Alaskan_Son

Quite a lot of options actually, some of which could cut the hole for you too, but here are a few pretty simply solutions to directly address your question... In X10 you can set the object to Inserts Into Wall. In the Depth field just enter something like .01. It will still show as zero unless you have you Number Style set to decimal inches but it should do the trick. Place the object into a blank plan and Export 3D Model (3DS should do the trick). Then import the model. During the import process, specify the object to be a CABINET. You'll probably need to open the object in your library and delete the countertop. Just block the object. Chief treats Architectural Blocks just like like cabinets in many ways...cutting trim is one of them.

You actually didn't need to do the second step. Simply converting to a polyline solid is enough...converting to any polyline based object for that matter...faster then the method I showed in the video above too.

If you just learned that than I suspect you may have been missing out on some pretty great functionality elsewhere too. You can actually use ANY polyline based object along with any other polyline based objects. You can subtract a roof shape from a polyline driveway, you can combine a custom countertop shape with a slab, you can find the overlapping union of a landing with a room molding polyline, etc. etc. Just remember that the object you start with is the type of object that will remain, get extended, etc.

Correct. The problem is that the circle is not a polyline until you do so. Here's another quick tip...

You didn't need to convert them to p-solids, you needs to convert the circles to polylines.

Yep. Like the guys above said...

2 methods. Control or Shift select the layout box and use the single edit handle to resize. This is the method Val already spelled out above. Use the Resize edit mode and one of the corner edit handles (with or without Rotate/Resize About Current Point active). If you try to use the Resize edit mode by just temporarily activating it with the hotkey (X) then you need to hold X down BEFORE grabbing and moving the edit handle. Don't let go of the key till after you have clicked on the corner edit handle.

I'm kinda suspecting there's really no good solution for this one, but can any of you guys offer any practical advice for searching the library for textures? It seems like every time I really want to try and get the look right it takes like an hour just to get one of the tile surfaces right. I know one good method is develop my own library of "go-to" textures but I don't use very many of them repetitively enough to make any good use of this technique, and even then...I can always just go to the plan I remembered using the texture on and copy/paste from there. The bigger issue is just finding what I'm looking for. I know what I want but how to tell Chief what I want? Take this last project I was working on. I just wanted a relatively common dark gray 12" x 24" bricklay tile. How in Sam Hill do I find that if I don't already know where it is? I usually resort to just scouring the bonus and manufacturer catalogs and find something I can work with after sorting through 400 textures. Okay, that wall is done, now lets find this small format blue and light gray chevron...back to the library to search through 500 more textures. Anyway, these are just a couple quick examples. I run into this all the time. I know some of you guys advocate for a sort of crowd sourced tagging system but there are online libraries that work that way and I honestly don't think they solve the issue very well either. Search results are always hit and miss and at the end of the day I'm still searching through 500-1000 different images to find one that works. I guess this may prove to be more of a mini rant than anything, and that there's probably not a whole lot that can be done (aside from having Chief organize their library to work specifically for my way of thinking), but I would seriously appreciate any tips that might help speed up my workflow in this area.

I'm with you buddy. There have been a couple other things I was making pretty heavy use of in unconventional ways that Chief took away from us. Oh well...I guess the best we can do is send in our heavily worded objections if we want them that badly and hope we were convincing enough. NOTE: In their defense, I will say this; that Chief gave us replacement methods for both of the instances I alluded to above. The functionality wasn't completely replaced in either case but they've gotten pretty close both times and I have to say I would take the newer methods over the old both times...but don't tell them I said that........I hope they're not listening

Sorry Johnny, try as I might, I couldn't replicate your problem either. Looks normal on my end.

I can't give you an authoritative answer Cliff, but it was my assumption that Chief always looked at those subcategories as nothing more than a way to get user defined items into schedules and that the reason they were deleted is because the functionality was completely replaced by the new Custom Object Information Fields.

You can also just use 2 doors with zero separation...

I know you were just trying to be helpful but I think these things are absolutely terrible unless MAYBE if you live in the desert. Introducing all that moisture into a house, and at such an extreme rate is a recipe for disaster. We actually had one of those things in a trailer we lived in. I think we lived there about a year and a half. When we moved out, I kid you not, there was black mold behind almost every piece of furniture that lived up against an exterior wall. It may have been coincidence, but my wife and I both inexplicably developed some new health problems around that time as well. Anyway, just to be fair, this was in Alaska where moisture inside the home is a much bigger problem than it is in warmer climates but the same principle holds true in a large part of the country. I would just really encourage anyone seriously considering one of these devices to proceed with EXTREME CAUTION and even then...only if you live in the dryest and warmest of climates or REALLY REALLY understand what you’re doing. That’s a lot of moisture to dump into the air at one time.

Yeah, I did that on one of my own personal houses years ago and I hated it. We almost bought a new dryer one time thinking the dryer had gone out on us till we realized the stupid screen was just totally blocked up with lint. So, we had to climb up on the roof and clean it off every few months. The alternative is to do away with the screen and use a flapper but then you end up with an ugly “lint stain” on your roof just below the vent hood. Anyway, I only go through the roof now as a last LAST resort.

Statement like this would be helpful... ...IF you would send them to Chief and and IF you would somehow qualify your statements. What you said is basically the same thing as saying I wish My Ford worked like my Chevy... What is anyone supposed to do with a statement like that? It would really help if you were to at least specify exactly what you want to be able to do with Ruby that you can do with VBA. The truth is that Ruby (in Chief) already CAN do a lot of what VBA does in Excel. And BTW, don't forget we're talking about 2 entirely different programs and user interfaces though and so there are going to be inherent differences in what is possible. Anyway, I agree that there is a lot that can be done to improve Ruby implementation within Chief but again, if we want to see any changes we have to supply Chief with at least some semblance of specificity or its just noise.

No, still no easy way to use this information directly in a text box. I've used about a half dozen different methods to mimic the behaviour...all of which have their strengths and weaknesses, none of which are nearly as easy or as flexible as what we would like to see, and most of which are only manageable for intermediate to advanced users depending on which one we're talking about. There's the method I posted back in Post #19 There's the method I shared here There's the method I shared here Plus I have a few methods I haven't shared that involve using some special architectural blocks kinda like the block I shared here but with some additional parts and pieces Every single one of the aforementioned methods is relatively convoluted. You probably shouldn't even try them. Please complain to Chief. What we really need as Joe and myself have requested MANY MANY times is access to Chief's global macro values (at a bare minimum) or better yet, a "room context" for text macros. Chief keeps trying to handle room information in such a way that will basically only work for one person. I have yet to see 2 users who want room info. displayed the same way, I believe all the professionals I've dealt with are resorting to adding all the necessary room information manually to each and every room label or just settling for the standard text boxes and turning out plans that don't look as good or are much more difficult to read. The vast majority are doing the first thing and just adding the information manually though. This is just ridiculously time consuming and begging for errors. I really wish Chief would put this higher on their priority list. Of all the requests for help with custom macros I receive I would say the vast majority are relating to room labels. Maybe if we could get a few more of you guys reporting it directly to Chief that would help. You've all been contacting Joe, myself, and others to help you with this stuff but Chief only puts so much weight on what Joe and I have to say, I think maybe they need to hear directly from you guys. The simple fact is that we need access to all the room information values and we need to be able to utilize and modify these values for use in Rich Text boxes. Maybe we should head to Coeur d'Alene and start tipping stuff over.

I have absolutely noticed the same thing. I'm relatively certain its an unintended consequence of the new Ray Casted Sun Shadows affecting all the dialog previews. I am confident this is on Chief's radar but it would be a good idea if you were to send in a report as well.

Its working. You just can't really see it with the texture you're using. The texture has a plank pattern in it so the border doesn't show up very well...

Either that or maybe get an engineer to sign off on one going through the roof if you can prove enough stack effect. This would be pretty easy for us to do in Alaska I imagine. Maybe not so much in California. Downside of course is cleaning the screen on the roof or the lint on the roof. Yeah, that's not a good idea. Forget I said it.

In line booster is the only way I know of. Here's one example... https://www.amazon.com/Fantech-DBF-110-Dryer-Booster/dp/B000GXF7KO I've never actually ended up having to use one but we've been close and so that's how I know about them.

Seriously...PLEASE don't do that for my sake. I honestly don't need to see one and I don't need to see any proof. I only asked for a quick rendering because I knew I wouldn't get one that fast. As you well know, you've found time to submit posts on all sorts of things (some of them rather long) but somehow the time it takes to "open, load, and push the button" is a bit much for you right now . I've just noticed you ripping on Chief a lot lately and so I decided to go ahead and take a shot at your obvious and blatant hyperbole is all.

I don't doubt that but to be fair, you have also been using it since AT LEAST version 6. To be clear, there is no doubt in my mind that Lumion is easy to use, intuitive, and a better rendering program than Chief. I mean for $1,800-$3,600 it freakin' better be. My comments were just a jab at the " Open, Load, and push the button" type comments. If it was that easy we wouldn't need guys like you or Jintu now would we?

Ooop. I missed that part. My advice re: opening the box and cleaning it out may not apply.

Sounds like an overheating problem. I would recommend you open your box up and clean it out real well.

PLEASE report it anyway. Just because someone else reports it is not enough. I'd venture to guess this attitude and thought process is reason numero uno that things don't get fixed. Not only will Chief leave it on the back burner in favor of items that have been reported by more users, but just because another user has similar problem doesn't mean its caused by the same thing. Please please please...for your sake, for my sake, for the sake of all users...if you care enough about the problem you're having that you would like to see it fixed...report it.