Alaskan_Son

I'm not 100% sure I follow what you guys are talking about and it sounds like there might be a few different subjects being mixed up here, but here are a couple thoughts in case they help. RE: the camera callouts in plan view...If you want the layout page number to automatically populate the callout label in plan then all you need to do is place the # sign in your layout page label. You can just do this in Mark's example files to test it out. RE: the callouts placed in elevation views...As Joe already kinda pointed out, those global layout info macros don't work in the plan because they're not valid in the plan. There is no layout info for them to use. Those macros can only be used in layout where they're actually valid.

I see now. I guess I never actually use schedules with "Scale Images" checked. For the record, you CAN resize the column width and the height will decrease as well but then your images may get really small. I would really recommend you just uncheck that setting. You're actually getting exactly what you asked for if you do check it. What that setting does is it scales all objects in your schedule the same, It doesn't actually use any particular scale and as I said you can change it just by resizing the column width. What it does do however is it keeps all the images at the same scale as each other (whatever that scale might be). The problem with scaling images like that is that the height of each row and the width of the column is being controlled by the tallest or widest object in the schedule. Bottom line, if this isn't the desired behaviour, uncheck the setting. If you don't like that either then contact tech support or post a suggestion with what you think would be a better solution. Please post your support over in that thread if you really want your voice to be heard.

1. I'm not sure I'm following, but you can try adjusting the width of your 3D view column. 2.

Sometimes it just takes a short consultation, training session, or video to save many hours worth of personal trial and error so don't rule that out. P.S. You could potentially use this same method to deal with your "Finished Back" suggestion as well.

I'm not sure you understand what I was saying or maybe I just wasn't clear enough. You might already be using all 4 OIP fields but that doesn't need to stop you from using the same field for more than one column. Here's another example using a similar but slightly different method... Notice that ALL my columns except for the Number column are using the Code Field. By using the method I'm talking about, a person could quite literally use a single OIP field for every possible custom column they could dream up.

This is possible Mark... You just have to use a global numbering variable that is initiated inside the schedule. Then, by testing whether that value is even, odd, divisible by some other number, or a specific number, you can conceivably use any one of your OIP fields for an endless number of columns. The height and width columns is the example above are both using the Code field with the following macro... I just initiated the variable in this particular example with another macro that I placed in the schedule Title. If the above isn't quite enough to get you what you need, shoot me an email and we can discuss maybe setting up a quick training session so I can explain better to you how it works and how to set it up to your liking...or you could maybe commission a custom video. Just let me know.

Joe, I see now that what Glenn said was a little different and that he may or may not have slipped up a bit. HOWEVER, you said... We already have that. It's the Grade Level Marker...the setting I pointed out. I guess the only thing I failed to point out was that you do need to also make sure the Elevation Reference is set to Grade Level Marker. And then you said... Either you're working with a different program or I'm totally missing something, but here is what happens when you change that setting... It just seems like somebody is missing something. I originally thought Glenn had helped spell things out pretty good, but maybe I read his initial response too quickly. Its really not that complicated and as I hope I illustrated above, I believe your description of how you got it to work is both incorrect and misleading. A person DOES NOT need to change the Subfloor Height Above Terrain if they want their elevation dimensions to reference sea level. All they need to do is change their Grade Level Marker. Simple as that. And for anyone else following along or trying to learn something from this. It seems to be a little known fact that you don't have to use Auto Story Pole Dimensions to get this functionality. You can access and change that Grade Level Marker through ANY of your dimensions defaults. Furthermore, you can USE any dimension type to get this same functionality. All you need to do is draw your dimension using your desired dimensions tool and then check Draw Elevation Marker...

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what you said but that doesn't sound anything like the same thing to me. I didn't suggest you change the subfloor height. I suggested you change the grade level marker and for the record Glenn already pointed this step out up above. It just seemed like you missed it.

Hey Joe, I think you missed an important part of the process...You just need to go into one of your dimension defaults>Locate Elevations and change this number to -114'... This will keep you from having to move your model anywhere.

Good suggestion Glenn. A person could also take this idea a few steps further: Create an ORTHOGRAPHIC Full Overview and then click on 3D>View Direction>Top View... Click on Tools>Screen Capture>Capture Screen... Rescale the image to match your house symbol... Trace your shadow lines to create a closed polyline... Move the polyline over to your house symbol and adjust as necessary...

2 things come to mind. First...is your reference display actually toggled on? Second, if you draw reference floor first, that means Chief draws the reference floor and then the main floor view gets drawn over the top of that. Sometimes this can have an undesirable outcome. You want want to draw the reference floor last. Lastly, if all else fails, try unchecking Use XOR drawing. Sometimes XOR drawing works just fine, but sometimes it seems to delete certain lines for no logical reason.

Away from my computer so I can't verify this, but as I recall, only walls and roofs and maybe a few other parametric ("smart") objects cast shadows in plan views. I don't believe symbols do...at least that's what i recall.

Just thought for anyone who has this problem... Consider the possibility that if you take an extra minute to just "Hide" labels for the offending objects, you can likely retain your desired Hardware Edge Smoothing Setting. It might take an extra few minutes for each plan but it's a "lossless" solution in that you don't have to give anything else up. You might be able to solve the issue by adjusting Hardware Edge Smoothing but then you lose full control of that setting which may result in longer rendering times or less than satisfactory 3D views.

They actually ARE a little different. Edit Area can obviously be used in several different modes, you have to make sure you're using it in the right mode for the task at hand, and often times you must be sure you have all the appropriate layer's turned on or off. Reverse Plan on the other hand seems to have been made for a very specific purpose...That is to flip the entire plan on the lot with a single click. No need to make sure you're in the right mode, that you have all the appropriate items selected, or that you have all the right layers on/off. Simply reverse plan and everything except the terrain and terrain features get flipped. Is it the best tool for the job? I suppose that totally depends on what you need to do. I think it does have its place in the toolbox though.

Sherry, I think you'll find that zooming in will make it a lot easier to pick up on the center of the wall.

I'm not sure, but I think it's possible the problem could arise when re-using cameras. Try this.. Move your camera to where the offending window and door labels are visible. Open the door DBX while in that elevation view, click on the label tab, and then select "Hide In This View". Once you do that for all the necessary objects, move your camera back into position.

The problem with things like steel bar joists or any other open web type joist design is that the object would need to be entirely unique for each and every possible length, height, and even width configuration. Its not unlike a truss...There's no way a "truss" library object could really be used for anything except the one specific situation it was created for. The best I've been able to do with Chief was to create these type of joists myself using molding lines. Use a regular molding extrusion for the continuous horizontal pieces and then use 3D moldings for the non-continuous elements. The 3D molding parts need to be modified on a joist by joist basis. It's a little tedious but I think its currently about the best we can do. It would be nice if we had a parametric object to do this type of modeling or if the floor truss tool was somehow expanded to allow various extrusions other than just framing members.

One other little benefit for anyone who doesn't know it...You can also still use the blank segment for moving and resizing. Its a handy way to keep dimensions around that you need to work with but that you may not want to actually display. Just select your object and then float your pointer over the area where the blank segment is until you get the little pointing finger icon...

You're welcome. BTW, here's a followup to Yusef's video with a couple added tips to help speed things up a bit... Thanks again Yusef. I really appreciate what you bring to the table here.

Yup. Good advice Chop. If I might, a few other things a person could also do that would allow them to use either of the 2 circle tools to enter either the radius or the diameter... If I person would like to enter a known Diameter using the Circle About Center tool, enter the desired diameter followed by /2 (divided by 2) If I person would like to enter a known Radius using the normal Circle tool, enter the desired radius followed by *2 (times 2) If I person would like to enter a known Diameter using the normal Circle tool, simply enter the desired diameter It's obviously more efficient to just use Circle About Center if you prefer to enter a radius and the normal Circle tool if you'd prefer to enter a diameter but both can be done with either tool. As Chop mentioned, the key is to use Relative To Start and Polar.

Good stuff Yusef. For anyone having a difficult time hearing or understanding Yusef, He basically demonstrated how to properly use (IMO) the Make Arc Tangent tool. You essentially need to draw 3 arcs (the circles themsleves won't work). There are ways to speed the process up a bit though using a different arc creation mode and a few other minor methods but the rules remain the same...That is, you need to use arcs to get any good automated tangent behaviors. It would indeed by nice if Chief were to make a tool like this for circles as well.

Nice illustration in your example plan. Just one thing I think might be worth noting. You don't actually need the 2 extra lines for trimming your circle. If you've drawn the 3rd circle correctly, all you should need to do is group select the 2 original circles, click the trim tool, and then click it fence select the larger part of that 3rd circle.

Not sure what Eric did, but all you need to do is return the molding toward the wall. Just drag an addition line segment and then reduce the length to something super small (.001" for example).

No. It happens all the time with perfectly normal truss polyline shapes. Its actually very easy to reproduce the problem too. Just build a truss, and slowly resize the heel shape. Chief just doesn't seem capable of automatically trimming those sharp points till they're a certain height. Again, it can be done manually, Chief just doesn't handle them so well automatically.