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How to Make a House Shape by Merging Openings

Info
  • These instructions will show you how to use the Multi tab on the New Openings Screen to place various openings, and then arrange them and on the Editor to Merge them together to make a House shape.

Info
  • NOTE: If you have the New Openings Screen turned off in the Admin screens, you can either toggle it on for this lesson or simply place the requested openings onto the Design Editor and resize them.

HouseMergeMergedDone800.png
  • Click New Mat Design on the FrameShop Main Page.

  • Click on the Multi tab.

  • Add the following openings by entering the Size and clicking Add New Opening.

    • Adjust the Number of openings in the # column by clicking the current number and changing it.

    • Change the Template in the Template column by clicking on the current Template number and selecting a new template.

      • Chimney: .75x2

      • House Body and Doorway: 2x4: add Three openings.

      • Roof: 7x2.75 using template #504: Triangle.

  • Click OK to bring the openings to the Editor.

Info
  • NOTE: Feel free to add different dimensions as desired here, or bring it into the Design Editor and adjust the sizes there.

HouseMergeNOS800.png
  • The openings are brought into the Design Editor.

  • Turn on the Dynamic Outsides to make more room for moving the openings around.

HouseMergeStart800.png
  • Now, it is just like building blocks.

  • Click on the background to unselect the openings.

  • Move the #504: Triangle to the top Center of the screen.

HouseMergeMoveRoof800.png
  • Move the small rectangle Chimney to either side along the top of the Roof.

  • Make sure that both layers overlap on each opening.

HouseMergeMoveChimney800.png
  • Now we will place Guides to make sure that each side of the “house” is equal-distance from the Roof edges.

  • Click on the Roof to select it.

  • Right-Click on the Roof and select New Guide From Other.

HouseMergeNewGuideOther800.png

  • The Add Other Guide screen will open.

  • Decide how far in from the edge Roof you want the House walls to be placed.

  • For this example, we chose:

    • Add at Left: -.5

    • Add at Right: -.5

  • We used Negative numbers to move the Guides inward from the edge of the design, rather than outwards.

  • Click Ok.

HouseMergeGuides800.png
  • The Guides are now placed on the design.

HouseMergeGuidesDone800.png
  • Now decide how big of a Doorway you want as that will determine how to set our Positioning toggle.

    • For a large Doorway, set the Positioning toggle to Bottom Layer.

    • For a small Doorway, set the Positioning toggle to Top Layer.

  • Note: You can always change your mind and set the Positioning toggle to the other layer and move the openings again.

    • You can also simply resize the openings on the fly.

  • For this example, we will set the Positioning toggle to Top Layer.

HouseMergePositionTopLayer800.png
  • Select one of the House pieces so that both layers overlap both layers of the Roof, and snap it to the Guide.

HouseMergeMoveOpening800.png
  • Now we will create a Guide at the bottom of this opening to that the opening we place opposite this one will be in the same position.

  • Right-Click on the opening and select New Horizontal Guide > Bottom.

HouseMergeGuideHouseOpening800.png
  • The new Guide will be placed at the bottom of the Opening.

HouseMergeGuideBottom800.png
  • Move one of the other openings to the right portion of the house, letting it Snap to both the Horizontal and Vertical Guides.

HouseMergeMove2ndOpening800.png
  • Now move the last opening so that it covers the top portion of the House and overlaps into the Roof.

  • Make sure this piece also overlaps the left and right portions of the House.

  • Adjust the size of the opening as necessary.

HouseMergePositionLastPiece800.png
  • Select all of the openings (Ctrl+A) and click the Group Selection button.

HouseMergeSelectAllGroup800.png
  • The openings will merge together and create a single opening.

    • If it does not line up correctly, click Group Selection again, click on the background to unselect the opening and reposition them and repeat the steps.

  • Our House design is now completed.

Tip
  • Design Tips:

    • Rotate the Chimney slightly to make it crooked.

    • Try other Templates for the Roof to make different shapes.

    • Add another rectangle to the House to make it wider to one side, or even both.

    • Add multiple roofs and floors to your House.

    • Have fun!

HouseMergeMerged800.png

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