b998760e96
What changed: Added 45 new Floor Plans help articles under [FloorPlans](C:/Source/PlotLine/PlotLine/Help/Articles/FloorPlans), including the seven full guides requested plus field-level help for the contextual icons. Wired contextual help-icon entries into:Floor Plans list page Floor Plan editor header Structure / Occupancy mode controls floor, block, background, transitions and occupancy UI transition-specific areas for stairs, ladders, hidden doors and secret passages Verification: Confirmed every Floor Plans help-icon key used in the views has a matching article. Confirmed all 45 new articles have required help metadata. dotnet build PlotLine.slnx passes with 0 warnings and 0 errors. No database changes, no Floor Plan behaviour changes, no transition changes, and no editor redesign.
51 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
51 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Floor Plan Best Practices
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category: Floor Plans
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tags: floor plans, best practices, writing, continuity, planning spaces
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contextKey: floorPlans.bestPractices
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micro: Keep Floor Plans focused on story usefulness, not architectural perfection.
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quickTitle: Floor Plan best practices
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quickSummary: Start rough, model narrative spaces, use hidden routes when they matter, and focus on what the story needs.
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screenshot:
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---
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# Overview
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A useful Floor Plan is clear enough to support the story. It does not need to be a perfect building survey.
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# Start Rough
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Place the important rooms first. Add corridors, gardens, cellars and stairs when they matter. You can refine shapes and transitions later.
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# Model Narrative Spaces
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Use blocks to represent spaces that matter to the story: where people stand, what they can hear, where an asset is hidden, or how someone gets from one room to another.
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Do not over-model every architectural detail. A fireplace, alcove or cupboard only needs its own Location if the story treats it as a meaningful place.
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# Use Multiple Blocks For Awkward Shapes
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If a room is L-shaped or irregular, use several blocks linked to the same Location. PlotDirector will visually merge the shared internal borders, so the room still reads as one space.
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# Corridors Matter
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Use corridors, landings and halls as Locations too. They often control movement, sightlines, overheard conversations and who could plausibly arrive in time.
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# Secret Routes
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Use hidden doors, secret passages and blocked routes when they carry story meaning. They are ideal for mystery houses, backstage areas, old buildings, hidden compartments and reveals.
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# Check Vertical Logic
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Use the reference floor overlay before adding stairs. It is much easier to line up a staircase early than to fix a broken vertical route after several scenes depend on it.
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# Focus On Story Questions
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Let the plan answer practical questions:
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- who can see or hear whom?
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- where are important assets?
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- how does a character move through the space?
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- what route is hidden from the reader or from other characters?
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- does the scene still make sense when viewed from above?
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