RobDesLLC

I've never entered one of these contests, and I have a question. The rules state, "The submission must include at least one rendering modeled in a Chief Architect or Home Designer software product." Does that mean I can submit a rendering generated in Lumion using a model I created in Chief Architect, or that the rendering and the model must be created in Chief Architect?

When I make a virtual representation of a specific slab for a client, I go to the yard and take a high resolution photo of their selected slab, with the camera perpendicular to the slab and no bright lights reflecting off of it (as Eric suggested above). When I convert that image into a texture, I make sure to scale the selected area properly, in order to virtually simulate the real-world effect of templating the desired portion of the slab, rather than trying to convert the slab into a seamless texture.

Rene has a video on this, and I think he has the best method for adding the arched brick lintel.

I would save an image or text box directly in the layout file, adjust color and transparency, and set it to it's own layer, allowing you to easily turn it on/off.

I mounted a 65" 4K TV in my conference room and then ran an HDMI cable from it to my computer in my office nearby. I also ran a USB cable, which I connected to a Logitech C920 webcam mounted above the TV, a microphone mounted to the ceiling above the conference room table, and a wireless mouse and keyboard. A pair of powered speakers flanked the TV for sound. With this setup, I could conduct design review meetings in person, or share my screen via Teams for people attending remotely. I went with a powered USB cable due to distance, and placed the wireless dongle directly above the center of the conference room table (along with the microphone). The webcam was aimed at the center of the table, and set to auto focus. The TV was set to mirror the center monitor in my office. I found this to be a very effective arrangement. Everyone could see the screen, and I could easily record our meetings. Audio quality was excellent.

For my projects, the structural engineer provides that information on his sheets. I provide project data (area calcs, elevations, zoning), energy compliance data, flood data, and referenced codes on my cover sheet.

I've previously posted this in response to a similar post: Data & Financial Management: I use Microsoft SharePoint as my primary repository for company files, with all design working files and assets (Chief Architect, Lumion, Adobe Creative apps, etc) on a local drive. I manage financials with Quickbooks Online. I use Microsoft Office 365 Business apps, including the use of Teams for project management and collaborating with clients. I sync SharePoint with OneDrive, and keep copies of all company files on a local drive synced to OneDrive. I also back up the company files to a NAS, and I back up the entirety of my Office 365 data (including all SharePoint files) to a cloud backup service. Design working files are backed up to a second local drive and another NAS. I also use Dialpad through my T-Mobile business account, allowing Ai to identify action items in my calls and messaging for adding to my task lists. Document Sharing: I have a folder for each project in my working files, and another in my company files. As I generate product to share with clients and trade partners, I save a copy from the working files project folder to the company files project folder, and the project folder is accessible through a tab in Teams for the project team. Contracts & Payments: I use Adobe Sign for distributing and tracking contracts for e-signing. I both collect and make payments by ACH, with a handful of recurring expenses paid by debit card. I use a sweep account at my bank to receive payments (for more account security). It may sound like a lot, but it's actually very easy to use my system. I have redundant and accessible data storage, effective and easily searchable communications, efficient and easily auditable legal and financial transactions, and the ability to manage my business entirely from a Surface Pro tablet when I'm in the field or traveling - without any loss of functionality. I also use almost no paper, other than printing hard copies of layouts. Microsoft Teams: Teams allows you to create a new team for each project, and to invite people to join from outside of your organization, such as clients, contractors, and engineers. Each team has access to the corresponding project folder in SharePoint. You can add apps to each team as needed, such as Planner for task management, Calendar, Adobe, and Approvals. The video conferencing, post, and chat features concentrate communications into a single platform, and maintain a record of communications for future reference as needed. This structure works well for me because it is easy to manage, effective, inexpensive, and scalable. It does not integrate into Quickbooks. I use Quickbooks Time for tracking billable hours, as well as time tracking in Chief Architect.

You have Dropbox noted in your signature. Can you not share a compressed folder from Dropbox?

In my experience, as long as an accessible bath is provided, a private bath need not be designed to be accessible unless it provides a facility that isn't available elsewhere. For example, I redesigned the corporate offices of a local business that occupy a ground floor tenant space. The project included a fitness room and private bath for the CEO. An accessible bathroom was located down the hallway, open to everyone for use. Because his private bath included a shower, and no shower was provided elsewhere, the shower had to be accessible and therefore required grab bars and an area for a turn circle in the bath. If your private bath doesn't include elements not available elsewhere and requiring accessibility, it is a bathroom like any other in the space. An accessible bath elsewhere in the space would satisfy the ADA. Without reviewing the plan correction report myself, I am inclined to believe that the plan reviewer has made an error and is incorrectly citing code.

Also, that's a plan review item that falls under the jurisdiction of the building official, not the fire marshal.

Is there another bathroom nearby that is ADA compliant?

Just note it on the drawing. There's no benefit from modeling it, and it would eat up time that is best allocated to more profitable endeavors.

Draw it as a deck with rails, and then make the roof planes run into it.

I use Canvas for interior and exterior, photo document the whole house, and then spend a few hours correcting the model I receive from Canvas.

I prefer to use Canvas to do a lidar scan of the house, which I then send to Canvas to process and send back to me as a plan file. While I am on site scanning, I thoroughly photo document the house, and I take a few key measurements to send to Canvas for reference. After I get the plan file from Canvas, I transfer it to my plan template (from Rene Rabbitt), correct all materials and assemblies, and then bring the as-built plan back out to the site on a Surface Pro tablet, where I draw in the electric circuits in Chief. Then, back at my desktop, I import the survey and create a site model, at which point I have a complete as-built model to copy and develop into a renovation plan.

The stairs you have depicted will not comply with IRC 2021 Sec. R311.7.5.2.1.

I use a roof plane schedule and include the area

Here are a few sheathing materials I made for myself.Sheathing.calibz There's green and red ZIP System, T-111PT, and Advantech.

I use Teams for video conferencing and have had no issues with multiple participants. I think the most I've had is 6. I like using Teams because 1) it's included in my Office 365 subscriptions, 2) it records meetings, and 3) it integrates perfectly with my Outlook scheduling. I also like to use Teams because it automatically creates a site in Sharepoint, which I use to make project-related files (excluding working files) accessible to everyone on the team. I have folders for legal documents, financial documents, work product, surveys, geotech reports, etc. Other app add-ins allow me to manage project tasks and calendars, manage document e-signing through Adobe Sign, etc. I like the chat feature because it keeps all project-related messaging in one place, instead of having compartmentalized conversations through text that might cause conflicts. I have not used it with VOIP so I can't speak to that. I have Dialpad on my computer and my cell phone, which I set up through T-Mobile. Dialpad allows me to use my computer's microphone and speakers for hands free conversations and text messaging while I work, and I can switch between devices while on calls without issue. It also has a built-in AI that will automatically record transcripts of my calls, which it then scans (along with text messages) for action items from which it creates tasks for task lists.

I created seamless textures for taped green and red ZIP System sheathing Photoshop, and then created materials in my user library. I have substituted these for the standard OSB sheathing in the Wall Type DBX when needed, and adjusted the layer thickness appropriately. It populates correctly on my material lists, but doesn't calculate tape (and there's no need for that). I took a similar approach to Advantech subfloor sheathing.

I have an HTC Vive Pro 2 that I bought specifically for arch viz work. As much as I love the Vive Pro 2, I would agree with what Rene said, however I would qualify my statement by saying that you should research the pros and cons of each device you consider to determine which is best suited to your particular needs. There are trade-offs between weight and portability v. graphics performance and comfort, the hassles of cables v. the limitations of batteries, etc.

Make a sloped polyline in elevation view, then convert to a 3D solid, change material to your floor tile, and adjust the depth in plan view so it snaps to each wall.

You're welcome! Yes, I'm a one man show.

I start my Pre-Design phase by looking up tax records and zoning information for the property before I meet the client. Once we have established a scope of work, I request from them any original construction documents for further review. I then determine a range of hours estimated to complete the design, and expected subconsultant fees. I verbally inform them of the total fee range to anticipate, and, if they wish to move forward, I draft a design retainer agreement and send it out for e-signing via Adobe Sign. Upon execution of the retainer agreement, I send an invoice for the retainer through Quickbooks, which includes a payment link. The client makes an ACH payment that is deposited into a sweep account, which then automatically transfers to the operating account. I then create 2 project folders - one in my company files, which goes into Sharepoint and contains all legal, financial, permitting documents, and work product, and a second in my working files, which is stored locally and not shared. I create a team in MS Teams, which includes the project folder in my company files. This allows my clients full access to all documents for total transparency. We also use the chat, task, and whiteboard apps, and the video conferencing capability built into Teams. If they have a contractor, I invite them to the Team, but I don’t give them access to the legal and financial documents folders. I typically order a survey, and if it’s a renovation/addition, I usually request a flood certificate, and schedule a time to take as-built photos and do a Lidar scan using Canvas app. I then send the scan out for processing, and receive an as-built model as a Chief Architect plan. I start the Conceptual Design phase with a survey in PDF and DWG, and (for renovations) a flood certificate, and an as-built model. I clean up the as-built model, convert the DWG into a terrain model, and generate an as-built layout. I save a copy of this plan and layout, rename it, and revise it into a conceptual model. For new construction, I obviously just start drawing a new plan. When I have a conceptual design ready to present, I schedule a Teams meeting and share my screen to show it in plan view and 3D. I mark it up with notes for changes (if necessary), and put that into a list that I email to the clients. We do another meeting to review the design, and if they approve, I generate a layout for them to approve. With their approval, I submit to the ARB for conceptual review. Based on that review, we either make further revisions and resubmit, or continue into Design Development. The Design Development phase is similar, adding more details and exterior selections as required for preliminary approval by the ARB. Selections are specified on the plans and ARB application. With this phase complete, we move into the Final Design phase. At the beginning of the Final Design phase, I send a PDF and DWG’s of the plans to the civil engineer, landscape designer, and structural engineer. The civil engineer sends back a grading & drainage plan, and I give that to the landscape designer, who sends back a landscape plan and irrigation plan. Both of those are required for final approval by the ARB. The structural engineering is required for a municipal building permit, so I start now to save time. I finish the various details required. I then prepare a physical sample board, and with the clients approval, send the submittal to the ARB for final approval. With final approval, I create the Construction Documents. I combine the final plans with the engineering sheets, generate a ResCheck report, and share the complete package with the clients for permitting. I get client approvals documented by either Teams chat or email. I am going to switch to the Approvals app within Teams to better document approvals. Throughout this process, I log my billable hours and mileage in Quickbooks Time, and I send monthly statements to the clients. When the retainer dwindles down to a minimum threshold specified in the design retainer agreement, I invoice the clients again. I pay all of my project expenses by ACH through Quickbooks, eliminating the burden of handling checks and the security issues related to them. All vendors and subconsultants are instructed to submit their invoices by email to a dedicated ar-ap email account, which is scanned by automation to retrieve PDF’s and copy them to a Sharepoint folder for review and approval for payment. I make a lien waiver for each vendor payment and send it for e-signing prior to payment. The invoice is dragged and dropped into Quickbooks to be paid upon receipt of the e-signed lien waiver. I keep the Team active throughout construction so that file access is maintained and communication continues in the chat app. I deactivate the Team upon final inspection or CO. This system works for me because it documents everything well, it minimizes time to complete financial transactions, it nearly eliminates the use of paper, it can be accessed and managed through desktop pc’s, tablets, or smart phones, and it fosters effective communication and collaboration between myself, my clients, and their contractors.

About 10 years ago I had a hard drive failure that cost me 3 weeks of productivity. By maintaining redundant storage across multiple platforms, I can mitigate the shortcomings of each and ensure the preservation of my data. It's a bit of work to set up initially, but it runs smooth and requires little maintenance to keep going. I have had no issues with OneDrive. I only access my folders through File Explorer on my desktop, or in Teams when using my Surface Pro tablet. All else just operates in the background. This approach is only for business documents. All of my working files for design are kept on a local drive, and then backed up to a second storage drive on my computer and a separate NAS. I only use SSD's for reliability and read/write speed. I appreciate the video. It's interesting to see how others approach the same problem and come up with different solutions, as I never stop learning. Thanks Rene.