SNestor

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.

No. My elevations, sections, and details are always live...very little CAD work.

 

Once the wall breaks are placed, simply click the wall while in elevation and use the temp dims to set the footing depth. Take a couple seconds per elevation to make them right.

Yep...I figured it out.  Thanks for the help Joey!

Too much cad work for me

Are you referring to Joey's method?  Is there a better way?

Mine are shown with a line for the stem wall below. The exterior dim is still the same, and if there is a need for a brick ledge, the exterior ledge line can be added. Would this work better with the basement on level 1? I don't know, and honestly I'm not willing to try since my system works well for me.

So...how do you show the foundation in elevation?  Do you use a cad polyline?

So...if you have a walkout basement wall (daylight side)...and this wall is a pony wall...with brick veneer that extends up about 30" from finish grade with lap siding above...how do you draw the foundation wall on the same level?  The foundation wall needs to extend to below frost line...in my area that is about about 36" or so from finished grade.  So...there are (2) walls in the same plane.  The foundation wall may also be a pony wall as it also could also have some brick veneer.  

I suppose this is where putting the basement on level 1 is the cure?  

Section attached...

Very nice solution. Thanks for the video also...it always helps to see these creative solutions put to work.

Uhh...yea, user error.  I figured it out.  I'm actually not 100% sure...but I think I had "painted" a brick material on to the walls.  I think this screwed things up.  Either way...I opened a new new plan and it works as designed. 

Posting a sample plan will help.

1/2" thick Material Region.

sn 1.jpg

Yea...that's what I'm trying to do but it's not working. I'll post a plan in a bit

I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong...

Looking at a building exterior wall elevation...I'm trying to use a wall material region to cut through just the brick veneer layer of the exterior wall.  However, the region disappears and shows up way inside the building and it does not cut just the brick.

So...I guess my questions is...is a "wall material region" only to be used on the interior side of a wall?  

If that is the case...is there a way to "cut" the masonry veneer on the exterior side of a wall?  

What I am trying to do is create a brick arch above a window using a symbol created with solids...and then place a piece of wood trim (using a WMR) between the bottom side of the brick arch and the top side of the window.   In the attached photo I used a Solid...however, if the solid isn't deep enough the brick veneer stick through and hides the Solid (trim).  In reality I only want this Solid "trim" to be 2" thick which recesses it behind the brick...because the solid doesn't replace the veneer.  

sn w1.jpg

sn wall.plan

Thanks.

You may be seeking Chief to "frame" that detail, but there is no way I know to frame it correctly in Chief unless you manually place framing members.  A pony wall method would only give you a different wall thickness in that area, when in fact that framing is typically added once the wall is framed.

 

Personally, id use a material region.  I love that tool, and it breaks the siding layer of the main wall.

Johnny...I did get it to frame somewhat accurately.  It probably would still need some tweaking...but, at least the studs for the step out showed up.

You may be seeking Chief to "frame" that detail, but there is no way I know to frame it correctly in Chief unless you manually place framing members.  A pony wall method would only give you a different wall thickness in that area, when in fact that framing is typically added once the wall is framed.

 

Personally, id use a material region.  I love that tool, and it breaks the siding layer of the main wall.

I used a pony wall...just took the same wall as below...added a new layer of Fir Stud at 16" oc.  This new layer was not part of the main layer.  I haven't tried to "frame" it...not sure how it would look.  I am going to experiment with using the wall material region.  I think it would be quicker and easier...and in the end really all I would need.  

I've attached my Gable End plan if anyone is interested.  

Gable Step Out Plan.plan

Guys...thanks for the slap down.  I worked a little harder...and success.  This forum is like a bad drug...kind of makes you just lazy.  

I didn't have the pony wall "main layers" aligned properly.  Figured it out though...so I'm feeling good.

I tried the pony wall...and could not get it to work. Honestly - I thought someone probably had done it before and would just tell me. I know I could do it with PS but it wouldn't frame.

must be more complicated than I thought. Sometimes getting answers on the forum keeps me from wasting a lot of my time.

I'm wondering how to make a stepped out gable end.  Is it possible to turn an attic wall into a pony wall...so that the upper wall is say 6-8" thicker than the lower wall...creating a step out that could be decorated with corbels? 

If you can use a pony wall...then do you use P-Solids or material regions?

See pics of examples below...

By reading the help files or going through the Ruby tutorial for starters.

Thanks. It's not in the normal help file...to find the Ruby Tutorial you have to open the Ruby Console and type in "tutorial". Could CA have made this more difficult to locate. I don't think so.

Really...I'm still learning the basics of Chief so Ruby programming is beyond my reach at the moment but I find the idea and capabilities that it brings to Chief intriguing.

The object in the plan must be selected. Select the polyline, then open Text Macro Management.

Thanks. How would someone know this "requirement"?

I tried making this macro...rounded to two places...and the macro works fine...but, I get an evaluation error.  

Why would the macro work perfectly but generate an evaluation error?

Once again thanks all for taking the time to try and help me out.  Very much appreciated.

I did send in a support request.  We will see what they discover.  

In this case...I don't think it's user error...(although that is always my first guess).  I don't manually build attic walls...and all the other templates in Chief work just fine.  I draw 4 walls, put the roof on...boom, gable walls.  Chief works just like it's supposed to.  So...maybe I screwed up a setting...but, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.   

Thank you all for help/advice.  I haven't sent in to tech support...but, it looks like Larry has.  Since I'm such a newb...my default guess is always that I've screwed something up...changed a setting thinking it would improve thing but found it didn't...time passes and I don't remember what I did.  

Oh well...I still love this program and things like this just forces me to dig into things...which in the end makes me understand how the software works...and doesn't work.