Help Database

I have a copy of the new Room Planner app on my iPad.  What is the procedure to import a design created in Room Planner into Chief Architect?

Use the steps below to import a 2D floor plan design created in Room Planner into Chief Architect.

To capture the Room Planner design

1. Using your iPad, launch your Room Planner application and open the plan you intend to export to Chief Architect.
   
   By default, you should see a 2D floor plan view when you first open the plan.
   
   
   
2. If your Room Planner design is already open, close all 3D views, and return to a 2D floor plan view.
   
   
   
3. Tap the Share Your Design Tool icon, and from the menu select E-mail Image.
   
   
   
4. An email dialog will display.  In the To: field, enter your email address. 
   
   Once your complete email address has been entered, press the Send button.
   
   
   
5. Repeat as necessary, emailing as many 2D images as necessary to your email inbox.

To import the design into Chief Architect

1. Using your PC computer, open your email client and go to the Inbox.
   
   
   
2. Open the message that you sent from your iPad while using Room Planner.
   
   
   
3. Download the image and save it to your 'Documents' directory.
   
   
   
4. Launch your Chief Architect software and select File> New Plan to create a new plan.
   
   
   
5. From the menu select File> Import Picture .
   
   
   
6. In the Import Picture File dialog
   
   
   • Use the Look in: drop-down list to browse to the location where you saved your image.
     
     
   • Select the file to highlight it, so that its name displays in the File Name: field. A small version of it should be visible in the Preview: window of the dialog.
     
     
   • Click Open.
     
     
   • The image will now be visible in the center of the drawing area.

Now that the design created in Room Planner has been imported to Chief Architect, you can trace over it.

To trace the imported image

1. First, locate a wall or object in the image that has a known length, then using the Select Objects  tool, click on the image to select it.
   
   
   
2. Click the Resize Picture  edit button and then click at one end of the object with a known length that you identified in the image.
   
   
   
3. Next, click once at the other end of the object with a known length.
   
   
   
4. In the Image Resize dialog, type the known distance between these two points.
   
   The image will resize accordingly.
   
   
   
5. Once the image has been resized, you can use the drawing tools within Chief Architect to trace over the image and create a 3D model.
   
   
   
6. By adding fixtures, furniture and walls over the picture you will create a duplicate of the original image, and will be able to see  your creation in a 3D view.

In this manner, your picture can be used as a guide or template while creating a floor plan, and a drawing scaled at 1:1 can be produced  using your Chief Architect software.