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Using Tiling Wizard

Caroline
  • Updated

From Virtual Worlds v8.3, the Tiling wizard tool quickly applies an individual tile or tile pattern to surfaces. On its own, it places a simple, standard tile template onto the walls of your plan. You can use the Tiling Wizard to tile a whole surface or make a part tiled wall for a bathtub feature or shower enclosure. You can also combine different tiling areas and align the grouting to create, for example, a seamless tiled area that combines the feature of a half-tiled wall and a shower enclosure.

 

Open Tiling Wizard

Note: When you have selected a tile from a catalogue and placed in your design, it will be placed in the centre of the room.  See article Searching and selecting a tile for help on selecting a tile. 

  1. If you have just selected a tile to place, the selection will already be set to Drag and you can move to step 3. 

    If not, click the Select icon in the tool bar, and click to select the tile. 

  2. Click the Drag icon. 

    VW_Icon_Drag.png

  3. Click on the wall you want tiling on to snap it to the centre of the wall’s surface. 

  4. With the tile highlighted, click the Tiling wizard icon.

    VW_Icon_TilingWizard.png

Tiling Wizard Summary

VW_EN_TilingWizard_Numbered.png

1. Area Properties
In the Area properties section, you can click Tile Whole Surface. Enter a specific measurement (in mm), or a number of tiles that the tile area will cover in the Horizontal/Vertical fields.  Click the lock icons to tile the full surface area horizontally or vertically. 

2. Area Alignment
Positions the set tile area to certain alignments.  Selecting Tile Whole Surface will grey out this section.

3. Grout tile alignment
Positions the grouting of a complete tile from where the other tiles can then follow. 

4. Tile Spacing
Enter the specific tile spacing figure in mm.  Select options for grouting, specifying depth, and the grout type such as selecting colour. 

5. Apply/Refresh Template
Click to update your choices on the tiled wall.  You can continue to change settings and re-apply the tiles.  Click Close when complete.

 

Using Area Properties

You can define the amount of surface the tiles will cover by entering a measurement in millimetres, or by the number of tiles.  This defined area can then be aligned on the surface using the Area Alignment tools.

 

Tiling the whole surface

  1. In Tiling wizard, go to the Area Properties section and click the Tile Whole Surface icon.

    VW_Icon_TileWholeSurface.png

  2. Click Apply/Refresh Template.

The whole surface will now be tiled.

When the whole surface is tiled, the horizontal and vertical boxes will be greyed out and will be defined as N/A, and both the Horizontal and Vertical lock icons will be set to locked.  

VW_TilingWizard_AreaProperties_HV locked.png

Note: To continue updating the tiled surface, you can click the Horizontal and Vertical lock icons to unlock.  

 

Horizontal and Vertical locks

You can click to lock or unlock the Horizontal or Vertical fields.  When either field is locked, it means that the tiles will completely cover the direction selected.  

VW_Icon_LockX.png Locking just the Horizontal field means that the tiles will completely cover the surface area from left to right. 
VW_TilingWizard_Using horizontal lock.gif
 
VW_Icon_LockY.png Locking just the Vertical field means that the tiles will completely cover the surface area from bottom to top.
VW_TilingWizard_using vertical lock.gif

 

Entering a measurement amount into the Vertical and Horizontal fields to increase or decrease the tile area

The Measurement toggle will be set to default.  When this is active, any figures entered into the Horizontal or Vertical fields is defined in millimetres.  

VW_TilingWizard_Entering measurements in H and V field.gif

 

Entering a tiles/patterns amount into the Vertical and Horizontal fields to increase or decrease the tile area

Click the Tiles/Patterns toggle to define the area by a single tile, or by the pattern you have selected. The area will be affected in the same way vertically and horizontally, however the area covered will be limited to the size and amount of tiles, or pattern entered.

VW_TilingWizard_change tile amounts.gif

Note: If you have selected a pattern, the area will depend on how the pattern is set, and its general size.  For example, a pattern may be set to cover half of the surface area of wall at default room height.  This means that vertically the total coverage would be 2, and for a half wall it would be 1.  

 

 

Using Area Alignment

  1. Click the Area Alignment buttons to shift the tile area to the corresponding place on the wall. 
     
    VW_TilingWizard_AreaAlignment.png
     
    • There are two alignment groupings - horizontal and vertical.  You can select one of each grouping to combine alignment.
    • When an alignment icon is clicked, it will highlight and remain selected until you click it again to deselect, or select a different alignment of the same grouping.

      Reminder: The area of the surface covered is defined by what information is entered to the Horizontal and Vertical fields in the Area Properties section.

  2. Click Apply/Refresh Template to view the result.  You can then click Close, or continue to try different tiling variations.

VW_TilingWizard_UsingAreaAlignment.gif

 

Using Grouting and Spacing

You can alter the alignment and colour of the grout lines in your tile area, as well as adjusting the tile spacing by millimetres.

Grout Line Alignment

  1. Click the Grout Line Alignment buttons to shift the grout line to the corresponding place on the wall. 
     
    VW_Grout line alignment icons.png
     
    • There are two alignment groupings - horizontal and vertical.  You can select one of each grouping to combine alignment.

      VW_TilingWizard_grout alignment icon guide.gif

    • When an alignment icon is clicked, it will highlight and remain selected until you click it again to deselect, or select a different alignment of the same grouping.

  2. Click Apply/Refresh Template to view the result.  You can then click Close, or continue to try different tiling variations.

    VW_TilingWizard_grout alignment combine alignment.gif

 

You can use Grout Line Alignment to match two separate tile areas on the same surface:

VW_TilingWizard_grout alignment match two tile areas.gif

Note: Depending on the placement and type of tiles used, further adjustments may be required by using the Move Region or Scroll Selected Pattern tools.  See article Aligning grout for more information.

 

Tile Spacing

In the Tile spacing section there is a default of 2mm to allow for grouting.  You can alter the size of the tile space, but you must take into consideration how this can affect your tile area measurements.  If you are using tile bond templates, this can greatly affect the quality of the bond and it is advised to not adjust this spacing.

 

Apply Grout

Tick the Apply Grout icon to make adjustments to the default settings of the grouting. 

  • You can alter the Depth by adjusting the figure.
  • To change the Grout Type, you can select a standard Colour in the drop-down, or toggle to a manufacturer's specification by selecting Catalogue.  
  • If you select Catalogue grout type, click Select Grout... to navigate to the grout browser.

Guidance Videos

The following videos guide you in the basics of Tiling Wizard:

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