RobDesLLC

I order a new survey for every project (where required), so I leave it to the surveyor to figure out. It limits my liability. I also get a DWG of the survey to create my topo model from.

The only circumstances where I send a DWG are either to an engineer or interior designer working on the project. I also address this problem through an intellectual property clause in my contract: In my agreements, I retain ownership of every design I create, and clients pay me for the single use of a design. If someone wants a model they can build repeatedly, we can negotiate licensing terms, or they can pay me an excessive amount for going behind my back. Under no circumstance would I send a plan file to a client.

I've made a molding 1/4" thick by whatever the height is, made the material my wall tile, and ran it along the inside faces and end of the pony walls.

I would export the project to a 3D object file format (DAE, etc), and then share that. I share work product, but never working files. Also, consider setting up your own file sharing via OneDrive, Dropbox, etc, so you have some control over how your work product is being shared.

I have multiple X15 licenses. I'd sell one of them to you if you're interested (assuming there's no Chief Architect policy against it).

I've found that the skylight generates a shaft that protrudes through the soffit when the skylight is extended to the edge of the roof plane.

I use MS Teams for my projects. I use chat and posts for project communications, and I use SharePoint to share project documents. I conduct design review meetings in Teams, allowing me to share my screen with clients, builds, and subs, as well as having Copilot record and transcribe it for me. I can show the 3D foundation to the contractor and his foundation sub, and the full framing model with the framers and mechanical subs. The builders rarely take me up on the offer, but it could save everyone some headaches if they would.

Thank you! I like your method.

Yes. I have both. I use Lumion far more often for rendering images and videos, but I like the VR capability of TwinMotion, which Lumion lacks.

The first image is a 3D perspective in Chief Architect. The second is a rendering in Lumion.

I converted a wall cabinet into a batten. I created a wall type where the sheathing is a 1/4" sheet that represents a fibercement sheet product. The batten then snaps to the wall, and I adjust the height and positioning in an elevation view. I use the multiple copy tool to distribute battens across the wall, adjusting for windows and doors as needed. This results in battens with proper shadows in renderings, and I can estimate the material used for the battens as well. I have 2 example images below to illustrate it.

I've created custom gates using various polyline solids, which I then added to my library as symbols and then dropped into my plans (as doors) in fences (which are walls).

I've had great success using Canvas for as-builts. I offer the following insights that have helped me integrate Canvas into my workflow: Take your time doing the scans. Go room by room, starting at the doorway and moving clockwise around the room and back to the door. Slow and steady is the key. After completing the scans, thoroughly photo document the entire house in the same order as the scans were performed. Measure key dimensions for reference, preferably longer dimensions. Allow 16-24 hours of your time to refine the Chief Architect plan sent from Canvas into an accurate model - materials, layers/layer sets, foundation, decks, etc. - using the photos taken on site for reference. Map out the electrical circuits and add them to your as-built model. I prefer to take a copy of the as-built plan file on a Windows tablet to the site and draw in electrical connections there. Convert the as-built survey into a site model in your as-built plan, and you now have a complete as-built of the house and property. To help illustrate design constraints, I place color-coded disks on the terrain to represent the trees around the house, and I have created color-coded, translucent moldings to represent property boundaries, setbacks, adjacent use/adjacent street buffers, easements, and wetland buffers. This is particularly useful when dealing with additions.

Jog the retaining wall into a "U", then drop a stair into the "U".

This is very good advice. I too have found that the importation of PDF's bogs Chief down tremendously. Avoid this as much as possible.