Release Notes CET Designer

Transcription

1 Release Notes CET Designer August 7, 2013 Contents Introducing User-Based Licensing and MyConfigura... 2 System Requirements... 2 Photo Lab... 3 Load & Save... 5 System... 6 AutoCAD... 6 User Interface... 7 Material Explorer and Material Lab... 8 Calculation... 9 Lights Dimensions Text Style Editor Utility Extensions SketchUp... 13

2 Introducing User-Based Licensing and MyConfigura With CET Designer 3.0, we're introducing a user-based license model and storage for your projects in MyConfigura. This means that you can install and use CET Designer on as many computers as you want. Each license is connected to a specific user account, allowing you to work anytime, anywhere. You'll just need to log in. In conjunction with CET Designer 3.0, we're launching MyConfigura, a portal web service connecting you to all of Configura's cloud-based services. MyConfigura is also like an umbrella under which everything you need - from your licensing information to your current projects, renderings and even some videos - can be safely stored, easily accessed and readily shared. MyConfigura is accessed from CET Designer 3.0. MyConfigura is also a community, a place provided by Configura where you can create Briefcases, or groups, and collaborate with co-workers or customers via discussion threads. The discussion threads are only available for invited members. To effectively communicate with others, each licensed user has access to 1 GB of free storage space for uploading CET Designer drawings, images or videos. With CET Designer 3.0 and MyConfigura, we're enhancing and simplifying your experience: Design, specify, render and order with CET Designer anywhere and go online to configura.com > MyConfigura to store and share your work with others. This is the next step in making CET Designer a totally integrated, single-tool solution. System Requirements To allow your computer to communicate with the Configura License Server and MyConfigura, make sure that the following settings are used in your firewall or proxy: Network Access Requirements for the Configura License Server Host: license.configura.com lm.cet-extensions.net IP number: Ports: TCP/80 (HTTP) TCP/443 (HTTPS) Network Access Requirements for MyConfigura Host: my.configura.com IP number: Ports: TCP/80 (HTTP) TCP/443 (HTTPS) Network Access Requirements for Extension download Host: ftp.cet-extensions.net IP number: mirror1.cet-extensions.net IP number: mirror2.cet-extensions.net IP number: Ports: TCP/80 (HTTP)

3 Photo Lab CET Designer now offers a new Post Processing feature called Cartoon/Sketch. Note: this feature is only available with the advanced graphics engine. Figure 2: Cartoon/Sketch settings. Applying a Cartoon/Sketch effect to a photo gives the image a more hand drawn look. Changing the values for Pressure, Color Fill and Sketchiness all help to specify how the Cartoon/Sketch effect should appear on the photo. Pressure this slider determines how defined and thick the contours become. The further you move the slider to the right, the more defined and thicker the contours become. The contours can also become slightly less defined and thinner by moving the slider to the left from the default value. Color fill this slider determines how saturated the color of the image is. Moving the slider to the left the less saturated the color is. This effect does not apply to the contours. Sketchiness this slider determines how sketch-like the contours of the image become. This effect is dependent on the Pressure effect. If there is no pressure effect, you cannot create any sketchiness. The further you move the slider to the right, the sketchier and more hand drawn the contours become. Emissive background has been added as a new Advanced Photograph Setup option, it is located under Lighting & Shadows. Note that this feature is only available with the advanced graphics engine and if you have chosen Natural light as Render Mode. Figure 3: Emissive background. Emissive background will make the background (panorama or plain color) cast light onto the scene during photo realistic rendering. This offers a quicker way of producing a more realistic light setup in open scenes, without having to place any additional light sources. Note: Using this feature might cause renders to become brighter, we recommend reducing the Total or Sunlight light slider(s) when activating this feature to prevent problems with image overexposure. Product Lighting: We are introducing a new Simple Photograph Setup option in the Photo Lab called Product Lighting. This will make it easier and faster to create impressive renderings. Using Product Lighting, you can render images without spending a lot of time setting up the lighting. Product Lighting is

4 perfect for simple, open scenes with just a few products in them. By using the product lighting option, the background of the image turns emissive and casts natural white light across the scene. Note that this feature is only available with the advanced graphics engine. Figure 4: Product Lighting applied to a rendered photo In CET Designer 4.0 we are introducing a new feature in the Photo Lab called Ghost rendering. With the Ghost Rendering feature you can now create renderings where specified objects in the drawing are partially to fully transparent. Together with the post processing feature Ghost you can regulate the opacity of the ghosted objects. Note: Only available with the advanced graphics engine. Figure 1: example of the ghost rendering effect. Figure 2: Ghost rendering feature. Figure 3: Ghost feature.

5 Load & Save In CET Designer 3.2, we have completely reworked the Save & Load functionality to offer several changes: Saving is now handled in a separate process (CETSave.exe) to improve software stability and reliability. This leads to a Faster and more reliable saving process, allowing drawings to be saved in seconds that previously took minutes to save. The new system will offer improved protection for your work, in the unlikely case of something going wrong during save. Note: please ensure that CETSave.exe is allowed access to required drives, and is not blocked by your local security policies or anti-virus software. o o o Reduced file size new saving system allows for smaller drawings, thanks to improvements in file compression. Faster and more reliable loading process allows CET Designer to load drawings in seconds that previously took minutes. New feature in the Control Panel CET Designer now offers the option to use File Mirroring. This means that CET Designer will create copies of all drawings you save to the locations of your choice. Figure 1: New File mirroring feature in the Control Panel. CET Designer 4.0 and later versions will automatically check for partially saved files at start up and will show an alert if any are found. The alert will offer to recover your drawings where possible.

6 System The option to run the System test has been removed from the Control panel, CET Designer will instead automatically check if your machine is capable of using the Advanced graphics engine on startup. The automatic test will run in the background when you start CET Designer 4.0 for the first time, or activating the Simple graphics engine, or if the program detects a new graphics card or graphics driver. AutoCAD We have added support for importing objects created in AutoCAD 2013.

7 User Interface The new notification system introduced in CET Designer 3.2 means fewer pop-up dialogs Figure 7: The notification system. All notifications are gathered in one location for easy access. Allows you to temporarily hide notifications. Let you easily switch between different notifications by clicking them. The Categorization dialog has been updated and enhanced, it is now possible to remove Preset categories from different objects. The dialog will now also automatically remember its last position and size. Figure 22: the Categorization dialog. New features have been added to the Control Panel on the Views tab. Figure 8: New features in the Control Panel.

8 Camera step angle - when rotating the camera around the 3D view, CET Designer snaps to different angle steps. Note that rotating the camera quickly will stop CET Designer from snapping the 3D view into position. Keep dialogs on the same screen Opens all new dialogs on the same screen. Graphical snapping lets you temporarily turn off (override) some rules of object intelligence, such as which different parts of a wall that another wall will snap to. At the moment, this tool works best with basic CET Designer components like walls, help lines, dimensions and so on. It is not guaranteed to work with all Extension objects as it is up to each individual Extension to allow this feature or not. Note: this does not override the yellow snap points on objects. You can find the new tool in the Edit menu, named Graphical Snapping. Material Explorer and Material Lab The new Material Explorer can be found on the 3D tab. It is a built in tool that offers an enhanced experience for browsing and viewing materials in CET Designer. From the Material Explorer, you can also access the Material Lab in which you can modify existing materials or create entirely new ones. Figure 4: the Material Explorer button. The Material Explorer.

9 The Material Lab offers the ability to experiment with, and create entirely new materials. Whether you need a custom material for a specific project, or want to create a full set of your own custom materials; you can create, edit, and do preview renderings of your new materials. Figure 5: the Material Lab. Calculation We have now added support for custom sorting in the Calculation dialog. Enable the Manual Sort column from the View Settings dialog to be able to move your rows. Figure 9: the Manual Sort option in the Calculation dialog.

10 New Lasso Calculation tool at the 2D toolbar lets you create new Calculation views from selected objects. Figure 10: The lasso calculation tool. Lights A new option has been added to the Light settings dialog, the Show in 2D print checkbox lets you decide whether you want the lights to be visible in your 2D printouts. Figure 23: Light settings dialog. The Ceiling Grid Light found under the 3D tab, will no longer print its dotted outline or triangular handle, to provide you with cleaner printouts.

11 Dimensions The old Horizontal/Vertical/Diagonal dimension tools have now been unified into one single Dimension. The Dimension tool will automatically detect what type of dimension you are trying to measure, based on how you place the tool. Figure 14: all Dimensions. The new Chain Dimension tool makes it easier to rapidly measure several successive distances, and also displays a running distance summary. Figure 15: Chain Dimension tool. Text Expanded Quick Properties to include support for new features such as Styles and Always Readable. Always Readable will automatically rotate the content of Labels to make sure it is always readable, regardless of how the label is rotated on screen. Figure 8: the quick property, simple and in edit mode. Data Field is again available for placement in the 2D View. Figure 16: Data field variables.

12 Style Editor In CET Designer 4.0 we have added a new Style editor. In the Style editor you can create new styles and modify already existing styles for different component groups. We have removed the Dimension settings dialog, all those settings along with the settings for text and lines are now found in the Style editor. The Style editor is located on the Tools tab under the Styles section. Figure 6: The Style Editor. Figure 7: How to access the Style Editor.

13 Utility Extensions A new utility Extension is now available, you can enable the Bathroom Accessories extension from the Extensions web page: Figure 17: The new utility Extension, Bathroom Accessories. SketchUp As some of you may already be aware of, Google has sold SketchUp to a company called Trimble. Read more about the changes below: and: This affects CET Designer in a relatively minor way, mostly as a change of names in a few places, for example the button to open the warehouse: Figure 9: SketchUp tab. Improved display of scaled textures used in SketchUp objects. Old and new looks.

14 Improved displaying of transparent materials on SketchUp objects for the Advanced Graphics Engine. Left: old style without transparency. Right: new style with transparency.