glennw

Alan, There are prompts in the status bar as you select different objects, move the cursor over snap points, move the cursor over icons, etc. There is a context sensitive Help button in the bottom left hand corner of every dbx.

Mike, Have a look at this setting: Default Settings...Framing...Wall Panel...Wall detail Views. Uncheck Build Wall Framing Details From Exterior. This should give you +X to the right. I assume you are using Transform/Replicate to move the framing member. If you use the Drag/Tab method to do the moving, the positive/negative direction doesn't make any difference - the direction is set by the initial drag direction. A wall framing detail is really just a 2D representation and therefore doesn't have a Z direction - Y is up/down, X is side/side.

You can already do this. Show the lower pony wall.

I think your main problem is that you have changed the default Vertical Stacking Level from zero to 1. The Default Stacking Level should be zero. Any windows that aren't on the default Stacking Level will display in light grey. Go Default Settings...Window...Options Panel...Vertical Stacking, change it to zero. Use this setting temporarily to place windows on a stacking level other than zero and remember to change it back to zero when finished. In the Default Set why are all your Weights 4, color black, same linestyle? You should be using your layers to display weights, colors and linestyles. Have a look at the Plan View Set for a guide. The other thing I noticed was all the Layout Sets - unless you really need them and use them, I would turn that option off when sending to layout.

Yes Lew, but it wasn't about you. Maybe you should preface your posts with "As far as I know".

Alex, Try the Wall Material Region and check Cut Finish Layers of Parent Object. Make it a single layer with Opening, No Material.

Larry, The main problem with the Terrain specification is, I believe, one of nomenclature. I have suggested before that Pad Elevation be changed to something else to make it sound like it is associated with the floor level and not the terrain.. If you always thing of Pad Elevation as being Chiefs zero floor level, you can't go wrong and it will all make sense. So, if you want your floor level (assume Level 1 or Chiefs default zero) to be 20" above the terrain, type in 20" for Pad Elevation. And just remember that Pad Elevation is Chiefs zero floor level.

Lew, Why wait any longer? A decade is a long time to wait for something that is already available - and has been for quite a while. It has already happened sooner! Chief CAN do a cut list.

Ok, from memory. I think 9.5 automatically adjusts the glass properties for windows and doors - there was no choice. BUT it only did do for the Default glass material. Check your window glass material to see if it is the Default glass material. If so, do not use this Default glass material. Select another glass material and play with it's properties to get what you want. Chief shouldn't automatically adjust the properties of the non Default material.

Coffcons, In 9.5 do you have 3D...3D View Defaults...Options Panel...Vector View Options...Opaque Glass and General Options...Auto Adjust Default Glass Properties?

Scott, Can you explain what you mean - I don't understand. I haven't had my pill today.

Johnny, If I read you correctly, this is very easy to do in Chief. Turn on Edit Object Parts, select the line segments, copy, paste. If you want to form a continuous polyline from the segments, leave them selected, click Extend Objects, click in the plan. I am sure I would have a very hard time doing this in any of the other cad programs - horses for courses.

Simonas, I'm not sure I am following you 100%, but: The Display Line Angle As setting in the CAD Defaults doesn't control the format of angular dimensions, it controls the display of a lines angle when Show Angle is selected in the Line Specification dbx. To get decimal degrees to display for angular dimensions, I believe that you have to draw the angular dimension, select it and change the format to Decimal which gives you decimal degrees. I don't think there is a default to force decimal degrees for angular dimensions. The reason that 45deg always looks correct that it is an accurate amount - there are no minutes or seconds (or more decimal places). In Australia use both deg, min, sec, (mostly for site boundaries) or decimal degrees. It would be nice to have a default for formatting the various angular formats, but I think, that at this stage, you need to change the angular format after you draw the angular dimension. Ah, another thing, I don't think you can specify the number of decimal places with decimal angular dimensions. Definitely room for improvement here. And I can't imagine it these would be a huge thing to implement - definitely worth a suggestion.

Jonny, I don't get it. What's wrong with drawing a continuous line (individual lines - not a polyline) using the Edit Object Parts mode. You get the graphical indication at the cursor that you are drawing individual lines and not a polyline - how simple is that. What's the difference between having a "mode" or a separate tool - same thing in my book (maybe even better to have the mode - then there is only one tool).

No doubt, some users will advise you to create a symbol of one unit and copy the symbol for each unit. I would never do that as it leads to all sorts of problems from dimensioning, party walls, roofs, etc. I would much prefer to use Edit Area and copy/paste one unit as needed and have an overall complete plan,. The attached picture is 15 townhouses, all at different floor levels - done back in about V10.

You need to be clearer about what you are trying to do. You say that you don't want to modify the terrain, so I assume that you want to lift the building up so that the rear is at the ground level there? Or something else?

Drag them and then drag them a bit more - drag by the centre handle, not the end handle. Make sure you drag them along the main timber frame layer.

Simonas, Do you mean something like this>

Ah, use a thinner wall type between the windows?

I find the door jambs pretty useless as they are only a rectangle. I would never use a jamb like that (except for an opening or sliding door. 99% of the time our door jambs are rebated for the door.

The help file shows the layer named as "Interior Line", but it is not named in the Wall Types dbx. You can rename it manually, but it would be better if it was named "Interior Line" automatically by default. I really don't know why can rename it - wouldn't it always be "Interior Line" ?

Simonas, I can't tell from your sketch what you want. Is it one window above another?

Greg, Have a look at this thread in the old forum. Same request, same solutions. http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?64660-Walls-out-of-plane-vertically&highlight=sloping

Larry, A Kudo is one Kudos. And because there is only one of them, it takes up a lot less space and one is easier to manage. So if you haven't got room for Kudos just use the one Kudo.

Here is a similar 3D axis symbol that I have had for years. I think another user created it. You can place it in your default plan so that it always available when you open a new plan. 3D axis.plan