Drawing Floor Map with GIMP

eagertolearn · **Joined:** Feb 26, 2014 **Posts:** 248

I’m trying to draw a site map for all the materials on shelves at our local library.

I can barely draw a box so I’m looking for any freeware which would help me draw shelf areas on a floor space so I could type in text like Fiction, Biography, Non-Fiction, History, DVDs (Film), DVDs (TV), CDs – Music (Rock, Jazz, etc.

I need to use freeware so would Inkscape be an easier to use application to draw than GIMP for a beginner?

Other drawing software which would be easier/easiest?

3D is nice but I imagine 3D software has an even steeper learning curve than GIMP (for graphic beginners), no?

Thank you!!

ofnuts · **Joined:** Oct 25, 2010 **Posts:** 4812

Check the "Draw" component of LibreOffice.

bilbo9955 · **Joined:** Jul 11, 2010 **Posts:** 349

I just started looking at this. you might want to look at SweetHome3d. In my limited search, I found it easy yo use.

http://www.sweethome3d.com/

Wallace · **Posted:** Tue Jul 03, 2018 1:20 pm **(#4)**

Perhaps you can upload a hand drawn image, with a rough out line.
Of what you're trying to create and we can assist in getting this started for you.

Nidhogg · **Posted:** Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:01 pm **(#5)**

Definitely recommend Inkscape or LibreOffice Draw for basic planning, diagrams etc.
Don't pick up pixel editor for vector work.
I'm gonna say LibreOffice Draw because it's even easier than Inkscape and has better built-in shape and pattern fill library.

eagertolearn · **Joined:** Feb 26, 2014 **Posts:** 248

My apologies to all for my tardy gratitude for your replies. New job - mass quantities of hours (very grateful to have it) but little personal time.

I have *no* experience with Libre Draw. It opened a jpg one time - that's it. It didn't seem intuitive like I've found Writer to be.

I'm interested in the easiest to learn/easiest to use/ free software so patrons and new staff, volunteers and student interns can find materials on shelves easily and quickly.

Ex. one set of shelves to the far left of the circulation desk would be labeled Fiction. Then the next set of shelves named Mystery in the shelves bay to the right of the Fiction shelves bay and then to the right of that the shelves Bay for Supernatural.

This would be a floor plan so a patron could walk around the library and look at this floor plan map and know where Fiction is - where Mystery is, Biography, etc. for every collection throughout the library.

If I sat with an illustrator they could probably draw it all up in about 20-30 minutes and I would just scan what they drew and have a map (crude compared to a 3D) but enough so a patron could find items.

I can barely draw a square - I wish I had more of that talent.

I understand this isn't a Libre Draw list but I joined one and subscribers were way advanced they lost me at "Hi."

If anyone could please email me privately on this list with suggestions re: howto get started drawing in Libre Draw I'd be most appreciative. TIA.

bilbo9955 - that software looks really cool. I fear the leaning curve for a graphic Forrest Gump like me!
But, thank you so much for sharing it.

Thank you ALL again so very much!

eagertolearn · **Joined:** Feb 26, 2014 **Posts:** 248

Hi All,

Would you happen to know of any training site which would offer a class in learning beginning Inkscape?

For the moment now, I just want to re-create the attached but instead of the red shelves be able to type in those shelves Fiction, Horror, etc.

Hopefully it uploaded both PDFs???

I get the error message The extension doc is not allowed. Any fixes?

Thank you!!

eagertolearn · **Joined:** Feb 26, 2014 **Posts:** 248

I saved the .doc as a PDF and tried uploading.

Hopefully it can be seen?

Thank you!!

Nidhogg · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2018 2:27 pm **(#9)**

Still need some help with it?
I checked the Mid-County Regional Library Floor Plan and it looks okay.

Wallace · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2018 3:37 pm **(#10)**

I made a few changes to your floor plan design.
That help it to look more open and not covered over with "white text boxes".
Basically,
I moved the text boxes outside of the floor plan.

Attachment:

Library - SITE MAP - inside_wallace.png [ 253.26 KiB | Viewed 13018 times ]

You could also create and index of all the areas,
using number overlays instead of arrows.
Each number corresponds to an area in the index.

Below is an example floor plan.

Attachment:

FloorPlanUp.jpg [ 555.1 KiB | Viewed 13010 times ]

eagertolearn · **Joined:** Feb 26, 2014 **Posts:** 248

Thank you for your kind help.

I'm not sure if you accomplished all your much appreciated changes in GIMP?

I'm trying to fill the "red shelves" with collection material names?

Ex. The farthest shelf to the left would start with Spanish followed immediately on that same shelf further down vertically in those red shelves with Fiction, etc.

It's challenging to describe in words and because I have no experience with Library Draw or Inkscape I'm limited in how to describe it other that sharing a very crude display in an Excel file... if you think that might help?

Thank you!

Wallace wrote:

I made a few changes to your floor plan design.
That help it to look more open and not covered over with "white text boxes".
Basically,
I moved the text boxes outside of the floor plan.

Attachment:

Library - SITE MAP - inside_wallace.png

You could also create and index of all the areas,
using number overlays instead of arrows.
Each number corresponds to an area in the index.

Below is an example floor plan.

Attachment:

FloorPlanUp.jpg

Wallace · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2018 11:47 am **(#12)**

eagertolearn wrote:

Thank you for your kind help.

I'm not sure if you accomplished all your much appreciated changes in GIMP?

I'm trying to fill the "red shelves" with collection material names?

Ex. The farthest shelf to the left would start with Spanish followed immediately on that same shelf further down vertically in those red shelves with Fiction, etc.

It's challenging to describe in words and because I have no experience with Library Draw or Inkscape I'm limited in how to describe it other that sharing a very crude display in an Excel file... if you think that might help?

Thank you!

Wallace wrote:

I made a few changes to your floor plan design.
That help it to look more open and not covered over with "white text boxes".
Basically,
I moved the text boxes outside of the floor plan.

Attachment:

Library - SITE MAP - inside_wallace.png

You could also create and index of all the areas,
using number overlays instead of arrows.
Each number corresponds to an area in the index.

Below is an example floor plan.

Attachment:

FloorPlanUp.jpg

You could print the floor plan and draw on it,
to try and convey what it is you want to add.
Then upload the floor plan with your additions and or changes.

I think perhaps an index,
as I described previously would work.

eagertolearn · **Joined:** Feb 26, 2014 **Posts:** 248

Here's a crude Excel file of what I'm trying to "insert" into those red shelves.

Thank you!

Wallace wrote:

eagertolearn wrote:

Thank you for your kind help.

I'm not sure if you accomplished all your much appreciated changes in GIMP?

I'm trying to fill the "red shelves" with collection material names?

Ex. The farthest shelf to the left would start with Spanish followed immediately on that same shelf further down vertically in those red shelves with Fiction, etc.

It's challenging to describe in words and because I have no experience with Library Draw or Inkscape I'm limited in how to describe it other that sharing a very crude display in an Excel file... if you think that might help?

Thank you!

Wallace wrote:

I made a few changes to your floor plan design.
That help it to look more open and not covered over with "white text boxes".
Basically,
I moved the text boxes outside of the floor plan.

Attachment:

The attachment Library - SITE MAP - inside_wallace.png is no longer available

You could also create and index of all the areas,
using number overlays instead of arrows.
Each number corresponds to an area in the index.

Below is an example floor plan.

Attachment:

The attachment FloorPlanUp.jpg is no longer available

You could print the floor plan and draw on it,
to try and convey what it is you want to add.
Then upload the floor plan with your additions and or changes.

I think perhaps an index,
as I described previously would work.

Wallace · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2018 12:36 pm **(#14)**

eagertolearn wrote:

Here's a crude Excel file of what I'm trying to "insert" into those red shelves.

Thank you!

I've downloaded the pdf file that you provided.
However,
I haven't a clue were to insert the additions.
Without any kind of reference.
I can only guess at where these additions might go.

Here is what I have.

eagertolearn · **Joined:** Feb 26, 2014 **Posts:** 248

I'm trying to insert those collection materials (e.g. Fiction, etc.) into the red shelves so they would appear as shelved material revealing what's on each shelf as you walk through the library.

The file won't upload as a spreadsheet so I had to save it as a pdf.

Thanks.

Wallace · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2018 1:58 pm **(#16)**

eagertolearn wrote:

I'm trying to insert those collection materials (e.g. Fiction, etc.) into the red shelves so they would appear as shelved material revealing what's on each shelf as you walk through the library.

The file won't upload as a spreadsheet so I had to save it as a pdf.

Thanks.

Yes I understand this,
but without any reference,
I'm lost as to were things go.

eagertolearn · **Joined:** Feb 26, 2014 **Posts:** 248

Can you share how to expand those red shelves and then how I can type in text (e.g. Fiction)?

Thanks.

Wallace · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:21 pm **(#18)**

eagertolearn wrote:

Can you share how to expand those red shelves and then how I can type in text (e.g. Fiction)?

Thanks.

The red shelves are only a crude example,
as is the entire floor plan I came up with.

I can't begin to present,
all the information you'll need to be able to reconstruct this floor plan.

You would need to have a bit more,
than a basic working knowledge of GIMP.
In order to recreate/rearrange a floor plan of any kind.

If you could provide a basic floor plan,
with some notations,
as to were things are suppose to be.
I may be able to help.

Otherwise,
we're back at square one.

There is also another issue.
The size of the original map and adding text on the shelving.

Below,
is a screenshot.
Of the original map on a standard 8x11 US Letter canvas.

As you can see the map is very small.
The text is not legible,
when placed on one of the shelves.

Here is a screenshot of the text,
when zoomed in at 100%.

Another thing to notice.
Is the text size,
which is very small.