HumbleChief

An expert in either Sketchup or Chief or Vectorworks can create this symbol in about the same time - under 5 minutes in Chief with Glenn's video proof above. If I just started Chief and I came from a Sketchup background I'd be screaming about the stupid Chief 3D tools. I'd be screaming in the same way if I came from Vectorworks or AnyOtherCAD. If I just started Sketchup it would take me MUCH longer to create this symbol and the same with Vectorworks etc. I keep making this point but for me Chief can make all the symbols I need for my business. Awkward at times and downright cantankerous at others but it can be done and having the forum member show their skills here is very refreshing and a great learning experience for me.

Glenn, Glad you got your video chops figured out with Jing. Look forward to more. Oh Yeah forgot you could change the angle of Symbols after they are created - nice tip.

Good points Rod and I agree. I really appreciate all the input in threads like these, so much still to learn - about all the options available.

Great input and like I mentioned in the video I posted there's people a lot smarter than me that will be here to add their knowledge. Also nice to see how a program like Vectorworks works, and especially in the hands of someone who has obviously used it for many years or at least is very proficient. As impressive as those features might be we are really comparing apples and bananas. Two programs with entirely different purposes and once again it comes down to a person's business and the model that works for them. If someone thinks Vectorworks is fast at these tasks then so be it, but the long, long, long, learning curve has been forgotten as one 'blazes' through such tasks, which look neither fast nor easy to someone unfamiliar with a program like Vectorworks, or TurboCad or WhateverOtherCAD. For me personally I don't want to learn Vectorworks or AnyOtherCAD. I don't want to create symbols that require that kind of complexity and expertise. Why? Because my business does not require it. If yours truly does then my empathy extends to the amount of effort required to get all the needed pieces completed for your business. I can create or import almost anything in Chief that is needed to run my business and satisfy my clients but I also accused Chief tools of being an insult to the term pathetic in its implementation and I even think that's too kind. It's a struggle in Chief but it gets easier over time and there's ways to get everything I need for my business done in Chief. Again business model, business model, business model. Not rooting for Chief and wish things were easier but learning another program and the (overlooked and barely mentioned) incredible learning curve is not for me. Please Chief spend some time improving these (non) features for those who need them.

You probably have to create a symbol then tilt that - one of Chief's weakest points IMO. Here's a video on how I would do it. http://screencast.com/t/GEOrzzjOCIWl

Thanks Curt, Hard to imagine adding to the huge amount of existing videos but if there's a specific problem someone has maybe I can help with a video, other than the fact I'm usually asking instead of instructing, maybe I can help.

Try these. http://www.chieftutor.com/roof/

Thanks Mike, Chief Tutor is where I got the multiple landings idea. I got it pretty close but never did figure out the part wall part railing.

Have tried quite a few methods but am stumped. Ended up creating individual landings within a newly defined invisible wall area but the pain was pretty severe. Can it be automagically? Any help appreciated. I'll try and post a plan but a technique would be greatly appreciated. That outside part wall/part railing has me stumped as well.

Usually that on board graphics card gets disabled in the BIOS. To get to the BIOS setting you need to press a certain key while booting and that key can be a little different for each BIOS and computer. You should be able to find how to get into the BIOS with a manual or google it online to find the key. Looks like it's the F2 key. Hold the F2 key while booting up the computer. That should get you into the BIOS and the audio card settings are in there. Disable the on board graphics. Many times as soon as you disable the on-board grahics the other card will be enabled but there might also be a setting for that NVidia card to be enabled in the BIOS as well. Hope that helps.

There are tablets that will run Chief better than 'any given' worst/slowest laptop, like Microsoft's Surface, but no Tablet that will run Chief as well as the best/fastest/gaming LapTop.

The shot looks good but no way to tell if it's fast without your settings and the plan to compare times. 10 passes in 30 minutes is really fast - or really slow depending on the lighting, settings, photons, caustics etc. Run the same RT on your older LapTop and see what you get. Also send screen shots of your settings - advanced etc. and that will get you a lot of much better help. BTW the audio on internet video like YouTube takes a cr@p while RayTracing here - should I stop watching cat videos? You can change the settings as advised above if you want the priority to go to Chief instead of RayTracing. I've never tried it because I want to cook my RT's as fast as possible

LOVE your videos!! I was as frustrated as you when trying stuff out and the auto rebuild terrain was not working as you saw, even though it was checked, oh wait sometimes it does update. So I was making changes and nothing was changing in the 3D view - crazy making. I really like your explanation with the zero starting point and all other levels relative to the floor levels. I made the mistake (although it came out fine) of starting with the upper level at -102" because That's where the entry to the house was and blah blah blah I can see it makes no sense but got it to work somehow. Thanks again for taking the time.

Thanks Scott, I thought I had this figured out but don't do them that often. Your vid looks like it's still loading but will take a look as soon as it does. I did get a reasonable representation of the terrain using elevation regions, was just stumped by that initial weirdness. And as Perry said my terrain was not auto updating, even though the setting was checked. Another thanks and have a Happy New Year!!

Thanks Perry. Can't for the life of me see what you did differently. Maybe added the 0" height terrain region above? Will Elevation regions interact with JUST the Terrain Perimeter (video show it does not) or do they need another data point, like a elevation line or region in order to have an effect on the terrain? Very much appreciate your time Perry and I'll continue to thrash my way through. Happy New Year to All.

I added a video. Really don't understand Elevation Regions or Terrains. http://screencast.com/t/Yv8WRwHtO4kU

Yeah I've got that entire lower area beyond the house set as a single elevation region. The plan has it being short of the edge of the terrain feature but extending it all the way doesn't change that weird upwards slope. Plan is attached if you have time.

Sorry Perry it is an elevation region. I'll edit the previous post.

I'm always befuddled by terrain features and I've created what I'd like to be a flat 'elevation region' but for some reason it slopes up at the edge (technical term). Here's a pic and the plan's attached. terrain question.plan ...and yes it's a very strange subterainian garage with even more terrain hell coming up but if I could understand this elevation region that might get me started.

Shawn, The 4790k is a lot of CPU and you should see good RayTrace times but good RT times are never fast enough. Did you try and directly compare RayTrace times between your new rig and your old laptop? If your times with the new rig are slower than your old LT then there's a setting that's wrong or there's another problem. If your new rig is faster than your old, by how much? If your new rig is faster than your old then there is one more, much more difficult, adjustment you have to make - your expectations. I got a rig with dual Xeon's and I think the RT times were halved from my older i7 - still takes forever in my mind. So unless you compare directly, with the same file, same settings, your expectations might be getting in the way. If the new is slower than the old call the tech support guys, they are a great help. Also like the other posters said RayTracing takes 100% of the CPU (mine pegs all 12 cores at 100%) unless you have your preferences/render/raytrace set to "Optimize for Chief Architect" which should use less CPU and leave more resources for Chief. While I'm RayTracing and all 12 corers are pegged I can still use Chief with no problems so that's another thing to look at. Get's me back to the tech support guys. Let us know what you discover.

Good solution I think, but for me, not being the sharpest tool in the shed, it took a while to figure out it was the return. After that you could probably solve it in a couple different ways.

Thanks Perry. Never really used it, didn't realize how powerful that tool was. Took a bit to figure it out but it worked great. I'll put that in the data base.

"Generate Cross Section Views along a custom plane and use breaks to create steps in the Cross-Section" https://www.facebook.com/ChiefArchitect?fref=nf

Great idea and never thought of using that tool that way, actually never knew that tool worked that way. Thanks

What I would like to know is how do you get that railing wall that's up against the garage to butt against the brick instead of ending up a few inches within the brick wall?