SNestor

Eric - Thanks for your help. I'm wondering what the "invisible wall" is accomplishing? Is it just defining the edge of the deck? This got me wondering...what is it that defines the edge of the deck? Is it the rail wall...or if there isn't a railing then is it the deck layer that defines the edge of the deck?

Taking the advice I learned on this site...I created a deck railing wall definition which adds a layer to the inside of the deck rail using "opening no material". This "trick" does offset the deck rail...moving the entire rail, posts and rail together toward the inside of the deck so that the newels don't right on the edge of the deck. It just looks more realistic. However...this also increases the overall wall width...and "sometimes" I end up with a wall line on the inside. I don't want this wall line to appear....and on some plans it doesn't. Is there a way to turn off the wall lines? I thought it might be a layer setting...but, after some trial and error...I don't think it is. Any help and/or better ideas would be appreciated. Here is a plan view of the deck... Here is the wall definition... Here's the plan... Simple Deck with Railing - Wall Line Shows.plan

Eric, Thanks for the info...and the compliments. The elevation isn't quite done...that's why the garage gable elevation isn't the same. Speaking of the gable end brick detail...the pitched brick solider is a molding I made - attached to a 3D molding polyline. It was difficult to get the brick to butt close to the frieze but not over the top of it...and still keep the overall detail aligned with the ridge. Do you have any tips to make this process a bit easier? Could this same detail be made using a material region? Maybe I should have drawn lines in a CAD DETAIL view....then copied and pasted to elevation view...then converted to a 3D molding polyline? The flashing is just a 1/8" thick P-Solid...painted black. It might end being a "bronze"...or gray. I just chose black. The one problem with the flashing is that in vector view...it's hollow. No fill. Which...isn't good. Looks good in standard view....but, I will have to hatch or something in vector. Any suggestions would be appreciated. So...I gather using P-Solids and the like for all the details is the best/simplest way to go. It's time consuming...and, if the plan changes it's a lot of re-work. So...in the future I think I will wait until the plan is 100% approved before applying this level of detail. Thanks!

I'm just wondering if how I'm going about something is really the fastest and simplest method. See attached elevation. All the arches and brick details I created in a CAD DETAIL FROM VIEW. I created polylines in the detail view, copied to my elevation view, then converted to either a material region or a P-Solid. Colored them as needed to look like brick or mortar. Even the step flashing shown is made from P-Solids. It's all a bit time consuming...just wondering if there isn't a faster/better method? Thanks!

Joey...wondering why you would take the time to send a live detail of a standard foundation section instead of using a detail from a detail plan? I realize you have saved the details for similar sections in your library....wondering if this include the text at the proper scale? It seems to me that unless the foundation is something A-typical...you could just use a standard detail already created and to scale? Same for wall sections... I ask...because I'm sure you have given this a lot of thought...and you've come to the conclusion that this is the best method. I think we can all learn from your process...so, hopefully you will provide us all some insight. Thanks!

Well said... In Indy...everyone wants their home to look like their neighbors home.

Eric, Once again...thanks for all your help. Nice improvements to the elevation... Note: this current "award winning" elevation (sarcasm...) is something specific to the builder..and they sell it often enough to keep building it over and over. Believe me...I wouldn't purchase any of the new homes built around my area of town...but, new homes are selling like hot cakes. The mix of brick and stone is a current trend around here. Obviously there is no accounting for taste. I think most people just want "NEW" and "BIGGER".... - I always forget about the invisible wall trick...thanks for mentioning that. It works wonders!

Eric, Thanks so much for taking the time to work on the plan...and teaching us all a few new things. - I didn't realize that I could change the width of the railing wall without that affecting all the rail components. - I didn't realize how precisely the landing and stairs had to intersect. - I also had never thought of turning off the "stringer at wall" setting and drawing my own skirt. Of course...why should I have to do this? I realize the stair tool is imperfect (understatement of the year)...however, you would think after 20 years of development that at least the skirt boards would draw correctly...or even better, we would have control over the size and thickness and shape of the skirt? Novel idea... Also, you would think after 20 years of development that the software would be smart enough to align all newels and rails...we should not have to manipulate a landing rail to make it "almost" align correctly with the stair rail. Maybe if they just gave us some control over the location of the stair railing...allow us to move it in or out as needed. Well...maybe in the next CA release Chief Engineers will give us some new "stair shapes" to snap into place. Yea...that'll help make us more productive.

Well...I have tried the "follow stair" method...without any success. Attached is a pic of what happens. I lost the hallway arched opening...there is now a "wall gap"...and the stair rail is not continuous. I realize it's user error...but, it would be nice if this part of the software just "worked". Or...maybe Chief needs to do some videos on how to handle stair rails etc. I notice most of their stair videos are basic stairs...and the results they achieve on their videos are not really acceptable to me.

I have a set of stairs in a two story room. Open one side. L-shaped. One side of the stair is open rail all the way to the second floor landing. (see attached plan) There are a few problems....of course. And, maybe there just isn't any possible fix...hopefully a stair guru will chime in and let me know. 1. It appears as though there are two newels at the rail intersection at the landing. Why? I opened the lower section and "unchecked" has newel...but this did not fix the problem. 2. Why does the skirt board at the top of the stair extend beyond the 2nd floor surface? 3. I have been unable to make the stair rail on the stairs align perfectly with the landing rail on the second floor. I adjusted the location of the newel on the landing rail...and this helped. But, my question is...why doesn't the railing on the stairs align automatically with the landing rail? If you move the landing rail out (the rail is actually a wall) to align with the stair rail...then this "wall" does not align with the wall below it. Very frustrating. I've attached some pics that might help...and the plan. Stair Issues Plan 1.plan

Great question. I recently gave up on all but "plot lines"....but would love to know why Chief gave us all the other options.

Joe - I have gone through and linked all the camera and plan views to the new plan...but, the layout still shows (2) additional files that are linked... does this mean mean that something in the layout is linked to these old plan files? If so...how do you find the link?

How do you "un-link" plan files from a layout? I created a "template" layout out...and used an experimental plan file as the basis for linking views to the layout. Now I want that layout file to be used as my "template" layout...and I want to link it to a different plan file. Maybe I went about this all the wrong way? Either way...is there a way to UN-LINK plan files from a layout? Thanks!

Really nice job...thanks!

Thanks Michael. That looks like the answer. Very much appreciated! That said...I'll have to dig into what the difference is between the view types.

I don't doubt it's possible...but I can't do it. Show me an example of the same siding or brick pattern, color off...one with a dark thick line and and another with a thin gray line. I'd love to see it... Then...show me how it's done.

Perry...yes, you can control the line weight of the layer "roofs, trim"...but, this does not change the weight of the board that the gutter attaches to (called a gutter board in my area of the country).... Also, if you use "shadow boards"...which you define in the roof dialogue, I don't see a way to control the weight of that item either. However, it's the weight of "patterns" in vector view that really has me pissed off. I know how to change the weight...and the color of these lines, but if you turn "color off"...then there is a default color and weight that appears. I think... I've beaten this horse to death...I think I'm going to call Chief tomorrow...and get one of their gurus to tell me what I'm missing. Thanks again for responding and trying to help me out with this issue. It may be I'm just too dense...

I don't know of a "special" layer (or layerset) that will control the line weight of the gutter board fascia or shadow boards...if you know how to accomplish this let me know. Same goes for material pattern lines in vector view/color off. Does not seem to be a way of changing the color or the line weight. If color is "ON"...then there is control. The Chief Example plans always have the elevations sent to layout in "COLOR"...is this typical? Upon close inspection of Joey's elevation...it does appear that he is using CAD LINES to emphasize the rake fascia and gutter boards. Maybe that's the answer...but, seems like a lot of work...and if the plan changes there goes a lot of work down the drain.

Michael...yes, refreshed views. I know where to edit the lines/colors of materials. However, the lines do not change if you have "color off". See attached. Thanks again for taking the time to help me out...very much appreciated. This exercise has at least helped me to get a better understanding of things... - What's typical: Elevations in vector view sent to layout with "color off"? Live view, update on demand? These are the settings I'm using. I've attached an example of an elevation produced by Joey Martin (an expert...). Notice that his fascia boards on the gable ends have thicker lines. Also the light pattern fill of the roofing. I have a feeling Joey used a "fill pattern" to get this look. Which means you have to change the material definition from "shingle" to maybe "Area"? Maybe Joey will chime in and fill us all in.

Perry, My pattern lines are black. I edited the lines of the brick and siding material...and changed the line color to a light gray. Nothing changed. I gather that Chief just defaults to black when "color off" is selected. I changed the preference to "gray scale" when "color off". Nothing changed with "color off". What am I missing?

Michael...thanks so much for the tips...and taking the time to respond. Very much appreciated. The info provide helps a lot...but not completely. I've been experimenting with line weights and elevations...and unless I'm missing something, there really isn't much control, especially of the pattern line weight and color in vector views. If I'm wrong...please, someone enlighten me. You can control the line weight via the layer set of "roof planes"...you can make the line thicker so the roof is bolder, same for walls, windows and doors...and related casing. If your elevation is set to "line weights on", "color off", and you send it to layout via "live view, update on demand"...then you don't really have control of the pattern color or weight. Pattern line weight can be controlled via the material definition DBX. Also...knowing what layer turns material patterns on and off in elevation views is not transparent. I only discovered the layer via trial and error - turning layers on and off. It took me a while to learn that "Patterns, 3D views" is the secret layer that turns on your siding and brick and roof patterns. In hindsight...it seems logical, but the "3D" was confusing...since my elevation view wasn't "3D". Also...if you change the line weight of this layer...it doesn't seem to have any affect on the pattern. I'm not sure what it does...maybe it controls the line weight in plan view. I have no idea. Things I haven't found a way to adjust... - Fascia boards - Shadow boards The BIG question is...why is this so confusing. Also, why doesn't CA have a tutorial video on sending elevations to layout with different techniques that shows the relationship between layers, layer sets, line weights etc. It would help. I can't be the only one struggling to learn this... Attached are two views showing the gable edge of a roof plane. In one view (close in) you see a normal gable edge line. In the next view...just a couple click further back, you see another gable edge view...only this time you see the "shadow board" on the gable end. There is no way to turn this layer off. The only way to get this line off of this view is to delete the shadow boards. Is this a quirk with the software...or is there a way to control this line/object that I'm missing.

Ok...I'm still messing around with line weights, layersets and elevations. Perry stated that he controls all line weights via a specific layerset...ok, that's what I've done. I created a specific layerset for "Elevations". I specifically edited all the weight to be in the range I want them. However, "patterns" related to materials (brick, roofing, siding) are not controlled by layersets. These have to be edited in the specific material DBX. However, I did that...but it doesn't really change the line weight (with color off). At least for me it didn't. I've attached two pics. The first is the view I get in layout...heavy lines...kine of blurry, which I gather is ok because it does clear up when I print to PDF. I've also attached the PDF printout of the elevation from layout. - I'd like to know how to make the lines of the FRIEZE thicker/bolder. How do you do that? - How do you control the edge line weight of the roof planes? Is it the weight you assign to the "roof planes" layer in the layerset that controls this? - Patterns...those lines controlled by materials. I have no idea how to control the color or weight when you turn color off. I sent the view to layout using "Live View"...update on demand. Any tips or clues would be greatly appreciated.

Michael...thanks. I would have never thought of that...probably like a lot of folks. I love this forum...sure makes my job much easier.

Scott...that did the trick. Thanks. Actually...I'm not sure I want to do this anyway...but, just wondered if it was possible...and if so, how to make it happen. I did have to change "Display Options" to "Draw Reference Floor First"...in order to get the 2nd floor roof to sit on top of the lower roof plane. Not sure why...but it works .

Is there a layer of setting that can be turned on to allow the roof fill pattern to show via a REF SET? Basically...I have a two story home...roof planes on both the 1st floor level and 2nd floor level. I'd like to show the roof fill pattern in the roofs that are on the 1st floor level. I know I can move the lower level roofs "UP"...then I wouldn't need a "REF SET" to see the roof planes...but, is there a way to achieve the same without moving the roof planes? Thanks... Here's a pic...