LuaCAD Help

Rooms

Every floor heating system starts with the rooms. A room's heated areas and the loops inside are derived from it; when the room changes, they follow automatically.

Values for the next room

Goal: set the values the next room gets – before you insert it.

The Rooms page, at the top "Values for the next room": number (1), name (2), room temp. with °C (3), heat loss with W (4), Insert room tag right away and "..." (5)
The Rooms page, at the top "Values for the next room": number (1), name (2), room temp. with °C (3), heat loss with W (4), Insert room tag right away and "..." (5)
FieldEffect
NumberThe room number, for example 1.01. It applies only to the next room and is empty again afterwards – so you never assign the same number twice. Empty = the room has no number.
NameThe room name, for example Living (default "Room"). It stays for the following rooms.
Room temp.The room temperature in °C (0 to 40, default 20) – a value for room tag, loop text and list.
Heat lossOptional, in W (empty = no value) – appears, if selected, in the room tag and the loop text. The plug-in does not calculate with it.
Insert room tag right awayEvery new room gets its room tag right away (on by default). "..." next to it chooses what the tag shows – see Room tag.

The edge distance of the room (distance of the heated area from the wall) is set on the Heated areas page; it also applies to new rooms.

Video coming soon: Values for the next room

Rectangular room

Goal: insert a rectangular room with two clicks.

Plan view: first corner (1) and opposite corner (2) of room 2 at the inner faces of the walls, the room tag in the middle (3) – here already with heated area and loop
Plan view: first corner (1) and opposite corner (2) of room 2 at the inner faces of the walls, the room tag in the middle (3) – here already with heated area and loop

Steps

  1. Click Rectangular room.
  2. Click the first corner (1) – "1 of 2: click the first corner".
  3. Click the opposite corner (2). The room is created with the palette values, optionally with room tag (3); the command line shows area and perimeter.
  4. Next room right away; Enter or Esc finishes. Every room is its own undo step.
Video coming soon: Rectangular room

Room from polyline

Goal: take over a room from a closed polyline already in the drawing – for example from an architectural plan.

Steps

  1. Click Room from polyline.
  2. Click a closed polyline – on its edge or inside.
  3. Its outline becomes the room; the polyline itself stays. Next one right away; Enter finishes.
Video coming soon: Room from polyline

Pick room (points)

Goal: insert a room of any shape corner by corner.

Steps

  1. Click Pick room (points).
  2. Click the first corner, then every further one. The command line counts ("Click the next corner (4 corners) …").
  3. Z (Back option) removes the last corner.
  4. Enter or Esc closes the room – the last corner is connected to the first. A room needs at least three corners.
Video coming soon: Picking a room point by point

Change room

Goal: change number, name, room temperature, heat loss or edge distance of an existing room.

The Room dialog box: header with number and name (1), number and name (2), room temperature and heat loss (3), edge distance (4), key figures with area, perimeter, level and heated areas (5)
The Room dialog box: header with number and name (1), number and name (2), room temperature and heat loss (3), edge distance (4), key figures with area, perimeter, level and heated areas (5)

Steps

  1. Click Change room ... (or Properties in the tools) and click the room – on its edge or inside. It is highlighted.
  2. Change the values in the dialog box. Under Key figures you see area, perimeter, level (from the project) and the heated areas with their area.
  3. OK. If the edge distance changes and the room already has heated areas, they are rebuilt with their loops.

Every field of the dialog box: Room.

Video coming soon: Changing a room

Room tag

Goal: set what the room tag of new rooms shows and how it looks.

The Room tag dialog box: lines with area, room temperature, heat loss (1), shape rectangular (frame), circle, no frame (2)
The Room tag dialog box: lines with area, room temperature, heat loss (1), shape rectangular (frame), circle, no frame (2)

Steps

  1. Rooms page › "..." next to the check box "Insert room tag right away" – or gear menu › Room tag ….
  2. Under Lines check what appears below number and name: Area (on by default), Room temperature, Heat loss (without a value on the room the line is dropped).
  3. Choose the shape: rectangular (frame) (default), circle or no frame. A circle only has room for number/name and ONE line below – the first one selected.
  4. OK. The command line says: applies to new tags.
Video coming soon: Setting up the room tag

Insert / reposition room tags

Goal: give rooms without a tag one – and put moved tags back in their place in the room.

Steps

  1. Click Insert / reposition room tags.
  2. Click rooms – or click next to the rooms and drag a window. Rooms selected beforehand already count. The command line counts.
  3. Enter = run. Missing tags are added (using the template "Room (Floor Heating)"), existing ones return to their place in the middle of the room; additional text and shape stay. One undo step.
Video coming soon: Inserting / repositioning room tags

Delete room

Goal: remove a room with everything derived from it.

Steps

  1. Click Delete room (or Delete in the tools).
  2. Click the room. It is deleted with its heated areas, exclusion areas and loops; its room tag goes too.
  3. Next one right away; Enter finishes. One U brings the room back with everything.
Video coming soon: Deleting a room

Check rooms

Goal: see whether everything fits together – rooms, areas, exclusion areas, loops and leaders.

  1. Click Check rooms (the same as Check in the tools).
  2. The command line shows the counts ("3 rooms (52.4 m²), 4 heated areas (…), 1 exclusion areas, 5 loops.") and one line per issue, finally "Check: no issues." or "n issue(s)".

What "Check" reports is listed under Check.

Video coming soon: Checking rooms

Editing rooms with GstarCAD

Goal: change rooms with the familiar GstarCAD commands.

A room outline is a polyline. Whatever you do with it, the plug-in updates at the end of the command – in the same undo step:

CommandWhat follows
Grips, STRETCH, Properties paletteThe outline changes; heated areas and loops are rebuilt, leaders and room tag follow. Divisions stay.
MOVE, ROTATEAs above. If a whole apartment with areas, loops and manifolds moves together, nothing is rebuilt – everything comes along as it was.
COPY, MIRROR, paste from the clipboardThe copy gets its own ID, a free number (1.01 becomes 1.03, for example), its heated areas, loops and room tag – also in the drawing of another level. Mirrored text becomes readable again.
ERASEAs "Delete room".
Video coming soon: Editing rooms with GstarCAD