DBCooper

@Smn842 I haven't seen those problems. You should probably report them to chief.

See if this helps: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00907/specifying-the-on-center-oc-spacing-for-wall-framing.html If not, then try posting the plan.

Can't you just create your own using a back clipped cross section?

There was a link to the notes on the update page: https://cloud.chiefarchitect.com/1/pdf/documentation/chief-architect-x17-update-notes.pdf

Not sure what you need but you could try changing the "bottom offset" for the newel posts.

Larry, you might try working with X17 with the new project management system turned off for a while and see how it goes. I have found that it basically works just like X16 (as far as file management is concerned) and you can then take advantage of the new features without being forced to work any differently. Just curious how come you don't need the GPU raytracing for your business but you still need the CPU raytracing? I have a pretty good video card and love how fast the GPU raytracing is so I guess I am in a different boat. I never really got into the CPU raytracing because I never had the patience to wait hours for an image just to realize that it wasn't quite right for some reason and then had to start over. What used to take hours now takes seconds so I end up using the GPU raytracing much more often now.

As far as I know, stairs and landings are special and are the only things that will display in an open below room that are on the floor below. If you made a set of custom stairs using other objects, like polyline solids or symbols or whatever, then they won't show up automatically. You could use reference display to show them. Or you could do something else like make a copy of them or even just draw them in using cad.

Most plans are too big to attach directly to the forum. I usually make a copy, strip things out that aren't part of the problem, and make a compressed archive (zip) to post. Need to make sure the plan isn't open when you make the zip or it won't work. Sometimes even that won't work so you need to put the file up on the cloud and post a link to the download.

Couple of thoughts... It is better to post pictures directly instead of as a pdf so people don't have to download it and then open it. "Save in plan" won't help with missing links to Chief's plan files. This only works if you have any imported pictures or pdf documents that are missing. My guess is that your associate either didn't send you all of the files needed or sent you the wrong versions of them. They should have probably used "backup entire plan" instead of just attaching files. As far as Chief making this simpler, isn't that what the new "project management" system in X17 is supposed to do? It is my understanding that they built this system for people that don't have a good understanding of file management so that problems like this are not supposed to happen. Not sure if you have looked at X17 yet but you can choose to use the new system or keep doing things the old way. Since the old way may not always work the way you want, you might consider trying the new way. I don't know if Chief has any videos but they do have a tech article that might help: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00022/message-could-not-successfully-open-all-of-this-layout-s-associated-files.html They even have a whole series on file management that might help: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/category/5/file-management.html You could also just click on the "help" button from the "linked view" dialog page and that might have some useful information.

This should be as simple as setting the proper room height for the porch area and setting the pitch you want for the long outside porch walls. If you are still having problems, then you might want to post pictures or plans of what you have. Also, this tech article covers some of the basics: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01179/creating-an-attached-porch-or-carport.html

Walls can get cut off by roofs and ceilings (even if you made them invisible), stairs, or manually edited to be like this. Probably best to post your plan if you can figure it out.

I would check the system requirements here: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-03167/mac-models-compatible-with-chief-architect-x17-and-home-designer-2026.html Then, assuming your mac is on the list, I would call tech support on Monday.

Open the railing and turn on "follow terrain". I *think* "follow terrain" is the only thing that makes a railing into a fence.

Just remember that once you save a file in X17 that you won't be able to open it back up in X16. X17 can read X16 files no problem but X16 can't read X17 files. Also, the new project management in X17 takes some time to get used to it. If you are really set in your ways and don't want to have to learn a new system, you can always turn it off.

Open the camera dialog and look at the "lighting" section. See if your maximum number of lights is set to 8. If so, then change it to something larger than you need.

Since a room divider is just an invisible wall it looks like the stair ignores it.

@Doug_N As far as I know, those "handrail options" only work with the handrail you get along a wall.

Look for a different symbol. There is no easy way to isolate just that hood in an imported symbol. You could delete all of the surfaces you don't want and then build a new symbol out of it but that would be painful in the case above. It would be much easier to just create it yourself from scratch (and probably a good learning exercise). You could build that hood just using a poly solid for the ends and a box for the middle part. The one in the original picture would only be slightly more complicated because of the extra fillet on the box.

You could create a block symbol that "inserts into wall" and then just place them manually in the wall.

Open the layout box dialog and go to label page. Click on "edit" button next to "use callout". On callout label dialog, go to "attributes". There should be some controls for the text above the line and below the line. You can set it to match the callout text style or use a different text style if you want.

You can try turning on "transitions" in the stair dialog. You can even make them "smooth" if you want. The simple case you are showing will probably work but sometimes I see very strange things happen when you turn on transitions.

Post a picture of what you want to change.

If you still have the old version, you should be able to use that. Just open the plan and use the export 3D model tool. If you want to convert the .pl* files into .plan files, this tech article will tell you how to do it: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00279/opening-legacy-files.html Once you have converted them to .plan files, you will still need a version of the program that can open them and export the 3D model though.

Just an FYI, it looks like it's in both "active defaults" and "default sets" in X17.

Why not just use a fixed window and adjust the shape instead? All you really need to know is how high to raise the bottom on one side and drop the top on the other.