First Look Pro Data Files

First Look Pro is a repository for many types of information, including:

l Text information that is entered or imported into First Look Pro, such as the building name, address, contacts, access information, and so on.

l Fire Zone or Crime Zone diagrams in .czd format.

l Other images, like digital photographs, in formats such as .jpg, .bmp, .tif, .gif, and so on.

l Documents in formats such as .doc, .pdf, .htm, and so on.

In previous versions of First Look Pro, all the diagram and image files that were attached to preplans had to be located on the same hard drive partition. In Version 4, this is no longer a restriction. You can now attach diagrams, documents, and any type of files by browsing to them anywhere on your local computer or across your network.

Also, previous versions of the First Look Pro database only contained the file path to files that were attached to preplans. If a file was moved or deleted, First Look Pro could not display that file because the path stored in the database was no longer correct. It also meant if you wanted to copy your First Look Pro data to a different computer, you had to also copy all the attachment files and make sure they were placed in exactly the same folders as on the original computer.

First Look Pro 4 actually inserts all attachment files into a single database file, FLP4.mdf. There is no longer any need to copy diagrams and images separately; they are all contained in the First Look Pro database file. This data file is normally found in the folder:

C: \Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\CAD Zone\First Look Pro 4

At this time, First Look Pro does not have any way to check to see if there are newer versions available for the files that are attached to preplans. If you modify a file after you have already attached it to a preplan, you must use the Update command in First Look Pro to bring in the new version of that file.