glennw

Joe, I just had cataract surgery, but not for cataracts. I was both long and short sighted which meant wearing multi focals 100% of the time, which is a real hassle for sports, etc. I had my old lenses removed and replaced with Zeiss Intraocular lenses. I now have better than 20/20 vision and no glasses for the rest of my life - fantastic!

I believe you can't break the wall because you are trying to break it too close to the end of the wall. Chief insists on a minimum wall length which I think is about 1.5x the wall thickness. One way to overcome this restriction is to use a very thin invisible wall placed perpendicular to the wall you are trying to break. Place the invisible wall away from the corner with a break in the main wall. Drag the invisible wall close to the corner and the break will follow the invisible wall. Probably easier to use some other method though.

Well then, why can't you just use a hotkey for Select which will cancel the current command and put you in selection mode.

If you want Esc to return you to Selection mode, why don't you change it to do that. OOB Esc is mapped to Cancel Selection/Previous Command - but that can be changed. So if you wanted to retain that command (Cancel Selection), you would need to assign that to another hotkey. It may be just me, but I think I would prefer to keep Esc as Cancel Selection.

The trick to getting the top view is to use a Floor Overview camera and then 3D...View Directions...Top View. You can use the cross section slider to get your doors to show in a Standard view.

I think Jim gave you the answer. You should be able to use either Perpendicular Extension Snaps or Orthogonal Extension Snaps. Or you can draw the wall right across as 1 wall and then break it at the appropriate places - this way is usually more accurate as you are not trying to align things.

The double window is easily achieved by using Copy In Place. The "grouping" of windows is achieved by either mulling windows together or you may be talking about using the Vertical Stacking on the window's Options Panel.

There is really no "break dimension" command. But you can delete a dimension from a dimension string, which will effectively break the dimension, but you will loose the one dimension from the dimension string. To delete the one dimension from a string, draw over it with s dimension line.

Go Preferences...Reset Options (at the bottom)...Reset Side Windows.

I find that I don't loose the polygon if I left click and continue the click dragging.

No, No. Nothing to do with alternate behaviour. Out of date driver issue - bunkum! That symbol is telling you that the terrain needs rebuilding. That's why it goes away when you turn on auto build terrain.

You are using the tool incorrectly. It isn't designed to convert a polyline into a hole. It is designed to create a hole. The "little square hole" is THE hole, which you can then shape as you want. ie Select the road. Select "Create Hole" from the edit menu. You can then either click to create a small square hole. or click an drag a larger hole. You can then shape the hole as needed.

The Flat Region works as you have discovered - the level can't be set and it just "averages out" a level pad. For more control, you need to use the Elevation Region tool. With one of these, you can adjust the level in relation to the terrain to whatever you want. You can find it at Terrain...Elevation Data...Elevation Region.

Wow, this one is a bit of a trial! If all you want to do is change the label, double click the outlet symbol. go to the Label panel, click Specify Label and type in whatever you want.

Select the road. The last tool on the Edit toolbar is Create Hole. This will create a hole in the road, including a curb , which has it's own curb settings, independent of the road.

Michael, I am 100% with you. I just don't think it is a good idea to be able to over ride a dimension value, no matter what the circumstances.

Lew, Lew, How come? If you have measured accurately, why can't you draw it accurately? Why does moving one item throw the other dims off? If it isn't square, you don't have to draw it square.

I can only repeat - because the sheet material type doesn't show pattern lines - by design! The Brick Material Type doesn't mean it's actually brick, it's just using the same parameters as brick. ie, it has depth, it is constructed of individual pieces that can be arranged in different ways and IT SHOWS THE BRICK TYPE PATTERN. No problems Jim, but it's easier to just use a Brick Material Type and get the job done without getting hung up on the words.

I think you are having trouble because it is a Terrain Feature and not just a polyline. Use the Convert To Plain Polyline on the Edit menu (while it is selected) and then you should be able to delete one of the arcs. Join in back up and you can reconvert it to a Terrain Feature

We also need more flexibility in creating toolbar configurations. Like creating and specifying the toolbar buttons for different configurations.

Because the sheet material type doesn't show pattern lines! I guess that this is because it is mainly used for sheet linings like set plasterboard where you would not want the pattern to show. There is nothing to stop you from using a brick or any other pattern - it is only a name (mainly). You can also use the Use Custom Pattern File on the Pattern tab - in which case the Material Type is "Custom". If you are using the material list, you would also need to consider how you want the material reported - number of panels or square area.

Joe, No, not possible to do custom parent/child toolbars. The best I can offer is my suggestion for a custom Toolbar Configuration that only holds tool buttons for that particular group. You can then switch between toolbar configurations with 1 click.

Joe, Yes, I just have my most used ones available as tool buttons. But there is no reason why a user couldn't have a completely new toolbar configuration that only contained wall, railing, etc., toolbars. Right click on a tool bar area, select the WALLS Configuration, easy as. Or, create a toolbar button that will call up a custom toolbar Configuration, which means they are available with 1 click - like the ones that are already provided on the Toolbar Configurations toolbar (which you can add to with your own custom ones). One click of your default toolbar configuration button and you are back to normal. I have always felt that the toolbar Configurations are underutilised for day to day working. I think I will play around and try and make more use of them. I have seen screen shots of users with vertical and horizontal toolbars that are stacked 3, 4, or 5 deep. That just doesn't make sense to me as they take up too much screen real estate and are too hard to navigate. They would be better off breaking down their toolbars into logical categories and using custom Toolbar Configurations to get thing more workable. It's then just one click to swap between toolbar configurations.

So, yes it can do all that. You need to start using Chief, watch training videos and read the manual.

Better still, once in the library, assign them to tool buttons and create a WALLS toolbar for a one click select and use. Joe, I know that you have too many to put on a toolbar, but it may work for others as it does for me.