctrl key at the same time as you press and hold the mouse button and drag the rectangle across the object you want to zoom in on.

Replicating a component
In one step, you can easily create copies of a component (i.e. replicate it), at the same time as you determine the number of copies, the distance between them, their direction and the shape of the formation they should be replicated in on the drawing area.

Example:
You have drawn a column in a building that you have measured up. You would now like to make two copies to the right of the first column with a 1 meter space in between.

Select the column by clicking on it.
Choose Replicate from the Arrange menu. The Replicate dialog box appears.
Because the column is placed on the left- hand side of the drawing and you want the copies to end up to the right of this one, select Right in the Direction field.
In the Distance field, enter 1000 mm as the Edge-to-edge distance
In the Count field, enter the number of columns you want in total, in this case 3.
Click on OK or Apply.

Retention of window size and position
The program opens in the same position that it had on the desktop when you closed the program.

The program window can also be opened with the previous size. This means if you have already used and shut down the program, it remembers the window size from the last time it was closed.

You can choose to always open the program window maximized or minimized, by right clicking on the icon on the desktop and selecting Properties. On the Shortcut tab under Run, choose Maximized or Minimized.

If you have changed the opening size and position of the window and want to return to the default settings, choose Normal Window.

Saving drawing area as image file

It is possible to select a part of the drawing area and save it as an image file.

Example:

You have created a drawing layout in the program and now wish to save it as an image. The image is then to be pasted into a presentation.

Proceed as follows:

Select the 2D Snapshot tool from the Tools tab.
Move the mouse pointer onto the drawing area. A blue frame is attached to it.
Position and stretch the component in one step by pressing and holding down the mouse button whilst dragging the mouse pointer in the desired direction.
Release the mouse button when all the items that you want on your image are inside the frame.
Place the mouse pointer somewhere on the frame and right-click. In the pop-up menu that appears, choose Save as Image.
Go to the folder where you want to save the image. Enter a file name.
Select the desired image format.
Click on Save.
The image of your drawing layout can now be inserted in the desired presentation/document.

Saving lighting settings as favorites
You can choose to save your preferred lighting settings and save as a favorite drawing. Place your light sources and choose your settings. Choose Save as favorites from the Edit menu. The Save as dialog box will then open. Name the drawing and click Save.

To open the favorite, select Paste favorites from the Edit menu. The dialog box Open will then open. Select drawing and click Open. Your saved favorite opens on the drawing surface.

Shortcut for Zoom Rectangle
You can access the Zoom Rectangle directly from the drawing area.

Example:
You wish to zoom into a particular detail on the drawing area.

Proceed as follows:
Press and hold down the Ctrl key at the same time as you press and hold the left mouse button and drag the zoom rectangle around the components you wish to zoom into.

Simpler navigation
You do not have to develop an image to view your 3D scene. Just place a Camera on the drawing area to open the Camera View. In the Settings menu, make sure that the OpenGL option is activated by clicking on it. A 3D color view is shown,

If your navigation is too slow, deactivating the function Animate in the same menu can speed it up. This means in effect that the image in your camera view will not be updated while you are moving the camera, but only when you release the target point of your camera.

Speeding up the 3D image developing on large drawings
By activating a function Limited Area you can mark off a part of the drawing and create a 3D image of only the items that are within the specified area. When developing, the program does not have to take all drawing items into account, only a few selected ones. This means that the developing process will be considerably quicker.

Example:
You have produced a large drawing layout and now you want to take a picture of a part of the drawing.

Proceed as follows:

Take the camera from the Tools tab. Position the camera on the drawing area and aim it by dragging the target point to the area or the object of which you want to produce a 3D image.
Double-click on the camera. The Camera Settings dialog box opens.
On the Camera tab, go to the Image Content field and check the Limited Area box. On the drawing area, a rectangle with dashed lines and a number of yellow snap points appears.
Stretch the limited area until all desired objects are inside the rectangle. Click on the snap point on each side of the rectangle and drag.
Use the camera view to control that everything you would like to be on the picture is shown.
Render the image.

Turning off layers in imported CAD drawings
It is possible to turn off layers in a dwg/dxf file that has been imported into the program.

Example:

You want to hide the existing furniture in the dwg/dxf file and replace it with your own assortment.
You want to hide other parts of the drawing that are unessential for you.

In order to retain the drawing’s original block division and to be able to view the separate layer names, right-click on the on the yellow snap point in the top left-hand corner of the drawing or on an optional block entity within the drawing (for example a text block which is easy to select). Select the Explode block option that appears as an alternative in the menu. It is now possible to select an individual entity on the drawing. If you now place the pointer on some of the drawing lines, a help text is displayed. The help text displays that particular lines' layer name. To turn off one or more layers, click the Drawing Data button on the Import and Export tab. The Drawing Data dialog box is opened. Click the layer/layers you want to turn off in the On/Off column and confirm with OK.

Turning the price on/off
You can turn on/off the program’s automatic price calculation.

Example:

You would like to:

A. Have the total price displayed in the lower left-hand corner of the program window while working.

B. Be able to hide the price information for those occasion when the customer is sitting right next to you.

Proceed as follows:

Go to the File menu and select Control Panel.
In the dialog box that opens, check/uncheck the Calculate price checkbox to display or hide the price information in the lower left-hand corner.
Confirm by clicking on OK.

Note:
When working with larger drawing layouts, it can be an advantage to turn off the continuous updating of the price. Since these calculations are not made during the process of your work, the program will run faster.

Instead, to view the current price of the layout, go to the Company menu and select Calculation (or similar).

Using InstantPlanner's Help
There is a help in InstantPlanner® - make use of it and give us feedback on changes and improvements!

For example, use it when:

You have a problem that makes it impossible to go on working.
You want to learn more about the program and its functions.

You can access the InstantPlanner® help manual by either clicking on Help on the menu bar and choosing InstantPlanner® Help, or by pressing the the F1 key on the keyboard. It is also possible to reach the help file from your computer’s program menu. Click on the Start button and select Programs. From the list, select InstantPlanner® and the help file will appear with two options, Swedish or English.

Working Faster with Large Cad Files
You can speed up your work with larger Cad files in the program.

Example:
You have imported a Cad drawing into the program and you are noticing that it is uncomfortably slow to work with.

Follow the steps below:

Click on the “Drawing Data” button on the “Import and Export” tab to open the dialog “Imported Cad Drawing Data”.
Select the “Advanced” tab. Here you will find two main fields – “Purge” and “Visualization”. All options available on this tab give control of the imported Cad drawings and allow you to improve the
redrawing speed and to reduce the memory usage.
When selecting “Purge unused”, you delete drawing data that is not being used.
When selecting “Purge non-visible”, you delete layers that are turned off.
Unchecking the “Show hatches” option will give you a less detailed 2D representation in the drawing area by not showing hatches (hatch = filled pattern).
Unchecking the option “Show 3D entities” in 2D will turn off all 3D entities in the 2D representation in the drawing area.

Working more efficiently with large CAD drawings

You can speed up your work with large dwg/dxf files that you have imported into the program by:

Always turning off the layers that you do not require.
Exploding the drawing (zooming in/out on the drawing area will be much faster if you do this).
Cropping larger AutoCAD drawings to get rid of unnecessary drawing information.
Only converting entities that you require.

Example:
You have imported a large dwg file and you know that you will only work with a section of that drawing.

Proceed as follows:

Turn off the layers that you do not require.
Choose Explode block to split the drawing into smaller entities according to Example 2 above.
Select the entities that you want to keep on the drawing area using the Select Rectangle.
Place the mouse pointer on a yellow snap point in the selected group, right-click and select Crop. All selected entities will now remain on the drawing area, whereas the remaining are deleted.
Select any possible remainders that were not included in the cropping and delete these manually using the Delete key.