kwhitt

2 minutes ago, solver said:

 

I just converted to a symbol, no change in the smoothing angle.

That means that the default setting of 20 degrees plus is adequate to create the necessary phong smoothing.  It is still all about the smoothing angle.  Has always been in all the CAD software I've ever used.  Evidently, CA doesn't assign smoothing to program-created geometry unless designated as a symbol.  When you lower the smoothing angle to 1 in the library, it becomes quite heavily segmented.

Steve - Glad I could be the one helping for a change!

Here you go...

Column Molding in Vector View_02.plan

Eric - I am familiar with the smoothing angle settings which is why I mention converting it to a symbol.  I would upload the file, but it fails for some reason.  Just try it - it really does work.

What do you know.  It does work.  I changed it to a library symbol and set the smoothing angle to 60.

Don't know if this will work in CA, but in other software that I've used (FormZ, Sketch & Toon module in Cinema 4D), the smoothing angle setting dictates what lines get drawn.  You could try setting the angle to a higher number and see if that helps.  That said, CA is unlike any other software that I've used!

Thanks Rob.  Hopefully something can be done about it soon.

Eric - thanks.  I just posted the suggestion.  

Eric - thanks for taking a look.  I thought it might be a bug.  I'll send the suggestion to CA as soon as I can find where to do it.

Thanks again Eric.  Did you use a polyline solid in the image above?

Can you comment on why the roof plane keeps generating a porch chop return at the end of the eve - even when I specify flush eve?  This happens regardless of whether the roof plane is one piece or not.  I've tried rebuilding the entire plane from scratch and it defaults back to having the return.  The file is attached.

Hogge_09-02-19.plan

David - thanks for the reply.  I understand copying a material to change it's attributes.  However, in this case, the roof plane is generating the soffit and it's all one piece.  I've tried creating a separate roof plane at the overhang only, but this creates a problem with the flush eve I need.  It will revert back to a pork chop eve return which I don't want.  I guess I could use a polyline solid, but what a pain! 

Is there a way to get the vinyl soffit texture to run in the correct direction on both eve and gable overhangs?  Adjusting material definition only reverses the problem.

Thanks Eric.  That did the trick!

I need to create a box window that is raised off the floor 2' without any foundation below.  The box window doesn't seem to allow me to add additional windows along the front wall (I need three), so am trying to create my own walls by inserting an invisible wall at the projection point to create a room.  When I raise the floor, there is a gap in the wall below (see attached image).  How is this supposed to be done?  Is it possible to use the box window tool and add additional windows to the face?  Thanks, Kevin

Thanks for the tips Michael.

Thanks Steve.  Not too bad for only my 2nd job!  I appreciate that everyone on this forum is so willing to help.  Chief owes a great amount of gratitude for having such a user base.

Steve - thank you very much - very helpful.  Those techniques certainly make it easier to place than what I was attempting to do earlier.  That said, after spending the last couple of hours, I did get used to using the coordinates with 3D moldings.  I was even able to add my shoe molding as a separate piece.  Thanks to everyone again for the assistance today.

Okay, I get it.  You are describing the new location of the point in space - not the direction.  Not sure why I didn't get that first go round.  I appreciate all the help!

So in your example, West is 90°?  Would North then be 0°? Or does is work clockwise?  Sorry if I'm not explaining myself well...  It would be great if there was a chart showing the movement in degrees...

Thanks again, Robdyck.  I am familiar with the standard coordinates.  I should have said polar coordinates.  For example, in AutoCAD to move in positive degrees you work counterclockwise and North is set at 0 degrees.  I think I understand your 90 degree turn now.  That was a relative coordinate - not absolute, correct?

7 minutes ago, robdyck said:

I made the breaks I needed in elevation view. Then, it doesn't really matter which view you use to adjust it, as long as you know your x,y,z coordinates! 

I don't know the X,Y,Z coordinates specifically for Chief and cannot find them in the help files.  Is there a diagram showing these from a plan view anywhere?  I have two applications that set North differently and I'm confused by your use of 90 degrees in the example.

Just so I understand, you drew the baseboard beyond the corner and then used the break tool at the corner to create a new segment and then moved the end point of that newly created segment via the DBX?  Thanks for your time!

19 minutes ago, robdyck said:

2nd option: Tell each line where to go (and how to get there) using the dbx

robdyck - thanks again.  Is it best to do this after the shape has been extruded or can it be done with the spline from the beginning (before sweeping the profile) or does it matter?

15 minutes ago, Joe_Carrick said:

Any Molding can be used as a casing on an opening, a baseboard, a crown molding, etc.

• 2D Molding Profiles act as extrusion shapes.
• 3D Moldings represent a repeated 3D geometric object rather than an extruded shape.

A 3D Molding Polyline is a totally different animal in that it describes a path that is in more than one plane.

 

Joe - isn't a 3D molding profile what I want for this application?  I didn't realize the outcome was not an extruded shape.

robdyck - thanks for the reply.  The baseboard in this case is being used as a casing around the bookcases and is to tie in with the baseboard at the floor level.  Not sure how I could draw this casing in the plan view.

I created a 3D molding profile of a baseboard in an elevation view.  I am having a difficult time get the molding to return back towards the side of the wall.  No extend handle shows up in the plan view for me to move and when I move the end point it goes off in another direction.  When I move it in 3D, the molding remains on the same plane and won't return.  Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong?  Also, the floor is not running below the door (it's a mulled unit if that matters).  Thanks!