SNestor

Another general question concerning stair handrails.  In the Arcways folder in the manufacturers catalog...there are handrails that are "plowed"...and require "inserts".  The catalog contains the "inserts"...both handrail inserts and shoe rail inserts.  

 

What I'm wondering is where/how you can use these items?  There isn't a menu item in the stair DBX for this item.  

I thought I would used today to practice with the stair tool...because it seems every time I used it I get really frustrated.  Is it just my lack of experience with CA that I can't draw what I want using the stair tool?  The stair tool is just about useless for a partially open stair...which is such a common stair design.  I could draw a partially open stair using the cad tools in 5 minutes...but trying to get the stairs the way I want them in 3D is incredibly difficult.  Or...is it just me?  I suppose for con docs...the 3D stairs just aren't that important...just stick to cad tools.  But really...this is version 18 of CA software...fix this darn tool. 

 

I have watched all the stair videos on the CA site.  I've watched Scott Hall vids.  So...I've done my homework.  

I hope CA is working night and day to make a stair tool that works...or just give us the tools to put our own customized stair together with individual components.  

 

Attached is my stair practice plan.  The wall that on the open side is so fickle....almost any change to the stair itself will chop the top of the wall off and clip it so that it runs parallel to the bottom of the stair.  Why does this happen?  If you open the file....the wall will most likely be "clipped".  All you have to do is move it back and forth in plan view...and it fixes itself.  What a joke.  Also...if you choose a "pin top" type baluster...it really does not fit correctly to the underside of the handrail.  You can still see the "pin".  Ridiculous.  

 

I would like to be able to stop the open side handrail where it intersects the wall but have a wall rail on the opposite side.  The wall under the first 4 or 5 open treads should align with the main wall...which is actually how it will be constructed.  This is just about impossible to create using just the stair tool. I would like to be able to control the "skirt boards" like a molding.  I'd like to be able to turn the "skirt boards" off.  Handrail brackets...there is a menu item for these...but I don't see any in the catalog.  Am I missing something?  What if I wanted a sloping wall that extended above the nosing of the open side stairs...and have the baluster bottoms sit into a molding on top of a piece of 1x trim.  I assume if I want this...its off to use the Poly solids.

 

I would like the open side handrail to conclude against the wall...into a "rosette".  Is there a way to do this?  

 

My hope is that CA realizes that the stair tool is still almost useless...and is working on a major re-write of this tool.  This tool is on "life alert"...and needs major surgery. 

Stairs - Practice Plan.plan

3 hours ago, glennw said:

Steve,

 

I assume you are talking about the shadow in plan view.

If you open the Sun Angle Specification dbx you will notice that the Solar Altitude is -10.4°.

This means that at 9am at that location, it is before sunrise - and guess what....no shadows before sunrise.

You need to change some of your time/date/location settings so that it is during sunlight hours before Chief will generate the shadow. 

 

It looks like the sun doesn't rise until between 10am and 10:15 am at that time and location.

 

Don't forget to click "Make Shadow"

 

 

 

Glenn - thanks, that was it.  Not sure how I got those coordinates...but, once I inputted the correct location...well, it worked.  Garbage in...garbage out.  

 

Thanks for the help!

Wondering why I can't get the sun angle to show up on this plan?  The layer is "on", the north pointer and the sun angle are displayed.  This has happened on a couple of plans recently...so, either there is a glitch or I'm not doing something correctly.  Thanks.

 

Plan attached

7050_Plan.plan

Thank you for your service...

Postscript, leaning heavily toward Mac Pro, but I have to say that all it takes for me is one visit to an Apple Store, as on Friday, to turn be back. Can't stand the snarky, snobby attitude of their reps and that even if you get there in the morning when the store opens it takes more then 2 hours just to get a simple problem with a phone addressed. I left after 2 hours still waiting after fixing the problem myself with trial and error.

If you make an appointment the service is excellent. Walking into an Apple Store just doesn't work. I actually ordered my MAC from the Apple web store. Eventually a business rep called me to review my order and answer questions.

I have needed service a few times in the 2 years I've owned my machine. Service has been excellent.

You can always go to BestBuy. Price is the same but there usually no one in the store. My kids call BB the Amazon showroom

The learning curve for me was in using the Apple operating system.  I had 25 years of experience with windows based PC's.  If you have been using a windows based PC for years...you might have to learn how the Apple OS works.  It's easy...

 

Regarding how CA work on a MAC...my only experience is using it with a MAC...but Scott Hall has used CA with both operating systems so he may be able to comment more.  I believe the software works exactly on both operating systems.  

Wondering why I don't have a soffit in the gable end of this porch curved roof?  See the section...

 

 

- I wanted the porch concrete to extend beyond the edge of columns so I have used two walls to create the space.  

 

- Wall #1:  1-1/2" wide wall called Porch Definition Wall-2.  There is "no line" to define the edges of this wall in the wall definition...but, the wall appears anyway because the layer has a line definition.  This is confusing to me.  What does the line definition in the wall DBX actually control...it seems to me the over riding control is the layer?

 

- Wall #2:  This is the railing wall.  Why does the line of the "beam" not appear?  Is there a way to control this?

 

Is this the most efficient way to create a porch room?  Or...am I working to hard?  The appearance turned out ok...so I am happy about that...just wondering if there is a better way?

 

Plan attached 

Front Porch Design - Curved Roof.plan

You may want to designate the "room" chase created by the walls as an "open to below" room type...

FWIW...

 

I used a PC for 25 years...(loved windows 7).  They work great and most of the people on this site use a windows based PC.  However, thanks to my son and the fact that Chief introduced the MAC version just when I needed a new computer...I now use a MAC.  I love it.  It works.  It's simple.  All my devices sync together without me having to become an IT Engineer.  

 

It's a bit different...I did experience a bit of a learning curve.  But YouTube has all the help you will ever need.  So...if you are busy, it might not be something you will want to do.  However, if you have a few weeks to learn the differences I think you will be happy.  

 

Also...there is no doubt you could purchase a more "powerful" PC...even build it yourself.  I'm not a techie...so, for me, I just wanted to buy something that would work.  My MAC is simple to use, and powerful.  Love it.  

I create a Room Molding Polyline, and drag it into the room.

 

 

Yep...I know I can do that...and actually, I've already done it.  Just wondered if there was some issue with my plan or some specification that caused the base molding not to attach to the "furred wall".  

Steve, change furring walls to split framing, then baseboard works.

 

 

Yea...that works, but it also creates a "room definition" between the back of the furred wall and the foundation wall.  I was trying to avoid that...

 

Maybe there isn't a way to avoid this?

Wondering why the baseboard...which is part of the "room" specification does not move out and attach itself to the "furred wall" surface.  I experimented with a simple plan with furred basement walls...and the base molding did move from the surface of the foundation wall to the surface of the "furred wall"...but it doesn't in the attached plan.  So...obviously I've done something.

 

I know I could easily attach base with a molding polyline...but, I'm just curious as to why it's not working...and what I've done wrong.  

 

I've attached the plan...

 

Thanks!

 

7050 Plan.plan

I'm in Westfield...which is just north of Carmel, IN

I know this topic has been covered to some degree.  I've seen many posts wishing Chief would add this capability.  

 

Given the current state of possibilities with Chief...if I wanted to create a contemporary home design that had tilted/angled walls such as shown in the attached picture...how can it be done?

 

Is the simplest (or only) way possible would be to use some form of p-solid or primitive shape?

 

Thanks

Joe...so, do you have to link all the plan detail files to each new project plan?  Does this slow things down?  

 

What about the comment that plan files and layout should be in the same directory?  Do you copy the plan detail files into the new project file every time?  

 

Thanks.

Yes...understand about the slowing down.  Just used 2 in order to help show a client the potential shadow cast by a 15' tall tree.  Thanks all for the tips.

Just wondering...should trees cast shadows?  Mine don't...wondering if it's a setting that I don't know about?

 

 

thanks.

 

Thanks...I found them.  Had to download the bonus catalog.  Appreciate the help!

Just wondering...should trees cast shadows?  Mine don't...wondering if it's a setting that I don't know about?

 

 

thanks.

 

 

Are there 3d Trees in the catalog...I did a quick search...nothing comes up.  Are they in the bonus catalog?

Just wondering...should trees cast shadows?  Mine don't...wondering if it's a setting that I don't know about?

 

 

thanks.

Yea! I agree 100%. That's the only way I do it for construction drawings and as mentioned by Scott, you can have total control. It's not hard and it really doesn't take that long. In the time spent here talking about it, I could of had it done faster.

 

Can you elaborate?  If you use PS to create beams....do you also create the ceiling of the porch with a PS?  What about the porch slab?  

 

I gather you do not define the space as a room?

I'm a bit confused by the wall type "divider wall".  This is an OOB default wall type.  It is defined as 1" thick.  However, when I use the wall to define a porch wall...it automatically changes to a 3 1/2" interior wall type.

 

Why does it change?

 

Test plan attached...

 

divider wall question.plan

Hi everyone,

 

Sorry I couldn't attend the workshop but I was able to watch the video and have the following comments:

 

1.  I currently use Level 1 for the lowest floor that has usable space

2.  I use Level 0 for the foundation (slab or crawlspace) below Level 1

3.  I sometimes draw additional manual Foundations below Level 2

  a. This is because I am often working on a site where Level 1 is a partial Basement

  b. There are also times when a given "Level" encompasses a "Split Level Floor"

4.  I don't consider "Level" to be the same as "Floor Name"

5.  More flexibility in showing upper and lower walls (Pony Walls) would be a nice feature.

6.  More flexibility in showing "Reference Layer Sets" would also be a nice feature.

7.  The ability to rename "Levels" would probably eliminate a lot of confusion.

 

Sometimes it's easier to create 3-4 blank Floors and start with the main floor on Level 3.  You can then develop the floors below so walls align as needed.  If you only need 1 floor below the main floor you can easily delete floor 1 and everything above will move down appropriately.

 

 

Joe,

I was experimenting with this method.  If you create the main floor on level 2...and the garage in on this level...then, how do you create the garage floor.  In my test plan...when I named the room "garage" it created a slab...but the slab extended through the frame wall...as a wood floor would do.  

 

How do you create a typical slab floor...would you have to create the garage slab manually with a p-solid?  

Yes. Greater Indianapolis...aka the land of beige boxes.

 

 

Yes...and also the "Stepford Craftsman" has taken over every subdivision.  It appears that "good design" is determined by how little masonry is installed on the house.  

Id say the opposite. The more professionals doing the design the better housing will become (and no, I am not just talking architects). I see too many hideous new homes that reinforce that belief.

"Professional" just means government control...less is more when it comes to regulation by so called experts. Where I live the "professional" builders and their "professionals" designers are ruining the landscape. Nothing but "Stepford" houses...all the same. Yuk.