WendyatArtform

Amazing that Wendy and Scott didn't know about it.

Hey, I'm not so young anymore.  Maybe I knew once and forgot!  

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.    

Saw this in a previous thread where the exterior wall material had no thickness, perhaps check that out first.

Ah yes - that too.  I've seen that mostly at railings, where it's a wall type that has no drywall.  But you never know!

To check:

1 - Select each wall in question and open it's dbx - Structure Tab - make sure Default Top and Bottom heights checked.  You should NOT need any of the Platform Intersections checked at all.  

2 - Do the same for the walls below.

If Default Top and Bottom are checked, it can still be a bit cattywumpus if somebody has added jogs in elevation view.  So...

3 - To check and correct for manual bottom errors:

a) put all the doors and windows in that wall on your clipboard (marquee select, Ctrl-C).  

Then pull the wall all the way back to maybe a foot from the corner.  Make sure Default Top and Bottom checked.  

c) Then drag the wall back to it's original length.

d) Finally = Ctrl-Alt-V to put your doors and windows back in their original positions.

Oh honey - we've all been there!  I've even sent in lengthy "bug" reports only to find out my wish had been granted 4 years earlier!  So don't sweat it.

Here are the defaults you can use via Import - Defaults.  It's not as complete a list as I know I might wish!  But it's something.

And the Defaults you see under Import - no Export because source file is just another plan file.  To test:

Start a new file.  Change some default, like maybe your window grill pattern.  Save as something that will make sense, like "windows 9 over 1.plan"

Start another new file.  File - Import - Defaults - select that file.  A list will pop up where you can select which plan defaults are available to "borrow" from the source plan for use in the current one.

By "default plan" he means the one used for new plans.  Preferences - General - New Plans -

That will have an effect on new plans.

Toolbars and hotkeys are often perceived as part of your defaults.  If you've modified them, you can get your changes onto the new computer by finding and copying those files to the same directory.  We customize our location, but I believe by default they are in a directory called "Chief Architect X7 Data" in your user folder.  It really is as simple as find the right toolbar name, copy to a jump drive or over a network, paste right over file of same name on new computer.  Hotkeys have only one file.  There's a directory for Toolbars and one for Hotkeys.  Have Chief closed when you do the copy.

Two things

I'm not sure where you got it that my raytraces take max 2.5 minutes.  Not really!  My exteriors go very fast. But for exteriors I generally use only the single light source, the sun, and no photon mapping.

My interiors take longer - 10 minutes, maybe 20.  I use more lights and I do use photon mapping for interiors.

I concur with the suggestions about altering materials.  The truth is that a "shiny" wood floor in the real world is still not so much high gloss.  Even a matte finish poly looks shiny to most people.

For lights - less is more.  Put in what you need and only what you need.  And that light source behind the camera (but slightly to side) - I do that too.  Think of it like a flash.  And those who say to think of lighting like a photographer are correct also.  Pro photographers not only use a flash but usually some bright lights and those reflector things.  And absolutely make sure you've turned off the lights in other rooms.  Otherwise you're computer is tracing the rays in places you can't see!

If you first add the molding using the Room, then convert, it will be nicely cut around windows and doors, and fully editable.

1 - Select Room - Moldings tab - make sure to select Chair Rail.

2 - With room selected, bottom of screen - Make Room Molding Polyline - and the one you just put in will be available for selection

Check your walls.  I haven't opened the plan, but 99% of the time this results from different wall thicknesses on the two floors and/or walls not aligned.

The reasons I sometimes just do a manual polyline for moldings:

1. Don't have to edit multiple cabinet types - uppers, full heights...
2. Have freedom to handle any unique conditions quickly and easily.  Continue across soffit over window?  No sweat.  Return mitered here but cut off flat there?  No sweat.
3. You can even eliminate the use of soffits for soffits - just add another profile to your molding polyline, adjust height and materials, and bam - done and done.

I find it's sometimes faster to put crowns on manually - molding polyline, all one piece.

Then when you later regret making a holy hot mess of your model by using that spray can, remember that the spray can with no material selected prior gives you a check box for "use default".  Trust me, you're going to need it! 

I'm with Lew.  The OP asked about the program.  It would be pretty silly to assume a successful lumber company doesn't know you need a skilled designer to use the program!  Many a lumber company has an in-house designer.  And there's nothing about working for a lumber company that means one is not talented.  

If not, let's just stipulate that you can't get a quality output without a quality brain.  Ok fine.

And I will answer the question.  All software has it's strengths and weaknesses.  Chief is blindingly fast for modelling.  The speed is especially beneficial for getting to "yes" with customers.  

It will take a very thorough understanding to get a good materials list.  That's because the materials list will only be as good as the model.  So a model that will be "good enough" to sell the job, even for CDs, will need to be better for an accurate materials list.

I'd suggest you download the free demo and really push the buttons.  The demo is fully functioning, except that you can't save or print.  But there are sample plans that you can examine.  So the fact that you can't save won't prevent you from examining well developed work.

Thanks all, very helpful!  I will try out a couple of the suggestions.  

Still, with all the amazing things this program does automatically, wouldn't you think that would be one of them?

Well, but if it did Everything - none of us would be employed!  

Dermot knows everything....  (weird music playing).

There is also a blank line style you can use.

Huh!  I did not know that!  And sometimes making the boundary white obscures things one doesn't want to obscure.  

Cool beans.

39 views of the Tour and 25 views  of the How!  Not bad for Day 1.

P.S. any ideas how to connect a DVD player? 

Shoot, I'm lucky I can figure out my stand mixer!

I promise to move on to other topics now!  I just felt like this set wasn't "There" there yet!

You're welcome.  Glad I could help.

I had to pony up a New England Fall Foliage Tour for 2016.  Scott drives a hard bargain.

And I thought it was $3.80 plus postage!

Maybe in X10 stair rails will finally be done!  Eeek.  ;-)

Just put something up that might at least get you started:

https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/6824-annotation-sets-wendys-oob-mods-and-instructions/