2014 EasternGraphics GmbH 1

2014 EasternGraphics GmbH 2

Title: New features in pCon.planner 6.8
Document created: 04/10/2014
Company: EasternGraphics GmbH
Albert-Einstein-Strae 1
98693 Ilmenau
GERMANY
www.EasternGraphics.com

Legal remarks
2014 EasternGraphics GmbH
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GmbH. Translation, reproduction or distribution of the whole or parts thereof is permitted only with the prior
agreement in writing of EasternGraphics GmbH.
EasternGraphics GmbH accepts no liability for the completeness, freedom from errors, topicality or continuity
of this work or for its suitability to the intended purposes of the user. All liability except in the case of
malicious intent, gross negligence or harm to life and limb is excluded.
All names or descriptions contained in this work may be the trademarks of the relevant copyright owner and
as such legally protected. The fact that such trademarks appear in this work entitles no-one to assume that
they are for the free use of all and sundry.
2014 EasternGraphics GmbH 3

Content
Part I New features in all versions ........................................................................... 4
New names for executables ...............................................................................................................................4
New architectural elements ...............................................................................................................................4
Improvements to rendering of geometries ........................................................................................................5
The EasternGraphics presentation service: Impress ..........................................................................................6
Additional extensions and improvements ..........................................................................................................7
Part II New features in the PRO version .................................................................. 8
Conversion rates for currencies..........................................................................................................................8
Additional extensions and improvements ..........................................................................................................9

2014 EasternGraphics GmbH 4

Part I New features in all versions
New names for executables
With the new release the executable files for pCon.planner will be named according to their edition:
Free Version: planner.exe PRO Version: planner_PRO.exe
Marketing Edition: planner_ME.exe PRO Version 64 bit: planner64_PRO.exe

This information is only relevant if you refer to pCon.planner 6.8 from other applications or scripts. If
this is the case, please change the file name within your applications.
New architectural elements
The 6.8 version provides new architectural elements to help your designs to be more detailed and realistic in
appearance. Dormers can now be inserted to the benefit of anyone setting up attic spaces or converting a
loft.
A new wall element that can be designed is the Round Window. As a Dormer window or simply as an
interesting contemporary architectural element, this can be employed in a variety of ways. Find out here how
to create and modify dormers and circular windows:
pCon.planner help: Dormers pCon.planner help: Round Window

Example of dormers which include round windows
2014 EasternGraphics GmbH 5

There are also new extensions to the Window, recess and wall Opening elements. A rounded arch can now be
added to a standard Window. Openings and recesses have been provided with an extra option in the
Properties editor so that they can be shown in circular form.
Find more information on these features within the program help.
pCon.planner help: Windows pCon.planner help: Openings and Recesses





Arched window Circular opening Circular recess
Improvements to rendering of geometries
Many aspects of the treatment of geometrical shapes and the way their rendering is computed have been
improved.
Surface mesh based geometries are being more efficiently managed from 6.8 onwards. This reduces the file
size for DWG 2010 and 2014 and thus the RAM demands. There is still compatibility with older DWG formats.
A parallel improvement is that drawings are displayed sooner on-screen when loaded, and objects appear
sooner when inserted. The effect has been obtained by setting up automatic parallelization of the operations
made in rendering computation.
The range of surface mesh types has also been extended in the case of face smoothing, with the effect that
surfaces are rendered in a higher quality and compatibility with the DWG format has been increased.



Face smoothing in pCon.planner 6.7 Face smoothing in pCon.planner 6.8
2014 EasternGraphics GmbH 6

The EasternGraphics presentation service: Impress
Impress is a smart new web-based presentation method to
complement pCon.planner. It is free of charge and the beta release
was on 15 January 2014. Use it like its name to impress. Package
your design images in an elegant form and invite your business
partners and customers to view.
Make use of photorealistic renderings that will emphasise the
details contained in your plan.

The Present tab now contains an extra icon, the
one taking you to Impress.
Help your viewers explore your spaces and interact with them set up 360 Panoramas. Use Multi Content
Pictures to present the commercial details of the furnishings and features with just one click.
Follow the link below to learn more about Impress. And to learn more about how to create the content for
Impress, go to the program help.
Impress pCon.planner help: Presenting the design

Impress used for a sample presentation

2014 EasternGraphics GmbH 7

Additional extensions and improvements
New formating options for text
There are now new formatting options available
when you are writing or editing Text. From this
version on, Text can be set as italic, bold and left,
right or center justified.
The labelling in your designs can be better
structured and highlighted.



pCon.planner help: Text
Formatted text in the text input field
Axis snap improvement for editing of lines and polygons
Editing the drawing elements lines and polygons is now easier. The axis snap has been improved to enable
them to be moved, extended or shortened more simply. One effect is that a line can be accurately shortened
at a certain angle to a second line.
The axis snap chapter in the pCon.planner help gives more details.
pCon.planner help: Axis Snap





Shortening a line with help of the improved axis snap
Restoring the default window arrangement
The program Settings now contain an additional button on the Common tab: clicking on the Standard button
ensures that the window layout is restored to a single viewport which has the Properties editor docked on it.
Improvements to the GUI
The design of the individual catalogs has been made uniform, the navigation has been improved. There is now
a back button for the OFML catalog to make it easier to browse through catalogs visited earlier and speedily
find OFML files again.
2014 EasternGraphics GmbH 8

Part II New features in the PRO version
Conversion rates for currencies
Conversion Rates are stored in pCon.planner
and they can be changed manually. There are
also options enabling a choice of rounding up
or down methods plus rounding intervals for
your prices.
Any settings you make concerning currency
rates will be transmitted to the OFML data and
the Article List.
At the level of your current design, the options
are available under Document Properties.
Using the program Settings, you can also find
these options on a global level. Within the
Calculation tab in the Settings, you will also
find options for sales tax/VAT and default
Currency.

Calculation tab in the Settings dialog, with the new rounding Mode and
Interval fields
pCon.planner help: Document Properties pCon.planner help: Settings


Currency Conversion Rates dialog with possibility of entering a rate manually

2014 EasternGraphics GmbH 9

Additional extensions and improvements
Faster access to reference numbers
To save time, reference numbers can now be assigned and modified in the Properties editor itself. It is no
longer necessary to go to the Folder Manager.
Any alterations made to an Article in this respect will be transmitted straight into the Folder Manager.
pCon.planner help: Modifying article properties pCon.planner help: reference numbers
Filtering attachment points for metatypes
When additional items are added to articles and when articles are linked to another, the possible attachment
points are now filtered in advance. It will thus be clear at a glance which points on shelving can be used to slot
boards into, or how two tables can be combined. This will make your planning process faster and simpler.

Adding a sub-article in pCon.planner 6.7 Adding a sub-article in pCon.planner 6.8