Pinnacle3D

Just now, Chopsaw said:

No such thing as a curved baseline.  Just as if you are going to build that with wood there are multiple segments to the roof plane and baseline.  Did you find the chief video on round roofs ?

Thanks, let me search for it and see if I can find it.

I have made a few attempts and have so far been unsuccessful. I have also not found any other useful answers in the forums on this. I have only found how to curve the roof plane.

I would like to know how to go about creating a roof with a curved baseline. I have attached a reference photo of what I am attempting to draw. It is the curved section of roof just below the level 2 porch railing. This is the first time I have run into a curved roof and turret. Very uncommon where I live.

Thanks!

Hey just wanted to say thanks to everyone's responses, they were all helpful. Definitely, a very friendly and helpful forum and I really appreciate that. From what I can tell CA has great support on its forum (Chief Talk).  I do also like all the helpful how-to videos on the website which a lot of other software does not have especially in terms of volume and quality otherwise I spend lots of time on YouTube trying to find good videos which is not always successful.

I'll have a look at Para-CAD and Solidbuilder to see if its something that I could use.

Thanks, Kelly for the motivation!  I've been using CA for just a little more than a week and you couldn't be more right.

And I wish I could draw like your 12-year-old grandson!  Maybe in a couple weeks

25 minutes ago, KervinHomeDesign said:

Any software tool is only going to produce what you put into it, so just in case you have the impression that Chief or any other program will just magically generate drawings for you, this is not the case.  Some people do expect that, so if that is not the case with you, my apologies.

 

Hey, no worries I just didn't explain things the right way.  I don't expect the software to do the work for me and I do expect to spend a significant amount of time learning how to use it for my needs. 

Here is a better way to put the question... (let's say I have become an expert with the software) Does Chief Architect have the capabilities to produce these types of documents or will I have significant shortfalls with the software for the purposes I will be using it as described above? When you say "shortcomings" can you describe some of these?

I just started learning how to draw construction plans for residential homes and accessory structures a couple months ago. I was in the residential construction industry for 10 years and have had to make a change to a job I can primarily do from home due to medical reasons. I have tried a few different types of software so far and (Revit LT, AutoCAD, CA X10) I am kind of stuck trying to decide which one I am going to purchase.  

My current thoughts on each software so far are that AutoCAD is too old school and slow for me, even though I know the software fairly well.  I am also doing only new builds and not working with documents that were already generated in AutoCAD so there is no need there.  I also spent about a month trying Revit LT, which once I got over some serious learning curves I was beginning to see the huge potential and time savings of the software, but I feel the learning curve is fairly difficult for someone that is learning on their own. Then I tried CA and was able to be up and running with the software much faster, it's more intuitive and easier to use.

I am having a difficult time deciding which software best suits a draftsman (that works alone) that produces residential and light commercial construction plans. In short, I need a software tool that is going to produce accurate construction plans for review by a city or county in order to get approval for building permits. 3D renderings are also a factor for me as well since I sometimes I will be working directly with clients and not through and builder. I am sure there are a few on here that have used both types of software on here and may be able to give some insight into what may suit me best for my needs.