HumbleChief

Thanks for the reply Michael...I remember when I first saw that feature I was like, "Wow, this will be awesome for some custom 3D details." but upon closer inspection did not materialize.

You could create ceiling planes in the areas noted but without an accurate plan pretty tough to really help.

Do you know of a way to show solids in a cross section slider view as she has posted? I would LOVE to know how that might be done. I tried a couple different ways with concrete joists and other such, but never got solids to show in a cross section slider view. Still think solids n that view would be KILLER for 3D details. I see she also wanted to see solids in a simple cross section view, which should be very easy with the proper layers turned on but I think, like you suggest, having the plan would make it a bit easier to really help.

Sadly Chief does not show solids as solids in that cross section slider view you've chosen. I have thought for a while it would be a real game changer for 3D details but I haven't found a way to fill those solid type materials with a solid fill in cross section slider views. Nothing fills that I can see, framing floors slabs etc. Probably saves on some programming overhead? Don't know but would be a great upgrade IMO. May be a work around out there but it would be just that.

Interesting for future reference

Instead of creating second floor walls and a second floor room 'open to below' create a room divider wall on the first floor and spec that room without a flat ceiling. Then you can delete the second floor offending walls as they are really serving no purpose. You can note your room as 'open to below' on the second floor as you have done but no need to actually create an open to below room on the second floor - just eliminate the ceiling on the first floor, and get rid of the offending second floor walls. See if that works for you current_test_2.plan Oh yeah as far as those attic walls not behaving correctly, I have been using Chief for 20 years and have NEVER had them behave correctly - EVER. You'll need someone with a higher pay grade to figure those walls out....

I wonder if my local truss company would build a curved bottomed truss??

There are a few clients around these parts where the cost of gigantic custom trusses (and custom engineered hardware etc.) isn't much of an obstacle. Those are pretty rare as you can imagine but I've seen them built in a couple homes. There's a place in Texas that will do the work and ship but again, really pricey.

As good a guess an any Eric. Hope to hear back from the OP and offer some help but you never know...

Yeah true that, or create a custom curved bottom chord truss out of larger lumber - also very expensive. Have you ever done a curve bottomed truss? I have custom ordered some pretty elaborate trusses but the cost killed the project - or at least the trusses.

Obscure but very helpful for the future. Thanks Dermot

Larry, Sorry missed the point. Not sure why you're getting gray instead of black. Maybe a simple re-boot?

Here's a quick vid on curved bottom roof trusses. Simple and easy for some but a bit more complex for others and for a beginner it can be downright frustrating as you've discovered. Hope it helps. If you need to create a custom truss, that's another process.

Do you have a picture or rendering of what you are looking to accomplish? Different techniques will better fit different design intents.

Those were great article Richard. I have no worries about such things but I love to learn about the defining nature of them. It looks like the burden is on the Architect to prove that the design is somehow a direct, protected, copy of the original design. Not easy from reading those two pieces. Thanks for taking the time to dig those up...

Yes but "How much change constitutes a new and unique design?" and who makes the call? ..and apparently there was enough within a mainstream design to be protected by a design copyright to sue (and win) a builder in the above mentioned article/case which seems like they blatantly used some existing plans without any changes (which seems stupid on its face but we are humans after all). And how much of an 'artistic element' need be involved and when has one 'copied' that artistic element or merely been inspired by it? And who makes the call? Kinda curious how the case mentioned played out...

I couldn't read all of the article because of an ad blocker I use but I was curious at what point is a 'copy' of a house design no longer a copy? How much change constitutes a new and unique design? Change only the roof lines from a gable to a hip - is that enough? Enlarge the Master and move the closet - is that enough? Reverse the garage? Reverse the entire plan? Change exterior finishes? Window locations/sizes? I would never consider completely copying a design because I've never seen one that didn't need my touch to become my and my client's design but I would certainly start with a sound design that a client liked (from pictures or whatever the source) and customize it, but how much would that design need to be customized it before it's no longer a copy? When should you feel comfortable that the design is now unique enough that you won't get sued and who's making that call?

Glad I could help...

Never tried that - I like it....

...block your selection and click the add to library icon. Apologies if that's too obvious

I see that. Yes. Open each roof dbx, lock the pitch and set the fascia top (or bottom) to 168" - should work OK. And yes you can raise the roof without affecting the ceiling heights.

...or just open the plan I posted and see if that doesn't do the trick for you.

Super confused here. Why would you need a second floor to simply set different ceiling heights in different areas of a single floor building? Did you check the plan? Or the video? Really curious and it wouldn't be the first time I got it all wrong but am interested in what I am missing?

Did you check the plan I posted? And take all the steps in the video? Those issues were all resolved. Build a mono slab foundation and that should get rid of the stem wall. Then follow the video or use the plan I postsed. A 168" eave height? Just set the eave height on the roof to 168" ?? What am I missing? Are you using eave height to mean something else? Because eave height is set in the roof dbx and can be any height you choose in conjunction with the baseline height. Top of eave? Bottom of eave? Here's the plan again. Just change the roof eave height to 168" and you're done. - again unless I'm missing something. ceiling plane 2.plan.

Bob, I see no reason you can't set the ceiling height to 10 ft. in the rooms you choose, make sure there's a ceiling in those rooms' spec, and then make sure there's no ceiling in the warehouse area. Chief should handle that condition easily without having to resort to a custom ceiling plane. Plan attached below. As always there might be something simple I am missing but seemed pretty straight forward. I re-did the video to eliminate looking for that pesky stem wall... Oh yeah I built a mono slab foundation as well. I didn't see one in your original plan. ceiling plane 2.plan