ICTHOMES

I've been going back and forth with a client I sent a link to my 3D model so he could view it w/ VIEWER. Is there a way to make this link live so I don't have to keep exporting?

Thanks Ken.

Thanks for all the awesome post & videos. Lots of great lessons here I hope help others and should be easier to search. Several ways in CA. Thanks for the heads up on walls Dave. I slapped it together fast for bidding. It appears X9 Gable/Roof Line is the simplest answer thanks Michael you are the man! That last pic Solver is what I want. I think it looks good as is. Client is wanting to move front door under gable now, I don't see anywhere to move the dinning table. Any suggestions? This is not my design it's clients, I just have to solve all his issues Perhaps when I show Solvers rendering with all those nice looking tall windows he's happy. I don't see X9 install instructions in my locker, do I need to back-up my catalogs or is it automatic like my users?

My client wants a gable end on this porch roof & I can't find a tutorial or know what to search? I tried roof planes not cooperating at base, &, dormer tools not working. I want the ridges to intersect and extend out to the post w/valleys. How do I do this? Attached in X8...I'm too scared to go X9 can't afford a hiccup right now. Client (Final) Truss 3 (no furn).plan

Don't know about others but often I use CA and goggle search before creating a thread. Goggle usually works better and faster for me. I'm seeing alot that when searched don't come up as intended & the title is the easiest way to find stuff. Perhaps a good idea to do a test on your thread title before posting so people can easily find your intent & content in a search. Speaking of intent: Disclaimers at the top help stop threads from getting way off topic....Clearly state what the intent is since some topics can have many sub-topics and the thread can easily get way off what current and future readers are looking for or having to read long threads to find it. I'm sure I'm not the only one with little time, this will help....Thx.

I think I just figured a work around so W10 can't mess with me anymore....Move them to Dropbox W10 just got an arse whoopin by DB

Anyone else auto arrange with dual monitors hooked up? I've tried everything such as shutting off view auto arrange, align to grid, making sure video card is up to date so it does not refresh. Prior to the last update and/or CA not sure my monitors would not wake up, now this. So I get one thing resolved in time just to have another. I don't like W10 unstable since W7 IMO, but it has some advantages I guess like free security, syncs, etc... Irritating since I like all my CA, etc, arranged the way I want it.

I could be wrong, but the way I interpret it is the opposite you are. For most single story homes with no living space above the ceiling "Ceiling for FL1" is used and sub-floor has no affect. In two or more stories, the sub floor elevations can be changed with respect to one another using the "sub-floor for floor 2" build tool. In this case ceiling build is inoperative. That would make sense to me anyway based on titles of sections too since there is no "sub-ceiling for floor 2" but I'm not sure.

Glad you're back. I remember you from when I first started X7 as being VERY helpful and knowledgeable. I actually thought you had to be part of staff. Sorry they treat you this way nor understand how much value you have brought to new sales. You and a select few others out here s/b free SSA. If they put correct value to the best contributors out here they see this $500 is nothing compared. It reminds me of lower utility bill home designs and appraisers/banks struggling to find comps and realize value all around the nation. That is the biggest reason why solar and these homes are not mass producing all around the USA. Last I went from X7-X8 I lost my textures and user library any insight on how to make sure this is smooth sailing?

You've been on a legal advice rampage correcting and advising what should be on plans for court purposes since post # 97, along with unrelated topics I never asked for in my OP. Most smart people know that's why we have attorney's in this world you are not one. You went on to attack my and all entities quoting "Sorry, but for claims involving design negligence, corporate entities offer no liability protection." in response to my attorney setting up an insured entity, basically it appears you are advising is wrong offering, " entities have no liability protection"..... How ridiculous! So now you are basically advising that the many 1000's of entities in my state alone in construction even tried won cases, including mine, are wrong to call you and get some "real advise". I did try and straighten this non-sense out in post 83, Lew is right I should not have danced this dance with you it appears you have hi-jacked alot of threads with. As far as I'm concerned the mods can delete my and all legal advise post. I hope ppl don't come here for that. Im pretty sure CA does not solicit that or they'd have a legal section. I think I was clear in post 83 I'm not interested in your legal advice to please stay on topic you ignored. Following I had several CA related on topic questions you also ignored persisting on trying to impress this site with you so called self-proclaimed expertise on legal matters. Why would anyone in their right mind identify their company and self with people like you attacking them and their attorneys making them appear beneath your vast national legal expertise is beyond logic. It appears you have pushed your brand of internet legal advice off on others. It appears by post # 94 your legal experience comes from your family and wife whom I presume has tried countless construction, liability, personal injury cases national and briefed you on them all including client-attorney disclosures, in court testifying to no sited cases?, doing clerical judgement work, yet prior to post 21 all you sited was some national misleading info on attorney's sites from PA, NJ, and LA per you are a " few examples from a quick Google searches". Further, nothing in these goggle searches states, "Sorry, but for claims involving design negligence, corporate entities offer no liability protection." Why someone with so much self-proclaimed expertise in legal matters, with so much court experience, and surrounding resources, would resort to a irrelevant cheap goggle search says it all. I certainly hope you provide better legal research to all these attorneys and courts you advice. A person of your legal caliber as a national consultant should have a law library of their own. When I asked for some cases (eg" case law, etc) links you won in construction entity vs SP or were part of nothing? Perhaps in all the time you spend with these attorney's of yours outside of here you spend lots of time you can find some legal research or cases #s, or statues as related to AEC that applies since what you have produced so far is worthless and opinion as stated in them. Why someone with your skills is wasting valuable time about everyday on a drafting sites trolling trying to criticize, impress, is beyond logic. Now it appears you think you have a right to attack people such as their business entities and attorney's knowledge, having them at all, and you have a right to since "you have been here "far, far, longer" than me, and safe to assume anyone else new that does not buy into your BS! In some twisted way you think if I, and I am going to assume others since it appears this is not your first rodeo attacking peoples business, don't back down to your criticizing "attitude" or how we and our attorney's are idiots compared to you we need to learn some "manners" ???? Your kidding right? I guess I completely missed something in the rules and purpose of this site. I had no idea it was to obtain unwanted unsolicited bogus legal advice and there is a senior pecking order allowing more rights than people that are new. If the mods don't step in here I call them personally and find out whats going here. I only started this thread to get help with CA drafting tools......my contracts, Con docs, entity is set up by a VERY knowledgeable court experienced qualified attorney, and if I did not win some popularity contest defending that or moved me up in the pecking order of rights to attack others business entities Richard alluded to oh well. It appears there are some senior contributors here that think they own the forums and can turn any thread they want into anything they want by right including a complete legal advise nightmare! Richard, it you want to boast about your legal, architectural, and other vast knowledge and services you have expertise and offer advice for your businesses, I'll politely ask again, do it on your own thread, perhaps in the -off-topic discussions. Again, let me make this VERY clear. I don't want your legal advise please stop hi-jacking this thread with it.

Please refrain from further legal discussions I have asked the mods to look at Richards contributions. I don't think ppl come to CA looking for legal advice. I certainly did not ask for it in my OP. We need to keep this site topics on CA related discussions otherwise ppl can not learn it. Thanks!

I can't imagine why these two can't be combined. All your page index is doing is denoting a page # and title that can all go along w/ "date, revised by, description" in one live table. If you delete a sheet all is gone. The only variables are "revised by, date, description I am assuming you use to give a brief on what changed, along with any rework to existing parts, assemblies...No biggie, just saying. Think I'll try and combine until someone complains I see I can go schedule-to-text to modify how to get it back to live?

Good Point! Why not combine the Layout Page Table & Revision Table?

Typically, I can point to a plat drawing by civil engineers in sub-divisions and do not have define it. This ones in rural most of the time they just wing a pad. I guess I better call the city. They don't return calls or support residential design around here, so frustrating!

Excellent - Thanks Joey didn't even see that through all the chaos. Looks awesome!! What I had in mind you already sculpture very well thanks again. Agree both locals probably best. Why not put more 3D ref views on each sheet just to help put things into perspective? IE: Framing, MEP if we had it, etc...Just curious we do that on manufacturing(mfg) drawings. Another: Why not combine the Layout Page Table & Revision Table? Reduce clutter all info in one table? In mfg we do that in a "title block". Going to be more than a week for this noob I can see I better focus on foundation get it released.

Question: Would it not make more sense to put applicable general notes (ie: structures, MEP, on those sheets vs "General Notes and Specs" in front sheets? Only put "Gen Notes and Specs" that apply to all trades on "General Notes and Specs". That way each trade does not have to weed through all the notes trying to figure out what applies? I know lots of trades do as they please probably don't even read most of them but this may make it easier to inspect too. See attached. Pro's & Cons?

Richard, I appreciate the offer I'm w/Lew I don't want to get into a pissing contest with a non-attorney I can tell you are.Heck, I don't even like disagreeing with most of them since I usually go away with my tail between my legs, and I bet I have done as much if not more internet research than you they have many times corrected me on. I'm willing to bet you have not taken nor spent the money to take any of this internet info and run it by your states attorney more less nationally. Most states don't maintain the statutes on the Attorney Generals Website, only foolish people buy into internet sites and sales hype, people that think they are in the know. They are written vaguely and ambiguous case law & insurance same, attorneys debate over, judges ultimately interpret after lots of $$$$. Your really foolish if you think an internet site or any person keeps up with it all. If you end up paying to defend yourself you lost. "“Directors and officers have frequently been held liable for negligent nonfeasance where they knew that a condition or instrumentality under their control posed an unreasonable risk of injury to the plaintiff, but then failed to take action to prevent it " Dah, I already stated and anyone in business should know you do this nothing will protect. This has little to do with having and entity that operates under legal standards. In construction contract law you have to be able to point to standard practices, one of many especially if deviated that should be in your contracts fully defined/qualified, or, insurance within known stated, otherwise in writing if not clear & you can get, exclusions of E&O and contract/liability law, usually best advised by an attorney and accountant for IRS law that fully understands your specific states business entity. Also, bad idea getting case or any other law from a competitive legal firms site out to win sales, often twisting complex law in their favor. Best to start by getting the latest statutes, case law, at law libraries then part educated go talk to attorneys. I also took the LSAT back in 1990, had a kid dropped out of liability and patent law and know how complex it gets. Not easy, perhaps you should go take it with the internet info you have.... let us know how that works out for ya Just because you subscribe to some legal sites and found some case law does not make you a 40 year practicing attorney like mine and many of the others in the large firms he has worked in and is still in, along with the same as his wife. I'm tempted to give you his phone number so you can tell him and his legal teams made a mistake, my entity is worthless according to you and some cheap google info. I could only hope he wouldn't charge me since he does have a sense of humor but, I don't want to risk it. Or, it could tick him off and he tries to go after you legally. I've seen him already do that with a state Workers Comp clerk challenging his contracts with wrong opinion over an insurance audit( missing outdated SP disclaimers) we were protected by under contract, that the state fired. WC more complex than liability/PI. He's agressive, puts up w/little, thats why I hired him, and knows his stuff as seen by many of these construction cases he won. Richard, how many have you won can you put up links to those cases? It does not appear you understand statue/case law relations, only that you wasted your money on legal subscriptions to not practice any of it, or be allowed to in court, so you resort to the internet? It's amazing how informed and misinformed the internet has become, and I hope people are smart enough to only get legal advice from several local state attorneys, NOT the internet. It's the same with Building Science and designing, more bad info ruining this industry. Now some believe all they have to do is some cheap goggle searches they don't need a Bachelors, Masters, or PHD and decades of practice. You can see this by trades like framers that are somehow now "Building Scientist" or "Green Building Advisers" just by launching an internet site and writing blogs/Q&A.... One of the main reasons homes especially "air tight" energy efficient "greens" are such a mess because of internet bad advice these clowns take no legal liability for. I guess if the traffic that visits these sites they and their sponsored products profit by, mainly DIY's looking to save money by not hiring degreed pros, then they get what they paid for. I certainly hope the internet does not fool some into thinking that it can replace an education and experience in this country and the generations to come still seek it over the internet. We have already fallen behind some countries and that includes AEC. Richard, you seem a good drafter at giving good CA advice, I advice you stick to it. I know you want ppl to think you have vast knowledge & experience like many on the internet but, that can get you in trouble and harm others. As far as giving legal sounds like all over this site, your making a complete fool out of yourself. Also, here is some advice and some research you might find more interesting..... I'm seeing more and more become legally responsible for internet ill-advice, some forms of bulling as in individuals and legal firms like this, and acting outside ones legal capacity such as attorneys or challenging them, "Building Scientist" "Advisers" (legal, tech, etc). IMO it's been a long time coming and some of these sites and their contributors that have caused bodily harm and injury or financial loss be held accountable, get sued, and the protective site disclaimers do not protect them, nor their liability E&O insurance probably does not in the "exclusions", nor an entity, are challenged by perhaps case law just like the ones you quoted above, to set an example. I think we are entering a cyber era " be careful what you say on the internet". Trying to impress, acting outside legal capacities may soon come at a price. Then people will ask themselves "was it worth it" ? It's been discussed above Designers should be licensed or qualified. I don't think thats the case as long as they follow code and/or engineers designs and don't act outside their capacities and within their insurance exclusions(beware, not all are possible to list and are on case-by-case, they work to find loop hole ways out of) and/or legal entities that as I said further protect. You can find all kinds of internet case law/statue on this too, here again seek a state attorney more situations are unique cannot always be compared to case law, or even statues w/o court. This holds more true for "Building Scientist" or "Green Building Advisers" and "Want to be Attorney's" many of which don't even have a degree or any practical experience doing engineering design including physics and law. This thread has got off track....I'd appreciate it if we leave silly legal debates to "real" attorneys and courts. I'm working trying to get some prints done this week for a build coming up soon and would like to get the subject matter back to CA drafting I'm sure I'll need some help with. Others that read this thread have to weed through a bunch of non-related info. I contributed to that I know, just seek an attorney for legal and qualified engineer for design/drafting and legal risk will be drastically reduced period! Thanks again for the help so far. Joey you are my idol. A master at your trade, alone w/others out here. Nice Job!

With PHIUS as of "today" rapidly growing on all the green sites 372 certified strong as of 2016, the trend or dream of any drafter, builder, or homeowner doing integrated CAD designs software retailers hope for will die. It takes alot more than drawing lines on paper to design one, some like WUFI very complex. Take a look at the design tools like WUFI and other input software for net zero designs CA does not even have a GBXML file export to? http://www.phius.org/software-technical-resources Those softwares take into account energy systems losses & gains it be nice to have in 3D CA.

My biggest issue with CA today is the lack of 3D HVAC routing so I can easily see if my systems are designed well and integrated with structures...I watched videos of others like Archicad with library's full of duct, plumbing, electrical connectors along with easy routing & collision detection tools (the kind of collisions I don't want to be found at the job site I see often from 2D plans errors). It's not easy to even route a gutter. Is there some plug-in or way around this? Other is everywhere I look SU is included as an import to energy modeling software....Why SU and not CA? I guess since SU is plug and play based more than CA and others? The only other import option is a GBXML (Green Building XML)....you know the "Green" buff word about 10 years old as of "today". Why is so hard and taking so long for CA to add this export? So what I have to do is recreate geometry using the energy modeling tools instead of imported CA geometry.

It 's a catch 22. Most don't realize drafting or engineering, or a better word, "design-to-cost" realizes the build recurring cost processes. In commercial or product manufacturing that is as high an order of business "Lean Production" Just in Time" etc.....as a PE signing off non-recurring cost structures design what typically most Architects/drafters value most as seen in this thread. Now after lots of companies leaning out production and cases where conservative PEs over designed/cost, if you don't know production and can't communicate it well from your design seat, just like w/a PE or scientist, you get fired. PE over designing structures with positive margins past 1 pushes lots of cost to production & can be unnecessary PE E&O.. Most inclduing code is 2+. I've seen high load designs do fine @ .5. The smart competitive markets will move/grow this direction, whomever provides higher quality at lower cost wins. The synergy for that is the multi-role design-build seat. Inspection is getting that way more and more moving to design in 3D (Rapid Protoype would be an example). More and more is being placed on design along with automation, again requiring degree curriculums and roles to change to service. That is why/how I defeated the myth and my local competition, that high performance homes cost more, mine don't. The problem is if you have a good PM you probably need them at the job site rather than sitting at a design or planning seat office. When I said "good PM" I meant good enough that understands all aspects of design-build-inspect well enough to facilitate a quality input to drawings, not necessarily the most knowledgeable or subject matter expert. Two entirely different roles, hard to find especially if there are labor shortages. Find one pay them well. We've had some PMs that did not get it, even Project Managers we use to put in sales roles. Now we learned to integrate the two combining Production and Project manager cradle-to-grave roles we have in our office that frequents the field/trades/clients and provides me with design inputs. Our trades in the field know more than him but he can communicate with me and them well enough, if not I go to the site see whats happening or I do that by live video streams if it's too cold outside

Consider yourself lucky since this is one of the few industries left building trades/any contractors can work themselves up through the ranks and take a design seat. Others require a science 4-yr degree, where there are Integrated Product Teams and sign-off procedures where trades have inputs to drawing releases only, I practice, however, when it comes to complex building science most trades are not educated nor trained and that includes many drafting functions. Where things have gone in other industries is auto-design requiring more and more complex IT skills on top of science most won't understand. My energy and moisture/mold models are hard to understand & interpret but, my quality is much higher than most. I do agree with your intent that most designers/Architects don't coordinate well with builders/trades. Don't have to be a jack of all trades to do that. That is the problem with the separation between designers and builders not integrated under the same roof. Builder's can't afford to pay designers to work out and define all their specific build criteria. Most don't realize how much that leans out the cost of their builds to pay for better upfront design-build-inspection processes. Again, today's computers have made it easier to look at build sequences, including estimating, reducing hazards, design E&O, and planning making sure the design is build process robust lowering the need for timely communication with alot of trades, one good PM on a design-team could suffice. In alot of large commercial thats exactly what they do take one good production guy co-locate them with designers requiring coordnation.

According to our liability and contracts law attorney and at least ten others in my state I talked to it most certainly does. As I said, this law is VERY convoluted changing all the time not only by statutes, mainly state, but also case law. In the corporate friendly states where judges vs jury's determine the outcome, it is VERY difficult to pierce. Alot also depends on how it's structured. For example, some states like them and ours allow Series LLCs...Put your assets in a corporate friendly state as big brother, series where you practice...In most states, where the error was practiced tries the case better protecting corporate. Alot of companies do that. We have two entities, one design, one build. I incorporated myself, it was easy for only $160/yr a no brainier. It' like having a ghost of a person that I insure mainly for personal liability if someone gets injured from a design E&O. Some Real Estate investors do this for every flip/rental. At most Secretary Of States a "Resident Agent" that can be anyone is public knowledge not company owners so you can hide, even better within a land trust. An internal Operating Agree(OP) in a multi-member offers the best protection since there are more split assets but, the members have to be "active"(not an inactive spouse....etc) vs sole propriety. If you walk into court as Sole Proprietor even insured your a much easier asset target than the above. Only issues are lending, banks want personal liability, some won't even lend to entities even though I include mine to build credit. I personally have to take liability for my entity there. Other, you can't take contractors to district court without an attorney. We just got out small claims with a client that failed to pay thats not an issue if it's under $4000 here, we don't leverage clients past $2K. The only case your probably right is for complete negligence, where you acted as an unlicensed PE for example, and the entire building collapsed. In that case, no insurance or entity will protect. Most don't read insurance polices and they are convoluted and vague, not relieving every E&O situation so, if it fails, having an entity and other structured forms of asset protection is best. Also, we see enough tax breaks like no state & self-employment depending on how we file as s/c corps, as one to pay the entity fees many times. Its best when it comes to legal and accounting advice to seek an attorney and CPA in your state.

Liability & Contract law is convoluted with no precise outcome. I have an E&O insured legal entity, dbl asset protection. Jurisdiction doing plan reviews to a point can be a good thing, rather than no checker function at all like here for E&O. We find out at the job site. Sounds like builder QA issues. One way to resolve that & keep everyone out of trouble is have PMs do sub-inspections denoted on the drawing's. Make it more a "Design-Build" package vs just design thrown over the fence. The designer/architect/PE in coordination w/builders and their trades are the most qualified to determine those critical I like to call "key" inspection features I put in flag notes on my drawings as inspection points tied to production planning most of which is also on my drawing's. That's what I do and I require inspection stamps be submitted by each trade before a completion cert and payment is issued. I design high performance homes QA is a must or they don't perform as designed or to my energy models. One thing nice about being a Design-Build Firm with some in-house employees is we have better QC. More I think about it I'm going to sequence my sheets in order of build, an integration concept knows as "Design as Built" basically the drawing shts now have a split roles, design def and build planning. I'll try and get it so each sheet gets stamped off as planning.

Is there anyone left not too busy divorcing their spouses or moving out of Calinutso? We noobs never did get a good .plan. If I had one I give it up. I guess some won't share think theirs will receive a patent and has never been done before? Just think, more successful noobs, more sales/SSAs, better softwares... Anyhoo. I've been following Joey's excellent sample w/mods and the template Perry pointed to, thx for that....couple of questions working on my custom title block. 1. Joey has a red "copyright stamp" block I cannot find in the library CAD blocks. Is that a stamp I get at Officemax? Seems the proprietary note in the library be enough? 2. Working on my title blocks sideways is a real pain. Is there an easy way to rotate it all temporarily? I tried to click-drag select no cad block option, no rotate handles on sheets? Baffling why some is read @ 90 deg, why not just read it all vertically or horizontally?

I think a template like Joey has as a file we can read in CA vs PDF be very helpful. It's more than the notes & views that are easy to modify or delete if not needed I'd like a closer look at. Thanks!