HumbleChief

Really nice, that first bathroom looked real. Graham your PBR work is outstanding and I know how much work you've put in to learning Chief's PBR ways. Nice job and thanks for sharing your techniques and knowledge.

BRQ

...again, happy I could help...

...would love to see it

Cool, of course you could always use a 'post' with cross box too no?

Chop, didn't use auto cross boxes, those are the framing members shown in 'framing, wall' Layer. There's no individual posts or beams, all done with the wall definition and materials.

Thanks Mick...

Happy to help...

This has been my experience as well...

Ah, so nice when the smart guys chime in...new there was something but couldn't bring it up - THANKS Eric!

Never tried this before but seems like it might be an easier method other than manually placing posts and beams? One question arose though, Is there a way to place the beginning or end of framing in a specific location? The framing doesn't seem to want evenly space itself across a wall and was curious why? Anyway hope this helps someone in some way... POST AND BEAM WALLS.plan

... and they are straight too.

Thank Bill, Thanks Kevin Rod, The link that Joe provided and that Bill posted a pic of will work great for my purposes - assuming that the TJI company has already done the necessary calcs..

NICE!

Here's another option below. Create a wall def that has 8 x 8 (or custom size) framing members @ 8 ft O.C. with single 10" deep top plate, no bottom plate - see the wall def dbx - and build as normal walls - simple roof 48" overhang, season to taste etc. etc. Could not be built as drawn without very substantial beams to support ridge/king posts etc. but it's a start... Oh yeah, correct the roof pitch as needed. BOB TEST 1.plan

Did you try stretching the layout box? Or opening each PDF in Layout and resizing?

Can you upload the Layout and suspect PDF's? Hmmm... I import PDF's all day every day with some sluggishness eventually but no major problems. Never heard of the recommendation.

Well you know how that goes when someone else googles what you googled all morning - piece of cake. It's like having the wife finding the tool you misplaced, even when it's right in front of your face...but thanks again...

THANK YOU JOE - looked for something like that all morning!! Over and above - really appreciate it!

Thanks Joe but really only need a simple span table that I can refer to. Span is 20 ft but I think as soon as I add any kind of calc I suspect I'll need to justify the load/span as you suggest. Just can't find a TJI span table for ceiling joists. San Diego County span tables show 2 x 8's will work but we'd like to use TJI's without having to calc the span. Funny I've never run in to this before..Thanks again

Seems like a weird question but I can't find a table for TJI's as ceiling joists, only floor and roof. Anyone with any experience with same? Thanks

Let me please add one more thing. DO NOT hesitate to post questions and problems here, even though they may seem basic. There many who understand how difficult the Chief paradigm can be and are more than happy to help - even with basic stuff. And some of us who are only capable of helping with basic stuff

If you do that search you will find 'components' for creating your own details. Have no idea how that might help you with your question but it still seems like you are looking for short cuts and easy fixes. I TOTALLY understand your dilemma but if you're going to use Chief, as you've discovered, there's no easy way out. Best of luck.

One of the first things I ever did when I first started using Chief was draw details. My brother ran the field work and I did the drawings and contract work and I would copy details from plans we had worked on by other architects because I had no idea what I was doing. I spent hours drawings details. Looking back it seems rather silly but I learned all about Chief's CAD tools and how they worked, how to copy and paste from one detail to another and gradually I built up a usable library (plan) of details that I STILL have to change with almost every job as crazy as that sounds. Another strategy that involves a structural engineer is to have them do the details for your plan and if you like one that might apply in the future, recreate it in Chief and save it for the future. And of course don't steal copyrighted stuff etc. etc. but recreating a 'shear transfer detail at eave' shouldn't land you in any hot water and you'll have a detail for future use. So again no short cuts I'm afraid....

I know I keep saying it but I feel your frustration as I went through the same things albeit many years ago. Trying to understand the essence of your post it seems like you need a strategy to detail your sections by searching through Chief's library to find something you can use. I personally have never found a ready made detail I could use and have, after 20 years of Chief, created a plan file with tons of details that still seem to need customizing for each new job so in that regard there really isn't any shortcuts that I know of for creating details. Chief does have a custom library of CAD details you can download from their catalog site but again I've never found anything I can use but maybe you will. The only way I know of to get details that work is create them yourself, yes, one at a time, save them for the future and modify as needed. Video might help. Good luck. Quick EDIT: I've also found that I draw very few details on my more complex plans, leaving all of that to my structural engineer. Don't know if that will work for you or not but it's a thought and gets one more task off your desk.