HumbleChief

ALWAYS buy as much muscle as you can. Check the specs on the 940MX and 960M. Here's a google search comparing the 2. https://www.google.com/search?q=940mx+versus+960+m&oq=940mx+versus+960+m&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.5814j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=940mx+vs+960m

I know that the number of posts showing on the simple forum profile is not a direct link to the length of time someone has been in the forums or with Chief architect but in case there are relatively new forum members, or Chief users here it might be beneficial to posts your thoughts in the suggestions forum. I would personally like to see this conversation (again) in that forum rather than in this thread where some great suggestions might more easily be ignored.

+1

Great posts and insights both facer and Jonnoxx IMO and you really seem to have a grip on the current situation and the market as it relates to Chief. Major change seems to come very slowly to this company but will it prove their undoing? Or will it serve their current market focus of small firm, single family residential homes and kitchen/bath design far in to the future. No way to tell but the decision at the company seems very clear. Stay focused on their current market and leave the larger markets to the larger players. Staying with what brung ya can be a great business decision but if the winds of change blow through the design industry, and they blow against you, it can be a long hard business lesson to recover from. Can't see the future but am hoping for the best for Chief in the long run.

Couldn't agree more....just been there, done that, for many, many years and if someone else wants to pursue the needed changes in Chief, which again, I wholeheartedly agree with, then more power and best of luck.

Really wish I had the mental resources to use both programs, kudos to you sir.

Sorry, laughing a little, as you seem to have missed the rest of my post " I agree with your sentiment and have been frustrated by Chief's 'Floor User Interface' paradigm since I first opened the program." I actually agree with you, as I posted above, but sometimes it's better and more fun to argue a point, even with those that agree with you - I get that - but I've been around these parts for almost 20 years and have tried and tried and tried and tried to get things changed, in more ways than you'll ever know and I have seen posts with very valid sentiments like yours for almost those entire 20 years and have learned to accept Chief for what it is and the Chief personnel for who they are. Great people, great company, with simply no interest, as far as I can gauge, in making the kind of changes you are suggesting. Have I given up trying to get the changes made? Yes I have. I am just too busy to try and change things that won't/can't be changed but in the meantime Chief is an awesome product that makes a living for me and I welcome any changes including the inconsequential fluff. You are, however, welcome to take up the mantel of needed change at Chief Architect. I sincerely wish you the best of luck.

A lot of current users like the way Chief works now and any changes would, of course, have to be carefully considered to not alienate current users. Completely changing the way Chief does things would be a really bad business decision IMO. Un-needed/wanted learning curve for current users would be the biggest downside again IMO. But there's so much that can be done and keep the current paradigm so current users would be happy to jump in. Take the current floor spec. dbx. All Chief really has to do is make that silly little graphic (which has been with Chief almost since day one) larger and clearer with terms that are a little easier to see and understand. Maybe have short explanations about what some of the terms mean and why? If you have a monolithic slab perhaps there shouldn't be a floor height associated with that kind of foundation. There a few more very simple changes that could remove some of the confusion and keep the same paradigm so current users could simply proceed as normal, just a little more clearly perhaps.

Even with this video shown in post #92? http://softplan.com/?page_id=1284

I agree with your sentiment and have been frustrated by Chief's 'Floor User Interface' paradigm since I first opened the program. After 15 years of use I am just now beginning to understand the interface. Some people get it, others not so much. I'm in the not so much camp and would love a complete overhaul but that's some very heavy lifting (read expensive) for a program as mature as Chief. And where is the motivation for Chief to make such sweeping, expensive, changes with a program that creates the basis of a (we must assume) thriving, profitable company? Also agree about X9 but even though X9 may have some unimportant 'new improvements' it will be a better program all around and those users familiar with its ways will likely not be disappointed. Please remember though that through all the incremental changes Chief will be Chief will be Chief and they are good at what they do even though some users don't like the way they do it. Again, why change the basic foundation of the program? There's simply no incentive to do so and I wonder how many users would even welcome such a change? I've been using Chief a long time and it has created the basis of a very good business and for that I am very grateful. Would I like to see some major changes? Sure. Do I expect to see them during the useful life of my using Chief? Not so much but I will remain hopeful and keep using the program as intended and look forward to any new features.

Don't see it happening with today's hardware but it's coming some day.

I'm using 24 cores in my system. It's not the fastest dual Xeon system by a long shot but it crunches some serious giga flops and other computer stuff - still slows down with large models. Just sayin' - it's the way things are with Chief until speed becomes a priority and even then only modest gains should ever be expected with a program as mature as Chief. $2500 - $3000 should get you in the right zip code of a fast system, but still expect slow downs with large models. Build it yourself and get a REALLY REALLY fast system for the same cost, but still expect slow downs with a large model.

I have many, many large plans that slow to a crawl especially with 3D views. 5 - 10 second redraw times become the norm after a plan reaches a certain size. My system is fast but even with a lot of CPU muscle a large plans will slow down. Had 2 or 3 that became almost unworkable. Sent them to tech and even thought they are always very kind and helpful there was no cure. Haven't read nor seen anything in any sneak peek about Chief being faster overall (other than a claim about faster undos) and frankly it would surprise me if it was. Most upgrades add capability at the expense of speed but perhaps it's different this time? Again I'd be surprised. If you take your Chiefing seriously you simply have to spend whatever it takes to get as much CPU and GPU you can afford. The investment will more than pay for itself in time saved.

Pretty sure this is the way it works now...

+1

Here's a few more terms you can wow your buddies with at the Architects Golf Tournament. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/design-dictionary-do-you-know-these-25-obscure-architecture-terms-223463 http://www.archdaily.com/775615/150-weird-words-that-only-architects-use

I assume you've tried the 'All On' layer set? And made sure every layer was actually set to display? Checked all floors? Hit cntrl 'A' to select all? Hit the show all icon? That's all I got.

+100

uh, duh my clients and I use the term all the time....

Took me a long time to understand that there even was such a thing as a reputation point and that there are those who care about such things but alas there is, and there are. Can't be helped in our sometimes petty world but I'll give you a point (if even know how to really do such things) as a warm, don't worry about it so much, kinda greeting. Merry Xmas and a Happy Holiday

....and entablatures...

There's no texture assigned to that material. Patterns show in Vector View, which you can see if you switch views, and textures show in standard 3D views. I'd pick another material from Chief's stock siding material or create/find a material texture if you must.

Got it Joe and yes very useful indeed. Thanks

What's TMM? and thanks in advance Joe.