The Frames tab allows you to edit every aspect of your frame configuration. In here you can change frame style, couplers, add full height walls, down-pipes and even add steps to your design.
Navigating the Interface
There are a few different ways of editing and viewing the frame configuration in the Frames Tab. Because everyone is different, it is up to you to figure out which view suits your way of working.
‘By Wall’ View (Recommended)
This view is the ‘most liked’ and recommended view that can be used in the software. It’s laid out in an aesthetically pleasing format making it quick and easy to navigate and make changes to all frames, walls and apertures on the design. Also, this view aims to give you a better overview of how all the frames will look when placed together.
You can also click a slope on the roof plan found to the right of the page. This will show you the corresponding frames below.
‘All Frames’ View
This view allow users to see all frames on the design at once (as the name suggests). It also brings the selected frame to the forefront so that you can focus on the specific properties of each individual frame or aperture.
‘Grid’ View
If you’re used to using our ‘ frames only’ or ‘frame designer’ module, then you may be familiar with this view. It gives you an itemised view of all frames available to edit on the job at present. It also gives you additional functionality to add frames which are not part of the conservatory (in other words, you can add extra frames/doors for openings that may be required with the new conservatory, or you want to quote for replacing frames on the house).
‘Edit’ Section
– Select – This will give you multiple ways of selecting or deselecting frames within a design (including ‘select all frames on the design’ and ‘select all frame on the wall’)
– Copy – This is a great time saving tool. It gives you the ability to copy all the changes from an individual frame to ‘all frames on a design’, ‘all frames on a the current wall’, to individual frames using a click-and-drag function or to the previous/next frame.
– Width – Gives you the option to change the width of a frame and lets you choose which side you want the adjustment to affect.
– Height – Simply gives you the option to change the height of an individual frame or wall.
– Open/Close – This option allows you to close or open all the frames on the design. (Tip: this is best done in the 3D Tab as you can visually see the change and have an additional option of manually setting the opening angle of doors and windows individually).
‘Elevation’ Section
– Divide/Equalise – If you want to Equalise frames on a wall, change the frame count or align frames to the rafters (or vice versa), this is the tool you need.
– Raked/Gable – This option becomes available when you click on any frame of a gable end. There are options to change the gable design (including custom mullion spacing options ), rake the frames full height, brick up the entire gable end section, add a gable support beam and change the gable glazing.
– Steps – You have the ability to customise a flight of steps or a ramp below frames on the design. This option is purely for design purposes and it is up to you to make sure that, if used, the steps meet the legal requirements.
– Drainpipes – These can be added to any elevation of the design. It also allows you to place multiple drainpipes on a single wall.
‘Section’ Section
– Top/Base – Similar to the Frame Design tool in the 3D Tab, this option allows you to quickly edit the top and bottom of the frame. Including adding and removing transoms and openers, creating full or 3/4 height walls and adding full ‘null’ or infill panels.
– Couplers – This option allows you to add custom couplers or packers around frames. These can be configured in the software.
– Swap Left – When you select a frame, this allows you to swap the position of your chosen frame with the one to its left.
– Swap Right – Same as above, apart from you swap the position of your chosen frame with the one to its right.
‘Frame’ Section
– Change Style – This houses all of the available frame styles that can be added to the design in an easy to use palette which is categorised by type.
– Split Frame – You can use this tool to add mullions, transoms or dummy bars to any aperture on the design. It also give you an option to split a frame in to multiple frames (e.g. divide a single frame into 2 equal frames, etc).
– Reset Frame – As the name suggests, this allows you to remove all design changes for a selected frame.
– Door – There are quite a few options in this tool. You can quickly add different types of door including a residential door. You can also add a top light to a door, change the height of a midrail or split panels into multiple sections (eg. split the door base panel into 2 sections).
‘Pane’ Section
– Vent – This option allows you to change any aperture into an opener. All opener types can be found in this tool (e.g. top hung, tilt-and-turn, left slider, dummy sash, etc). It also gives you options to edit the opener angle (visually) or specify it as inward opening.
– Glazing – When you select an aperture this tool gives you options to add and edit leading, resins/bevels, Georgian/Astragal bars and Georgian arches. You can also change the glazing opacity and type.
‘Additional Frames’ Section
This section is only available when in the ‘Grid’ or ‘All Frames’ View. As mentioned earlier, these options allow you to add extra frames/doors for openings that may be required with the new conservatory, or you want to quote for replacing frames on the house.
– Add Frame – This will open a style palette where you can add an extra frame to the current design. It will prompt you for a location and quantity once you have chosen a style and the frame or frames will show as additional frames.
– Duplicate Frames – As you would guess, this tool allows you to make a copy of any frame (duplicate) found on the design. This frame will be added as an additional frame (not part of the conservatory).
– Set Price – This option allows you to set an overwritten price for any of the addition frames added to the design (excluding VAT price).