SNestor

Here's another method...kind of like what Eric suggested. - drop the garage "rough ceiling" height -32". (the elevation should now be 109.125) - Turn on your reference display. - draw walls (siding-6) under the walls above - Open the dialogue box for these walls and make them invisible...and no locate if you choose. - Now...click in the room created by the new invisible walls. Click "shelf ceiling". Make sure the "rough ceiling" height is 109.125" You should now have a flat ceiling in the garage...with a ceiling of 2x6 created under the floor above that extends over the garage. You can now lower the 6/12 roof over the single garage door down -32"...or so. You may only want to lower it -28" as there really isn't a lot of room above the garage door itself for a header. See pics below... Draw walls, make them invisible... In this area...create a "shelf ceiling"

Why not just drop the garage floor down...and move the roof down. This will create a "clipped" ceiling in the garage over the overhead door...which you may not want. If this is the case...do what Eric suggested above.

Create a 3D view...such as a Framing Overview. In the 3D view...turn off the layers you don't want to see...such as all the framing layers. Then...using the surface delete tool, delete the surfaces of walls you don't want to see, such as the wood framed walls that sit on top of the concrete foundation walls and any other walls you have on the interior...or, if you put the interior walls on a unique layer you could just turn them off. See pics below with steps assigned. Step #1: Create a Framing Overview 3D, open layer management for this view...turn off framing layers. Step #2: Result of Step #1 Now...use the "delete surface tool"...delete surfaces you don't want. Result: Send to layout

Ok...I’m with you on the 3D view.

How about a picture to help us all out? I gather you are trying to have the sliding panel mounted with wheels on the top of the glass panel and sliding along a bar type track? Maybe like this?

Changing the names where? Are you talking about in the project browser? If so...I don't think it's possible to change.

No...this is incorrect...sort of. You can control the display of pony walls using "PLAN VIEWS". I did a video on the subject...check it out.

Are you editing the layerset controlling the 3D view...or the floor plan layerset? You need to modify the layers that control the 3D view. Actually...you should post your plan or at the very least a few pictures so we know what you are dealing with. Thanks!

Have you used the "spray can" to "paint" the walls? If so...you will have to open the wall dialogue box...and go to the materials tab...select "exterior wall surface"...then click the "select material" button...then, make sure you have "library materials" selected...and at the bottom you will see a check box, "use default material". Check this box... The wall should return to the siding you set as the default material. This is occurs when you "paint" a material instead of opening the wall and modifying the "wall type".

I attempted to accomplish this design so it would frame. CA doesn’t make it easy. In fact it was so difficult that I just gave up. I don’t think we get paid enough for drafting plans to have to spend maybe an hour just to draw a front porch. I think you could draw a section in 15 minutes to detail whatever is required.

New video...

I do pony walls like this all the time using "walls"...not material regions and don't have any problems. Yes...the foundations can be quirky...but, it doesn't take long to force them into submission. Seems like wall material regions would be just as much trouble given the fact they don't join at corners.

Listen to Joey...he knows what he’s doing. Great tip Joey...

That is a great tip Rob....thanks!

Thanks! I'm always happy to hear someone got something from my YouTube Videos.

The "stair tool" is an antique when compared to the rest of the software. This tool has needed to be "updated" for many, many years...I'm not holding my breath that it'll be "fixed" anytime soon...I gather it's just not that important or maybe just too big of a project for Chief.

No doubt...using newels like these in a railing wall is fast...but, the corner construction is weird. The time you'd spend messing around trying to get them to work you could drop in the newel symbols exactly where you'd want them...attach the seat moldings and be done with it. Also, moldings don't allow you to drop a "doorway" into them...so, to create any opening you may want to have you will have to break the molding where you want the opening...select that section and select "remove molding from selected edge".

Correct. If you find the origin is off just a bit...just right click on the symbol in the library and “tweak” it...then just click the newel in a 3D view and “replace from library”...with a few tweaks you’ll get it right.

I drew the newel in plan...for me it’s much easier. This does require that you rotate the symbol to get it in the right position (standing...not laying down). I did have to adjust the position of the X/Y/Z so that the newel sits on the deck in the correct position. This might take a little trial and error. You could just make a “fixture” symbol and place them exactly where you want them. This might even be a better solution.

Yes...but, it may not be perfect. In the picture below I've created a custom newel post. I used P-Solids to create the newel design, then turned these into a "millwork" symbol and assigned the symbol to be a "newel" on the "options" tab. I've used (2) separate molding profiles (the brown is molding "A" and the pink is molding "B"...see pic below) so that I could paint them with unique materials...or at least control the direction of the the "grain" if the material was a wood. In order to get the molding lines to "sit" correctly on the newel you will have to tweak the horizontal and vertical offsets in the molding tab....but, with an open "section" of the railing wall it's not that difficult or time consuming. The newels shown below are in a "railing" wall...set to "open", no top or bottom rails...newels are spaced 72" on center. You will find that using a railing wall is quick...but, the newels at the corners don't always look correct. There isn't much you can do to fix this other than creating a newel "symbol" and placing these exactly where you want them...then attach the moldings for the seat.

If you change the ceiling height the room divider wall will automatically change to an interior-4 to create the drop ceiling. Really...using a doorway seems to be the easiest method.

Eric - you are right! Doorways are the way to go. So...to get a "white ceiling" and keeping the doorway the drywall color....I raised the doorway height to just above the finished ceiling and it works. Using a doorway is the way to go...saves a lot of time and hassle. As far as using a "soffit"...the soffit is just one color, the bottom of a soffit cannot be "white" like a ceiling... See pics below...

I agree with Eric on this one...a very thin dividing wall just auto changes to an interior-4 when you change the ceiling height. I'm happy to know that the "invisible wall" is a problem and doesn't always allow the base (or other moldings) to wrap correctly. I was just wondering if it was me or Chief... The problem with using a doorway is that if you have a white ceiling...you can't paint the door jamb the same color and you end up with a strip up at the front edge...so, you just have to paint the dropped ceiling the wall color. Not a big deal...but just another work around in Chief.

Is this a typical problem with Chief? Many times when I've added an invisible wall in order to create a "room" with a drop ceiling...the baseboard does not wrap around the wall. Just a real PIA... Example:

Mick - I removed all the "User Added Lights"....it didn't make any difference. See pics below... Glenn - Automatic is checked...but I still don't get the light on the ceiling. Here is picture of bedroom...automatic is checked. No light on ceiling. All user added lights removed Here is generic plan using the same template...automatic is checked and I get the ceiling light.