HumbleChief
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Posts posted by HumbleChief
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J,
Hard to guess without the plan but did you try changing the roof heights by adjusting baseline height or moving plane up with transform replicate? They should not join if you raised/lowered the planes first.
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Nick, If you select the Layout box and then open, then close, one of these 2 dbx's - sorry can't remember which - it will update the Layout. Just open and close the dbx. don't need to change any settings etc. Been a bug for many versions and happens much less often but have seen it a couple times in X6 and can't remember it happening in X7. Impossible to reproduce or document but I've seen it a few times.
Sometimes you just have to re-send to Layout.
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Old Timmer has a valid point.
I see where he is coming from looking at the old forum I have been around for 12 years on these forums.
Take for example our old friend Wendy Welton who came from Revit she is an Architect and was a power user of Chief. Last we heard she was caring for her aged father and I have not seen her post here yet, have any of you seen one?
To me thier seems to be a small core group who dominate this forum and where they get thier time from, I don't know. They must have little sleep and not much of a social life and have delegated thier work to CAD technicians or something like that?
Me, I am partly retired that is why I have time to post.
I want many others users to post so we get a broader view.
Back to Chief, my opinion is if you live in the US and do lots of houses use Chief for fast home modeling kind of like a sketch up tool but more specific for houses.
Revit users who do houses in the US need this very valuable tool that we call Chief in thier arsenal.
Sorry Glenn, OT was not talking out of his Back Side mate, at least from my point of view?
One could interpret Wendy's fewer visits here as Chief's user base 'falling off' but I believe she is actually running a thriving Design business based on Chief architect. I think she has 12 seats from a recent post. So if there's an implication that some older (not older that way Wendy) users are not posting here much any more it's far from accurate to say that therefore Chief's user base is 'falling off'.
What if it were just the opposite? The fewer posters here the more busy that user is and the more successful Chief is actually becoming? Heck maybe some day I'll be so busy and have so little leisure time I won't be able to post here at all, because I just bought 4 more seats (hypothetical) for my thriving Chief design business.
And I too would like to thank all the users who help on this forum. It's one of the main reasons I check the forums often. First I check to see what I can learn, second I check to see if I can help anyone myself. It's rare that I can but it feels good to help after receiving so much.
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I have Curt. It was window trim that was (I thought) exactly the same color as the siding but I had to change the color to get a match. I think there was a reason for it and it might have been solved but can't remember what it was. If I think of it I'll post.
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That works Perry but like you said - have to swap walls.
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Thanks for having a look Scott. I'll live with it and maybe try another option later today. Really appreciate you taking the time.
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...in the Perspective Framing Overview? The pony wall is on the "Walls, Normal layer by default and turning that on displays all the wall surfaces. I place the pony wall on another layer but it also displays all the surfaces. Surface delete works but I was wondering if there's another way to show the CMU block pony wall and the framing without using surface delete?
http://screencast.com/t/uMR2jMQS
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Isn't it better to seek largest base you can? Seeking us common folk, is just a better business plan. Sell more programs, make more money. Architects also love Chief, b/c it's that good.
Just had another thought along these lines Perry. In your business do you seek the largest base you can? Or (as I thought I remember you saying) do you stick with residential and not so much commercial? I'm not doing much commercial any more (I price it really high and don't land the jobs) as I found it very distracting and an entirely different skill and mind set. Does that analogy work in Chief's case as well?
As I keep focused on the residential market, and my client base grows and my business just keeps getting busier, should Chief do the same? Get better at what it does best? Or try and be all things to all designers/architects? Critical business strategy decisions.
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Isn't it better to seek largest base you can? Seeking us common folk, is just a better business plan. Sell more programs, make more money. Architects also love Chief, b/c it's that good.
I guess that's the part I wonder about. Is it better to seek a large base that might include commercial as well as residential? Or stay focused on the residential market where Chief really shines? Would it be smart to try and capture AutoCAD's market share? Or Revit's? Not an easy decision in my mind.
Another market that hasn't been mentioned is the design/build firm which has a designer on staff but no real need for an Architect. In my area I've seen work from a few of these firms that use Chief and have a business client who uses it in his design/build company because the design/build company he came from used Chief. Actually he worked for a few that used Chief.
That's a great market that seems to favor software like Chief instead of Revit etc. although I'm actually making that last part up
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Glen has been here a very long time, he knows. Lets face it Most Architects just won't buy Chief b/c most also do Commercial work, Chief is not really suited to them. At least right now the forum is busier than I have seen in 10 years.
Yeah seems busy to me as well. Is that an indication of Chief's user base growing? Or falling off? Can't know.
And focusing on residential building, a subset of the general Architectural market, might be a great strategy. Might be a horrible strategy.
Do you think Chief's future is bright? Or in jeopardy because of the limited market it serves? I'm hoping for the best for purely selfish reasons but the business world is full of businesses who zigged when they should have zagged.
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How is relating a personal experience or thoughts something that needs to be backed-up by proof? That seems like an odd thing to be asked to prove.
I think we've established in previous threads that is seems Chief's primary customers are (1) DIY and (2) Builders...as seen in CA marketing programs. Unless Chief were to release documents or other things we aren't asking for, I am not sure how to "prove" this as a fact but this made up a very small portion of my comments.
If you re-read my comment on the AIA meeting, it was that I did mention Chief and the reception of that comment was one of bewilderment. How you are getting to a point of suggesting they would feel lesser of me is a bit odd. Of course the value of that statement is in how (in a generalized way) architects don't view CA as a professional tool - and that should be well known by everyone here. I dont have "proof" of this statement, but Id be surprised if its questioned.
Further, are you suggesting that you are never asked what software you use by your clients? I am constantly asked this question for some reason.
No need to prove anything but somehow we, on the forum, have established that Chief's customers are primarily DIY'ers and builders? Really? Then therefore what? Chief's primary customers are DIY and builders? Drawing that conclusion from a forum discussion makes no sense and no one can know that to be true unless CA opens their demographic studies for us to examine. That's all I'm saying. You can make an argument about Chief's future based on made up suppositions but why?
I get asked about the software I use but my clients don't care. Why would they? Remember there are many different business models using Chief. I do residential remodels. My clients wouldn't know an Archicad from ACAD to save themselves.
And so what if 'Architects' (in a general way) don't view Chief as a professional product? Maybe Chief's business model works very well the way it is. Maybe it doesn't and needs changing. I'm just saying there's a lot of suppositions that can't be taken as fact and perhaps shouldn't drive the discussion.
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Actually, I need to apologize. I made some observations and while I stand behind them I should not expect any of you to understand. I think it is easy enough to see but that's me. I guess it's simply a matter of how you choose to see things. Anyway, I am sorry I wasted your time as well as mine. Won't happen again.
Seriously? You apologize because we don't see the world the same way you do? Or perhaps there isn't 'any of you' who are smart enough to see things your way? And what's easy enough to see? That Chief's user base is 'falling off' as you stated? I'm saying you simply made that up and there's no way you can know that to be true. No need to apologize to us simpletons who can't see the simple things you can so clearly see. But there is a need to post factual stuff that adds to the discussion instead of making stuff up that you can't know to be true.
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I'm also curious about ReVit and ACAD but not curious enough to try them so I'll remain ignorant and see what I can learn from those who actually use the software.
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This thread has taken a bizarre turn (hey don't they all) with someone worried about telling someone else that they use Chief Architect and another poster claiming the user base is 'falling away'.
Really don't understand why someone would not say they use Chief. My clients don't know anything about design software - nor do they care. They care about results of course, but don't care what I use. Is there really any risk to telling someone you use Chief? I mean real risk, like losing a client, or losing business because of it? Or is there only perceived risk that the fellas at the local AIA meeting will think lesser of you. Really?
And NO ONE on this forum knows the extent of Chief's user base and whether or not it's 'falling off' or not - NO ONE.
And builders are Chief's primary customer? And when they go who will be left? A supposition simply made up out of whole cloth. NO ONE on this forum knows the make up of Chief's users.
Like I said a bizarre turn, in this case with absolutely no basis in fact.
It looks very much like we are taking our beliefs and finding a way to bend the facts to match those beliefs instead of learning the facts and changing our beliefs to match the facts.
I'm curious about all the above suppositions but until I learn differently I'll remain curious and not make any baseless claims..
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Bob, Always smart to do a goggle search. I searched "build terrain icon in chief architect" - came up with this.
If 'auto build terrains' is unchecked as soon as you modify a terrain that little icon shows up. And of course your response might be, "But I never changed it to begin with." Computer magic for sure.
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Those things make me nuts. I don't know either. I've seen it before but can't remember how to get rid of it.
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Heading out the door but will post later. Hope I do not get my head chopped off.
Transitioning to Revit.
Used Chief since '97.
Biggest upfront differences: Revit costs $6,000 and is a harder to learn.
Jeff
Whatever works best for you Jeff. I would be hard pressed to spend $6000 on any software package and very very hesitant no matter the perceived upgrade.
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I do a ton of different presentations and some landscape design as well and the plan presentations are not so good. 3D stuff is very good for my uses and clients are always wowed. For example just love those trees that VW can do.
Making me hungry..Yeah we should meet for lunch and I play really bad golf too. Been to Twin Oaks quite a few times. Stupid busy right now and will work through the weekend to try and catch up but let's make some time.
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I think Chief's terrain tools are probably pretty good but I much much prefer Vector Work's ability to create stunning presentations with trees symbols that look - er stunning. For my business presentations are everything and I work very hard with Chief's OOB tools to achieve nice looking results. Would be nice to have more VW type tools.
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I agree it's the little things like the inconsistent behaviors that can make one crazy using Chief. Not sure if it's a bug or like you say a deal breaker, but it is a bother.
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I set up my cabinets with a cherry finish and set it to default with the little plus icon thingy. I then set another cabinet with Oak finish off to the side of my plan. I select the oak cabinet and click the little plus thingy and nothing happens.
I've seen a video (which I can't now find to save my life) and read the knowledge base where all the cabinets should change to the new Oak cabs after selecting them as the new default but nothing happens. Stumped. Any help appreciated.
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Just a reminder. I get so used to closing Chief and just clicking the save box for every plan that's open but it DOESN'T always ask to save.
I've had it happen 4 or 5 times since owning the program but Ctrl 'S' will always be your friend when you're feeling lazy.
Layout Pages Still Not Updating X7
in General Q & A
Posted
Maybe PC specific? Not sure but it's been discussed for many years. Not sure who came up with the solution above, well not really a solution, but it works ONLY if you notice that your Layout has not updated. Maybe the problem lies in examining the solution posted above?