Doug_N

Then what was the problem?

Joe! You are the man!!! Yes, that works perfectly. All this time I have been drawing a polyline rectange around the text to add it to the library. Now I realize it wasn't the box that let me add the text it was the marque select that was allowing it! Sometimes I miss the most obvious things. Thanks

if I have two text boxes I can block them together, but for some reason, CA will not block one text object, at least mine won't. Have I set some preference incorrectly?

Hi Joe, Strange but I can't block text. I have to add some other element to it. What am I doing wrong?

Is there a way to make a text box (just text) a library item? for example: This design uses OBC Part 11 Egress Option A Imagine the attribute has a box around the text so that it is a stamp. I would like to add the box to the drawing and then change the option.

Joe, Wow, works like a charm! Thanks Joe. I added a bit of simple code to get the percentages and just put the macro in a text box. One macro to get the area, and one to get the result.

Well I did type it wrong, but here is the result with the right macro. I am going bald tearing my hair out!

Arrgg, why doesn't this work in the callout?

Well this works. Create a local variable 'a' and then operate on that variable as a second operation. >a=owner.internal_area*0.025; a.round(2) >=3.4

Where would you put parentheses in this? owner.internal_area*0.025.round(2)

IN the Ruby console the first answer is 0.025 times the internal room area of a selected room. The second answer is that value rounded. Is there a problem with the order of operations?

Does anyone know why rounding in Ruby acts like this? 3.4000....4 certainly shouldn't round to 4.08

This has been a most informative thread, thank you Glenn, Scott and Rene.

Those are actually created by CA when you move the windows around. I think they are related to the wall openings in the furred wall. 

Yes I agree, but doing custom furred walls allows more design flexibility and works better with the wall schedule for as-built situations, which is the bulk of my work.

It happens more than you might think in as-built situations. I did the attached plan file just to demonstrate the problem. If you delete one window, the problem is still there and it happens with doors as well.

Well, here I am again, the head finder of window problems. Believe me when I tell you that I would be happy for someone else to find these problems instead of me finding them just as I try to finish up a project. If anyone has a workaround for this I would love to hear it. The plan file that is attached is just for demonstrating the problem and not part of an actual project. Stem Wall and Furred Wall Openings_02.wmv Walls and Window Openings.plan

Wow great analysis. Thanks!

So you could control which walls are going to be displayed in the table. Usually, the problem of limiting distance only rears its ugly head on the wall closest to the property line. Most often only one side yard line needs to be considered where an additional window needs to be added to the design. Of course, this excersize is needed for all new builds as well.

I notice this is from a plan view, so the table is for one floor? If the building had 2 floors and a basement with windows there would be 3 tables?

Hi David, Thanks for going through that exercise. I will chase down the problem. Many of the things that you noted like the bathroom wall gap for the furring wall was actually a plumbing chase. There are some very strange items that I wouldn't have done, for example, the masonry wall where the stairs go to the basement. This was a very rough draft of the house just getting to the spot where I was blocking out spaces from the site measurements. Typically in an occupied house, it is really hard to get all measurements that would help to resolve conflicts because of furniture, drapes and sometimes a corner of the house with piles of stored materials. I suspect there is a discontinuity somewhere with one of the interior walls and the exterior walls. But so far I can't find it. Some of the things that you moved make the build not "as-built" but that is such a minor quibble. You found the needle in the haystack, and that is what counts. Thanks David.

This is strange but on floor level 1 only the whole building footprint can be selected, not individual rooms. Anyone have any ideas as to what I have done wrong. This plan is an asbuilt that is in progress. As Built Basement Apartment Zip.zip

That is pretty much what I do, but I include an elevation with the area boundary shown so that the plans examiner knows how I got to the calculations that I am using. I have been trying to get the macro for the window area to work like you are showing in your second pic showing the area circled in blue.

Joe, Column 1 is used to determine which row is being used. So if the wall is 26m^2 then you have to use row for 30m^2. Note that the total area of a window in a window well is NOT used. Only the area above the grade is included. In Canada only metric units are used for building code. There are no Imperial values used. So many drawings are done in metric units. That being said, most plan examiners still accept imperial drawings so long as rounding is done according to the 4/5 rule. 0.4 is rounded down, 0.5 is rounded up for example. For metres, usually, things are rounded to 2 decimal places, and for mm, no decimal places.

The exposed area is taken from the elevation of the wall, so when the wall has a hip roof the wall ends at the eave. Where the ceiling is lower than the eave, then the exposed part of the wall ends where the ceiling would stop the flame spread. I think this is just a bit arbitrary, but welcome to the world of building code and drawing examinations.