Hmm is anyone else having problems with the pictures on this page not loading? I’m not sure if its a problem on my end or if it’s the site.
I presently have softplan 2012. Does the handbook for 2016 have black lines on the page next to the changes and or new sections so that I do not have to read the entire 2016 handbook but can find new sections and changes quickly. The residential code handbooks have these black lines on the side of pages.
The 2016 manual is entirely new. It’s a detailed instruction manual of how to draw a house. The older “reference guide” style manual is available online. The easiest place to source the differences between your old 2012 and the current 2016 is here http://softplan.com/?page_id=489 and here http://softplan.com/?page_id=1592.
Just a note re earlier comment , in Ontario HVAC design is required for all new home construction so HVAC design inside softplan would be a big help as I presently use another HVAC program.I am a certified home and HVAC designer .
thanks
Robert
Sounds reasonable but please make the suggestions at http://softplan.com/?page_id=818, please be sure to include some sample drawings. If you weren’t a HVAC designer who would do these drawings and how much would one expect to pay?
I have a question about rendering. Has the picture quality of rendering improved and has the speed of rendering improved? Thank you for answering my question.
Yes. There are many changes to 3d including tonal mapping and indirect lighting. The full list of 3d enhancements will be posted next week.
Thank you for answering my question. Looking forward to seeing what’s new in 3d improvements.
I am always amazed at the continual development and growth of SoftPlan. I’ve been a user since ’95 – version 8 and now currently 2014. It appears that SoftPlan is taking continuous steps to improve dwg file imports. I import subdivision layouts from various survey / engineering firms that use AutoCAD Civil. I have to ask them to “dumb it down” and send the file over with the coordinates at 0,0,0. We build 75 – 100 houses a year so it’s critical that the software is efficient and eliminate workarounds as much as possible. Will 2016 have improvements for these types of files? Sorry for the lengthy question!
Keep up the great work on improvements . I started in 1995 version 7…………….now version 2014 soon version2016 look forward to its release wood love to see more HVAC design tools
Thanks … we would love to add HVAC design tools but we have always struggled finding HVAC contractors/engineers/designers that do actual design drawings for residential projects.
We do about a 50/50 mix between residential and commercial. All of our commercial work requires fully detailed hvac, plumbing and electrical drawings. I would love to have those tools available to do the drawings required. Currently I use mainly the cad tools and different line types coupled with the custom modes and layers. It gets cumbersome.
The ability to create our own line types a library of industry standard symbols and a dedicated mode would be a great start for plumbing drawings.
Hvac would be great to see a dedicated mode, and tools for creating ductwork, supplies, returns, etc and a library of industry standard symbols.
Electrical works pretty good as is but would love the ability to generate panel schedules and possibly a dedicated mode to separate lighting plans from power plans.
Contact support they may be able to help with linetypes and standard symbols.
The conversion of a dwg into a Softplan format is huge! Appears to be very well done and thought out. I look forward to being able to use this feature especially along with all the other great improvements. Hurry up and release this new version!!
Any thought of doing “Auto Dimension of Interior Walls”???
Thanks!
How much are comments/ideas by users given consideration when coming up with changes for new versions of Softplan?
I have posted a few ideas on Splash in the past but have not sent them directly to Softplan. Should I be sending ideas directly
as well (or instead)?
Also wondering about timing, are suggestions too late to incorporate into the 2016 version even if they are a detail type feature?
Users comments and suggestions are the most important consideration when making changes for new versions. Suggestions submitted via the website are definitely the way to make a specific request. All suggestions submitted via the website are catalogued into a database. That data is reviewed and considered when development decisions are being made. The developers will often reach out to the user that requested a feature when working on it for assistance or clarification. Discussions about features on forums are viewed as conversations between users rather than as specific requests. As for timing the sooner a suggestion is requested the better.
On your home page “Why SoftPlan” video, you show a bullet about flythroughs. This is not a current feature. Does this mean that you will be including this in 2016?
The ability to fly-through a house certainly is an ability in Softplan 2014.
Can you please clarify? If this feature is already available to us on 2014, we’d really like to know how to use it.
One more comment: If it hasn’t been changed yet (I’m still on V13!) I’d like to be able to paint areas even though they are off of the screen. Sometimes I need to paint a very small or thin area and it is hard to do without zooming close. Thank you for all of the updates that have been posted regarding the latest version!
There have been many improvements to paint over the last 10 years including not having to have the entire region to be painted displayed on the screen.
Hmm is anyone else having problems with the pictures on this page not loading? I’m not sure if its a problem on my end or if it’s the site.
I presently have softplan 2012. Does the handbook for 2016 have black lines on the page next to the changes and or new sections so that I do not have to read the entire 2016 handbook but can find new sections and changes quickly. The residential code handbooks have these black lines on the side of pages.
The 2016 manual is entirely new. It’s a detailed instruction manual of how to draw a house. The older “reference guide” style manual is available online. The easiest place to source the differences between your old 2012 and the current 2016 is here http://softplan.com/?page_id=489 and here http://softplan.com/?page_id=1592.
Just a note re earlier comment , in Ontario HVAC design is required for all new home construction so HVAC design inside softplan would be a big help as I presently use another HVAC program.I am a certified home and HVAC designer .
thanks
Robert
Sounds reasonable but please make the suggestions at http://softplan.com/?page_id=818, please be sure to include some sample drawings. If you weren’t a HVAC designer who would do these drawings and how much would one expect to pay?
I have a question about rendering. Has the picture quality of rendering improved and has the speed of rendering improved? Thank you for answering my question.
Yes. There are many changes to 3d including tonal mapping and indirect lighting. The full list of 3d enhancements will be posted next week.
Thank you for answering my question. Looking forward to seeing what’s new in 3d improvements.
I am always amazed at the continual development and growth of SoftPlan. I’ve been a user since ’95 – version 8 and now currently 2014. It appears that SoftPlan is taking continuous steps to improve dwg file imports. I import subdivision layouts from various survey / engineering firms that use AutoCAD Civil. I have to ask them to “dumb it down” and send the file over with the coordinates at 0,0,0. We build 75 – 100 houses a year so it’s critical that the software is efficient and eliminate workarounds as much as possible. Will 2016 have improvements for these types of files? Sorry for the lengthy question!
Keep up the great work on improvements . I started in 1995 version 7…………….now version 2014 soon version2016 look forward to its release wood love to see more HVAC design tools
Thanks … we would love to add HVAC design tools but we have always struggled finding HVAC contractors/engineers/designers that do actual design drawings for residential projects.
We do about a 50/50 mix between residential and commercial. All of our commercial work requires fully detailed hvac, plumbing and electrical drawings. I would love to have those tools available to do the drawings required. Currently I use mainly the cad tools and different line types coupled with the custom modes and layers. It gets cumbersome.
The ability to create our own line types a library of industry standard symbols and a dedicated mode would be a great start for plumbing drawings.
Hvac would be great to see a dedicated mode, and tools for creating ductwork, supplies, returns, etc and a library of industry standard symbols.
Electrical works pretty good as is but would love the ability to generate panel schedules and possibly a dedicated mode to separate lighting plans from power plans.
Contact support they may be able to help with linetypes and standard symbols.
The conversion of a dwg into a Softplan format is huge! Appears to be very well done and thought out. I look forward to being able to use this feature especially along with all the other great improvements. Hurry up and release this new version!!
Any thought of doing “Auto Dimension of Interior Walls”???
Thanks!
How much are comments/ideas by users given consideration when coming up with changes for new versions of Softplan?
I have posted a few ideas on Splash in the past but have not sent them directly to Softplan. Should I be sending ideas directly
as well (or instead)?
Also wondering about timing, are suggestions too late to incorporate into the 2016 version even if they are a detail type feature?
Users comments and suggestions are the most important consideration when making changes for new versions. Suggestions submitted via the website are definitely the way to make a specific request. All suggestions submitted via the website are catalogued into a database. That data is reviewed and considered when development decisions are being made. The developers will often reach out to the user that requested a feature when working on it for assistance or clarification. Discussions about features on forums are viewed as conversations between users rather than as specific requests. As for timing the sooner a suggestion is requested the better.
On your home page “Why SoftPlan” video, you show a bullet about flythroughs. This is not a current feature. Does this mean that you will be including this in 2016?
The ability to fly-through a house certainly is an ability in Softplan 2014.
Can you please clarify? If this feature is already available to us on 2014, we’d really like to know how to use it.
One more comment: If it hasn’t been changed yet (I’m still on V13!) I’d like to be able to paint areas even though they are off of the screen. Sometimes I need to paint a very small or thin area and it is hard to do without zooming close. Thank you for all of the updates that have been posted regarding the latest version!
There have been many improvements to paint over the last 10 years including not having to have the entire region to be painted displayed on the screen.
Thank you for that information!