rikdekker

When I opened object it said "area not closed". Checked every point and was unable to find where it was open so I added an arrow and was able to find the start and end points. Works now. I really appreciate your input. Thanks so much.

@Renerabbittworks except when I select it the only available option to convert to is "molding polyline".

Thank you so much! I feel like I just sat in on a wizards class! Amazing

That's awesome. Great tool to have in my tool chest. Unfortunately my client was looking for the Rockwell font.

Thanks Jim for an amazingly quick response. I will go through that link and check it out. Much appreciated.

Does anyone know a trick to convert text to a solid? I'm trying to make cut out letters for a sign

please expand

I'm curious if someone has a method of customizing cabinets so thanks for throwing the question out. In my experience, if it is just for presentation, the easiest way is to construct it using 3D solids. Once you have built it and signed the materials you can turn it into an architectural block and add it to you library for future use. Pretty primitive but for a single cabinet it is quick and easy.

@Rich_WinsorI tried it again and discovered when the gradient slider on the colour wheel was all the way to the right (full) then there were no reflections but when I backed it of even a bit the reflections appeared. I assume when the colour is full then it is no longer transparent even though the material is still crown glass. Worked brilliantly! Thanks so much for your help!

Interesting. I actually did try that approach and lost the reflection. I will revisit the idea and play around with it. Thanks

Definitely going to suggest it on the "Suggestions Forum". Thanks for the suggestions on the Ray trace

Thanks Mick I have played around with the different setting and cannot seem to show mirrored reflections unless the material is 'Mirror". Haven't tried a RayTrace because I virtually never use Ray Trace, Only Standard and physically based cameras. Would be a really nice feature to have in Chief if the colour of the mirror could be changed. Tinted mirrored glass is quite common especially for commercial building applications.

Any idea how to make a black mirror? or at least show reflections on black glass tiles?

Yes, have the same issue. Happens randomly but, hmm, I think it only happens on my iMac with an Apple Cinema Display as second monitor. Generally too busy with my project to get very irritated by a minor glitch. I have always assumed it was just a VRAM issue. I undock and redock the toolbar and it restores. Haven't really paid attention to whether it happens on my MacBook Pro also but now that I'm thinking about I don't think it does.

Not important question on a lazy Sunday afternoon; on this forum what's the difference between "like" and "upvote"?

@DMDesigns thanks!

Wow, I had been offline for a while and when I log back in there is so much activity on this post. Thanks all of you for your help. Sorry for the use of local jargon. I just assumed everyone called it roof strapping but yes, absolutely, Purlin is the proper term. My mistake and yes, Eric, searching with the proper terminology is very helpful. I can use the suggested fixes but I guess the other half of my question was: why hasn't Chief included purlins as a standard option for building roofs so we don't have to take these time consuming roundabouts. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining too hard because I think Chief is amazing and I have seen so many great improvements since I started with X2 before my hair turned grey. But on the drawing I was just working on I really didn't have time to p*ss around looking for cheats.

I might be missing something but I can't see any option for horizontal strapping on roof for under metal roofing on and agricultural structure. Anyone have any experience with this? Otherwise for Chief it would be a good checkbox option to include since it is such a common construction practice.

@George Thanks that is also a good one

@solverolder version of chief or older 3D object? I just finally started using x12 because I was mid-project on a bunch of things and didn’t want to mess up by switching over..

Awesome! Thanks!

@Joe_Carrick Joe I know many years back you posted a roll up garage door. I can no longer find that post but was wondering if that door was still available. I am looking to put a door in a shipping container. I have managed to construct what sufficiently looks like a container but need a door. used to be you could just find one on sketch up but the doesn't seem to work anymore. Grabbed some skps off Turbosquid but chief "doesn't recognize the developer" (?). Could be a Mac issue Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Yes, PDF is the only way I know. Send it to Layout on the largest paper possible then export to PDF at high DPI, open the resulting PDF and export as jpeg at "best" quality at least 300-400 pixels per inch. This should be good for brochure printing. Make sure your image has enough extra canvas around the edges.

I have also written to numerous companies asking them to make their products available for designers but I have only ever suggested to them the benefits to their company to make the 3D files available in DWG,DXF,OBJ,3DS,STL,SKP or DAE format so Chief users could design around them and in that way promote them.

you can show a cad detail as @DRAWZILLA suggested and then mark them with and x denoting "hand rail bracket" for all of the other views. Add a legend explaining the "x"s. Otherwise; pretty easy to build a close facsimile with poly line solids and add it to your library.