DBCooper

Definitely sounds like a system problem but macs are different enough from windows machines that I won't even try and guess how you might fix it. First thing to do though is see if your mac is on this list: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-03167/mac-models-compatible-with-chief-architect-x16-and-home-designer-2025.html I'm not sure if this is the exact same list for X15 and X16 but I think they are pretty similar. The other thing you could do is call Chief tech support and see what they have to say.

Is the material using a texture (or map) file that is very high resolution? Is it using a pattern that vey high density or has a lot of lines? My best guess is that it is something you did with the material. If you want a better guess, post the plan or an exported library with the materials that are giving you problems.

Yes, that is what Chief does when you convert a 3D view to cad (using export DXF/DWG or cad detail from view). It takes all of your curved edges and converts them into straight line segments. I haven't been able to figure out a way to keep them as curved lines.

If you installed X16 on the same machine that you had X15, the program should have asked you if you wanted to migrate your user library. If it didn't, or you told it not to, or if you installed on a new machine, you can always manually copy the library over. See if this tech article helps you figure out how: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00001/backing-up-chief-architect-content.html#User It also tells you how to transfer other settings like toolbars and templates.

It doesn't look like you can change the hardware material using either the style palette or match properties. Seems like an oversight but maybe you need to send them a feature request.

Did you upgrade from X15 or some earlier version? If so, did you migrate your libraries?

What did you upgrade from? If you upgraded to premier from one of the other versions, and you are opening a plan that you started in the old version, you probably won't have all of the defaults that come with premier. In this case, you can either import the defaults and settings from the default template that ships with premier or you could start a new plan using the default template and then copy your plan into it (I recommend using edit area).

Windows has a built in file/path name limit of around 256 characters. This has nothing to do with how much disk space you have so buying a new hard drive might not solve these kinds of problems. You might want to use shorter folder and file names and avoid nesting your file folders too deep. You might want to also check to see if your user data folder is longer than it needs to be which can add to the problem. Another problem I have seen happen is if you accidently open an archive file and then keep saving it back into the archive folder. The file name can get really long in that case. There is some more info about path names in this tech article: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00911/message-cannot-find-or-open-the-file-to-save-your-plan.html Also, this related tech article has some info about organizing your plans: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00562/organizing-your-plan-and-layout-files.html

You might need to open the schedule and check the box to include skylights. They don't get included automatically by default.

My best guess is that your wall type only has a single layer. When the program cuts a pocket hole for the door, it then removes everything. Try using a different wall type or adding a couple of thin layers to both sides of the wall type.

FYI, the "reverse int/ext" option is only available if your door style is using a library symbol. If you are using one of the built in door styles (such as slab, panel, or glass panel) you can't reverse it. Reversing it doesn't change the position though so it probably wouldn't help in this case. I think Eric is right and the "change swing side" will do what you want. In X16, you can also move the door in/out by any amount you want for cases where you don't want it aligned with either the outside or inside of the wall.

It would be really helpful to know what these error messages are. Buying new hardware might not fix any of your problems.

Short answer, yes. Long answer, how also depends on whether your schedule is showing previews. If you have previews, the row height is probably being set from the size of the preview. Doing like Doug shows where you make the column width smaller will usually make the row height smaller. The row height is also determined by the size of the text style used but you can also have either top or bottom margins set. If you want a better answer, posting a picture of what your schedule looks like would help.

Just to be clear, I would first make sure your hardware is at least as good as the "recommended" system listed here: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/products/sysreq.html After that, there can be a lot of other things that can really slow down your plans. Here is a tech article that has a lot of info on improving performance (it looks like it was last updated this year so I am going to assume that all of this is still valid): https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00521/troubleshooting-slowness-in-chief-architect-plans.html

The SSD suggestion is great but if you are already using one then the only thing you could do is see if you can get a faster one. The other thing to watch for is if you are using on online or network location to store your files, libraries, or backups. This can sometimes cause performance problems. Another thing you can do is figure out what is making your plan files so big and see if you really need those things. For example, if you import a 50 page pdf just to show a single page, then create a pdf (or even better just an image) of that page and import that instead. Another big cause of plan bloat is imported symbols. If you can find something in the Chief library instead of using something from the internet, it will usually be smaller and work better.

Try going to "default settings", then "3d view defaults", and then "rendering techniques". This will change it for all views using standard though, not just elevations. I don't know if there is a way to just change the default for elevations but I couldn't find one.

They will always look "angled" because you are using a perspective camera. You could try adjusting the "field of view" (shown at the very bottom of David's picture above) to see if you like it better at a different setting.

You can just open the camera dialog and change the camera name to be whatever you want (such as Elevation 5). You can also edit the callout label to show whatever you want (such as E5).

2. The only floor blocking I could find was down on the foundation. It shows on the plan view and in the framing view. A handy tool is to select the layer you want in the ALDO and use the "find objects" tool. It shows you where things are and lets you select them.

3. Your OSB is marked as "framing" in the floor structure.

Try this: - Select the outlet - Use the "edit cad block" tool - Select the text and then open the dialog - Go the "text style" page and make your changes - Click Ok - Close the cad block window and save your changes - Update all the instances of the block Now if you want to use this for all of your plans, save your modified outlet to your user library.

I was able to get it to work in X15 but I had to change my preferences to "select contained objects". This didn't work in X16 though so you might have found a new bug. You should report it to tech support.

I don't know if it changed because it looks like it works the same for me in X16 as it did in X15. Eric's suggestion didn't work for me because it also selects your plates, unless you don't mind deleting those too. I think you might have better luck by working in the wall detail. Drag select seems to work much better there.

You don't need to switch to units to export a high resolution image. You just need to uncheck "use active window size". Depending on what works better for you, you can either specify the image size in terms of pixels or in terms of size/dpi. Either way, if it generates more pixels than what is on your screen, it will look much better than a screen capture. My guess is that it will also look better than making a smaller image and using some other program to make it bigger. I could be wrong because now that those programs are using AI they could theoretically "enhance" the picture so that it looks even better. You might end up with some doors that have 3 handles and a cabinet with 4 sinks though.

A screen capture will never give you better than screen resolution. Even if you have a 4K monitor, that will not make an image that will work well for a marketing poster. The File->Export Picture tool will let you make as big of an image as you want. It can generate a very large file though. If you do the math for a 600 dpi image for a 24"x36" poster, that will be a lot of pixels.