Evolution

Ji- I certainly didn't expect you to do all this!!!! Looks like if I raise the roof pitch to 12/12 would fix the header over the landing. I'm calling this one solved with your gracious help and expertese with the Soft-ware.

The co wants $250 for drawings. All he needs them for is to hand over to the HOA (they want to see the esthetics, and since I'm his uncle he wanted a freebee, and I've only spent about 30 mins on the drawing thus far. I was playing around on my own time to see how hard it would be to model the typical structural support. I've done that but can't get it to insert in the floor plan. Having fun on my part that's all.

i need to model metal building (structure system) the kind you by and they deliver and set up. There is reason behind this madness. I have made the structural support from a 3D molding poly line and have it shaped and sized as needed and added to my library as "hardware" for lack of (a better option) now. Problem is I can stick as many as I want on the plan in elevation, but I haven't figured out how to rotate it to place it in floor plan view. Since we have to draw walls using the build exterior wall tool I attempted modeling a new wall type but the item needs editing and that option doesn't appear to be available in X12. what other options would you propose? The frame if 14ga square tube 2.5"X2.5". I wasn't planning on going so far as to model connectors, splices or any such, if I can just get the symbol so I can place it in plan view if I am not able to edited the wall type to include it in the materials. ACCESSORY BUILDING FOR BRAD DURHAM 25'X30'.plan

Take a look at this tutorial and see if it offer's any help. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/1605/ to build the room. I needed to build attic space without adding an additional floor. This helped me accomplish it. For the ceiling you might also try using a ceiling plane (I've done that before) to drop a ceiling under the trusses, but of course I think you'd have to raise (maybe not) your walls enough to give you the extra space (the tool=build>roof>ceiling planes) In order to do an example, I selected a room, open the dbx unchecked flat ceiling in that room, and then build>roof (tool)>ceiling plane. Set the pitch to zero (locked it) and height from finished floor in my case 84". Hopefully one of these options can help you figure it out.

Thanks for your intense help however, I am unable to open the files as I'm running X12 and I can't without upgrading to the newer version of Chief and it's not worth the expense. Also, you said (And I just realized you have floor to ceiling windows, which means you need a floor above to place headers over the exterior openings on the second floor. (or you need a raised heel height for trusses to hang on those headers.) I’d planned to use I-joist or floor trusses to add support over the windows. When our Engineer provides his comments/structuraldesign, I will most likely need to drop the window heights to adjust for heavier headers. I went back to the second file you'd sent me. I unchecked ignore top floor, changed 12" ceiling height to 1-1/2" (basically a 2x6 sill atop the floor structure.) And then turned on autoroofs. (for version 3) I used an auto-floating dormer on my latest rendition and was going to add framing later to frame the opening but for now I’ve got to figure out how to create an access to a small observation platform via doors in the dormer in lieu of windows. That will require some playing with the software if I can figure it out at all! I advised them we are already at max allowable height and the inspector may not like that idea plus it adds another opportunity for roof leaks. In version 4 I changed your heel height to 16", deleted the perimeter walls and only used the dormer walls, adjusted to fit under the side roof planes. This version has the roof building off the outer walls +16". In both, I extended the roof down over the stairwell to encapsulated it within the roof planes. Obviously, you are more “experienced” with the software and since I’ve never been as deeply involved with using the various tools, I’m not quite sure how to do the things you mention here? again, thanks for your time and help!

Still working on the Coastal res for the boss. He and wife want access onto what would be the floor of the attic and out through a dormer onto a small observation platform / deck. I dropped in a floating dormer, but I am not able to turn it into something like a roof top balcony with access via the dormer room. Since I added the dormer on the roof, it is (showing) on the attic level and I am not sure if I need to go down to the floor below which currently I do not have any walls placed. I built the attic using the tutorial for building a story and a half room. How would you model the "observation deck" and access? COASTAL RESIDENCE FOR CECIL and HELEN WILLIAMS OPTION WITH DORMER DECK FOR CHIEF FORUM.zip

I still need help with this issue, if anyone can? ADDITION TO PLC.zip

After changing my end walls (2) to gable and being directed to change them back to HIP style, one of the end walls changed back to HIP, but the other refuses to, even though under those walls' DBX I changed it to HIP. I know the software is MUCH smarter than I. Help please. COASTAL RESIDENCE FOR CECIL and HELEN WILLIAMS for CHIEF TALK FORUM.zip

John, thanks for the detailed response. Note: this is the only tutorial I could find that addressed my issue of building a room in the attic without adding a full third floor, which is my goal-Designing a One-and-a-Half Story Roof - Video | Chief Architect and according to that Tut I needed to set the height low, thus 12" knee wall. (YOU SAID: I would also assume you want a rear dormer overlooking the view from the deck.) Yes, I now have a space (room) I can use (if needed) but the intent is the boss wants to use it to add a balcony over-look where you have drawn the dormer (facing the water). He already has so much deck but insist on having that one extra spot to go out onto to look at the "sunsets". He will probably add the walls to enclose the space about +/-17' wide and the length is whatever he can get and may-may not finish it. That said, I basically have the area / attic space to work in. The main issue now is I couldn't get the walls on the end of the house away from the water to be "hip" style (although I have "HIP" selected for those walls) even after checking them to be hip. I am surprised that you were able to. Also, I may be able to go with a 12/12 pitch if the jurisdiction will allow. I'm waiting to hear from the building inspector to confirm the max-height. Can you send the file back to me or did you overwrite it in X17? Thanks again, regards!

JiAngelo- I added the floor, after watching and re-watching the training video for the One-and-a-half-story roof. the first take the roof was wonky, so I selected the roof planes and transform/replicate and raised it in the "Z" direction until the roof line straightened out. Now the issue is: The person this is for decided they didn't like the "HIP" roof so I changed the roof to full gable, (all around) but in order to keep the over-all height at the max allowed on the coast, I had to drop the pitch to 6/12 which they didn't like so I changed the roof back to hip but now the roof on one end of the home remains full gable (even though) I have the hip roof selected, while the opposite end changed back to hip with no problem. Any idea's of what is going on? COASTAL RESIDENCE FOR CECIL and HELEN WILLIAMS for CHIEF TALK FORUM.zip

DBC-apparently that was it. Thanks

This should be simple, but I can't seem to find the trick to fix it. The snip on the left is my layout sheet I want to print for the client to look at. The snip on the right is what the print preview is producing which is all of one camera. How to I get it to print correctly? i don't see anything in the printer command

I seem to be progressing fairly well, however now that I have the roof built, I do not have an attic floor showing. I have been retired from using CA for quite some time and the proper steps to build the attic aren't coming back to mind. Build framing is another topic for later as I am now preparing to develop the construction plans for submission to the Building Department for permitting after I get the structural back from the engineer. Thanks in advance! COASTAL RESIDENCE FOR CECIL and HELEN WILLIAMS for CHIEF TALK FORUM.zip

UPDATE: i can't even get the stair tool to work for the deck's? Another thing, I have the decks designated as Decks, but the platform is missing. If I change them back to a room a floor appears for each. Again, what am I missing from a tool standpoint to show the deck platform?

I always seem to have trouble with stairs. I start on the ground floor drawing a U-shape stair clockwise, or at the tope counter clockwise but no matter what, the landing is never located properly, and even when I select make it fit or reach the floor it just doesn't seem to work for me. Help please point me in the right direction. Yes, I watched the stair video on the Bachelor View project and THOUGHT I was following the directions, but I can't get the stairs to even come close to building correctly. Cut to the chase I need help and the video didn't provide it or I didn't understand exactly the correct use of the stair tools. The snips are of the stair starting from the lowest floor "U-shaped" clockwise. COASTAL RESIDENCE FOR CECIL and HELEN WILLIAMS for CHIEF TALK FORUM.zip

I don't remember having this problem before. I usually set all my defaults including dimensions and on previous plans for each layer type I have little to no issue with the dimensions displaying correctly. I closed this plan yesterday and thought all was well. Today, on my working plan layer, I have several issues when I opened the plan but first and foremost are the temporary dimension display as you can see in the snip. I have attempted to reset the default for the temporary dimensions, but they are not changing for some reason. this is what they looked like yesterday: Also, both snips are of the working plan layer. the first is what opened this morning, the second is what I had when I saved and closed the plan yesterday. Everything I had set to display in the working plan yesterday was as I saved it. The first snip is what I had when I opened the saved plan from yesterday. I am not sure how to fix it and get back to what I had yesterday. This is so frustrating.

Gary, I just noticed that in my defaults. Not sure why, but it's fixed!

EDIT: See if you can open the files I was able to zip another way. COASTAL RESIDENCE FOR CECIL and HELEN WILLIAMS for CHIEF TALK FORUM.zip

In this particular elevation it appears something is wrong with the floor height. I have the floor to bottom of the door / window mulled unit set to zero so why do I have this strange anomaly that appears to make the floor lower in one room than the others? I set all my defaults (I thought) for the rooms to the same floor / ceiling heights, walls, doors, windows, etc. I am unable to attach the file although it is only less than 5000KB and when I attempt to zip it, get a operation failed. Not sure why COASTAL RESIDENCE FOR CECIL and HELEN WILLIAMS for CHIEF TALK FORUM.plan

I'm using X12 and working on a Beech house for my SIL and she wants a window type she's seen. I'm not exactly sure how to model it. I wanted to save it to my libraries. The Ceiling heights in the rooms will be 9'. See attached.COASTAL WINDOW.pdf

Working in CA X12 helping our church with a proposed expansion and need to submit as-built to AHJ for approval to proceed with the designed expansion and it appears there is an issue with the foundation that I so far have not been able to figure out. I thought I had set the foundation (slab on grade-elevated slab on fill combination) correctly however obviously something is off. Note: the slab on fill (32" stem wall) is everywhere, except the sanctuary portion starts at 32" at its entrance and slopes down to 16") that may be where I'm having the issue. I wasn't sure exactly how to model the change in floor elevation. Help appreciated. ADDITION TO PLC.plan CA FORUM FOUNDATION QUESTION.pdf

(edit) I am now also missing my lower tool bar that has always been at the bottom of the drawing sheet that has the open object, replicate, parallel, center, point to point, convert polyline etc., tools. I attempted the restore tool bars, import tool bars, and so forth error messages with others. Went to the help file read all the various repair / fix options but so far have not been able to restore that one particular tool bar. I especially need the transform replicate, also the convert polyline tools back. I am not sure what could have happened like so many of Chiefers state when encountering the same issue. I was able to find the answer on the forum either. Currently I am re-installing my CA-12 to see if that does any good. I was able to move forward with the subdivision from my previous post regarding proper scaling. Got that done. Submitted the subdivision for review and the Zoning Planning Reviewer provided comments which I need to address on this next submission. I think I can handle all but a couple. 1. He wants me to add a "Civil" scale (Map Scale with Bar Graph) to verify lot widths, road and block lengths. I thought a cad block / symbol (if I can figure out how to get it to proper scale) any thoughts on this? 2. The scale has to be 1" = 100'-0". I know that scale is too large to print to a 24"X36" (required for submission) and if I rotate it to horizontal (to accommodate the scale) the plan is wonky, so looks like I have to cut the plan at a match point and include it on a second sheet. I need to keep it simple (for me) but since the work has to be done on the drawing (not the layout sheet) and whatever is drawn on the drawing sheet sent to the layout sheet, what's the best way to do this (if there's a trick) so that everything I draw on the drawing sheet doesn't send over in multiples to the layout or if by choosing a different page for example, may SD on layout page SK-4 and remaining SD on SK-5, then just drag the handle of the transfer until only what is needed, is left to show on the layout page. Does that make any sense? REVISED W. HORNES CHURCH RD SUBDIVISION.plan

I have reset the default cad line to show bearing in degrees and minutes, and the line length in decimal feet however I have not been able so far, to reset the drawing scale from it's current default to the scale I need which is 1"=200'. 1"=50' for this plot would likely work as well.

I've been away from this forum for quite some time although still using Chief Architect Premier. I'm semi-retired (now) but currently helping my BIL and SIL in their land development company endeavors. I'm definitely not a Autodesk cad civil or architectural person. Strictly self-taught / using CA (12 being my last version used). So to expedite helping them cut to the chase presenting preliminary site plans to the local zoning boards, (local CE's are backed up for years not months) to speed up the submittal process to the zoning boards, I suggested we give CA a try. I know CA is built for the architectural design environment and not civil and just from my experience does not lend itself well for creating multi-lot subdivisions of say 50 lots or less so if it is possible to use the CA CAD tools to layout a subdivison for preliminary design is it possible and how would you achieve for example setting up a scale to use for laying out a small subdivision at a scale of say 1"=200' (the scale that jurisdiction require preliminary (sketch plans they're called) to be prepared at.) We aren't required in the preliminary submission to have the infra structure figure out, just the basics, lots, sizes, road-rights of way etc. I can download a GIS of the land partial from the county's survey and if I can somehow plot the overall boundaries of that plot I can overlay and scale it to use as the starting point for the subdivision preliminary design in CA. These GIS maps don't have the line bearings but do have the bounding dimensions, and I would think from there using the cad lines default set to draw the bearing / dimensions laying out the lot lines, streets and easements would be possible. Any suggestions / advise aside from learning Autodesk 3D Civil etc.? Thanks in advance.

" I think, would be much easier if CA would just give us an option to recess the casing on either/or or both sides of a wall.--------------Any thoughts? " Hey Larry, did you post this in the suggestions Thread? I can see where this would be a use full tool .