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User’s Guide
Professional
Home Design
Platinum
© 2007 Punch! Software, L.L.C.
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
All rights reserved. This document, as well as the software described in it, is furnished under license and can only be used or copied in accordance with the terms of the license.
Portions of the software described in this document © 1995-2007 Microsoft Corporation.
Except as permitted by such license, no part of this document can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Punch! Software, L.L.C.
Punch! Software, L.L.C. reserves the right to improve, enhance and revise its products without notice.
Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum is a registered trademark of Punch! Software, L.L.C. Microsoft Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other product names mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers.
The information in this document is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by Punch! Software, L.L.C. Punch! assumes no liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this document.
Sixth edition, 2007
Printed in the United States of America
Table of
Contents
Part 1: Nuts & Bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
A Quick Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Finding Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Before You Draw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Part 2: Punch! Software Primer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Drawing 2D Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Viewing in 2D & 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Adding 3D Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Rearranging Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Managing Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Saving, Sharing, & Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Part 3: From the Ground Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Topo Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Room Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Foundation Plan Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Floor Plan Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Part 4: Utilities in Your Home Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
105 |
Electrical Plan Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Plumbing Plan Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
HVAC Plan Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide i
Contents
Part 5: Working on Your Home’s Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Roofing Plan Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Roofing Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Deck Plan Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Deck Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Landscape Plan Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Detail Plan Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Part 6: PowerTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Floor Plan Trace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
PhotoView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
DXF/DWG Export & Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Cabinet Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Elevation Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Framing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Estimator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Material Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
RealModel® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Part 7: 3D Custom Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Before You Draw in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Drawing 2D Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Drawing 3D Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Editing 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Controlling Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
ii PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
Part 1
Nuts & Bolts
Chapter 1: Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
3 |
Chapter 2: A Quick Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
5 |
Chapter 3: Finding Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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Chapter 4: Before You Draw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
15 |
Chapter 1
Welcome
Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum is a professional-level home design system developed for anyone who needs fast, accurate home drawings and wants the flexibility to view and edit their plan in 3D.
Uses for Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum include:
■Architectural drawings
■Presentations
■Deck design
■3D visualization
■DXF/DWG Import and Export
■Electrical plans
■Framing customization
■Interior design
■Landscaping
In addition, Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum contains a variety of useful PowerTools that each perform a specific task. For instance, Framing Editor lets you customize almost every facet of your framing, like the material, spacing, and even the direction studs and trusses are to be placed. Layout Manager makes it easy to make professional presentations of your designs to an architect or builder. Once you’re finished with your design, you can even record an AVI movie to send to your friends, architect, builder, and so on.
It’s simple to get started designing the home of your dreams. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the contents of this manual, so you’ll know where to quickly find the answers. Be sure to see Chapter 2 for an overview of the screen layout and a quick tour of the program.
For a basic overview of tools and techniques that you’ll use throughout the design process, see “Punch! Software Primer”, which begins on page 19.
The most important thing to do before beginning work with Punch! Platinum will be setting your display to 32-bit color. To do this, right-click the Desktop, then click Properties on the pop-up menu. Click the Settings Tab on the Display Properties dialog box, then select True Color (32-bit); if this is not available on your computer, select 24-bit.
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide 3
Chapter |
1 |
Welcome |
Contents of Package
Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum comes with everything you need to install and use the software. The package includes the following items:
■Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum Installation DVD
■PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
■HomePlan Idea Book
System Requirements
In order to run Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum, it is recommended that you have a Pentium-based computer. In addition, your system should include the following:
System Requirements
■Intel® Pentium®, Celeron®, Xeon™, or Centrino™ or AMD® Athlon™, Duron™, or Opteron™ Processor
■Windows® 98 or higher
■64 MB of RAM
■3.8 GB of hard disk space
■VGA video card displaying at least 800x600 with 24-bit color (32-bit, if available)
■DVD-ROM drive
■Mouse or other pointing device
■32 MB Video Card Memory
■(optional) Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or above to use Punch! Updater
Installing Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum
To install Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum, you must run Setup. You can’t install or reconfigure Punch! Platinum by copying files directly from the distribution DVD to your hard drive.
To install Punch! Platinum
1Insert Punch! Platinum Installation DVD into your DVD-ROM drive. Installation begins as soon as you insert the DVD.
2Follow the installation prompts that appear.
Note: If installation did not begin when you inserted the Punch! Platinum Installation DVD into your DVD-ROM drive, Autorun may be turned off on your computer.
To install Punch! Platinum if installation does not begin automatically
1Insert Punch! Platinum Installation DVD into your DVD-ROM drive. Installation begins as soon as you insert the DVD.
2Double-click My Computer.
3Double-click the DVD-ROM drive (most computers will begin the installation at this point).
4Double-click SETUP.
Registering Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum
The first time you launch Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum, you will have the opportunity to register your software. Punch! Platinum will run in Trial Mode for seven
(7) days after installation, but note that Printing, Saving, and Exporting are disabled in Trial Mode.
1Type your Name and Company in the appropriate fields of the Registration dialog box.
Note: Your Serial Number is automatically generated.
2Click Register. Your web browser will automatically launch and connect your computer to the Internet. The Product Registration webpage will load automatically.
3Type the required information, then click Submit Registration.
4Your Authorization Code will be emailed to the address you typed.
5Cut & Paste the Authorization Code from the email to the Product Registration dialog box.
6When the Authorization Code is validated. Click Authorize.
4 PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
Chapter 2
A Quick Tour
To get the most benefit from Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum, you should take a minute to become familiar with the layout of the Punch! drawing space, plan tabs, and toolbars. This chapter describes the basic components.
In most cases, information is not provided regarding standard Windows concepts or on specific menu items. For information on standard Windows concepts, such as the mouse, the Control menu, the window border, the maximize button, dialog box controls and so on, refer to Windows online Help.
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PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide 5
Chapter |
2 |
A Quick Tour |
Title Bar
The title bar extends across the top of the application window. It displays the name of the program and the name of the current drawing file. Using the buttons at the right end of the title bar you can minimize, maximize, close or restore the window. You can also maximize or restore a window by double-clicking on the title bar. Double-clicking the Control menu box at the left end of the title bar is a quick way to exit. If the application is running in a window, rather than maximized, dragging the title bar moves the entire window on the desktop.
Menu Bar
You can choose menu items using either the mouse or the keyboard. To use the mouse, click the menu name; when the menu drops down, click the item you want. Menu items with an arrow to the right display cascading menus, when you place the pointer over one of them. When you highlight a menu item, a description is displayed on the Status Bar.
To use the keyboard, press the ALT key and type the underlined letter in the menu name, then type the underlined letter in the menu item’s name. If there is a cascading menu, you must type another letter. You can also use the arrow keys to move through menu items and press ENTER to select one. The ESC key backs out of the menu items one level at a time.
There are single-key or key combination shortcuts for certain frequently-used menu items. Each menu lists available shortcut keys to the right of the item’s name. You can use the techniques for choosing menu items in combination.
Elevation Slider
With Punch! Platinum’s Elevation Slider you can easily move selected items vertically off “ground level”. This feature makes it a snap to make sure windows, doors, plants, and so on are in exactly the position you want. Simply select the object or feature to be raised and move the slider by clicking and dragging, with the mouse. For more information, see “Elevating your Selection”, on page 57.
Virtual Ruler
The Virtual Ruler works like a real-world tape measure. It stores away in the corner of the window, until you need it. Then, with one click, it is displayed in the middle of the window, where you can move it into any position necessary to make a needed measurement. It then stores away until you need it again. To move the Virtual Ruler, click and drag from
the center. To resize, click and drag on one of the ends, then drag.
Drag |
You are not constrained to vertical or horizontal; the Vertical Ruler can be stretched in any direction necessary.
Annotation Bar
On the Annotation Bar, there are two tools for text, straight and angled, and several tools to let you dimension part of your design where automatic dimensioning may not be available.
With these tools, you will be able to measure and label any part of your drawing. If you want, you can store these labels on the Detail Tab, so you have the option of
turning them off when you want to see your design in a more unobstructed state.
Measurement Tools
The measurement tools include associative dimensions, window/door callouts and the shortcuts to calculate floor square footage.
Associative Dimensioning are the measurements that appear as you are adding features. For example, the Associative Dimensioning feature will show how far from the ends of each wall the window is positioned.
When the Window/Door Callouts option is checked, the measurements of all window and door openings will be shown, with the wall measurements, and be displayed in the floor plan view.
Selecting one of the three square footage options will cause Punch! Platinum to make that calculation and display it in the Status Bar.
Working Floor Button
Use the Working Floor button to switch the current view, based on the number of floors in your home plan.
When you click the Working Floor button, a pop-up menu is displayed. Simply click the floor on which you would like to work to switch the current working floor.
6 PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
Status Bar
The Status Bar is located in the lower left of the window and displays prompts, program messages, and measurements. It is a good place to look when you are holding the pointer over certain buttons or menu items to find their function.
Scroll Bars
Scroll bars provide a way for you to pan across the drawing, that is, to change the part of the drawing visible in the window, without changing the level of magnification.
■To pan the drawing in small increments, click the scroll arrow that points in the direction you want to pan.
■To pan in larger increments, click the control shaft, between the scroll box and a scroll arrow.
■To pan by a custom increment, drag the scroll box in the direction you want to pan.
■To position at a specific area of the page, right-click the scroll bar and click the wanted area on the pop-up menu that is displayed.
LiveView Icons
It is in the LiveView window where you see your designs come to life! The default view is Plan Full View. When you load Punch! Platinum, this is the
view you will see. With the 3D Quarter View option, use most of your window for drawing, yet be able to view your design in 3D. For a full explanation see the chapter titled “Viewing in 2D & 3D”, which begins on page 29.
When you want to focus primarily on your 2D actions, while maintaining a clear view of the 3D design, select Split Plan/ 3D View. Then, when you’re ready to add materials and colors to your Dream Home it will be easier in the 3D Full View mode.
Status Bar
Preview Bars
You can click and drag objects, templates, materials, colors, and so on from their Preview Bars onto your plan. The Preview Bar changes to reflect your selection. For instance, if you click the Plant Bar, plant options will be displayed.
Clicking one of the buttons on the PowerTool bar launches one of the associated Punch! Platinum applications. For example:
■Launch Topo Designer. To learn more about Topo Designer, see the chapter titled “Topo Designer”, which begins on page 71.
■Launch Material Modifier. To learn more about Material Modifier, see the chapter titled “Material Modifier”, which begins on page 207.
■Launch Roofing Wizard. To learn more about Roofing Wizard, see the chapter titled “Roofing Wizard”, which begins on page 133.
All PowerTools launch in this same fashion, whether they were written by Punch! Software, LLC or by a third-party developer.
Properties Bar
You can easily modify features you have previously drawn by selecting them and editing their properties on the Properties Bar. You can even set the Properties Bar to automatically display when a feature is selected, by clicking Auto Activate.
Selecting the Properties Bar
The Properties Bar is easily accessed by clicking a feature on your floor plan. For example, clicking a door accesses the customizable properties for doors and clicking a plant accesses the properties for plants.
To select the Properties Bar
1On the Standard Toolbar, click the Selection Tool.
2Click the feature you want to customize. The Properties Bar is displayed.
Note: If the Properties Bar does not automatically display, it may be set to “Manual Activate”. To reset the toggle, click the arrow after “Properties”, then click Auto Activate on the pop-up menu that is displayed.
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide 7
Chapter |
2 |
A Quick Tour |
Compass Setting
With the True North compass you can make sure that your design is placed correctly on your lot. The compass is also useful to accurately depict the direction of shadows and the sun’s position.
Plan Tabs
Punch! Platinum utilizes a collection of layers, which are accessible by clicking the tabs along the top and right side of the design window. Clicking a plan tab accesses a set of tools that you can use to design your floor plan; for example, clicking the Electrical Tab accesses outlets, switche,s and ceiling fans, while clicking the Landscaping Tab accesses tools for edging, fencing, ground fill, excavation, and so on.
Once placed, each feature such as a door, window, plant, outlet, and so on, can be altered at any time. Click the feature and the Properties Toolbar is brought to the top (a default that can be changed) and displays the customizable properties of that feature.
You can further customize which plan layer or combination of plan layers you want to be active. In addition, you can make each plan layer a different color, so you can tell at a glance which layer a specific feature is on. You can even move features to a different plan, when necessary.
Selecting a Plan Tab
Using the easily-accessible plan tabs, you can quickly access each tool set at any time.
To select a plan tab
1On the Standard Toolbar, click the Selection Tool.
2Click the plan tab you want to use. The plan tab is selected and the tools available on that tab appear.
PunchSoftware.com
With the click of one button, you can visit the Punch! website at www.punchsoftware.com or the Punch! PowerTool Store at www.punchsoftware.com/PowerTool_store.htm.
■To automatically launch your browser and visit the Punch! home page, click the Punch! Software websites button at the upper right of your
window, then click Punch! Software Home Page.
■New additions and revisions are being added to the Punch! content libraries all the time. Use the Punch! Updater to connect to our server, search for new content packages, and update your existing content libraries.
Punch! PowerTools™
Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum is PowerTool enabled. Punch! PowerTools seamlessly add additional features and functionality to your program to make it easier to create your dream home!
Whenever more PowerTools become available, they are offered to users at the Punch! PowerTool Store.
■To automatically launch your browser and visit the Punch! PowerTool Store, click the Punch! Software websites button at the upper right of
your screen, then click Punch! PowerTool Store.
8 PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
Chapter 3
Finding Answers
Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum is not just one software application, but several applications that can be used together. Punch! provides you with a number of sources you can use to familiarize yourself with these applications. When you have questions about a specific feature or procedure, this manual and the Integrated Help system, that you can access from the program, provide a comprehensive guide to all of the tools in Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum. The video tutorials that are accessible from the Help menu, on the other hand, are an excellent way to learn about the way real projects are constructed from the ground up. This chapter also discusses ways to access technical support and the Punch! website.
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide 9
Chapter |
3 |
Finding Answers |
About This Guide
The text and graphics in this guide are tailored to help you find the information you need quickly and get the most out of Punch! Platinum. Each section of this guide is divided into a series of step-by-step instructions, making it easy for you to scan a page to find exactly what you need. You can also refer to the index for additional topics on the same subject, if necessary.
Instructions for installing and using Microsoft Windows do not appear in this guide. If you’re uncomfortable with your knowledge of Windows or with the concepts associated with a user interface object, you should review Windows online Help before attempting any serious work with Punch! Platinum.
Basic Terms
The following is a list of terms used throughout this guide. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the language used in this guide and to reinforce your understanding of basic terminology.
Click
Pressing and releasing the left mouse button once.
Right-click
Pressing and releasing the right mouse button once.
Double-click
Pressing and releasing the left mouse button twice.
Click and drag
Pressing the left mouse button, holding it down and moving the mouse, simultaneously.
Drag-and-drop
Clicking to select an item, holding down the mouse button, then dragging and releasing.
Scroll
Using the scroll bars on the sides of the application window by clicking the slider box, holding down the mouse button and dragging.
Graphic Cues
This guide uses several types of graphic elements. Some show the window or a dialog box that will appear during an operation. When this type of graphic illustration is used, every effort is made to show the element exactly as it is displayed on the window.
Graphic Cues Used in this Guide
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click’s position in a series of clicks |
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arrow indicates where to start; end of arrow |
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a right mouse click —the number, when |
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2 
Tips for Users of Other Punch! Programs
Punch! Platinum will open all floor plans designed with previously-released Punch! programs. One major difference from very early Punch! programs involves the use of interior, exterior, and foundation walls. Walls drawn in some previous Punch! programs, like Punch! Super Home Suite and Punch! 5 in 1 Home Design, may import as interior walls, so these walls will need to be customized in Punch! Platinum.
In addition, you will want to use the Punch! Topo Designer PowerTool to update all topography drawn in previouslyreleased Punch! programs. For more information, see “Topo Designer”, which begins on page 71.
To update a file from a previous Punch! program
1Make a copy of your file. Save the original.
2Open the copied file.
3Define your design’s exterior walls. For more information, see “To convert exterior walls to interior walls”, which begins on page 92.
4Use the Wall Segment Properties dialog box to match all roof sections. For more information, see “Defining Gable Wall Segments”, which begins on page 92.
10 PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
5Use the Automatic Flooring feature on the upper floors. For more information, see “To control automatic flooring for exterior walls”, which begins on page 92.
6(optional) Draw flooring on the upper floors. For more information, see “Adding Flooring”, which begins on page 101.
7Customize any complex roofing sections. For more information, see “Using the Freehand Roof Tools”, which begins on page 124.
Tip: The most important thing to remember when beginning a new drawing is to complete your foundation or exterior walls first. A completely-closed exterior perimeter will ensure that floor square footage measurements will be correctly calculated.
Integrated Help
Punch! Platinum includes an extensive integrated help system. This system includes additionl information to that found in the PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide.
To access the online help files
■On the Help menu, click Contents or press F1.
To access help for a specific part of your 2D drawing
1 On the Standard Toolbar, click the Selection Tool.
2Click the Context Help Button.
3Click the feature, object, or plant that you want help with. The Quick Access menu for that feature, object, or plant is displayed on the right side of the window.
4Click the tool’s Help listing on the pop-up window. Help for that feature, object, or plant is displayed.
5(optional) Pressing F1, while many tools are active, will access the help file for that Tool.
Integrated Help
Tips & Tricks
Punch! Platinum makes it easy to get started by providing users with tips and tricks for each Tool. Tips & Tricks provide information about each tool and some general information about the program. Tips & Tricks can be turned off and on to suit your needs.
To access general tips & tricks
■On the Standard Toolbar, click the Tips & Tricks Button.
To access tips & tricks for a specific tool
1On any plan tab, click the tool you want to learn more about.
2Click the Tips & Tricks Button; the Tips and Tricks menu for that tool is displayed.
To access tips & tricks for a part of your 2D drawing 1 
2Click the Context Help Button.
3Click the feature, object, or plant that you want help with. The Quick Access menu for that feature, object, or plant is displayed on the right side of the window.
4Click the Tips & Tricks listing at the top of the pop-up window. The Tips & Tricks menu for that feature, object, or plant is displayed.
5(optional) Click Back or Next to cycle through the tips available for that feature, object, or plant.
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide 11
Chapter |
3 |
Finding Answers |
To turn tool guides on and off
■To turn off Tool Guides, click (Turn-Off Tool Guides).
■To turn on Tool Guides, on the Help Menu, click Show Tool Guides.
Video Tool Tip Tutorials
Video Tutorials are available for drawing tools and other commonly-used features. These tutorials can be accessed three ways.
To access tool tip tutorials from Tool Guides
1On the Standard Toolbar, click the Selection Tool.
2Click the feature, object, or plant that you want help with, then click the Tool Guide Tool. The Tips and Tricks menu for that tool is displayed.
3Right-click the feature, object, or plant that you want help with. The Quick Access menu for that tool, object, or plant is displayed.
4Click Video Tutorial on the pop-up window. A short video will be played, showing how the tool works.
To access tool tip tutorials from Help
1On the Help menu, click Contents or press F1.
2Navigate through the Help System, until the topic you need is displayed.
3Click the Show Me button. A short video will be played, showing how the tool or feature works.
Video Step-by-Step Tutorials
You can get started easily with Punch! Platinum’s Step-by- Step Tutorials. They are available at all times, from the Help Menu.
To access the step-by-step tutorials
1On the Help Menu, click Tutorials. A listing of available tutorials is displayed.
3Click the Video Tutorial button on the Tips and Tricks menu. A short video will be played, showing how the tool works.
To access tool tip tutorials with a right-click 1 On the Standard Toolbar, click the Selection Tool.
2 Click the Context Help Button.
2Hightlight the topic you want to view, then click how you want to view the tutorial.
■Video Tutorial: Shows a short video movie of the topic.
■Step-by-Step Tutorial: Displays an HTML file that follows along with the Video Tutorial.
■Tutorial Drawing: Opens the Punch! Platinum file used in the selected Video Tutorial.
Technical Support
Before contacting Punch! Technical Support, please verify that the answer to your question is not available from one of the following resources:
12 PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
Technical Support
■Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
■Punch! Platinum Help System
■Video Tutorials
■To automatically launch your browser and visit the Punch! Software website, click the Connect to Punch! button at the upper right of your window.
■The Punch! Online Community is available at http://forums.punchsoftware.com. At the Online Community, users can post questions and trade useful tips and tricks.
■The Customer Support Center is available at http://punch.custhelp.com. At the Customer Support Center you can register your software, search the knowledge base, or ask a question, if necessary.
The Customer Support Center can only answer questions that are related to features of Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum. They cannot answer specific questions about home building, local building codes, and so on.
When contacting the Support Center, please provide the following details:
■Serial Number - located on the Help > About Punch! Home Design dialog box
■Your computer’s operating system
■Make and model of your computer
■Video card manufacturer and model
■Video card driver date and version
■Video RAM
■Display settings, including hardware acceleration
After registering your program, you will receive 60 days of free technical support. When you call, you should be in front of your computer, with the program running, and have the above information handy. The technical support contact information can be located at the Customer Support Center - http://punch.custhelp.com.
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide 13
Chapter |
3 |
Finding Answers |
14 PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
Chapter 4
Before You Draw
To get the most benefit from Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum, you should take a minute to become familiar with some of its basic concepts. This chapter describes a few settings you should know before you begin your project.
With Punch! Platinum you can set a precise drawing scale, define units of measurement and set the reference grid. There are also many performance settings you can apply to optimize drawing speed and 3D viewing.
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide 15
Chapter |
4 |
Before You Draw |
Important System Settings
Some of your computer’s settings can impact Punch! Platinum’s efficiency. By changing one (or more) of these settings, you can control how the program performs.
■Set your Display Settings to 800x600 pixels and High Color (24-bit) or True Color (32-bit). On your Start menu, select Control Panel>Display>Settings.
■If you notice that the 3D display is not clear, reduce the Graphics Acceleration. On your Start menu, select Control Panels> System>Performance>Graphics, then set the acceleration back one notch.
■By default, all measurements display in English Units; to choose Metric Units go to Design>Unit of Measure...
select Metric Units.
Speed Tips
You can “Speed Up” Punch! Platinum by changing some of the program's settings.
■Close the LiveView window when you are not working in 3D. No 3D calculations are performed when the LiveView window is closed.
■Choose the Quarter-View window size for LiveView instead of Full-View to increase 3D rendering speed.
■Turn off shadows. For more information, see “Adding Lighting and Shadows”, which begins on page 38.
■Hide floors that are not active. Turning off inactive floors, means the program will not waste resources on them.
■On the View menu, click Render Options. The Render Options dialog box is displayed. The lower the render quality, the faster LiveView will render your design.
Display Settings
Punch! Platinum is designed to run effectively, based on the system requirements printed on the software packaging. However, there are some specific settings you can select to obtain the best display possible.
To adjust your display settings
1On the Start menu, click Settings, Control Panel. The Control Panel program group is displayed.
2Double-click Display. The Display Properties dialog box is displayed.
3Click the Settings page tab.
4In the Colors list box, click True Color (32-bit).
Note: If 32-bit is unavailable, click True Color (24-bit).
5In the Screen Area section, move the slider to display at least 800 x 600 pixels.
6Click OK. The new window settings are applied. You may be prompted to restart your computer to apply the new settings. If so, click OK or Yes.
Setting the Units of Measurement
You can set units of measurement by selecting either English or Metric measurements. You can also set the default measurements and options to be applied when any previously-drawn design is opened.
To use English measurements
1On the Design menu, click Unit of Measure. The Measurement Units dialog box is displayed.
2Click English Units.
3(optional) Click the arrow next to Angle Format and select the number of decimal points you want to use.
4(optional) Click the arrow next to Precision and select the number of decimal points you want to use.
16 PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
5(optional) Click the arrow next to Readout Format and select the format you want.
6Click OK. The unit of measurement and options you selected are applied.
To use Metric measurements
1On the Design menu, click Unit of Measure. The Measurement Units dialog box is displayed.
2Click Metric Units.
3(optional) Click the arrow next to Angle Format and select the number of decimal points you want to use.
4(optional) Click the arrow next to Readout Format and select the format you want.
5Click OK. The unit of measurement and options you selected are applied.
Setting the Scale
To set defaults for previous designs
1Follow the instructions for either English or Metric units, outlined above, then click the box to set the defaults for all previously-drawn designs.
2Click OK. The defaults will be applied to any previouslydrawn design when it is opened.
Setting the Scale
Scale is the ratio between real-world size of objects and items in your drawing and their size when printed. The default drawing scale is 1/4" = 1', meaning that 1/4" on your drawing plan equals one foot in real-world size. You can customize scale settings at any time to suit your needs, as well as print your drawing to scale.
To set the drawing scale
1On the Design menu, click Plan Scale. The Plan Scale dialog box is displayed.
2Click a new scale setting, then click OK. The new scale is applied to your plan drawing.
Defining Your Lot Size and Topography
Use the Site Planner and Topo Designer PowerTools to define lot size and all topography.
Note: After you’ve created topographical objects using Topo Designer, the Design, Lot Size option on the Menu Bar is disabled. All further changes to the lot size need to be made using Topo Designer.
For more information, see “Topo Designer”, which begins on page 71.
Note: To draw curved property lines, use the Curve Tool on the Detail Tab, then see “Converting Details to Intelligent Features”, which begins on page 165.
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide 17
Chapter |
4 |
Before You Draw |
18 PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
Part 2
Punch! Software
Primer
Chapter 5: Drawing 2D Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
21 |
Chapter 6: Viewing in 2D & 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
29 |
Chapter 7: Adding 3D Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
45 |
Chapter 8: Rearranging Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
55 |
Chapter 9: Managing Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
61 |
Chapter 10: Saving, Sharing, & Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
65 |
Chapter 5
Drawing 2D Entities
This chapter contains concepts and procedures that you will need throughout your design process.
Many 2D features are drawn the same way throughout Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum and the PowerTools that are included with it. Whether you are drawing a rectangle to mask part of a tree in Plant Editor or a rectangle to tint a custom material in Material Modifier, it will always be drawn in the same way. The icons may differ slightly, but the process is the same.
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide 21
Chapter |
5 |
Drawing 2D Entities |
Drawing Shapes
Many features are drawn the same way throughout Punch! Professional Home Design Platinum and the PowerTools that are a part of it. Whether you are drawing a rectangle to mask part of a tree in PlantEditor or a rectangle to tint a custom material in Material Modifier, it will always be drawn in the same way. The icons may differ slightly, but the process is the same.
To draw rectangles and squares
1Click the Rectangle Tool. The pointer changes to reflect drawing mode.
2(optional) On the Properties Bar, click the Method button and choose how you want to draw the shape:
■Rectangle from the corner,
■Rectangle from the center,
■Square from the corner,
■Square from the center.
3Click on the design window to define the
start point of the rectangle. A rubber-band rectangle is displayed and follows the pointer. Dimensions are displayed, as you draw.
4Hold the mouse button down, as you extend the rectangle to the size you want.
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Drag |
5 Release the mouse button.
To draw circles and ovals
1Click the Circle/Oval Tool. The pointer changes to reflect drawing mode.
2(optional) On the Properties Bar, click the Method button and choose how you want to draw your shape:
■Oval from the edge,
■Oval from the center,
■Circle from the edge,
■Circle from the center.
3Click on the design window to define the start point of the shape. A rubber-band shape is displayed and follows the pointer. Dimensions are displayed, as you draw.
4Hold the mouse button down, as you extend the shape to the size you want.
12
Drag |
5 Release the mouse button.
To draw a polygon
1Click the Polygon Tool. The pointer changes to reflect drawing mode.
2(optional) On the Properties Bar, click the Method button and choose how you want to draw the shape:
■Closed polygon,
■Open polygon.
3Click on the design window to define the start point of the polygon. A rubber-band line is displayed and follows the pointer. Dimensions are displayed, as you draw.
4Click and move the mouse to the next cornerpoint. Repeat until you have drawn the necessary shape.
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5 Right-click to end drawing mode.
To draw a multigon
1Click the Multigon Tool. The pointer changes to reflect drawing mode.
2(optional) On the Properties Bar, type the number of sides you want the multigon to have.
3Click on the design window to define the start point of the multigon. A rubber-band multigon is displayed and follows the pointer.
4Hold the mouse button down, as you extend the multigon to the size you want.
Changing Curve Tension
3Click on the design window to define the start point of the curve. A rubber-band curve is displayed and follows the pointer.
4Click and move the mouse to the next point. Repeat until you have drawn the needed shape.
Note: Although the lines will initially appear angular, they will become curved when you end drawing mode.
5 Double-click to end drawing mode.
Changing Curve Tension
To further control the look of the shapes drawn with any of the arc or curve tools, you have control over the degree of curve assigned to them. With the Straighten feature, it is easy to create angular shapes and, with Curve Tension, you can change the appearance. Curve Tension is measured between 1 and 10. Specifying 1 in the dialog box results in very little tension being applied, while specifying 10 causes a slightlyexaggerated curve.
To change curve tension
1Click an object to select it.
2On the Properties Bar, click Adjust, in the Curve section. The Smooth dialog box is displayed.
Drag
12
5 Release the mouse button.
To draw a curve
1Click the Curve Tool. The pointer changes to reflect drawing mode.
2(optional) On the Properties Bar, click the Method button and choose how you want to draw the shape:
■Closed Curve,
■Open Curve.
3Type the amount of tension that you want.
4Click OK. The Curve Tension you specified is applied.
Examples:
Default Curve Tension (8):
Curve Tension set at 2:
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide 23
Chapter |
5 |
Drawing 2D Entities |
To remove curve tension
1Click an object to select it.
2On the Properties Bar, click Straighten, in the Curve section. The curve is changed to a polyline.
Using the Grid
With Punch! Platinum you can set specific grid properties that aid in drawing your home plan. You can set points, based on the reference grid, which is useful when you want to make sure certain points are specified precisely.
Grid settings have a direct impact on the ease of aligning objects, snapping objects to the grid, and so on. When using the Snap to Grid feature, items that are dragged and dropped on the design window are automatically snapped, or placed, to align with the current grid. By default, Snap to Grid is on.
You can customize grid settings by selecting grid spacing, grid style, and hiding or displaying.
Grid properties can also be set by accessing the right-click menu, with nothing selected.
To define Snap to Grid settings 1
Note: Initially, the grid is set at 12 inches, making it easy to visualize each plan square as exactly one square foot, but can be customized to meet your particular design needs.
Note: Snap settings can be set as low as 0.0625 (1/16) inch (English), 0.01 meter (1 cm) (Metric), and still show visible movement along the grid. Snap settings can be set as high as 500 inches (English), 12.70 meter (Metric).
To select grid spacing
1On the View menu, click Grid Properties or right-click on your design window and click Grid Properties on the pop-up menu that is displayed. The Grid Properties dialog box is displayed.
2Type new horizontal and vertical measurements in the Grid Dots/Lines section of the Grid Spacing page, then click OK. The new grid spacing is applied.
To change the grid style
1On the View menu, click Grid Properties or right-click on your design window and click Grid Properties on the pop-up menu that is displayed. The Grid Properties dialog box is displayed.
2Click the Grid Style page tab.
3Click either Grid Dots or Grid Lines, then click OK. The new grid style is applied.
2On the Grid Properties dialog box, type new measurements in the Snap Grid text boxes, then click OK. Items you draw or drag-and-drop into the design window will now snap to the measurements you’ve defined.
3(optional) When you change the Snap Grid settings, Minor Grid Lines are displayed to show where along the grid you are snapping. To turn off the display of Minor Grid Lines, click to uncheck the Show Minor Grid Lines checkbox.
24 PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
Note: Grid Dots/Lines can be set to as low as 1 inch (English), 0.02 m (Metric), and still be viewable. Grid Dots/ Lines can be set as high as 500 inches (English), 12.70 m (Metric).
To move objects/features along the grid
1On the Standard Toolbar, click the Selection Tool.
2Click the object or feature you want to move.
3Using the arrow keys on your keyboard, move the object or feature into position.
Note: Each time you press an arrow key, the object or feature will move one increment that you have set in the Snap Grid settings.
To align objects/features with an area of the grid
1On the Standard Toolbar, click the Selection Tool.
2Click the object or feature you want to align.
3On the Edit menu, click Align to Grid, then click with which area of the grid you want your selection aligned.
To turn off Snap to Grid
■On the View menu, click to uncheck Snap to Grid, press CTRL+R, or right-click on your design window and click Snap to Grid on the pop-up menu. The feature is disabled. To enable Snap to Grid, simply recheck the menu item.
To display the grid
■On the View menu, click to check Grid Visible or rightclick on your design window and click Grid Visible on the pop-up menu that is displayed. The grid is displayed on the design window.
Dimensioning
Punch! Platinum automatically displays dimensions, as you draw, making it easy to precisely place walls, doors, and other items in your plan drawing. The powerful Dimension Wall tool will be especially useful to add interactive dimensions between walls, where they are not automatically
Dimensioning
generated. Dimensions drawn with the Dimension Wall tool are automatically updated when either wall is moved. You’ll find this tool extremely useful when measuring between the main house and the walls of other buildings, like a garden shed or playhouse. In some instances, you might want to print your plan drawing without dimension annotation. You have the option of turning off automatic dimensioning, if you don’t want it displayed on the drawing page or as you draw.
To use the wall-spacing dimension tool
1On the Annotation toolbar, click the Dimension Wall Tool.
2Click a wall on the design window to define the starting point; hold down the mouse button and drag to the second wall.
3Release the mouse button to set the measurement.
To use the zero-offset dimension tool
1On the Annotation toolbar, click the Zero-Offset Dimension Tool.
2Click on the design window to define the starting point; hold down the mouse button and drag to the ending point of the measurement you require.
3Release the mouse button to set the measurement.
Using the Virtual Ruler
The Virtual Ruler is a handy feature for measuring items in your home plan that are not automatically dimensioned. You can “undock” the ruler at any time, leaving it active, or hide it from view with one mouse click. The Virtual Ruler is an easy way to measure at an angle, too.
To measure using the Virtual Ruler
1Click the Virtual Ruler button at the bottom of the design window, or right-click on a blank area of
the drawing space and click Center Virtual Ruler, on the pop-up menu. The Virtual Ruler is displayed on the drawing page.
2Click an end and drag in the direction you want to measure. The measurement is displayed in the center of the Virtual Ruler.
3(optional) Click the center of the Virtual Ruler and drag it to a new location on the design window.
Tip: Zoom in on the area you are measuring so you have a close-up view of the ruler.
PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide 25
Chapter |
5 |
Drawing 2D Entities |
To hide the Virtual Ruler
■Click the Virtual Ruler button at the bottom of the design window, or right-click on the ruler and click Hide Virtual Ruler, on the pop-up menu. The Virtual Ruler is “docked.”
Calculating Square Footage
Punch! Platinum can automatically calculate square footage of each floor of your home plan. This feature makes it easy to figure how much carpet you’ll need to cover the first floor, for instance, or simply estimate your overall home size. If square footage is incorrect, check to make sure the exterior perimeter is intact. For more information, see “Defining the Foundation Perimeter”, which begins on page 84.
To calculate floor square footage
■At the bottom of the window, click the Dimension button, then click First Floor Square Footage (or Second or Third floor). Punch! Platinum calculates the square footage and the total is displayed on the Status Bar.
Note: The square footage calculation is based on wall centerline measurements.
Adding Text
Use text to add information to your drawing. For example, you might add text to annotate rooms, specify a home address, the date the drawing was created, or a specific feature in your plan. Punch! Platinum gives you the flexibility to place text anywhere in your plan drawing, using different formatting techniques for each text instance. Text you place in your drawing is displayed on all 2D printed output.
To set font before adding text
1On the Design menu, click Text Font. The Font dialog box is displayed.
2Set the font as you want it to be applied to all subsequent text.
3Click OK.
To place text in your drawing
1On the Annotation toolbar, click the Multi-Line Text Tool.
2Click the area where you want to place text on the drawing page. An Edit Text dialog box is displayed.
3Type the annotation in the text box. Click OK to end edit mode.
4(optional) Click Font; the Font dialog box is displayed. Choose the Font, Style and Size, then click OK.
To change alignment of multi-line text
1Using the Selection Tool, click the text you want to change. Selection handles appear around the text.
2Click Center on the Properties Bar.
3(optional) Click Right on the Properties Bar.
To edit text
■Double-click the text you want to edit.
OR
■Click the text you want to edit, then click Edit on the Properties Bar.
To place text at an angle
1On the Annotation Toolbar, click the Rotated Text Tool.
26 PUNCH! Professional Home Design Platinum User’s Guide
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