DefinedDesign

It does not print. Thank you.

Chief Architect X17 Project Management Question: When opening a new layout page, there is a small crosshair/reference marker appearing on every single layout page, including completely new blank layout files. It is: not selectable does not seem tied to Page 0 appears in the exact same location on every layout page survives reopening the file appears even in a brand new test layout I initially thought it was: a CAD point reference marker origin marker cursor/tool state layout object Nothing I have tried removes it. I have attempted: Select Objects tool deleting/selecting it turning all layers on checking Page 0 reopening Chief creating a new layout zooming in/out Escape/Spacebar changing pages What exactly is this thing, and how do I get rid of it permanently?

Thanks @GeneDavis I have experimented with AI image generation quite a bit, but I have not found it reliable enough yet for accurate architectural material rendering. I need the rendering to remain true to the actual architecture, geometry, and specified materials. For example, accurately applying soffit materials, brick, metal roofing, TimberTech decking, trim details, vent patterns, proportions, and lighting conditions without the AI “reinterpreting” the design. Why I pay for Chief. I have found most AI tools still hallucinate or redesign portions of the architecture rather than faithfully represent the actual modeled structure and material assemblies. Was hoping to improve the material workflow directly inside Chief so the renderings remain tied to the real construction model.

Attempting to create a more realistic wood grain vented soffit material while still preserving the existing Chief vent perforations and panel grooves. Currently using the stock: “Vinyl Soffit – Center Venting” with “Blend with Texture” enabled. However, the stock Chief texture does not contain much actual wood grain detail, so tinting it brown still reads more like colored vinyl than stained wood. I would like to keep the existing vent perforations and soffit geometry from the Chief texture while also achieving a realistic stained wood grain appearance similar to the attached product image. What is the best workflow for accomplishing this in Chief?

Mostly because I was trying to avoid reintroducing a wall issue I previously worked through with Chief Training. During that session, I was instructed to use a railing wall in that location as part of the workaround to eliminate a hole that was appearing where the deck and wall intersected. Since the workaround resolved the issue, I was hesitant to remove that wall entirely and risk recreating the problem. My thought process was that converting it to an invisible wall and unchecking “Railing” might preserve the corrected wall behavior while functioning similarly to a Straight Deck Edge. Clearly that assumption may have been incorrect. At this point I will probably submit the plan to Chief so I can determine whether this is expected behavior, user error, or a software limitation/workaround interaction.

I’m running into an issue with deck plank overhang in X17 and wanted to see if anyone has encountered this before. My deck plank overhang is set to 2.5”. The overhang generates correctly around the deck except at one location where I converted a Straight Deck Railing into an invisible wall and unchecked “Railing.” I also tried drawing a Straight Deck Edge over the wall and get the same result. At that location, the first deck plank stops flush instead of maintaining the 2.5” overhang. Is this not possible?

That is what I thought, but for some reason I don't see a color listed.

Thank you, @Joe_Carrick I appreciate the response. I must not have communicated my question clearly. I am not trying to apply a new paint color to the wall. I am trying to determine what paint/material has already been applied to an existing wall surface in the plan. I’m working in an older plan and cannot remember what paint color/material was previously assigned to a particular wall. Grateful for you.

What is the fastest and most reliable way to identify the actual paint/material currently applied to a wall surface?

You are correct! Thank you for your help today! All fixed and Copy/Paste Hold Position is working correctly! Grateful for you.

Thanks Michael. That explanation finally made the workflow click for me. For some reason I am struggling to actually select the Point Marker itself. I can click it multiple times and eventually the dialog opens, but I cannot seem to get it into a visibly selected state so I can copy/cut it to the clipboard. I also tried selecting nearby objects and tabbing through selections, but it does not seem to pick up the Point Marker. I understand the alignment concept now, I am just stuck on how to properly select/copy the Point Marker itself in X17 on Mac. Thank you again for your patience and help.

Thanks @Alaskan_Son I am struggling. I placed a Point Marker on one plan. Is it right that I select the other plan with the Edit Area to relocate it? I don't understand where I find the coordinates so I can coordinate the location so it's the same as my other plan. I've used Point to Point Move to move objects but I'm unsure how to use with coordinates.

I have two separate plan files with identical footprints in X17. I am trying to copy doors and windows from one plan into the other using “Paste Hold Position” so they insert into the exact same wall locations. However, the pasted objects land far away from the building instead of inserting into the matching walls. I eventually realized the two plans are not located in the same coordinate/origin position within the drawing space, even though the footprints are identical. What is the best workflow for aligning two separate plan files so they occupy the exact same coordinate position/origin location? The goal is to reliably: Copy → Paste Hold Position → have windows and doors automatically insert into the matching walls in the second plan. Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Hi @Renerabbitt I was able to watch your video in another browser. Thank you so much. I scrapped my other plan and started over, following your suggestions. I set the walkout wall to “Stop at Floor Below,” created the two breaks on the east and west walls, and removed the pony wall. However, when I follow the steps to check and uncheck the monolithic slab, I am not getting the same results. Here is before Checking monolithic slab: Here is what I get after checking and unchecking monolithic slab: If you or @Alaskan_Son would like to investigate the plan and possibly point out what I might be missing, I would appreciate it. In addition to the issue above, I am also having a problem with the tall wall not extending to the underside of the roof truss. Grateful for any feedback. Redraw Bplan.zip

I’ll be honest, I read that Help text several times and it just didn’t click for me. In my head I was trying to fix wall behavior in the Room dialog, so I wasn’t connecting that setting to what I was seeing. Since the description focuses on the floor platform, it didn’t lead me to think it would affect the walls or that unchecking it would fix the issue. I didn’t realize that with that option checked, the floor and related foundation pieces are being taken from the room below, so changes I was making in this room weren’t having any effect. That’s where I got tripped up. Thanks for pointing this out, now if I can remember it going forward

Thanks @Renerabbitt, I checked my wall settings and “Stop at Floor Below” is enabled. I appreciate you sharing the video, but I’m unable to get it to play. Thanks @Alaskan_Son, for context, the wall was originally created as a concrete stem wall when the basement was auto generated from the first floor. I then added the floor trusses, converted the walkout stem wall to a framed wall with brick on the exterior, and rebuilt the framing.

Hi Michael, I have this exact walkout basement, what is your secret for getting the framed wall to sit on top of the slab? Right now mine is doing this:

I don’t understand why this behavior is not clearly communicated in the X17 Dialog Help. This type of setting fundamentally overrides user control, yet the interface does not make that relationship obvious. As a result, I spend hours troubleshooting what appears to be a malfunction, when in reality the software is behaving as designed. Clearer communication within the dialog or help documentation about when and how control is overridden would significantly reduce confusion and lost time.

Thank you Joey! I will wait until all the changes are made.

Has anyone here modeled a mid-height bearing floor truss in Chief? I’ve attached a sketch for clarity. The truss is 24" total height, with: 14.5" bearing portion at the top (this sits on the sill) 9.5" portion below the bearing So this is not a typical top chord bearing truss. The bearing occurs mid-height within the truss depth. These are first floor trusses over a basement. I’m specifically trying to understand how to model the bearing condition correctly using structure and framing settings so sections, elevations, and framing reflect this accurately. If anyone has done this, could you walk me through the correct setup?

Thanks @clearvuedesign, @evergreen, and @Renerabbitt The first floor uses 24 inch floor trusses, and I was not able to get the trusses to generate over the gable stem walls. Turning off rim joists resolved that issue, and I had completely forgotten that I had done that. It sounds like in order to keep the trusses I will need to manually add the rim joists at the deck perimeter. I am hoping they will still calculate correctly in the materials list. I appreciate all of you taking the time to respond. Thank you!

Anyone have any thoughts on why the rim joists on the deck are not generating and why the soffit isn't fitting to the 16" I-joists?

I found my archive plan files in X17 (Mac + Project Management) I wanted to share a clarification that may help other users who are trying to locate archived versions of their .plan files while using Project Management in Chief Architect X17. The Knowledge Base article Accessing Your Archive Files explains that when using Project Management you must go to: Chief Architect → File → Open Plan/Layout → Browse under the Unmanaged Files section. What confused me initially as a Mac user is what happens after clicking Browse. Chief opens a standard macOS Finder window at whatever folder was last used. In my case it opened at the Downloads folder, which made it appear that the archive location was incorrect or missing. For Mac users, you must then manually navigate in Finder to: Users → your username → Documents → Chief Architect Premier X17 Data → Archives Inside the Archives folder you will find subfolders named after each plan, containing multiple archived versions saved automatically according to your archive interval settings. I hope this helps anyone else who is confused about where archived versions of managed plans are located.

In Chief Architect X17 using Project Management, where are archived or revision versions of a .plan file stored or accessed? I understand how to manually create revision copies inside the Project Browser, but I am trying to understand whether Chief automatically creates archive or backup versions of managed plan files and where those can be found or opened. Is there a revision history or archive location for managed plans?

Hello everyone, I am hoping to get some real world feedback before upgrading both my OS and Chief Architect. Last year, when I upgraded to Chief Architect X16 on macOS Sequoia, I ran into serious stability issues. Chief explained that macOS Sequoia, specifically its new Private Browsing and security changes, was obscuring one of the license verification methods Chief uses. Thankfully, Chief provided me with a patch that helped improve the situation, but since I work between locations and bring my laptop to client meetings, I am still cautious about upgrading again. Before I upgrade to macOS Tahoe and Chief Architect X17, I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who is already running that combination. Have these licensing and Private Browsing related issues been resolved? Are people seeing stable sleep wake behavior and reliable plan resuming when moving between networks and locations? Are there any new issues I should be aware of? Thank you so much for any insight you can share.