How do I...

[Anonymous]

I am trying to figure out how to use this program for an upcoming presentation because it seems to have so much potential! If I could just figure out how to get it to do what I need, and if those things are even possible. I seem to be having a lot of trouble, which is really very frustrating because the tutorials make it seem so easy to use!

Can anyone help me??

- I know that Impression comes with a few styles which look like a pre-designed elevation or texture, but can I add my own like in VIZ? Is it possible to import a .jpg or some how convert a .jpg to a .irf?

-Once I'm finished and I save as a .jpg for example, does it retain the correct scale? And if so, does the image lose quality (pixels per inch).

-When I bring in a layout view, and select monochrome so that all layers come in as black, why do some random layers retain their layer color?

-In some of my drawings, I have a ceiling pattern layer which I used as two different hatches (for drywall, and acoustical tile); is it possible to apply a different style to these areas in a similar way as applying to all of a selected layer?

[Anonymous]

OMG!

You can accomplish everything you mention in your post. Before I address each topic I want to mention that you might consider whether or not you want to attempt to meet a presentation deadline by using a software you've not yet learned. Impression is a great tool - but like any software it takes some experience to 'master' and presentations tend to be where you need to put your 'best foot forward' on a specific deadline. Consider now if this is really what you want to take on.

I'll answer your questions in the order you asked them.

a. You can create your own styles - either by editing existing ones or creating new ones from scratch. Impression has an excellent help interface - look in it for 'style editor'. You can open or import .jpg files, insert them as 'blocks', and use them as area fills.

b. When you save to .jpg format as long as you don't change the image size your .jpg will be to scale. And you have the option at the time you save to .jpg to choose what resolution you desire for the image. Bear in mind that if you need a large format sheet 36"x48" for instance that you might have to limit the resolution to 150dpi. But I've found that even at this relatively 'low' resolution that my drawings look great!

c. I'm not sure why your imports are showing up in color. You might be able to simply change the color of the layer after it's imported if you rely on 'color by layer' in Autocad. The color will stay as you set it when you 'update cad geometry' to get updates from your cad drawing.

d. You can right click on a hatch and assign a different fill style to it. Unfortunately if you 'update cad geometry' it will change the hatch back to it's original state. Although I believe that the Impression team is planning to alter this feature so that your reassigned hatches will stay in place.

To my knowledge, your only other choice in this regard is to move the hatches onto separate layers by hatch style and assign a fill style to the layer in Impression. Watch out though - Impression doesn't yet handle 'island detection' in terms of hatching imported layers so you might get some unexpected results.

If you do you should consider whether or not you can easily handle the situation by hatching in the islands and placing them on top of the hatch that needed the island fill.
The hatched area of the island will simply 'mask out' the hatched area below it.

Greg

[Anonymous]

1) You can create new styles using your own texture files. First select the object(s) you want to texture, then in the style editor (in the middle of the dashboard on the right) press the “Edit” button. Next select the “Add style element” drop-down and select “Create New Fill.” This shows a dialog with a “Texture Fill” option. You can select one of our pre-built texture fills and replace the texture with your own. Select one of the texture fills and press “OK.” Now hover your mouse over the arrow in the new “Fill” row in the style editor. The UI for the fill style with pop-up next to the style editor. Press the “Browse” button and browse to the .jpg file you want to use as a texture. Finally, you adjust other parameters such as the size of the texture using that UI.

The object(s) you selected will now use your custom texture. You can assign that texture to other objects by selecting them and double-clicking on the style in the “Saved Styles” section of the styles palette.

2) When saving a .jpg file of your scene the save-as file lets you specify the DPI setting to use for the image.

3) I’m not sure about why some things might still come in with color. I’ll check on that and get back to you.

4) You can select the hatched ceiling and change the hatch style in one of two ways. You can edit the style in the style editor as I described above, or you can assign a new style from the styles palette. The styles palette is on the bottom of the dashboard. You can browse our style libraries using the drop-down list at the top of the palette, and when you find a style you like, double-click on it, and it will be assigned to your selection.

-- Scott Morrison
Impression Developer