Dermot

In X8, cabinet sides and backs can work just like fronts. This means that you have all of the configuration controls that you have for fronts. Instead of marking a side as "Match Front" you can mark it as "Custom Face" which allows full customization of the configuration. As an added convenience, if you first switch the side face to match front and then switch it to custom face, it will pick up the front configuration which can save some work when you go to customize it. So if you want a particular door style on your cabinet front and a side panel that matches, all you need to do is make the side a Custom Face and make the face item a Door Panel. Door Panels will use your door style but not include any hardware or opening indicators.

You can change the drawing group on the Line Style panel of the specification dialog for any CAD object. You can change the order within a drawing group by using the Move to Front tool. You can also change the order for a limited number of architectural objects.

Just to be clear, there is no reason you can't run multiple versions of Chief Architect on the same computer. I personally have over 2 dozen different Chief Architect products installed on my computer and I am able to run all of them without any conflicts. The only thing that I am aware of that might be causing some people problems has to do with file associations. Windows only allows one program to be associated with a given file type. If you want to be able to double-click on a ".plan" file to automatically launch the program and open the plan, Windows has to know which program you want associated with the plan file. If you always launch the program first and then open your plan using "File->Open", you should never have any issues. This is not a new issue because Windows has worked this way for a very long time. A small number of people have reported problems launching X7 after installing X8. This is a problem in X7 having to do with the two programs fighting over the file associations. If you try to launch X7 and you get an error message about the program already running (even after restarting your computer), you can solve this problem using the following steps: - Close the program and restart your computer. - Right click on X7 and click "run as administrator". The program should open without an issue. If it doesn't, then please contact tech support for help. - Open a new plan from within the program, then close the plan, and then close the program. - You should now be able to run the program normally (not as an administrator). If you are still having any problems, please contact our tech support for more help.

Nelson, I don't think the problems you had were in any way related to what the others were describing. Although it is possible to have problems with file associations with other versions of Chief (including X6 and X7) it does not sound like this is what happened in your case. It sounds more like the program crashed but was still in memory. The reboot was probably what fixed it.

It sounds like the problem is that X7 and X8 are fighting over Windows file associations. Only one program can be associated with ".plan" files at a time. When you install X8, it takes over the file associations so that Windows will launch X8 when you double-click on a plan file. Then if you go back and run X7, it tries to take them back. Normally, this will work just fine. In some cases, this will not allow you to run the program. If this is happening to you, then try the solution that Sandi posted above. If that solution does not work, then please contact technical support for more help. If you want to manually change file associations, then please see this article for more info: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01131/associating-plan-and-layout-files-with-the-latest-version-of-chief-architect.html

I was just informed that the James Hardie catalog has been updated to include patterns. Please update your catalog and let us know if you find any additional problems.

Go to the label tab of the Bay/Box Window Specification dialog. Depending on whether you have checked "Show Component Labels" or "Show Single Label for Entire Unit" you will get different entries in the window schedule.

Currently, you can't change the Current CAD Layer from the Active Layer Display Options. You can change the Current CAD Layer using the CAD menu or you could even set up a custom hotkey for it. I think it would be just as easy and much more powerful to start using the Active Defaults dialog though. Here you can also change any of the other currently active defaults that affect your annotations. And if you really want to work more efficiently, I would recommend that you start setting up and using your own Annotation Sets so that you can more quickly change these settings as you are working.

You can adjust the shadow intensity in the Vector View Rendering Technique Options:

Go to Michael's post #7 above. His outlets seem to work pretty good in both plan view and 3D. Download his calibz file and then use the Import Library tool in either X7 or X8. You should find a library called "Cabinet Outlets" in your User Catalog.

This is a bug in the X8 beta. If you try to change any of the post or beam defaults through the Framing Defaults or Build Framing dialog, the changes might not stick. This should be fixed in the next available update. For now, the easiest way to avoid this problem is to edit the post and beam defaults directly by double-clicking on either the post or beam tool. In the future, I would encourage you to report these kinds of issues to our technical support team.

All of the currently featured libraries are free to anyone with active SSA. Some libraries are free to everyone. Some libraries are free if you have SSA and available for a small fee if you don't have SSA. Some libraries are only available if you have SSA. Pay attention to the right hand corner of the preview image. If you see "SSA" as part of the preview, then the library is free to anyone with SSA. You can also hover over the "I" button to get more info about the library.

This does not need to be complicated. These are basic options in the railing dialog that have been there for years now. Please reread my post #8 above and then look at Michael's picture in post #15. Or, for those that still need more help, take a look at the attached plan and picture created in X7. X7 glass panel rail.plan

Fun fact...you can change the panel to be any material you want, including glass.

You are using a symbol for your panel. The top and bottom rails you have are part of the symbol. These are designed to butt up against your newel post and can't be extended to go over the top. Instead of using a symbol for your panel, choose "Solid (With Rails)" for your panel type. You will now be able to have the top rail go over the posts and use a custom profile for your top rail if you want. You may also want to do the same thing for your railings around the stairwell on the floor above so that they will all match.

The "Send to Layout" options that are available depend on what rendering technique you are using. You can only send Standard render views as images. You can send Vector Views as plot line drawings.

Please report any problems like this to our tech support team. Please be sure and include the original X7 plan so that we can confirm that the problem is happening when it is brought into X8. If we can duplicate the problem, then there is a good chance we will be able to get a fix into an update.

I would use "Library->Install Core Content".

"Does anyone know where we submit bugs for X8? I have an auto roof that works fine in X7 but X8 can't do it. Images attached." Please submit bug reports for any problems that you find in X8 to our technical support department: http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/#contact Also, be sure and include the X7 plan with your report along with the pictures showing what you are seeing in X7 and X8. We will look into this and try and get a fix into the next available update.

If your SSA is valid through February 24, 2016, you should find the X8 Beta in your digital locker. If your SSA is valid and you still don't find it in your digital locker, please feel free to contact our customer service. If you are having problems renewing your SSA, please contact our sales or customer service department.

I believe updating the libraries should usually be much faster then the initial install.

The core libraries are fairly large (700 MB+) and can take a long time to download depending on your internet speed as well as traffic on our end. It is not possible to download the core libraries in only 2 minutes. If you have been an X8 beta tester and already had the libraries installed, then you would not need to reinstall them. For more information about downloading and updating libraries, please see the help topics in the program. To quickly find the help, just put your mouse over the menu item for Install Core Content or Update Library Catalogs and hit the F1 key.

All of the info you are mentioning would normally be stored in your template plans. It should be pretty easy to transfer your template plans to a new computer. See this help article for more info: http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00001/migrating-chief-architect-to-a-new-computer.html

To summarize what everyone else has said... All of the information that is in the reference manual is also available in the installed help system. You can get to it any time you are running Chief by clicking on any Help button or by using F1. An electronic version of the manual is also available for download. Using Help->View Reference Manual should open up your browser and open the pdf file. If you are having problems doing this, it may be a problem with either your internet service or browser. You should also be able to click on this link: http://cloud.chiefarchitect.com/1/pdf/documentation/chief-architect-x7-reference-manual.pdf If you still can't get this to work, you may want to contact technical support. A printed version of the manual is also available for purchase. You can find more information here: http://www.chiefarchitect.com/products/addon/

Although sinks can span multiple cabinets, the program might not always cut the automatic counter top hole correctly. The best thing to do in this situation is to simply create your own custom counter top. The easiest way to do this is to select all connected base cabinets and then use the "Generate Custom Countertop" tool. This custom counter top should replace the automatic ones and this should give you a proper hole for your sink. I would also encourage you to report any problems you find with the automatic counter tops to technical support. If you are creating your own sink symbols, you may have to manually create your own counter top hole. Custom sink symbols will only create a rectangular hole by default. If you need any other shaped hole, you will need to create it yourself. Also, just as an FYI. You can split cabinet faces up into as many different face items as you like. Assuming that you are using Chief Architect Premier X7, you can split faces either horizontally and vertically and sub-divide them as many times as you like. It is very simple to create a single cabinet with a double or triple face. In your case, it looks like you are trying to make a sink base that is narrower then the other cabinets. This is just a guess based on your rather small picture. Since you can't make a single cabinet with multiple depths this probably won't help solve your problem. And finally, you will usually get more help if you post a simple plan demonstrating the problem.