Ed_Downunder

This is the most valid reason for hunting down the DWG. Surveyor is licensed. You have some redress if things are not correct. - Who is liable for errors? Much better if it's not you.

I put it down to a time out issue. I copy to clipboard if I have to go to another tab. This has got to be a Chief setting..... C'mon Chief check you settings or make suggestions!!!!

This forum is alive and well. The original post was borne of frustration. " Let the first among us without frustration cast the first stone" Kevin does add at a later date some of the issues that cause him grief. Legitimate issues. When someone criticizes Chief and it looks a bit like a rant - the defenders rise up. I would like Kevin to open a thread on the suggestions forum about some of his issues. Post #36 "1)Plot plans Surveying units and radius's and topological points are one of the areas that is in great need of change and upgrades..... Many programs can blanket topo's data like a sheet/drape and produce accurate representations of many survey points quickly and accurately at any give depth or Z height quickly and accurately. 2)3D solid modeling tools are long over due for new tools and upgrades. Adding Mesh manipulation with various tools should also be included.Twist, Blend, Boolean,Taper, Stretch, Flow along a curve, Flow along a surface 3)Layers in my opinion is another area where more options and flexibility are needed....... annotations sets and layer sets are great but limited in so many ways. 4)Text manipulation and scaling is in great need of upgrades 5) Database access is a must not only for users but also for 3rd party programs that could open direct access to Chief and open new programs that would aid in all kinds of area's 6) More adherence to code standards in regards to framing and other fields etc....... several more but enough ​These are great topics to discuss. Very legitimate subjects. It's discussion that investigates and probes the limits and having many voices casting light into dark corners is - well 'enlightenment' !!!!

That's very funny! Had to watch it twice. It probably won't escape the observation of the more astute among us that the architect being featured is English. Hmmmm. He does make a valid point comparing a chook shed with a cathedral. Lets face it we all take ourselves a little bit too seriously at times. The video was a lovely comedy breeze blowing over a parched landscape. I reviewed the X8 release video. There were many items that were recognised from discussion on suggestions forum and beta release group forum prior to and during the beta x8. The road to change will be more effective on the suggestions forum. That is where issues can be discussed with a view to improving the functionality and introducing new features. One of my favourite gripes is the roof framing limitations. This is an area that needs attention. Simple roof battens and purlins sitting on top of the rafter. !!!! I have my workaround which is code for - just more work than is really needed. I crashed X8 with a legacy plan! I think the plan was the problem because I can't reproduce the crash and I edited and rebuilt some elements. So maybe X8 is not perfect or maybe my legacy plan was the problem - don't know. What I do know is Chief listened to the user group on the suggestions forum and engaged with the posters asking questions not just offering work arounds.

When you send to layout > Camera view options > Live View > Update > Update Always From the help file: • Select Always Update to update the view any time a change is made to the model. This option ensures that the view is always current but may cause program slowness.

This might suit a public restroom. https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=ce8d0550595e69fb5d8d5ac45e2e0371

Does Chief listen. Do power users remove the responsibility from Chief to improve. In my view they (Chief) does listen and prioritise. I need to get my drawing printed and out the door and I resist a workaround. So I have to compromise sometimes. Auto update to layout was a fantastic upgrade that came from the user group (power users - maybe - but more importantly it came from interested users contributing their thoughts and engaged with Chief moderators) Story Pole: another example of an upgrade driven by the user group. Stairs - the list goes on. Like many I have had harsh words to say, driven by frustration and the clock. After I have had my grumble I boot up Chief again and appreciate it does a good job for most of my work. Like many here I will look forward to Beta X9 where serious thought and consideration goes into new and upgraded features. Who knows it may even have foundations tool upgrade or perhaps a working practical materials list and let's not stop wishing for an improved macro set or Ruby Consul.

Here is my use for the overhang. Would like have a label for width. A plan with a energy calculation layerset will save a lot of time and effort with energy rating tools. Anyone have a solution to help with my overhang and offset measurements. Macro? Eave projection-offset.pdf

It's an Australian Government initiative promoting sustainable building practices. Quote from the preface- "Welcome to the fifth edition of Your Home—Australia’s most comprehensive guide to environmentally sustainable homes. This publication continues a long-standing effort by the Australian Government, in partnership with the building and design industry, to give everyone interested in building homes for a sustainable future, comprehensive, expert and independent advice." The "Your Home" is available as a book. Mine is on order.

For me learning CA is a bit like learning the computer. - Nobody learns the computer. In the same way nobody learns CA. I have needs and need to satisfy those needs. For example I needed to import a feature survey into Chief. I studied the tutorial vidios provided with SSA. Now it's a no brainer. Import dwg convert cad lines to elevation lines etc. I had to find the solution to my problem. I hope this is not too cute but there are no real shortcuts to knowledge. Chief can be a little too promiscuous. Auto this auto that and auto the other. When you have discovered the limitations of the 'auto' your understanding begins. I would think it reasonable to say that many experienced users have forgotten the time when there knowledge was limited to in-experience. In my view it's not possible to learn Chief without pain. Like many I would raise my voice and say without 'pain there is no gain'. I may be wrong but for me learning with progressive plans is learning in an academic way. When applying Chief to your plans and finding the correct way by building on the knowledge you gain is real learning. Chief will not teach you how to draw, present you visualisation or concepts. You own that. Chief will help you get it to screen and print. Chief Architect is not perfect, it will frustrate and exasperate with it's limitations and with every upgrade and improvement it will continue to offer the hope of perfection. When I started using Chief the economics were so dreadful that the idea of using CA to make money were soon destroyed. Can anyone make money from Chief out of the box. You are in the right place. That is a good start. As soon as you have a question that can be answered with a method it will be pounced on and if someone has a different or better solution you can bet that it will be offered. We all have learned Chief in different yet the same ways (that's an oxymoron) Good luck

I sync to OneDrive. No problems.

This is amazing. With the collective brain-power of significant users this subject still goes around and around. This highlights a software engineer vs the real world. I too have issues with foundations / mono slabs / floors & floor surfaces. Like everybody when it works - it works but then after a while something seems broken. Maybe one day Chief will take a post like this one and listen to the frustrated collective wisdom of experienced users and realize that with all this depth of knowledge of both the real world building practices and extensive use of the software there is something wrong. This subject of building foundations is not new but very interesting and showing that layers are an important factor. It's true that most floor systems can be built. My most complicated used mono slab - foundation walls - timber framing and retaining walls from a lowered level that had a garage with limestone walls on a stip footing and the slab poured at a later date.. Complicated but doable. If I could draw like I think it should be built I would not have to decipher if the foundation is supplying the floor for the room above or this room gets it floor from the floor below!!! Even on a plan with a second floor and mono slab selected there is a box for 'Floor supplied by the foundation room below. This might make perfect sense to someone..but not to me and it seems to be that way for many. I remain vigilant for a future foundation re-design.

Looks like measured drawings wins the technical argument. I had to read Atari2600 link to get it. I just use existing and proposed labels on our plans. That gets us through to a building licence. "These are the proper definitions of as-built, measured and record drawings as per AIA standards. Despite the existence of regulated standards, these terms are misused. As-built drawings are primarily contractor based, record drawings are approved and testified by the architect as per the owner's requirements and measured drawings are based on fresh projects on already standing buildings." ​I will probably continue to use the term 'existing' in conversation because it does not require explaining....measured drawings will confuse people not familiar with architectural drawings. ​If it found it's way into a contract the definition becomes important. For normal communication "as built" means what is built and for documentation existing and proposed is on the plan set. Not entirely sure how existing and proposed definitions would sit in a contract. Not an issue in Australia as far as I am aware. But them we don't sign up new contract that require a lawyer to be present.

Appreciate you sharing. Thanks.

Is it true April 1 only come round once a year.

Thank you Brian for sharing They are in the library and will be useful.

Thank you Graham. Good tip work a treat

I am following this topic because I want a 6 stacker all going left. Somebody help John.

Very generous Joe. Thank you

Here is a good example of why confusion reign's supreme. 2) Specify how the Ceiling Above Floor X is built. These settings are relevant only for rooms that do not have living space above them. • Check Build Ceiling Framing to generate or regenerate ceiling framing when the OK button is clicked. Only available when there is no living space above at least part of the current floor. Not available in the Framing Defaults dialogue. 3) Specify how the Subfloor for Floor X is built. These settings are relevant only for rooms that have living space above them. • Check Build Floor Framing to generate or regenerate floor framing when the OK button is clicked. Not available in the Framing Defaults dialogue or if there is no floor located below the floor in question. The problem with this description is all rooms have ceilings. All rooms have a floor. The floor from the room above is not always the same as the ceiling below. OK it can be explained and be used for some complicated roof / floor structures. I would of thought that the dbx should be self explanatory and if a helpful explanation and useful examples are required these should not need hours of study and experimenting to see how the engineers created this little gem. If I wanted a floor framing for the floor above (2) why do I have to go the the floor below to see it. logic dictates that the floor and ceiling framing for floor 1 should be seen on floor 1 and floor and ceiling framing for floor 2 should be seen on that floor. I only want to design and draw: not go on a journey of self awareness and constantly testing myself for mental and physical stamina.

I'm glad your problem is solved. It's just a simple matter! I think not. there is a lot to say about how intuitive Chief is. It is there in help. When the Roof Plane Specification dbx is open and options selected you can press the help button and scroll down to find it. But you do have to know it's there. So how would you know? I guess it's part of the learning curve.

Larry your vid is insightful. Whilst you were all over the place looking for a solution you demonstrated what I do and I am sure there are many that just give up on this most basic design process. User error. yes I'll buy that. Your user error is based what you need to know as opposed to some intuitive process where you can set-up your defaults and get on with the design. The confusion you demonstrated here demonstrates perfectly what is wrong with this dbx. Not the sharpest tool. Maybe. Maybe not. Some have worked it out and some have not. But I don't think that is the problem. I would recommend that anyone interested in setting correct foundation have a look at both your videos. We all have to get our plans out the door. So we compromise, we give up, we adjust auto detail to suit and we add cad. It is just crazy to do this when it is all there in Chief. With this approach forget any attempts to use the materials list.

Is there anyone out there? Does anyone one understand? Can someone explain the mysteries of 'floor platforms' (never built one in my life) Slab under this room. 'Sounds useful until you try to use it.'. ( I build slabs all the time.) OK Chief it's time to take notice. We don't get it. I don't get it. I live with it. I just don't get it. There are many that just don't get it. There is one consistent in this and that is we are all (probably most) trying to prepare construction documents. Please === It's about construction documents. It's really quite simple but unfortunately made complicated. There is no great mystery about what happens on site. Here is my rant! Construction start from the ground up. Footings. Floor - can be a slab or framed. Walls. Ceiling. Floor structure for floor above. Ceiling for this room. Roof. You do all this but it is not intuitive. Worse it seems like a conspiracy to complicate and confound. Ok this software has to consider other issues like a constructed room as opposed to a room being built.. That is a software engineer issue not a designer issue. This software should respond to a designer and a designers intellect. The software is sound. it's solid' it's great. But not from a designers perspective. What is also required is an international perspective. There are many pressures that come to bear. New features. improved features. Probably the most basic feature is to make Chief attractive to a designers mindset. The clue to dysfunction is the massive oversupply of work around. Solution is to let me build my footings and slab. Construct my walls. Build a ceiling with framing. Put floor on top. Build a ceiling. Build a roof. I know we can already do that! ...Wrong! Yes It's possible to do that. Quite different. Yes we can do these things now. But not easily and not intuitively. When the floor platform above is responsible for the ceiling below that is OK if you are familiar with (who can remember which) dbx and completely understand ( code for the last time you had to interact with the dbx). It is not intuitive and I fully support the views of the poster quoted and of the many view put forward by Chief users who struggle with this issue. By nature designers are image centric. The new feature with active layers is a fantastic example of what appeals to a designer. Instant feed back about choices that affect the model. (with this feature I immediately understood the relationship of wall main layer and eaves. (might be obvious to all you Chief Engineers.) All the words use in describing how eaves are generated from a relationship between roof and walls are almost meaningless compared to a visual.. For example: A slab on ground. Masonry wall. Top Plate. (chief calls it a sill plate) It is not easy to get a sill plate where it needs to be. It does have to be there for the ceiling and roof framing and it affect the ridge height. Get this wrong and the materials list is wrong. (sorry Chief but your own words are - build the model correctly to have an accurate materials list.) We need more help here. Lets not forget the curb. What a mind twister that is along with stem walls and the myriad adjustment options available from multiple dbx's End of rant. I could easily draw this in cad. Draw in parametric not so easy. The value of parametric is if a wall is moved all other building components are updated. What a wonderful promise. The way forward is parametric. there is no going back. The big promise of parametric was construction drawings. Nice to have ray-tracing etc but not at the expense of construction drawings. end of second rant.

Not an expert but but you have selected Roof Plane Specification. On that tab - Roof Layer. Ceilings are ticked. Your room (porch) does not have a ceiling. When un-tick ceilings the roof/ceiling problem disappears. Does this solve your problem? It maybe the ceiling height of your porch and the roof height are not correct.

Hi Electoman, Not sure what the problem is. Why don't you tun off temp dimensions. Are you showing temp dimension in the first image?