CJSpud

Jon/Mick: Thanks for your solutions ... much better answer(s) than mine.

I agree with Glenn. This is pretty basic stuff. You shouldn't expect other users to provide you with answers to simple questions if you haven't put in a little effort on your own to find a solution. Glenn gave you the information you need to figure it out ... you just need to do what he suggested. When I was learning (v7 ... before SSA), I purchased all the tutorial videos Chief had for sale and watched them many times. I think I paid at least $200 for them back in 2001. Now the tutorials are available via CA's website and Facebook. If you're using X7 and have SSA, you should watch all the training videos Chief has, read all the Help Database articles, and as Glenn suggested, see what's in the manual about the current problem you are having trouble with. F1 gets you there ... then do an index search on your subject. In your case, you might look for something related to "applying materials" to and/or polyline solids. I am not suggesting that you don't use ChiefTalk for getting your questions answered. There are always things that even experienced users have a senior moment figuring out. If that happens, it is better to let us know the things you've tried that didn't work rather than just asking us to answer your question or figure it out for you. Most of us enjoy helping others, but it works much better if we know that when you've posted a question or problem, that you've gone a few extra yards in trying to solve it before posting here. Just a bit of constructive criticism. Way back when I was learning to use Chief, I did the same thing a time or two and was told exactly the same thing by a power user who no longer posts on the forum. Good luck.

I did the same thing "somehow" ... call TS, they may have a good suggestion for you.

This might also have something to do with a dbx setting that pops up when opening older plans in X7. Can't exactly remember what import options are presented. You could call TS and ask them about this if you can't resolve the problem.

You could try making the exterior finish layer a little bit thicker. Sometimes 3D camera views like this just happen. Rotating the camera a bit will often get rid of the problem, but not always.

Could you use the edit area - all floors when deleting? Might have to be careful if anything else is close or overlapping somehow.

Thank you Greg.

Here's what it looked like when I did it with two 8:12 pitch ceiling planes:

Many years ago, Roger Rhines posted this simple plan with terrain featuring a sunken (basement) driveway with retaining walls. I saved it and refer to it from time to time when working on terrain because of its simplicity and how well Roger used terrain elevation lines and points to exact the outcome. I hope he doesn't mind my posting his plan here: Sunken Driveway & Road_Terrain_RogerRhines.plan Maybe it will give you some ideas on how to complete your project's terrain.

Amie hasn't told us if both ceiling planes are on the same slope ... hard to tell from the photo. Maybe it doesn't matter.

Just draw a couple of roof planes with the slope set as needed. Then you can manually manipulate their location and/or shape by using the roof plane(s)' handles and the break line tool. If the elevation of the bottoms isn't right, using CAD and/or Transform/Replicate, move the roof planes up or down as needed. Use the #2 as a short cut to join them on the common edge. Check out the manual if stuck on any of these tools/actions. Good luck. PS: If pressed for time, give me a call and I can probably talk you through it faster than you can figure it out.

I'd try using ceiling planes. Edit: Really looks like those ceiling planes are related to the roof. Are you doing "interior only" work ... ???

Try putting a break in your fence "wall" where you want the equal distance sections to end.

This has been confusing to me at times (creating CAD details in different anno sets ... jumping back and forth between anno sets, etc.). I think I do this more often then I care to admit. Bring a CAD detail from a previous plan into a new one, unblock it to maybe do some editing, and then have to try and figure out why I can't see stuff ... which layers were used when I created the detail, etc. I tried to ask Dan Baumann about this in a GTM a couple of weeks back but I don't think he understood what I was talking about ... and I am not so sure I have it all figured out yet either. Still a work-in-progress for me.

Rich: I just about messed my pants .... that was HILARIOUS!!! You get the GREEN post for the day.

Are you logged in?

Your question tweaked my curiosity so I went and checked out Chief's library and found a bunch of different log components. I used individual 10" logs and 10" assembled corner components in the small model below. Chief's windows don't insert into a wall cobbled together this way so I had to take one of its windows in another plan, isolate it and make it into a symbol. Then it was a matter of creating a hole in the wall and then fitting the window symbol to the hole. By far, the method Larry found in the Home Designer article would be much simpler and quicker to use IMO. I think you could even put the log siding on the interior wall layer to get that complete log look. I also believe you could use Chief's assembled log corner sections the same as I have in this model. So, I have to conclude that it can be done. Furthermore, I know there are many Chief users who have done log home designs with Chief so if you do a search, either on this forum or perhaps on the old forum, I am sure you will find some excellent feedback from those with real log design experience using Chief. I don't know if the logs and log components are available in Chief's free download version... you could install it and check or call and ask. If not, you can purchase the software and test it for 30 days to see if it has what you need. If not, you can return it and get your $ back.

Thanks Greg .... appreciate your doing this.

Larry: I will use X Sections to troubleshoot things like that. Sometimes even a 3D full overview is good to look at things on the foundation level ... from the bottom side. I also use the Match Properties > Apply Properties often to get things like that sorted out. I think we've all had the experience you are having with the structure tab and getting floor and ceiling elevations where we want them. Most of the time it is something I didn't do right that is the cause of my grief ... sometimes I think it is gremlins at work.

I am really liking the improvements in editing cabinets.

I would love to have a niche tool that allows us to place a "5-sided box" into a wall without knocking a hole out of the back layer of the wall (e.g. as we get with a wall opening). Having the pass-through opening tool re-programmed to leave at least the outer layer on the back side of the wall would be a sweet feature to have in Chief. In the meantime, Joe's solution is MUCH better than the procedures I used for two shower niches in a plan set I just finished and will work for me and save me time getting niches to look right for future projects. If I had to show the framing in a wall with a niche in it, I can manually edit the framing to make it work for me until we get something better.

I like it. Thanks.

Dennis: Thanks ... by the way, I like your new avatar. You are almost as handsome as Joe. Joe: Thanks for the updates. I have a 3D niche box similar to yours I made a few days back that I will have to try.

Dennis: I think I need to take up drinking. My brain isn't working today. I can't figure out how to easily change the stud material to not have a texture or an air gap. Scott: You're right ... turn the layer on for that 3D view sure helps a bunch. One thing that worked for me was to select one of Joe's hole in the wall, after I have gone in and checked the material properties (gen. mtl./transparent), and then save it to the library under a new name. Then when I place a new one using that one, it cuts away the wall layer framing surface and displays just like in Joe's video. Thanks again Joe. Back to my other question about how in real life a tiled shower niche is built (layer by layer) in a framed partition wall. Any takers? Does anyone know?

Joe: I placed two of your "hole in the walls" in the 2x4 partition wall above. Both were black when 1st placed ... like the one on the right. For the larger one, I opened up the hole in the wall material and it was already defined as a general material with 100% transparency. I OK'd out of the dbx and that got rid of the black look but now I get what Dennis is talking about .... a solid sheet of fir framing. If I delete that surface, it goes directly to the sheetrock layer on the back side and no studs visible. I did build wall framing by the way. Your thoughts? How did you massage the wall in your video so you could see the studs? If I set the stud material to opening-no material then there are no studs. I guess I don't know how to tell the framing layer to not have a texture.