Fun2Learn

Nice stair, Tommy1. Do you have a special way you do this? Could you post the method for all of us? I don't see a newel post support under your volute--did you just forget it or is that how they build 'em down there in Texas? We always have newel posts under the center of the volute around my area. I notice that you have the bottom blocks of your balusters cut to the rake of the stair. I prefer the traditional look of having the bottom blocks and turnings be parallel to the treads and the upper blocks/turnings follow the rake of the railing. Do you have a way to achieve that look with your method? That traditional look (bottom blocks parallel, upper blocks angled) is a trickier look to achieve, since all stairs have slightly different tread and riser heights. You need the right combination of baluster lengths available (they used to be turned to custom sizes for each stair back in the old days. That is one reason why "pin tops" are more commonly used now a days!) Unfortunately, in our library we only have one height for each type of baluster and if we try to manually stretch or shrink them, the turnings also change height slightly (in real life the turnings for each style are the same height, regardless of baluster length.) It would be nice if Arcways could provide different height balusters for each style in their CAD catalog, just like in their "real life" catalog--but then maybe I am being too "picky". Maybe I should post this on the suggestions forum, too. I did a lot of research into balusters and stairs, etc. when I redid my own stairs a few years ago. (We removed the hideous porch railing that the builder had used for both the open-stair railing and guard rail along the stairwell . It was "paint grade", too, but the builder stained it---finger joints, rough edges and all! What a cheapskate!) I learned a lot more about stairs and railing systems on the internet than I ever learned in architecture school! I even found the actual stair parts much cheaper on the internet : the volute, newel post, railing, and "premium balusters" (1/34", square tops with flutes) were less than half the price of what all the local stair part suppliers were charging! Just an fyi.... I will attach a pdf file that shows the different ways of aligning with the square top balusters so you can see what I am talking about, if anyone is interested (I just did a quick google search to find something to post here--I think this came of a site called MRstairs or something like that!) Hope this helps someone. 6StepsToSelection.pdf

Are you talking about the "starter step" with the rounded end that the volute rail goes above? Chief has a "starter step" tool that will curve that first tread for you! I'm not sure in which version it became available. Perhaps it is only available in the later versions? (If you click on a stair, you will see an icon in the lower task bar that shows a little stair with curved starter treads if it is available in your version.) Or am I misunderstanding your meaning? Phyllis

I also needed a volute the other day and found one on this forum. I will attempt to attach it here for your convenience. Also, I made an architectural block of a complete set-up that I used of a volute, newel post, railing and balusters. I will attempt to attach it here, too. Of course you can explode the block and change components as you like. (I slightly enlarged the width of the volute symbol that I had found on the forum; newel post is from the Arcways catalog;, handrail to match the volute, also from Archways, was enlarged too, I think to 2 7/8" wide, and painstakingly adjusted to best align with both the up-sweep arm of the volute and the angle of the stairs; and Arcways balusters*, both around the newel post and the next two treads! If you don't like those balusters you could explode the arch. block and just "replace from library". This was sized for 10" treads with a 7 3/4" riser height. Hope this helps. Phyllis volute.calibz Volute with newel, rail, and balusters.calibz

I agree. Especially with things like moldings. There are man different crown moldings in the library, but no way to tell what size they are until you import them into the plan. I usually just end up resizing them since it is quicker than trial and error through the library. Also--plants! I've been surprised sometimes at how large-or small, some potted plants or landscape plants actually are when I put them into the plan!

I agree. At least the manual or help menu should have a list of terms or alternate terms and maybe even an index, so you can find things easier. The library could definitely be made more "user friendly". It is hard to believe that they would use an uncommon abbreviation like "EP" and not have it explained anywhere! A list of sizes next to some library items would be helpful as well (I am thinking in particular of the things like crown molding. Why have so many in the library that look the same except for size? If you are going to probably end up having to resize it manually anyway, because it would take too long to go through the entire library stock of crown molding to find the size you want--so why do they bother to have so many without any indication of size?) Oh well. Maybe I should put that in the suggestion forum, though I'm sure others have already requested it!

Members 64 posts 0 warning points Posted Yesterday, 09:21 AM I just sent in the question to Chief Architect support, now that the weekend is over, and heard back from them. You were correct, OLD CKD, that it means "edge Profile". The tech support person even sent me a file showing the difference, which I will attempt to attach here for everyone's information. Thanks, Phyllis Attached Thumbnails Hope this helps someone! Phyllis

Hi Old CKD--maybe I should have quoted your post so it could have been included in the "best answer"--I mainly thought that it would be helpful to include the picture of the edge profile that Chief sent in the best answer so that everyone could see it quickly! I will see if I can attach your original post somehow. (I am still kind of new at the intricacies of the forum) Thanks again Phyllis

Thank you so much, David for sharing this! I too have been unhappy about how the default stainless was looking and tried to play around with the materials controls, but without much luck. I downloaded your file and applied it to some appliance and they look MUCH better! Thanks so much! Phyllis

I just went through the "Residential Project" series of videos, and in one of the framing videos they show how to do what you are wanting to create, by opening up the wall framing elevation and adjusting. It is either video 5471 Intro to framing or 5472 editing framing. Hope this helps.

I just sent in the question to Chief Architect support, now that the weekend is over, and heard back from them. You were correct, OLD CKD, that it means "edge Profile". The tech support person even sent me a file showing the difference, which I will attempt to attach here for everyone's information. Thanks, Phyllis

Too funny, Scott !! I used to live in San Jose, CA so I know what you are talking about! I don't have a hard time believing that some parts of the country still don't have building codes or building depts. either, for I also lived for a short time in Colorado-- back in the late 70"s and I remember that some areas in the mountains did not have any building codes, or zoning restrictions. (and it unfortunately it resulted in some pretty poorly designed and built condos and cabins up there.. I particularly remember one relatively new condo we rented where you had to turn sideways to squeeze past the sink to get in or out of a bathroom!) There was a lot of the "wild west" attitude of, "don't let the government tell me what to do." (I won't mention any of Colorado's recent controversial measures their voters have approved, as evidence, since we aren't supposed to get political on these boards!!! ) Phyllis

I've been wondering this, and thought I'd finally ask (I did a quick search in all the usual places to find the answers first, I swear) what does the "EP" stand for after a cabinet door style in the library? I can't tell the difference between, for instance, arched glass door, and arched glass door EP. Thanks. Phyllis

I just learned how to zip and share a whole plan file, and I know how to post a picture, but how can we post and share a symbol we created? I would like to share a few, as a way to "give back" to everyone for all the help I've gotten. Thanks, Phyllis

I guess I figured it was a "generic" kind of question --not necessarily related to my particular plan. (Which it was, but perhaps you all didn't realize it as you probably assumed I couldn't be that dumb to not know what the finish ceiling height was measuring to, etc... .) I went back to look at the floor default dbx and looked more closely and I can see that (E) rough ceiling and (F) finish ceiling ARE shown as dimensioned to different floors areas (sub-floor and finish floor respectively), though you have to look closely. I guess I was thinking of them as relative elevations above the subfloor for that level (which would be 0") rather than dimensions off of different parts of the floor. (I have to explain the reason for my apparently "stupid" question so you don't all think I am nuts!) Michael--I did just now go under the "how to post on this forum..." sticky and found your helpful post about how to zip and post plan files onto this forum. Now that I know how, and know that you all actually want to see the plans, I will try to do so, unless it is an obvious generic type question. And believe me, I am sure I will have lots more questions! I DO try and figure out the answer myself first--I promise--as I don't want to waste anyone's time! Thanks so much to all of you who take the time to try and help us newbies. Phyllis

Thanks to you, too Michael, for clarifying! I was mainly just thinking of the difference between the underside of the joists and the ceiling surface. Also, I am not used to thinking in terms of measuring between the finished floor and the ceiling for a structural measurement. I am so "old school"--when I learned to draft people were mainly installing wall-to-wall carpeting and sheet vinyl (thank goodness those days are gone!) Phyllis

Ah ha--- David--I just reread your post and think I may have figured it out: so the finished ceiling is the distance between the floor finish and the underside of the ceiling finish? I was assuming that it would be between the top of the subfloor and the drywall. Ok-Now I get it! However, if the finished floor is set at 7/8" thick and the drywall is 1/2" it is only a 1 3/8" , so I guess they round it up 1/8" for good measure. So if I decide to change the flooring type I need to make sure that my heights don't get messed up, etc. Thanks! Phyllis

If I try to set my floor structure defaults so that my finished ceiling is 96", chief automatically changes the rough ceiling to 97 1/2". If I then go to change the default rough ceiling to 96 1/2", it changes my finished ceiling to 95"!!! By your reactions, I am guessing that yours don't do this? Is there some other setting somewhere that I need to set? I have noticed this on all the plans that I have been practicing with, but thought I'd finally ask, "why", since I still can't figure it out. Thanks, Phyllis

I think I figured out what was going on. Even though the ceilings were all set to 96", it was actually much lower over the part of the first floor where all the doors were! What had happened was that somehow Chief drew some of my manually drawn 18" deep floor trusses below a set of automatically placed standard floor joists (supporting the second floor!) I didn't realize what had happened until I drew a section! I'm not sure how I messed up the framing like that, but I deleted all the framing and will tackle it again later. Now the doors are being drawn to the correct height. The Door Mystery is solved! Thanks for those who gave it some thought! Phyllis

In the Floor defaults or Room dbx ,on the structure tab, why does Chief insist on making the difference between the (E) rough ceiling height and (F) the finish ceiling height be at least 1 /1/2"? Isn't the "rough ceiling" just the underside of the ceiling or floor joists and the "finish ceiling" the face of the drywall (or whatever finish material you are using?) I just want to use the typical 1/2" drywall screwed directly to the bottom of the joists!! Am I misunderstanding something here? Thanks in advance if you can for clear up this "Chief" mystery! Phyllis

Joe, do you use some sort of what you posted above for combining demo walls, existing to remain, and new work in remodeling plans? (Is that what you want it for, AMD drafting?) Just wondering. Phyllis

Thanks, everyone. That is an interesting observation, Gene, as the floor finish default IS set to 7/8", however I am not talking about measurements that I took. The door label in plan shows as, for example, "3067", instead of the typical "3068". So, when I noticed that, I opened the door dialog and, sure enough, it lists the height as 79 1/8"! I have already changed them manually 80" high doors. Do you think that there is a setting somewhere that has them being set down on the top of the sub-floor, but showing the height above the floor finish? Before this started happening, I did import a symbol for a door with sidelights that someone had posted under the "symbols" forum, but that imported symbol shows up as 6'8. It was after that that I started putting in the other doors and noticed that they were the "funny" height. Could the imported symbol have done anything to make the doors perhaps set down on the sub-floor? (If you want to check it out, scroll down this thread and see the door file that Larry S. shared (it had the kind of sidelights I needed!) https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/1817-exterior-door/?hl=%2Bdoor+%2Bwith+%2Bsidelights#entry13944 I am not sure how to send my whole plan to the forum yet. I will check into it, and get back later and try it (gotta run right now. ) Thanks, Phyllis

Thanks, everyone. Thanks Lew, for the link to the old discussion about the history. Very interesting!!! Remember, I am talking about a CAD program that I used way back in 1986 that was running on Apple computers BEFORE they were Macs and even before Windows 1 came out. ( Did Chief run on DOS when it very first came out?) I only remember the program doing floor plans. Maybe it could do other things, but I'm not sure. Was Chief always 3-D, even when it first started in the early 1980's? I don't think it was a German CAD program--, it was definitely a local (near San Jose, Ca ) start-up company. Greg--I double-checked and my "3-D Home Architect" was also 1997. Mine was the "Deluxe" version!! It was really pretty amazing for back then. I actually used it off and on over the years until last year when I got my new computer. I'm not sure if it will run on Windows 8--maybe I should check it out for fun. Thanks again, Phyllis Phyllis

I am sure that there must be a logical explanation, but I can't figure out why any new doors I put in are being put in with a 79 1/8" instead of the 80" default? My ceiling height is 8' so there is plenty of room. If I change them manually they do stay at the correct height. This is happening with both interior and exterior doors. Thanks, Phyllis

I have a question about the very early history of Chief Architect (back in the 1980's before it was even called Chief Architect!) Do any of you "old timers" (or maybe even someone who works for Chief) know if "Chief" would have worked on the old Apple computers (Pre-Macintosh) back in the 1980's? I am trying to solve a mystery about whether or not a cad program I had used back in the mid-1980's was what eventually became Chief Architect! Here is why I ask: I recently stumbled across the Wikipedia article about Chief Architect, and learned that the company was originally started in Palo Alto, Ca in 1981 and that it was originally called " Advanced Relational Technology, Inc. (ART)". That got me wondering if I could have actually been using, from about 1986-1989 or so, a very early version of what would later be called Chief Architect, when I worked for an architecture firm in San Jose, CA! (San Jose is near Palo Alto.) At that time, the company I worked for had three little Apple computers (affectionately nick-named "Larry", "Mo" and "Curley") set up in a little "loft" area. I think they were actually given to the firm by Apple to "test-drive" for cad use. I remember a man with brown hair and a beard coming in to update our CAD software periodically and give us training. I am pretty sure that he was the developer of the software himself or maybe a partner---it was definitely a "start-up" kind of company (not a big name outfit and definitely not autocad.) I remember that the software was very easy to use. I don't remember if it was 3-D or not at that time. I only used it for a few projects myself --others in the firm used it more (it was a pretty good sized firm for San Jose!). We mainly used it for multi-family projects where it was very convenient to make one floor plan and copy it multiple times. The architecture firm eventually bought a pc and AutoCAD about 1989 or so and hired someone who already how to use it. I quit working there about 1990 or 1991 and ended up moving to Maryland. In 1996(?) or so I bought Broderbund's "3-D Home Architect" (which I later learned was actually made by Chief Architect) and I remember thinking that the program seemed very similar to the program I had used at the architecture firm back in California! So, maybe somebody can help me solve this mystery. Was it likely that we were using ART (Chief) back at my old firm? Would the man who came in to do our updates and training be the founder , Jack Simpson, or someone else? Just wondering..... Phyllis

Maybe you could post your idea under the suggestions tab, Sherry. A visual pic like that would be even better (most of us are probably pretty visual anyway!) than just a written out description, though I would even settle for that! I mean, those pre-set templates are supposed to be helpful time savers, I imagine, but they won't save much time if you have to spend so much time upfront figuring out what the defaults are for each one and how they differ. Just a thought. Phyllis