Alaskan_Son

You’re more than welcome. And sorry, I meant to answer your question but something important came up so I had to leave for a bit. I believe there are a handful of good reasons to keep annosets around. They can serve a unique purpose still and give another layer of options to work with (Rene gave one good example above). Even if they didn’t though, I think they would likely stick around for quite a while for the “old school” guys and gals, for legacy reasons, and for larger companies with large databases who find it would be too costly to switch systems. Having said all that though, I also think that the vast majority of Chiefers could completely do away with them and they would be better off.

Ya. You could continue to use Active Defaults and optionally Annotation Sets for this purpose just as always. This is one good reason for keeping Annotation Sets around for sure. For the record, I wasn’t actually suggesting they get rid of annotation sets entirely because that can still serve as a good organizational/annotation object group control tool. I was only trying to point out how they’re not really necessary anymore for what most of us use them for and how they’re a redundant control for most people’s workflows.

To answer a few of you guys at the same time re: anno sets... Try to completely forget about the term Annotation Set for a minute. I feel like you’re getting too hung up on that term. Now ask yourself this question...Do I know EXACTLY what Active Defaults are (this is not some generic term I’m making up) and and do I know where that dialog box is? We have always been able to change our Active Defaults without using an Annotation Set. Nothing has changed. Simply set your Active Defaults to what you want and then Save the Plan View. No need to assign an anno set if you don’t want/need to (which most people don’t). I’ve said this many many times before, but an annotation set is just a pre-set group of Active Defaults. Change them all as a group using an annoset or change them one at a time, it’s really up to the user. As I also said earlier in this thread, right click on a Saved Plan View in the project browser. Look at everything Plan Views remember. All the Active Default items are in there. Set them to whatever you want them to be...either right there or in the Active Defaults dialog, it doesn’t even matter which. When you do so though, you are choosing not to use an annotation set. Just because you see an annotation set dropdown doesn’t mean you need to use it. For the less experienced users. Here are all the basics in a nutshell. - Items are displayed using their LAYER and it’s related settings. - LAYER SETS are a way to control the display of those layers differently as a group (roof plan vs. electrical plan for example). - ACTIVE DEFAULTS allow you to select which text, dimension, and other annotation object defaults you want to use at any given time (these defaults may control the text style, dimension format, layer the annotation object is initially placed on etc.) as well as which layer your CAD objects are place on (referred to as the CURRENT CAD LAYER - ANNOTATION SETS are what you get when you choose to save a group of the afformentioned Active Defaults. Change the annotation set and the Active Defaults all change at the same time. The annotation set can also optionally change the Layer Set along with the other Active Defaults. - Plan Views are much like Annotation Sets and can be set to remember EVERYTHING annotation sets remember but they can ALSO remember zoom settings, floor numbers, color on/off toggle settings, whether or not a reference floor is being used, which reference floor is being used, which reference layer set is being used, and there may be more things I’m forgetting. In addition, Plan Views are also stored in the Project Browser which can make for a much more efficient way to manage your plans with or without a layout being open.

I’m not sure I totally understand your question, but I think you’re maybe just overthinking things. As soon as you SAVE a Plan View, it will remember the layer set, the Reference Display settings, whether color is toggled on and off, and all the Active Defaults amongst other things (including the option to remember floor and/or zoom setting). If you save the plan view using a specific annotation set then it will remember the annotation set, otherwise it will just remember your ala carte active defaults. To old and new users alike, I would just suggest that you make sure you fully understand what your Active Defaults are. Annotation sets are not a complicated critter. All they are is a set group of Active Defaults. If you are simply using annotation sets to change your Active Defaults in one fell swoop the Plan Views will do all of that. The big kicker here is that they can also do a lot more than that though. Open a Saved Plan View from the project browser and you can pretty quickly see all the things they can be set to remember. Now to anyone trying to teach or help new users, I would really encourage you to make sure you fully understand Plan Views before teaching or encouraging them to use Annotation Sets “the old way”. Yes, tell them what annotation sets do (change your Active Defaults as group), but I really think you’ll be setting them up with an inferior workflow if you ignore Plan Views.

IMO, teaching annosets at this point in the game only adds unnecessary complication. My primary focus when teaching new users is to first get them to understand layers and layersets...followed by Active Defaults...followed by a very brief description of how annosets are nothing more than a way to change Active Defaults as a group. I put VERY LITTLE emphasis on anno sets since they’re really not necessary anymore. I place emphasis on using Plan Views to change all that stuff. No point in teaching someone how to use a tool that they’ll stop using in step 2 of their learning curve. Yes, tell them what it is and how it works, but I wouldn’t recommend using annosets as a baby step. No reason IMO not to jump directly to Plan Views. When setting up new plans and templates from scratch now, I don’t use anno sets AT ALL. In fact, I would personal be totally fine with it if Chief removed them from the program entirely. I guess they could still be handy when creating new Plan Views but only in a pretty minor way. Anyway, that’s my 2 cents on that subject.

Just a thought, but if you’re pulling back the rafters then they’re becoming pretty inaccurate in both plan and 3D anyway. If you ask me, then I say you should consider just removing framing from the structure of those particular roof planes entirely so they don’t even frame to start with.

Just a side note here, but if you’re fully and properly implementing Plan Views, annotation sets and their optional control over the layer set really become redundant. The plan view will remember all your desired Active Defaults (this was essentially the sole purpose of annotation sets) and your layer set. I don’t even have an annotation set drop down in my toolbar anymore. It’s pretty well pointless now IMO unless you’re choosing not to make use of Plan Views.

I don’t think I ever made a video about that. It was likely just some tips I typed up in a forum post, and more likely than not, I was suggesting a truss base and using trusses that basically resulted in nothing more than the top chords (rafters). Just because Chief is calling it a truss doesn’t mean it can’t be a rafter. Whatever gets it done right!?

You bet.

I haven’t opened your plan, but based on your wording it sounds like it’s possible you’re being a little reckless with your settings trying to find the right combination. See if this clarified things for you at all... 1. You have to have auto regenerate deck framing toggled ON or else your framing will not adjust once you make any changes. 2. You have to divide the different areas up into different “rooms” using some sort of wall (DO NOT check No Room Definition on these walls) if you want to have automatically generated planking running in different directions over different areas. 3. If you’ve been toggling settings willy nilly to try and get your desired results then you should probably check ALL your deck rooms one at a time to make sure the rotation is set appropriately, that auto regenerate is toggled on and that auto planking rotation is toggled off (just to be safe). I am away from my computer, but if I recall correctly, this could very well result in two adjacent decks having the exact same angle setting due to the shape of those rooms. 4. Make sure both your framing layers are in the Floor Structure layers and that nothing is in the Room Finish layers.

Not sure about the plan you’re referencing because I haven’t seen it, but what you’ve described is an issue that’s been around for a little while and is usually triggered by having auto framing for the roofs toggled off and Auto Rebuild roofs toggled on. It stops happening if you toggle one or the other. Super annoying though for sure.

Just a side note here, but if you use trusses, you can simply make them all Reduced Gable trusses and then manually drag an automatically generated lookout right over the top of all of them.

Is there something in the water? It seems like we’re seeing examples of people using those gable into gable drainage hazards about once a week this days.

It could be handled with a custom font, but it seems like just manfully placing the labels would be just about as easy. Just make a couple new CAD blocks with those labels and place them in your library. In fact, you don't even need to turn the arrow off, just place a text box over the top of the existing up/down text. Just give it a solid fill (background color) and make sure it gets placed into a higher drawing group.

Why do you recommend that David? flatten pad is very commonly the exactly right thing to do. The biggest things to understand with terrains are these... 1. Use the proper tools. Define your terrain with the elevation data tools (points, lines, splines, regions, and terrain breaks). Only use the modifier tools after the underlying terrain has been properly defined. 2. Give Chief enough information to work with (it needs at least 2 pieces of elevation data and perhaps much more depending on the desired contours). 3. Avoid giving Chief too much information. It just starts to get confusing, difficult to keep track of, and slows down the terrain generation. 4. And most importantly (and as was already stated above), don't give Chief conflicting data. Do not overlap elevation lines, don't leave any lines or points inside an elevation region, and don't place conflicting data right next to each other--give it a little space.

I definitely agree with Joey. Yes, it would help drain water at least a little, but not much at all, and it results in 2 more problem valleys where stuff can build up and cause problems (not to mention a nightmare for the roofer to detail properly). It actually is a lot different than a normal valley by the way because normal valleys have one pitch directing water onto another perpendicular pitch whereas your example has one pitch directing water onto another parallel pitch. Truth is that it has no benefit whatsoever in that scenario. The only time I would build that particular type of cricket or saddle would be behind another obstruction (to direct the flow of water around it).

It seems like you fellas might be missing the point here. Those library objects ARE NOT framing objects and so they SHOULD NOT be included in the framing schedule. If you want non-framing objects to be included in the framing schedule (which is really what you're asking for) then I think that's a different suggestion entirely. If you want those beams to be included in your framing schedule properly and per Chief's current design, then you should be doing yourselves a favor and using a framing object and not a symbol from the library. If the current framing tools can't give you what you need then I would suggest that you ask Chief to add the required framing type. Point is that those symbols aren't set up to work like you're requesting and never have been. In fact, there is no such thing as a framing symbol and so your desired functionality would require a whole new symbol category along with all sorts of other supporting changes to help control how the object functions and how it is to report to the schedule. This is a case where I think tech support nicely added your request to the pile, but I think they probably should have just told you you're expecting something that simply doesn't work that way.

Sounds like perhaps you're not too familial with CAD/CAM/BIM software. Softplan with all modules---> $3,585 Vectorworks Architect---> $3,045 Revit---> $2,250 per year AutoCAD Architectural---> $1,260 per year or $4,950 ArchiCAD---> Not positive, but $5,000+ last I checked (I think it was actually closer to $8,000 but I'm not sure) and could cost quite a bit more with some of the various add-ons All Plan and other full featured CAM/BIM software can easily cost $12,000+ ...and some CAM software packages such as CATIA can easily cost $50,000 or more--in fact, the yearly maintenance fee alone can cost twice as much as Chief If you ask me, Chief Architect Premier is a bargain.

Away from my computer so I can’t test this, but here’s a random idea... Use a very very small road, driveway, sidewalk, fence, or some other object that follows the terrain and just draw it around the perimeter of your house . Place it onto a unique layer and you should get a semi-automated terrain surface line.

Yep. This is a very good way to do it. Only time it really kinda sucks is at outside corners. I wish Chief would figure out a way to fix that issue.

I haven't sent anything. It's not something I care enough about right now. As you mentioned, I have very rarely used the walk-through tool. I oftentimes find good reasons to familiarize myself with the tools though for various reasons including training/support services. This issue of pausing a camera during a walk-through has come up a grand total of 1 times in my experience though and never for my own purposes, so on my personal list, I would put it somewhere between the need for a "Randomly Delete Framing Without Asking" tool and a "Gummy Worm Wizard" tool. I could see myself having fun with one of those tools. On the other hand, I guess I could maybe report the disobedient behavior as it could be part of another bigger issue with the software that might affect other dialog boxes or behaviors.

I'm not sure I'm understanding what the extra plates are even for. Can you clarify, or illustrate?

Just group select the desired foundation walls and change the sill plate setting.

Lee, I believe the problem you are seeing was a bug in X9 that has been fixed in X10.

Yes, except with this example, the point would be moot. These are not framing objects.