Designers_Ink

I think you are exactly right. They put a ton of resources into the Project Management part of the update (which I think is a good idea), and if the cloud portion was implemented at the same time, it would have been an outstanding version. Without that piece of the puzzle, it leaves this version update lacking (especially for those who collaborate on files daily). But that is just how things work sometimes when you take on a huge endeavor like this. I know those guys busted their butts to try to get everything to work smoothly. As it is currently, my company just can't use the Project Management system until we can collaborate with each other as easily as we do now with just using Dropbox. I look forward to the day we can. I don't doubt they will get all of the pieces working smoothly and as intended, but I would love for them to add the cloud service piece as a patch when it is ready to go instead of waiting until X18 to implement it. Without that piece, this is more of a X16.5 update for us since we can't use the biggest piece of the update. I would love it even more if they allowed us to use our current cloud system or even our own servers and not a Chief Cloud proprietary system. For those of us that do a high volume of projects with huge files, we will run out of space allotted very quickly, and I would suspect more space would have to be purchased from them. If I end up having to pay some monthly fee for more space, my wife may make me cancel my Netflix subscription, and I just can't have that. I am right in the middle of watching Suits again.

The new Speedtree Library is a great addition in X17 if you are into doing high end exterior renderings. In our office, we work on projects as a team, so file sharing easily is important to us. The way our existing file storage and sharing process works in our office (Dropbox), I haven't figured out a way to use the managed project part of this upgrade without adding too many steps from what we do now. Hopefully, with more research, we will figure out a way to integrate our workflow with the new system and it work as smoothly as our current system. I just haven't figured it out yet. I think the splitting of schedules is a great addition. Being able to save roof labels in the defaults will save me some time on each project. Everyone uses the software differently, so the "important things" are going to be different for everyone. There has been years a lot of my "important things" got upgrades and some years where other users' "important things" got upgrades that didn't really affect me much. This is probably one of those years from what I have seen so far with it, but overall I think the software continues to get better and is worth what I pay for it.

I just did an 8' wide X 8' tall doorway, then created this symbol with 3D solids to insert in the opening. You can explode it and adjust as needed. Hope that helps. 8' Vertical Bi-fold Door.calibz

See if that version will let you import it in Collada format. Bed+round+4.dae

For users of Sketchup, the new release of 2025 Sketchup Pro has premium access to some live symbols in the 3D Warehouse. They are like typical 3D Warehouse symbols which easily can be imported into Chief, but since they are live, you can easily change the symbol dynamically before you download them. For example, they have a corner shower unit. They have live toggles and slide bars to dynamically change the shape and size of the unit, the number of shelves in the unit, the type of shower head, etc. before sending it to Chief. They have have a drop ceiling which dynamically change the ceiling tile pattern bases on your room size and has configurable air vents, sprinkler heads, etc. They also have doors, windows and a bunch of other commonly used symbols. You can size to fit the room in your particular model before you import it into Chief. There are also a lot of new textures and even 360 degree panoramics you can download. I get a ton of free symbols from 3D Warehouse for my models, but these premium, live symbols will be a great addition. I got access with my Sketchup 2025 Pro subscription. I don't know if you can access any other way or not.

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00893/creating-a-window-well-for-an-egress.html

I would suggest just doing a 4" wide sidewalk, then multi-copying it about 16" apart. Then copy and reflect it so that you get the pattern you need. This would give you the 3D grass, and it would follow the terrain.

Give this a look. The attic wall type did not match up to the upper exterior (stucco) wall, so there was an offset. It was an interior wall with drywall. The roof plane cut into the wall, so I turned off the special snapping in the dbx for that lower roof plan. That allows you to move that edge of the roof plane over so it doesn't cut the wall. Keep in mind, your upper wall is a thicker wall (2X6 stucco) than the thinner interior wall below it, so that thicker wall will be partially unsupported unless you do a 2X6 interior wall below it. If you do a 2X4 stucco attic wall to fill in that triangle, you would have to shift that 2X4 interior wall over 2" so it would line up. Hope this helps. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tv1cxmisjou58jmqxh1qd/Custom-Home-4-modified.plan?rlkey=fwhhca3f9bjyzs1llljuqb3bq&dl=0

Under Light Settings, change it from Automatic to Light Set. This will allow for lights to be turned on independent of if the lights are in different rooms or different floors.

Go to the 3D warehouse (https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/) and download whatever you want. Just import the .skp file into Chief. Some of the items have a large file size and can slow your system down, but there are tons of free symbols to download. You can also go to https://www.chieftutor.net/ and they have some really good symbols if you pay a one-time membership fee. Well worth the money. You can purchase Rene Rabbitt's stuff from his website https://www.rabbittdesign.net/shop Hope that helps.

Go to the Tools menu, then select Floor/Reference Display On the line you have "Reference Display Layer under Layer Set, make sure the Plan Name is the same as the one below it. Then make sure that line is on Automatic and XOR is checked. (See above) Click OK, then go from the first floor to the foundation floor and it should show you the 1st floor reference in red.

If you are good with the road and parking lot being the same material, I typically start with a polyline road and draw out the complete perimeter of the parking area and roads connecting it. Then I add medians as needed for islands. For example, if you parking lot goes all the way around your building, then the building will be on a large median. Your median may even form once side of a road depending on how your parking lot is configured.

Use the rainbow tool on the screen material. Then go to Properties and make sure your Emissive is set to 0. It might just barely have any, but set it to zero. You can then adjust the transparency in the same tab to fit what look you are going for. See if that helps any.

Can you post the .plan file so we an see your lighting, sun and camera settings?

I only have that in an X16 version, but you are welcome to it if you can use it. Custom Mantel.calibz

I have been working on some new items for my X16 library. I have attached the EV Chargers I have. I don't have them in X15, but you can download the models from the 3D Warehouse pretty easily to create your own if you don't have X16 yet. EV Chargers.calibz

Here is a good source for PBR textures I found which has separate files for Normal Maps, Bump Maps, Ambient Occlusion Maps, and Roughness Maps for Chief Architect. The textures are free to download. https://lightbeans.com/en/

Try lowing your sunlight level to about 1000 and see if that helps

It is actually a reflection that looks like OSB. Change the material to a matte finish or change the roughness to 100% using the rainbow tool, and it goes away.