:: The Basics
PlusDraw™ is shipped free-of-charge with every Leica DISTO™ plus laser distancemeter. The application was designed to demonstrate an effective integration between a Pocket PC and the DISTO™ plus, using Bluetooth™ technology.
This two way wireless communication between a Pocket PC and the DISTO™ plus allows you to quickly provide perimeter, surface area and volume calculations.
Using the DISTO™, measure a distance and input a direction. This information is automatically transferred and graphically displayed on a compatible Pocket PC. Once an area is completely drawn, the calculations are automatic.
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:: Measuring with DISTO™ plus
The DISTO Plus has all the features and power of the best-selling DISTO™ Classic, with added Bluetooth® communications technology. Measuring is simple and the DISTO™ is equipped to measure any situation you may encounter in the field. Before you begin, make sure your DISTO™ is set in Bluetooth® mode by
pressing the Bluetooth® button and the 2nd function key, and make sure your Bluetooth connection is active with your Pocket PC. For detailed information on establishing your Bluetooth® connections, please refer to the user manual or the FAQ in the support section of this site.
Point and Shoot
Simply aim at your target and hit the "DIST" key. Your distance will be automatically displayed. Input a direction key. On your Pocket PC, a red line will be drawn in the direction that was indicated. Press the ENTER key on your DISTO™ and the line will be anchored and colored black as shown.
Your DISTO™ plus has many other features including measuring by triangulation and addition/subtraction. Please refer to your DISTO™ User Manual for complete information on all the DISTO's powerful features.
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:: Views
Tab A: The Drawing View
This view will display the sketch based on measurements taken with the DISTO™ plus. Think of it as the primary "sketching" view that displays the graphical representation of the area. Notice the icon set on the bottom of the toolbar.
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Starts a new sketch file. |
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Saves the current sketch file using the current name or another name. |
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Opens page management dialog. |
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Exports all sketch pages to image files and their data to Pocket Excel® files.
The button remains depressed until the images and data have been exported. |
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Use this icon to zoom in or out on the sketch in specified increments from 50% to 400%. |
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Tap to quickly close a rectangle. If the result is a rectangle, the last two lines will be drawn automatically. Otherwise, the line needed to close the area will be automatically drawn. |
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Opens wall height input dialog. |
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Toggles the Help/Status bar on/off.
The status bar displays measurement inputs when using the PlusDraw Keypad. |
Tab B: Comments View
This tab allows you to enter any information you wish about your sketch. Enter your notes any way you want, but the intended use of the fields is described below:
1. The first field is intended for the name (example: customer name, property name).
2. The second field is intended for the floor or level name (example: first floor, second floor).
3. The third field is intended for room name (example: bedroom1, bedroom 2, kitchen). If the field is left blank, the page number will be inserted in the field automatically.
4. The fourth field is intended for additional comments or observations.
Tab C: Results View
This view will display calculation information gathered from measurement inputs.
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Displays surface area. |
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Displays perimeter. |
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Displays wall height. |
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Displays wall surface area. |
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Displays cubic volume. |
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:: Page Management
With PlusDraw™, you can organize sketch pages easily. Each sketch file can contain a virtually infinite number of pages, depending on the Pocket PC's available resources. Use these keys to add, delete, insert or sort your sketch files in PlusDraw™.
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Adds a blank page to the current sketch file. The page is added to the end of the list. |
| Deletes the selected page from the sketch file. |
| Allows a sketch page to be inserted. The page will be inserted before (above) the highlighted page. |
| Allows the pages to be sorted based on the direction selected. |
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:: Drawing Angles
You can input 45 degree angles quickly and easily with the diagonal direction keys on the DISTO™ keypad.
You can also input angles using rise and run. Just measure the rise and input the direction. While the line is still red, measure the run and input the direction. The original red line will angle itself according to your inputs. Press Enter on the DISTO™ and the line will be anchored and turn black.
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:: Editing Lines
You can edit lines with the DISTO™. Just tap on the specific line you wish to change. The line will be highlighted in red. Next, re-measure the correct distance using the DISTO™. Input the appropriate direction and press ENTER to anchor the new line.
You can also edit any line using the PlusDraw™ Keypad. After selecting the line, access the keypad by tapping the keyboard selection icon. Choose the PlusDraw™ Keypad from the available choices and it will appear automatically. Input the desired length using the number pad and the direction using the directional arrow keys. Tap Enter to anchor the line.
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:: Deleting Lines
Deleting lines from an open area is a snap. Press DELETE on the 2nd function layer of the DISTO™ device. The last line entered will be deleted.
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:: Saving and Exporting Files
PlusDraw saves sketches by naming the sketch files automatically and sequentially (Sketch 1.ax2, Sketch 2.ax2, etc.) when exiting the program. However, using the save icon on the PlusDraw™ toolbar, files can be saved with a custom name. You can save your sketches in the following formats:
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1. .ax2 - PlusDraw's proprietary file format. This format can only be viewed with PlusDraw, Pocket ApexT, and ApexT Software's desktop version (Apex IV™)
2. .bmp - bitmap image file of the sketch
3. .pxl - Pocket Excel® file format
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