HumbleChief

Chief will get you pretty darn close with its automatic tools. All you have to do is notate Chief's stairs and you're there.

Something like this?

Brilliant Mark - worked a charm!

No doubt he is but this must be a very common operation, no? Perhaps not and I need to convert each line one or two at a time, just thought this would be a simple things that was done by many people in the past but I guess not so much. I tried attaching the ACAD file was not allowed to do so but they are all pretty much the same. Many, many, layers blocks text etc. and no way know which is which from the arcane layer names. I'll just muscle through. Also tried to attach the plan file with the imported ACAD drawings but got a weird sad face in the upload box when trying to attach the file. Never seen that before. Anyway thanks for the replies I'm off to get some work done.

Yeah, that's the problem but near impossible to separate all the layers or even know which layer is which from ACAD as those file contain many many layers with unknowable names.

Thanks Michael, If one line is chosen or a select few that box appears, but 'selecting all' that box doesn't appear. I can select all then change to the default Layer which is CAD default, black, but none of the colors change. I can change one or a couple at a time but not all of them.

Import ACAD drawing to default CAD layer color set to black. All original ACAD colors remain. >Select all>choose layer>line set to black>OK - no line colors change. Can't change line colors all at once. Select single line, change color to black, or select default layer with black lines, color changes to black. How to change all line colors to black at once? Thanks

That's a GREAT tip Perry. I missed the video - Thanks. But when I tried it there was no change I could detect. Maybe the raised floor? Either way the exterior layer of stucco on the footing worked.

Yeah Perry, thanks I got it with that extra 'exterior' layer. thought I was able to paint it in the past but like you say, not the best idea. Was that not just a little weird though that the foundation would disappear when painting?

This is weird, or not depending on your skill level. Mine is not high enough to figure this out. Thanks in advance. Plan and video below https://www.dropbox.com/s/3td49tbqwcfn4dh/TOMLIN%20AS%20BUILT%202.plan?dl=0

It seem like this would be good plan for tech support.

Why do you think moving the floor levels as little as 1/16" fixes both sets of windows?

Nice - what about the window over the entry?

If you drop the floor height of the deck over the garage as little as 1/4" the windows show properly - no idea why. Or raise it 1/4" same thing, seems to work but don't know why. Any change in the floor height on the second floor reveals those windows. Curious.

Nice job Chop!

I don't think life works by general rules about anything. I have met the worst craftsmen ever who ran great businesses, and I've met great craftsmen who ran the worst businesses. I've seen great designers who find ways to offend almost every client, and mediocre designers who have a trail of countless happy customers. 'Professionals' who are the worst people to work for and with, and pickup truck napkin sketchers who create fabulous stuff. Each of those people find the clients that match and no matter which regulation comes along those people and their matching clients will find each other. It's always worked that way and always will. I moved back to California with a $200 Chevy Malibu with a green vinyl landau roof that I drove from Washington state in 1988. No money, no license, no training, absolutely no experience in my next adventure. All I had was a passion for plants and landscaping. I started a landscape company solely based on that passion. I had no idea I was doing it wrong and people loved my passion and my designs and skills and I simply ignored the fact I shouldn't be doing what I was doing without licenses etc. That meager beginning brought me and everyone here, by the same means, to where they are today. They change the rules? So what - adapt. Some people need a 'professional' licensed someone to take care of their designs. Some people don't want licensed professional people anywhere near them. There's an a$$ for every seat and a client for everyone who takes their commitments and agreements seriously and who has even the slightest passion for what they do.

Getting plans through the city planners these days in California is indeed a daunting and crazy making task. Somewhere in that crazy is more opportunity if you can find it. The more difficult the task the more expertise required. The more expertise required the more money can be charged. The hard part is staying sane through the crazy process. And yes here in California we are already required to have licensed engineers sign off on most projects but the 'designer' does not have to be licensed - yet.

...I've been BSing my way through plans for 15 years.

There's more than one method, check the training videos under 'Layout'

Cool Scott, I had scheduling problems the last couple meetings - hope I can make this one!!

Are you on the correct floor? Sounds like you might be on the attic floor looking for a doorway on the floor below? Wild guess.

I would very interested in the workshop as well.

That's a great idea Perry.

Of course it's user error but whether it's user error or not seems a silly argument IMO. Once a user knows how Chief works it's pretty easy to figure out - it's the 'knowing how Chief works' which can be difficult to intuit. The example Richard give clearly shows how Chief works so anyone who doesn't know this behavior will think there's something wrong with Chief but it's 'user error' because the user has to understand Chief's behavior. Is it the user or Chief's behavior? I would have thought that raising the floor then lowering it back to its original location would have kept the footing in the same location like it would in the field but Chief has shown time and time again it works nothing like buildings do in the field. Like working floors from the top down. You would never do this in the field but Chief has decided that this is the paradigm that works with their software. If you don't get this backasswards way of thinking then once again it's 'user error' but it really is an error in the paradigm Chief has decided upon IMO. Fine, now the users who don't know you need to work floors from the top down (seems weird even typing it) - which is every new user to Chief - has to learn this as well as many other idosynchracies that don't make intuitive sense or behave like buildings do in the real world. Fine again and not really a big deal as all software programs are difficult but every time Chief has an opportunity to make things more intuitive they seem go the other way.

Found it. Thanks Richard, I had a long run of cabinets and a couple cabs in the middle had the counter tops still turned on and the custom counter top was applying that counter top setting everywhere.