Getting Started with
Virtual Worlds
Stand out from the crowd...
+44 (0) 1908 448899
www.virtualworlds.co.uk
+44 (0) 1908 663848
[email protected]
1 Portland Drive, Willen, Milton Keynes, MK15 9JW, UK
Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................3
Installing Virtual Worlds Professional .................................................................3
Getting Your Virtual Worlds License ..................................................................4
Virtual Worlds Download Manager and Catalogues ....................................4
Starting a New Design ..........................................................................................5
Using the 2D Sketchpad ......................................................................................6
Generating a 3D Room ........................................................................................6
Saving Your Work ..................................................................................................6
Program Preferences............................................................................................7
3D Tools ...................................................................................................................7
Screen View and Navigation .............................................................................9
3D Architecture......................................................................................................9
Using the Reference Tools in Virtual Worlds...................................................10
Adding Decoration .............................................................................................10
Using Catalogues ................................................................................................11
One Touch Tiling ..................................................................................................11
Creating Photorealistic & High Resolution Images ......................................12
Creating 2D Diagrams........................................................................................12
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Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
Introduction
Thank you for choosing Virtual Worlds Professional, the market-leading 3D design software.
This booklet has been produced by our Support and Training team to provide easy to follow,
step-by-step guidance on both the installation of the software and how to start using the
system right away.
We offer training courses at Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced levels here at our
offices in Milton Keynes or online, so don’t forget to contact the team when you are setup so
they can book you on a course. We want your use of Virtual Worlds to be enjoyable,
dynamic and most importantly, profitable to your business. If you have any queries, be it a
technical issue or general question, our support team will gladly assist you with your enquiry.
We also welcome suggestions from our users for improvements to the software so keep in
touch!
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Installing Virtual Worlds Professional
To install the latest version of the Virtual Worlds Professional software, you’ll find everything
you’ll need at:
www.virtualworlds.co.uk/install
This page will take you through a series of steps to download, install and configure the Virtual
Worlds Professional application. It is recommended that you have elevated permissions for
this process so please make sure you are logged on with administrator permissions on your
computer.
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Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
Once you have followed these steps and downloaded all required components for Virtual
Worlds Professional, restart your computer and you will be ready to launch the program. To
start the software for the first time, simply select the Virtual Worlds Icon on your desktop or
from the Programs menu on your computer.
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Getting Your Virtual Worlds License
Virtual Worlds can be licenced in two ways; a Software license which is locked to a single
machine or a Dongle License which is linked to a USB drive that can be transferred between
machines that have Virtual Worlds Professional installed.
If you have signed up for a Dongle license, this will be sent to you through the post. Simply
plug this into an available USB port on the machine before launching Virtual Worlds and you
should be good to go, and can, therefore, skip this section.
If you have signed up for a Software License, there will an extra step required to register this
to Virtual Worlds Professional. After launching the software, you will be prompted with the
following box:
The options in this box are for renewing, activating or
setting up a license.
To configure your new Software Licence, click
Purchase/Renew License, followed by Request New
License. This will open a web page which allows you to
send a request to our admin team for your new license
and, once activated, this will grant you access to
Virtual Worlds Professional.
If you have already got your license, you can select
Check for License Update, and enter your license ID to
activate it.
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Virtual Worlds Download Manager and Catalogues
Once Virtual Worlds Professional has been installed and you have received your license
number, the next step is to install the Download Manager and required Catalogues. Once
you have received confirmation from our administration team on the license creation, you
will have also received a password for the Virtual Worlds User Centre. To access our User
Centre, go to our website (www.virtualworlds.co.uk) and select the User Centre option in the
top right corner. Log in with your license or dongle number and password and you’ll be
welcomed on to the Virtual Worlds User Centre, our hub for all things that are of interest to
users; Catalogue Downloads, Software Updates, How-To Videos, FAQs and much more.
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Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
Go to the Download Area section of this page and you’ll be prompted to install the
Download Manager program. Download and run this application as we’ll need it later on.
On the User Centre Download
Area, choose ‘Catalogues’ from
the list on the left-hand side and
you’ll be presented with a list of all
available Virtual Worlds
catalogues.
The catalogues displayed in green
are catalogues that you have not
downloaded before. If you are
returning to this page after
downloading catalogues. Then
catalogues displayed in orange will
be the ones that have updates
you have not yet downloaded.
After you download a catalogue,
this page will display it in light blue,
showing you have already fully
downloaded the latest catalogues.
To add catalogues to your download queue, select the appropriate logo from the list and
check either the ‘Select All’ box or individual tick boxes before selecting Save For Download.
The tick box will then be replaced with the wording ‘Already in your queue’, meaning that
you have added this catalogue to your Download Manager, and are ready to download it.
Once all of the required catalogues have been selected, you can open Virtual Worlds
Professional and the installation of these catalogues will begin. A few messages will
be generated during this process to update you on the progress and at any time you
can click on the Virtual Worlds Download Manager icon in your System Tray to check
the progress manually.
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Starting a New Design
After launching Virtual Worlds Professional you will be presented with the Tip of the Day
dialogue and, following this, the start page from which you can choose to create a New
Design or Open an Existing Design. If you have an active internet connection, this page also
provides you with news notifications about Virtual Worlds, including software and catalogue
updates and general information for our users.
When creating a new design, you are able to supply the Client Design Information. This
information is used mainly for producing design documentation for your client and can be
added at a later stage if you wish.
After clicking Continue on this window, you are shown a selection of predefined design
templates, which can be easily customised to represent the design shape that you require.
Alternatively, the 2D Sketchpad button provides you with the facility to sketch the design
outline yourself.
Once you have selected your preferred design route, the 2D Sketchpad is displayed, where
you will either see the design template that you chose or a blank canvas on which to sketch
the design outline. For a visual aid, you can navigate to the How-To Videos found on the
Virtual Worlds User Centre.
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Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
Using the 2D Sketchpad
The 2D Sketchpad provides you with the ability to sketch the outline of a space or modify an
existing outline. The basic sketching tools explained below, represent the minimum that you
should become familiar with when sketching the outline of your design.
The rectangular tool allows you to sketch a rectangular design outline. To do this,
ensuring your mouse cursor is within the canvas area, simply left click and hold the
mouse button, dragging the mouse diagonally until the required width and height is
achieved. At this point, click the left mouse button again to complete the design
outline. The overall measurements for this shape can be edited on the right-hand
side of this window if required.
The polygon tool enables you to select multiple points on the canvas area to define
the outline of the area you wish to create. To use this tool, simply left click to define
the starting position, drag the mouse horizontally or vertically in the desired direction
and type the length of that wall. Left click to confirm the line and start the next.
Once on the final wall, right click the mouse to finish off the outline automatically.
Tip - if you hold down the shift key, this will ensure that the lines are straight and in
either horizontal, vertical or at a 45-degree angle.
Tip - you can use these buttons - to allow/prevent your edge points
snapping to the grid locations, or to show/hide the grid.
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Generating a 3D Room
To create your design in 3D, select the Generate Room icon - on the toolbar. You will
then be asked to give the room height and wall thickness. You are now ready to introduce
Windows and Doors to your design and include architectural features, such as Partition Walls
and Boxing.
You can edit the room outline at any time during the design process by going
back to the 2D Sketchpad view. To do this, select the 2D Sketchpad View button.
To go back to 3D view once in 2D sketchpad view, click the 3D View icon.
This allows you to switch between the two in order to create your perfect room.
You can also view both the 3D and 2D Sketch Pad at the same time. To do this, go
to Window tab on the top toolbar and select Cascade.
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Saving Your Work
As with all software, it is a good idea to save your work on a regular basis. To do this, select
File from the top toolbar and click on Save, or Save As. This will enable you to save your work
in ‘My Documents/Virtual Worlds Documents’ and gives you the opportunity to choose your
own file name.
Virtual Worlds Professional will automatically create a backup file of your design every 10
minutes. These options can be viewed in the Tools-Options menu, found on the top toolbar
of the software. More details of this dialogue are explained in the next section.
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Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
Program Preferences
You are able to set various preferences for Virtual Worlds Professional so that the application
suits your needs. These options are found under the Tools-Options selection on the top
toolbar within the software.
Any options that you adjust here change the default settings for the application. It is good
practice to familiarise yourself with this dialogue, as you may need to refer back to it at a
later date. On the following page are a few key sections that we would recommend you get
started with.
Files – This section is for changing the options of your save files, including the ability to
change the auto-save time period and default design path.
Room Setup – Here you are able to change the default colours/textures that are generated
with any 3D design alongside adjusting light settings and default wall thickness.
Units – This section defines the units of measurements. Once you have completed this, your
setup will be automatically updated for the current design and all designs moving forward.
Catalogues – This area of the menu allows you to change the settings of your automatic
catalogue download, such as notifications and the ability to enable and disable automatic
catalogue updates.
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Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
3D Tools
Once a room has been generated, various tools can be used to navigate and interact with
the 3D environment. These tools determine what the mouse buttons will do while interacting
with the design. This is a list of available mouse tools:
Tilt and Turn
Fly
Rubber
Walk
Touch/Activate
Select Tool
Drag Tool
Fly Tool – This mode allows you to fly through a design and is mainly used for presentation
purposes as it provides a smoother navigation to your client. Holding down the left mouse
button in the top half of the screen will zoom in and the same in the bottom half of the
screen will zoom out. You can also use a combination of the right mouse button and both
together to navigate through the design in other ways.
Walk Tool – This mode allows you to fly through the design, similar to the Fly Tool but at a
locked, fixed height. This is used predominantly for the Virtual Worlds 4D Showroom but is
handy if you find it difficult to fly through the space. The fixed height can be edited in ToolsOptions-Misc.
Tilt and Turn - This design orientated tool allows you to use both the right and left mouse
buttons to navigate the 3D environment. The left mouse button will tilt and pan the camera
around the design whereas the right mouse button will zoom towards and away from the
camera’s focus when held down. Holding both of the mouse buttons simultaneously will allow
you to move the focus of the camera and double clicking with this tool will set the focus onto
a particular prop, object or area.
Select Tool – This is likely the most commonly used tool as it allows you to select or deselect
items in the 3D world. This selection can then be moved, reshaped, resized, and much more.
Using the left mouse button will set the selection.
Rubber band – This tool allows you to select multiple objects at once by drawing a box across
them. This can also now be done using the above Select Tool in Virtual Worlds Professional.
Drag Tool – This tool allows you to drag a selected object around the room using the mouse
cursor. By having the Snap to Wall option enabled in the Layout tab, the dragged items will
automatically snap to walls at the correct orientation.
Touch/Activate – This tool activates various actions that are assigned to items (For example
the opening of a cabinet door or drawer).
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Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
View and Navigation
There are a set of predefined views available to provide quick movement around the room.
These buttons will snap your camera to the relevant position.
Once objects have been inserted into a design, you can select the object and zoom in and
focus on it by clicking the middle tool button below (Zoom To Selected Item). The other four
buttons provide manual rotation around either an object or the general world view.
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3D Architecture
Once a room has been generated into the 3D environment we can begin to add in items to
build up the design. The best place to start is with the architectural features, which can be
inserted from the Architecture > Generic option, on the Catalogue tab to the right of the
screen, where the three tabs are located: Layout, Catalogue and View.
Windows and Doors will provide you with a range of available selections you can insert into
the room and place using the Reference tools (Information about how to use the reference
tools found in the next section). Once these architecture items have been placed, right click
to Recess Item into Wall.
Plinths are the universal building blocks for general room construction. You can resize and
move these into position using the Reference tools described above and, once placed, you
can convert them into walls (by right clicking and choosing Convert Selection – Unit to Walls)
so they can be painted or tiled just like an external wall.
Use Wedges for sloping ceilings, stairwells that protrude into rooms and other angular
architectural details and feel free to browse through the many other objects in this
architecture menu at your own leisure.
Often upon catalogue items within generic catalogues,
there is an option between two models of the same
type:
With symbol - This means the item will show up on a 2D
diagram.
Without Symbol - This item will not show up on a 2D
diagram.
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Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
Using the Reference Tools in Virtual Worlds
Within Virtual Worlds, items can be placed in a multitude of ways. The first is to simply drag an
item around by using the Drag tool. However, often we need to position items exactly. This is
done using the Reference tools, also commonly called the ‘tape measure’ tools. You have
two of these tools within Virtual Worlds, which allows you to reference to two items at the
same time.
The diagram below shows some information regarding the use of the Reference tools.
Reference To Object
Centre
Lock Height Of
Selected Object
Reference Tool 1
Lock Reference 1
Reference Tool 2
Lock Reference 2
Auto-Center Item On
Surface
Remove Current
References
Option To Temporarily Hide
Shown References
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Adding Decoration
Decoration can be added to any 3D design by the use of the Apply Colour -
- and
Apply Textures - tools. Each of these will open its own individual menu, which offers the
individual settings, as shown below.
When in either of these menus, selecting a colour or a texture will give you either a paintbrush
(for colour) or a texture mouse cursor, allowing you to click on a wall to apply the selected
colour or texture.
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Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
Using Catalogues
Virtual Worlds is endorsed with many manufacturers catalogues that can be used to insert
real life products. To use these catalogues, select the Catalogue tab on the right hand side.
Once you have found a catalogue to browse, you will be presented with a screen that is
displayed similar to the below:
SWITCH to other tabs
Range Options in this
Catalogue
FILTER and SEARCH this
Catalogue
REPLACE the selected item
with a selected item in the
design
INSERT the selected item
Tip - All items inserted into a design will appear in the centre of the room, except for when
items have Connection Points, in which case they can snap automatically to their assigned
position.
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One Touch Tiling
Virtual Worlds Professional has an extensive One Touch Tiling module that is used to create
and apply realistic tile templates around any 3D design. As the name suggests, it is possible
to save your own collection of tile templates and simply paste them very quickly around the
walls in a design with one click.
Virtual Worlds Professional can also calculate the number of full and partial tiles in your
design and various options can be selected in order to apply tiling to the wall in different
ways, for example, a brick bond pattern on part of the wall.
To access the One Touch Tiling template catalogues, select the One Touch Tiling button from
the second tool bar at the top, shown to the right.
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Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
A new toolbar will appear which relates solely to tiling. Some of the most commonly used
options are shown below in the diagram.
Template
Wizard
Change Template
Catalogue
Change
Template
Catalogue
Browser
Move
Template
Replace Tile in
Template
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Creating Photorealistic & High Resolution Images
Once the design process is complete you can create both photorealistic images and high
resolution images for use outside of Virtual Worlds Professional, whether this printed or
emailed to a client. These images can be created from the Image – Create Image window,
found in the toolbar at the top of the software.
High Resolution images are a basic image of the virtual room with no reflections or shadows
and as such can be created faster than photorealistic images, but without the realism that
impresses. This is beneficial if you need a quick output to be generated.
Photorealistic images come complete with lighting effects such as shadows and reflections,
meaning it will take a little longer to create in order to show the realism. This is most beneficial
when used in a detailed presentation to the client as it shows exactly how the design will look
in reality.
Photorealistic or
High Resolution
Selection
Image Resolution
(The size of the
image)
Save as Test or
choose Location
for Renders
Photo Quality
Settings
Brightness of the
Render
Advanced
Render Settings
VR Lights Setting
Close this Menu
Start the Render
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Virtual Worlds Version 6.0 - Getting Started
Creating 2D Diagrams
To generate 2D Diagrams, click on the 2D Diagram button on the toolbar , where you
will be able to choose the scale and type of diagram required. There are two options
available - Plans and Elevations.
A 2D Plan is a bird’s eye view of your design, showing everything inside the room, and the
dimensions of these items around the outer walls. Many of the options for 2D diagrams can
be edited and changed as required by the user.
This can be done at a global default level in Tools - Options - 2D Diagrams or by right clicking
an individual item and selecting Properties > Selection Properties.
You are able to delete symbols or dimensions that you do not wish to see and there are a
series of annotation tools on the top toolbar that can be used.
A 2D Elevation is a front view of a particular wall in the design. This is a dimensioned 2D
drawing that can be edited in the same way as a 2D Plan.
Change Diagram
Scaling
Insert Lines, Arrows, Text, Pictures or
Manual Measurements
Refresh
Diagram
Close 2D
Diagram
Change
View
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Virtual Worlds has much more to offer than covered in this document. If you are interested in
expanding your knowledge and mastering Virtual Worlds, feel free to get in contact with the
Support and Training team for information on our training sessions.
+44 (0) 1908 448899
+44 (0) 1908 663848
www.virtualworlds.co.uk
[email protected]
1 Portland Drive, Willen, Milton Keynes, MK15 9JW, UK
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