Visualise 2D Frequently Asked Questions

Exceptionally well, particularly when you consider that there is nothing quite like it! Which other package allows you to doodle with photo-quality images in perspective on a scene of your choosing?

This really is software for everyone with its:

• ease of use while producing professional results
• library of photo-quality images
• availability on a pay-as-u-go basis
• support by e-mail and telephone

That’s not all as there are:

• updates concerned with new developments and enhanced performance
• additional library images

On price, Visualise2D is exceptional also. The opportunity to receive all the benefits from just £25.00 is just unheard of! Consider:

• hardly any time is required to learn how to use the software
• with no training, there’s no downtime or associated costs
• creating visuals in the moment such as during a meeting, not for the day after!

Finally, if you’re still not fully convinced with all that(!), consider which other software not only actively engages but includes the recipient, be it a family member, a neighbour, work colleague or client!

Yes, you can. Visualise2D works perfectly well both off and online.

When online, images can be downloaded and updates can be automatically checked for. You need to be online for installation, this being the only way to place the software onto your computer.

If by this you mean can a small number of copies be spread over a larger number of computers on a single internal network, then the answer is no (such a set-up is reserved for software typically costing in the thousands). However, we can offer two equivalent alternatives as follows:

• As a infrequent user but a user nonetheless requiring access from the convenience of your own work station, what could be more cost effective than to make full use of the pay-as-you-go service!
• As a more frequent user or a user who would have difficulty in repeat purchasing such is the case of some local authorities, then you can take advantage of our current offer of significant discounts on the purchase of multiple 365 day periods of access (see FAQ below). This applies to both within a single office and between two or more offices within the same company/organisation.

Yes, you can for 365 day periods. As a New Customer you will need to purchase one period at a time to ensure allocation of a unique Registration Code.

Should multiple copies be of interest, then please Contact us for details on how to gain the appropriate discount at the time of purchase as set out below (prices exclude tax; such an offer may be subject to change at any time):

After having made your selections on the 'Buy Visualise2D' page, you can pay by PayPal on the following Shopping Basket page, or choose to continue to the Checkout page where you can pay by Credit/Debit card, Bank Transfer (BACS) or by Cheque.

For BACS and Cheque you will receive an invoice by e-mail with full details for making payment.

For all payment methods, once payment has been received and accepted you will receive full details in an e-mail for installing and registering your copy of Visualise2D.

If you want to pay by a method not currently provided, please Contact us.

As a New Customer, once payment has been received:

• You will be taken to a page with a button for downloading & installing Visualise2D onto your computer
• An automatic check will give warning if you are not using browser IE and/or you don’t have the necessary Windows component.
• You will then have the opportunity to change your browser and/or download the required Windows component.
• Click on the button to install Visualise2D which will then partially open, requiring the input of a Registration Code.
• This code will be sent in an e-mail once payment has been received.
• Once the code is submitted, Visualise2D will open and be ready for use.

On re-opening Visualise2D:

• You will not be required to input a code
• Your Account within the Help section will display how many days of access remain
• Updates will be automatically checked for
• You will be free to download images at any time
• Support is available by e-mail and telephone

As an Existing Customer, you will need to provide your Registration Code at the time of purchasing access.

Once payment has been received:

• Simply close the browser and open Visualise2D ensuring you are connected to the internet
• If extending a period of current access, your installation will be automatically updated
• If your previous access had expired, you will be required to input your Registration Code

That's as it should be as images are to be downloaded separately using the Image Download within Help. Future image additions can be picked up by using this facility at any time.

You don't exactly, although we're looking at a way of notifying you. For now, every time you start up Visualise2D, it is worth taking the few seconds required to check by downloading the image groups of interest. Only new images will be downloaded with no risk of duplication.

We would like to and may do so in the future, but with access to a fully functioning copy full of images and unrestricted access to support all for £25.00, we feel it's almost as good as a free trial! Besides, there are the videos on this site giving you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Visualise2D is designed using Windows technology. This means that the installation only works for Windows operating systems. However, the use of dual boots where it is a simple matter of switching between Mac and Microsoft on the one computer is a way of overcoming the issue.

If your computer has XP from the beginning of 2008 or Vista, then it's almost certain that it would have been pre-loaded.

On older systems, this can easily be checked for by going to the bottom left corner of your screen and clicking on Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs and looking for Microsoft .Net Framework Version 2.

In any case, an automatic check is made as to whether or not your computer has this Windows component when you arrive at the Download & Install page. If it isn't installed, then you will be directed to the Microsoft Update site.

Yes it can, though the more challenging the scene, the more effort that is required to achieve this. In this case the perspective can be accurate to a point, but then a couple of other tools can then be used to compensate.

For example, if the scene is taken down one side of a street, the scale of individual images placed on the far side of the road may need to be adjusted to suit. If the ground rises or slopes away, then it may be necessary to adjust the horizon level.

Although Visualise2D is able to produce accurate visuals mainly by eye, it is not looking to produce absolute accuracy. Nevertheless, close-to should be achievable using the appropriate tools.

There are a couple of final points to note. The first is that Visualise2D is designed for scenes taken at a height of around 1.6 metres above ground level. A bit of variance isn't a problem, but from 5 metres up, say from a building, may look a little bit odd although this shouldn't prevent the ideas from being easily conveyed.

Secondly, the surfaces may not be exactly to scale, but they give a very good impression of what to expect which is the whole point of the software.

Any image with a PNG file ending will be suitable. The subject within the image will have a transparent background giving the appearance of having been 'cut out', just like the ones we provide for you.

These images can be copied to a secure folder called myVis2DImages under My Pictures all from within Visualise2D. This is done by using the Upload tool.

As for scaling one of your images, you're free to adjust this by eye once it has been added to a scene using the Modify tool. Alternatively, it may be better to set the scale correctly prior to uploading. Using a graphics software package such as PhotoShop or Corel Photo-Paint, set the scale by changing the image height allowing for 1 pixel being equal to 0.5cm i.e. twice the actual height.

Not at the moment. For now we can offer a layer system of sorts in that it is possible to turn on/off the Surfaces and Textures via the Colour tool, though this is for use only within Visualise2D.

No, not at the moment. It's possible to display a single image of a 3D model but it is not possible to add one in and rotate it within the scene.

If the need to use a 3D model is because a particular angle is required to be displayed, then we'd suggest a 2D image was taken of the 3D model within alternative software first.

However, this is not the case for surfaces for the alignment of any joints is to wherever you set the vanishing point.

Yes, it can be very easily. It involves uninstalling then re-installing without the need to input your Registration Code and is a very quick and straight forward process.

If not already, start by setting up a desktop shortcut to Visualise2D. To do this, go to your computer's Start > Programs > Visualise2D - right click on the Visualise2D icon and select 'Create Shortcut'. Once done, you may have to go back to the icon where you will then find your new shortcut. Drag this onto your desktop.

Ensuring no copies of Visualise2D are open, go to Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs (For Vista, this is Start > Settings > Control Panel > Programs and Features). Now uninstall Visualise2D.

Next, double-click on your Visualise2D icon on your desktop (the logo will be missing temporarily at this point). The opportunity to reinstall will now present itself.

In cleaning out your image library, any uploaded images to your personal library will be unaffected and will automatically be made available in the new install.

However, be aware that previously created scenes saved for future re-editing may now be missing one or more images if these are not re-downloaded. Should this be the case, the missing images will be displayed in yellow fill with the file names overlaid in black text. It will then be a case of using the Image Download to restore these particular images.

At the time of installation, updating, image downloading or refreshing, it may sometimes appear that nothing is happening, but just give it a little time and avoid clicking on anything else as this will only delay the process.

Please just be patient. For convenience's sake, Visualise2D has a lot of processes to perform and so it is important to allow it the time to fully carry them out.

If for any reason the process concerned is stopped part-way through, it is possible that the software may no longer perform as it should. In this case you will need to uninstall your copy using your computer’s inbuilt system for adding/removing programs, then re-install from the Download & Install page.

Please check the following:

• You have full Administrator rights - the lack of this being the single most likely reason for failure
• That there is no active blocker on your computer such as a firewall preventing the process from running
• That your computer's USB ports are free of any devices such as a an external hard drive (it's a Windows thing!)
• That if you are relying on a proxy server for your connection to the internet (Browser > Tools > Internet Options > Connections > LAN settings), then you will most probably need to install a hotfix from Microsoft onto your computer (an unlikely event, but then we're just trying to think of everything!).

Firstly, check that you really do have an internet connection by clicking on the 'Help' button and selecting 'Online Support'. If you have a connection, this website's Support page will be displayed.

Having confirmed a connection, check to see if the Image Download can be displayed by going to 'Help' and selecting 'Image Download'.

If the download is viewable, then the cause will be a firewall. At this point please Contact us for the necessary setting to apply to the firewall.

This occurs when Visualise2D is unable to find the images used in the scene either from the main library originating from the Image Download facility, or from your personal set of uploaded images.

The names of the missing images are displayed in the scene, which will then enable you to quickly locate and re-instate them.

If the background scene is yellow, then re-instatement will involve the original scene being put back into its correct folder location, that is, where it was first selected from.

The chances are that it has in fact been saved, but because dots have been included in the file name, the file ending is no longer recognisable as an XML. This occurs with XP and possibly earlier Window OS versions. Just to be clear that 'Save' is distinct from 'Export', the latter maintaining its file type as a JPG.

To bring this saved file back into a usable state, browse to it using 'My Computer' and remove the dots in the name other than the one before the file type if visible.

If you wish to continue using dots in your file names, when ensure you include '.xml' at the end.

Whether it's because of an upgrade or a move to another computer, a change will be required on the server. In both cases, simply contact us and we'll provide you with a new installation and matching registration code.

Any time lost between acceptance of your request and the time the new details are sent out will be added to your current access period. For customers who have purchased corresponding Download & Install Protection, any time lost will commence from the time of receipt of the request.

Full details on Download & Install Protection can be found on the Buy Visualise2D page.

No, you haven't, but a quirk of Microsoft is that you have to wait 7 days until it will present itself again.