Advice From The Pros

While using the CLCA's Better Than A Thousand Words software, there are always a few things you can do to make your life easier.

First, prepare the site before you take the starting photograph. Even though the software allows you to edit items out of the finished masterpiece, it is almost always easier and faster to clean up the site by hand. Before taking the starting picture, spend a few minutes to re-locate toys, bikes, hoses and other things that don't belong in the finished product. Don't worry about ripping up the bushes and other plant life. In most cases you are going to cover it up while you are editing the photo anyway.

A Few Tips When...

...Taking The Photo

• Although having a digital camera helps, you can just use a film camera. Most places that process photos will transfer them to a CD for you.
• When shooting the picture, try to get the widest view you can. Shooting from a corner or from a driveway is frequently best. Always keep in mind that light and shadow are a big part in the presentation, and the best time of day to take photos are during times when there are no shadows. You can easily add shadows if you need to, but it is more work to take out pre-existing shadows.

... Importing The Photo

• To import, you will start from the File menu and then Acquire from Twain. If your picture is on a photo CD, you can open them from the File menu and then click on the Open option.
• If your photo is too large, you can adjust its size by going to the File menu and then to Background then Resize. The photo that you are working on should be sized to about the size of the paper that you will print on -- normally 8.5 inches in width and 11 inches in height. The software will size the photo proportionally if you just type in the width and check the box that says "Maintain aspect ratio."

Start Working

• The first thing that you should do is save the photo. The extension that saves all of your ability to edit everything and to make constant adjustments is the .lnd extension. You can do that under the File and then click Save As to save it. Naming convention is important when saving. The smart thing to do is to name it with the client name and then the date that you are saving it on and version number if there are multiple saves during the day.
• Last but not least, set the Auto Save, because there is nothing worse that working on a document and then having things crash on you and then having to start over. To set the AutoSave, go to File, then click the Program Defaults option, from there the AutoSave is near the bottom of the menu.

Once You Have The Photo On You Screen: What Next?

Once you have a photo in the Better Than A Thousand Words software, you have to add objects to the photo. These objects are what you use to bring your site plan to life.

To add objects to your image, you must access the Libraries, which are located up on the Library Menu. On this menu, you can select Hard Goods, Hardscapes, Home Exteriors, Plant Materials and much more. Each of these has an expandable submenu. Plant material, for example, expands to Trees, Shrubs and others. After you have chosen one, the Library Window will appear.

Scroll through the Library window to find the object you want to use. To place the object, drag and drop it onto the screen by:

• Placing your mouse arrow over the object that you want,
• Holding down your left mouse button,
• Dragging the object onto your main image while holding down your left mouse button.

You may also just double click on the object that you want to place -- it will appear in the middle of the main image.

To adjust the object, just click on it once. Sizing handles will will appear around the outside of the object. Place your mouse arrow over the handle on the top or bottom to make it shorter or taller, or on the left or right to make it narrower or wider. If you want the object to remain in proportional, use the handles in the corners. The reasons that we size the photo are to make it look more realistic to the human eye. When you place a tree or window it, must look like a natural part of the photo.

There are other things that you can do to make a object that you place look more realistic. Use the training videos that are embedded in the software to learn more about the Size, Rotate, and Warp feattures.

To access the training video, click the Training Movie Button on the Links Toolbar. Then, select a button -- the video that coincides with that feature will play.

Laying Hardscapes And Softscapes Just Got A Whole Lot Easier

How do you lay sod in the Better Than A Thousand Words program? Place a brick pathway? Fill a side yard strip with groundcover?
Easily!

After you have launched the Better Than A Thousand Words software and imported your photograph of the customer's project, select an area. Next, fill that area with a texture, and then change the perspective.

To select an area, click on Area, and then Outline Area. The Define Area box will pop-up, with a set of tools. Select the Free Draw tool (the button looks like a pencil with a spiral on it). On your image, select an area by clicking the cursor on the edge of an area to be defined. Move the cursor to a different location, and click again. Repeat until you have outlined the perimeter of the image to be selected.

Each of the points that you click on will become a little anchor point. If you mess up while outlining, just hit the Backspace key on your keyboard to go back one point. When you get close to the end of the outline, connect the end point and the start point together. If you can't find the start point, hit the Enter key to complete the outline. To cancel the outline, hit the Esc key.

To edit the selected outline, click on the Edit Area option on the Area menu. Then, click on the appropriate Add Point, Delete Point or Change Point button.

When you complete the outline, the shade of the area will turn a little darker, and the outline will be ready to fill with a texture. Once you have the area outlined:

• Click the OK button on the Define Area box.
• Under the Library Menu, select a texture (such as sod, hardscape or groundcover) by clicking on the Open Texture Library.
• Drag and drop the selected texture onto the outlined area.

Next, change the perspective so that texture does not look skewed or mis-sized. Under the Area menu, select the Change Perspective option, which opens the Perspective Tool Bar. Use this tool bar to set the Approximate Distance, which will reduce to increase the size of the texture. To change the perspective of the texture, select and drag one of the four dots surrounding the texture. Click OK when you are satisfied with the result.

You are one step closer to completing your masterpiece and making a visual presentation that is sure to help you close deals and up-sell projects.