RobDesLLC

On 8/1/2023 at 5:52 PM, SHCanada2 said:

i see there are dim lines, is that a live view with some add ons (flashing and everything outside the ribboard, Simpson, et al)? CAD Detail from view?

I do not use live views for my sections and details. I use the "CAD detail from view" tool as a starting point when a new detail is required. 

On 8/1/2023 at 4:27 PM, Renerabbitt said:

Interesting approach. Im curious about how this saves time for you? Making everything an individual CAD block is kindv'e cumbersome I would think. Maybe try the following code set to referenced.
It will give you variables based on pattern angle OR if 0 then pattern scale up until the pattern isoutside of those key amounts 1-10 angle and 1.1-1.5 scale.... as well as a custom variable that looks at visible length, assuming a polyline side length that is 20" which you can change and figures out what size lumber based on that assumption together with a scale of 10 which is what the wood pattern fills are set to

 

I have been building a library of frequently used CAD block details and CAD block elements. My projects here often have unique/project-specific details with frequently used elements, so having labels that automatically populate is useful to me. I like your approach and I will try it out. I appreciate you sharing the code. Thank you.

On 7/25/2023 at 5:02 PM, TCB_BdnMY said:

could you post up a visual example of this?

In the example section, the CADBlockName macro automatically names the label for the Simpson SDWF floor screw just by making the arrow touch the CAD block. The LumberHeight and LumberWidth macros automatically fill in the nominal lumber size in the 2x12 rim joist label. For example, changing the size of the cross box to 1"W and 16"H would change the label to "5/4X16" RIM JOIST".

I use a Surface Pro only for taking a plan to the site for field change documentation and electrical walkthroughs.

I have 4 LG 32” monitors at 3840x2160 resolution, and a 65” 4K TV in the conference room with a wireless mouse and keyboard. I normally use the top monitor for File Explorer, Sharepoint, and Outlook, then the other 3 monitors for plan view, elevation view, and 3D view. The 65” TV mirrors the middle monitor, which I use for presentations in meetings. 
 

I use a 30”x60” side table for laying out original plans when working on renovations. I also have a mic and webcam at my desk and in the conference room for virtual meetings. 

I have a Surface Pro tablet that I use for field work. It works well for electrical walkthroughs, etc.  

I suggest he consult with a local structural engineer

59 minutes ago, MartyC said:

were you able to send?

Sorry, I was not. I got tied up. I will send that to you later today/this evening.

I have a small library of these. What's your email address? 

2 hours ago, ChiefArmstrong said:

Currently the best you can do is copy and paste.  If the rows in your Excel spreadsheet match the rows in your master list you could copy the price column from excel and paste it into your master list.  Be careful, the rows have to match exactly.

I tried doing that, but Chief wouldn’t let me paste the column from Excel. 

I make dummy sheets to populate my sheet index with structural engineering, civil engineering, surveys, and landscape plan entries. After I print my layout, I replace the dummy sheets with the real sheets in Acrobat. 

I made a few macros that I've found useful and thought I'd share. I have %cadblockname%, which returns the name of the CAD block it references. I also have %lumberheight% and %lumberwidth%, which return the nominal dimensions of the CAD box they reference. I use "%lumberwidth%" X %lumberheight%" (CONT.)" to create a dynamic label for lumber sections (including 1x trim). I then use %description% built into Chief to create labels for polyline objects, which I use for things like plywood, concrete footings, rafters, etc. 

These have helped me to speed up sections and details for me. I hope they help you as well.

CADBlockName.json LumberHeight.json LumberWidth.json

Is there a way to export a material list to Excel, fill in pricing values (pc/SQFT/LFT), and import that pricing back into the master material list? I'd like to have the lumber yard update a spreadsheet of building material pricing monthly, and then import that data into Chief Architect to generate a reasonably accurate buy list and preliminary cost of materials before formal bidding. 

Am I asking too much?

Does anyone know if RHVAC by Elite Software can import thermal envelope data from Chief Architect in CSV format? 

Take a base template, set the foundation defaults to your liking, and save as a new template named for that particular foundation. Repeat as needed. 

Has anyone come up with a way to make a wall fill pattern, such as 8x16 CMU?

2 hours ago, ChiefUserBigRob said:

drdesign, my thinking has always been people may think i'm ripping them off and taking longer than usual if i go by the hour. i'm fairly quick but when dealing with people who know nothing about design can be an issue.

I base my fee on an estimate of hours, but my proposal and contract are for a lump sum fee with a defined scope of work and defined list of construction documents. If the project veers outside of the scope, the client will be charged hourly. My contract spells it out. Open-ended hourly agreements tend to scare off clients. 

2 hours ago, ChiefUserBigRob said:

 

you are the second person who has said this. my neighbor knows what i do and he owns a restaurant. he too learned that going cheap on his menu doesn't bring more business, people see an inferior product and expect superior work with higher prices.

Your neighbor is right! And, really, do you want to be busy because you're known for being cheap? I have found that my fees have weeded out a lot of potential clients that I really didn't want. My happiest clients have typically been those who paid the most. 

I aim to close 80% of the clients I give proposals to. If I am around 80%, I know I'm pricing jobs right. At less than 70%, I'm charging too much, and above 90%, I'm not charging enough. 

On 1/24/2020 at 3:09 PM, ChiefUserBigRob said:

Wow! I am learning to not cut myself short and charge to low. People still come to me even after i raise my prices. Good job man, that is impressive income. I charge per ft. Ive never looked into charging by the hour.

Thank you. Don't sell yourself short. It's a bit of a balancing act. If you charge too much, you won't get business because clients can get the same service cheaper elsewhere, but if you charge too little, clients may feel you're incompetent. 

As for how fees are calculated, I realized a few years ago that charging by the square foot makes no sense to me. When I design a house, I must provide the same drawings and details for my construction documents, whether it's a 2,500SQFT house or a 4,900SQFT house. A renovation/addition may require more of my time than a new house of comparable size. I use a spreadsheet with a menu of tasks, to which I assign hours for each task, plus fees for outside services (printing allowance, surveying, civil engineering, structural engineering, landscape architect, etc). I may adjust these based on the "******* tax" factor. The spreadsheet determines my lump sum fee based on my hourly rate. 

By tracking my time, I can compare it to my spreadsheet and determine if I'm charging correctly for each type of job, if I'm using my time as efficiently as I planned, etc. Sometimes I incorrectly estimate my hours, but I'd have no way of knowing without measurable data. 

I make well over $100,000/yr doing design work, mostly residential, at $125/hr. 

I built my workstation for CAD, 3D rendering, and VR. I have an NVIDIA QUADRO P4000 card, 64GB DDR-3200 RAM, and a Ryzen 2700X processor on an X470 Taichi board. I have been very pleased with the graphic quality and performance. 

Because Hilton Head is a barrier island, our building official dictates that all new structures must have engineered foundations and wind design details. Between this and the engineered subfloor systems being provided by the lumber vendor, my liability is extremely limited. I further limit it with the following Disputes clause:

"Should any dispute arise relative to the performance of this Agreement that the parties cannot resolve, the dispute shall be referred to the American Arbitration Association for resolution.  The parties do hereby agree to waive their right to sue in court for disputes that must be submitted to arbitration.

The arbitrator’s decision will be final and binding on both parties, and it is agreed that judgment on the decision may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. All administrative fees for arbitration, and any attorney fees that shall be incurred in the resolution of disputes, will be paid by the party not prevailing in the dispute. In the event that DR Design & Consulting does not prevail in the dispute, the parties agree that DR Design & Consulting shall not be liable for compensation to Clients in any amount greater than the Total of Fees herein plus all administrative fees for arbitration and Clients’ attorney fees."

I use fixed fee design contracts based on a rate of $125/hr, and I charge hourly for work beyond the original scope. 

I'm new to the forums, but I am not new to Chief Architect. I'm interested in networking with SC architects who are Chief Architect users, preferably in or near the Hilton Head/Savannah area, to possibly collaborate on the following types of projects:

• Residential
  • new homes in high end gated communities (3,500-4,000SQFT, $1M-3M property values)
• Commercial
  • new construction and renovations of commercial properties (Groups A-2, A-3, and B )
  • new construction of mixed use buildings in historic districts (typically R-2/B)
  • new residential projects under IBC (Group R-2)