Languages Update

The Languages files in Garden Planner have been recently updated. Polish, Russian and Norwegian have been added to the languages files as well as updates to the existing translations.

However, please note that only the Plants and Objects names gets translated, the rest is still in English. But this is still useful if you only speak a little English or if you speak English well but are developing plans for someone who speaks a different language.

Furthermore there is now a simple tool that lets you update the languages files yourself if you notice any incorrect translations. The details on the languages tool are here.

On Tuesday we had a server issue

On Tuesday we had a server issue that meant that the web site was offline briefly.

We apologize for any inconvenience. Everything is back to normal now.

We are moving the site to a new faster server and there was a hiccup with the DNS settings.

thanks for your understanding

 

 

Life of a bee for free

Because of everything that’s going on with school closures I have made my iPad and Android app “life of a bee” free. Details are here

http://www.smallblueprinter.com/lifeofabee/

It is completely free with no ads and no in-app purchases and it was developed with the assistance of primary/elementary school teachers.

I hope it is of some use to parents/teachers.

On this page there are also some free coloring and activities http://www.smallblueprinter.com/lifeofabee/resources.html

take care

David

Latest update gets swinging

The latest update to Garden Planner (version 3.7.38) adds in some swing chairs and hammocks. There is also an improvement to the lock in place property to make in more “locked”. So you now cant delete an object that is locked in place or accidentally move it as part of a multi-selection. The update also includes a bunch of bug fixes and improvements to the 3d view, especially related to following terrain. To update: if you purchased through this web site or amazon then download the latest trial version from the site. Install it and it will auto detect your key and activate the full version. If you purchased through the Mac app store download the update from the store.

Side Project: Life of a Bee app

We have just launched a little side project called Life of Bee.

This is educational app aimed at 6- to 10 year olds and covers bees, butterflies, pollination, life-cycles and much more.

The app is available for iPad and Android tablets (with windows tablets added soon).

Update, including new drawing tool

The latest update to Garden Planner is version 3.7.22. This update includes a new drawing tool that lets you draw out kitchen benches. This is the first stage in adding more outdoor kitchen options to Garden Planner.

You can draw out kitchen benches just like drawing a wall. Then in 3d view you can change the shape of the bench top and choose from a range of styles for the side of the bench.

While built for kitchen benches you can also use this tool to create modern bench style seating. Just lower the height of the bench and add a few cushions and there you have it.

Finally, also in this update is a new option to change the font size of measurement lines. You will find the option under Measurement Settings.

You can now add points to a shape or path

Garden Planner version 3.7.14 is now available and adds in the ability to add extra points to an existing shape. For example: add an extra point on a path or a garden bed.

To do this you simply right click (or cmd click on a mac) and you will see a little menu item that says add new point here. Which does what it says. Quite a few people requested this feature – I hope you find it useful.

Easter eggs

In the world of software an Easter egg is a hidden feature or element in the software. In the late nineties quite a few Easter eggs slipped into Microsoft applications, like a flight simulator hidden in Excel and a pinball game in Word.

So, are there any Easter eggs in Garden Planner? Yes, just one which I recently added in. I had a user request to add in a Joshua tree and just couldn’t help myself. So the Easter egg is if you add a Joshua tree to your plan and then rename your Joshua tree so it’s title is u2, then have a look in 3d view and you will see what has changed.

Garden Planner 3.7 is now available

The latest update to Garden Planner is now available – version 3.7

This version includes some new objects, including 6 new trees – with new 2d and 3d graphics. This the start of including a few more common trees. Initially Garden Planner focused on generic plant and tree symbols but with the introduction of the 3d view it has become useful to have some specific trees – because a 2d representation of a willow tree or an oak tree may look much the same, however they need to look quite different in 3d.

There is also a bunch of bug fixes in this update.

Side Project: Bee Anatomy

As well as Garden Planner I’ve also been involved in a side project to create an educational app that covers bee and insect anatomy, pollination etc. It is targeted at younger students (around 6 – 10 years old)

When released the app will be available for iPad, Windows and Mac.

While the final project will be an app, I reused some of the assets to create a small interactive for the web and have put it online as it may be of use to teachers or students.

You can access the Honey Bee and Butterfly Anatomy interactive here.

It uses webGL so it will work for most browsers on most computers, but alas wont work in Safari on iPads or if you are using an old version of Internet Explorer on Windows.