Monarch Stone Layout Planner allows you to generate a custom stone layout to your dimensions using styles and colors you choose. Your layout can be saved as an Adobe PDF document and includes a diagram of your custom layout and the sizes and quantity of each stone required to complete the job.
The Layout Planner was written using Java which makes it compatible with any computer that supports Java.Some computers already include Java but others must download and install the free Java software from Sun's web site, http://www.java.com/en/download/.This table identifies computer compatibility:
| Operating System | Requires Java Download? |
| Windows 98, 2000, XP | Yes |
| Macintosh OS X | No, already installed |
| Macintosh OS 9 | Not supported |
| Linux | No, already installed |
Saved layouts can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader or compatible software.Although the Layout Planner can create an Acrobat file without any additional software, you must have an Acrobat-compatible viewer installed on your computer to view the output from Layout Planner.Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free download from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. This table identifies computer compatibility:
| Operating System | Requires Acrobat Reader Download? |
| Windows 98, 2000, XP | Yes |
| Macintosh OS X | No, already installed |
| Macintosh OS 9 | Yes |
| Linux | No, already installed |
No other software is required.
The left portion of the window contains the drawing grid.Your layout will be designed using this grid.
Determine the grid scale to use by selecting the corresponding drop-down menu item.Valid selections include: 1 foot, 15 inches, 20 inches, 2 feet, 30 inches, 5 feet.
To enter a particular length and width, click the Specify button in the Dimensions box.Enter the length and width of the work area in feet and inches.
You can use your pointing device to create a polygon region such as a square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, etc.Note that circles are not supported.
To draw a region, click the Draw button in the Dimensions box and use your pointing device to draw a shape on the grid.When drawing on the grid, click your pointing device anywhere in the white grid area. The first point will be indicated by a closed circle.Click another grid area to place your second point and a straight line will be drawn between those points.Continue clicking until you have created an outline of the region you wish to fill. You must close the path by clicking on the first circled point.
If you make a mistake and want to erase a single line, click Undo Line in the Drawing Controls box.
If you wish to start over with a new region, click Clear Layout in the Layout Controls box.
Cut-outs are areas within a region that will not include stone, such as a swimming pool or garden.If you need to use cut-outs in your region, draw the region as described above then click the Cut-out button in the Drawing Controls box.You may draw as many cut-outs as required within the current closed region.Cut-outs drawn outside of the closed region are ignored.
When you are finished drawing cut-outs, click the Region button in the Drawing Controls box to return to normal drawing mode.
Cut-outs work best in large layouts and may not work as expected if your grid scale is too small, such as 15 inches.
After you have drawn a closed region, you can zoom and pan the region. To zoom, use the slider in the upper left. To pan the region shown in the grid, right-click and hold anywhere in the grid.Drag your pointing device to pan the entire grid area.Release the button to stop panning.
You can change the scale of the region so the stones appear larger or smaller when placed. Use the Scale drop-down menu (next to the Zoom slider) to set the distance between grid points.
At any time you can select a style, color, and sizes of stone from the panel on the right. Visit the Monarch Stone web site (http://www.monarchstone.com) for more information on style and color availability.
Use the Style drop-down menu to select a style of stone.Only one style can be selected at a time.
Each style consists of various sizes.To use all sizes in your region, click the Use All button.To remove all sizes from your region, click Remove All.To use individual sizes in your region, click the sizes you want.
In smaller areas it is best to use smaller size stones (25 X 25 and less).In larger areas you will want to use all of the sizes available.
Once the stones are selected and a region has been created, click the Create Layout button to generate a custom stone layout. The region will be filled from top to bottom using an equal distribution of sizes.In most cases, there will be no gaps between stones and no more than three continuous edges in a row.
If the layout is undesirable click the Create Layout button until you are satisfied with the results.The best layouts are ones that use as many different sizes as possible and don't have long continuous lines.Keep working at it until you have the layout that looks right for you.Note that only the current layout can be saved.
When you have a layout that meets your needs, click the Save Results button to save your work as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file. In the save dialog box enter the filename and the .PDF extension.You may not be able to view the file later if you do not include the .PDF extension.