glennw

Sherry, I'll help you on the way. Toolbar Customisation...Place Library Object... I am sure you can figure out the rest.

Bob, Sorry about the bum steer regarding blocking the framing. I just learned something about framing and cad blocks. Probably better just to stick with poly solids. The model is really coming along - your perseverance is paying off.

Glenn, (seems like I am talking to myself) Open the wall's dbx and go to the Wall Covering panel.

If you have already drawn with a wall type in that particular plan, then the wall type is saved with the plan and easily accessible. Double click the Wall tool, go Wall Types and select the wall type you want. Joe's method is great for saving wall types for new plans. Once a wall type is in the library you can assign it to a toolbar icon for quick reference.

In earlier versions we had a checkbox in the dim dbx that would indicate if it was a manual or auto dim and allow the user to mark them as either. It seems to have gotten lost along the way.

Default Settings...Walls...General Wall...Auto Rebuild Attic Walls - uncheck.

Larry, There are probably other ways to get a similar result - but I wouldn't bother looking. There is nothing wrong with using a 3D molding line and I think it is the best choice for this situation.

Larry, If you are creating a molding polyline in elevation view, you only get the 3D Molding Polyline option.

Larry. In plan view you should be able select the molding line, then while it is selected, Shift select it again. Edit: Don't click on a grip - click on a clear piece of line. You should get a box around the line with one central grip and a rotate handle. You can move the line with the central grip or use point to point. I can feel a video coming on. http://screencast.com/t/afcLILzHI

Larry & Joe, This is not quite correct. As in Larry's case, the 3D molding polyline is drawn in an elevation view. If you want to move it in plan view (say back to the wall). Select it, Shift select it again. You can drag it, or more accurately, you can use point to point move. Larry, In the 3D Molding floor plan, when you lose the molding, it is there - it's just that it's up in the attic level. In camera view, you can click the Up One Floor button and you can see it.

Bob, The .pdf's aren't much help. The plan file is needed. Give me a call on Skype if you want another on line session.

My approach was a little different. I used Terrain Breaks to form the vertical steps. Elevation lines to shape it all. Terrain feature for the concrete. wheel wells.zip

Michael, It's very easy to do something like this with a terrain. Is this what you are after?

Yusuf, The curved treads are created by using the Room Definition (invisible) wall to draw a circular room around the stairs with "Winders" checked. The same material can be used to make a curved ramp invisible and only leave the curved rail for use on the spiral stair.

Yusuf, "Opening, No Material" is a material type that displays no material (invisible). You can find it in the library at Materials...Misc

Joe, Very easy to get curved stair treads. For no stringer use Opening, No Material. Use Stringer Top and Stringer Bottom to control the stringer size.

Rashid, I hope you didn't actually move the plan to fit into the blue box ( -the drawing sheet, which can be toggled on and off using Print Preview). Much easier to use Centre Sheet or manually drag the drawing sheet around the plan.

I don't think this is correct - Chief does not do this. Post the plan.

In most of Chiefs dbx's there is a box down the bottom titled Number Style... Open that dbx and set the format, I believe you want Quadrant Bearing.

In your Dimension Defaults...Locate Objects panel, make sure Other Objects...Plants and Images is checked.

Johnny, You are probably better off using Transform/Replicate...Resize. Draw a line over the known points on the picture to work out the resize factor. This will retain the aspect ratio.

Right click on a toolbar area. Click Tool Palette. Or...I'm guessing that didn't do it. Go Preferences...Reset Options...Reset Side Windows - that should do it.

Johnny, If I read what you want correctly... Select all the line segments. On the edit toolbar click Extend Objects. Click anywhere in the plan. Esc. You should now have one continuous polyline.

Johnny, Just thinking on this one a bit more. Getting the molding polyline to cut at the doors and windows is the easy part, But to fill in those gaps top and bottom, you can select that part of the polyline that crosses a window or door with Edit Object Parts toggled on. You could then assign as many moldings (your cut down siding molding) as you want with appropriate vertical offsets to fill in above and below the windows. Could be a bit of mucking around if you have a lot of different sill and head heights.

Johnny, Very easy to do this, but the breaks are full height. You may need a least 3 molding polylines at different heights - depending on the head and sill heights of various doors. Or, you could fill in above and below the window with lintels, sills or treatments to match your siding profile - it may work. Or...make all your openings full height. In the second picture, I added some Treatments...Exterior Millwork and just grabbed some shutters from the library - you would obviously use your cladding profile. It may be hard to get the planks lined up though. Anyway...some food for thought.