Richard_Morrison

Also should budget chiropractic visits for the neck strain you will experience with this arrangement.

56 minutes ago, rispgiu said:

Did you look for any specific specs?

You should look at the input lag. Some TVs are very slow, others are pretty good. Some also have a "game mode" which improves lag, but may make the picture less good. Lots of good info by Googling.

8 minutes ago, rispgiu said:

Thank you Richard. On your TV monitor can you see measurements and other details just fine? 

Yes. Better than on a smaller monitor. You can zoom in and have much more of the plan still available for editing. A larger monitor makes you more efficient since you aren't zooming in and out as much.

12 hours ago, para-CAD said:

I have a single .dwt file that has maybe 500 details on it.  I tried to import that and learned that each detail should be its own uniquely named file.  I haven't taken the time to do that yet.  

No, you don't need a separate file for each detail. You can use a separate CAD Detail for each detail. So one file could have many details. You could import the large file onto a plan, and then copy-paste each detail into its own Detail window.

Adding lots of CAD details into your your main project file can slow things down. You can send details from their own detail file directly onto the Layout, or copy the details into a CAD Detail(s) in the Layout file and send the Detail to the same Layout file, which will keep all of that project's details together.  

However, I believe you should have two monitors (one can be your old one) because your productivity increases significantly being able to have pictures of a house, say, on one monitor while you are drawing it on the other.

Most building departments will also accept the assembly item number from Table 721.1(2) in the CBC. (You can read it online for free. http://www.bsc.ca.gov/codes.aspx)

Michael,

I don't know that there would be that many CAD blocks. An anchor bolt or Simpson connector per detail, maybe. How do you know to wait for 10 minutes to let the CBM load? After a minute or two, I probably would just assume that something is seriously corrupted in the file and bail out.

I am trying to plan if (whether) I should be breaking down my office standard CAD Details into multiple separate .PLAN files, and if so, how many.

Does anyone have experience to know at what stage a significant slowdown from having a large number of CAD details starts? 100 CAD details? 500? There would be one CAD Detail per detail with roughly the same level of complexity as a Chief standard detail. Wondering if anyone has "hit the wall" with CAD data. (Note, this would not be combined with a model, too, so I'm not concerned about the effects on 3D performance.) 

This technique with the white diagonal fill has been around for awhile.... http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?26332-Foundations-below-grade

From a productivity standpoint, I'd consider replacing one of the 29" monitors with a 43" UHD 4K TV. I got a TCL brand recently for under $300, and it's awesome. Having dual monitors is nice, but the screen real estate with at least one large monitor makes life so much better.

26 minutes ago, Chopsaw said:

No they pulled that trick that architects usually do when passing on drawings. 

Well, that new "kinder and gentler" forum concept didn't last long, did it? 

1 hour ago, TheKitchenAbode said:

For myself it's useful when laying out and balancing cabinetry around a window opening. It's nice be able to see the exact gaping. 

I can see why dimensions to the outside of the casing are important for this, but I still am not seeing why dimensions to the inside of the casing are useful.

My curiosity is getting the better of me. Why is this a useful dimension to you?  

Glad this had a relatively happy ending.

Yeah, I just went through a long back and forth with tech support sending them files, etc., with the end result that they couldn't reproduce it, and were basically giving up. The more people who send this in the better. Maybe they will move it up to a higher priority and finally fix it. I checked in the old Chieftalk archives and there are reports of this going back to at least 2011, and it had been going on before that. I don't have any other program that does this.

If you did the renderings while employed there, unless you were an independent consultant, then the renderings are THEIRS to do with as they choose. However, you may be interested to know that there is an ethical obligation, that most architects abide with, that employees may take copies of work that they have done to show prospective employers.

"Rule 5.303 A Member shall not unreasonably withhold permission from a departing employee or partner to take copies of designs, drawings, data, reports, notes, or other materials relating to work performed by the employee or partner that are not confidential."

However, this is just part of the AIA Code of Ethics, and is not legally binding. Might be worth a brief conversation with an attorney. Might also depend on any employment agreement that you signed, too.

1 hour ago, HumbleChief said:

And how much of an 'artistic element' need be involved and when has one 'copied' that artistic element or merely been inspired by it? And who makes the call?

 

Kinda curious how the case mentioned played out...

Maybe this article will help: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/copyrights-in-architectural-drawings-courts-make-it-tougher/

To answer your questions, though: A judge or jury makes the call. But you will be hard pressed to find a case where direct and detailed copying was not involved. Defendants usually have had full access to the earlier construction plans. 

I think reading the Zalewski case decision is instructive in how a court is likely to think:

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/12-3448/12-3448-2014-06-05.html

I've generally been storing most details -- one detail per CAD detail view -- in the Detail Management Section of the Layout, which maintains the scale of the details, as well as automatically labels the detail when sent to layout pages. But I keep things like text blocks and notes in the library for placing directly on the layout pages, as well as backup copies of the details. I've often wondered if having multiple similar details in a single CAD detail causes less bloat, though. 

3 hours ago, HumbleChief said:

I would never consider completely copying a design because I've never seen one that didn't need my touch to become my and my client's design but I would certainly start with a sound design that a client liked (from pictures or whatever the source) and customize it, but how much would that design need to be customized it before it's no longer a copy? When should you feel comfortable that the design is now unique enough that you won't get sued and who's making that call?

There is a lot of misunderstanding about architectural copyrights. It's unlikely that much of any mainstream design is going to be protected with a design copyright. There needs to be an artistic element for a design copyright to exist. Explicitly exempt from copyright protection are: "Standard configurations of spaces and individual standard features, such as windows, doors, and other staple building components, as well as functional elements whose design or placement is dictated by utilitarian concerns." I doubt that any floor plan you are likely to be using for "inspiration" is going to be SO special that you really have to worry. And unless some designer is driving down the street and can readily say, "Hey, that MY design!" how are they going to know? (I'm talking here about a pictures that your client shows you, not taking plans and building them again in the same geographic area.) Even if the designer truly believed that he/she were ripped off, they would have to file a lawsuit in FEDERAL court, and unless they filed the design with the copyright office, they are limited to obtaining actual damages, which would be very hard to determine and probably not that large, as well as being quite a challenge to prove legally. I would worry far more about a lawsuit from a bad flashing detail than being sued for copyright infringement of a fairly mainstream design. Now, if your clients are coming to you with a very high-end architectural design and saying they want something almost identical, then I'd be concerned.

Thought I'd see if I am missing any time-saving steps for revising/replacing CAD details.

Let's say I've got a detail that I need to revise, located in a folder in the User Library. Currently, I have to 1) place the detail, 2) explode it, 3) revise it, 4) re-block it and save to bottom level of User Library with same name, 5) Move library block with cut/paste to original folder, 6) Delete old detail with same name. Any way to save a step or two or is that as good as it gets?

I used to get crashes or corrupted files with OneDrive and went completely to Dropbox, which seems to have made all those go away. I've never had a problem with Dropbox. My impression is that OneDrive often has a slight lag time that Dropbox doesn't, which may contribute to the issue. I still use OneDrive for additional backups, but I don't feel confident with its syncing protocols in concurrent use with Chief.

32 minutes ago, Alaskan_Son said:

 

Richard, I’m curious...did you open that plan on the same exact system you drew it with?  The reason I ask is that I see this type of thing frequently in plan from other users but almost never in my own plans.  

Yes, it was the exact same system. I can think of only one thing that might have caused this. I had just copied a standard text block from an X2 layout to the Clipboard, then closed that layout and opened a current X10 layout and pasted the text onto the now open layout, which seemed to work fine. However, what was confusing was that text in a (completely X10) referenced plan file was what was screwed up. I then opened the layout again and found most of the Rich Text messed up on the layout itself. Cause and effect? I don't know for sure. But I will report to support.

So I hadn't seen this for awhile, and thought it had been fixed. But, noooo............ I just opened up a plan I had been working on earlier and get the attached. Not imported from past plan, and also set for auto width. Just saved and reopened. This has been complained about now for YEARS, what is it going to take? Yes, I'm a little grumpy about this.

You need to have the City tell you what information is required on these pages. Just register locations, or full duct sizing/layout? Whatever the answer, if you can't do it, you will need to find someone who can. Some subs can do this, but in other cases you may need to engage a mechanical engineer.

Why are you asking us rather than the City?