Chief_Content

Over the years, the Content Team has been working to provide state-of-the art tools to improve your designs.

 

In 2018 we added realism to your kitchen designs, in 2019 we helped bring super-shine to your floors.

 

We are happy to be working on your behalf again with the release of our latest utility - Home Accessories. You'll find easy ways to quickly emphasize traits of the houses you design. Make your smart house smarter, your cottage cuter, and your southwestern more... well, western.

 

Visit the 3D Library soon, these will only be available for a limited time!

 

As we wrap up 2019, we are glad to get an opportunity to look back at the catalogs we've been able to release and update for our users!

 

Have you gone to the 3D Library and Downloaded catalogs in the last few months? If not, here are some of our recent offerings you can expect to find.

 

Brand Catalogs:

• Aspire Cabinetry
• Barker Cabinets
• The Galley
• Woodland Cabinetry

 

Bonus Catalogs:

• Accessories No.11 Signs
• Docks and Waterways
• Lighting No.14 Mirrors
• MEP No.6 Specialty Electrical
• Man Cave No.6 Sports Fanatic
• Man Cave No.7 Audiophile
• Materials Fabric / Wallpaper No.2
• Tack Room

 

We've also made updates to a variety of catalogs, make sure your use the Update Library Catalog feature to ensure you have the latest content!

 

Thanks for bringing this up @RobUSMC. We import RGB data sheets directly from the paint brands to create the catalogs. We'll reach out to ensure we have the most current information.

We are happy to share recent updates to the catalog content available for download!

 

There is a selection of new catalogs and also some "New and Improved" that have been repackaged and enhanced with more granular selections of objects (see lists below). We plan to continue to add to the selection of these and other catalogs that we offer.

 

Use the 'Update Library' command to automatically get the latest updates, and visit the 3D Library to see what's new-to-you.

 

Our recent releases...

 

New Bonus Catalogs:

• Lighting No.13 Long Chandeliers
• 3D Plants - Hanging Planters
• Exterior Roof Attachments
• Bathroom Fixtures No.5 Commercial

 

Repackaged / Updated Catalogs:

• Man Cave No.5 Rat Pack
• Recreation No.4 Games
• Recreation No.5 Sports
• Recreation No.6 Playground and Park

• Vehicles No.1 Recreation
• Vehicles No.1 Utility

 

Brand Catalogs:

• IAM Designs
• Vadara Quartz Surfaces
• Sensa
• Greenfield Cabinetry
• Siteline Cabinetry
• Bellmont Cabinet Co.
• Decor Cabinet Company

 

As always, we love to hear from you! If you have suggestions for new content and branded catalogs, please get in touch: content@chiefarchitect.com

General Updates

Update 7-20-2023

Removed the Beta tag from all the builders and put the Chief Architect tag in the file.

 

Tile_Builder Parameters

Here are some of the options you can adjust within the Tile_Builder_Beta.

 

Output Size: Drop down lists with resolution sizes.

Random Seed: Click the Randomize button to get different material images and tile layouts.

Shape: Choose the shape of your tile.

Tile Layout: Choose how you want your color and material types laid out.

Offset: Adjust the horizontal offset of your tile.

Tile Edge: Adjust the sharpness and size of your edge profile.

Grout Width: Sets your grout width.

Grout Color: Choose the color of your grout.

Tile Material: Selects different materials for your tile.

Tile Material Scale: Scales your material to make it larger or smaller.

Tile Color: Choose the color of your tile.

Tile Color Variation: Randomly adds variation to get non-uniform color.

Tile Finish: Drops down to different finish/glazing options.

Tile Roughness: Controls how shiny or matte your tile looks.

Tile Hue: Changes the hue of your color, good for fine tuning.

Tile Saturation: Changes the amount of color in your tile.

Tile Lightness: Changes how light or dark your tile is.

 

Update 11-26-2019

Tile Builder

-Dropped Beta tag

-Added a resolution drop down "Output Size" for bigger/smaller texture options

• Higher resolutions will let you get smoother edges on non-square tile patterns and the added pixel count will allow for thinner grout lines.
• Higher resolutions can also clog up your machine and Chief if you use a lot of them, so unless you aren’t getting the look you need, I’d stick with 512 or 1024 output sizes.  Map responsibly.

 

-Added Picket Tile and Penny tile to the shape drop down

 

-Changed “thin tile” to 4:1 tile

 

-Added a slider for Grout width.  Again, if you need thinner grout then what’s being shown, you’ll need to up your resolution under Output Size.

 

-Added a color selector for tile color, behaves just like the grout color options.  If you want an eyedropper, open the color selector and hit “pick.”

• Color Hue is still included for fine tune adjustments.  Keep an eye on your hue if you eyedrop to another color and it’s not matching, more times than not your color is being skewed by the hue slider.

 

-Added a color variation slider to get some non-uniform color.  Randomly darkens some tiles to varying degrees.

 

-Added a finish drop down for hand glaze options.

 

Update 10-21-2020

-Added some new Shape options

               Changed Large Tile to 1:1 large Tile

               Added a 2:1 large Tile

               Triangle Patter

               Elongated Hex

               Elongated Diamond

 

-Added image inputs on each material drop down

               You should see a slot to add your image when selecting ~image input in the “Tile X Material” dropdown

 

-Added a Material Invert for those that want white marble with grey veining instead of Black marble with White veining, etc

 

 

Update 1-20-2021

-Added a "Material Scale" slider to each tile type

              Scale can be set anywhere from 0% to 500%

 

Update 10-31-2022

-Added more tiles to the 1:1, 2:1, etc so a 1/3 and 1/2 offset both work without breaking the seam.

 

Update 6-22-2023

-Added an "~Image Input RAW" as a material selection that will let you feed in an image and keep its color.  This selection bypasses the color picker and inverter control but everything else (hue/saturation/lightness/variation/etc) should work properly.

 

Wood_Builder_Beta Parameters

Here are some of the options you can adjust within the Wood_Builder_Beta.

 

Random Seed: Click the Randomize button to get different material images and tile layouts.

Wood_Species: Select the species of wood you’d like to work with.

Cut: Select what kind of pattern you’d like to make.

Hue, Saturation, Lightness: Adjusts the color of your wood.

Board_Color_Variation:  Varies the colors of the wood along cut lines to help show the pattern and ad variety.

Roughness: Controls the roughness or polish level of your floor.

Image_Input: Added a slot to enter your own wood images and slice/adjust them as needed.  Wood_Species needs to be set at "~Image Input" at the top in order for the image to show.

 

UPDATE 4-29-2020

Wood Builder

-Cleaned up a lot of the Knotty/Rustic options.  They were bad, they should now be less bad.

-Added an image input.  WoodSpecies needs to be set at "~Image Input" and you can load whatever image you want into the builder.  I recommend using seamless images, otherwise you might get some strange edges in your boards.

-Added a shiplap option in teh "Cut" dropdown

 

UPDATE 10-26-2020

-Added Resolution selection

-Added an Orientation selector

-Added "Weathering" effects sliders

 

Single_Color_Fabric and Multi_Color_Fabric  Parameters

Here are some of the options you can adjust within the Wood_Builder_Beta.

 

Random Seed: Click the Randomize button to get different material images and tile layouts.

Fabric Type: Selects different types of fabric.

Color: Selects your fabrics color

Color Hue: Changes the hue of your color, good for fine tuning.

Color Saturation: Changes the amount of color in your fabric.

Color Lightness: Changes how light or dark your fabric is.

 

Masonry_and_Stone_Builder Parameters

Here are some of the options you can adjust within the Masonry_and_Stone_Builder.

 

Output Size: Drop down lists with resolution sizes.

Random Seed: Click the Randomize button to get different material images and tile layouts.

Shape: Choose the shape of your stones.

Pattern Layout: Choose how you want your color and material types laid out.

Stone Cleavage: Roughs up the face of the stone with more stone character.

Stone Roundness: Rounds off the edges of the stone.

Wany Edge: divides and warps the lip of the stone for more uneven looks.

Offset: Adjust the horizontal offset of your tile.

  -Only on offset-able shapes.

Margin Fill: What shows between the stones.

Margin Width: how much space shows between stones.

Margin Hue: Changes the hue of your color, good for fine tuning.

Margin Saturation: Changes the amount of color in your Margin.

Margin Lightness: Changes how light or dark your Margin is.

Stone Material: Types of Stone.

Stone Roughness: Roughness of the Stone.

Stone Material Scale: Changes the scale of the character on the stune.

Stone Invert: Inverts the Stone Character.

Stone Color: Color of the Stone.

Stone Color Variation: Adds random variance to the Stone for variety.

Stone Hue: Changes the hue of your color, good for fine tuning.

Stone Saturation: Changes the amount of color in your Stone.

Stone Lightness: Changes how light or dark your Stone is.

Thanks Kbird! We are revamping this catalog and will be breaking it into some sub-pieces while adding more variety of similar objects to the new groupings. I've paused service for new downloads on this older version of the catalog in anticipation of transitioning to the updated catalog in the next few months.

As 2018 came to a close, so did many updates and additions of X10 Catalogs!

 

If you haven't gotten the latest versions for your designs, I implore you to make this one of the easiest New Year's Resolutions to check off of your list. 

 

Use the Update Library command to automatically get the latest updates, and visit the 3D Library to see what's new-to-you.

 

Our recent releases...

 

Bonus Catalogs:

• Accessories No.10 Bells and Chimes
• Corbels and Brackets No.2 Shelving
• Corbels and Brackets No.3 Gable
• Country Primitives / Farmhouse No.1
• Country Primitives / Farmhouse No.2
• Door Hardware No.4 Doorbells
• Home Essentials No.3 Security
• Man Cave No.1 Outdoorsman
• Man Cave No.2 Hot Rod
• Man Cave No.3 Gamer
• Man Cave No.4 Brew Master
• MEP No.4 Fire Sprinklers
• Storage No.6 Shelving Units

 

Brand Catalogs:

• Homecrest Cabinetry
• Kemper Cabinets
• Omega Cabinetry
• Schrock Cabinetry
• PentalTek

 

As always, we love to hear from you! If you have suggestions for new content and branded catalogs, please get in touch: content@chiefarchitect.com

 

Hi Friends,

 

We've released another update to Core Materials! From the Library Menu, choose Update Library Catalogs to get the latest changes.

 

In this revision, we've improved the materials in the following areas... expect to see some new selections and improvements to existing items.

• Lava Rock
• Naturals
• Stained Concrete
• Framing PSL and LSL Materials

Additionally, we've made enhancements to the Buechel Stone catalog, including better scaling and more Normal Maps.

 

We also made improvements to the Materials Metal Bonus catalog. This catalog was originally intended for the Home Designer crowd, who don't have access to the Ray Trace and PBR Rendering Technique. The improvements in Material Properties on these look pretty nice in PBR for professional users too!

 

AND... Stay tuned for the next Bonus Catalog release... this should be available very soon, and has even more selections of materials to leverage in your designs.

 

As always, please share with us what you would like to see in future catalogs (content@chiefarchitect.com), and help us connect with your favorite brands. Tag "@chiefarchitect" along with the brand in your posts on Facebook, Instagram, and "@chiefsoftware" on Twitter.

Yes, we do!

 

You can download these catalogs in Chief Architect format directly from the 3D Library.

 

https://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com

Mark, it is so awesome that you did this work and shared it!

 

It's bee a while, but for those who haven't seen the announcement elsewhere, these catalogs are now available in the Chief Architect format!

You can download them and other catalogs from the 3D Library.

These catalogs are now available for download from Chief Architect's 3D Library!

These catalogs are now available for download from the 3D Library. If you haven't yet, check them out!

 

https://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?r=site/detail/1070

https://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?r=site/detail/1071

 

 

Susan, thanks so much for your efforts with the Sub-Zero and Wolf catalogs... they paid off!

 

If anyone hasn't gotten a chance to download them yet, these catalogs are available for download from the 3D Library.

 

Your voices are powerful, what's next?

We are happy to share that the Brizo and Delta catalogs are now also available for download from the 3D Library. These objects are set to work as Chief Architect objects, and will import into the "Manufacturer Catalogs" area of your Library Browser.

Delta's and Brizo's catalogs are now available for download from the 3D Library!

 

It appears that we don't have the complete catalog from Delta (it primarily contains faucets), but we hope to have access to the entire product line in a future update.

 

A GE catalog is currently in development. We hope to be able to share it with you soon!

On 2/3/2017 at 5:04 AM, MPDesign said:

I would like to see Subzero and Wolf product lines.

 

Sub-Zero and Wolf catalogs are now available for download on the 3D Library!

 

We've also added Brizo's catalog, and Delta's Faucet line as well! 

 

We are currently working with GE to generate a catalog download, this one has taken a little longer than expected to complete, but we hope to have something available in the coming weeks.

 

Please continue to connect with your favorite brands and to share with them how important it is to have access to Chief Architect compatible catalogs.

Thank you to those who continue to pursue this!

 

Hi kauai7 - 

 

The Lahara Lavatory Faucets are available in the Delta catalog available for download from the 3D Library. 

 

https://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?r=site/detail/1077

 

We don't currently have the shower hardware available in this catalog, it is possible that Delta has not yet generated the 3D Models for these components. Hopefully more will come in a future update!

Additionally, you can now find the Delta Faucet catalog on the 3D Library.

 

https://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?r=site/detail/1077

 

This is a nice compliment to its sister brand, Brizo.

For those that are curious about the Textured Glass changes, here’s a guide to help you select the right kind of glass for your plan. 

 

To get the best results you’ll need to render a proper Raytrace, so if you’re working in Standard or PBR views, glass will behave more or less the same way it always has.

 

The 3D effects of the glass are created by leveraging Normal Maps, so feel free to change the Materials base color to get different shades or the Texture Source in the Material Properties to get some impressive glass effects.

 

We can’t wait to see what creative results you come up with!

 

-Chief Content Team

We are excited to have offered yet another selection of great catalog brands in the first quarter of 2018!

 

If you haven't had an opportunity to browse or download them yet, look for these latest additions:

• Brizo
• Federal Brace
• Mutual Materials
• Rev-A-Shelf
• Sub-Zero
• Wolf

 

We are also working with Custom Wood Products, who has committed to developing and maintaining their own cabinet catalog. Although you cannot download the catalog directly from the 3D Library, a Chief Architect compatible catalog is available through their dealer network. 

 

We have a number of great catalogs and updates in the works and on the way. Stay tuned!

Hello All!

 

Welcome to those of you using Chief Architect X10!

 

You may have noticed some of the selections in our generic Core Materials are quite different in the new release. We re-vamped some of these categories and replaced them with versions that we hope are much more accurate and realistic, and are also higher resolution and quality.

 

If you don't feel like you are seeing these changes, please run the "Update Library Catalogs" command from the Library menu and then restart Chief Architect to ensure you have the most current Library Browser content.

 

Specifically you'll notice differences in these areas:

• Blocks
• Brick
• Landscaping
• Roofing
• Sheet Metal
• Siding
• Stucco
• Textured Glass
• Tile
• Wood Flooring
• Wood

 

Although things have moved around a bit you should not experience missing file errors for plans coming forward from previous versions. Even so, I highly recommend maintaining plans via the "Backup Entire Plan" tool when transitioning from one version to another, simply because it is a reliable way to archive your projects for posterity and to transition between versions. If you prefer older materials, you can always add your favorites to your User Library from existing plans.

 

We will continue to update the remaining Materials and categories in the Library Browser, so you can expect to see more additions in the future. 

 

If there are specific materials that you would like represented in our generic material selection, please let us know! We are working to improve the quality and usability to be as relevant and as useful as possible. You can e-mail us your ideas, or post them in the Suggestions forum.

content@chiefarchitect.com

21 hours ago, fmrkva9525 said:

If they get back to you, let me know what they say

 

Hi Ryzen and All!

 

We leveraged a utility to scan all of the Core Materials and are feeling much more confident that all of the Roughness, AO, and Normal maps are also included in this latest update to files on our server.

 

Please run "Update Library Catalogs" and re-launch Chief one more time to activate the most recent files.

 

Quote

And same with this plan, I even tried replacing the flooring material with an entirely different one and still issues.. It shows the roughness map highlighted in red and gives me no options in any of the material classes to adjust its roughness. Even in polished.. 

 

The inability to adjust the roughness slider is a behavior of Roughness Maps. If a Roughness Map is used for a material's specification, it usurps the roughness slider controls, using only the values that are embedded in the map itself. If you would like to bypass this, and instead control the roughness via the slider interface, simply delete the Roughness Map file association. You are/were seeing this path in red text because that file was not being found on your system. I'm hoping with this latest update, that particular part of the confusion will be resolved.

 

Once again, thank you for your understanding while we sort this out. I hope the improvements to the materials will out-weigh the inconvenience you have been facing.

Hey Guys!

 

Thanks for your patience while we sort this out. We are going to do one last pass to ensure that all the those missing references are recovered. I was hesitant to post an untested fix on a Friday afternoon, and intend to have this resolved today.

 

Regarding the missing material folders in the Wood category, you may have noticed the section of wood is quite different than it used to be. We re-vamped all of the wood textures and replaced them with versions that we hope are much more accurate and realistic, and are higher resolution and quality. Although some of the old versions that you may be accustomed to are not represented as folders (like Pine, Redwood, and Cedar) we are in process generating from scratch better versions of these materials. Even though the old ones are not in the library, you should not experience missing file errors for these in legacy plans. We have continued to supply those files, just not as a representation in the library browser. We will be doing another update on the remaining Wood Materials and other categories (Landscaping is high on our list), so you can expect to see more additions in the future. 

 

If there are specific wood species, or subject matter in general, that you would like to see represented in our generic material selection, please let us know! We are working to improve the quality and usability of these to be as relevant and as useful as possible.

Ryzen, these Ray Trace settings are really just different defaults that you can set up in your Profile Template.

 

We removed the Quick option from the Out Of Box Templates because we had many users confused by the dark looking metals and lighting effects that happen when Photon Mapping is turned OFF. If you prefer to have a preset for quicker Ray Traced scenes in your defaults, you can set a new one up in your Profile called "Quick" with the Photon Mapping setting disabled.