glennw

Michael, I have found that the same thing can be done by using the same wall def and just "Reverse Layers" for the alternating rail sections.

Scott, I wouldn't call this a mono slab. A mono slab has integrated footing and slab - this is a foundation wall, footing and slab. Foundation panel is the Foundation panel (tab) in the Foundation Defaults dbx (sorry, dvx in your case ). Similar to the Options panel This is how I would do it. http://screencast.com/t/O9FGd5HTe8

Mark, Try, Defaults...Foundation...Foundation panel...Foundation Type...Hang First Floor Platform Inside Foundation Walls.

Ahh...., there is another way. You can uncheck Floor Under This Room in the room dbx.

Johnny, Yeah, looks like challenge, but I will see how far I can go with auto. Where did you send the file to? OK, got the file.

You can change the marker text in the Dimension Line Specification dbx...Extensions/Markers...Marker Style...Elevation Marker Text. I have previously sent in a request to not apply additional text to the dim line and the marker.

I don't think you can get auto dimensions to do that. But you should be able to edit the auto dim lines and they will snap to the wall centreline. http://screencast.com/t/y9Fy6F8ruHQp

No problems Johnny. Give me a call when you are ready.

Johnny, So..... what you really want to do is offset the whole railing, posts, etc, from the edge of the deck? If I read you correctly. If so... Leave the Newels/Posts offset at zero. Create a new railing definition with an additional wall layer on the inside with Opening (No Material) and the thickness you want to offset the railing.

Johnny, I don't have a lot of time at the moment, but I think the difference in the roof heights (assuming the same pitch) is being caused by the difference in thickness between the railing wall and the house wall. Try unchecking Automatic Birdsmouth Cut in the roof defaults and then draw your balcony roof.. Chief is making auto b/m cuts which will vary depending on wall thickness. It's a lot easier to do auto roofs.

Or....... select object, Copy and then drag.

Define the roof slopes in the wall dbx and then auto build roofs.

Scott, As far as I can tell, there have been no changes to the terrain tools. Maybe it's just that you are getting better at them!

You are probably looking through a window with Opaque Glass unchecked and seeing a window label for a window in the background. If you have Opaque Window Glass checked, you shouldn't see the labels for windows in the background through windows in the foreground.

Joe, Johnny is talking about auto generated contours. Ha, Ha, the auto censor edited t...i...t in my post!

Johnny, You can't select or edit either the auto contour lines or the labels. The only *** bit of info I can give you that may help is that Chief places the contour labels clear of any buildings.

Barry, I think you will have to post the plan. Or...is the foundation wall marked as Hang Floor Platform Above on Wall?

Tthe problem is that you are trying to make a poyline out of splines and other entity types. You can't include a spline in a polyline - you need to convert it to a polyline first. Go around and select your splines and convert them to polylines with the Convert Spline to Polyline on the Edit menu. You can then go around and join all the line entities to form a polyline. You can do that by selecting a polyline, arc. line, etc and then clicking on it end or start handle.

That is not a closed polyline. You need to go around and join up all the separate entities into a closed polyline.

Probably too late now, but I can tell you how to do it easily all with just Chief. You can use either monitor to edit the model and it is reflected on the other monitor. The trick to opening the same floor plan on 2 monitors is to double click the floor plans (any 2 plans will do to start) in layout. Drag one floor plan to the second monitor. Use the up and down floor arrows to display the floor you want - the same floor on each monitor. It's also easy to open a 3D view on the second monitor and edit the floor plan or the 3D on the first monitor and have the model dynamically change. This is done by opening the appropriate views and then dragging the tabs across to the second monitor. All the views are dynamic. This technique will allow you to run your own programs on monitor 1 and they will not display on the second monitor. It's probably not perfect because you probably need to set up any windows or views you need on the second monitor before you start and then it is not easy to switch between views on the second monitor. I guess you could theoretically just drag a Chief window off the side of your main screen and have it drop onto the second monitor without seeing what is going on with the second monitor - I am not sure of how you want the 2 monitors located. But if it is only a floor plan you want to share, the above method will work perfectly.

Another way is by using the Layout Page Information dbx where you can specify any layout page to be a template page, and then assign other layout pages to use that template page. ie, you can have multiple template pages in a layout, not just page zero.

Scott, I know nothing about this program (Squiggle), but I heard about it years ago and it looks like it is still available. http://www.signaturecad.com/ Otherwise, maybe something like Photoshop.

Michael, Yes, but it's not quite as simple as that. You don't actually have to supress the casing to get the wall instead of the mullion. As long as the casing width less the Overlap Frame setting is less than half the distance between the windows, you will get the wall (ie, the casings don't bump each other). As soon as the casings less the Overlap Frame amounts are large enough to bump into each other, you get mullions and no wall between the windows. Note that it's not only the casing size, but the Overlap Frame distance comes into it as well. There should be no need to manually draw the casing once you can manipulate the above. It seems that this has been pretty well thought out by the guys at Chief.

Johnny, Once you have blocked them together you can change the Mullion Depth...Outside on the Options panel of the Mulled Unit Specification dbx. These ones are -6" for demonstration purposes. Although, watching your vid again, do you want mullions between the windows or do you want the wall there? If you want to see wall there, you need to turn the Exterior Casing off. Be aware that the part plan you posted can be a problem because you don't have a room behind the windows, so Chief can get confused between internal and external.

Joe, You forgot about the Material Lists!!