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Well, here is the gist of it all. It ONLY converts walls. That is it, nothing else, no fixtures or cabinetry. Secondly ALL walls have to be on the same layer.ALL door & Windows have to be on the same layer as walls or straight from the tech support ""The CAD to Walls tool can be used to convert CAD lines in floor plan view into architectural objects. Two or more parallel CAD lines can be converted to both straight or curved walls or rails. CAD lines representing windows and doors can also be converted. All lines that you want to convert to walls must be located on one layer. The same is true for windows, doors, and rails. It may be helpful to place like items on a single layer with unique layer attributes... To convert to a specific wall type, the lines representing the wall’s surfaces must be within one inch or 25mm of that wall type’s width. If two wall types are specified, new walls are assigned the type having the closest width." CAD to Walls is NOT capable of converting CAD lines in to cabinets, sofas, tables, sinks, or any other type of fixture or furnishing. You can, however, use the existing CAD lines representing such objects from an imported DWG to place such objects using either the appropriate cabinet tools or objects from the Library Browser. You may also find it helpful to keep in mind that making all the modifications required to some DWG files to use CAD to Walls is not as time efficient as simply importing the DWG and then using the walls tools to quickly trace over the imported lines, then place doors and windows." So there you have it. I hope this helps others. Now to do my happy dance again....it got me the contract

Well, with some help from on high, I figured out how to convert the file. I did it a few times to be sure I was doing it right. It was late last night when I did...so my husband did not get to see me do my happy dance.haha, plus I got verification tech support. So now I am happy.

Ok, guys here is one for your brains. I am going to send this to Tech support shortly as well. Have any of you been successful in converting 2D AutoCad Dwg/Dxf files to Chief architect files using the cad to wall tool in X7? I was up til 2 am last night trying to do so but only managed a few walls here and there. I have tried several times tonight and have not been successful.I looked in the forums here and even followed the step by step instructions in the support base etc. and importing is not a problem, converting the autocad walls to 3d walls is. I am at a loss. The house is not that big, just 3,000±sf. No dimensions to be seen, very few text notations. Just some room names. I haven't the slightest clue what I am doing wrong. As usual, I am sure it is something simple, but in this version of CA I am definitely missing something. Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks. JGillette

Lew, probably so, but since I don't "copy" I am ok. I just found it interesting what the A & E folks had to say.

This has always been an interesting topic. I had a contractor ask me once to duplicate some plans without changing anything. I was skeptical because if the copyright laws etc. I contacted my state A & E boards and asjed them. I was told "change 20-25% of the plan...it won't be the same...you are ok". By the time I did that, it was nothing like the original. So when clients ask me to "copy" someone elses work, I explain to them the issue of copyright protection, how much I would have to modify their plan, they're like whats the point? I say exactly, and we agree on a custom design. 10 times out of 10 they like their custom design better than the plan they were trying to copy.

I used the material painter and that worked for what I am doing now. However, I am curious, is there only the one color (blue) for the asphalt shingles? I have tried to change the color but every time I do, it shows a solid color with no texture. Is is possible to have the asphalt shingle texture in different colors? Not, shakes or cedar shingles....

I pick my pdf printer from my list of printers after I've made sure all my settings are in place. They print just fine. I do not use Adobe or Microsoft to make my pdfs. I switched to a different pdf program several years ago. It is really good and I have used nothing else since. Haven't had any problems.

Very nice, it is a nice feeling to see one's work truly come to life.

Wow, how much coffee did it take for you to do that?

I do as builts from time to time. I always use the surface of the materials for getting my neasurements. I always inform the client and the contractor too, and have the variance understood, agreed and signed in contract before i start. Definite hourly charge for the work.

When i used the technical font in word or other programs it worked fine. I would have to go back to check if it is rich text or not. It may be a "TT", aka True type font.

Well, if/when I upgrade to X8, if the chief font starts giving me problems I'll go back to my other font that I always used. It was/is in the windows pack to start so guess I'll be ok.

Hmm, that is strange. I have not had this happen to me. Perhaps you shouldn't use Arial? I always used a font call "technical" in my designs because it was clean and looked nice, and I could use in CA and my other engineering drawings. However, since I've had CA X6 & X7 I have been using the "Chief Architect Blueprint" font. No problems at all...

Well, from what I can tell first by comparing the photos to your drawing is that your top roof planes are too short and the "side" roof planes are not "steep" enough going in the vertical direction. The sides flare out too much like a normal roof plane/overhang.

Honestly, I have no idea where in NV she is moving to, she is just getting ready to put her design/plan together etc. I appreciate all the responses in regards to this post. I have forwarded some information to her and she will be making contact with whom she chooses. Thanks.

I have a client/acquaintance, so to speak, who is moving to Nevada. She will need a designer AND an engineer to assist in the design and stamp the drawings. If there is anyone who solitarily can do this job for her or know of people who can, please pm me. ASAP. Thanks. JGilette

There is the button which has the option of "final" which is a nicer looking version of the basic view, probably the one you are talking about,then there is the other button for raytrace. I was just trying to get a final view not the raytrace. Like I said, I did a raytrace eatlier that went really fast, but the final view takes forever. In fact it locks up my system every time. I guess i just need to not use it.

That is what my computer and brain both are doing. I do try to check other folks questions here as well as other online options regarding certain issues that are similar to one that I am having before posting here. So that being said, has anyone had problems with a simple "final render" NOT raytrace taking "FOREVER to finish? I tried a sample raytrace today and bam, my system it kicked it out so fast it was incredible, BUT anytime I try to do a basic final render it bogs down my whole system. I don't have anything else open and it still takes such a long time. I've looked at all my options till my head is spinning and my computer is still spinning away. This doesn't make sense. No "shadows", not much smoothing...just basic. It t...a...k...e...s.. soooo....l...o...n...g... Any suggestions? In them the meantime I am going to try and shut my computer down and restart. Thanks.

Well, most times, I will shut it down, unless I'm going to come back in an hour or so and then I'll just put it in sleep mode.

Ok...after resetting my defaults and carefully going through everything I made one change in the rendering setting then tried it again. Still all black, so I changed my setting again and things were normal. So, now I know. Thanks guys!

I upgraded from X6 to X7 last year etc. Everything has been working fine. I was able to do all the standard/final renderings from the camera. Have not attempted any ray tracing yet (with this ver) Just last week/early this week noticed my screen would go black everytime I tried to do a camera view. I can do an orthographic view without a problem, "doll house" and any other view, but just using my camera to take any kind of interior shot or shot from the outside results in a total blackout. I am thinking it has something to do with my camera settings. What ...I don't know, havn't been messing with it. So I am at a loss.

Ok, guys, I need some help here. For some reason my camera views all blackout now. I have not changed, much less messed with my camera at all and yet now, for the past few days every time I try to do just a standard or final view of any type of camera shot, the result in the new window is a black screen. I wait and nothing changes. I have not tried any ray tracing since I've upgraded, just standard camera shots. Everything was ok, until earlier this week. I have tried the help and looked through the forums, but nothing like what I am experiencing is coming up as having been a problem. Any suggestions? Thanks. J

Well, being married to PE has it advantages, some of the work is free if the job is small, but if not, its standard rates. My other PE's get paid their rate, which is, as you say, built in to the contract and the client is fully informed during the signing.

As a CPBD, there is a specific set of guidelines aka "checklist' we more or less follow. Its about 5-10 pages and covers every system in the house, the structure, foundation, site planning, landscaping etc. Quite a lot to go through, but like Perry said, if you can make a template for yourself that will save a lot of time. As for details, I rarely have to design them myself, CA has plenty and I discovered a source on line years ago that I purchased and received a CD with over 1,500± details. It had a detail for everything a person could ever dream of. Sure made my life a lot easier. I just tweak a few things and I am done. No need to add extra design time.

I've had some projects done in less than 20hrs and some more than than 300 hrs easy...but never over 1,000...at least not yet. I'm bidding on a project with 10k sf. so only time will tell. Up to 10k sf I charge by the sf with limitations on revisions, after revision limits are used up, I start charging by the hour. On commercial jobs, either sf or a percentage of total construction cost. This helps offset any professional engineering work that has to be done.