VisualDandD

You can also "break" walls to set post placement.   They sometimes revert back to a single wall and default spacing.  One way to avoid this is to intersect with "invisible walls" and then "break" at the intersections.

7 minutes ago, Alaskan_Son said:

 

Ya, I have some programmable buttons on my normal mouse as well.  I don't really like them all that much though.  Would much rather have them over on my left hand side where I'm already accustomed to hitting them.  Besides, it would also allow me to hit and/or hold those buttons while I use the number pad, arrow keys, and/or the enter key with my right hand. 

Gotcha!

On a tangent, I have played with the idea of programming one of these! (link below) 

I think it could be a very powerful tool with child buttons...etc.   Put a 10 key in there with ft and in along with all the edit functions.

But who am I kidding.   I keep my SSA up to date, and I have never even loaded X12 yet (srs).    Busy year was busy!

https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Stream-Deck-XL-customizable/dp/B07RL8H55Z/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=elgato+stream+deck+xl&qid=1609294205&sr=8-1

1 minute ago, Alaskan_Son said:

 

My wife bought me the SpaceMouse Compact for Christmas.  Its fabulous, not only for working in 3D but for working in 2D views as well.  Very easy to click and draw with my right hand while I pan and zoom with my left.  I will say this for anyone thinking of getting one...One of the very first things I thought after playing with it for a bit is that I wish the mouse had the Escape key, Control, Tab, and maybe Shift keys right on it.  I was pretty unfamiliar with these mice and did a quick search on the other models.  Sure enough, the SpaceMouse Pro has most of those keys right there on it plus a few extra programmable keys.  I say all that to say this.  If you're going to make the jump, the Compact version is worth the money for sure, but I would really recommend going straight for the SpaceMouse Pro.  You'll be able to keep working a lot more often without having to let go to reach for the keyboard. 

Michael

I have all those keys programmed on the side of my 'normal' mouse.   Tab is SUPER effective as you dont realize how many times you press it!  I also have the open dbx hot key on there.  I dont use all 12 keys, but eventually I thought about adding in some more key binds but I already have the extra keyboard.

Having access to those important functions though is critical when using the 3d mouse so binding them to your 'normal' mouse works well also!

Also has on the fly DPI switching which I use from time to time making it very nice!

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Gaming-Backlit-Programmable-Buttons/dp/B0086UK7IQ/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=logitech+g600&qid=1609293472&s=electronics&sr=1-2

5 minutes ago, solver said:

 

They make a bunch of mice -- which one are you using?

 

And for anyone watching, Chief has the ability to pan around in 3D while maintaining a selection.

It is the first one they released.  3dx-700028  SpaceNavigator.   I dont think they make it any longer.  Looks like the most similar is the "compact one" except the one I have is full size but only 3d mouse.

I dont need all the buttons because I also run a Logitech G13 keypad along side it.

I put labels on it so I have it programmed as a 10 key with ' and " keys to make manually entering dims easy.  I also have a different mode that I use for roofs and cad which changes the programming of the keys to common functions, like point to point move, and connect roof plans, break cad....etc.   Not sure they still make this one either   but it is part of my work flow now....

I also use a logitech gaming mouse with 12 programmable keys and on the fly dpi switching.    Basically I plug the computer right into my brain  

Been using 3d Connection mouse since it first came out in 2015.

I could NEVER go back.  It has changed the way I draw.  Mainly VASTLY improving 3d editing capabilities, being able to select and move model in 3d greatly reducing redundant edits.   EG, select a bunch of windows...

Here is a vid I did of how nice a 3d mouse works.

5 hours ago, mhdjawwad said:

 

    if you can wait, wait till the end of January specially for a laptop. The RTX 3060 and above are coming to MSI soon. The performance has doubled and the cost from the looks of it won't be blown out of proportion. RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 have been available in Alienware for some time now. Keep in mind that the laptop versions of these cards won't be the same as the desktops ones but they will still be much better than the current generation of RTX cards.

 

   You are right, if you don't care about rendering a low end RTX card like 2060 or RTX 3060 will suffice. This will give you CA's ability to use these cards while still not blowing the cost out of proportion.

 

   CA's rendering is not upto the mark. There are many issues I found with it while I am trying to build an automated workflow from CA to a actually getting a realistic render. I posted my findings earlier in the following thread in Suggestions:

 

https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/topic/29031-rendering-observations-and-lighting-suggestions/

 

   I might add to that when I dig deeper into the rendering side of things.

 

 

 

 

 

Yep, I am in a 'wait and see' mode.   I refuse to work off a lap top    About 10 years ago, I stopped buying laptops that would run chief.   When I leave for vacation, I have no choice to leave work at home.

Plus, my workflow for years requires a desktop.  I run 3 monitors, 3d mouse, programmable game pad w/ all my hot keys and a 'normal' mouse and keyboard.

I cant imagine trying to work off a laptop.

I am going to start brushing up to speed on the latest PC stuff.   I need to come up to speed since it has been so long since I built one.

GREAT news is I have have some stuff I can 'upcycle'.   I still have about 3 or 4 gold 1000w modular power supplies from building mining rigs back in the day ;).   At least I can put one of them to use!

LOVE the discussion.  And appreciate all the thoughts.

I am diving in, and a few things have changed since the last box I built.

Seems like Hard Drives for speed have gone to PCI-E.

I have 3 SSID's 2-1tb and 1-2tb.   I also have a 'hot swap' bay on the front which I love and hard to find a new case with nice external bays that also has front panel USB-C.

I did find one though. I run a software continuous back-up to a 2-gb conventional drive.  It is not true RAID but rather software driven.

Looks like vid cards are going to be in short supply till Feb/april.    So PART of my motivation is 2-fold.   My 13 yo son has been bugging me for a gaming PC.  This box I built 5 years ago is still pushing 100FPS on most of his games.   For a 5 yo box, the specs have aged well.

I74790k which I use a mild overclock done by my MSI motherboard automatically.   I have a good cooler

GTX 970 card w/ 4gb   Amazingly it is still on the list of Toms hardware best cards for 2020.  (although at the lower end...but not bad for 5 years!)

24gb memory.

So my thoughts were to give this to my son and build a new box.  I dont see using Chief Ray trace as anything that really motivates me since when I need to render, I use Lumion or I have a Twin Motion full license.  But 90% of my "renders" done for practical purposes are either 'technical drawing' or 'water color' w/ line on top.   That does all I need it to do.   ANy more and I have have to spend a bunch of time 'cake decorating' a scene which is not worth it for me.

I am definitely following along on this thread.  It looks like the earliest I will do a build will be March April which at that point, I might as well wait to have X13 come out and see what everyone thinks.

Hey all.  Just wanted to start a thread where people could share some ideas on new box builds for the new coming version.

It has been about 5 years since I built my last box.   Still hanging in there great.   I7 4790k w/32gb  GTX970.   Funny it will still run most of my sons games at 100fps even on high detail settings.

BUT with the announcement that Chief will be in for a significant upgrade, I wanted to start planning  a new build.  Figured maybe start a thread where people can share ideas.

I am guessing the RTX3080 may be the 'go-to' card, but it sure comes with a price!

Love to hear ideas of what you guys might go with. 

Does my daughters school project count?

You had to model a cell as if it were a school

Not particually impressed w/ the quality of the RT shown.  Probably stems from inability to modify material properties.  I like how in Lumion you can 'soften' and 'weather' materials.  Also the ability to create real time bump maps and modify relief..etc.

BUT what I could see using that I think would be really nice, is the line drawing over!  That is  a beautiful type presentation.  The lines make it clear that this is a visualization and hence, materials dont need to be 'perfect'.   I could totally see using this.  Along with Clay.  Very nice!

Just now, solver said:

 

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/10228/3d-rendering-what-s-coming-next.html

Was just watching that now!  Signed up for webinar and vid played.  Thanks!

2 minutes ago, Dermot said:

 

We price our software the same, regardless of what your hardware is capable of.  Currently, real time ray tracing is only supported on certain modern video cards (nvidia).  We expect there to be more and better support for this in the future.  If you want to take advantage of this feature when X13 becomes available, then you may need to upgrade your hardware. 

 

 

This is completely out of our control.

 

https://www.quora.com/Why-can-t-RTX-real-time-ray-tracing-happen-on-Mac-OS

 

Just curious.  Can you tell us what are min Nvida card required to run?

I am probably do for an upgraded box here at some point, but my GTX 970 will run oculus.  Curious if it will handle this new feature?

Thanks

Just a suggestion, but you are barely using any of the capabilities of Lumion.

I dont see reflection planes being used.  It also looks like you are not creating normal maps and modifying all the materials.   Lumion imports the textures, but then you have to go in with the material selector and define it's properties.  This gives much better light and shadow.

Convert your landscape to grass material and turn grass on.

What you have shown looks like you are just dropping a model in and creating the vid with no work in lumion.   If you want things to 'pop' more, learn to use the functions of the software. 

A while back I posted about making  a pool using terrain for the sloping bottom, and using curbs for the transition of the walls to the bottom.

Here is the thread.  Just a different approach

7 minutes ago, Chopsaw said:

 

It seems we need to wait another month, but you never know it may be possible to catch a glimpse in one of the earlier webinars if you are paying attention.

Gotcha!

Will be interesting.  I still dont use Chief rendering engine.   Be nice to have something internal that can generate decent results.   But for my purposes watercolor w/ line are perfect, although I do use Lumion when a client needs more.

Heck...I better hurry and load up 12 so I am not 2 versions behind! ;-)

8 minutes ago, Chopsaw said:

 

 

You may want to also have a look a the Chief Architect preview of X13 rendering as it is rumored to be completely updated.

Any chance you can link to preview?   I searched and could not find anything.

Heck....I have not even installed 12 yet ;-)  Pay for SSA every year but been too busy.

1 hour ago, lbuttery said:

I would recommend doing each building in a separate plan 

then create a 3D symbol of the building and store each in the library 

 

Lew

That is the method I use.   

Here is one where I combined GIS data, an actual site survey, and then house placement.

4 minutes ago, Renerabbitt said:

Both Onedrive and Dropbox are leagues ahead of Google Drive IMO. I still run Google Drive, but it simply doesn't work as well as OneDrive or Dropbox when it comes to multiseat softwares, collaborative or remote ofices etc. Works great for backups, but doesn't have the perfromance features that are built into the other cloud services. I can run Chief from Dropbox and Onedrive without needing to worry that things have synced up or conflicted copies/file locking etc.

Thanks!   I probably need to take a look at one drive a little closer.  I just hate MS stuff but did not realize you could buy without the entire suite.

Boy....this would all sure beat traveling with external HD's.   Evey time I leave the house for a long trip, I carry a 2tb back-up drive with me in case the house burns down     I know....paranoid.  But the last 10 years of my life has been mouse clicks.   I have 2-'hot swap' bays on the front of my PC that I built to make removing HD's easy.   

My gut tells me Dropbox since I have always loved it., but I will look closer at One drive also.

7 minutes ago, SusanC said:

I have been using Google Drive at my office successfully for several years.  

To be safe, Chief suggests that the file be:  downloaded, syncing stopped, worked on, re-uploaded, and syncing turned back on.  I tend to be the only one in the office working on files so I access directly off Google Drive and don't have any issues.

 

Thanks Susan.  I had read in an older thread that that was the issue.   I am not sure I am that regimented to remember to do that.  Often I leave chief open and leave for a few hours and come back.  Sometimes even overnight if I am in a 'good place'.

Thanks for taking the time to help out!

Found thread from 2019 and it looks like Google drive was still giving issues.

After reading that thread, I may consider one drive again also.  Any thoughts....one drive vs dropbox?  Looks like both handle 2tb @ the 10$/month level.

I know I have seen this topic pop up over the years.   Last I remember many were recommending only Drop Box.

So....local hard-drive failure this morning.  Great thing is a keep a running back up of my entire data drive.  (Not a raid, but a software solution that writes to a 2gb data drive.)

So, since I have some work to do setting everything up, I was contemplating changing my local files to cloud-based.   Would prefer Google, but last I remember a few years back there were some syncing issues.

I can do dropbox also.  Prefer not to use OneDrive.

Any current recommendations?  Anyone had success with Google drive lately?>

Thanks!

Also, if stuff is blocked together in dwg it may not change color.  Sometimes you have to unblock and then go into dbx individually and check the box that says color by layer.

1 hour ago, GeneDavis said:

Do my little three-roof-plane test.  Work with Chief as it is and select all three and edit what you can.  Try everything, because you do have editing capabilites.  How you edit opens up other fields for edit.  Go back and do it differently.  Observe results.

 

Now tell us how you want it to work that is different.  Be specific.

 

The roof planes in this test are like three postage stamps, three different sizes, all pitched, in 3D space.  Chief gives us control of their pitch by letting us fix either the ridge, the baseline, or the fascia top as the pivot, and then having fixed that, change the pitch.  Chief also gives us control of the plane by us specifying the z-height (elevation) of any two of the pivot lines (ridge, baseline, fascia top), in which case Chief computes and returns the pitch stated in x/12 or degrees.

 

Chief's editing, when we group select or multi-select roof planes, is consistent with what we see presently, because we get all the possible editing capability we can have for COMMON edits of planes which are dissimilar in various ways. Solver showed clearly how differently it works when selecting two planes with common runs, versus selecting planes with differing runs.

 

But hey, maybe I am wrong and not seeing what you see.  Show me.  Be specific.

 DId your little exercise and it only showed me why the suggestion of the topic would be GREATLY appreciated.

See radio buttons for Fascia are NOT available.    Lets say I did not care about my room heights and wanted to take a cut-up plan with various pitches and align all my fascia.  You cant do it.  Only baseline can be adjusted across multiple suggestions.

Not sure what you are not seeing.

Sorry....not sure why the quote is messing up?.... It wont let me edit either?   

 

 

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6 minutes ago, GeneDavis said:

 

Gene

I am a +1000 for the original suggestion.   I have been using Chief for 20+ years.   I know how to use the program.

I think being able to edit multiple roof plane dbx with functions other than just baseline would be a FANTASTIC improvement.

I think the suggestion is this. (correct me if I am wrong).

If you open a single roof plan DBX you can lock say "pitch" and then adjust, baseline, or fascia or ridge ht...etc

If you select more than one roof plane, the only item you can adjust is baseline.

This is a pain when you want to say raise a bunch of roofs up a bit, or select several and make them all match as fascia ht...etc.

Wish the DBX (when selecting multiple roof planes) gave us the full selection of attributes to adjusts other than just 'baseline'

I have wished this for YEARS...but never said anything