MCassady

Nevermind. I figured it out. Go to >Edit >Preferences >Reset Options >Reset Side Windows and then restart Chief Architect for anybody who has this problem.

Hey everyone,

My project browser won't appear when I click on the icon. Has anybody else had this problem and knows how to fix it?

Thanks,
Mark

I bought an Alienware Aurora about 9 months ago and it's worked great. I spent about $2,300. The specs are below.

On 1/20/2019 at 10:57 AM, ACADuser said:

Working in Florida as I do I would show a large recess into the trusses in the garage ceiling.
The AHU would go there. All ducts would go through the attic.
If the customer is going to remain in the house for say 15-20 years I would suggest a conditioned attic.
The insulation will cost more but AC saving, in the long run, will pay off. ( I don't have the actual numbers)
Also the AC tonnage drops.
It's very rare to see floor registers in Florida. Usually, a Northern builder trying to build in Florida.
If you need a register in the basement then a chase from the attic is easy to hide.

It's also rare to see a basement in Florida. The water table in most places is too high.

 

Thank you. I'm from Northwest Florida and the lot slopes quite a bit, so this is one of the few times it makes sense to build a basement in Florida. Thank you for your suggestions. 

35 minutes ago, joey_martin said:

How about carving out a corner of the pantry to place the AHU. That would be a little more centrally located.

That's where I had it located originally, but the owners wanted it moved for more pantry space. 

18 hours ago, BrownTiger said:

Normally you want ductwork:

1 center of the house

2 never install trunc / major supply underneath of wall with eves.

3 ideally supply's and returns should be in a condition space. 

4. You should have a central return

5. Unless you are planning to undercut every door you should plan for returns.

6. Readup on jump duct vs dedicated returns.

0. Consult an expert

This is very helpful. Thank you. Quick question. Why should someone avoid putting a major supply underneath a wall with eaves?

18 hours ago, rlackore said:

 

I agree that ducts under the slab are not ideal, but they are a possibility if all else fails. I've used attic mechanical rooms with success, sometimes in combination with a hot roof so the entire attic is conditioned.

Thank you for the suggestion. I'll talk to the owners about that option.

19 hours ago, Chopsaw said:

 

You might want to check with a local installer about this but it may not be impossible to run ducting under the slab as I have seen it done even though it is not always ideal.

 

Or what Robert just said.

Thank you for the suggestion. I'm going to ask a local installer about it. 

19 hours ago, rlackore said:

What is the compelling reason to build the front half on a slab? If you don't want a full basement in that area, a conditioned crawlspace would allow you to access the entire floor area.

This design started as a slab on grade, but the owners decided they want a half walk-out and suggested them stem wall through the middle of the house. I'm going to see what they think about the crawlspace idea. Thank you.

4 minutes ago, Alaskan_Son said:

I really think you're asking in the wrong place.  Completely depends on your climate, the home's construction, the lengths of the various runs, the sizing of the ducts, heating/cooling units specs, etc., etc.  This is a question for your mechanical contractor or mechanical engineer IMO.

Thank you.

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for some guidance for the placement of an H/VAC system. The home has a walk-out basement on the back half of the house, but floor registers throughout the house aren't an option because the front half of the house will be built on a slab. In the current design, I have the system placed in the basement with a duct chase the leads to the attic. Are there any obvious flaws with this idea that I'm overlooking? I'd like to avoid "hot spots" on the far side of the house. Will distance between those rooms and the unit be an issue? If anybody has some input, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks. 

David from www.chieftutor.net has a good layout template that I use. It's available to download on his website; however, you may need to be a prime member to have access to it. The membership is worth the money in my opinion. It comes with a lot of custom symbols and helpful videos. You may want to look into it. 

I'm looking for a new monitor to be primarily used for Chief Architect and some casual gaming. Suggestions for something in the $200-$400 price range would be really appreciated.

3 minutes ago, Kbird1 said:

I hope you weren't driving and typing a reply !

 

CA has a bad Habit of "remembering" Room designations, ie delete a wall and the room is gone , but redraw a Wall and it instantly becomes the Room type again instead of resetting to Unspecified, ( easily done if your Proposed Design started as a Save As of the As Built Plan) so something to Check during remodels, as it can effect a number of things.

 

It should rarely ever be that a wall needs dragging up or down in 3D or Elevation , it is usually a sign that something is "amiss" with the Plan, not that CA gets it right 100% of the time especially on complicated multi-storey houses.

 

M.

 

 

 

Don't worry, I wasn't driving when I typed that! I'll be sure to remember that CA won't reset the room designation! That explains some problems I've had in the past. Unfortunately, foundations have always given me the most trouble in CA. I've watched quite a few videos that have been helpful, but it seems like I can never get CA to make the plan/3D rendering look the way I want it. I'm sure more practice will change that, however. I appreciate you helping me out with this. It taught me a lot and I won't make these same mistakes in the future. 
 

6 minutes ago, Kbird1 said:

You don't have a proper Brick Foundation built, you have just dragged the 1st floors walls down to the Terrain , which is never a good idea....

 

But the main issue seems to be you are trying to build a deck off a Porch.....ie the Florida Room uses the Porch designation.....try changing it to a Court for example and the Deck builds, there maybe a better Room designation to use though?

 

I was just driving and thinking to myself "I wonder if it's because of the foundation..." I appreciate you clearing that up for me. I'll refrain from dragging the brick down from now on. I didn't realize that the Florida Room was using the Porch designation. The lot that I originally drew this plan for is flat so the Florida Room was originally a screened porch. I must have accidentally kept the Porch designation when I changed it to a Florida Room. Thanks again for your help.

I'm having some trouble creating a deck on the back of this house. I want the deck to be sitting on a concrete slab rather than the default round concrete footings. When I draw the deck on the back, only the railing generates; however, the actual deck framing generates whenever I draw the deck somewhere else on the plan. I compared settings for both decks and everything looks consistent except the deck on the back has footings unchecked. Redrawing with the footings checked doesn't seem to be solving the problem. Refer to the picture and plan attached to see what I'm talking about. This is on X10.

3 hours ago, parkwest said:

I am guessing it might be more profitable for you pass on work you're not qualified to do.

What makes you think she's not qualified?

I've been working the last few hours on a new plan and CA just crashed on my PC. I didn't have the plan saved. Are there any tricks to retrieve it or will I just have to start from scratch?

Post the plan and I will try to help you figure it out.

2 hours ago, Kbird1 said:

I think if your SSA has expired there is a penalty to pay ($95? - 30 day grace period I think ) but it is the Cheapest way to get X11, if you wait till X11 is released then you have to Pay for an Upgrade (which includes SSA) instead, which I think is $995 if you are two versions behind.

 

If you are using the Academic Version of CA I think SSA is only $95? 

 

But as Graham said best to call them direct , as they did have deals for currently enrolled Students ( with proof )

 

M.

Yeah, it seems like it would be best to bite the bullet now. I'll give them a call! Thank you for the information!

7 hours ago, TheKitchenAbode said:

Suggest you give CA Sales Support a call. They will let you know what your options are and possibly the fact that your are also a student you may qualify for some additional discounting. They have always been very helpful when I have called and they do try hard to come up with something to retain you.

I'll give them a call! Thank you!

15 hours ago, lbuttery said:

Mark:

 

If you upgrade now and get SSA you will get X11 when it comes - expected Q1 2019

 

If you wait until X11 is ready for release then upgrade will cost more and maybe even SSA

 

If you can I would upgrade now - there may be Xmas sales

but I wouldn't wait past Jan 1 - in case of price increases

 

Next year after you have some experience you can request to be on the beta team and get to work with X12 earlier than the rest of us

 

I'm too busy to do beta team - did it once back around X4

 

Lew

Thank you, Lew! 

Hey everyone,

I bought CA a couple years ago but my SSA expired a while back. My current version is X9 and I'm considering renewing my SSA but I want to get the best value that I can because I'm a college student and I'm not exactly swimming in cash. Does the SSA renewal include the free upgrade? Is SSA renewal really worth it? Should I wait until X11 is released? I'd appreciate some guidance!

On 3/14/2018 at 1:32 PM, para-CAD said:

Every party wall I ever framed was (2) separate walls. 

Some had fire-rated GWB in the 2" gap space plus sound batting 4x8 sheets.

 

I have a sketch at the point in time in this video

 

Your plans blew me away. Specifically the amount of detail you put into the framing. 

Hello Cari, 

If you're still looking for a draftperson, I would love the opportunity to work with you! I'm 23 years old and have worked the past three years as a draftperson for my father's company in Florida. If you would like more information about me and my experience, please contact me. I hope to hear from you soon!

Thank you,

Mark Cassady
(850)758-0073

markdcassady@gmail.com