Clemsongrad

I've brought in a jpeg image into a cad site plan and I would like to make the jpeg 60% transparency for better readability. So far I cannot find any controls for this. Any ideas? THX Larry

Thank you everyone! The videos really helped! Your comment, Joey, is central to the situation. The circumstances here are that my friends whose home it is have contracted with a "shell" building company who had agreed to build it on site since it is larger than their normal projects. The builder is telling my friends that he will be putting up 5 posts. They are wanting to work with him, but as yet no one is getting into the nitty gritty details. If you look at the attached file you can see that the doorway definitely needs to be considered in the solution. My first choice would be to center the 5 foot stairs on the doorway and make it 6 posts. Each side would have equally sized sections. Only the distance between the newel posts on each side of the stair would be unique and narrower. Another factor is that the builder wants to use 4x4 posts. The solution you came up with Glenn illustrates what five posts only would create. If they go that route what size vertical member would the rail die into? I think it will be a bit messy. I don't want my friends to blindly agree on a set number of posts without considering the ramifications of that decision. You have all been quite helpful as I now know how to control the newel post locations by using the break wall command and changing wall definitions. I would not have thought of that at this stage of my CA journey! Thanks again! Larry

Glen, That explains it! Are you suggesting I create an invisible door opening or wall where I want the stairs to be? I'm not sure how to create either of those. Maybe I'm over thinking this, but if I want a rail opening when adding a stair, but don't want to add more posts shouldn't there be an uncheck for that as well? Thanks!

When I create a deck or porch and have equidistant posts new posts are added when I place a stair. I don't want them added. Where are the controls to prevent additional posts being added? Thanks Larry

Perfect! Thank you

I've hunted around but can't find how to have shadows turned off as a default. What is happening is if I change a camera angle the program keeps drawing new views and I can't get anything done until it goes through 20 views! Second question: I want to add brackets to my porch posts. Anyone know which training video shows how to do it? Dragging a bracket puts it at the wrong height and orientation. I know there is a proper method! Thanks Larry

I just tried to emulate in CA a rendering technique I learned in architectural school. It appears to be working. The rendering technique I used over 35 years ago was this: First make a very light print of your drawing on white paper. Color the drawing with pastels or colored pencils. Next print the same drawing on a clear sheet making sure your linework is very dark and crisp. Overlay the line work over the colored drawing and matte them together. The line work gives punch and definition and the color gives the warmth and tone. I just printed out an elevation using the standard render and saved it to a file. I then printed out a technical drawing the same way. I opened both files in photoshop and over layed the linework after deleting the white areas. I then changed the transparency of the line work until I liked the look. Same result - the linework gave detail. Try it sometime! Larry

Michael, Wow and thank you! The truss manufacturer had an end wall truss designated, and I put it in and then took it out. Now that I see how you did it, I can use your method and show them what we need using and end wall truss like your upper drawing. Parkwest was concerned about the builder, so I'll fill you both in. My friend is trying to be very frugal, so he found a company who builds shell buildings using trusses only. My friend is trying to get some customization done within their construction parameters so he is dealing with the truss company and the builder. I'm not sure he is going about it the best way, but he thinks he can keep the costs down this way. I've watched hours and hours of training videos, but being new, I couldn't have figured that out without your help! Thank you so very very much! Larry

Forgot to do that again! dudley24x40 shell V2.plan

Here is the plan file. Thanks Larry dudley24x40 shell V2.zip

I spoke with my friend and suggested a framed end wall. I also suggested keeping the scissor truss at the end and stick framing the rest. He will talk to his builder. Thanks

My friend wants a high window above their double entry doors in wall that has end wall trusses above. The truss manufacturer doesn't know how to achieve this. I put in a window which shows in the elevation, but does not cause the truss to rebuild. The rest of the trusses in the building apart from the end walls have sloped bottom chords. (You can see this in the attached pdf.) How do I get chief to frame this in order to get a window in the end wall? Thank You Larry dudley24x40 shell V2-Perspective Framing Overview Image.pdf South Elevation Image.pdf

I'm getting closer! Trusses looking good. Now I need to put in floor trusses bearing on the sides and a center cmu stem wall. And, this building is being built on top of the foundation of the former house, so the concrete block walls are sitting on a new slab with thickened edges and thickened center. (no new footing s are being formed.) Proper approach? dudley24x40 from scratch.plan

Getting closer. Do I need to select an energy heal truss?

I'm just totally missing something. I've added the three ceiling plains just fine. I'm not understanding how to raise the roof up the 2 additional feet above the ceiling planes so the truss will form between them. THX Larry

Does this type of truss present any unusual challenges for chief? I've watched a tutorial, but not showing this kind. Thanks Larry 162518 B24.pdf

Sorry for reposting this. I came back and thought I hadn't submitted it!

From what I am seeing using chief I don't see any particular deficits, but I'd like to learn work arounds before I'm in the midst of a project. I may have several coming up this year and would like to acquire assets and skills to be ready ahead of time. Thanks! Larry

From what I am seeing using chief I don't see any particular deficits, but I'd like to learn work arounds before I'm in the midst of a project. I may have several coming up this year and would like to acquire assets and skills to be ready ahead of time. Thanks! Larry

I have a small house drawn up that the owner had asked for 10' walls. He just changed his mind and wants them to be 9' high. It has a kitchen, bath, living room, closet and Washer dryer alcove with bifold doors. I tried to select each room using the shift command, but when I do the finished ceiling tabs under the structure area of the room specification dialogue is grayed out. How do I best do this? THZ Larry

I don't know how to get it on level 0 after the fact. To RG, I don't care about the order. Whatever works best, but yes to slab on grade with stem walls and floor joists. See new bare house attached 24x36 Slab rev3.plan

This house has changed sizes 6 times and I'm wondering if I should just draw it all over. I'm not sure how to create the house with a slab on grade with a center thickened slab with 24 " crawlspace (3 concrete block high) then conventional floor rafters (or possibly floor trusses) When I drew the slab as a stand alone drawing I got some funny conditions even after a bunch of you jumped in to help. See attached 24x36 Slab rev3.plan

I made the ceiling 0" high and the walls went away. but there is a lot of extra lines drawn still. Other than a simple slab. Hmmmm...

I'm getting somewhere with your ideas, but it's drawing more than a slab. It shows walls above the slab I don't know how to eliminate. Plus insulation?