Are you having trouble Registering Ez-Architect ?

We’ve had a couple of incidents where users have had some trouble registering Ez-Architect.

Did you see something like this?

Do you see this when you try to register your key?

There are reasons and solutions (not reasons and excuses…). First, solutions:

Solution A

1. Check to see what version of Ez-Architect you are using. Go to Help/About. This will operate whether you’re using the demo or have an older registered version.
2. If you have a version prior to 6.0, you should not be seeing anything like the message, above. If you do see this and you’re trying to register an old version, contact us and tell us about it. We’ll find it very interesting… and strange. And then we’ll encourage you to upgrade to version 6.
3. If you have version 6.0 or 6.1, you’ll need to download version 6.2 (see why below). You can do this here: Ez-Architect 6.2 demo download
4. Be sure to uninstall any previous version.
5. Install version 6.2
6. enter your key.
7. Ez-Architect should be in full operating mode.

Solution B

Upgrading from 6.1 to 6.2 if you’ve already Registered

You might be wondering how to get the latest and greatest and what will happen if you’ve already registered.

This is not a problem. If you’d like to upgrade to version 6.2 from 6.0 or 6.1 and you’ve already successfully registered, follow the instructions above (Solution A). But skip step 6. Your software will automatically be in full version (not demo) mode.

Why no re-registration? Because you have registered your computer. So even if you uninstall Ez-Architect, and reinstall Ez-Architect at this version level, you will be automatically registered for the newer version. That’s also why you can’t use the same key on a second computer. AND it’s why we make 2nd and 3rd key options available at a very reasonable cost ($2 bucks) when you make your original purchase. So you can use Ez-Architect on more than one computer. You just have to use the 2 or 3 key option when you purchase (or send us green rectangles after the fact). See this page for more info about getting extra keys after your original purchase:

Get more keys

But I digress.

Why the message?

Explanation 1

I promised an explanation of the message for those of you who care; And more explanation for those who are asking ‘why, if I was able to register version 6.1 a couple of months ago, why can’t I register 6.1 with a new key on a different computer?’

When you register Ez-Architect, it contacts a special server that records your email address and Ez-Architect key. A few months ago, we switched to a new server and so Version 6.2 of Ez-Architect was set to contact the new server. Earlier versions were set to contact the old server, which alas, is no longer there. So if you try to register version 6.1, it cannot do it, and you get the friendly message above when you try.

Explanation 2

There is one other possible reason that you might see the message above: Sometimes your firewall will block you from connecting with our server. If this happens, please try to set your firewall to allow the connection and try again. If it’s still a problem contact us and we’ll assist you.

And there you have it!

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How Unusual is your Ez-Architect Project?

Tell us how you are using Ez-Architect.

Are you a pro using it often for client projects?

Are you a do-it-yourselfer who plans and executes projects for your home or other location?

Do you do any unusual things with it, like design sets for theater productions, plays, videos etc.

We used it to design our set for The Perils of Cheryl. We came up with a brilliant scheme and it worked great. Watch the demo right here.

And tell us how you use Ez-Architect or MacDraft or MacInteriors, for that matter.

The more unusual, the more unusual……

Scanning Objects into Ez-Architect

Ez-Architect actually doesn’t have an acquire function whereby you could bring in an image directly from your scanner. However, it’s easy enough to bring a scanned image in.

1. Scan your image with your favorite scanner and scanning software.
2. Save the scanned image to your computer as a bmp, jpg, jpeg, tif, tiff, wmf, emp, png, awl, iwl, lwl. Remember its location on your computer and its name.
3. Use Ez-Architect’s Library Tool to bring the image into your plan.

Put the scanned image on its own layer, if you have an empty layer available. This will enable you to include the image with other layers of your choosing.

Examples of items you might want to scan are logos, clip art photographic images like landscape items or examples of details for your plan, maybe a window or door detail, kitchen appliances, furniture ideas, swatches, or even your face “the designer!” You can enhance a floor plan with these types of details just off to the side of your drawings. You can also scan and import library objects and save them in one of your libraries.

Note: images you import, whether they are scanned or are existing graphics or photos, cannot be manipulated the way you manipulate Ez-Architect objects. They can be stretched and resized, but you can’t change individual parts or colors.

Another great use for a scanned image is a floor plan or idea that you want to use as a starting point for your own plan. Or you may have a plan that you sketched on a napkin, or one that you made with other software (print it and then scan it). Or how ’bout the original plan for your house? You can start with these for your remodel.

You might also find sketches in a magazine or floor plan book, or even an interior setting that you want to arrange your way. Be careful of copyright issues here. Someone owns those plans, but you can probably use them as starting points for your own ideas. Scan the plan, save it, then import it to its own layer, set the settings so that the layer shows along with other layers. And then make the modifications on a new layer to create a new plan that is your own.

What ideas do you have for scanned images?  How have you used them with Ez-Architect?

Why you have to keep entering your Ez-Architect Key/Pin Code

If you find yourself in demo mode once again even after entering your Ez-Architect Key/Pin Code here is the likely reason.

Ez-Architect needs to be installed as administrator. If you haven’t done this, you may find yourself in demo mode each time you re-open the program.

If this happens, first back up your data files. Reinstalling Ez-Architect shouldn’t affect your files, but you should have a back up anyway.

Next, be sure you’re logged in as administrator. If you don’t have these privileges on your computer, you’ll have to find the person who does.

Install Ez-Architect once again, enter your key and you should be all set.

Working with the Ez-Architect Home and Office Library

We have a wonderful little library that provides you with all kinds of additional furniture shapes. Learn all the details about it here.

Note, the library is not a program. It’s an add-0n for Ez-Architect (and only 9.95).

You will download a zip file. Although you can put it anywhere on your computer, using and accessing it easiest when you unzip it into a new directory just below the Library directory that installs with the program. This is usually Program Files/Ez-Architect5/Library/Ez-Architect-Home-and-Office-Library.

When you select the library icon in Ez-Architect, it defaults to the Library directory, and then it’s just one click on the Ez-Architect-Home-and-Office-Library folder to access the new library files.

Please read the README file after you unzip.

And for more info read our Top/left/right/front/back quintuplets.

There is a nice template here that you can use to get started with room designs.

The Ez-Architect Home & Office Library will enable you to expand Ez-Architect into an Interior Design tool without having to master the complications of 3D software.

Working with Layers in Ez-Architect, part 3: What if you didn’t?

Oops! There’s your entire Ez-Architect plan sitting on the Base (B) Layer. A big no-no!

What to do. All that work. Don’t want to start over?

Here’s the solution

Depending on the complexity of your plan, you should be able to grab parts of it and move those parts to separate layers. If your plan is terribly detailed, you may have to do a little bit of do-over. But we should be able to separate various parts into layers pretty easily.

Here are the Steps

1. Back up your plan. Use Ez-Architect’s Save As menu item and give your plan a new name so you preserve the original in all its erroneous forms. Call it MyPlan-all-on-the-base-layer or something equally descriptive and revealing.

2. Next, re-open the original plan. Be sure you see “My Plan” in the title bar of the window (not “MyPlan-all-on-the-base-layer”).

3. If you really drew your entire plan on the base layer. Select B just below the menus. If you are uncertain whether you used other layers. Unclick B and sequence through all the layers 1-9, selecting and UnSelecting each one, so you’re only looking at one at a time to see what might be on them. If you haven’t used a Layer, the program will pop a dialog to name it, cancel it and you can go on reviewing the other layers.

4. For this little tutorial we’ll assume you put everything on the Base.

First we’re going to get EVERYTHING off the base layer.

1. Click B.

2. Do a Ctrl+A or use the edit menu and Select All

3. Cut (or Ctrl+X)

4. Click Layer 1

5. Paste (Ctrl+V)

Now everything is on Layer 1. NOTE: you will still see your plan on the base.  Remember, the base layer includes everything from all layers. But now you will also see your floor plan on Layer 1. Layer 1 is where we’ll start separating out the different parts and moving them to new layers.

This really isn’t difficult, only possibly a bit tedious depending on the complexity of your plan. So here’s how to proceed.

1. Start with the easy stuff. If you have landscape elements select all of these at once (Ctrl+click click click click etc.) If you have a ton of them, just click as many as you wish at one time and then —

2. Cut (Ctrl+X)

3. Click Layer 2. (Name it Landscape when the dialog pops up.) You’ll still see layer 1 when you click 2.

4. Paste (Ctrl+v) , and your Landscape elements will plop down onto the new layer in the same positions they were on in the original layer. After you paste you can UnClick 1 so you can see the landscape elements separate from the floor plan.

5. Go back to layer one and select a group of objects for the next layer, Bathroom fixtures, for example.

6. Ctrl+click each one and Cut.

7. Click on Layer 3, name it Bathroom Fixtures, and paste. You’ll still see layer 1 when you click 3. So after you paste UnClick 1 so you can see the separation. Click both together again, or click B to see all of your layers assembled. (You can also click 1, 2, and 3 to see all of the layers.)

8. Continue selecting elements of your house plan or floor plan for each separate layer for easier editing and management as your home design evolves.

9. Save often.

Using layers enables you to create as detailed a home plan as you wish. You can include plumbing, electrical, furniture, carpeting & other flooring, and every imaginable detail that you wish to include in your plan.

Using Layers in Ez-Architect, part 2

A big advantage of using layers in Ez-Architect is to see everything on already drawn layers, but not accidentally manipulate them, while working on a new layer. This is very easy. Yes, that’s why it’s called Ez-Architect 😉

Let’s say you have designed a floor plan or room plan using an appropriate variety of layers to make it easy to work with (see Using Layers in Ez-Architect, part 1).

And now you want to add some small details like electrical wiring and outlets, maybe some light fixtures and toggles. And you don’t want them to clutter up your basic plan. In other words you want to be able to see/not see them at will.

Here are the steps:

1. Add a new layer, call it electrical when the layer dialog pops up.
2. Un-select the new layer by unclicking the layer’s button (beneath the menu bar).
3. Be sure that all the floor plan layer(s) that you want to see are selected (but not the base).
4. Go to /Layout/Layers (note that one or more layers are selected), but NOT the new electrical layer.
5. Select Disable Selected and the selected layers will become grayed out, but visible on your screen.
6. Click your new electrical layer number and then start adding your electrical components and wiring while looking at but not disturbing your grayed out plan.

Next time I’ll write about how to separate out layers from a plan you’ve already drawn.

New version (6) of Macdraft is the faster and better than ever before

You will be creating useful drawings in no time using all the benefits of the new features:

The customizable toolbar saves you time going to the menus for frequently used commands. The drag and drop library palette makes finding items easier and so its much faster to use than previous library utilities.
The new layers palette stays visible all the time and gives constant feedback of which layer you are editing simplifying operations.

Images should not need to be preprocessed now with the image menu and new resize palette for images bringing more functionality within Macdraft.
We have added new templates and sample libraries to help you get started with ease.

Combine these with the new coordinate system, better rulers, customizable scales and the clipped text feedback and you have the simplest and fastest 2D CAD program on the market with the genuine easy to learn Macintosh interface.

Ez-Architect: Fast and Easy Floor Plans

 

 

 

We now have an Ez-Architect Interiors Library called Ez-Architect Home and Office Library