HumbleChief

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    6064

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by HumbleChief

    Calling All Terrain Gurus (In X7)

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    Larry,

     

    Are you saying that even though you have Auto Rebuild Terrain toggled on, the terrain is not auto updating?

    Yes. I was working on a plan and noticed nothing was changing in my overview as I changed elevation regions etc. Happened again while adjusting regionss right before Chief crashed. I just keep an eye on it now and if it stops redrawing I'll save, close and re-open the plan.

    Section View - Final View Lighting

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    Alan, Can you create a transparent mask to go over the top to lighten things up? Seems to work here but may not give you the flexibility you're after. One good thing is you could create various transparencies for different areas and they would be adjustable (lighter/darker) and remain with the elevation.

    Need Help From A Professional (Or At Least Someone Who Has Done This Before)

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    Larry,

     

    Don't even think about doing any Condo projects if you don't have insurance.  I won't do them anyway just because there is always going to be a lawsuit and you'll lose everything you own if you don't have a lot of coverage.  The same thing is true for most commercial buildings.

     

    The insurance is one reason that Architects have to charge more.  We have to carry coverage on our projects well into the future and it's the client who is going to have to pay for it.

    Trust me I get it Joe and have no interest in Condos or insurance. As soon as a condo project gets approved the documents for suing every sub involved come flying off the lawyers desks ready to be filed after the first rain and every window leaks. Been down that road.

    Need Help From A Professional (Or At Least Someone Who Has Done This Before)

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    Robert - What mainly drove all of these mandatory designation requirements related to the City washing it's hands from any liability what-so-ever, it all falls onto the submitter. It was also a way to cut costs, the building department was spending way too much time providing advice & guidance to every renovator trying to get a permit with a chicken scratch of a drawing. Now as you said so politely they can focus all of their "expertise" on the professionals.

     

    Graham

    Interesting Graham. As designers we can't even get any insurance like an architect or engineer can but if were licensed somehow? I wonder. I shudder to think as I carried huge liability insurance as a GC and never used the $300,000 costs for a single repair. Do NOT want to go down the insurance road again. Do they require you to carry ins. in Ottowa?

    Need Help From A Professional (Or At Least Someone Who Has Done This Before)

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    Robert - It's more stringent here, the city will not even look at a plan unless it has been stamped by an Architect, PEng or Certified Designer. The only exception is for the residential homeowner who can prepare and submit drawings directly. If they think the homeowner is just acting as a go around for a behind the scene non-professional they will even refuse these. Best not to make the drawings look to good if this is what you are doing.

     

    Graham

    I always wondered why California didn't adopt the 'must be licensed' requirement for Designers etc. Maybe just a matter of time?

    Need Help From A Professional (Or At Least Someone Who Has Done This Before)

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    Designing houses and running a design business are indeed 2 very different things. Running a business requires a different skill set but those skills can be learned in the same way as any skill is learned and it sounds to me like you are doing exactly what's needed to get your business up and running.

     

    There will be some successes and some failures. You'll start out without a contract until you get burned, then you'll develop a contract that works for you. You'll under charge, you'll over charge until you figure out what's fair and what the market will bear. There's so much to learn but business is a great way to learn so much about yourself and about people. And oh yeah before long you'll have stories to tell. Ones you can't make up about clients that did things that you will never understand. Over the years you will figure it out and if you want to replace the 'yous' above with me's and I's you will have read a little of my experience already.

     

    Best of luck..

    Need Help From A Professional (Or At Least Someone Who Has Done This Before)

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    To: Robert Lackore

     

    When you say lots of draftsmen/designers start with a two-year technical degree.  What is this degree called?

    Technical degrees are great and if you feel better having one then get one, however you do not need one to start designing. You just need the gumption to start your business.

     

    There will be many replies with all the cautions you must take and there is no reason to not be prudent but if that's enough to stop you in any way, or if not having a 'degree or certification' stops you from going forward with your passion to design then find something else to do.

     

    There are risks but life is designed that way with rewards coming to those willing to risk. It's a long journey but even the longest journey begins with the first step. My advice - take that first step.

    Need Help From A Professional (Or At Least Someone Who Has Done This Before)

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    Depending on what state you live in, like here in California, you do not need licenses or special permissions or certifications to 'design' residential structures. Anyone can submit drawings to our local cities but if there is engineering required then you need to explore that option.

     

    My clients will sometimes refer to me as an architect and I correct them immediately and call myself a designer. As far as I know there's no legal requirements to being a 'designer' again here in CA..

     

    I had absolutely no design experience when I started 'designing'. None. Zero. Zilch. I would grab plans from other Architect/Designers and try and replicate them (no not copy them for those about to chime in about copyright issues). Then I would submit them and the plan checkers would send me home with the craziest corrections because they could smell the newbie on me. But I kept at it and now almost 15 years later I still struggle but am busier than I've ever been.

     

    My advice to anyone starting out in this (or any) business is to simply start. Do you have Chief Architect? Then draw all day. Everything you can think of. Watch all the videos. Learn all you can as if you were committed to making your business thrive. I converted about a hundred details to Chief to learn the CAD tools.

     

    Pricing? There are no short cuts. You have to figure out what your time is worth and not charge people to learn Chief. Not easy and you'll get it wrong most times but overall and in due time you'll figure it out. Again no short cuts.

    Video Recordings

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    The paid version is Snagit 12. 

     

    Jon

    That's what I'm using. Used Jing for a while and it's pretty good but limited space for vids. I use Snagit to send videos. Great presentation tool and a nice surprise for clients. Next step up seems to be a lot more expensive.

     

    Files are big BTW.