Faq

What is DigiCad 3D Used For?

DigiCad 3D's Dynamic Attachment Feature

How to eliminate perspective distortion from a building photo

• Import a photo
• Set scale and unit of measure
• Set the four origin attach points on the photo. The bottom-left point first, the top-left point second, after the top-right and the bottom-right. The Attach points are represented with red markers on the screen.
• Open the Destination Attach points dialog from the Trasnfrom menu
• Insert the real coordinates correspondent to the Destination Attach points. The reference system isn't important, it's sufficient that all the coordinates are in the same reference system (ex. the left corner of the building and the ground line). The Destination Attach points are represented with blue markers on the screen.
• Select the picture
• Choose Transform Picture from the Transform menu
• Choose resolution, number of colors and Opaque or Transparent option
• Click the Ok button

Is it possible to eliminate perspective distortion from a photo without any measured point?

How DigiCad 3D's Attach Functions from files Work

In the case of a dam, what is the best way to consider the hydraulic pressure on the upstream face?

Do you use a water bed which is above the ground surface (will this then compute the hydraulic load on the upstream face?) or do you use a trapezoidal load to represent the water?

It is possible to use two different methods depending on the result wanted.

First case:

We have a dam with water on one side (let's suppose on the right side). We want to verify the dam from right to left.

The best method is to consider a water stratum. A water stratum has 0 porosity, O cohesion coefficient, 0 Fi and 0 weight.

The water bed is on the top of this stratum.

The slide surfaces must continue inside the "water stratum" until the surface.

In this case Geo-Tec B considers the weight and the pressure of the water bed correctly.

In this case it isn't possible to apply the first method and it's necessary to consider the water as a triangular or trapezzoidal load on the terrain (to consider the effect of the water on the terrain surface) plus the water bed (to consider the effect of the pressure of the water inside the terrain).

There is a special case to simulate a quick emptying of a lake. It's possible to simulate this case deleting the loads on the surfaces and maintaining the water bed on the top level. This because some time is needed for the water inside of the terrain to come out and in the meantime the internal pressure of the water corresponds to the top level of the water bed.

How does grahic import work in Nonio C? Nonio C imports graphic images in several formats. The PICT import command uses QuickTime and can import all the graphic formats handled by the installed QuickTime Other methods to import an image in Nonio C are Copy and Past and Drag & Drop.

How does DXF import work in Nonio C? Nonio C imports single points,  polygons (in DXF Polyline), faces, which it inserts as points to eventually be united by breaklines. It does not import other elements, such as lines, text, circles, etc. The primary use of DXF importation in Nonio C is to import contour lines from maps and complete 3D models. If you want to import a drawing for other purposes (such as to serve as the base document for a survey project), it's better to import the document first to another program, for example DigiCad 3D, then to Nonio C using Copy and Paste or Drag and Drop.

How can imported images be used? Imported immages can be used for a number of objectives, among which some are listed below: - Digitalization of a map with contour lines - Superimposing a design on the survey - Superimposing a survey drawing on an aerial photo - Use of a design as a guide for infill or excavation - Comparison of the terrain model with the map - Comparison of the terrain model with map of property lines

How does Nonio C calculates the terrain model? Nonio C constructs a mathematical surface connecting points with line segments to construct triangles. The generation of triangles is also regulated by the maximum distance for triangulation entered in the Preferences dialog box, which requires the program to search for and construct triangles only among points falling between the set distance. For any number of points, there are several possibile ways in which they may be joined by triangulation. If the general guidelines given above are followed and a reasonable maximum distance for triangulation set, the generated model should represent closely the actual terrain conditions. When there are certain discontinuities in the surface, a more detailed modeling process is required. In these situations, connections can be somewhat ambiguous, even for a simple case involving only four points. If automatic triangulation is used in situations like the one above, it can cause erratic results. Nonio C offers the user the ability to impose breaklines (representing lines of discontinuity, such as ditches, ridges, or streets) from which the triangulation can then be completed automatically. The user can locally correct the automatic triangulation and Nonio C recalculate the modified model immediately and automatically.

When applying a library Window to an opening, why does the program turn the object 90 degrees ? The library Window must be saved horizontal, with the internal part facing up and the external, down. In this way Domus.Cad applies the object correctly, no matter which way the opening is orientated. Simply open your Window on a free layer, turn it and save the layer as Object.

Is there any way of manually inputting the X & Y-coordinates to determine the length of the walls? Is there a box anywhere that the length can be typed into? If you want to draw a wall inserting the length, you can use the polar or relative input. Follow the steps below: - Click with the mouse where you want to start the wall. In Domus.Cad the polar and relative coordinates refer always to the last click made. - Click inside the relative coordinates box - In the relative coordinates dialog window, input the length in the dx or dy field and click Continue. You can continue to insert other elements, each element starts from the previous point. Command-W shows the current insert point - Continue allows you to continue inserting elements without exiting. - Draw inserts an element and exits. - Move moves the insertion point without drawing. If you are using a unit of measure different than fractional inches, you can use the algebraic input. In Domus.Cad you can use any algebraic formula in any numerical field with + - * / () operators. Unfortunately this doesn't work with fractional inches (decimal feet are OK). If you want to use polar coordinates the method is similar. If you want to change the length of a selected element, follow the steps below: - Select the element - Click in one of the coordinates boxes. The editing dialog appears. You can change the length, the angle and move the element. #22 Does the package allow the insertion of windows and doors accurately using coordinates, as for walls? Yes, there are several methods to accurately insert or modify an opening, window or door, in a wall. Double click on the Windows/Doors icon and look at the Windows or Doors parameters dialog window: You can choose several tracing modes. Example:  I want to insert a door of 150 cm starting 60 cm from the corner of the room. In this case I choose the (b+c) Fixed Width+Dist. option and set the fixed distance = 60 cm and the Fixed length = 150 and press OK. Click inside a wall - the program finds the closest corner or end of the wall and places the opening correctly. (Move the mouse around to find the internal part of the wall, marked with a bullet.) In the same way you can modify the position and length of one or more selected windows/doors. Or, you can insert openings using the polar absolute and relative coordinates of the coordinates palette. The absolute coordinates are referenced to a global or local origin that you can place in any point, so it is a good idea to place elements with progressive distances.

When I draw circles, ones that particular have a tight radius (150- 300mm) the number of points seem to default to about 5 or so creating a pentagon ,rather than a circle. Is there a way of altering the number of points in a circle and if so, how do I do it. It is particularly important for circular columns. Inside the Oval/Polygons parameters dialog you can see two fields: - Max. num.vertixes - Max. edge length Let suppose that you have 40 vertixes in the first field and 400 millimeters in the second. If you draw a large circle , you obtain a polygon with 40 vertixes . But if the circle is small then the value in the second field begins to work, reducing the number of vertixes until the length of the polygon side is greater than 400 cm. In your case is better to reduce to 1 mm the Maximum edge length and to control the circle shape by the vertixes number only. By the way, you can change the number of vertixes of an inserted Oval-Circle-Arc as follows: - Change the Oval/Polygons parameters dialog as you want - Select the element to change - Choose the "Process -> Automatic Generation -> Regenerate Polygon" command This command re-generates also stretched and modified ovals, circles, arcs and rectangles, using the original radius or sizes.

How to add a texture to the texture list? In your Domus,Cad folder you should have a DOMUS-Cad Texture folder. On Windows the Texture folder is inside the Domus.Cad Data folder, on Macintosh there is an alias on the Domus.Cad folder Any image added to this folder will be accessible via the internal texture menu in the Materials Windows of Domus.Cad. If , on a Mac, the texture folder alias doesn't work, you can access the Texture folder directly inside the Domus.Cad Package. To do that, follow the steps below: - Ctrl click on the Domus.Cad icon and on the pop up menu choose the Show Package content command - Open the Content folder - Open the MacOs folder - Open Domus-Cad Data folder - Open the Domus-Cad Texture folder - Drag your Texture to the Domus-Cad Textures folder

When I import from AutoCad, why can't I see each layer? And when I export to AutoCad, why can't I see the entire project? DomusCad offers a choice of import/export modes, depending on what you want to do. Either : - Layers -> Import DWG-DXF to Active Layer or  - File -> Import -> Import DWG-DXF document (Archive ->Import, for Mac users) The first mode is used for importing, say, a cadastal drawing, to an existing project, for which you have already set up parameters such as layers, colors, etc. The second mode is used when you import an entire project, maintaining its original layers, names, colors, etc., as well as layout and impagination ready for printing. Remember that Domus.Cad organizes projects, not single drawings like AutoCad. The project is 3D and so the layers are one on top of the other.  To export the whole project, use Export ->impaginate DWG-DXF. For more details see Release Notes of version 14.

I don't know what key I hit by mistake, but suddenly all copies take place "on the spot", without the usual 45° shift of the duplicated image. How can I get this shift back? You have to enable the duplication with offset. Choose Process Offset from the Edit menu or press the F key. The F key is a short cut to enable or disable the offset operations.

The door symbol in the tools palette is shown with the "door swing" drawn in, so users are encouraged to think that a door will be drawn like this. But the plan view of a door does not show a door swing. Is it possible to show the door swing rather than the current door symbol or draw my own symbol which would appear for the plan view of a door?

The visualization of the symbols can be disactivated and the user can create an object with the desired symbol to insert in the openings manually or automatically with the Apply Object command or with the Add Frame button in the door/window dialog window.

How can I make a parapet wall for the circular ramp of a car park? You can follow 2 methods. 1 - Use the Superrot command. Draw the section of the wall as a polygon at the right distance from the Y-axis, select it and choose the command Superrot. Insert the parameters, including the difference in height between the start and end of the ramp. 2 - Use the angular offset in the Offset parameters. Draw a little wall with the right starting height at both ends. In the offset parameters, input an angular offset and Z offset. Duplicate the wall several times to complete the parapet wall.

When you have drawn a circle, how do you determine where the centre of that circle is? Center determination - Select a circle, arc, rectangle or oval. - The Generate Attach point at center command from the Process menu (or the equivalent icon on the palette #2) generates an Attach point in the centre of the shape. Note: The Oval, Circle, Rectangle and Arc tools generate regular polygons that can be modified in various ways. Domus.Cad remembers the original shape and the centre is referred to it. The original shape can be regenerated in any moment.

How do you create new hatching or change the color of standard hatching ? The easiest way is to draw it on a layer and import the layer into the tile. Diagonal and bitmap hatching can be created inside the Fills window. Bitmap hatching takes on the same color as the element containing it, while diagonal hatching or fill tiles can have different colors (export hatching to a layer, modify and re-import).