parkwest

You might want to turn the speed down on the space mouse until you get used to it. That worked for me when I first started using it.

Thanks David. I will experiment with your suggestion and see if I can get it to do what I want.

It is important to have all the components if you want to get an accurate material takeoff... What I want to do is to set up my room defaults so that when I set a room as “basement” my floor structure will be the actual materials without a bunch of extra steps.

Is there an easy way to set up a basement slab to automatically show a 4 inch slab sitting on top of the stem wall footer with a vapor barrier, 2 inches of rigid foam on top of 6 inches of granular fill underneath the slab? When I add the other components to the underside of the slab, it raises the slab off the footer the thickness of the additional materials. Is there a way to lock the footer or the slab height in the structural tab? Also, is there a better way to add an isolation joint to the perimeter of the slab than using a room molding? Seems to me basic stuff like the above would in the program somewhere.

Why can’t you just use your Solidbuilder output and add it to your layout?

Why would you give me a negative vote when I bothered to help you?

Are you sending your notes from your cad detail?

You need to understand how plan views work. Check out the knowledge base...

You might want to check your numbers against the insurance company database. The insurance adjuster most likely has everything priced out, or at least price guidelines to follow, and you might have a little trouble just pulling numbers out of the air for your quote. Good luck and keep us posted on how it works out.

I understand CA is going to be improving their takeoff capabilities in the next release. In the meantime you might want to check out some online estimate programs. Ie. https://www.rsmeans.com/free-trial.aspx You can use some of the info from the X10 material list to help you build estimates quickly using assemblies. RS Means uses your project location to generate costs in your area.

I am guessing it might be more profitable for you pass on work you're not qualified to do.

Make sure that layer is on in current view.

Pour a stem wall to whatever height required, backfill, install under slab utilities, pour slab.

Thanks Mark. When you use custom countertops, do you first turn off the cabinet tops to eliminate the conflict between the two as in this case?

Is there a reason not to go slab on grade for the addition?

Did you try turning off the countertop edges in the cabinet dbx after you added the custom countertop? Curious why you converted the countertop to a custom countertop in the first place???

The only state holidays in Idaho I am aware of are: Opening day of deer and elk season All Boise State football games Idaho Stampede Rodeo I hope this helps you.

ISOkern... now that brought memories. Had a homebuyer spec one for a house we built for him... in 1990. I did pour a foundation under it... even though the homebuyer insisted the fireplace was "lightweight" and didn't need it. From what I was told, the man really enjoyed his new fireplace. I have not had a request for an isokern since then... all prefabs.

+1 We can always dream, can't we?

I still wonder about how a CAD program that can do all kinds of cool stuff automatically doesn't have the basic function of doing lot and house statistics without the user having to take classes on a programming language. Every plan that I have done has this requirement by the building dept... Why don't they buy a macro from one of the power users on here that works and add it to the base program??? Seems to me, adding another couple schedules to the current list would work.

You’re welcome! My pleasure. Glad to be able to give back a little for all I have learned from this community.

That is quite a kitchen layout there... I have found if you use framing members instead of soffits for your beams and rafters, the wood grain works better.

Don't forget about "gable/roof line" and gable over window(s) and door(s) options...

David J Potter makes an excellent point. Whatever software you decide to use, the results will depend on how much time and effort you put in to master that program. In fact I follow an architect youtube channel where the man does some beautiful work... and he uses autocad lite. All that being said, I really enjoy working with Chief Architect. After all these years, it made designing fun again for me.

Thanks Steve. It gave me some ideas on a porch I am working on.