HumbleChief

Another simple question - does anyone else have trouble with this simple task? Or are the steps very simple for everyone else?

Not yet, thought I was just stupid. Did you see that last video? Where I added up the 2 minimums and got the stem wall height? I'll do short version.

Perhaps you are right but doesn't it still beg the question as to how to set the default stem wall height? The dbx clearly states a minimum height for a stem wall but nothing specific, just a minimum. Isn't that just a bit bizarre? I just posted a video with really unexpected behavior or least nothing I would have ever guessed would happen. I added the 2 minimums together to get the desired result. Have you ever seen that happen or knew that it would?

OK, this is blowing my mind a little bit but I THINK I figured it out. If you add the min stem wall height and the min garage height you get the overall stem wall height. But wait, that's not how Eric's plan is behaving??? Or a blank plan from my template. Very confusing.

Thanks Johnny. Yes indeed if I delete ALL of my template plan and build walls from scratch (blank plan) the 18" minimum in the foundation defaults creates an 18" stem wall. My plan defaults to 30" every time and not sure where that number is coming from....

Thanks Eric. Might be a little easier to draw after setting defaults but I have a template plan that I use and would like to reset defaults from monoslab to stem walls. Can't seem to get it to work as expected.

Thanks but can't find a setting in defaults>foundation for stem wall height. There is a setting in Floors and Rooms>Current Floor but no matter what I set it to it turns back to 30" like it's picking up the 30" from another setting I can't seem to find.

Apologies in advance for my continued ignorance and frustration with Chief's structure dbx but what should be the simplest 'structure' tasks have eluded me for almost 20 years. I am trying to set the default stem wall height for a crawl space and for some reason the foundation keeps changing from the 18" I would like to what seems like and arbitrary 30". Dumbfounded, but I attribute that to simply not being as smart as I thought I was, or least feeling stupid every time I try and figure Chief's structure paradigm out. The long time forum members know how inept I am with the structure dbx and ignoring this post would be quite understandable but any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated. On a related note, within the foundation default dbx what is meant by Minimum Garage Height? Is that garage ceiling height? Just found it in help. It is the minimum garage stem wall height. Why can't the structure dbx simply state that? Sigh... Does this setting have any bearing on the default stem wall height? I keep getting 30" and can't determine where that number is coming from... Thank you stem_wall_height.plan

BUT...I think a key note tool is considered a very basic tool that should be included in any design software pretending to be a professional tool.

+1

Suddenly started working - have no idea what I changed. Thank for all the help!!!

Hey Jintu, hope you're well. Tried that and every other setting i could think of. Just added a sun angle to the plan view and still nothing show though the windows. Still thrashing.

Thank P. Moved it every which direction and angle, must be a setting? Still stumped. The sun changes on the exterior but doesn't show through the windows. Could have sworn it always did. Can't figure it out.

...argh - hate to post such stupid questions but I've spent an hour trying to figure out how to get sunlight to show though windows with a render (not RayTrace). I can change the angle of the sun but the light just won't shine through. Too simple I am sure but I cannot figure it out. thanks VERY much in advance. Here's my default setting/splan LIGHT_PLAN_1.plan

+1

Thanks Michael, Wished I had waited for your advice but I THINK I chose the correct options by selecting 'Replace Existing Defaults" instead of 'Rename' and 'Use Existing Layer Sets'. Looks OK and should only affect this single plan but your idea is better me thinks.

Is there a way? Can't really understand the cryptic options for importing Anno Sets - Thanks

...yes but there is no way any user would know this as Chief doesn't tell anyone about this 'feature' so your (OP) confusion is understandable.

One can also not set the solid fill color of a p-line box to a default of one's choice. It's just like the early Models T's black, black, or black. I fill 95% of my boxes with white but there's also no default for this setting. Asked a million times but some things will never change in Chief. Yes I know we can set up a tool icon and other work arounds for something most people expect to find in a 21st century software program but should we have to? Shouldn't this type of functionality be built in? Just like the OP, I think it should.

True that. I have 3 monitors of various resolution (see sig) and an older 780 NVidia card worked great as does the newer 1080. If you have 4K stuff then you might need the video card muscle. If not you can save a few bucks by buying a slightly lesser card than the 1080.

Yeah, that's a bit weird to think of Chief as something other than CAD software but as Lew points out is does not share the same characteristics as ACAD etc. and plays by different rules.

Yup, that's a good bet for Chief and if your budget is tight you can save a little on the graphics card by going with the 1070 instead of the 1080 and putting that money elsewhere, and still achieve very good 3D performance in Chief.

That's an all round bad choice for Chief. Check the responses to the other thread you are in.

Don't forget the the CPU wars are really ramping up right now so if you can wait you should see price drops across the board.

The dual Xeons ( I have them) will be great for RayTracing but not so great in all other areas. Chief likes clock speed and good single core performance and only seems to respond well to lots of cores when Ray Tracing. I've done tests against other machines with newer i7's and they outperform my dual Xeons in (more important IMO) every day tasks which is where the rubber meets the road in Chief. If you Ray Trace ( I hardy do any more) then the dual Xeons will be great. This is not to mention that if you had dual Xeons of the fastest around then perhaps it would be a great machine all around as well? Dunno. But for budget and value the best i7's will be a better bet for Chief IMO - as well as the Nvidia cards versus the Quadro cards.