PlansXpress Spring Update

Here is a quick heads up on changes coming to PlansXpress in our Spring update - out now. Keep an eye out for the instruction to download when the time comes! And if your Support & Updates isn’t up-to-date then give us a call on 0845 1234 085 or do it online here and make sure you're ready.

So what's news to PlansXpress? According to HBXL's Technical Director Jim Pizzey it's pretty packed! You can see full details on his YouTube video now.
In summary PlansXpress will automatically create elevations of multiple floors at the same time. The elevation is then live so as you continue making changes to the plan itself, simply middle click for “recalculate elevation” and it’s updated immediately!

You’ll also be able to select items more easily now - for example coping floors is a doddle. And there's a great new Layers Dialog with lots of handy new features, irregular flooring now appears in 3D and theirs hatching fitting a curved polyline. Plus not to forget new items linked to EstimatorXpress including ICF and SIPS walling and you can now import PDF’s directly into PlansXpress without the need to convert to JPEG or BMP AND improved DXF/DWG import.

Recalculate Elevation:
The elevation command only needs to be done once for the ground floor, and it’ll automatically ask if you want to do the additional floors and make the elevation of all floors at once.  The elevation is them a symbol so you can continue to play with the drawing and do a middle-click ‘Recalculate Elevation’ to update it. What a time saver!

Floors in 3D

Now floors drawn without the rectangle tool will appear in 3D including:

• Irregular shaped slab
• Basement Floor
• Raft with Toe
• Raft with shuttering
• Screeding

Selecting Items
There is now a coloured box when you drag a square around to select things.  It’s blue when you are selecting everything wholly in the box, or green if you want to select items that are only partially in the box.

The new Layers Dialog Box:
Layers have had quite an overhaul.

• It loads instantly
• Has a search box
• Allows you to rename a layer so that it appears differently in the layer dropdown at the bottom left of the software
• Allows you to Group layers so that it’s easier to find what you want in the list
• Purge Unused – quite handy seeing as there are lots of layers that don’t always get used

PDF Import

How handy is this. You can now import PDF plans into PlansXpress without having to convert them in to a BMP or JPEG. Another time saver!

 

Improved DXF/DWG Import

You asked for it! We've done it. Not  much more we can say on this one!

 

Hatching Fits to a curved Polyline
The hatching will fit to curved areas for things like turfing or a tarmac drive:

New Workbooks Linked to EstimatorXpress from PlansXpress
1. Brick and ICF Wall
2. Brick and SIPS Cavity Wall
3. Internal ICF Wall
4. Internal SIPS Wall
5. Rendered ICF Wall
6. Rendered SIPS Wall
7. Stone and ICF Wall
8. Stone and SIPS Cavity Wall
9. ICF Plant
10. SIPS Installation Plant
11. Floor Cassette & Floor Cassette Accessories
12. SIPS Roof

NOTE: Users of EstimatorXpress will need the SIPS & ICF pack for EstimatorXpress to price up SIPS and ICF.

 

That's about it for this update! For more information on the update or if you'd like to renew your Support & Updates for PlansXpress so you can get your hands on this update phone 0845 1234 085.