CJSpud

Make sure that you check each (any) anno set you create and make sure that dimensions, Rich Text, text, etc. are being applied to the correct layer for your anno set. Open the Annotation Sets dbx; for Dimensions (1/16" or 1" anno sets ... any of them), click on the pencil to the right of the dbx for Dimensions; this opens the dimensions defaults dbx; next, click on Layer and check the Layer displayed (top center) of the dbx .... is that the correct layer that you want to/need to use .... if not, that probably explains what is causing your grief. Make sure to double check all your arrow and text heights while you are setting everything up. It takes a little time to set up all your anno sets and "match" them with the corresponding layer sets that will be used. You might need to immerse yourself for a few hours into learning all you can from the manual, tutorials, help articles, Scots videos on anno sets, Terry Munson's article on anno sets ... anything else you can get your hands on until you have a good grasp on the subject (been there/done that ... probably could use a refresher myself). From what I remember, Chief's video gives you the basics that you should be able to understand. If you are still having trouble, give me a call and I will see if I can help you figure out what you are doing wrong. I don't claim to be the best expert in the subject but I get by OK. Once you get them set up, make sure you follow Joe's advice and make sure you switch to/use the proper anno set before sending views to LO. If you don't have Annotation Sets icon on your tool bar, go to tools/toolbars & hot keys/customize and find that icon and drag in onto your tool bar. I put mine just to the right of the Active Annotation Set Control window.

If you are using the perspective or orthographic floor or perspective overview cameras (or even the full camera) for your images, you can only use it for one saved image and then you must close the camera for your next shot. Make sure to save and name each image so they report to the project browser where they can easily be retrieved and/or modified if needed. If you use the same camera session but rotate or change its position for your next image, it will replace the previous image. It would be nice if Chief could do what you want but too the best of my knowledge, Chief won't save different views from the same camera session. You can try Jerry's suggestion and see if that works for you. I prefer to save my camera views in the project browser rather than as separate layers.

Michael: My image showing the solid (red) box occupying wall space behind the panel face is what I want. It really doesn't have to be red but it would be nice when we place the panel face that we get the box with it rather than having to place a niche and manipulate its size to match the size of Chief's box for camera views appearance.

If your lines for the lot or property/lot are just that, CAD lines, just make a copy and Ctrl Alt V to paste in place. Now you have two of them stacked. Just convert one to a terrain and if for some reason you want the terrain off but the property line to still show, do so in Layer Display Options. You may want to put your original CAD property line on its own layer if you ever want it turned off as well. Edit: Upon reading your post again I don't think my suggestion addresses your question.

Steve: Find this dbx and adjust the slider:

That is exactly what i did Joe but added a CAD box over the niche to illustrate there's a panel box in the wall. Michael: Good suggestion (sort of) but as noted with issues as well. Why not have the dudes in Cd'A just revise the darn thing and put it in the next update? They've given us fantastic realism in so many other areas ... why not "fix" that electrical panel for us? Please!!! Thank you.

I don't know why I haven't brought this up before but - Why doesn't Chief's electrical panel from the library include the box buried in the wall for 2D plan views? The box is there in the 3D views of the symbol. I would very much like to have it shown in plan views as it isn't very obvious in plan views the way it presently displays.

Ditto ... thanks Dermot.

Uponor's proprietory PEX tubing has a unique fastening system (PEX ring with memory) that is reportedly stronger than the tubing itself ... which is pretty darn strong in its own right. Years ago I became a certified installer of their tubing but haven't done much of that anymore, other than for myself on occasion. With Uponor's fittings you do have to be careful not to nick the ribs (nurls) that the tubing clamps on, otherwise you could have a leak. You can actually spin their fittings (if you have room to turn them) after they've been connected to the tubing without any risk of leaking. Their life cycle tests say that the tubing and connections will last a long long time. The tubing should not be left exposed to the sunlight. My well pump column is 1" PEX tubing (about 250' in the hole) and another 150' ± from the well uphill to my house.

Thank you Robert ...

Why not ICF it all the way to the roof ... skip the monkeying around with all those different layers???

Is the wall defined as a gable wall in the roof tab? Maybe that would work.

Thanks for your responses. You are right Michael, it did work just fine in X8. I didn't look at any other font styles as I really seem to like Chief Blueprint. I will send that in when I get a moment.

In the image below you will see that, even though all my margins are exactly the same, the actual margin on top is smaller than the margin on the bottom. Is this a bug in X9? I want my text to be perfectly centered in the margins box so that when I have arrow lines pointing to objects, the line centers perfectly on the text. As it is now, it is aligning center with the box which is not centered on the text. I did a quick search and couldn't find where this has been reported. Maybe I missed a thread discussing this. Has anyone else noticed this? Thanks.

Perry: I may have missed some earlier threads on this deck subject and am wondering about your suggestion. If you lower the platform elevation (where the platform stops), doesn't that move the deck floor framing and planking with the railing? What am I missing?

Layer Set Text Style (bottom of dbx) ... set up with Anno Sets recommended.

Mark: I need to give that method a try. Amazing how some of the tools can be put to use.

I can get it close to looking right but it takes a lot of fiddling around the way I am doing (massive amounts of raw force applied in the needed directions). Good luck.

If you haven't done a search for other threads discussing Chief running slow (there's been many), you might call Tech Support. They are there to help you with these types of problems and I've always found them to be very helpful.

I believe Lew got this one correct!!! I've been using Chief for 16 years and there's still some clicks (LOTS of them) I haven't used yet. There's so many I don't even know which ones they are. Let us know how many hours/days/years you put into this one.

Nice job .... can't imagine the time you have probably put into that roof design (trusses and roof framing) for your project.

I just finished putting in set back dimensions for a plot plan without messing with angle snaps or anything. For the north side of this 4-sided lot, the angle was N83°24'46"W the dimension snapped right into place at the proper perpendicular angle. For the other 3 sides, all with bearing angles very close to N/S or E/W, I had to zoom in and "monkey" with them a little but they too snapped into position OK. So, maybe Chief is handling these off angle dimensioning scenarios OK if we just fiddle with them a wee bit. Just my experience with one plot plan today.

You have to install them manually. In the Library, search for gutter and you should find some 3D downspouts etc. you can try.

If you knew what color you wanted the gutters to be at the beginning or your project, you could have set their color in the roof defaults and do per Greg's suggestion.

Another simple option, although it takes a few clicks, is to just draw a line between the two points you want a dimension for; give it arrows on each end if desired; then show length (and/or angle). You can do the Ctrl D step as well.