Gawdzira

Jintu and Val, are you able to do this with an orthographic view. When I try to do this with a perspective view in the "Top View" I do not have a plan view. I have a two point perspective view from birds eye.

I do similar but use the orthographic floor overview. I change that to the top view and shoot a watercolor rendering. I sent that to layout and then I modify a layerset to use for a vector view so I can get the lines for windows and doors to show up. I sent that as a vector view and overlay that on the watercolor.

Sometimes I will just connect the walls and then break them and move them apart. I also draw a lot of cad lines for temp alignments and centering.

"Maybe this is the better question:

When you are drawing a plan can you save the settings, layer, defaults, annosets....in the plan as a template without it saving the drawing that you are creating? Dose that make better sense?"

Yes that makes better sense. No you can't. Sorry and it would be great if we could.

There are things that are exportable: layersets, anno sets, hotkeys. If your plans are being done in sequence you can use the SAM method (SAVE AS Method) which is to start you new plan by cleaning out your latest plan which already has those settings and defaults you built on your last project.

Select those lines and bring them to the "back group" in Linetype so you don't have dashed lines reading in front of the solid lines as in your image.

What kind of windows would the mulled unit be? I think you could fake that look if you don't need it reflected in the schedule. You can do a lot with the window dbx.

When you are moving things you can use a numerical input. Start to move something and then hit the Tab key. A box will pop up where you can specify the distance of your move. If you have moved orthogonally it will be clear which number to adjust. I mention this becuase if you have a snap setting of 1/4", you are going to have to zoom in quite far each time you want to move at those increments in order to get the desired result. I think the numerical input would be faster.

Yes, you thinks correct. I had always thought the Patterns 3d Views layer would control that but it is done in the materials pattern tab of the dbx.

A graphic tour of what was said above.

One solution: you could add another floor added to your building. Then draw some walls for the small secondary roof and make your roof planes and then adjust their height down to the proper position. The small projection to the front for the mini window dormer should be an easy grab of the roof eave to drag it out for the extension. You can do the same thing without adding the floor. If so, just delete the walls after you create the roof planes or make them invisible walls.

Thanks Joe. Those are great.

Here is my small addition. We have a lot of dogs in Carmel so I grabbed the one image of some celebrity walking her dog. It is perhaps the farthest thing from copyright free but my hope is that the monkey owns it. The earth tone man should be quite recognizable and the silhouette man I created for elevations.

People plan file.zip

You need to create specific layersets for each of the layout boxes that will need different layers displayed.

“Wendy," Peter Pan continued in a voice that no woman has ever yet been able to resist, "Wendy, one girl is more use than twenty boys.”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Thanks Rob. I make simple CAD line blocks when I run into this. Now I can electrify those islands like a mad man (or a monkey with a camera taking a selfie)

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Here are the export settings used.

I am not sure what your issue is. I don't know that error code. I did not have any problem with the export. See attached files. You can import these to CA to check what the data looks like if you do not have ACAD.

But I will add this, learn to use Annotation sets and stop creating a new layerset for everything you are sending to layout.

Project_Dunning_Export up 2.zip

Post your plan and I will try to export for you.

The reason that I make a new Anno set for "Rain Gutter Plan" is so that when I send the rain gutter plan to layout I know that my rain gutter notes are going to be on that drawing in layout and I will not have a stray arrow pointing to a downspout show up on my electrical plan or site plan or hvac plan or....

I use the Anno Sets and Layer sets like Larry. I am going to try and review the discussion regarding the layersets as king but for now, I believe in the anno sets as king. They were developed to be king based on very clear direction from the dominant users on the forum and from a construction documents stand point make perfect sense to me. To me, they are the individual sheets of Mylar.

Can of worms, meet Mr. Can Opener...(Not addressed to you Michael, or Lew). I highly agree with what Michael wrote above.

When it comes to design I push the keyboard and mouse out of my way and grab a roll of trace paper and some pens. The computer is an awful tool for design (my opinion). I love the computer for production and presentation (mostly). Recently, I have had the best reception from clients when I grab my colored pencils and draw on top of an elevation. There is something primal that we respond to when something is hand drawn. It can have a lot more emotion. I am wandering off the topic.

If you want to offer your input to the designer she/he can take that from any medium you offer. If you want to be able to manipulate the design work (via the cad program) and working on his file, you may have a hard time finding an architect open to that sort of potential mess. You are probably better off with a piece of trace paper and a scanner to share your ideas. You can even do this with a "go to meeting" type of interface and pointing with your mouse at their screen.

I could go on but the oven is ready for the pizza (literally, I am cooking a pizza).

In real life or for CA? In real life, try farm supply. In CA, I made it with moldings.

@ Joe, how much training have you had in the software? I have not used Softplan so I don't have an opinion in that direction.

The image attachment feature has a second button you must hit to upload the photo. Designed to annoy. Best guess, go to your attic level and place the window.

1000 words.

I built a curved roof in hopes that I could do a match roof to the window but that did not work. so I did it with a cad line measurement that is pretty close to get the arch height.

Copy and paste. There is no way to over ride the actual dimension, only append it. I always do this with cad line arrows or by placing text over the dim to mask it.