DBCooper

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Posts posted by DBCooper

  1. So some of your switches are set to "auto change" but most look like they are not.  Not sure how you got there though.  Maybe you set them this way on purpose?  Maybe you placed some from the library instead of from the plan defaults?  I *think* placing from the library always turns off this option.  Maybe you replaced ones in the plan with library ones?  I played around with the replace but I got some mixed results so not sure about this one.  Regardless, if they are not set to "auto change" then they will not become 3-way or 4-way switches when wiring them.

     

    Also, some of your electrical connections are attached to the electrical objects and some are not.  Not sure how you got here as well.  The easy way to tell if a connection is attached is to select the connection.  If the end handle is a filled circle, then it is attached (to something but it might not always be what you want if you have multiple objects close or overlapping).  If the end handle is open, then it is not attached to anything.  If your switches are set to "auto change", then they can switch from 3-way, 4-way, or  back to 1-way, whenever the connection is made or broken.  Not sure if there is something you can do that would cause all the connections to all get lost but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if there was.  

     

    None of this actually explains how you got into this state.  Hopefully, it will give you some things to watch for to see if you can figure it out.  If you do find something, then you should let us know and then maybe report it to Chief too.

     

  2. I think you have some walls set to use the default top and others that are not (probably because you manually changed the height in a camera view at some point).  If you pick a wall that is already set to the default top or bottom, then the checkbox will be disabled.

     

    Try clicking on the wall tool and then using "marquee select" to select all of your walls in the plan and then you will be able to set them back to use the default wall top.  After that you will need to rebuild all of the framing (not just the walls because you have some floor framing that is sticking out past your walls too).

     

    I'm pretty sure that HD Pro will work the same as Chief in this case but I don't know if your version is old enough that there might be some differences.  Probably lots of reasons to upgrade but this might not be one of them.

     

  3. Another way to avoid accidently selecting and moving things is to use layer sets to hide all the things you don't need.  Chief's way of using saved plan views is a good way of handling this but I don't know if revit has something similar.  If I want to work on the foundation plan, or the framing plan, or the roof plan, or the kitchen plan, or whatever, I can setup my view to only show the things that are important and then hide all the other stuff that gets in the way.  

     

    Here is some more info that might help:

    https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/2421/saved-plan-views.html

    https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-03185/understanding-saved-plan-views.html

     

  4. Regarding electrical connections, I spent some time playing with this and couldn't see any problems.  I even tried things like turning off snaps to see if that changes things.  If you can get this to happen repeatedly, then you should probably report it to Chief.  You could also post a plan here to see if someone else has the same issues.

     

    Also, just as an FYI, you can always just turn off the auto switching and then manually place your 3-way and 4-way switches and they won't ever change after that.

     

    • Like 1
  5. I think you will get a copy of a material if you have a plan with an old version of the material and then use a newer version from the library.  They update the libraries all the time and if they change any setting, then you can get two different materials with the same name.  Merging them like Chris suggested is probably the best way to get rid of them.

     

     

    • Like 1
  6. In order to create the drawer box, you probably won't be able to use just one polyline.  You could start with one for the outside shape, create another one for the inside shape, and use the subtraction tools to remove the inside area.  You will also need a bottom but you may be able to use the inside shape to create that. There are lots of ways to create this box though and this is just one way.  Another way that might be good would be to use a molding polyline but you would still need a separate polyline for the bottom.

     

    Once you have the basic drawer box, you will need to convert it into a symbol object so that you can use it in the cabinet.

     

    Here is a tech article that starts with some of the basics:

    https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00761/modeling-custom-3d-objects.html

     

    Here is one that covers converting into a symbol:

    https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00809/converting-an-object-into-a-symbol.html

     

    As for using a custom symbol for a drawer box, this tech article might help:

    https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-03142/replacing-a-cabinet-s-standard-shelves-with-rollout-shelves-or-drawers.html

     

  7. Custom counters will always try to find a base cabinet to use for their settings (such as height, thickness, material, and backsplash).  The problem is that you can't always tell which base cabinet it will find first.  It might be the first one, or the last one, or one in the middle somewhere. 

     

    If the one it finds has the backsplash turned on, then it will put a backsplash along all edges that are against a wall.  I don't think the "side" setting does anything in this case.  I don't know that I would call this a bug or not but it seems to be the way it has always worked (and it took me waaay too long to figure this out).  The easy fix is to just make sure all of the base cabinets have the backsplash turned off.

     

    In Doug's case above, I didn't get the same results as him.  It looks like it might be a problem with the counter edge not always being against the wall.  I think it has to be right up against the wall and not have too big of a gap or any overlap.  I think it is easier to snap it against a wall while working in plan views instead of in 3D.  It might also be an update issue.  Every so often I run into things that magically get fixed by either doing a "rebuild 3D" or "rebuild floors/ceilings".  I would call that a bug and report it to Chief if it gets fixed just by hitting F12.

     

    Now what I really wish we had was the ability to manually turn on/off the backsplash and/or the edge molding on any counter edge instead.

     

  8. Not sure why the copy didn't work.  You might want to post the plan so that someone can take a look at it.

     

    Since your ceiling heights are different, you stairs will probably be a different length so even if you are able to copy them, you will still have to modify them after the fact.

     

  9. I think all you need to do is draw your stairs going from floor 1-2 the same as you drew your stairs going from 0-1.  If you have the same ceiling heights, you might be able to use copy, change floors, and then paste hold position.  If this doesn't help, then you will need to give us more info about what you want and what you are having problems with.

     

    This video might help as well:

    https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/392/aligning-stairs-across-floors.html?playlist=89

     

  10. I *think* you will get point markers added automatically anytime the dimension line loses the original object it was dimensioning to.  For example, if your dimension is attached to a cross section line, and the program regenerates the cross section line, then it will get replaced with a point marker.  This is why you don't really want to dimension to cross section lines.

     

    My guess is that the dimension lines in your gun rack detail aren't actually locating what you want them to.  You might want to post your plan and someone might be able to give you a better answer as to why it is happening.

     

    As far as this happening more often in X17, I hadn't really noticed it myself.  I would suggest that you report it to Chief though if you ever want them to change it.

     

  11. Do you have "use active window size" checked in the export picture dialog box?  If you don't and you are using some other image size, then I think the program will always need to create the image again at the size you set.  If you are using the active window, then it shouldn't need to.

     

  12. I don't know of any way to get Chief to generate that spiral railing (or volute) automatically.  Your best bet is to find a symbol for it and then manually place it and the balusters under it.  You might be able to get Chief to generate the curved steps but this can also be tricky so you might need to give up and just model them with landings or maybe even polyline solids.  The curved and sloped wainscotting can also be a bit tricky if you are trying to model it exactly as shown in the lower picture.

     

    BTW, there is a bonus library with some stair parts here:

    https://www.chiefarchitect.com/3d-library/index.php?r=site/detail/1296

     

    This stair video might help some but I think it really only covers some of the basics:

    https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/271/adding-stair-fittings.html

     

    And last thing to try is a search on this forum for "volute" which should show you some old posts that might still have some valuable tips.

     

    • Like 1
  13. I think if you draw your walls clockwise, then it should work out ok regardless of whether you have an inside or outside corner. 

     

    The other thing you can do, is just draw your walls out fast and then go back and adjust them to get the dimensions correct.  This is kind of old-school Chief.  You just draw the shape of the room and then you move the walls by typing in the dimensions to force them to be accurate.  This also works best if you go around the room adjusting the walls in a clockwise direction.

     

    And last bit of advice, if you have not watched the quick start videos, I highly recommend them:

    https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/playlists/138/quick-start-video-series.html

     

  14. Are you only using the invisible walls to raise the ceiling to make a tray ceiling?  If so, then you might want to try using the tray ceiling tool instead.  Not really sure why you are getting holes though so you might want to post your plan so that someone can poke around and see if you did anything to cause that.