mthd97

Hi DT, are you trying to put trusses in between a roof plane & a ceiling plane ? If so then you probably need to draw both types to do that in a skilion roof type scenario ? Hope you get it sorted. have fun.

Yes a parametric model exchange is what I was referring to. I hope It’s not a “never say never” scenario ? I was asking in the hope that someone on the engineering team would say “yay or nay” ? I know it has been brought up before on other requests like an “IFC” format possibility. I think CA is excellent enough to graduate from college football to the big league as a robust residential 3D/CAD/BIM system in the future. When you start playing ball with the big boys you have to run faster to keep up with them. The future would look very bright if CA chooses to go down that path. Just Imagine, Model imported from other 3D/CAD/BIM into Chief Architect to do the cabinets or bathrooms by an Interior Designer and shared right back. Or a residential plan is imported into Chief Architect to model the framing in 3D and shared back. As well as sharing models for finer level renderings. The list goes on and on. Just my hopes for Chief Architect because it’s not a very difficult software to use and learn.

Hi, I am wondering if Chief Architect is planning to allow 3D model export and import in the future ? If so what file format would be viable for it ? As you know other CAD/BIM products allow this type of 3D model sharing. I think that would a great step for CA to take. Many benefits would open up to CA in 3D collaboration with other CAD products. Many other CAD/BIM solutions also let their users know what they are working on for the future. Will we have something similar at CA ?

Apart from all the comments above. One of the most important considerations is sealing the roof from leaks and the actual drainage on plan view. I personally would recommend consulting an engineer in all these types of applications. In the US regulations are quite different from what we do here in Australia. I like to be extra cautious with flat roofs.

Awesome ! But I will need it to be compatible to CAX10. I will have to go to Dowell Windows and see if they have it available for my version?

Thank you for the tip Kbird1.

Cheers mattyt12, you must have read my mind ? Dowell Windows would have been my first go to for an imported library into CA. I will have to figure out how to import into CA now.

Not really, I am happy with just a general aluminum frame profile for Chief Architect for now. I just use the timber frame windows in CA with a thinner profile to mimic the aluminum frame. I do the same for aluminum sliding doors as well. I was just checking to see if there were any in the manufacturers catalog at present. It would sure be nice if there were some to use but I can improvise until then.

That would certainly help the cause of Chief Architect where aluminum windows are being used in other parts of the world. Is there any particular file format that a manufacturer could supply them in ?

Hi there, much of our window frames in Australia are aluminum. I am wondering if in the add on catalogs there are any aluminum window manufactures in the US that we can access in CA ?

Lots of ways to do this in CA. Also rafters will follow your roof planes when you build framing. You can change the size of a rafter to suit your ceiling beam size. You can also turn the framing layer off or on and if you like exposed ceiling beams, then you can put them on a separate layer to keep them on in your 3D view.

Hi, I am wondering if there is an aluminium frame window catalog in Chief Architect from a USA manufacturer that could be used to represent our windows in Australia ? Going back a very long time, someone did have a window library for Australia as an add on purchase. Around V10 I think ?

Yes when it’s all standard there usually is no issue just that we would like to know what the manufactures standard heel height is. My recent case was with a job that has a parapet joining two duplexes side by side and two box gutters either side of the parapet. I needed my box gutters to be set down in order to get enough depth for them. I needed to increase the width of the top chord from 4 inches to 5 approximately. So special cases like this and also having a truss up-stand height as shown in the diagrams above by other users do come up. Sometimes the truss needs to be cantilevered so other special cases also come up and even if we don’t have the webbing specifically correct the truss designer will get that correct with his program for us. So good cross sections and details are a must for good communication with the truss builders.

It was clear to me that in X15 we need to specify the truss heel height. Just make sure our truss manufacturer reads our cross section or in this case provide a detail of the heel height. As long as we have it set to a default value in our template, I don’t see it as a problem. Having designed Trusses in the late 80’s with Bostich Software the truss design program will also have a default value for the heel height when it prints out the cutting list. It’s always good to coordinate with your truss supplier to see what their program default heel height value is set at. When you have special case Trusses, just provide specific details and drawings so they build them correctly for you.

Are you wanting to rotate your cross section camera on the horizontal plane of the floor plan ? Yes it can. Or are you asking if you can rotate the cross section view after it has been created in the vertical plane ? Yes via view to CAD then rotate.

Nice demonstration on how to make flush mounted down lights on the rake. Thanks Eric.

Cool ! Tips n Tricks Rabs.

Probably not ! No ridge capping. No flashings even though we don’t do them automatically just yet. Chief will usually add more detail. Anyway nice little farm house 3D render presentation.

The last truss should be a truss with angled webbing and plates but I see this type of end roofing quite a bit. As long as the engineer can prove that it can carry the loads with vertical supports and hopefully nailing plates then it should work in theory ?

I think I first saw the term ‘Outrigger’ in the Bostich training manual on trusses. It really doesn’t matter what you call them as long as they are counted in the quantities and shown on the plan. Regardless if you have to adjust them manually or not after they are automatically produced in CA. Have Fun !

Outriggers ! Where I come from, that’s something to lookout for in CA. The outlook looks good for Outriggers around the world. Whatever floats your boat !

In practice if there is no protruding footing to build the new part of the wall on. Then you simply create a footing designed by an engineer that butts up against the edge of the existing slab or footing that will be doweled into with rods that are drilled and usually glued in. There are many ways to do this with Chief, a pony wall with a footing underneath will work. You will figure it out. Edit: Building regulations vary in different parts of the world so it’s good to consult what is an acceptable method of construction in your area.

Hi, the general principle in drawing automatic roof planes in CA is to set the roof perimeter with walls underneath first, even if you have to delete some of those walls afterwards that’s cool. You can open the wall dialogue box with a double click on the wall and choose if the wall underneath is going build as full gable roof or as a hip in the default instance. That should get you started and you can always edit roof planes after that if need be.

That’s a good idea for a “Window Wall” tool that can slope. I am not a code writer and I haven’t carried out any lengthy experiments in CA like many of you have been able to do. I am wondering if a modified roof tool could be made fit for a slanting wall application ? After all you can place skylights and dormers into roof planes which are of course openings. It’s certainly would not be impossible for software engineers to accomplish.

My suggestion is that you could all ask for this feature in the suggestions part of the forum, if you do not want to do a complicated work around. Chief Architect has to grow somehow for the future so it might as well be “a slanted walls feature” and make your work much easier ? I have never needed to use slanted walls but commercial buildings use that allot these days for curtain walls. I think that Chief Architect may never have a slanted wall feature included in it because it is strictly for the low rise residential field. I hope I am wrong here ?