Kbird1

Hi Glenn , you are right the Soffit always builds to the Main layer ...ie the Framing , so you are saying the Main Layer should be set to the Plywood? At least in this part of the World where all house are Clad in Plywood (or OSB) , I guess I could make the Plywood the Main Layer, but that somehow seems wrong... Still not sure why we get no soffit backing / framing though? I could not stop the Siding at the Soffit and there still appears to be Drywall? on the Attic side of the Energy Heel , so perhaps I have a setting in my template plan messing something up , if that doesn't happen to others? And back on Topic I found that the 15" Limit mentioned above needs to be higher by the Vertical distance of the drop needed for a "Reduced Gable end" Truss, lets say 1 3/4" to get an energy Heel truss to build as an End Truss/Reduced Gable Truss too. The weird thing I also noticed was that the Top Cord of the End Truss was actually cut down to 4" rather than the whole Top Chord being dropped by the 1 1/2" needed to put out "Outlooks" as CA calls them.

Hi , I wasn't saying at all you are wrong......there are issues......I just put 10" in as I knew it would/should work. There is a magic hardcoded Number it seems and the magic number, at least at 8/12 pitch is a Total Height at the Wall Framing line of any number more than 15" ( not 15...more than 15) eg 15" 1/18 , from Top of Top plate to Top Edge of the Rafter ( or top chord) , that will get you a Energy Heel Truss , 15" and below will not , it will generate a Cantilevered truss. The VRD (Vertical Rafter Depth ) must be subtracted from 15 1/8" to give you the measurement to put into the Birdsmouth>Raise Off Plate Height, (CA Method) so at 8/12 a 2x6's VRD is 6 5/8" , so that number to get and Energy Heel Truss is 8 1/2" ( try 8 3/8 = no Energy heel.) ( it seems to work the same if you set both Birdsmouth measurements to 0" and use the Roof Height > Raise/Lower Setting --- GlennW's way.) I don't claim any credit for this Information , it was discussed about 2 years ago according to the PDFs I made in 2015 (attached) and Came from Curt (CJ) and GlennW, from a Thread back then, Curt created a Cheat Sheet for the VRD's at different Pitches, and I use it when needed, I am not sure if the 15" is at all Roof Pitches , (have not tested personally) or has something to do with the % you mention, as I remember several discussions on this over the last 5 years or so.... Perhaps Glenn or Curt will see this thread and explain it better than me... ***edit , I tried 5/12 in my test plan and it is 15+ inches there too to get a EH Truss. ( using Curt's cheat sheet again) I am still not sure why after so long Chief still does not Auto Frame the Soffit properly with a Ledger and blocking , ( whats holding the Soffit up? ) or why the plywood doesn't continue to the top of the wall , or why the Siding goes right through the Soffit to the top of the top plate.... or why we sometimes get Drywall in the attic etc Curt's Energy Heel Info.pdf Helping to Understand Heel Heights in Chief Architect.pdf Roof Pitch Degrees Reference.pdf Trusses - with Energy Heel .pdf

Thanks Michael phew...you got it in 1 think I unchecked it after watching Scott's 20 minute DSH Workshop video...I wouldn't have figured that one out.... Weirdly the End truss is generating differently from the Rest...( white) with no energy heel ( it is checked) while the rest do have an energy heel after all (black) ...I only noticed this as I did a Full Framing overview..... In the above pic I had used Cross Section View instead of Back Clipped Cross Section in Error so it was showing the end truss at the very end too , so I thought the E.H. Trusses weren't building....been a while since I played with this so perhaps the issue I am seeing is just mine? Not sure Why CA insists on building that small wall between E.H. Trusses either... (Blue) 2x10 vertically Blocking perhaps ...or are some areas actually made to do this?

I was just playing with this as I usually do it like Jared suggested only we don't usually need 2x6 Top Chords here and it's usually ok but I do remember some kind of Bug as you describe Michael in the past relating to the total height over the Wall plate....not sure you can find old threads about it or not? At least so far with a 2x6 top and bottom Chord my Energy Heel won't build... And for some reason my Trusses only show in cross section this morning if I turn colour on ??? must have clicked something I shouldn't have

I think what 7654321 is referring to is the fact that you don't want to see ICF Foam above Ground level , so change the ICF Wall type to ICF-Masonry or Siding in those areas or adjust the Wall definition to whatever the Final Wall finish is ..perhaps Stucco ? (plaster). He was not saying it would fix your gap issue... M.

If they have an earlier version of Pro , they wont be able to open your X9 files , you can't open files from newer versions , you can open older Files ...just don't save them in X9 or they become un-editable/openable in the older version. ( so do a save as to a new name to preserve old File) If they want the Materials list Offer it as an extra Service and charge for it....ONLY with a very large Disclaimer as the ML does not work like a Q.S. does , there are no allowances for Waste and some things just aren't that accurate, and it only has exactly what is in the Model in it .... so if you use workarounds and let CA do Auto framing etc then YMMV. the ML is something I am hoping is improved on in X10 but I am not holding my breathe.

It's not one I have seen before ...bit strange... but I haven't seen a 37" brick ledge before either.... that front wall could be made a Pony wall with the bottom 36" as a copy of the Main wall definition with the rusted metal set as the outer layer ....that way you don't need to use Base cabinets for that....and it's basically all done Auto. you could of used a Wall Material Region in X9 too or the old standby of a Soffit from the Cabinet Menu with the rusted material applied. In the wall definition I also noticed you are dimensioning to framing ...is that normal where you are? allowable ? cos it could make a Building too big , like a back yard Office or shed maybe allowed for eg 12'x12' add plywood or osb and you are an inch over requirements... something to check in your area perhaps, and ply wood is normally Flush to the Foundation line. M.

Perry maybe right X9 has a number of changes under the hood when it comes to the Graphics engine , it's also possible your videocard does not fully support X9 , perhaps call Tech Support and get them to help you check those things out. Things going Black in Raytrace is usually a Metal Material which isn't optimized for Ray tracing eg Chief's old stainless steel material .....I am assuming there is no metal on your ceiling Tiles though

If you have a Parallel Port Hasp ??? the simplest thing to do would be to buy a PCIE to Parallel Port Card ...$25-$50....just make sure it has Drivers for your OS https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Express-Profile-Parallel-PEX1PLP/dp/B004G7O2AC/ref=pd_cp_0_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1CPBGBER62ZXTX2DG8Y1 or even a USB to Parallel Port Cable may work ??? $10 https://www.amazon.com/C2G-16899-Parallel-Printer-Adapter/dp/B000UX21PY/ref=pd_sim_0_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1CPBGBER62ZXTX2DG8Y1 I would do more research , the above are just examples for you... I am NOT saying they will work....

post the .plan file and see if someone can help Make sure the Plan is close in CA when you try to attach the .plan file , as long as it is under 25mb you can post it direct without zipping it , just drag the file into the area in the reply window.

It looks like you are using the incorrect Dimension Scale when you place them , ie you are in 1/2" scale when you should be in 1/4" scale when you click Auto exterior Dims etc. Auto Dims tend to get very cluttered and can even double up, so you may need to deleted some or alter the sqft area covered for auto dims in the default settings to something like 50' sqft instead of 10' to see if they space out better. Use the Edit>Delete Objects>All Floors>CAD >manual dims and Auto dims to remove them ....and try again.... Use Alt+ F2 ( Print View) so you can see what you will get.... If you are really new to CA , then the User Guide on the Help menu has a series of Tutorials to walk you through things and teach you are you go and there is alot of information in Tutoral Format on the KnowledgeBase too (KB) eg your question about Roofs I saw early... of this question to , there are 9 Tuts. on Dimensions ..2 related to this issue... https://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?r=site/download/898&version=6

you can use a Soffit from the Cabinet's Menu , make the material 3/8 thick and Glass , Standard. Then sit it on top of your 1/2 wall. assuming I understand what you are trying to do? There is an Office Cubicle Library too ...maybe it has what your are looking for in there premade for you ? worth a look... https://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?r=site/download/898&version=6 M.

there is a 3D Text library provided by Chief ...I have not played with it myself though... https://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?r=site/download/639&version=6

posting a copy of the .plan file is the best idea.... Graham and Jintu are both great at Raytraces so are your best bet to a fix , but they are having to guess without a copy of your plan as there are just too many variables. M.

Turning on Print preview (Alt + F2) may show you what's happening too?

Not sure I 100% understand what you are trying to do but have you checked the Scale setting next to Character Height in your 2nd Pic? is it 1=1

you appear to have at least 3 different exterior walls but the pic is too small to see details and I think you have selected the wall behind the cabinet? so I am seeing a Temp. Dim. line there? not a different wall definition. Turn on the Show position in Camera view for each light so you can tell where it is pointing, it will show a red cross with a Blue end arrow so you know... try the Pucks as Spotlights not point light too , the RT will take less Time.. ( one of Graham's Tips) Do you have your Foundation Built ? weird things happen in my test plan here when I don't... You didn't lose some lights inside the cabinet did you while placing the pucks ? puck usually place with 0" offset from the ceiling..if not dropped on a wall cabinet. Graham (KitchenAdobe) is one of the Resident RT experts ... post your plan and I am sure he will figure it out.... I see light bleed around the Cabinet Door Panels , which I don't think is a Sun problem as the Sun angle appears to have changed between the Pics.... ( light coming in windows) PS Nice cabinet BTW....

Judging from the light bleed around the door and window trim and Crown moulding I am thinking you haven't completed the 3D Model , eg build the Roof / foundation etc edit.... I see the 2nd pic now.... looks like the puck light angle is wrong perhaps since I see light rings on the Wall/back of the cabinet , not the shelf... at two different intensities too? uncheck auto intensity and try a small custom setting like 5% not sure why the cabinet doors are "glowing" is the wall behind the Cabinet "built" properly? almost seems like the two potlights are lighting the cabinet? or do you have User placed 3D light too? M.

Post the plan..... But I think you can do it by drawing the wall full length , then in a Elevation View shape the Wall to the desired angle , it may require messing with a soffit or wall material region to make the Drywall look right though... Try a search on HomeTalk too ...I think I posted about this over there at one point too. M.

If you don't want to post the plan , then check out this Tutorial on the Knowledge Base (KB) ...always a good place to check 1st if you have Questions.... https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00955/creating-a-clerestory-style-roof.html

never owned a Mac but one idea comes to mind is to make sure CA X9 is using the Nvidia dedicated graphics card by default , not the Iris Pro... , There are issues on Windows Laptops when this happens too , ie the Computer is not switching to the Nvidia Card when it tries a 3D view... Always a good idea to put your details in your Sig. for further posts too.... see mine for how... M.

Looks like you have accidentally turned off Colour in Vector views to me hit F8 or got to View>Color or there is an Icon too on the toolbar looks like a house with a 1/2 black and white Roof. Yes I agree , the Posts look like the CA default 2x2 Newel size....always thought that is weird setting for CA to use OOB for Newels... M.

I have been using the free BullZip PDF Printer for a while now with no issues after having problems with PDF995 "disappearing" and with CutePDF trying to add "other junk" ... give it a try , as I haven't taken particular notice of File Sizes but I probably aren't producing Large ConDoc Sets like most of you either... http://www.bullzip.com/products/pdf/info.php

Looks like a Modular Type Home System he is duplicating Glenn... looked strange to me too.... http://www.metrapanel.co.nz/

Both Good Options I'd say , the money spent on HD Pro is also reimbursed if you upgrade to Chief , so no real loss there.... I'd be tempted to Rent X9 for $200/mth if She thinks She can handle the Payments and the Builders are doing enough to pay for it though... and She is think of this as a long term Biz. Opportunity ...15 mths and CA is all Hers....not sure if the Rental option qualifies for Free upgrades eg if X10 comes out before the 15mths is up...but I'd assume so...but check. M.