HELP CENTRE
Roof Software Tips and Tricks

The following downloadable files are a series of documents for the Sorcerer, Wizard and Magician roof estimating software. The tips have been written to help take a new operator through the various processes one step at a time. These have been collected from our Customer Service Centre files. If you have a difficult question, drop us a line and maybe it will end up here too, helping someone just like you.

There is quite a collection now. So hopefully a detailed description already exists to help you with that cut up roof you're trying to model. As we update the downloadable printed help files (in PDF format) to reflect changes to our software, we will be adding a video clip to better explain what we're trying to show. Often, it is easier to see someone else do it and copy what you see.

Help Us Help You
If you have any further questions, please contact your local support guy or email AppliCad at support@applicad.com and we will be back to you within 24 hours, although it is usually a lot less. Help us help you, so include as much information as you can - consider clipping screen shots and including this in the email. Also think about attaching the roof plan to your email. There is no such thing as a 'typical' or 'normal' roof design. We need as much help as you can give us.

Get more from your software and collect each one.

WE'RE CONSTANTLY DEVELOPING THE LIBRARY OF HELP FILES. PLEASE DROP BACK HERE AGAIN REAL SOON!
If you can think of a topic that needs a video tutorial to guide you, drop us a line and provide the details. We will create it and put it up here to help others.

Generating metal panel cut lists with Roof Wizard.

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You may also visit Ray's YouTube Channel - there are another 30+ video help files available there http://www.youtube.com/user/raymondcsmith?feature=guide

	Checking Prompt Sheet Checking that your 3D model is correct is critical. Creating 3D roof geometry the easy way is one thing, checking that it is correct is critical. Download this 'cheat sheet' to guide you through the checking process. Do this on every job and you will develop huge confidence in the estimating and quoting process.
	Video Help File V001 Creating 3D roof geometry the easy way How to use the basic AppliCad Process to develop precise 3D roof geometry using perimeter measurements.
	Video Help File V002 Creating Complex 3D roof geometry the one click at a time How to use the basic AppliCad Process to develop precise 3D roof geometry using the Mod-Roof functions. The only software in the world that will produce this level of complexity as easily.
	Tip 001 Cut-Out Verandah How to add a veranda and develop a cut-out around a corner gable. as a PDF document. A video clip explaining this tip is available.
	Tip 002 Diamond Gable Roof Develop a roof with the ridge diagonally across it. as a PDF document.
	Tip 002a Bellcast Verandah. A step by step uide to adding a "bellcast" verandah or porch at a different pitch. as a PDF document.
	Tip 003 Project Gable Comand Creating complex roof shapes from simple shapes - as a PDF document. A video clip explaining this tip is available.
	Tip 004 Intersecting Roof Slope. Clever use of the Intersect Planes command, and theVerandah command allows to insert this "pitch-break" in. as a PDF document. A video clip explaining this tip is available.
	Tip 004a Split Dormer Gables A step by step guide to creating a split dormer feature on the roof model.
	Tip 005 Using Barge Lines Creating a roof with three different eave heights in minutes. as a PDF document. A video clip explaining this tip is available.
	Tip 006 Dutch Gable A dutch gable feature that cuts a valley line on the roof. as a PDF document A video clip explaining this tip is available.
	Tip 007 Creating Courtyards A popular feature on structures today. as a PDF document A video clip explaining this tip is available.
	Tip 008 Internal Box Gutters A method of draining what would otherwise become an additional swimming pool. Created in a similar manner to Tip 7 above.
	Tip 009 Projecting Gables Different Eave Heights with Barge Lines A most awkward roof shape modelled easily with a little cunning.
	Tip 010 Creating Additional Hips Not likely to occur often, but when it does, this is how you do it using the Smartlines options.
	Tip 011 More Courtyards A variation on a theme - maybe our next home? Similar to #7.
	Tip 012 Creating Additional Hips Not likely to occur often, but when it does, this is how you do it using the Smartlins options.
	Tip 013 A Grand Entrance What a handsome entrance-way this will make, but such a bother to model.
	Tip 014 A Bunch of Simple/Flat Roofs Some of the most handsome roof structures are a collection of simple ones. This model may be typical.
	Tip 015 Double Gables on the Ridge This is an actual job and combines several clever tricks to complete the job in a few seconds.
	Tip 017 Twin Townhouses Adjoining townhouses will often share the roof plumbing (box gutter). Well, lets see how to add this.
Deleting a model	Tip 018 Deleting a model This tutorial explains how to delete a model no longer required in the database.
	Tip 019 Portico Porch Adding lower roof features used to be a bit of a drag. Using this unusual way with the Gable command, the feature is added instantly.
	Tip 020 Adding Low Set Bay Windows Just as with the preceding tip, this one makes adding lower roof features such as bay windows a snap.
	Tip 021 Planning Use of Fall Anchors The use of fall anchors and similar devices isn't an option any more. Let's plan for their use properly.
	Tip 022 MonoRidge Roof This roof shape is impossible to generate entirely automatically, so here is a way to manually intervene.
	Tip 016 Turrets in the Middle Add the turret and cut away the roof under. A perfect finish.
	Tip 023 Creating Quote Groups We have now provided for the ability to group line items on your quote, to make it more meaningful for your client. This is how.
	Tip 024 Digitising Digital Images At last an even better way to digitise. Throw your digitiser away, stop hauling those big rollup beasties around and pull out your 'happy-snap' digital camera - and start digitising ! This is really fast roof geometry input.
	Tip 025 Adding and Costing Soffit So you want to do soffit eh? Try this little trick on for size.
Fall Barriers	Tip 026 Using Fall Barriers Need fall barriers? This tutorial explains how to set up and use them.
	Tip 027 Using Smartlines #1 Mongrel roof with multiple internal gables and hip for good measure.
	Tip 028 Cricket Tutorial Adding 'crickets' to regular roof shapes.
	Tip 029 Curved (Arc) Sprung Roof Tutorial Creating arc roof quantities and a 3D representation.
	Tip 030 Using Smartlines #2 Cut up roof as often encountered in Texas and places south!
	Tip 031 Cranking or crimping roof sheets to achieve arc shaped roofs as often used in Africa and the UK.
	Tip 032 Split Panels How to split metal roof panels at a purlin or batten.
	Tip 033 Using Smartlines toolkit to develop complex roof shapes.
	Tip 034 Using CAD toolkit to develop complex roof shapes such as Spires and Domes and then creating a flat pattern of the shape.
	Tip 035 Using Smartlines toolkit to develop mid roof gable (similar to Tip #3).
	Tip 036 Two Storey Roof Using regular Construct Roof functions to develop a multi-level roof.
	Tip 037 Using regular Construct Roof > Smartlines functions to develop a multi-level roof.
	Tip 038 Using regular Construct Roof functions to develop a multi-level roof.
	Tip 039 Removing co-linear rake lines on the gable end.
	Tip 040 Creating multi-pitch roof from a field sketch.
	Tip 041 Creating multi-pitch roof from a a scanned plan. It is in two parts because it needed some cleaning up after the automatic features had done their job. Part 1 - Digitising over a JPG Part 2 - Cleaning up afterwards If you get your plans as PDF documents, consider using a utility such as Universal Document Converter to change them to JPG so you can use them as an underlay image to digitise from.
	Tip 042 Digitising Aerial Images to prepare a client estimate/proposal. Using services such as Bing, Google and Pictometry.
	Tip 043 Adding 'Single Line' Trim How to add extra flashing or trim to a roof geometry line to ensure they are quantified, costed and ordered.
	Tip 044 How to build this clubhouse the easiest way.
	Tip 045 More Dormers Just a few mouse clicks using the Dormer function will build this roof.
	Tip 046 Digitise from Aerial Images #2 Build this from an aerial image - yes a little difficult, but not impossible.

Thanks

And drop back soon for more useful tips and tricks from the Customer Support Team.
Don't forget to send us your ideas. You may email us the processes you used and the model database.

*Please ensure that we do not breach copyright on any drawings you might send in for us to prepare design notes on.

HELP CENTRE Roof Software Tips and Tricks

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HELP CENTRE
Roof Software Tips and Tricks