This article covers five key display and line customisation options for your roof models: plane display options, roof/wall plane settings, roof/wall line options, line styles and weights, and special considerations for single-slope trim edges.
🧾 Plane, Roof and Wall Line Options Overview
The main dialog displays options to configure various plane and line settings for your roof models.
🔧 Roof/Wall Plane Options
Selecting Plane Options opens a dialog where you can choose whether roof and wall planes display as filled areas or cross-hatched lines.
Filled Planes Settings
If Filled Planes is selected, you must set the Filled Plane Intensity to make planes lighter or darker. A plane intensity of 0.35 or 0.4 typically works well.
Any material category can be assigned any colour number. Colour numbers are defined using CAD > Defaults > Colour Table. Remember that colour numbers are used for many entity types - changing colour 10 here affects it everywhere else it's used.
Once configured, select [Apply] to apply settings to your current job. Settings save with the job when you select [File > Save].
Hatched Planes Settings
If Roof/Wall Plane Style is set to [Hatched], you get additional options for the hatch pattern line style:
Style - Choose dashed, dotted, or solid lines
Weight - Set line thickness for screen display and report plotting
Roof model with Filled Planes:
Roof model with Hatched Planes:
Settings are saved when you select [Apply], then [OK] twice in the Preference Settings dialog, and also saved with individual models via [File > Save].
🔧 Roof/Wall Line Options
This command sets the colour, style, and weight (thickness) for different line types in roof and wall models.
When [Set Line Styles] is selected, the roof line styles display and can be modified. The Line Function is Roof Wizard's internal name, while Name is your preferred term used throughout the program.
💡 Line Selection Tips
Give each line function a unique name
Consider workspace background colour - dark lines are hard to see on dark backgrounds
Consider printed output - most printing is on white paper, so choose legible colours
White lines are invisible on white backgrounds
🛠 Extra User-Defined Line Styles
You can define up to 2000 additional line categories (USER1 to USERn).
Add New button on the Set Line Styles dialog under Set-Up > Preference Settings > System-Preferences > Set Line Styles to add your new linestyles.
Add the new line style and set the required colour, style and weight of the line representing your new line item:
Once named, they become visible in Cover > Flashing options and Tools > Change Line Type options.
When you select [Apply], changes apply to the current model and the dialog remains open. When you click [OK], settings save and apply to future lines.
⚠️ Important: Regardless of custom names, the line style function remains as described in the second column - Line Function. Keep this in mind when setting up flashing and trim options under Set-Up > Flashing.
🔧 Colour Settings
Clicking the colour setting button displays the Defaults Colour dialog.
Click the desired colour number, then [OK]. The colour index transfers to the Set-Line-Styles dialog, changing the colour number assignment.
To define what each colour number displays, use the [Define] button to access the Defaults Colour Table.
Select from basic colours or create custom colours using Hue/Saturation/Luminosity or Red/Green/Blue scales. Consider both screen background colour and printed report appearance when selecting colours.
🔧 Line Style and Line Weight
Line style and weight selection work similarly to colour selection.
Line Style Settings
The Defaults Style dialog allows you to select style numbers to change line appearance. For example, valley lines are often set to dashed lines to distinguish them from hip lines.
Line Weight Settings
The Defaults Weight dialog controls line thickness for display and printing.
🛠 Show Angle Option
The [Show Angle] option displays bend angles for trim - the angle between adjacent roof planes. This information appears in the flashing cutting list, helping with correct part fabrication.
To enable, double-click the cell in the dialog. An X appears when selected.
When enabled, the software adds bend angles to both the flashing report and roof plan annotation, helping installers use correct trim on correct edges. This is particularly useful for complex roofs with multiple pitches.
⚠️ Note: Line annotation only applies when trim is manufactured 'cut to length'. For stock length 'sticks' (e.g., 10'3"), lines aren't annotated since all lengths are the same. With varying bend angles from multiple roof pitches, lines are annotated with bend angle only.
⚠️ Important: Set the estimation method to 'calculate each run separately' - do NOT use Total Run. Refer to estimation method setup descriptions for details.
⚠️ Notes for Single-Slope Trim at Top Edge
In parts of Australia and New Zealand, the top edge of a single-slope flat roof is called a 'monoridge'. While Roof Wizard has a Monoridge line type, it was developed 30+ years ago specifically for tile roofs.
For metal roofs, the Monoridge line type doesn't function as required for metal trim. When generating flashing cutting lists, nothing is identified for Monoridge line types.
🛠 Recommended Solution
Turn on [Show Angle] function for Gable/Rake line types
Set the 'monoridge' line to 'Gable' on the model
The software will generate correct cutting lists for all roof components
💡 Tip: By default, the software creates an Apron line type at the top edge, assuming the single-slope roof butts against a wall. For free-standing single-slope roofs not joining anything, use the 'Gable' line type, definitely NOT Monoridge - unless it's a tile roof, and monoridge tiles are to be used.
With this configuration, you get proper results including both Barge cap (bent to correct angles) and Fascia-as-Barge calculated and listed separately in the cutting list. When accessories are defined, correct accessories are also calculated.