Alchemyjim

You can use the wall schedule to display the wall length totals. Add "Wall Length" to the column in the dbx. Make sure to select "Sum Similar Rows".

Thanks. Great solution!

I like the ability to turn off the gutter of selected roof lines. But why is there no ability to do the same with fascia? In certain conditions the roof meets a wall above a living area. When the roof is flat the lower portion of the fascia will often appear below the ceiling line. What is the best way to handle this condition? Thanks

TeaTime you rock!

Hi all, quick question... My toolbar got goofy and I lost an icon which I cannot find. Between the page up and down arrows there should be a square displaying the layout page number. I CANNOT find it in the toolbar menu. I know it is probably right in front of my eyes. Thanks for your help.

Things evolve. Do we still nail down a board at the entrance to hold the thresh? Yet we still call it a threshold. Do you know what they used to call Brazil nuts? Both antiquated terms but the horridly offensive one fell out of usage for a reason. I just use Bedrooms 1, 2, 3 etc.

This is a 30' yurt kit on a wood framed deck platform. Done 100% in Chief Architect X15. Just thought I'd share in case anyone was looking for yurt ideas. It was easier than it looks. The walls are 1/4" fabric over a custom lattice material as the framing layer.

Or.. Make an octagon, 5' side length, place it, snap your walls to it.

Every case is a little different. I add the appropriate layer to the walls and/or ceiling. For instance in the wall DBX I'll add a 1/2" space behind the drywall for RC. Perhaps it will need to be a double wall. Then take a cross section and detail it. If the wall is built up correctly then the detailing should be easy.

SpellCheck made us terrible spellers, AI will make us just terrible.

These were done in X14. No post production. There is some light bleed. If I spent some more time I could probably eliminate that. I agree that exterior rendering in Chief is not quite there yet.

Would a cricket with two planes work? Low slope with a valley in the middle.

Hello all, We are in search of a competent Chiefer that can create accurate As-Built models of homes located on the Central Coast of California. The model would need to be created from exterior pictures, google earth and a Matterport. X-14 preferred. Accuracy is very important. The Matterport should be sufficient for the interior portions but the model will also need reflect correct roof pitch, framing, fixtures, cabinets, etc. I look foreword to any queries. info@montereybuildingdesign.com

Another tip. If you are using P-line solids for the shelves, make sure their elevation is set to absolute. If you make them outside the niche they will be set in relation to the floor. Once you drag them into the niche they will move up or down.

Thank you everyone, This has been very informative. I think many of us in the industry (including building officials) have been using different methods. It sure complicates matters because this means a 10' x 10' shed is actually 100.7 sqft. But ANSI Z675 clears it up. It is indeed 100.7 sqft. Wild but true. Perhaps this is a good suggestion for Chief as it measures sqft area from exterior framing which is not the code. Maybe an option to create a polyline that includes siding?

Hello everyone, I have been in construction for 20 years and I had the first building department say that the floor area is measured to the exterior of the siding. For every project I've ever been on I have measured to the exterior face of the framing (essentially to the edge of foundation). This is a new one to me but sure enough it is in their code (Santa Clara County, CA). Has anyone else run into this? It is kind of a big deal. For example a 30' x 30' house should be 900sqft. But if you add sheathing, house wrap, siding etc., it is 912 sqft. I am working on a 5,000 sqft residence with a convoluted shape and thick stucco cladding. This would add another 77 sqft. Thanks and appreciate the feedback.

I have found the easiest way is to create another "ELECTRICAL NOTES" folder, then just cut and paste everything inside the older one into it. Not very elegant but is pretty quick. Then make sure these folders are in you template file so you will have them for every new project.

The font is determined by the note schedule defaults. Double click on the schedule. Set the style here based on the layout scaling you are using. Then double click the note itself and make sure you are using the same.

For things like this you can copy the material, name in "Brick" 2, change it's orientation, then apply it to the object(s) that have this issue. Works great for wood grain beams as well.

Thanks Gene, There does not seem to be an easy way to do this. The sill would be sloped about 20°. Does anyone have an idea about how to do it with a custom molding maybe? I consider myself fairly proficient with the software but this one has me stumped. The client is quite insistent that the plans clearly show this detail.

I have a project with about 50 windows in 2x8 walls. The client wants them recessed with a sloped sill. The walls will be stucco that wraps the window well. Like this attached image. Can Chief do this?

Or this? Is that a rail gun? Cant wait for the DOD bonus catalog!

My system would still work. The cameras would be linked to the layout views and could be updated.

That's an interesting question. The camera arrow will not be pointing at the wall. Would you use an arrow line from the callout to show where it is actually pointing? The way to do it would be... 1. Create a separate layer for the callouts, like "Camera- Bathroom" and put them on it. (Leave the callouts in place.) 2. Turn this layer off in the current view you are using. 3. Turn this layer on in an unused layer set. 4. Send this from the unused layer to the layout, crop it and place anywhere you'd like over this current view.

Place the scale in the PLAN (not LAYOUT). Next to the scale, place a rectangle 50' long. Then pull the scale graphic from the edit handles until it lines up nicely with the rectangle. Now it is scaled correctly. Then send a view of the scale graphic to layout at the same scale as the plan view. Also, I made my own scale bars and keep them in a CAD detail associated with my plan template. That way I can send it over to the layout easily.