Ed_Orum

11 x 17 is pretty common here, but the smallest printed word or dimension has to be 3/32". Many towns here accept any size you want to give them down to 11x17. Since our average submisison is around 25 sheets on 24x36 Arch D, that gets to be a lot on 11x17, but we don't make the rules. Some towns are now also requiring electronic submissions, either as the sole way to submit or in addition to the paper plans. Regardless of the sheet size, I use 3/32" for dimensions and notes. Some slightly larger for headers but nothing less.

That's what I cant figure out how do do? Can I convert a polyline solid to a trim object?

How do you change the window sill type, size, and profile for the exterior of a window. These windows have casings on sides and top and want a sill on the bottom. I can add a sill from the moldings catalog, but don't see how I can adjust it's size. thanks in advance

I bought the same AMD RX 560D-4G D5 graphics card from Yeston, via Amazon. I found the latest drive on the AMD site. I have to say, it appears to be a great graphics card for the money. Thanks for doing all the research! Lane De Muro

Thanks, that solved it. Lane De Muro

I tried a joist direction line and bearing lines showing the way I want the joists to run on the decks. No matter what I do, Chief sets them exactly the opposite. I cant get the deck joists to populate in the proper direction using the automatic deck framing tool. The attached plan shows what I want. How do I get it? Also, why does the joist direction show 2x10 when the specification box for the decks has the joists at 2x8's? Thanks in advance, Lane 05-20-21 Plan File.plan

I am looking forward to that in V8,453,829,210.03

Thank you! Lane

They are not the same. But what does a ceiling height have to do with a room area that is defined at the floor level? Or is it just the way Chief think the world should be? Lane

I draw a room divider, but it changes into a wall. How do I get it to stay a room divider with a horizontal dimension of "0"? Thanks, Lane

Thanks! That did the trick.

When an appliance such as a sink is placed into a base cabinet, how do I separate them out so the sink goes into the "Kitchen Fixtures And Appliance" Schedule while the cabinets goes into the "Cabinet Schedule"? Thanks in advance, Lane De Muro

It can be difficult to get the wobble out of a wall like this one. I usually incorporate a "plant shelf" on the interior which runs at the header level between the stacked windows. Where there are studs, the "shelf" frame runs from the outer edge of the studs and projects approximately 18" into the room. where the shelf runs across headers, it is screwed to the headers with Timberlock screws. The outer edge of the shelf is a 2x rim board. Then the top and bottom of the shelf get covered with 3/4" CDX, so essentially a beam or diaphragm is now giving lateral support to the wall. I don't know about other areas, but if we go over 11'6" high most local building departments require an "engineered design", but at the minimum the studs have to be #1 Grade, @ 12" O.C. Since all the plans I do are sealed by a PE, he specs out whatever is needed for an engineered design. The shelf also makes a great place for recessed lights in the wall, especially when it is over those big open patio doors. But in any situation like this, I would get an Engineer involved. Lane "

Ryan, Bullseye! I really can't believe I did not see that. Oh well, since I am a Chief newbie (started in the late 90's) I will stop pulling the rope on my ass kicking machine, forgive myself for this grievous error and say a heart felt thank you for that guess! Lane

Poof! My first floor walls, in plan view are now showing up as concrete walls. If I click on wall, it shadows the 2x6 exterior wall...almost as if it is acting as a pony wall with the lower wall a concrete and the lower wall showing in plan view. If I do an elevation view, all of the walls appear as they should in any plan view. I was playing around with some polyline solids to use as fascia trim when the disaster happened if that has any bering. The file size is too large so it will not upload, but here are two screenshot. One is showing the working plan view, and everything there is as it should be. When I change to the Floor Plan Dimensioned View, the exterior walls are masked by what appears to be a concrete wall for all the exterior walls. I have turned all layers off yet those walls remain. All layers are unlocked, yet I cannot click on those walls. Thanks in advance for any help. Lane

My current work load is more than I can handle myself, so I need someone versed in chief to help me get these projects complete. Please email me blueprints@economyblueprints.com so we can set up a time to discuss what I need and what you can provide. Thanks, Lane

Thanks everyone!

I must be missing something in the layers because I can' turn off all of the walls except the foundation walls and footings.

How can I get an elevation view of the only the foundation and footings? Thanks, Lane

In my experience of using Chief since around the later part of the 90's, the word "workaround" translates into hours of frustration and never really getting what you thought a CAD program was designed to do in the first place. Little things like Chief considering a sill plate to be part of the foundation instead part of the frame get to be very frustrating in section views and elevation views. Things like adjusting wall heights seem to take a long, long, long time to get correctly. And Chief seems to have a mind of its own when it comes to adjusting foundation wall heights to accommodate frost levels ang grade conditions. I have been slowly learning Softplan, and when I get a little more competent I will probably switch all of my new work to Softplan. It seems to draw the model more like you would build the model in the field, and offers way, way more options for library objects, framing, and better material lists. Chief is fine for relatively straight forward box on box construction, which is probably 80% of my work. The other 20% though has compelled me to look into the other program to do the things Chief cannot do or does not do well. Sometimes I sub out the Chief work to other Chief users who know more about the program than I do or are simply better at using it. By the way, good luck in your endeavors.

Closed cell foam @ R7 per inch will allow you to meet the energy code with no venting, however you now need to consider that area volume into the requirements for the HRV/ERV system. If you use fiberglass or cellulose, you may not have enough R-value because of the venting requirements, but the Energy Code allows a lower R-value in ceilings without attic space. In fifty years of doing construction drawings, I have never seen one building department kick a plan back if "Continuous Ridge Vent" and "Ventilated Soffit" is specified. But, around here we can always tell when the building inspectors have gone to a continuing education seminar, because for the next few months they are all looking for the same thing.

He is confusing stud height with wall height. For a 12' (nominal) wall height, the stud height is 11'-8 5/8".

Thanks Perry, I was afraid that the solution would be a slab on slab.

This is an existing garage being converted into living space. There is no slab poured yet. The double bottom plate sits on top of the foundation wall. The Slab bottom of the slab needs to rest on the top of the foundation wall and extend to the frame wall. Right now I can get the elevation of the slab correct by giving it a -4" elevation, but I cannot get it to extend to meet the frame wall. I was thinking of omitting the floor completely and just using a polyline solid. Is that the best approach or is there a way to extend the floor slab? The plan is attached, Cross section 1. Thanks in advance, Lane 03-19-21 Eisner Plan File.plan

thats it, Thanks!