Richard_Morrison

I can't believe I'm actually agreeing with Perry, but I think there are projects that are really too large for Chief and you are probably there.

Why don't you open a "satellite office" in Tampa, sharing space with someone you trust? They might well welcome some additional rent from someone who is hardly ever there, and you could sub out tasks like field measuring. With technology you don't need to be there physically, and you certainly don't need to be actually living there in a condo just to see how it goes.

I think standard text has a HUGE (to quote Trump) advantage in that the size can be controlled on a dynamic basis by layer. (And therefore, anno set.) Rich text, once placed, is fixed in size.

You can export a Chief file to Sketchfab (probably 3DS is best), which has VR capabilities. The 3D Viewer is way easier, though, since you don't have to muck around with environment settings the way you do in Sketchfab.

It is one of the great tragedies of life that we can't all be as intelligent, talented, and--dare I say -- ruggedly handsome, as you, Perry.

The best solution might be to turn on your Snap Toggles toolbar. (Right-click in upper toolbar area, go to Toolbars, and make sure this toolbar is displayed.) Not only will this give you access to a variety of snaps, it will show you the shortcuts.

Gosh, Larry, a year later and still confused? https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/5828-add-lock-for-floor-elevations/ This whole floor thing is not working well. (Except for Perry, of course) BTW, ALL of your first floor rooms seem to be "floor supplied by room below." Not what you want, except at the garage.

Apologies to the O.P. for spinning so far off topic.

I thought the issue was reducing building costs, which I took to mean construction costs. In terms of purchase price and investments, you are correct. I agree that entitlement costs are out of control, too. (And I'm including building permit costs, zoning reviews, etc. in this.) However, these costs are pretty much directly proportional to construction costs. People want a 5,000 or 6,000 s.f. house, and then complain that permit and zoning costs are so high. Well, boo hoo.

You want to reduce building costs? Build smaller houses. Less square footage = less $. If people keep asking for bigger houses, with more amenities, and simply want to pay less for more, that's not an attitude I can get behind. The average size house in 1950 was 983 S.F., in 1970, it was 1,660 S.F., in 2013, it was 2,679 S.F. At the same time, the average household size has gone down. And actually, in terms of real dollars, the cost of construction has not varied all that much over the years; on an inflation-adjusted basis, we are already paying a little less for construction than we were in 1973. (https://www.aei.org/publication/todays-new-homes-are-1000-square-feet-larger-than-in-1973-and-the-living-space-per-person-has-doubled-over-last-40-years/)

This is a section that states that building officials and their subordinates can only be sued in their professional capacity, not as individuals, and shall be defended by the jurisdiction that they represent. So I'm not exactly sure what the point being made here is.

Umm, no. Actually they ARE dying in unpermitted work, although not necessarily from structural collapse. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeowner-charged-fire-killed-family-20140620-story.html

You don't get to make up laws just to suit what you want to do. If you've got a code citation that says an unlicensed person can design three-story buildings, cite it. If not, it's just a bunch of hot air on your part, even if you haven't been caught yet. I don't really care since it's YOUR ass on the line, but if you are designing actual three-story buildings, then you are living on borrowed time, IMO. Have fun! BTW, here's a sample from the California Architect's Board enforcement actions: "HERMOSA BEACH—The Board issued a two-count citation that included a $4,000 fine to Jonathan Starr, dba Starr Design Group, an unlicensed individual, for alleged violations of BPC 5536(a) (Practice Without License or Holding Self Out as Architect). The action alleged that Starr executed an agreement offering to provide design services for a new three story over basement single-family residence located in Manhattan Beach, California. Starr also executed an agreement offering to provide design services for a new three story over basement single-family residence with attached two-car garage and roof deck located in Hermosa Beach, California. The projects did not satisfy the criteria for an exempt project type as defined in BPC 5537(a), and required a licensed design professional for preparation of plans, drawings, or specifications. Starr paid the fine, satisfying the citation. The citation became final on July 29, 2014."

R106.1 states: "The construction documents shall be prepared by a registered design professional where required by the statutes of the jurisdiction in which the project is to be constructed." You have to look at the state code to find out what structures are exempt from licensure.

If you are doing them as an independent designer, and signing your own drawings, then you are doing them illegally. Period. You can provide drafting services TO the engineer who is acting as the prime design professional, of course. Or maybe you are confusing a third story with a habitable attic.

I wouldn't do that third story if you don't have a license. CA B&PC 5537. (a) This chapter does not prohibit any person from preparing plans, drawings, or specifications for any of the following: (1) Single-family dwellings of woodframe construction not more than two stories and basement in height.

If the stringer is nailed to the wall at each stud, probably isn't acting like a beam. I think more specifics are needed, but I would run it by an engineer.

In these parts, garages are ALWAYS counted as part of the square footage in FAR. You get wrinkles with some places counting stairways at each level, some only at one level. Some things count as lot coverage, but not FAR (especially covered open porches), some have 2nd or 3rd floor "equivalent" square footage (where high ceilings add some square footage to the FAR), and other subtleties. You have to check the zoning ordinance of each city very carefully, especially since it gets changed regularly, too.

I tried a 4K 30" monitor and it was horrible. I took it back and got a pair of smaller 27" monitors that I could run in their native resolutions. Unless you can work at the native resolution (which means everything will be tiny for a 4K monitor, unless it's maybe 50" or so), any image scaling will result in blurriness, especially in Windows 10. (Windows 7&8 are better.) This is not the case for programs designed to run in 4K, but not too many of those, yet.

Change your "Room Label" text style to "transparent."

To be fair, they had never heard of you, either.

This is a little like asking not only to borrow your neighbor's snow blower, but asking them to push it, as well.

Is the ceiling sloped?

DJP, please contain your offer of services to the "Offering Services" section. If you wish to send the OP a private mail, please do so, but offers of paid services are not appropriate here.

You only think that because I'm not a golfer. We hardly EVER disagree. (I'm not including politics, of course. lol)