Designers_Ink

Post on KBBOnline.com https://kbbonline.com/products/kitchen-technology/chief-architect-x15-software/?fbclid=IwAR04amiYeqc7K7Z5GN_23cOj59qXtd7lWIxIG0eZUKLGE70EuscUxlG00xE Chief Architect Software has announced a new version of its architectural 3D home design software Chief Architect X15. Chief Architect X15 offers powerful new features, including automatic truss framing and real-time ray trace rendering that produces photo realistic results in less than 30 seconds with a new de-noise feature. The software allows for easily positioning the sun and moon in 3D to create renderings for any time of the day or night. Chief Architect X15 select new features include: Automatic truss framing for roof and floor trusses Reference display to superimpose an as-built over a remodel in 3D Offsets for deck railings and stairs to move the railing to the outside A catalog library that can access files locally or from the cloud Live Material Lists that continually change. If you move a wall or add a window the material list updates in real-time.

Here are the two I use. One is just the vent, and one has a unit above the vent in the ceiling. They are set to mount flush with the ceiling in the HVAC layer. Hope these help. AC Cassette Vents.calibz

Guys if you haven't picked this tool up from Rene, you are missing out. Cabinets are such a powerful tool in Chief if you know how to get it to do what you want. This tool makes it so simple to create not only open shelves, but also closed box cabinet shelves like bookcases, china cabinets, hutches and so much more. I just got it today and have found so many ways to use these tools to create things that used to take forever manually placing books and other items on shelves in elevation and plan view. There is a wide variety of shelf items in the library, and it is really just a click of a mouse to place them. Very efficient. Thanks, Rene!

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/search/?q=wok burner&searchTab=model There is one here you can import into Chief.

Version 3.0 is currently in beta testing now. It is available to anyone wanting to test. In this version, it allows you to pan the screen for larger paper (about legal size) on their standard blank quick sheet template. I typically will sketch out a room or a group of rooms, then swipe right to add another sheet and keep going with my dimensioned sketch. You can import larger (i've done 'e' size) .pdfs and pan around the entire page, so I suppose you could just import a blank D or E size page as a template and use it to make larger sketches, but the pen thickness settings to not scale exactly as you go to really big paper, so the thinnest pen setting shows thicker than if on a normal sized sheet when you get too large of paper size. 11X17 graph paper would still look good.

I use the Remarkable 2 for all my As-Built sketching, meeting notes, etc. Really one of the best tools I have. Since I work with a draftsman, all my notes, sketches, etc. are automatically uploaded to the client's folder so we don't have to share a physical piece of paper with notes or sketches on it. I can also access all of those notes on my computer, phone, or tablet from anywhere. It works great if I have a .pdf of an existing building plan. I can upload it straight from my Dropbox folder, then mark any changes as I go around and verify measurements and as-built conditions. You can also keep your library of reference books, codes and span tables on it, so you can quickly refer to them out in the field as needed. With the books on the device, you can make your own notes or highlights right on the pages for quick reference. I created some customized forms for client meetings so it is really easy to go room by room with a client to talk about what they want in each room. Kind of like a checklist so I don't forget to ask about certain details. As I get layouts done for clients, I can upload the plans I created in .pdf, then make up my notes right on the plan during the meeting with changes they want to make. It works great for marking up corrections from my draftsman as well. The notes then go in the client's folder so I don't ever have to try to remember what physical notepad I wrote the notes on ever again. It feels like you are writing on paper, so I like the feel of it better than my iPad, which I used to use. I have probably had 20 clients over the past 2 years see mine during a meeting and go buy one for themselves. The price was a bit scary, but I use it daily and it was well worth the money for me.

Mine got out of hand as well since I import a lot of models from the 3D warehouse. I'm usually in a rush, so I would just import them to get them in my model and over time they just sit in the main User Catalog folder with some name assigned by the original modeler. I have been working on cleaning things up a few hours at a time by importing the model into a .plan file, cleaning up the texture and other settings, then saving them back into my user catalog under the proper name and folder. I have also been assigning the keyword attributes so I can easily search under different keywords and find them later. I don't know how many models I found during the clean that I had downloaded multiple times because I could find the original download. It takes a lot of time, but I am now starting the reap the benefits of having it organized and not having the tweak the textures and settings each time I bring the model into my plans. Since I haven't found a way to import directly into specific user folder, I usually add a prefix of TEMP before the name of a newly imported model, so I can easily find all of the newly imported models I need to tweak and put in my folder structure. Once I make my tweaks, I add it to my user library in the proper folder and delete the TEMP model. While doing this, I am also creating architectural blocks of various models I put together as a group like furniture groups, cabinet / appliance groups, etc. that I commonly use in models. It makes that go so much faster when I am laying things out since the items come in together with the textures already tweaks for PBR. It definitely takes time, but since there are 4 of us in the office who can share the user catalog, it makes the effort worth it since we are all saving time each time we use the system.

There are several in the 3D warehouse I use. Also, remember you can copy them and vary them my resizing and shaping the same rock and using different textures to make the rocks look more realistic.

I use a laser measuring device (fairly cheap, but accurate). I used to take a pad of graph paper and write all of my notes on a sketch, but now I use a Remarkable 2 electronic writing pad. It feels like paper when you write on it, it allows you to import .pdfs or .pngs if you have a sketch already laid out you want to just write the notes on as you, and it automatically syncs all of my notes back to my computer or cell phone. You can zoom in and out to get thing big enough to see when you import large drawings. The days of trying to figure out which pad of paper I took certain notes on are finally over. Another advantage, is that since the notes are synced to the client's file folder, my draftsman has access to them, so we don't have to keep track of who has what paper note at any given point. I also use it for client meetings and have custom forms on it that lets me go room by room with a checklist to make sure we don't figure to cover a topic. Very lightweight, and the battery lasts for weeks between recharges. I can also keep all my reference books on it, so I have them anywhere I go, with my highlights and notes on them. One of the better gadgets I've bought over the years.

You might give Meridian Technology Center in Stillwater, Oklahoma a call. They have a two year Drafting program for high school and adult students. They incorporated Chief Architect into their curriculum as part of the program a couple of years ago. They also teach AutoCAD, Lumion and Revit to their students so they get a taste of several different programs. We have hired some of their students, and so far all have said they liked working with the Chief software the best. The instructor out there is Russell Frick. 405-377-3333

Open up the column symbol (bottom tool bar chair with a pencil button). Make sure the Origin Offsets are set to 0" for X, Y and Z.

Another freeze just as I opened an existing file before doing anything to it. This time I went to the Task Manager and hit End Task on the Antimalware Service Executable like last time, and again, my Chief immediately unfroze and allowed me to go back to work with no issues.

The saga continues... This lock up was during a camera view. I tried closing Malwarebytes instead of ending the task in the Task Manager, and it did not work. Still frozen. I then went into the task manager and scrolled down to the "Antimalware Service Executable - Microsoft Defender Antivirus Service" which was running as a Background Process and ended it. Again, my Chief immediately unlocked and allowed me to continue. Maybe just another piece to the puzzle.

I used the framing tools in Chief to create this one for a client a few months ago. It was actually fairly easy with a lot of copying elements multiple times once you get the first structure member in the model.

Just had another freeze. The last time I was in plan view. This time I was on camera view. As soon as it locked up, I immediately shut down Malwarebytes, and it again immediately unfroze and let me continue working.