HumbleChief

I did this once and used the method Scott describes with a second floor structure built into/under the second floor. If you want a big empty space you could create an air gap the size you need and fill in framing manually. You could also manually draw in any joists you need to run in another direction or note your floor plans with the proper joist direction. Sections are very easy to notate as well without necessarily trying to get the model perfect.

www.chieftutor.com is an amazing resource, and I echo Michael's advice to post your specific questions here, you'll be surprised at the great help available.

...cue Mr. Carrick the symbol master...

That looks really good - I'm on the wait list - out of stock at the moment.

As everyone has pointed out regulation is a 2 edged sword. I rail against too much regulation but I also know that without it we'd have a huge mess on our hands. I used to go to Mexico quite a bit where regulation just doesn't exist and we'd surf with raw sewage spewing from the resort hotels along the beach. Trash everywhere. Buildings ready to fall down with the slightest breeze. Block walls that did fall down with the slightest breeze. No regulations other than who got paid what to get the job done and every consequence long or short term, ignored. During earthquakes buildings literally jump off their foundations. Hold downs are good. Shear walls are good. But these days the engineers are so conservative I keep waiting for a spec that requires a thru bolt to China with a lock nut to secure a 2 x 4 wall that MIGHT be vulnerable in someone's paranoid delusion of a 9.0 earthquake, which if it occurs I don't care how many hold downs you spec, that building is history.. When developing large tracts of land I know that certain developers would crap all over the lakes and streams to make an extra dollar, causing genuine damage. But how much caution can/should we exert. Not an easy question, and I think, as Bryce pointed out, if we as a species would control ourselves and consider the long and short term consequences of our actions we wouldn't need any regulations but that's not the species I'm familiar with. I always think that if we can live above any moral imperative to obey certain laws and regulations then we don't need regulating, and that's how I try and live my life. I don't need laws against stealing, I just don't steal. If I'm building in earthquake country I will build as safe a house as possible. I don't need an environmental law to keep me from polluting a stream, if I can see my actions are polluting that stream I'll take action to stop. Of course that's not the world we live in and any regulation, designed to control people who won't control themselves is, unfortunately, going to be here for a very long time.

Do you guys really need the island outlets to be just right in your 3D island views? Curious.

I feel bad for those who need outlets to look good on an island in 3D. I have a gfci outlet symbol I made from a CAD drawing that I place in plan view on the island. It doesn't even have a 3D symbol attached. No problem and I've never had a client even whisper about there not being an outlet visible in 3D. To each their own of course and I hope CA fixes it for those care.

NO SOUP FOR YOU!!

Constant battle to keep floor heights as default and original settings.

It works with an invisible wall - probably not in the rules eh? And can't copy and paste, but placing them from the library works OK. FAIL. When I reopened the plan the outlets were on the exterior walls. Sigh. BBB SCOTTS CABINET ELEC OUTLET CHALLENGE ANSWER.plan

Cool Thanks

The one method uses an attic wall and the "Build Framing For Selected Objects" option is not available for attic walls. No big deal - just sayin'.

...did you know that that option isn't available for an attic wall?

Misbehaves around windows/doors but might have some possibilities.

That's really good looking Mick, nice work. I downloaded the textures - thanks. Does it frame OK around windows? I'm going to post this technique in the tips sections, which I think is a little different than yours, but doesn't behave so well around windows/doors etc.

Didn't realize I was even creating board and batt but it's pretty flexible, and frustrating as all Chief adventures are. I'm going to post something in the Tips Forum in case it helps someone.

More musings...

Thanks as always Glenn. After reading your last post Glenn I see I didn't do it as you suggested with adding a framing layer to the outside of the wall definition. I found when I did that, I think, the entire wall wants to frame @ (in this case) 4" O.C. Building a separate wall allowed that wall to be frame at 4" O.C. then that framing retained, and then that wall moved into position. Very slick.

That was a pretty interesting demo. It almost looked the I-Joists were burning of their own accord and the lumber need the pallets and other stuff underneath to really get them burning. As far as safety goes, it's impossible to take life, which is inherently unsafe, and make it totally safe. Regulation is good, up to a point IMO. The art is knowing where that point is - AND - we still take our #$% shoes off at the #$@$ airport - I rest my case.

You guys are great. Nice video Michael and great tips. I've got one more gable in the rear of the house I'll try another technique there. Thanks very much for the help.

Didn't work Ray - thanks.

Whoa that's a great idea Richard. I've come across 2 jobs, one an as built that had a hundred 1 x's I needed to place manually and his job where I want the same look. Tedious. I'll try your idea. Trim cuts the ends off the boxes making them a 3 sided box with an open end. Even the box in CAD detail can't be turned into a P-Line Solid or at least I couldn't find the familiar icon to do so. You know what would REALLY like is to create true 3D textures, like a real borad anf batten that could be applied to a wall. Or in this case a real 3D texture with 1x's spaced as needed then applied to a wall surface. Dreaming.

That's the point I was trying to make in post 74.

I think that's right but a little more research, or even a call to the sales team, will get you a more definite answer.