VisualDandD

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  1. VisualDandD
    No egos at all! I appreciate it. I too want to do things the easiest way. Been a while since I messed with this, so I am glad it came up. I like your idea from a 3d point of view, but it does not look how I want it on floor plans. Here is what I did, a little better explained this time. I fixed the wall line definition so it displays the porch perimeter properly in plan view. I fixed the siding issue (on right side for illustrative purposes) using the wall break tool and then used the edit intersection tool to make sure the siding went through as I wanted it. (You break it at the "T" intersection) d d porch with pony reverse and arches ver2.plan
  2. VisualDandD
    I like to do most of my work in 2d but you are right. One thing that I need to change is the line properties of the lower layer called "no wall" so it only has a single line at the outer perimeter. That way it will display better on floor plans. I am thinking this ponywall method is an advantage in that way as well. (being able to have floor plans show porches defined by walls more accurately). I then generally go in an manually draw CAD for any beams required on a layer I create for that purpose. Depending upon the engineer I am working with, sometimes we only do "A's" and everything in on floor plans. Others like separate "S" pages. I have layer sets defined for either purpose.
  3. VisualDandD
    I am not sure if anyone else does this....but I thought of it a few weeks ago and wondered why I never did it before. Basically a pony wall with no wall on bottom. Makes a nice tool for setting porches and getting siding right. I used to use invisible walls or railings and then detail with soffits...etc. This works much better and plays nicer with other 3d elements. (dont have to mess with as much stuff to get to show right in 3d. I use it not only for arched porches, but any porch really. porch with pony reverse.plan
  4. VisualDandD
    If you really think you have created something that no human has ever conceived you might want to protect it. Otherwise, just post the plan. People in my opinion are silly about protecting their designs. Anyone that wants to can copy any plan very quickly with or without a file. Posting a plan helps tremendously for guys that know the ins and outs of Chief. Remember, it is YOU that is asking for help. They are not soliciting your plans.
  5. VisualDandD
    Same thing here. Been relying on just using a click or two and then doing everything with the 3d mouse. Been using since beta so I have become used to it. (Using the 3d mouse to navigate rather than "zooming". Definitely something going on...
  6. VisualDandD
    Running Chief as "administrator" will mess with some functions. I found this out when I was trying to track down another issue I was having with chief and was running it this way. I tried to drag and drop a .skp file into chief and it would not work. Still worked in X7. The guys at chief asked if I was running as admin as that would cause an issue. Turned out they were right!
  7. VisualDandD
    For what you are describing, one note will work very well. There are specific programs like "Builder Trend", but that is kind of overkill for what you are looking for. If you ever look into it, one note is a very powerful bit of software. You can "print" anything to it. There is an app called "office lens" that takes pics or scans from your phone and sends it directly to there. You can organize your folders however you want. Combined with outlook, you can set reminders, deadlines.....on and on and on..... Hard to beat it. I use it with office 365 so I link my one drive account to it. (which has phone and tablet apps as well). You can also do dropbox or google drive. Since I am using Office 365 I just sync my files with one drive. With my business subscription, I have a 1tb drive size.
  8. VisualDandD
    Here are a few more trying to tweek the stainless. This is getting closer....maybe just a little too much gloss. I have been looking at real stainless and am surprised at how reflective it actually is. I think I have good texture settings and scale. (or at least a lot better) I attached my stainless texture. The one I have had the best luck with is the one I labeled "stainless good 3". You can try others though. Firstassign a material to something then click on the "wrench" in the upper right hand corner of the black box from the material definition. Click edit and load, and add this texture file. Let me know if you come up with any good ones you would like to share! stainless good 2.zip
  9. VisualDandD
    WOW WOW WOW!!! Thanks so much for this. Been a looooong time user of Chief and still dont know all the little bits! Thanks so much for chiming in!!! Really nice to have participation from Chief on here. Thanks!!!
  10. VisualDandD
    Thanks....still working on it. I'll copy over the settings next time I am in there. It is at the point where it still needs a little tweaking, but i'll see what you can do with it. I noticed your last rendering of the entryway in luminon. Looked really good. I was going to suggest a touch of 'volumetric sunlight'. I have noticed at lower levels, it really improves my floor reflections. (shows off your bump maps really well).
  11. VisualDandD
    I use this method. If the cleanup looks like it might be a lot (because you can only select in a rectangle fashion) another method I use is save the file as a copy "save as"xxx Delete all the stuff but the garage. Then select and move it. Then you can copy it and "paste HOLD POSITION" into the old plan. This allows you to either use the "Edit all floors", or copy over layers one by one to ensure you are getting the desired effect.
  12. VisualDandD
    I call it stainless but it is a brushed metal. I colorize it to lighten and then play with gloss and reflective qualities. I have had decent results with it....but it still needs work. Here is a still of it applied to the appliances. You can see the bump map in it and I have it scaled way up and relief turned up high. It is fussy though and I still need to tweak it more. I might need to make my own bump with a very fine grain texture.
  13. VisualDandD
    Very nice! What texture are you using for your stainless? Are you using your own or one of lumion's metals. I have been having trouble finding the right look for stainless for some time. Mind sharing what you are using?
  14. VisualDandD
    Been working on improving my walk-throughs a little. Modeled in Chief and using Lumion for walk-though. It does come down to very small things that begin to make a large difference after a while. Really got the flooring properties tweaked better in this one. Still have not detailed master bath too much yet. (eg vanities / fixtures....etc). Just working on bits.
  15. VisualDandD
    I dont know that much about Mac, but I know I can get a lot more PC for the money, and multiple screens is a MUST for me. I have a 24"-27"-24" monitor config. Yes 3 monitors make life a lot better drawing. I built my own PC about a year ago which I think I spent less than 3k (not including monitors) for a i7 4790k overclocked to 4.2, 32gb ram, 4 hard drives which 2 are "hot swap" (2ssid, 2 data) and a gtx970 4gb ram OC edition video card. This setup smokes chief in 3d views even with 2-3 view open. Basically any Nvida powered gaming PC will do. Lots of places you can configure a box from. I say for 2k you have have a very fast system. Biggest thing for me, is I could not give up the extra monitors. Now that chief can be displayed on separate monitors it is a GREAT function.
  16. VisualDandD
    In a 5' wide bath, even the smallest standard tub (30") only leaves a 30" walk in front of tub area. (not something I would want as it would feel very tight). Many tubs people are now using come out 34", which chisels out that space even more.
  17. VisualDandD
    We do that all the time here. 30-10 or 40-10 fixed. I dont know about you, but I dont know many people that actually open a window in a bath for ventilation even if there is a SH or DH easily accessible. We have turned into a climate controlled society. Anyway, we do that all the time, and the light provided is great. Just dont forget to raise header to clear the top of most surrounds
  18. VisualDandD
    Yea....guess you can call that a "sale." They are raising the price of SSA and keeping it at current levels till Jan 12. So you "save" if you renew now. That is one way to run a sale
  19. VisualDandD
    Been using one for just a few days now. I dont think (without specific permission) any of the beta testers can disclose any details. Chief would have to answer. It will be a little bit of a leaning curve using it I feel. I find it is not full automatic at this point, but I have only played with it a little. I also tend to do most of my work in 2d (coming up from older versions of the software). I can see how manipulating in 3d views will be FAR FAR superior once it becomes second nature. I think it will be one of those things that I cant live without once I get used to it.
  20. VisualDandD
    Very nice and I can see you put a lot of work into the landscape (which to me is what really takes renderings to the level they need to be to approach realistic). If I could offer my bit of constructive criticism on something I often struggle with myself, I would say go with a different shingle texture. (or different bump map). The shingles look homogeneous and are flat enough that you can begin to see the repeat in the pattern. For bump maps, I used crazybump for a while, but I actually found a free web based software that works just as nice. It has helped me generate some of the best bump maps I have ever used. It takes some trial and error, but it is easy to use. Best thing I have found is to export a .dae file for a project and it will put all your project texture files in one folder. From there you can easily drag the ones you want to create bump maps. Works very nice and I can bang out bumps for a scene in only a few minutes. Here is the link.... http://cpetry.github.io/NormalMap-Online/
  21. VisualDandD
    All right, you guys guilt-ed me into it! I will put my name into the beta testing pool. Actually a good time as I am wrapping up a bunch of plans and just starting some new projects. We will see if they take me
  22. VisualDandD
    Thank you. I agree and if I were not too busy I would certainly share my views. I was a member of the old forum but only recently found my way back here and am glad to share experiences. Like many others, I slowed up for some time but have gotten quite busy again. If I felt I could contribute, I would do so. But right now, I am struggling to keep up with my commitments and the added uncertainty of a Beta version is something I could not afford to do. Thank you, and I look forward to the new release. As a long time user of Chief, I have seen it come a long way. While I appreciate the catchy looks and neat outputs we can accomplish, at the end of the day, functionality of basic drawing functions always takes precedent for me. (without too many work-arounds) Thank you and I look forward to seeing what you guys have in store!
  23. VisualDandD
    I almost thought is said stair tool has been revamped. Being a user since Chief 6 (no not x6), I cant believe this one has gone ignored for so long. I am really hoping and holding out hope that we see a solid update with fixes of MAJOR longstanding issues. Truth is, I can live without color elevations and shadows, but the stairs prove to be a REAL limitation and have been for years. I think many would agree this is on the top 1 or 2 of most "real" users of the software. (guys using to do more than just draw pretty pics.) Not being a pain....but I have stood on the sidelines for too long and just felt the complaint was being heard as I have seen it over and over for years. I figured maybe I should say something too...
  24. VisualDandD
    I started a thread about doing this a while back. The ruby function I found that finally got this to work was ".ceil" There is info in the thread about the exact macro. https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/4721-roof-rafter-labels-using-for-take-off/
  25. VisualDandD
    As designers and builders, you usually try to avoid window trim frieze interference..... From a practical standpoint, it would seem hard to accomplish this look without having the window slammed to the top to the ceiling and still trying to leave proper room for insulation. (unless you were going to clip ceilings with furr-downs to accomplish this.) Also...where does header go? On top of TP?. How does roof vent properly...ect. Like I said, does not seem like a good detail for me. Maybe 10-15 years ago when you did not have to worry about insulation out over wall plates extending to the edge of envelope. Am I the only one seeing this?