ericepv

Chief yes, Dan B no. It's easy as long as I have a DWG/DBX (which I do not). Is there another way that I'm missing?

2020.06.30 - Topographical Survey of Property.pdf

I need to import terrain data into Chief but the only thing my client can provide is a PDF which does me no good. I know I could trace elevation lines over the PDF but that would be very tedious and time consuming. A contour map is available from the county GIS site in several formats (CSV,KML, Shapefile, GeoJSON) but no DWG or DXF. I did download the CSV file and tried to bring it to Chief using 'Import Terrain Assistant' (the only one of these Chief will accept) but because the data is not in an x, y, z format, it didn't work. I'm open to suggestions. - Eric

I can help you with this, PM & email sent.

I'd be happy to help, email sent.

Stephen: There's no magic set of specs that work with every scene, it takes a lot of trial & error to get the right result. It's been awhile since I've done a CPU RT (almost all PBR now) but these are a few basic rules that I start with: Create a Terrain Perimeter Drop the lumens on your can lighting, use added light as a fill for general lighting Change the 3 kitchen pendants to spots -90 tilt, -24 Z offset. This will eliminate the bright light-wash on the ceiling. Do the same for the dining rm. Add some under cabinet lighting (rope lights work great) Adjust the sun so that the light washes the room You'll have to do some experimenting to see what works best. I've found that the most important elements in creating a great rendering are lighting & materials. I don't know what your level of experience is in this area but here are some great videos from the Knowledge Base (maybe you've already seen them) https://www.chiefarchitect.com/search/?default_tab=video&q=ray+trace You could save yourself a lot of time and hassle by investing in a new video card that will support RTRT.(if your system will support it). Eric

To avoid the glow at the top of your room, be sure that you have a roof over the space. For the best quality interior rendering, make us e of as much sunlight as possible (through a window) and also from light sources other than ambient light which can make the scene look flat. Proper configuration of your material properties also plays a big part in creating a quality rendering.It would be best if you post your plan so I can see what type of lighting you're using and how it is set.

Are you saving your lighting set? This video may help https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/2430/light-sets.html?playlist=102

This is often caused by an out of date video card driver. Check to make sure you have the latest update.

A recently completed rendering for a builder...

I've done quite a few of these for builders, give me a call if you'd like to review. Eric

Thanks John, I'll look into that.

I am looking for away to make a CAD file from a PDF for the purpose of creating elevation data that can be brought into Chief. My customer has provided me with a detailed topo map of the property but has not been able to obtain the original CAD file.

Without seeing your plan, It looks like you may have set the room definition as 'Garage' or 'Basement'.

I'd use a material region for both. You can then use the 'Define Material' tool (the rainbow one)to adjust the scale.

You can set the radius of a curved staircase in the 'Section Number' section of the DBX for the stairs. I see no reason why you couldn't do this in reverse by drawing a new staircase over the existing one if you have a PDF of the existing plan.

Just searching images on your favorite search engine will yield a vast library of finishes: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=distressed+walls+seamless+texture&qs=n&form=QBIR&sp=-1&lq=0&pq=distressed walls seamless texture&sc=10-33&cvid=E2E8B18D8DBD48718219952F69EBEAA9&ghsh=0&ghacc=0&first=1&cw=1491&ch=799 Take note of the search terms I used, you want a seamless texture to avoid a 'checkerboard' effect. There are also a great number of sites that specialize in high quality images or rendering, here are a couple: https://www.sketchuptextureclub.com/ https://www.poliigon.com/textures

A work around that I got from Chief tech support awhile back - In your ceiling structure, add an air gap (Core Catalog / Materials / Insulation / Insulation Air Gap) equal to the difference in height you want.

A PBR rendering from an ongoing project...

I've worked with several designers on kitchen projects. I'd be happy to review you projects. PM sent. -Eric -

Not sure if this is the same hardware you used but this is what I got using a stock pull: Core Catalog / Architectural / Hardware/ Cabinet Hardware / Pulls / Integrated Pulls Once you specify it, check on 'Vertical Position' or 'Horizontal Position', 'Distance from Top' or 'Distance from Edge' - enter 0" or whatever value meets your needs. Click on 'Edit...' if you need to rotate it.

I have several tubs in my user library, what do you mean by 'side by side'?

Just do it as a railing. Specify the height in the 'Newels/Balusters' tab and in the 'Rail Style' tab, select 'Solid' and in the 'Wall Types' tab select a block wall.

Renderings are my specialty. PM sent

Open the DBX for each wall, in the 'Structure' tab click on 'Default Wall Top Height' in the 'Default Wall Heights' section.