DefinedDesign

I don't understand how to get the Grade Level in the Auto Story Pole Dimensions to locate accurately.  Using X12.  Any advice is greatly appreciated.

2 minutes ago, Kbird1 said:

you are showing is a Dimension Default DBX

I apologize, I should have paid more attention, in my haste I attached the wrong image.  The one below is the one I should have sent.  We made the decision to go with the SSA before the end of last year, haven't recouped our investment yet, once we do we plan on upgrading this old laptop that only works with X12.  Appreciate all your insight!

18 minutes ago, Kbird1 said:

open the Camera View and "Clip to Room"

Wow this is wonderful thanks for sharing, sadly I don't think it is available in X12, unless it's in a different location.  Some day I'll get a new laptop and I'll be able to update to the latest and greatest version of CA.

6 minutes ago, GeneDavis said:

Wall elevations and their brother-in-arms, K&B wall elevations for cabinets, deal with wall surfaces and not structure, and it's because interiors work and cabinet work all goes from the surfaces you can bump a tape into, which is the wall finish.

Thanks Gene - this makes sense.  

32 minutes ago, KenL-sdd said:

You will need to use a section camera. The wall elevation and back clipped cross sections are going to give you to the drywall.

Thank you this worked, not as pretty as a room cross section, but it gets me to electrical dimensions quickly for our electrician, thanks so much!

Struggling with understanding how to make this 15' manual dimension show the surface stud to surface stud dimension of 15' 1".  I edited the dimensions defaults but I'm certain I'm doing something incorrectly because I'm unable to make this to show 15' 1".  Any wisdom on steps to correct this would be greatly appreciated.

Using X12 with a double pony wall and while in the wall dialog box, it seems it would be efficient to put this picture in the layout page for the HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical trades to see.  Is there a way do this?  I realize there may not be a way to locate the actual image generating in the dialog box, but curious if there is a way in the 3D rendering to do this?  The simplicity of seeing only the wall and from the perspective shown below really helped the HVAC expert to understand the construction of this wall.

3 minutes ago, DBCooper said:

it's easier in X13 and newer because you can just use the "edit cad block" tool

Curios, does this allow the user to add text if there was no text in the original symbol?

This is what I did to get what I needed:

Add a Quadraplex Outlet and a GFCI Outlet to Working Plan View:
 

>Select the Quadraplex Outlet in the plan and Select CAD> CAD Block Management  from the menu, and in the list of CAD blocks, find the Quadraplex CAD block and select it.

>With the CAD block selected, click the Insert button, then click somewhere in the drawing area to place a copy of the selected CAD block.

>Select the newly placed CAD Block click the Explode CAD Block edit button.

>Select the GFCI Outlet in the plan and Select CAD> CAD Block Management  from the menu, and in the list of CAD blocks, find the GFCI CAD block and select it.
>With the CAD block selected, click the Insert button, then click somewhere in the drawing area to place a copy of the selected CAD block.
>Select the newly placed CAD Block click the Explode CAD Block edit button.

>Now that both CAD Blocks are exploded move the GFCI letters over to the Quadraplex symbol.  Delete the rest of the GFCI symbol.

>Using the Select Objects tool, left-click and drag a marquee around the newly created Quadraplex GFCI symbol.

>With the objects selected, click the Make CAD Block edit button to block the objects back together.
>Select the block and click the Open Object edit button.

>On the General panel of the CAD Block Specification dialog that displays, type a short, descriptive name for the CAD block, then click OK.
>To use this newly created CAD block for the electrical symbol, select the Quadraplex symbol placed in the plan in the first step above, then click the Open Symbol edit button.

>On the 2D Block panel of the Symbol Specification dialog, select the block created in the previous step from the list of Available CAD Blocks, then click OK.
>Add the symbol with its customized 2D block to the User Catalog folder in the Library Browser by selecting the symbol and clicking the Add to Library edit tool, right click on the symbol in the User Catalog folder and name to Quadraplex GFCI.

Hope this helps anyone who needs it.  Please comment if there is a simpler way to achieve this, always willing to learn!

Came across this article: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00805/editing-2d-cad-blocks-assigned-to-3d-symbols.html but there are no instructions for the need I have.  I want to take the quadraplex 2D CAD and add the GFCI letters to it.  After I explode the CAD block as instructed, if I de-select it, it disappears.  If I open the dialog box as instructed I don't have the options for text.  I realize I might be misunderstanding, so I thought I would ask if anyone knows of a video tutorial on how to do this in X12.  Thanks in advance!

On 6/17/2023 at 6:18 PM, rlangman said:

is there a way to account for the 4.5" at the top where the hardware is hidden in the wall above the door?

This is a fantastic question.  I wonder if there is a way to add to this in the door dialog box?

On 6/20/2023 at 12:19 PM, COMMONWEALTH said:

'm currently looking for custom layout template files

Hi Luke!  Check out these samples from Chief: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/products/samples.html

On 6/22/2023 at 2:51 AM, sunset said:

how to change the color of integrated pull only

Check out this video  https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/65/

I wonder if breaking the exterior wall at the width of your half-wall and then converting the exterior into a pony wall and on the upper wall dialog add a drywall layer and a tile layer. Nice design! 

1 hour ago, DeLayDesign said:

However, in X15 when you click on a 'main folder' it shows everything in that folder instead of my organized subfolders:

Will this help with the folder issue you are running into?  at 7:39 timestamp: 
https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/268/library-browser-overview.html?playlist=84

Within the shed dormer, there is a wall visible in the plan view that doesn't appear in the 3D view. When exploding the dormer, this wall became separate from the outer dormer wall. Deleting this wall creates a hole in the exterior dormer wall. Since this wall lacks structural necessity and I don't want materials calculated for these walls (there are four of these walls in total due to the two shed dormers), how can I exclude it from the floor plan while preserving the integrity of the exterior dormer wall? 

4 hours ago, Dermot said:

Just to be clear,

Thanks for your added clarification.  What is perplexing is that previously I had saved numerous files as X12 files but when using 'save as' I encountered the problem of it saving as X8.  

When I installed CA X12 I think I must have selected yes to the question: "Do you want to associate plan, layout, and library files with this program?" because I was able to save new files created in X12 as X12 files.  

After following @solver advice I'm now able to 'save as' and it actually does save the file as X12.  Incredibly grateful to him and his kindness to quickly follow through with a correct answer to solve my problem.

Thanks for posting the link to the CA article - it's very helpful.  Not sure if other ChiefTalk users look for answers to strange issues with CA as often as I do but I find it very helpful to have links to articles (thanks @TeaTime) that explain how to fix the issue, even thought I may have landed on a post that is three years old.  

Grateful for this community and literally blown away at the generosity of everyone's willingness to help.  


 

@solverProvided the answer on how to get my X12 to 'save as' X12.
 

Preferences > General > File Management

At the bottom, click Associate Files With This Program
 

5 minutes ago, TeaTime said:

https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/how-to-manage-file-associations-in-macos/

Doesn't get any easier than that to fix this one file.  Thanks!  Hopefully going forward all my 'save as' in X12 will default to to opening in x12.  

2 minutes ago, HamlinBC said:

It may be a windows related issue.

Thanks for the quick reply, is there a way to check file association on a Macbook Pro?

I started a new plan in X12 and selected Save As to save the plan to a different folder with a new file name.  When I open the Newly named plan by navigating to the folder it is in it opens in X8, uncertain why my X12 .plan is saving as an X8 .plan.  Any thoughts on what I need to fix to make this X12 plan Save As X12 and open in X12? 

One other note: If I open X12 and navigate to that the newly saved .plan it will open in X12 but if I have closed out of CAX12 and then click on the file it opens in X8.  

I have no need to work in X8 and would like to get this corrected.

Thanks in advanced,

14 hours ago, TeaTime said:

 

Oooh. I don't think X12 had that.

Thanks so much!  I watch so many CA videos, which explains why I was thinking it was possible.  Don't understand why many of the videos don't list what versions of CA they are teaching applies too.

3 minutes ago, TeaTime said:

Sure, it's the small triangle.

I seem to be missing that small triangle, have I mistakenly turned it off somehow?

Am I mistaken thinking it was possible to rotate the dimension label on a manual dimension?