MoeGia

On 11/8/2021 at 5:51 PM, robdyck said:

I experience many crashes every day. I use my pc for nothing but Chief and Google Chrome. Nvidia and Chief tech support haven't been able to provide a solution so I couldn't tell you if the problem is Chief or Nvidia or Dell.

This isn't exactly helpful, but I'm not overly happy with my Alienware PC or X13 because of this.

There is a known conflict between some Alienware software and Chief Architect, but even disabling it has not provided a reliable experience using Chief.

I have an Alienware R9 and am not having any crashes with Chief or otherwise. 

Is the 8 GB in your signature RAM?  If so, that may be your problem. 

This one drives me crazy.   A layout template seems like the perfect solution, but it's a PITA to get the live views recropped and repositioned every time.  This template feature should shine when showing clients multiple options but I've started sending screen shots because it's more reliable and efficient.

I've reported it.  Please do the same so we can get it fixed, including the PDF size, blurriness, etc.

Same here.  Makes me think I'm back at a Town Hall Dance listening to In Aggada Da Vida.  Not a bad thing but....

18 hours ago, Dermot said:

The best way to show the stair break line differently between the lower and upper floor is by using the display options built into the stair tools (not using reference display).  This means that you will need to make sure the stair is in an open below room on the floor above.  If you need this for a stair that is outside of the building, you should try Glenn's solution of creating an open below room using invisible walls.

 

 

 

This is how I have been handling it.  People seem to use the reference set to show stairs so I was hoping 
I was missing something.

Thank you,

Is it possible of a lower level stair set with a break line to appear without the break line in the reference display?  Showing the break on the upper level isn't correct IMHO.  I would like it to appear as a full stair, just as it does in an open below situation. Two stairs on different layers, one with a break line, one without?  

I use a version of the extended toolbar for everything.  Same toolbars in all views.  I like the tools in the same place (muscle memory).  I use empty spaces to keep things stable. 

I'm not sure if it matters but, I sync my Chief folder between my desktop and laptop.  The screen is smaller on the laptop so I had to arrange my toolbars to fit that screen, otherwise when I switched to the desktop, everything was messed up. 

Rob, in you CAD screenshot above, you have the three little arrows at the end indicating there are icons off the screen. That always caused trouble for me.  One I got everything on screen and spaced correctly with empty space icons, I no longer had moving toolbars.  I don't switch between toolbar modes because that seemed to be a problem for me.  I never seemed to be able to switch back to my default toolbar without the jumping icons and having to reset toolbars.

Another and quicker way:

Select the door icon, then shift select all the doors.  Make your changes.  If you need some doors out of the selection, you can control select each individually.  For windows, select the window icon.  You are now in window mode.  Shift select all the windows.

You can use this same selection method with any icon tool (cabinets, electrical, roofs, windows and doors, etc).  Getting into the desired mode basically creates a filtered selection for that mode alone.

This is one of my favorite architectural details.  I use them a lot on my houses.  Love it at the kitchen sink! 

I too wish the box bay tool worked better.  If it did, I might have one on every house! 

Hi Dermot,

I had this happen again on another plan a few days ago.  I haven't sent it in but will try to by the end of the week.  

Folks, please send your plans in so this can be fixed.  In my case, it was reproduceable on one elevation but not another.

Hi Dermot,

Even with 'Show Single Label for Entire Unit' checked, the component windows still appear in the schedule.  This did work, but was broken at some point (X13?).  Currently, you have to open each window and check 'suppress label'.

Assuming you had X12 or earlier on the laptop, you can migrate your library and defaults after an installation.   This will bring your User Library into X13 as well.  I'm not at my computer but I believe it's in preferences.  Then you can update catalogs to download all the content.

If the laptop is new, it's more difficult but you can move the desktop files to the laptop, or a cloud, and update catalogs. 

This was in reference to the OP's first question regarding slow layout speed.  Live views slow the layout down.  I often copy my layout file for final construction plans and delete all camera views so the layout doesn't bog down.  Others turn their live views to plot lines so they can effectively work, then turn them back to live view for printing.

I have sent these issue into tech support. 

1.  Some people turn their camera views to plot lines to speed up layouts, then turn them back to update on demand to print.

2.   Frustrating for sure when you're trying to show a client multiple options.  The best option I've found is to copy plan and layout to a new folder and not change the plan name.  The layout will stay linked.  The downside is all the plans have the same name.  It also makes having a default layout template (with views already sent from a template plan) less than ideal.

Please report it so we can get it fixed. 

Amen Alan, this is a real PITA for as-builts.  With as-builts I'm often going back and forth between SPVs so not having the temporary defaults change with my SPV, is frustrating.

We now need multiple temporary dimension defaults to match our dimension defaults, or must adjust them each time we change Saved Plan Views, or toggle them off.  I never understood why temporary dimensions weren't controlled in dimension defaults.  Now with always-on temporary dimensions and SPVs, it makes sense to control temporary dimensions with our dimension defaults and have them automatically change with our SPVs.

Thank for the tip Michael.  I've chased my tail many times checking and unchecking that box! 

A side-by-side preview panel in the dialog box would be very helpful when syncing patterns and textures.  If we could review the adjustments in real time on a vector-standard preview panel, it would save a lot of time and frustration.  

Maybe the sync check box located at the top of the panel, gives one the idea to check that box before making adjustments.  If that check box moved to that preview panel it would be a much easier process.

You could add extended roof trim on the sides to make it more 'cape-like', and remove some of the lower pitched roof edges.  I usually do dormers with a 4" rake and the main roof with a 12".  It might not work if the side windows are remaining in place.

8 hours ago, jaaos123 said:

Maybe it's something to do with migrating from a previous version and using an old previously generated templates with the new X13 system? Something is incompatible and causes the error? That's why it's not present for everyone? Just a wild guess as I was using templates and settings generated in older versions. Doesn't seem to be a hardware matter.

I doubt that's the issue.  I have been working with migrated plans since the beginning of Beta testing and have not have any mouse problems until recently. 

I have never had the mouse orbit problem in 3D so probably shouldn't have muddied the waters.

I haven't seen this since I posted, although I've been taking some time off. 

I did update my graphics driver last week.  And I also have a Logitech wave keyboard and Logitech M-something mouse.

On 7/3/2021 at 7:15 AM, Bella1722 said:

I am having the same issue as the original poster. After approximately 15 minutes of using X13, I encounter a problem whereby, for example, if I insert a door into a wall, the crosshairs continue to remain as the door insertion icon and will not allow me to complete any other tasks, e.g. inserting a window into the wall. Instead, if I click anywhere else on the screen, or move the mouse around on the screen, the door just changes from opening inwards to outwards (and vice versa) - it remains stuck on the door command. It will not allow me to select any other commands. This is in working plan view.

This happened to me yesterday with a door selection.  The mouse wouldn't release the door selection.  I can't give any other useful information about what I was doing. 

I did have a few other mouse related oddities (copy pasting between floors or plans).  I assumed it was operator error.  I'll keep an eye on it and report it.

On 6/24/2021 at 2:34 PM, Renerabbitt said:

Typical walls

I had this happen in X13 too.  They were pony walls.  I sent it in and was told to switch to see the upper wall connections (they were narrower walls) to use the 'connect wall' tool successfully.  It was a plan brought forward.  The walls were all connected so....

I have the Surfacebook 3 as well.  I was having the same issue.  The computer seems to drop the connection to the NVidia card.  You can reconnect it by going to Device Manager and 'scan for hardware changes' and it will find the card.  You'll need to close and restart Chief for the software to use the NVidia card.  

The Surfacebook will disconnect the NVidia card when you remove the screen for table mode. I don't use tablet mode much so I don't know why it keeps disconnecting.  You could force the reconnection by removing and reattaching the screen too.  I suspect the hinge/tablet interface is the problem; not a tight connection or doesn't support the weight.  

In working with Chief during Beta, the Chief folks don't seem to have the same issue with their Surfacebook. I have the 15" screen, maybe that's the difference.

I bring lots of old plans forward.  Chief makes it very easy.  I wouldn't hesitate to migrate plans to a new version.

You can use 'edit area all' to flip a plan horizontally or vertically in one move (I flip about a current point located at the center to keep things in the same 3D space).  I think you'll have the same issues with your labels not flipping.  I'm not at my computer to check, just wanted to give another option.

I still have text that I need to flip manually.  

You cannot customize Chief's installed libraries.  You can customize your 'User Library'.  I'm away from my computer but this should get you going.

Create a new folder.  Go back and select the manufacturer folder you want to customize.  Right click, select copy.  Browse to your custom folder, right click, paste shortcut.  The folder will be copied to the new location AND will maintain the link to Chief's folder to stay up to date when you 'update library'.  It'll take some time but I think it's worth it if you like to see everything together.

If you copy/paste the folder to the user library you will lose the ability to update the user library folder.  Copy/paste shortcut maintains the update link.

I have my user library set up with shortcuts to the core, bonus and manufacturer's catalogs by category.  It works well for me.  

Sometimes I have to shift select while using the 'edit layout lines' tool to activate some lines.

If you have overlapping viewports, the lines will be unselectable.  You can pull one viewport back to slect the lines.