Today we released another update to DaVinci from our labs and it contains many nice improvements. To download the update, run the Instant Customer Update under the DaVinci program group in the Windows Start menu. There's no need to uninstall DaVinci. Just run the Instant Customer Update. Here's a brief rundown of the improvements we've added:

• We've improved the ability to "cut out" a new area from an existing one. You've always had the ability to easily cut out a garage from an existing first floor area. Now we've added the ability for DaVinci to automatically redraw the original area and recalculate the dimensions and square footage for both areas. To do this, just start drawing the new area by beginning on the wall of an existing area and then ending on a wall of that area.



• We've improved the area calculation options. You'll notice this is easier when you close a shape and the calculation options are displayed. Now you can quickly choose whether the area is living space to be calculated as part of the GLA, or non-living space, or if it should be subtracted from the living space (for things like "open to below"). We've preset the calculation options for each area definition. So, for example, "garage" area types are preset to "non-living area."



• We've added a new Critical Items feature. This is similar to the Critical Items feature that exists in Pocket Total, only now it's completely customizable. You'll see the Critical Items tab under the Data view. This is a compiled list of every field in DaVinci that has been marked as "critical". This gives you a single view of the items you want to make sure you have covered before returning to the office. Marking or unmarking an item as critical is easy. It's been added to the Customize screen for each Data tab and Room Features screen.



• We've made multiple improvements to the sketching code. You can now draw interior walls with digital ink and pen. We've added more gestures for changing the names of area types and room labels. Just write the first few letters of what you want to change in ink (like "kit" for "Kitchen") and DaVinci will change the text. We've also added buttons to the toolbar for centering the sketch and for panning in any direction.

As you can see, we've been busy. But we're not finished yet. Remember, this is still a prototype from our labs. We'll be releasing more updates in the near future, before it goes to beta, so stay tuned. Your feedback is always welcome, so please continue to send it to us. Just send a message to labs@alamode.com.

Also, we'll be conducting another online seminar next week where we'll go over the recent changes to the product and give you some tips on how to use DaVinci more effectively. It's scheduled for Wednesday, August 29th, at 12:00 noon Central Time. To register, click here.

Please plan on attending. It's free and I'm sure you'll find it useful.

Regards,
Chris Low