HetrickDesign

Hey fellow Chief users, Over the past year I’ve been developing and refining a set of macros that I use daily in my production work. The goal has been to reduce manual checking, improve consistency, and automate repetitive tasks directly inside Chief. I wanted to share one that might be useful here. Free Macro – Egress Check This macro helps quickly identify whether window openings meet egress requirements and flags potential issues directly in your schedules. It’s something I use regularly to avoid manual verification and catch problems early. Production Macro Systems (For Sale) I’ve also built out a larger set of macros that expand on this idea and handle real-world edge cases in plan sets. Area & Estimating System CAD-based area polylines tied to macros Automatic area classification (living, garage, exterior, etc.) Area values feed directly into schedules Square-foot rate calculations for estimating Clean, formatted area summary and cost output This allows fast, repeatable area takeoffs and is especially useful for designers/drafters pricing work by square footage. Openings Compliance Pack Egress + net clear checks Tempered glass flags Glazing & venting area calculations Mulled unit awareness Framing Intelligence Pack Header sizing display Ply count and build-up logic Engineered vs dimensional handling Window/door header labeling Labeling & Annotation Pack Clean room labels with finished ceiling height (ft/in) Opening size formatting Panel and slider logic Niche sizing tools These are all tools I’ve developed and refined through real production use and a lot of trial and error. Availability Comment or message me directly if you want the free egress macro. If there’s further interest, I’ve packaged these into sets and can share details on pricing and setup. Feedback If you try the free macro, I’d definitely appreciate any feedback — always looking to improve these. Thanks

What I do is create my own material, rename it and save it to my library. Then use that material.

I've been creating house plans since the mid-90's and have used Chief Architect since version 9.5. I've worked with homeowners, builders, and architects to create high-quality construction drawings that have been highly valued. I have experience as a carpenter's helper for my father's construction business, helping with many aspects of residential construction and architectural drafting. I've worked for commercial architectural firms with ADA design, worked as a project coordinator for a commercial GC, worked as a designer for a home builder, and as a BIM Coordinator for a full-service A/E firm specializing in federal government buildings domestically and overseas. I've earned a bachelor's degree in construction management and am currently a member of AIBD (American Institute of Building Design). While I take pride in all my years of experience, I'm constantly learning and growing my skillsets. I specialize in custom residential design and drafting for new construction and additions/renovations. I take great pride in my work and aim to satisfy my clients at every step along the way! Below are some examples of my work but let me know if you'd like to see anything specific. I'm located in beautiful Richmond, VA but can serve anyone remotely. Please contact me if you have any need for my service and/or have any questions. Dustin Hetrick, Owner/Designer Hetrick Design, LLC (804)966-0074 dustin@hetrickdesign.net

I'm using x16's poche feature for a cross-section view, which shows in the plan file, but doesn't show on the view in Layout. Anybody have this issue? I haven't found a solution in help or the "What's new in x16" video. I've tried different settings, and even a brand new x16 template file, still no luck. I put in a support ticket, but until then I'd appreciate any help.

Hi fellow ChiefTalk members! I'm currently available for new projects. If you have a need for architectural drafting services, please reach out to me here and/or by email at info@nvisiontekbim.com. I've been highly valued for high-quality drafting & modeling, as well as construction detailing. No sloppy work from me! My brochure is attached. If you'd like to see examples of my 3D modeling and drawings, please visit nvisiontekbim.com. I currently use version x14 and x15. I'm also an expert user of Autodesk Revit (LT), so if you need help with a Revit project, let me know! nVisionTEK, LLC Brochure.pdf

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Thanks DEM-333! I just replied.

I'm currently available for new projects! Please email me at info@nvisiontekbim.com to inquire about my services and how I can help you on your next project. I've been highly valued for high-quality drafting & modeling, as well as construction detailing. No sloppy work from me! My brochure is attached. If you'd like to see examples of my 3D work, please visit nvisiontekbim.com. For examples of construction drawings, please let me know what type of project you need help with, and I'll email you some examples. I'm also an expert user of Autodesk Revit (LT), so if you need help with a Revit project, let me know! nVisionTEK, LLC Brochure.pdf

This worked for me! Thanks for the tip!

Thanks for taking the time to look at this @solver. Sorry, I'll take note for the next time I post on here. Can you at least give some explanation of what you did? Otherwise, I don't what you did to solve the issue.

Can anyone give me some tips on how to get these attic walls to look like the 2 photos? The brick wall goes up to the main roof, and the dormer walls are siding. I've went through all of the settings I could think of but I'm wasting too much time. Any help would be well appreciated!

Thanks for the tip! I realized it's been a few years since I've used tech support, but I should start more often since paying for SSA gives us it.

So, I have to call in order to get support to a bug I'm experiencing with x14? Is there not an online contact method instead? I guess I can call on Monday if I need to.

For this new project, I used the auto exterior dimensions and then added a couple manual strings. The manual string is the one that will disappear when I work on another view and come back to it. Not all the time, though. Actually, right now I'm noticing my auto story pole dimensions totally disappear after I spent time renaming and editing them to snap to level lines (in elevation views).

I don't know if this issue is limited to x14, but I've been experiencing my exterior dimension strings disappearing. I use construction lines for the exterior walls and dimension to them, and when I work on another view and come back, I notice 1 or 2 strings missing. It happens no matter how many times I redo them.