| Q: When I press the number keys on 10-Key Apex does not respond with measurement. However, it moves the cursor in 1 unit measurements. |
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A:Number Lock is likely NOT on. When the Number Lock is off the 10-Key can be used as a direction keypad.
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| Q: My alignment indicators are not visible. |
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A: Alignment is likely turned off. Press F8 to turn them back on.
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| Q: All my fonts are different sized throughout the sketch. How do I make them all one size? |
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A: User can select all by pressing Ctrl+A and then choose the Font Attributes option on the left toolbar. This will change ALL text items contained within the sketch. If the user wishes to select all Dimensions or all Text Labels, they may do this from the Edit Menu > Select All Text/Dimensions. Additionally, the user may select groups of Dimensions or Text Labels by pressing the Ctrl key and clicking on multiple items.
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| Q: All my Dimensions are on the outside (or inside) of the Area and I want them on the inside (or outside). How do I do this? |
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A: The user can “cycle” through the dimensions placement by pressing Ctrl+F10. This will cycle through each placement (Inside, Outside or Hidden).
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| Q: How do I rotate my Text Labels or Dimensions? |
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A: If the item is not currently selected and attached to the cursor, clicking the item to select it. Next, click the blue triangle (typically in the center) to attach it to the cursor. Press R to rotate the item in 45° increments. Press Shift+R to rotate the item in 5° increments and finally, press Ctrl+Shit+R to rotate the item in 1° increments. The user may also press H for horizontal, V for vertical and P for parallel.
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| Q: I need to edit a mistake I made several lines back – how do I do this? |
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A: Press Delete until the line in question is removed. Enter the new distance and direction and anchor as normal. Then press Insert to redraw the lines that were deleted.
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| Q: How do I reopen an Area? |
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A: With nothing selected in the sketch the user may press Delete which will prompt the user to choose the Area they wish to reopen. If only one Area is drawn, the user will be prompted to confirm that they wish to reopen the Area. After confirmation has been made, the last line of the Area will be removed and the Area is now open. Reopen Area may also be found on the Edit Menu.
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| Q: How do I reopen an Area at a specific point? |
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A: Click the line you wish to “Reopen @” and then right-click. A context menu will appear where the user may select “Reopen Area Here” from the list. This will remove the selected line and the Area is now open. This is especially helpful when needing to make multiple line edits (i.e. forgotten bay window).
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| Q: How do I add a Comment to an Area? |
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A: Access the Edit Menu and select View Area Comments. This will provide a grid where the user may select a cell in the Area column and then select a specific Area from the drop down list provided. Once selected, the user may also add in a brief comment to the right which will be associated with the Area specified. This may also be performed by selecting an Area and then right-clicking. A context menu will appear where the user may select Add Area Comment. This will prompt the user to enter a brief comment for the selected Area.
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| Q: Where do I input Subject Information? |
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A: This is done through Edit Menu > Subject Info. This will present the Subject Information grid where the user may input various data per sketch file.
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| Q: How do I copy an existing Area to another (say) a second level? |
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A: This is done through the Clone Area function located on the Tools Menu. The short cut key for this is Alt+C. Once the option is selected, the user will be prompted to select an Area (provided one hasn’t already been selected). After the user has selected the Area they wish to Clone, they will be presented with the Define Area dialog where they can Define the new Area. Once this is done, the new Area will be super-imposed on the sketch and ready for placement.
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| Q: How do I change a line’s thickness or style (i.e. dashed)? |
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A: To change a line style the user may select the line or Area they wish to change. Once the line or Area is highlighted, the user may press L or access the Edit Menu and select Line Properties. This will present the user with numerous options for Line Style, Color and Thickness.
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| Q: How can I quickly draw a rectangular shape? |
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A: Simple enter the Width X Height to draw a quick rectangular shape. For instance, if the user has a shape whose Width is 5m and Height is 8m, they can enter the following: 5 X 8 and press Enter. The shape will be drawn accordingly and ready for placement. If the user has not defined the Area in advance, they will be prompted to make the shape an Area (for calculation purposes). If they choose “No” the shape will be drawn using Free Form lines (for illustration purposes).
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| Q: How can I quickly draw a multi-sided shape whose sides are all equal in length? |
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A: Simply enter the number of Sides @ Length to draw a quick multi-sided shape. For instance, if the user has a shape whose number of sides is 5 and the length of each side is 8m, they can enter the following: 5 @ 8 and press Enter. The shape will be drawn accordingly and ready for placement. If the user has not defined the Area in advance, they will be prompted to make the shape an Area (for calculation purposes). If they choose “No” the shape will be drawn using Free Form lines (for illustration purposes).
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| Q: I know the angle and length of a line. How can I draw it in Apex? |
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A: The user may draw any angle provided they know the length and angle. This is done by providing the following: [Length] [Direction] (left or right) [Degree of Angle]. For instance, in the direction the Area is being drawn the next line is 8m in length and turns to the left at 53°. This can be drawn be by entering the following: 20 L 53 and press Enter. The line will be drawn accordingly. Keep in mind, the user may also draw any angled wall using Rise & Run.
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| Q: How do I draw a curve? |
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A: Press F7 or choose Curve from the Command Pad (to the right). This will present the user with a number of preset curvatures (left side) or allow the user to determine the curvature by entering the Chord Length along with the Arc Height and/or Arc Length. Alternately, the user may also roll their mouse wheel forward or backward to “stretch” the line into a curve. Once either of these methods have been chosen, the curve may be anchored by positioning to chord using normal drawing methods.
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| Q: I am attempting to load an image in Photometrics and the file is not appearing on the list. |
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A: Photometrics currently supports loading JPG, BMP, PDF, DXF and DWG files.
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| Q: Every once in a while, my lines do not appear highlighted or parts of my sketch appears to be blury. What do I do? |
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A: This is what we refer to as screen garbage. Press F10 to refresh the screen
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| Q: How do I Clone an Area and Flip or Mirror it for (say) a semi detached house? |
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A: While using the Clone function, the user may press F (while the Area is still movable) to Flip the new Area from left to right or M to Mirror the Area from top to bottom. They may press F or M repeatedly until the desired orientation has been achieved.
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| Q: I have a floor plan that is identical to a new drawing I need to create. How do I use that drawing as my new sketch file? |
| A: To use an existing file (i.e. template) for a new floor plan (new subject information, area comments, etc.), the user may select File > Import. This will load the file as a new sketch file that the user may edit without affecting the original. This is the preferred method vs. Save As because it also resets the Subject Information and Area Comments. |
