Using the Paint Program to do Preliminary Design

Started by mark_chenail, January 11, 2006, 03:05:45 PM

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mark_chenail

January 11, 2006, 03:05:45 PM
Rather than hijack the other thread where I posted some of my designs using the Paint Program, I thought I would start a new one to show you what can be done.
I've used  the basic Paint Program that is part of Windows for years as a way to work out ideas and draw relatively simple plans and elevations.   Actually it isnt that hard to do although it does take a good solid knowledge of the 12times multiplication table. Wink   If you have ever drawn with paint, you may have noticed that it can be set with a grid pattern.  Ive always assumed that each grid was a pixel and I  generally use the scale of 1pixel:1inch.   So if I want a line 12 feet long  I draw a line that is 144 pixels.  You can set paint to draw a box automatically so I usually decide the dimensions of the building and draw the basic box first. I usually make all the walls 6inches thick just for convenience sake. I then draw the inside box of the structure and then just start measuring out the rooms and laying out the walls.  Its a bit like actually laying out the sill plates of a house or building with blocks. It goes fairly quickly.  As to doors and windows, once I have drawn one of the right size,  I cut and paste it unto the plan where ever I want another of the same size.  I do have a little file made up with basic windows and doors predrawn both in plan and facade and I can pop them in as I go along.
To draw the elevation, what I usually do is cut out the wall I want from the plan and paste it at the bottom of a clean page.  Then I set a base line above it for the floor level and draw the basic box of the elevation.  Then I  run lines up from the wall plan below it to mark rough openings and other details.on the facade.  Then I pop in the windows from my little library or draw the window free hand and then cut and paste that one into all the rough openings.
So its really a combination of free hand drawing and cut and paste.  For really small detail work I crank up the magnification and work on one area at a time.  Its a bit like doing needlepoint if you ever done that.
The major limitations are ones of scale.  At 1pixel/1inch, you cant draw anything much bigger than 50x40 feet and that fills the screen.  So for anything bigger, you need to change the scale. it takes a bit of math at the start but once u decide what scale you want u can go ahead.  Also very small structures are hard to do at the 1p/1" scale unless you use the magnification feature to work.
Another limitation is that u cant really draw a clean line unless it is truly horizontal or vertical.  The cleanest diagonal line is 12/12 pitch. Its a minor problem but does make drawing  gables and eaves a bit messy.  It takes practice.  And of course drawing in perspective is impossible.   You can do curves but its tricky.  Ive done a few round rooms and it about drove me nuts. Huh
These arent by any means working drawings but a good contractor/builder would probably find them sufficient for simpler projects.  After all, a lot of grand houses in the 18th and 19th c. were built from drawings and plans in simple building books passed around town. Robert Morris, Select Architecture(1755) Alexander Jackson Downings, Cottage Residences(1852),  Asher Benjamin's, The American Builder's Companion(1806).

This is a very simple example of quick plan and sketch with very little detail work:



This one shows how I project the elevation from the plan and use cut and paste to add elements:



These last three drawings show just how elaborate I can get using Paint.  Most of this is still cut and paste but it permits a good deal of detail:





This is a section drawing for a little turkish fantasy. Shows that round elements are possible as well with a little work:

Jimmy_Cason

#1
January 11, 2006, 03:13:48 PM Last Edit: January 11, 2006, 03:18:36 PM by Jimmy_Cason
How do you set up the grid pattern? I can't seem to find it on mine.



Never mind ,I found it in the  good ol' help file.

To display gridlines

On the View menu, point to Zoom, and then click Custom.
Under Zoom to, click 400%, 600%, or 800%, and then click OK.
On the View menu, point to Zoom, and then click Show Grid.

Note

You can remove the gridlines by repeating step 3 and clearing the Show Grid check mark, or by clicking View, pointing to Zoom, and then clicking Normal Size.

mark_chenail

#2
January 11, 2006, 03:25:36 PM
ARGHHHHH:   Ive resized the jpgs twice now.  First they were too small to show detail. Now they are huge.   Sure wish I could find a usable converter program that didnt take a university degree to use.  Anyone know a good free one? >:( :o

Jimmy_Cason

#3
January 11, 2006, 03:32:57 PM
A good place to look it www.download.com  It has a lot of different trial versions and free shareware programs.

Jimmy_Cason

#4
January 11, 2006, 03:42:05 PM Last Edit: January 11, 2006, 03:43:18 PM by Jimmy_Cason
Mark, thanks for letting us in on your drawing procedure.
You told us a few moths ago that you did them with paint.
I have wondered ever since how in the heck you were producing the great drawings you have shown us.

I can't wait to try it out (At home) I don't even want to get started here at work!

ailsaek

#5
January 11, 2006, 03:52:57 PM
Mark:

Wow.  I bow in awe before your Draw-fu!  I do mine in PhotoShop, and I haven't managed anything that complex yet.  Here's my best one:


The furniture I grabbed from floor plans I downloaded.

tjm73

#6
January 11, 2006, 05:18:58 PM
I use paint as well, but I don't use it to your level of expertese!  ;D

Daddymem

#7
January 11, 2006, 07:11:23 PM
QuoteARGHHHHH:   Ive resized the jpgs twice now.  First they were too small to show detail. Now they are huge.   Sure wish I could find a usable converter program that didnt take a university degree to use.  Anyone know a good free one? >:( :o

Try Irfanview  On the menu choose Image, then Resize/Resample and take it from there.

rita

#8
January 11, 2006, 08:27:38 PM
how do you set paint to draw a box automatically?  I tried to figure it out and can't.  I got the gridlines no problem tho.

Jimmy_Cason

#9
January 11, 2006, 09:02:48 PM Last Edit: January 11, 2006, 09:05:45 PM by Jimmy_Cason
Seven icon buttons down on the left is a rectangle button.
This will draw a box. But you still need to count grid squares to keep it to scale.

The bottom three rectangles also draw boxes. One of them draws a solid or "filled"box.

glenn-k

#10
January 11, 2006, 09:37:48 PM
Another thing you can do with your JPEG's, Mark is save pretty large then host them on Photobucket - it doesn't care that it is a drawing as long as it is a format they support.  In photobucket you can edit them and reduce the size to 75% 50% or 25% of normal.  Once shrunk you cant go back so keep the original in case you have to do it again.  Nice work.

mikeschn

#11
January 12, 2006, 07:03:46 AM
On my forum people keep talking about this one. They say it's easy and it's free... http://www.irfanview.com/

Mike...

QuoteARGHHHHH:   Ive resized the jpgs twice now.  First they were too small to show detail. Now they are huge.   Sure wish I could find a usable converter program that didnt take a university degree to use.  Anyone know a good free one? >:( :o

Jens

#12
January 15, 2006, 02:14:57 PM
By your forum Mike, do you mean CNCZone?  Your screen name is familiar, and can't figure out why.
just spent a few days building a website, and didn't know that it could be so physically taxing to sit and do nothing all day!

Jens

#13
January 15, 2006, 03:26:27 PM
I knew I knew your name.  I was a mod on cnczone.  Still am I think.  Haven't been able to think about that stuff lately, as it is more of a hobby than an occupation.  I find that if I go to forums of specific types, I get more into that particular thing, so as a carpenter, and rennovater, it is better for me to stay here for a while!
just spent a few days building a website, and didn't know that it could be so physically taxing to sit and do nothing all day!

mikeschn

#14
January 15, 2006, 05:30:25 PM
Well, I have spent a lot of time on cnczone... my most recent posts dealt with a hardware store design...



But cnczone is not my forum. My forum is Teardrops and Tiny Travel Trailers which you can see here...
http://www.mikenchell.com/forums

Mike...

QuoteBy your forum Mike, do you mean CNCZone?  Your screen name is familiar, and can't figure out why.

Jens

#15
January 22, 2006, 06:18:17 PM
Yeah I knew your forum wasn't CNC zone, but didn't realize what you meant by that until after I posted this, and saw the link to your forum.  Teardrops huh?  I've wanted one a long time.  You know what they say though, so many projects so little time.  I posted some photos to your drawer slide thread BTW.

Back to this topic, is there any way to duplicate an item?
just spent a few days building a website, and didn't know that it could be so physically taxing to sit and do nothing all day!

Dan

#16
January 22, 2006, 09:44:56 PM
QuoteMy forum is Teardrops and Tiny Travel Trailers which you can see here...
http://www.mikenchell.com/forums

Mike...


Mike, awesome forum you have there.  I've been looking at building a teardrop, but had not found your site yet.  Thanks.  Oh, and to make the www even smaller while browsing your site I ran accross someone who I believe is on another forum I belong to regarding Willys jeeps and utility vehicles.  

Dan

glenn kangiser

#17
January 23, 2006, 12:34:05 AM Last Edit: January 23, 2006, 12:35:42 AM by glenn-k
Hobbiest, For duplicate an item I assume you  want to draw a complex item - several things in it-do it once  then use the select tool -enclose the group of items with the box - right  click - copy- -right click - paste - move to desired location or continue to paste and move for more.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

mikeschn

#18
January 23, 2006, 11:26:27 AM
Hobbiest & Dan,

Thanks for the compliments on the forum. There must be a certain amount of overlap between teardrops and tiny houses. Why else would we be seeing the same people in both places?

The person who told me about this forum is Buford, who is also a member here. Unlike me, Buford has already built his cabin. Pretty kewl from what I can see...

If I can find the photo again I'll post it for you...

Mike...

Daddymem

#19
January 23, 2006, 05:09:04 PM Last Edit: January 27, 2006, 11:50:37 AM by Daddymem
MS Paint Tutorial if you haven't already found it.
Où sont passées toutes nos nuits de rêve?
Aide-moi à les retrouver.
" I'm an engineer Cap'n, not a miracle worker"

http://littlehouseonthesandpit.wordpress.com/

mikeschn

#20
January 23, 2006, 07:49:08 PM
There was some discussion recently of version 10 of FloorPlan. I don't remember which thread it was in. But I curious, did any that tried it, like it?

Do you have any renderings to share with us?

Mike...

jwv

#21
January 24, 2006, 02:02:35 PM
Thanks to the Mike's instructions I drew my plan with Paint and resized it with Infran...but now when I save it it alway saves as the small size with all that white space. I want to use it in the blog and this is driving me crazy.  WHat am I doing wrong?

judy

http://strawbaleredux.blogspot.com/

"One must have chaos in one's self to give birth to the dancing star" ~Neitszche

jraabe

#23
January 27, 2006, 11:25:55 AM Last Edit: January 27, 2006, 11:26:50 AM by jraabe
A couple of programs I use for working on image files - SnagIt and PhotoImpact.
- PhotoImpact (I use ver. 6 - look on Ebay) allows you to resize any image, crop, change the colorcast, contrast, sharpness, compress the file and then save it in almost any image format. This is what I use to downsize oversize images posted to this forum.
- SnagIt is great for grabbing images from the screen and editing them into sizes you want.

PS to Mark:

Thank you very much for the Paint tutorial. I'm going to try some of your techniques.

jwv

#24
January 28, 2006, 08:22:22 PM
Thanks to All, I figured it out.  judy

Visit StrawbaleRedux http://strawbaleredux.blogspot.com/
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