Smart-Builder: FAQ

I don't know how to use CAD software, can I still use Smart-Builder?

Of course! Although the application generates full colour 3D and isometric line drawings, it is an expert system not a CAD application. Smart-Builder uses an intuitive graphical interface to make design easy. The complex maths required to calculate a design is transparently handled by the application.

What is an “expert system”?

An expert system aids you in design in much the same way as a real life expert would. Smart-Builder's software contains the distilled knowledge of many experienced glass industry professionals. Combined with the speed and reliability of modern computing, Smart-Builder products can make an expert out of anyone. The software leads you step-by-step, showing what is required, raising warnings where necessary and performing complex calculations in the blink of an eye.

What is a configurator?

Configurators are a common name for any software that use rules to help you design something. They range from simple product selector tools to high end expert systems with multiple options, wide capability and sophisticated interfaces, such as the Smart-Builder range.

What type of Shower, Shopfront, Railing or Balustrade can I build with Smart-Builder?

We support a larger range of configurations than any other comparable system and our software is consistently being enhanced to maintain and extend this lead. This means that the vast majority of your real world jobs are probably supported. You are welcome to send us any complex example jobs you have and we can confirm whether they are supported.

Will I be able to customise Smart-Builder for my business?

Smart-Builder is an extremely versatile system. With Smart-Builder you can set up default behaviour for cutouts and hardware placements, preferred fittings, and more. You will be able to personalise the look of your reports and your contact details to suit your company. And, if you opt for the Smart-Toolbox solution, you will be able to manage all of your customers' details and then follow up on their quotes and work orders all in one centralised database.

Can I install Smart-Builder on my own server?

Yes, you can have the software installed on your own server. Smart-Builder can be installed in stand-alone mode on a single computer, for multiple users by installing on a server computer, or over the internet by using Smart-Hosting.

Is it possible to access the system from multiple locations?

Yes. There are two options for accessing Smart-Builder from multiple locations. The first is to arrange network infrastructure, such as a Virtual Private Network (VPN), between your locations so that they can all access Smart-Builder from your server. We can provide advice on how to structure such a setup.

An easier option is to use our Smart-Hosting service to access Smart-Builder online from our high performance servers. This allows you to access Smart-Builder from any computer with an internet connection. This includes office computers, home computers, or even laptops with mobile internet access. More information on Smart-Hosting is available here.

Am I able to use my licence on multiple computers?

Yes. Smart-Builder is licensed on a simultaneous user basis. This means a site with a 3 user licence could access the Smart-Builder software from half a dozen (or more) different computers so long as no more than 3 users are connected at once.

We will need a large number of users. Can the software handle this?

Yes. Smart-Builder uses enterprise strength database technology and scales very well with increased load. It has been used in environments with eighty simultaneous users and 25,000 structures being created per month. Even higher loads are achievable with appropriate server hardware.

I have some requests to make Smart-Builder a better fit for my organisation, who do I send them to?

We are always interested in hearing suggestions and requests from our customers. Our software is continually updated and the best or more popular requests are frequently implemented in new versions. If you have a specific request which is important to you then we are happy to provide a quote for implementing the enhancement immediately.

Will there be any updates available for Smart-Builder?

The Smart-Builder suite is continually being updated by our dedicated development team. All licences include full access to updates as and when they become available.

Is help available when using the software?

If you would like help with any aspect of Smart-Builder's software you can send an email to our dedicated support email address or call our offices in London or Auckland during business hours. We can also arrange training or consultation for customers who feel this would be beneficial.

What type of system requirements do I need to run Smart-Builder?

The Smart-Builder server and client are supported on Windows 2008, Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP and Windows 2000. Note that some of the home targeted versions of Microsoft Windows (eg Windows Vista Home) may not be appropriate for acting as a server.

Can I add my own hardware/cutouts to Smart-Builder?

Yes, Smart-Builder is supplier independent. It is possible to enter hardware from any supplier. All the maintenance screens necessary to do this are included in the software, but if you wish we can also provide you with a quote to enter your hardware details for you.

What about complicated installations? Can the software handle these?

Smart-Builder pride themselves on the large range and number of variations that their software can configure. This is incredibly important because it is the difficult designs that take longer and have more chance of error when designing by hand.

Does the software export DXF files?

Yes, the software can export DXF files for automated glass cutting machines. There are a range of export options such as finished glass size or block size, with or without cut-outs.

We have complicated cutouts. Can your software handle them?

Smart-Builder supports a wide range of cut-outs natively. Unusual cut-outs can be configured as template diagrams which will print with the glass drawings to aid with glass fabrication. We also aim to keep up to date with current cutout styles.

I get my glass from several glass suppliers. How can the software cost the glass accurately?

The application allows glass costs to be entered against multiple suppliers and will cost each glass panel against the supplier chosen for a particular job.

I do a lot of loft conversions with complicated ceilings. Can the software handle these?

As well as supporting out of square panels, Smart-Builder has support for raked ceilings. This functionality takes care of the complex calculations when you have a rake that extends over several panels. The software will also take care of sloping floors, walls and ceilings. Even walls that bow in or out are catered for.

How does the software handle small outages in walls?

A range of tolerances can be set for all extrusions used in the software. Where possible the application will aim to cut glass straight whenever an extrusion can tolerate it. It can also calculate straight edges where there is an inward or outward bow. The upshot of this is lower glass costs.

Is it possible to save customer details?

Yes. Smart-Toolbox has a full customer database with account balances, pricing lists and job history. Even without Smart-Toolbox you can still save customer details against the Showers, Shopfronts, Railings and Balustrades you design.

Can I use my own hardware/other hardware supplier?

Yes, hardware in Smart-Builder is hardware independent. It is possible to enter hardware from any supplier and configure the cut-outs and other hardware details to match the way you use it.

What makes Smart-Builder so special?

Many factors contribute to make Smart-Builder so successful. The very first shower design software we developed went live in March 1996 and was an instant hit. The version of Smart-Shower available today has been completely rewritten and bears little resemblance to the first version but it owes much of its real world usability and practicality to the 11 years of constant industry usage and feedback since that date.

We realised from the start that template-based systems are easier to develop but ultimately place the user within a straitjacket. So Smart-Shower, and our other design modules, allow the user to start from a template, if they wish, but then they have complete freedom to design what they want and need. Our approach is best described as an expert system. We have distilled the knowledge and experience of numerous shower, shopfront and balustrade measurers and installers and put that knowledge into Smart-Builder.

The result is that, instead of being merely an overgrown calculator, Smart-Builder truly understands the rules and limitations involved in building a frameless or bespoke shower, shopfront or balustrade.

Does Smart-Builder have templates?

Yes. Templates are provided for quick and easy entry. However, the templates are just an aid and it is possible to enter custom configurations from scratch. In fact, you can design your own templates and can change any part of a template-based enclosure as well.

Why doesn't Smart-Builder limit itself to templates only?

There are two major problems with template-based design systems.

Firstly it is not feasible to create templates for all of the configurations which a real-world shower installation company requires. When someone claims their software contains hundreds or even thousands of templates that is really just emphasising the limitations of their approach. Basic arithmetic indicates that even considering only medium sized showers containing 4 panels or less there are more than 100,000 possible template configurations. The numbers get well into the millions for larger showers. It is much better to use templates merely as an optional starting point and allow the user to extend or modify the shower as they wish.

Secondly template-based systems lock the user into that particular template at the very start of the design process. In the real world things are rarely that simple. What if a customer wants a shower quoted both with and without a fixed side panel to hinge from? Maybe they change their mind about which direction they want the door hinged or they no longer want that transom they originally requested. A template system forces the user to start from scratch by selecting a new template, entering measurements again, selecting hardware again and reapplying any special conditions, a time consuming and error prone process. True flexibility is only possible with software that allows showers to be copied and altered as the user desires, not as the software dictates.

No matter how much developers of template-based software claim their system is "powerful" or "flexible" the fact is their approach fundamentally prevents them from truly achieving either goal.

Why can't I design my showers using AutoCAD or a similar CAD program?

The short answer is that you can. You can design practically anything in AutoCAD. And therein lays the problem. Traditional CAD software is made to allow you to design anything you can imagine but by and large you have to tell it exactly what to do. A good parallel would be drawing software. You can draw anything you want and you could even write a 500 page novel with good drawing software... but you would be much, much better off writing your novel in a program designed specifically for writing such as Microsoft Word or PageMaker.

For example, Smart-Shower is a program designed specifically for designing frameless or bespoke showers. When you tell Smart-Shower about the shower you want to design you tell it about sidelites, doors, hinges, channels, wall and floor slopes, etc. Smart-Shower then calculates everything about your shower. If you were to tell a CAD program about a shower you would be telling it about lines, rectangles, circles and other geometric shapes, and then you would also have to tell it about the sizes and positioning for each of these elements while having to considering small, but important details, such as how many hinges you need for the size of door you have chosen etc.

In effect you need to tell CAD software the end-result, including sizes that you want to see. The resulting 3D and glass drawings might look the same but you will have done the work for the computer, instead of letting the computer do the work for you with Smart-Builder.

I have a spreadsheet for working out quote prices. What is the advantage of Smart-Builder?

The software costing calculations are based on the exact hardware, glass area, and processing costs. You will know what your supplier is going to charge even before you order. Accurate costing means you will never quote too high or low again. Of course, the professional quotes with colour 3D drawings are a great marketing device as well!

Frequently Asked Questions