[Solved] Right forum for drawing diagrams of buildings?

[JamesEJ]

I have a need to draw diagrams of buildings. Nothing spectacular. A simple rectangle should do it (I think). Is this the right for information on how to do that .

[RoryOF]

Draw is not the best program for dimensioned drawings. You would be better to look for a CAD program such as FreeCAD - there are others. House drawings, particularly when one comes to internal divisions, are rarely rectangular.

[JamesEJ]

Rory: all that I basically need to do is to make a simple basic e.g. rectangular drawing with squares or rectangles within it that indicate areas within the rectangular building and the ability to write within each square or rectangle. These are not complex drawings. Jim

[JamesEJ]

If you still feel Draw won't do a few rectagles & / or squares., plz expand on where I et this e.g. FreeCad. I canot find it as of yet. Jim

[robleyd]

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=freecad

or if you want to look at other options

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=free+cad+software

[JamesEJ]

Rory, I found the FreeCad program. Its downloded. Will see what happens. thansk a bunch. Jim

[RoryOF]

Rory: all that I basically need to do is to make a simple basic e.g. rectangular drawing with squares or rectangles within it that indicate areas within the rectangular building and the ability to write within each square or rectangle. These are not complex drawings. Jim

If you feel those are sufficient, then Draw may do what you wish, when you have mastered using it.

My own experience, some 15 or so years ago, with house layouts om site maps, was that a CAD program was better, allowing for accurate representation of site outlines and building details.

[JamesEJ]

Well I guess I will try both FreeCad and draw. Question: Is Draw a part of Oo calc or not? Edit: Seems that draw is a creature of its own although Calc also has a draw feature.

[RoryOF]

Draw is one of the applications of the OpenOffice suite.

[JamesEJ]

Thanks RoryOff.

[JamesEJ]

Do tell. What where is the best WIKI on how to open the use the Oo draw proram? Jim

[robleyd]

Have you tried the OpenOffice documentation - and the built in Help via F1 is useful.

[JamesEJ]

OK, After much TIDO plus trial & error, I think I might have some instructions on how to draw in Open Office. Emphasis on "think". What I think is needed now is the step by step process of drawing the building I want to draw. Say, a simple square to depict one 50 yards by 50 yards by 50 yards by 50 yards building. Any takers? Jim

[John_Ha]

You will find much useful information in the Draw User Guide which has extensive instructions on how to use Draw.

As you have been told, Draw does not do scale drawings well. Draw is intended to make pretty layouts of things like organisation charts, flow diagrams, circuit and logic diagrams etc, where the actual dimensions are not important but the ability to align things is required. You will end up tearing out your hair in frustration.

See Chapter 10 - Advanced Drawing Techniques which opens with:

Drawing to scale

Draw is not a CAD (computer-aided design) program but a graphics program with which you can produce drawings to scale.

The example used for this chapter is a drawing of a Logic Circuit Diagram. The exact meaning of the individual symbols is not described here as we are only interested in the drawing techniques used to produce the diagram.

NB: When a pop-up window opens, click the Help button for extensive help on that function - it is often more comprehensive than the manual.

[JamesEJ]

Thanks John. Right now I discovered I do not know how to open up the Oo draw application for starters. I can open up Oo text & do it all the time but never opened Oo draw. How to?

[RoryOF]

/File /New /Drawing in any OpenOffice application.

[JamesEJ]

OK RoryOF, think I did that but here goes again.

[JamesEJ]

While in Oo writer, I go to file > new > draw. There is no "drawing in any OpenOffice applications" option. What's wrong do you think?

[RoryOF]

Click on /File /New /Drawing and it will open a blank Draw file.

[JamesEJ]

I now see no diagonal "online" indicator except mine. Does that mean no one else is available on Oo forums or just my question, or ??????

[Hagar Delest]

Have you installed the whole suite?
Sometimes users install only some of the components thinking that they won't need the others later.
When you start AOO with no document at all, do you get the landing page offering the various modules (text, spreadsheet, drawing, presentation...)?

[JamesEJ]

When I click on /File /New /Drawing, I only see a blank page. If that is a blank draw page, how do I tell or test it to see?

[JamesEJ]

Have you installed the whole suite?
Sometimes users install only some of the components thinking that they won't need the others later.
When you start AOO with no document at all, do you get the landing page offering the various modules (text, spreadsheet, drawing, presentation...)?

In the bottom right I have a small blue filled circle with wings. When I hover over it, it says "OpenOffice 4.1.8 Quickstarter" . That is all I ever use to open up a new blank texting page. I do not ever even see the "Landing page" that you are referring to.

[robleyd]

When I click on /File /New /Drawing, I only see a blank page. If that is a blank draw page, how do I tell or test it to see?

Look in the top left of the window - you should see something like Untitled 1 - OpenOffice Draw.

This is what I see when I use File | New | Drawing.

[JamesEJ]

Yes. At the very top left I see "untitled 16"

[JamesEJ]

But as to the page that you show that you see, there is nothing like that at all.

[robleyd]

I do not ever even see the "Landing page" that you are referring to.

Because you are using the quick starter. The 'landing page' would appear if you invoke OpenOffice via the Start menu; you may have to scroll down to All Programs and then find OpenOffice.

Start menu from Windows 7

Clicking on OpenOffice as shown above will then give you the OpenOffice start page.

[JamesEJ]

Sounds like good advice. will try the start menu method & be back to you. Thanks for that new thought!!

[JamesEJ]

clicking on that "OpenOffice" does nothing. that does not sound right I know. Got to be something wrong somewhere. Jim

[robleyd]

At the very top left I see "untitled 16"

To the right of the (proposed) filename should be OpenOffice Draw - this shows that you have a Draw document open. If you see Writer, or Calc, you know you have opened a word processor or spreadsheet document respectively.

If it shows Draw, you then have an empty Draw document open, ready for you to start work.