What’s new in DomuS3D® 2019 compared with v. 2018

If you are currently using DomuS3D® 2018, read this article to learn all about the new features you can expect to find in the new 2019 version of the software.

Layout

The layout module has been completely redesigned and rebuilt with the aim of making it easier to use, more efficient, and more complete. Below is a list of the most important changes:

• Firstly, it is important to note the difference between the following two entities: “WALL STRUCTURE” and “WALL”. A "wall structure" is an architectural element, while a "wall' represents only one of the sides of the corresponding wall structure. Rooms are now defined as a group of wall structures. Click here to learn more;
• It is now even simpler to split and move a room’s wall structures. Click here to learn more;
• You can quickly modify the thickness of the wall structure, dragging the internal or external wall. Click here to learn more;
• You can create custom widths in order to obtain walls with unique clearings and particular full-height profiles. Click here to learn more; 
• The drawing function for internal wall structures has been redesigned to now allow for more flexibility and easier management during modification. Click here to learn more;
• You can draw “independent wall structures” (both internal and external), on which it is possible to add doors and windows;
• The internal walls drawn with the internal wall structure may have different heights from the standard room height. Click here to learn more;
• You can draw a group of wall structures that defines a closed space inside the existing room;
• The function to draw pillars was redesigned. Click here to learn more;
• The function to create and edit arched walls has been improved. Click here to learn more;
• The function to unify/divide rooms was redesigned to simplify and improve this operation. Click here to learn more;
• External walls will now maintain applied covering materials. Click here to learn more;
• The sloping roof function was completely redesigned; the editing phase now allows for faster modification of the slope parameters (the R1 release does not contain the ability to insert windows into a sloping roof, however, this function will be available in the R2 release). Click here to learn more;

Design Features

• A new command of “multiple copy of furnishings, objects, groups, and lights” is available and allows the specification of the offset (and eventual rotation) of subsequent objects. This command is especially useful for creating stairs or trusses;
• When you move a furnishing item in the layout using the point+delta option, the profile of the item is drawn to allow you to better visualize its position;
• You can use the shortcut keys Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V to copy and paste furnishing items and objects in the layout. If you make a single section, it is possible to copy and paste views and lights as well, while multiple selections are available only for furnishing items, objects and 2D CAD items. This function only works within the same project and if the copied items are still available;
• The function that allows you to insert a new light was improved and the modification of the light’s features is now much faster (especially for spotlights and neon lights); in fact, you can change the position and focus of the light without using the right mouse button;
• The graphics of the lights in the Layout window has been redesigned and you can now select lights as was already possible in 3D views;
• The light of the sun is now always visible in the layout. This allows you to easily change the orientation of the sun without accessing the virtual navigation window. Additionally, when you select the sun, you can then select the time of day from within the property grid to automatically set its inclination;
• Every new project now has layers for CAD, quotes, texts, lights, and 3D views. This will allow new items to be added into the specific layer. Hiding the CAD layer for example will allow you to temporarily hide (both on your monitor and in prints) all the 2D CAD module items (lines, polylines, circles, arches, splines, etc.);
• In the materials window it is possible to remove materials that are not currently assigned to any items;
• In the materials window, it is possible to substitute a specific material with a different one;
• If you hold the Shift key while adding a furnishing item with Drag & Drop, you will stay in a loop and can insert the same item again;
• Shift+Left Mouse Click: in the layout window, the function that allows you to duplicate an object/furnishing item/group/2D CAD/Light/View was restored with the shortcut Shift+Left Mouse Click;
• When you are dragging and aligning a furnishing item to a wall, a new snap is activated when you approach to the center of a wall or structural element (available both in the layout and in the 2D Wall window);
• When you select multiple items in the layout with the left mouse click, views are no longer included (unless you are holding the Shift key);

Navigation

• As you approach an object (for example a shelf) while moving a furnishing item, the height of the furnishing item will automatically adjust to align itself with the nearby object. This eliminates the need to subsequently adjust the elevation of the item and/or object;
• When you are moving a furnishing item, a third interactive field is now available that allows you to set the elevation of the item (this adds to the two already available that indicate the distance from the left and right corners of the wall);
• In the navigation window there is a new function for quickly creating niches and openings;
• Shift+Left Mouse Click: allows you to duplicate a furnishing item/object in Navigation (you can enter from the 3D duplicate command);
• When a furnishing item is moved and aligned to a wall in the 2D Surface and Navigation windows, a snap in the midpoint of the wall is activated;
• The selected wall is highlighted in the layout through the right mouse click in the Virtual Navigation window. In order to see this, the two windows must be placed side by side;
• The shortcut key F5 allows you to refresh the scene;
• Very high quality is no longer available; this quality requested a level of performance by the graphics card that created conflicts and triggered the software to shut down. Even though we can not make promises regarding its release, Maticad is currently studying an alternative solution to guarantee the same functionalities without compromising the proper operation of the software;
• In the Navigation Property Grid there is a new group – Grid- that allows you to show/hide the help grid for photographic composition;
• In the Navigation Property Grid, in the Rendering section, there is the possibility to set the rendering resolution in order to see which portion of the image will be part of the rendering without launching the preview;
• In the Navigation Property Grid, in the Rendering section, there is the possibility to set, with precision, the Partial Rendering window. If this is activated, the command directly launches rendering;
• There is the possibility to resize rectangular tiles laid on a specific surface. This functionality cuts a millimeter along the entire perimeter of the tile and it is useful when using patterns that impose a grout=0, losing the optic effect of the grout in renderings.

Tiling features

• New function for the creation of a panel with a customized pattern. The command “Pattern composer” (available in the Ribbon, in the Database-Panels section), along with the old Define Module, allows you to create customized laying patterns, utilizing complex formats, as well. Click here to learn more;
• New function for fast vertical tiling on wall;
• Improved function allowing you to customize off-shading. Once this function is activated you can use '+', '-' ed 'R' keys to customize the rotation;
• It is possible to personalize off-shading of hexagonal tiles;
• It is possible to extend the tiling of a wall to the bay/side of the window;
• '+', '-' and 'R' icons have been added to increase/decrease the number of rows and columns during the tiling phase (Components Window);
• New command to export grout maps (.PNG with transparency). 

2D Wall/Floor window

• Possibility to duplicate furnishing items and objects in 2D Wall/Floor window with the command in the item context menu;
• Shift+Left Mouse Click: in the 2D Wall window this allows you to quickly duplicate furnishing items and objects;
• In the 2D Surface Ribbon, a new command for multiple selection is available and it allows for executing operations on groups of articles. This command can be activated even when selecting multiple furnishings with the left mouse click and then click the right mouse button.

Miscellaneous

• 360° Panoramas, loaded from files, can now be visualized directly inside the software without uploading them online. Click here to learn more;
• The procedure for sharing images and 360° panoramas has been considerably improved and sped up. It is now no longer necessary to attach those contents to a project. The publication, once uploaded to the DomuS3D 360 cloud is completed, immediately provides the link to the shared content (i.e. you can send it to a client by email) and the Embed code which you can use to add the view in a page on your website. A function to convert 360° panoramas from HTML to Facebook format is also available. Click here to learn more;
• A new subcategory for the classification of furnishing items by sub-type is available; in the components window it is possible to list the furnishing items using this feature (it is very useful, for example, to distinguish between wall-mounted toilets and standard toilets or different types of shower doors);
• The structure of the window related to furnishing items stored in the Database was improved;
• New function AutoDB for furnishing items (useful for automatically importing tens or hundreds of furnishing items simultaneously);
• When you select a furnishing item in the Components window, you can now connect with the product’s web page using the new button “Web Info” (or with the manufacturer’s web page if the product link is not available); Click here to learn more;
• A new classification for tiles by “Effect” is available; in the components window listing the tiles using this feature is now possible;
• In the components window it is now possible to distinguish the “Highlight collections” (usually the latest updates);
• The structure of the window related to tiles stored in the Database was improved;
• In the components window it is now possible to distinguish which tiles/covering materials are available with the maps related to their finishes (which improve the quality of the rendering images). Those articles are defined as HQ (High Quality);
• When you select a tile in the components window, you can now connect to the product’s web page using the new button “Web Info” (or with the manufacturer’s web page if the product link is not available); Click here to learn more;
• You have now the option of deleting or exporting different tile collections by different manufacturers with the new command Ribbon --> Coverings--> Tiles operation-->Delete/export collections;
• When tiles are deleted, the update of the panels is not request anymore unless the variable registry exists “ProcessPanelsOnTileDelete” (with value ==1). In other words, the panels are not processed after the tiles are deleted;
• When tiles are deleted, the software allows you to delete the images related to the tiles inside the file system of your PC, in order to free up space. If you are willing to deactivate this new functionality you can create a registry key called ProcessDelTileImagesOnTileDelete giving it a value=0;
• If the key "PurgeUnassignedMaterials" exists in registry and its value is ==0, the materials that are not assigned to any furnishing item in the project are not deleted (in the previous versions of the software they were deleted automatically during the rendering, saving, project and exporting phases);
• When creating a new tile, an image outside the path is selected, the image is copied in the folder ...\Bitmap\CodProd\NomeSerie, which allows for a more organized Bitmap folder;
• It is possible to create a variable of personalized registry "PrintCustomDim". When a value of 0 is given to this variable, this allows you not to print the automatic quotes in case of tiles aligned in a customized way, in the print for the installer;
• Improvement of default materials of flooring to better distinguish it from the walls when you enter in navigation immediately after a room is drawn;
• The window for managing background images has been improved;
• In the components window, in the images section, a new button ‘+’ that allows you to quickly add one or more images in this section is now available.

Bug fix

• Fix: right mouse click on covered object --> Add to work area (inverted the object face);
• Fix: it is not possible to change the dimensions of a furnishing item and its material from the Property Grid if this is locked in the Database;
• Fix: in the “Draw object by selection” command, the entities remain separate when the operation is cancelled. Additionally, you can use this command when selecting closed polylines;
• Fix: duplicate light (in 2D and 3D) when the ESC key is pressed;
• Fix: in the work area (neutral tiles in the work area – components window, materials tab, search in the furnishings tab);
• Fix: the object color in Layout when it is modified in the Property Grid;
• In the Surface/Wall 2D window, the zoom with the mouse scroll now behaves analogously to the Layout window
• Bug fix that blocked users with limited Windows rights from importing DWG files
• Confirm message when user's cart is emptied

This article is valid for DomuS3D® 2019 and later