SNestor

You are right...never had to draw plans for architects. And...happy I was able to avoid that possibility. You have to do what you need to in order to pay the bills. There is no shame in becoming expert in AutoCad. It’s a ubiquitous piece of software and if your career is drafting you almost have no choice but to become proficient with AC.

I have to admit that I did not realize that AC had morphed into a 3D program. However...while scouring YouTube for videos I felt watching these videos as if 3D design software had gone back to 1991. How can anyone compare AC3d to Chief...and even state that they wish Chief would do things that AC can do? I mean come on... example video:

My only experience with AC was with “AutoCad LT”. I’m not even close to being even a novice when it comes to AC. My only point is that it seems we see a lot of posts that wish CA did something that AC does...but it seems to me that AC users probably wish AC did 50% of what you can do with Chief. I’ve owned CA since X7 and I’ve never wished or thought I needed another piece of software to complete a set of plans.

I think there are some AutoCad users who might have a similar complaint that goes like this..."There are some BIG nit picking things that if AC would focus on that would be great". If you think about what you can do with Chief...and what you can do with a 2D program like AC...well, is there really any comparison?

No...I don't know either.

I live in Westfield...would be glad to meet.

Great! Success! I was trying to get a "full round" roof...and I think that is the issue. If you set the radius to something lower...like you did (60)...then Chief cooperates...and things seem to get "fixed". The trouble is setting the radius to something almost full round...such as 89. Then...the walls get screwy. It's just a quirk in Chief and you have to find ways to make things work so you don't spend all day working for free trying to force CA to do something it just isn't programmed to do. There are so many factors with a roof...the rafter size, the fascia and sub-fascia sizes, the baseline or fascia height...the soffit type and whether you want it on or not. Add in the radius roof top and you can send CA into orbit. Glad you were able to get it all worked out...it looks very accurate! I used google maps and found the Orphanos building...and your drawing is really beginning to represent the actual structure very well. Nice job!

You have to open each roof plane and change the rafter spacing spec to 16" OC. Frustrating...but the roof plane controls the rafter spacing even if you spec 16" OC in the build framing DBX. See pics...

Did this video for Bob (aka Evolution)....but, thought it could help others. I'm not sure if there is a better way...or I'm missing something...so please, if you know of something better or something I could have done differently please comment. Thanks!

Bob...you aren't crazy. Barrel roof dormers are very difficult in Chief if you want the roof to be a "round top". Check out my video...it should help you get the job done!

Here's a video showing my idea on a fire rated party wall...such as the USG U336 assembly. Not a perfect solution...but it works.

Sometimes a quick video is worth 1,000 words...hope it helps!

Did a video on you might want to create the Dormers for your Orphanos Plan. You may have moved past this point...but, might help you in the future.

Just define a "shelf ceiling" in the water closet room... See attached...

I opened your plan now. On the first floor level Porch Room...uncheck "roof over this room". The anomaly at the roof soffit will disappear. Not sure why...but you have a number of weird things going on in this plan so... Here is a pic of the result...

I’m guessing. Not at computer. I think it’s a ceiling plane being created by your porch room...on the foundation level. Go to this level, select your porch room and unselect roof over this room/ceiling over this room. See if it disappears

I believe what you are seeing is the backside of the brick veneer as it turns the corner...because you are using a section elevation view and it's looking through the entire building. Just a guess...but I think that's what it is.

You might try this video...around 1:50 I start to describe the wall type and how the width controls where the jewels end up. Hope it helps...

Increasing the width of the wall type will not make your top rail wider. The rails size is controlled in the railing DBX.

Open the wall DBX and edit the width of the wall type. The railing will center on the wall... You might want to checkout the deck rail vids I have on YouTube.

I tried to recreate the block as you did...but, no luck. My snaps end up in the wrong place once I attach the block to the symbol. Can you give me a clue as to what I am doing wrong... Thanks 3D block... 2D block...

I'm with Mark...I used a CAD box, made it an invisible line and no matter what I do the box appears in the final CAD block. Now Chop used a rich text box...and it works perfectly. So...I'd use a rich text box without any text and shape it to where you need it...explode your current block and then block it all together and name the new block the same as the old and then save it to your library for re-use. Maybe someone can chime in and explain why a cad polyline box won't disappear? Weird...

Thanks Scott...I didn't realize this method on the MAC.

Bob...I had the same issue. I use a MAC so not sure what the process is if your are using a PC but you need to direct .CALIB files to be opened with Chief X11. See picture below...I'm showing a .PLAN file...but it's the same process for .CALIB files.

Glad to help...I have a YouTube Page with lots of videos. Check it out! (see link in my signature)