builtright3

I draw the entire house and site plan as is and I call that plan file "Original Plan" and I will use that one of course for my demo plan. Then off of the original I start a plan file called "New Plan" and I start to draw my addition off of that. So I have in every customer file folder: Original Plan New Plan Layout Plan and I will now be adding one plan for all my details and custom work that will most likely be duplicated to every job file from a template file.

I was going to put all the different variations into a spread sheet as a template (similar to Allan's) and when I was done inputting all the information I would just delete the rows I don't need. I then cut and paste it into the drawings. That's how I do roof and floor venting right now and it works well. Of course it would be much better built into the program. But I have to do those kind of things a I learn.

Here are some more items. It varies from job to job. This is the longer list: 1st Floor Existing Living Area 2nd Floor Existing Living Area Existing Garage, Storage Buildings, Patio Covers Demo existing living area, Garage, Storage Buildings, Patio Covers Proposed living area, Garage, Storage Buildings, Patio Covers Total Living Area Lot Size Total Building Area Lot Coverage Ratio

I agree. Very easy to make a copy and work off of it. Very wise! I do that when ever I'm doing something new to make sure I have it right before I change the plan.

This one is pretty simple but it is what the city always wants from me. Simple small room addition project.

Thank you Jon! That makes perfect sense. I think both you and Larry came up with great solutions and I think both are good depending on the task at hand. At this point I just wanted to get the garage out of the way so Larry's solution works best at this time. However you opened another door in my way of thinking for more elaborate and/or just simple designs. So I'm very happy you shared with me and I will print out your instruction and learn more about ray trace, sun angle,......... I'm in the process of learning those things now so this all helps me. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Yes but I don't totally understand what he is doing. I think I would need more instruction (video perhaps). Suggestions are great but without good instruction I can waist hours setting something up and also take the risk of messing up my plan files. It doesn't sound simple enough for my experience level. Doe's that make sense?

That's is a perfect solution! Very simple Thank you!

So then you have several plan sets for one job? Not sure I get that because what about when you need it as a whole and what about when you make a change? how does it change on the other sets?

Removing garage so I can view house without it being in the way: Ok, I found that if I shut off the ceiling surfaces that it went away. So I put all the walls and roof on its own layer and shut off the ceiling surfaces and now I don't see the garage except for the slab and footing and that's ok. If there is another easier way to do this though I would be open to hearing other ideas.

The garage is in the way of me getting a good 3D view of the house. Is there am easy way of removing the gage so I can get the view without deleting it? I tried to put all the garage commponants on a garage layer but I got hung up with the room layer.

I am very thank full for all that participate and give donated time to CA users. Also I know that the teachers generally benefit as much if not more than the people they are teaching. Its a blessing all the way around. Joe, I have no issue with you getting compensated for your work. If I'm understanding you correctly this is something that is saving someone the time to go thru all the work of learning and building something that will benefit them in making the program more efficient for them. So this would be an out of the box working item that all they have to do is use it and not have to set it up. Some are not too good with coding and depend on others to build it for them. This is not the same idea as helping others to do the work themselves. I understand completely and may even be a buyer once I have an understanding of macros and how they can help me. I have not gotten to macros yet but I will be soon. Thank You Joe

So I'm not going crazy after all! You guys confirmed that they (code enforcers) keep changing the rules and make them up as they go along. Day by day and minute by minute. Depends on who you talk to and what kind of day their having and/or what instructions their following. Cal code, city code, local code, street gang code........

I usually have 4 to 5 additions going at a time and every inspector does different. The inspectors aren't totally current yet in every city.

The building still has to be 5 ft. but they sometimes will make us stucco under the eaves depending on the city and whose doing the inspections. The inspectors so far hasn't enforced it. Same thing with those damn humidistat exhaust fans. What a crock man! Sorry you guys are me getting started. I think some of these codes are stupid.

The Local City Explained It This Way: The set backs in CA is because of fire. 10' in between structures which would be 5' on either side of the property line. Its figured to the framing because stucco is not flammable. So if it was wood siding than the set back is to the siding.

I'm glad you confirmed that Perry. I thought maybe I was loosing my mind! Well actually I think I am loosing my mind, I have to write everything don't or I will forget walking from one room to the other.

The living space drawing in this photo is correct in my understanding. Figures square footage to the center of a shared wall. The one with the garage makes no since at all. Go Figure!!!??? BTW: I figure to the outside framing, not the stucco for SF. That's what the plan checkers have always told me anyway. It came up one time when we had to have a 10 foot set back and they were ok with figuring to the framing. I could have been doing it wrong all this time but I never heard of going to the outside stucco.

I have a layer set up called "Square Feet" and I do polylines around the areas I'm calculating square footage. Its extra work but quick and easy and I don't have to worry about being off on square footage.

The garage is 20x20=400 SF It will be a correction with the plan checker if the number isn't right on the plan so I have to put it in manually.

I didn't see this post. Glad everything worked out!

Let me if you loose your info after you restart or whatever you have to do. I'll be curious about that because I lost mine today?

I guess the second screen wouldn't help because it wont allow you to get out of the box.

That's a new one on me. I would be afraid of losing info also. I got locked out today and lost a lot of info and had to start over. If your hooked to a second screen you may be able to drag over to start the second screen and possibly it my split up your program enough to hit save. Long Shot!

I have something messed up. I added interior and exterior wall layer sets that I copied from the "Walls, Normal" layer set and then I set the interior and exterior wall to my defaults. It works fine that way but when I build the second floor it picks up the "Walls, Normal" again. What's up with that? This is frustrating! I put the plan in one of my past post if anyone wants to check out what I'm dealing with?