Demr7777

I fixed it in autocad but I still would like to know what I'm doing wrong in C.A. dimensions

I need to send a floor plan from Chief Architect to AutoCad 2017. I have exported the drawing from Chief as a .dwg file and it opened up great in AutoCad 2017 and dimensions are the correct scale, however, the drawing measures now in decimals so I checked my units in AutoCad and they seem to be set in architecture at feet and inches. So I'm confused on how to start dimensioning this drawing which is why I sent it to AutoCad. You my be wondering why not just dimension it in C.A. well the reason is, I am new to C.A. and every time I hit auto dimension exterior and interior I have a rediculous amount of dims. everywhere. I have gone into the default settings and set all my dims. in Dimensions, auto exterior and auto interior the same to both sides of walls and only center of openings and windows. That's all I want! What I get is dims all over the place and you can't see the drawing. I have double dims. right next to each other as well. I have all the cabinets, plants, shapes etc. set to no dimensions. Dimensioning is art to me and I like them to be precise and strategically place. I have spent way to much time trying to get this right and I can not waste any more time with it on this round. I need to finish this job... Any help on setting it up correctly in BOTH senarios, AutoCad or C.A. would be great.

Ok Thanks MarkMc

Can anyone help me I am lost on what seems to be some of the most simple task. I am an AutoCad user and I am used to one or two clicks of a mouse and a task is done. Now I am trying to trim a circle at a specific area. I have drawn a line manually through the circle where I want to trim. I figured I will just grab a trim tool like AutoCad has and just click the line and then the part I want trimmed from the line and its done. But no...I can't find a trim or extend tool. I go to help and it begins to walk me through all the steps to trim a line. TrimObject and ExtendObject tools, I followed the steps starting with drawing a cutting line through my circle, then click the cutting trim tool ( that was what was throwing me off, in Autocad you select the tool first then go to work but here it seems you select the lines/circles etc. then the tool appears as an option to work with.) selected the cutting line and then tried to mouse click the part of the circle to be trimmed thinking it will just vanish on that side of the cutting line. Nothing! Is the cutting line a different line than just drawing a basic line? I'm confused Please help... Also on a side note. Making a block out of something. I noticed when I try to select an object with the select tool by grabbing the whole object the make a block tool does not present itself at the bottom of my screen. But if I only grab part of the object using the same method...the tool appears.. Any advice would be great! Thanks

How close up should I be when I take my digital pic of the brick surface? And when I crop it should it have a certain amount of brick in the pic in order for Chief Architect to display it correctly to scale on a wall? Just wondering...

Thanks for this info. I was wondering if I could just take a picture ( a good one) and just add it to my library.

I am trying to draw an addition to a house for the home owners association to approve. Every thing is done except I can not find a brick color to match the existing. Can't even get close. What ever they see in the illustration is what they expect when the approve. It's a common brick color to. Chief Architect seems to have very limited selection of brick and when I go online to find more compatible chief architect colors I can't find them. I don't want alter color to painted brick as they will expect me to paint the house. Surely there are some hopefully free downloads somewhere. I have attached a pic.

Acme Brick's Masonry Designer... http://brick.com/innovative-online-tools Have no clue what this does....Went there tried to download and it did nothing. What is it?

Can you alter the color of the stock chief architect brick choices? There is a very limited variety. Can't find any more downloads online only stones veneers when I go to materials and surfaces at website.

Okay sorry for the delay had to step out for a while. I just tried the Tools>reverse plan...It works but everything disappears that I worked on like all my stone veneer. siding color and the framing in the roof keeps exposing itself as well as the rafter tails. I don't get it. It's like all the changes I made go back to default as well. I guess I will try the other method you spoke of Alaskan_Son .. But I think I tried that earlier today and it had the same results.

New to Chief and just got done designing a house for a client. Well I'm almost done...Anyway now they want the plan reversed. O.K. figured it would be as easy as it is in AutoCad. NOPE! Auto cad just select all and mirror...done. Chief....I have no clue. Well I take that back. I have tried the (mirror the plan which is a lot of steps to just mirror the plan) but it mirrored with my windows in different places. missing colors,and roof framing sticking out all over the place to name a few issues. How frustrating! Now I'm reading a lot of how to's on line and its like reading a book full of steps. Is there a EASY way to do this? I also keep reading people referring to keeping the drawing on or near the 0,0 axis. I don't even know how to do that. I really need to flip this plan. Might just have to convert to autocad and mirror there but I don't think I will ever get it back to Chief again.

Its working now! Thanks guys!!!!

That makes perfect sense but for some reason when I turn on "reference floor display" when I'm on the second floor it will not let me see the main floor so I can draw directly over the area I want. It will let me see the second floor when I'm on the 1st floor. What am I not doing right here?

Well Thanks for the tip. When you say post my plan what do you mean? Put the file on here and some one might actually do it for me? I searched post a plan on this forum and got nothing, I really need to know how to accomplish this task not have it done for me though. You probably meant something else. I'll keep searching for this topic .

Hi, I am having a very difficult time creating a second floor over a garage. I already have the main house erected with a second floor and rap around porch. I need to create a second floor over garage ( with 2ft knee walls ) that is only attached to the rap around porch roof via a hall way. I have been clicking the garage area thinking that I will only be building a second floor on that area of the house but ever time it ignores that area and builds a third floor over my existing second floor no where near the garage I'm thing to create a second floor to. Need help. Spending to much time going around in circles. Any help would great....Thanks