SNestor

OK...got it. I'll experiment and hopefully get things "dialed in". Thanks so much for the helpful info!

How do you use the profile.plan and profile.layout files. Do I have this correct? - You create a plan profile template...with the all the layers and anno sets you typically use, setup cameras for elevations, setup sections to use on all future plans (some you may use...some you may not), create schedules in Cad Details that will fill as you place objects...and so on. Are the "details" you use stored in a separate plan file...or in Cad Details? - Then you open your profile plan and send to your profile.layout all the drawings in the plan. You send these to the pages you typically use...plot plan, foundation, framing plans, roof plans, sections, details etc. Now you have templates for both the way you want them.... Now what...how do you use these. I understand how to use the plan template...but how do you use the layout template? I think I know...but I think it would be helpful if you told us how you use these templates. Nice video Perry...that sure gave me a road map as to what can be done. Very helpful.

Nice video Dave. But...why do you have to export and import. Why not just create a millwork symbol?

Here's a sample plan...might help you. Screen Porch Example Plan.plan

The simplest way (I think...) to add screen to your porch is to use a molding line. Attach a square or rectangular piece of trim...change the size...change the material to glass block...adjust the glass block material to make it look like screen...and you will have it. Once you adjust the glass block material to "screen"...save this material to your library and you can use it in the future.

It's a start. I like the improvements.

I think there are hundreds if not thousands of posts related to stair improvements. Scott Hall has done a lot of videos showing work arounds. A large number of stair improvement requests were posted in the suggestion area long before version X8 was released. How many (if any) of those suggestions have now been incorporated into the software? Not many. I don't need or expect Chief to fix every aspect of the stair tool...but, it's long past due for some major improvements. I know nothing about software programming...but, I gather fixing this tool is extremely difficult or improvements would have been made long ago... (edit) PS: I love CA software and think CA gives us a lot for the money. I'm a happy user...wanting more.

Thanks...look forward to seeing that "sneak peek".

Do we really have to submit a post on the suggestion forum for CA to improve the stair tool? I mean...isn't it apparent to everyone including the brain trust at CA?

I draw residential stairs...basic stairs, like those constructed almost daily by production and custom builders. The railing on the open side, first floor, sometimes starts on top of a short stud wall with a cap, commonly open 4-6 treads. The rail then dies into the end of a full height frame wall with a "rosette" or some other custom trim...maybe even a half newel. The stairs continue between walls to the 2nd floor....with a rail mounted on the wall on one side. This is such a common stair...it amazes me that CA after all these years still doesn't allow us to "easily" build this stair in 3D. Also...why can't we control the size, shape, location of skirt boards? Really? Why can't we have complete control of the baluster spacing....say we want 3 or 4 balusters per tread...just anything custom. Can't be done right now... For me...it's just easier to draw the stairs and rails using 2D Cad and hope the customer doesn't want to see a 3D view of the stairs or Foyer showing the stairs. I've used CA only since V7...so, I'm a novice compared to others (like Joey Martin). So take my comments with a grain of salt...as my experience level with the software cannot compare to others. However, I do know what I want my stairs to look like...and I've spent hours playing with the stair tool and workarounds trying to get the stairs to look just how I want them. It's damn near impossible...

That gave me a headache. I'll stick with Chief...and just hope they make some improvements.

I tried your suggestion with the floor camera. Is there really a difference between that camera and the "floor overview" camera? Maybe just what layers are showing?

Thanks to Michael (aka Alaskan_Son)...this is the result. Got my camera view showing just the structural components in the basement.

That did the trick. I moved the walls to a new layer called "walls, struct LB". Now I can see my foundation walls and all the framing. I much appreciate the time you took to help me learn. Thanks!

I have another "related" question. Is it possible to create a framing camera view of just a single floor...in a multiple floor building?

Here is a "zipped" file...only 7 mb. 7050 Plan.plan.zip

I'd like to...but the file is 30meg. How do you share a file on dropbox? I have a dropbox account...and I can setup a folder...but it asks for an email account. So...I'm a bit lost. Thanks

In the basement of this plan I put the structural load bearing walls on there own layer. All the furred walls are on the standard "walls, normal" layer. I'm wondering why the walls on the "structural" layer don't frame? As you can see from one of the attached pics...there isn't any frame material showing in the "wall specification" dbx. I thought if I selected "walls, main layer only" that it would remove the drywall and let me see just the framing. Let me know if I need to attach the plan...thanks!

Thanks Joe...the entire wall is the "tile" material...set the thickness you want and start drawing.

Question for Joe Carrick... You made this video a while back related to the quick construction of a tile shower enclosure....http://screencast.com/t/kJvmrO1a2J I'm wondering how you created the tile/glass pony wall type. I'm wondering how you got the lower wall top to be "tiled" like the wall surface. My guess was that the "main layer" of the wall is the same tile material as the surface. Am I on the right track? Or is there a "cap" of some kind? Thanks...

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

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

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