mthd97

Hi, I recently went over to a new Mac Studio M1 from an old windows 10 HP PC. I downloaded the CAX15 windows version trial on my HP, the program worked but my video card did not produce the 3D camera views. It produces the 3D views with X10 though. So I just uninstalled it from my HP. I then installed the X15 trial version for Mac on my M1 Studio and it all works fine. I am not sure why you would need to have windows 11 installed also on your MAC because CA will still open CA windows files on Mac too ? What operating system do have installed on your M2 Macbook ?

You may have heard the saying “that a bad tradesman always blames his tools”. First we must learn how to use our tools correctly. I’m am very sure if you went over to the “R” word you will probably use the “F” more often. Probably just a simple user error. That has never happened to me in 25 years of using CA.

Yes I agree and it would certainly be very nice to see these common stair types made available in CA. Perhaps someone could create a visual list in the suggestions forum of the common stair types needed ?

I got a space mouse last year with a CAD mouse wireless compact. They are great to use and work differently in each type of CAD application. I am interested as to how you find it to work with CA ? I seem to prefer mouse navigation in the 3D window, probably because that’s what I am used to in CA. I am always ready to learn new tricks in CA with a space mouse.

I think it would be great to have more customisation for common stair types but you have to draw the line somewhere. With a highly radical stair design, you are probably better off creating it by some other means ? Let’s face it, you can’t create every stair type out there with the main function in the program.

That’s cool ! We all look forward to seeing the improvements in X16.

Read that post above and you can get a tiny glimpse of what is coming in X16 from the VP.

I have been doing them the old way since V6. DJP did a video a while ago that shows what we basically do. It’s not quite perfect and there are other ways of getting around it. But here is his excellent video on that old method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EHcBxh6wW0 If anybody has a more accurate method then please post.

Hi Mark. I didn’t mean that the WMR would cut your siding out. I meant that if it had a negative value in the ML, so that it would deduct from the total area of your siding. My other suggestion was to have no siding at all, on that particular Gable as others have suggested above. Then use a WMR to draw the siding that you need in manually and look for it in the ML calculations. Anyway you have figured it out by the looks ? Yes it would be good if we had a method of cutting out materials to stop them from making the ML inaccurate. One of the Chief Masters here might have a trick or two up their sleeves, to get that roof that meets that gable to cut out that siding triangle that you do not need ?

Hi, Have you tried using a “Wall Material Region” and see how that reflects in the ML ? See if it is possible ti give it a negative value in order for it to deduct from the siding ? If that doesn’t work then you could leave that gable with no siding and use the WMR to create siding for that gable. Please see this video on FMR & WMR. I am sure you will figure it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxvwbt_R7_g

Hi Rickster, I asked in a question thread about a year ago and got a reply directly from Chief Architect staff saying to use that particular method. Please see this article for details on why. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00279/opening-legacy-files.html No problems !

Hi, If you are ok with just 2D plan files as either PDF or DWG, sure you can do something like that. I have recently taken a very complex split level home including the terrain from V9.5 and saved it in X8 along with the old layout file and they both look fine. I can also open the plan in X10 to work on it and it all looks right. The layouts I can only work in X8 for now but that’s cool, I am ok with working in X8 or doing new layouts in X10 after a re-modeling. It even works fine in going from windows to Mac as I did above. Well done to CA for making it relatively straight forward.

As mentioned above I also recommend that you save all your past work to a suitable sized USB drive. You can definitely use much older files in newer versions of CA via CAX8 saving. See the information on the website for directions. Have fun archiving.

I recently bought a brand new gaming computer with XP pro installed on it for Archiving purposes. I got it from eBay. I have never seen XP work so fast. I installed CAV9.5 & 10 on it but I had to install the HASP driver manually from the actual dongle. All works good now. I spent $800 AU or approximately $500 USD because I have heaps of plans stored in CAV10 and earlier. To move my legacy plans and layouts to later versions of CA, I open them in X8 and save them, then work on them in that version or later if possible. Not a simple exercise.

Hi, it looks like that railing defining the entry porch area with the pillars is showing underneath ? 1) You could try tweaking the railing settings in the DBX to see if you can hide the top frame. 3) You could also try thickening the roof over the entry porch area to cover the frame. 4) You could delete the railing and keep the roof and build the post and supports manually. 5) Or create a flat ceiling plane to place under the roof area to cover the showing frame. 6) A combination of those methods mentioned above until it looks right. 7) Wait for a current Chief Master to provide you with a suggestion. Have fun troubleshooting !

You would certainly think so ? Will Chief X15 build a truss like that above automatically or would it need to be manually created first ?

Hi there, might be best to start a new thread question. Ceiling planes work in X14 and way back. Tray ceilings will also work in X14. Try a nested tray ceiling for the flat outer edge and maybe raked ceiling planes for the inner part. Search for videos on CA nested tray ceilings.

@MN_JohnH wrote “l have had problems with squirrels chewing through the ez screen plastic windows” We use Aluminum in my region and we don’t have squirrels lol. I couldn’t stop laughing when picturing nutty squirrels chewing the window frame. I wonder if the beavers up your way chew the timber window frames as well ? Call in the animal catchers and bag those critters. Sounds like you need more control in your DBX to inset or offset your window frames in CA ? Someone could make another suggestion about this.

I see you have X14, see my reply to Chrisb222 on other possible solutions. There are lots of ways to make this look correct in 3D as other CA users can show you. Have fun trying the different methods.

Hi, are you able turn off the beam display and have the posts go the full height? Otherwise it might be better to just place 3D posts and make a polyline solid or a soffit for the flat ceiling plane. Then use slabs for the steps.

Hi, you can use a railing to define your front entry porch room and to display your posts. That might fix your ceiling as well.

Yes all good now ! I saved the referenced plan files from off my USB to the file location on my PC. Thanks.

After searching for information, I found your reply and I might need to use your suggestion on how to link an old layout to a plan and save them. I asked the question on the 11th of Dec 2023. Thanks.

I will need to create a new layout set anyway but I was just hoping to find a way to quickly reference the layout in the newer version of CA. Thanks.