mkennedy2000

Has anyone figured out a way to set a default note type?

Note schedules are gonna be great. I'd really like to a function similar to Google Keep - paste a list of things into Keep, it treats each line seperately - so I could dump a list of comments from an owner or plan checker into a schedule, it would automatically create a callout for each note and then I could place the callout.

My contact with WCCC is as an outside plan check firm in California (West Coast Code Consultants). If you can find a licensed architect willing to review and seal your plans digitally, I'd expect most jurisdictions would accept a locally printed seal and signature. Technically, they probably shouldn't, but if its a smaller project and simple stuff I bet they would. I know all my truss calcs are submitted that way. I like having lunch with my engineer, so I've never tried printing his signature from a PDF. If I do, I'll report back.

I'm gonna check with my crews, but I'm a former field guy and I've tried various methods to illustrate construction, tending more and more towards a note block on each plan. I've tried putting details on the same sheet as the plans, that is actually very easy build from, on a small job I can put foundation aplan and details on one sheet, but we mostly do additions and remodeling. I'd say as a designer, I WAY prefer keynotes, I can build a list of comments, then drop the callouts on the plan. As adrafter, I dont really care, I just want a system where I can, with one or two key strokes\button clicks, drop the same verbose or verbose+graphical content in multiple locations AND have them all "stay in sync". I think the use of a macro library is ana lternate path to the keynotes. As a tradesman first and contractor second, I'm pretty neutral - I've worked as an inspector also and TBH an awful lot of what plan checkers and designers (proffessioanl and otherwise) focus on is pretty well ignored in the field, as often as not becuase it is just reiterating what is common knowledge to the trades. My window guy wouldn't sell me untempered windows in a tempered window location and the inspector is gonna inspect for them regardles of the plans.

There is a little font editor in Windows - in theory I can create new characters in any font I use - I took a gander and it might, just might, be doable....

Is there a way to create or add a special symbol in the macro tool? I'd love to be able to have the whatever shape I'm using for callouts as a shape I could place in a line of text.

Yeah, I kind of agree. i tried plant schedules, its a bit cumbersome. More of the same gives more flexibility but is equally cumbersome. I dont think key notes is an exotic request. I understand that not everyone uses them but it is a pretty widely recognized and commonly employed tool.

I'll be interested to see the answer(s) but I'm afraid it may be no.

Such good information, thanks. FWIW, I am the builder, and my guys love key notes - I can often fit plana on 11x17 using keynotes and the small plans are so much more manageable in the field. And during sedign it is great to tabulate the reuslts of a meeting in the a note block, really helps the client and my self see all the issues we have touched on. During design I will sometimes use dated noteblocks.

At first glance that looks really great. I had given up on the plant schedule workaround, cuz I found it slightly cumbersome and less than intuitive. Your idea of filtering electrical schedules seems pretty interesting. Maybe I'll revisit this concept., thanks.

i invested some time in the plant schedules method, but in the end abandoned it, neutral benefit, limited to the single schedule so no notes for any other plans - foundation, framing, electrical. it would be really, really nice to be able to have a schedule or note block with a graphic showing the type or shape of the callout - cirlce, square, whatever. right now I have a note block and a callout, have to move them both when I want to adjust position. I like to have a note block or each plan as well as general notes. In fact I can use both a general notes and a plan notes block for each plan. It would be so great to have a library of notes that I could drop into plan and have report to a note block on that layer. I wouldn't mind making the same callout in elevation as in plan. Window removed and such like for a remodeling plan. It seems both super easy and a really important tool to be missing.

I sometimes think I'd like to have an index of all the details in a plan, much like the sheet index. I'm gonna tinker around with the browser view, which will at least let me browse a list of details, but it might be interesting to be able to publish it to the plan, so any thoughts or tips would be appreciated.

Funny, I just logged on to post a wish list item. I wish plan dimension could display a callout same as elevation dimensions display an elevation callout, that would be your grid tool.

I'm in, FRI-17, 11AM PST unless I hear differently..

Mark, did u ever do that online meeting? I'd love to sit in if its still in the works...

I have had insoluble PDF lineweight issues in the past - title block (on page zero) lineweights displaying and printing differently from one sheet to the next. Have you tried different PDF printers? Is it the same no matter which page you send the detail to? Are the details live? or plot lines? My live details never look right, I assume because I'm too lazy to learn how to adjust them. so I always use plot lines.

I just drew a 20x20 room, auto built a foundation using 12" square piers, set to big spacing so i just got 4. Each pier is 10' deep by 1' square, so 4 piers is 40 CF, the BOM reports 44.68 CY, almost seems they are adding +\-10% and mislabeling CF as CY.

wow, that's a pretty huge difference. Is there any other concrete in the model?

Wow, a lot of information on that construction plan. What other plans do you draw? For instance, is there a roof framing plan? And an electrical Plan? And I assume the "Elevation Key Notes" is a typo? I go back and forth with how much stuff to put on one plan, and on which plan.

Serendipity meets Eureka

But I love the deck above for the worlds fastest patio cover below, a real gem of a technique.

But the beams at the end are incorrect, which was my original question - I'm not challenged by drawing things quickly and wrong, I do that all the time. I'm trying to learn to draw things quickly and right

LOL Perry, but i want a sloped roof over the post and beam. Still and all, it looks like a really nice way to get a patio cover and I suppose its possible to tinker with a zero height or attic room as the deck room then a roof over that? I'm always a little leary of odd rooms with non default floor and ceiling heights - they sometimes cause me trouble later on in the plan. And I still think the porch railing tool ought to have a setting to extend the beam past the post.

TY for the vid Perry, nice approach. I agree with various that it's quicker to draw post and beam manually in most cases, thus submit that the automation is sub par. I guess its a low priority item, I'd rather see improvements to the auto roof since every house has a roof lol, tho I guess almost all of them have a covered porch also.

I'll hve to revisit the whole auto decj framing issue - I've struggled with a bit in the past, just glossed over it and forged ahead. Sounds like it might have some use though.