SNestor

Wow... Michael...incredible. CA has tools which placed in expert hands can be very powerful.

What setting controls the color of an object in the DBX...such as a window or door? In my case...the "window" layer is set to "black"...but when you open a window to edit it...it is displayed in "purple" in the DBX.

Michael...you have done it. This is exactly the answer I was looking for. If I set the wall fill to use the "layer" color...then each "layer set" can have it's own unique wall fill. Bingo...this is what I was looking for. Perry's method works also...so, I guess I need to experiment to see which works better for me. Thanks!

Perry - thanks for that tip. I'm assuming some colors print better in grayscale than others. I'll have to experiment.

Thanks all for the great info...as always, your experience and knowledge really helps newbs like me.

Joey...that pretty much answers my question. Now I know why all the colors in the layer sets I'm using (they came from you). I sure the colors help when working with a black background. Not sure they are all needed when working with a white background. Ok...follow up question. I understand that I may want to use unique layer sets (which are tied to specfic anno sets) that will assign all line weights and colors for each view sent to layout. However, the color of walls are not controlled by layer sets. I find using color to distinguish uniques walls helpful but for a view sent to layout I'd like the walls to be black...or shades of gray? If so, this would mean opening each line type and changing the color before sending the view to layout. This process doesn't sound logical...so, I'm fairly sure this isn't a common practice. Do most of you send floor plans to layout with the walls in color...or black?

I have a question more focused on general practice as it relates to layers...and possibly layer sets. When I learned to draft plans...it was with a pencil...so, my experience with "Cad" drafting is self taught. I'm sure it's mostly a personal preference...but, I'm asking just to make sure there isn't a specific Cad standard practice that I may not be aware of. Do you generally use colors in what I would call a "working" layer set to identify objects? The picture I have attached is using the "camera view set"...and in vector view in shows different objects in there own unique color. Also...would you send a view like this to layout...if so, how would it print? I guess my second question is...do you typically send views to layout where all the object colors are black...or some degree of black? I'm wondering if you send a view to layout with a multitude of colors...how will the final plans plot? Does a blue line plot more like a dark gray? I guess this leads to an annotation set question. Would you create uniques anno sets to control layer sets that are specifically designed for layout final views? These layer sets would provide consistent views to layout...where you would know the final printed outcome. Hopefully my question is clear...I realize I'm rambling just a bit.

Well...I tried it again and it worked. Everything is aligned. I think it didn't work the first time because like Michael suggested...I made some mods to the wall before creating the foundation. I'm guess...but, if it works I'm happy. Thanks for the help guys.

I have a condition where the first floor wall is a pony wall and the foundation wall below is also a pony wall. When I build the foundation...the foundation pony wall does not automatically align properly with the frame pony wall above. Have I set something wrong in the pony wall DBX or is there a way to get these walls to align properly...and automatically. I've attached a sample plan. Pony Wall Example 1.plan

Thanks all for your help. Very much appreciated. As it turns out...creating the beveled end shape is fairly simple...once you know how to do it. (I was making it way too hard...) Now...If I could figure out how to put a stretch plane in each leg...without distorting the end shape I'd be a happy guy. Thanks again to all the experts!

I'm trying to make a cedar bracket like the one shown in the attached picture. My problem...how to make the 4 sided beveled end cap. This should be simple...right? Probably...but, not for me. I've tried making it with "solids"...but couldn't get all the components to come together. It seems most solid objects can only be used in plan view. The "face" object is available in elevation views...but, I'm really not sure what the "face" tool does. Can anyone shed some light on this?

Genius... Thanks very much!

Wondering what I did to make the siding on the left side elevation of this plan to disappear. The siding where the floor system would be has just gone away. I was messing around with the wall at the stair landing...trying to make it a balloon framed wall. Maybe this caused the issue? Also...can someone tell me how to get a railing on the stairs that lead up from the stair landing to the second floor. When I select rail on left side...the stair contracts. I want this section of stair to remain parked above the framed wall below. Thanks in advance...(plan attached) 5045A.plan

Which method produces the best results in vector view?

Ahhh...of course I never thought about just manually framing it. Tunnel vision... I was thinking if I could create a floor...then it would auto frame? But...creating the floor platform is where I get lost.

I can create the stair platform...but it does not frame like a floor. Or maybe it does and I'm doing something wrong?

So...I'm hoping this question is general enough that I won't need to post a plan. When constructing a switch-back style stair. So...you travel up 8 risers...land...then turn 180 degrees and travel 8 risers to the second floor. My question is...how to you construct the floor landing so that it frames. I know you can use the stair landing tool to create the landing for the stairs to connect to...but this is a polyline and it does not create framing. When I created the wall under the landing (at the head of the first floor 8 rise run) it created a room. However, when I went in the structural dbx it stated that "ceiling values may not be changed as the floor above this room has varying heights".

That was it...thanks much!

I'm wondering if I have changed some default behavior somewhere. When using the leader line tool...it seems to me the standard behavior should be - you click where you want the arrow to be...drag the line for the 1st segment to where you want to change direction...then let go and drag the horizontal segment to where you want to place text. For some reason...probably user error...I can draw the 1st segment...but when I let go of the mouse to draw the 2nd segment the text box opens. This behavior occurs no matter what template I use to create a plan...even the OOB plan template. Any ideas as to what I've done to create this problem... Thanks...

Wondering why the cabinet glass is solid gray instead of clear like it should be. What am I doing wrong? Also - the table behind the couch is white marble...but it's washed out. I rendered this over night...so there were a lot of passes. This is only my 2nd or 3rd try at creating a decent render - and my results are based solely on pure luck and great software.

Thanks so much for all the great tips. I knew there had to be a way...and turns out there are many. Geez I feel dumb....

I'm sure my topic heading is vague or confusing...or both. Here's the issue. Say I'm drawing a wall...and I have zoomed into the plan to start the wall at a certain location...now I want to draw a wall say 30' long...but to do this, I have to draw a few feet (because I've zoomed in on the plan)...then, let go of the line, zoom out, grab the line again and finish drawing to where I want. Sometimes I have to let go to zoom in...and then pull the line/wall to the exact location. Ok...so, I know there has go to be a way I can hold on to the wall and zoom out...or just pull across the screen somehow? But...how? Thanks.

I'm just getting started setting up anno sets. I created a simple plan file to use to test and setup my layers within each anno set. The plan is a simple box 2-story with a simple part basement/part crawl. I suppose I should create a layout set linked to this plane and once I'm happy with everything (layers, anno sets, cameras, text...) I should use these files as a starting point for all future jobs...until I have a better plan/layout. Then I would save these files as my new template. Does it sound like I've got a grasp of this...or am I going wrong somewhere? Thanks again for all the tips and help.

Joe - is your "template" plan a copy of a recently completed plan...or some plan from the recent past? If it's a template you use over and over...why not open it and strip items out of the template so you don't have to do this exercise each time you create a new plan. Thanks

Well...coming from a newbie who gets a thrill from creating a couple of anno sets the process Joe describes seems daunting. I love the process because it seems it would make creating accurate and consistent condocs so very efficient. Which would mean you could possibly turn out more jobs per month/year and therefore make more money...which is always one of the goals. Scott - do you think the SAM videos you created closely describe Joes system?