Alaskan_Son

Like the guys above said, I don't know of any way to get what you're looking for automatically. For that we would need Chief to give us access to some additional attributes. Having said that, there may still be a better way for you than creating the labels manually...What you'll need is an object that has a width and depth attribute. There are a handful of such objects you could use such as cabinets or shelves, but you could basically use any symbol. You could also use a CAD Box (or similar) which has a width and height attribute but the one problem with those is that they don't have labels so you would have to use a "referenced" macro instead of an "owner" macro. The owner context macros are just a little more stable. One major benefit of referenced macros though is the ability to control the label display on an item by item basis (a capability I keep hoping Chief will add to any and all labels ). Anyway, once you decide which object you want to use, you can create a custom macro (either referenced or owner context) using the width and depth (or height) attributes and place that into the label or text box with arrow. You can then simply place that object along with its label into any room, resize as necessary and your dimensions will update accordingly. At least that way you don't have to enter the dimensions manually and if you decide to modify the room size all you have to do is resize your object. You'll obviously have to play around with the various options to see what works best for you, but a few more quick notes before I sign out for the day... -I'm not at my computer to test but you should be able to place other global room macros into the label for that object so you can have all you labels in one box if you want them that way. I'm not sure whether or not a global macro placed into a text box with arrow will work the same way or not but I suspect it does. -I would probably place that object on a unique layer. If you're going to use your custom macro in the label, the object will need to be displayed so I would probably use the blank line style for that layer and give the object a transparent fill. You could always use a visible line style for another layer set so that you could switch to that layer set when resizing your objects. -If you use a referenced macro and a text box with an arrow, I believe you can actually turn the object's layer off so you could avoid the transparent fill and blank line style step. -You'll probably need to work on a fairly custom macro to get the dimensions to display in your desired format which is a different discussion entirely that I don't want to get into but hopefully the above ideas can at least get you started.

Here's a quick video I made for Johnny a while back. You might find a useful tidbit in there. Also, in addition to the tools mentioned above and the tools in the video, bear in mind that Make Parallel/Perpendicular and Point To Point Move are your friend when it comes to rotating things. Have a good day everyone. P.S. Nice illustration Chop! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3dxj-Ec-pgY

Get yourself familiar with custom muntins. Start here... 1. Take an elevation view of your window. 2. Draw some lines where you want your muntins. 3. Group select those lines and block them. 4. Select the window and click the little Load Muntins tool... 5. If it doesn't look quite right, click Unload Muntins and make changes as necessary.

Ya, I think I agree. I would probably use the blocked schedule technique myself or the schedule converted to text before anything else. Just thought I'd throw another option out there though.

If you're not already using this technique for something else you can also keep both schedules live by treating one group of cabinets completely normally and then individually shift selecting and blocking the second group of cabinets one by one. . For the second group of cabinets you would need to open the Architectural Block Specification dbx (again for each individual cabinet block either one by one or by group selecting), check Treat As One Object and then under Include In Schedule, select cabinet. When you drop the second schedule into the plan, under Objects To Include, only check "Other". You'll probably also want to change the label prefix for that second schedule if you're using callouts and depending on what you're doing you may need to mess with the label for your Architectural Block either manually or using macros. Oh ya...also, if you're displaying the labels as callouts you'll probably want to suppress the labels for those cabinets (as opposed to the architectural block) in the second group (either before blocking or by selecting the block and then hitting tab) and then making sure your Architectural Blocks, Labels layer is turned on. You would need to suppress the labels because BOTH the Cabinets, Labels layer and Architectural Blocks, Labels layers would need to be turned on if you want callouts displayed for both schedules.

Not at my computer to test but as long as it hasn't been fixed, there's a somewhat useful "bug" that may help you... 1. Check Include In Schedule for only one group of your cabinets and drop a schedule into you plan that is set to only include objects from that one room. 2. Once that schedule is generated, shift select and block it. This should "freeze" that schedule in time...this is the "bug" I mentioned. 3. Uncheck Include In Schedule for the first group of cabinets and then check Include In Schedule for the second group. 4. Drop another schedule into the plan set to include only objects from that one room. You'll need to manually update that first schedule if you make any changes by blocking that second schedule and repeating the necessary steps but I think it's a better solution that the only alternatives I know of...creating a CAD Detail From View or converting the schedule to text, neither of which can be updated and would need to be recreated after any changes. I know it's not perfect but hopefully it helps. We could definitely use a lot more flexibility when it comes to schedules.

AWW MAN!!! I had a feeling that was coming

For auto roofs, set the pitch for each individual plane in the WALL dbx (Roof tab). The pitch is controlled by the wall where the baseline is located. So, for the gable in your pic the 2 roof planes would be controlled by the 2 side walls and not the gable wall. You may need to place breaks in some walls to get exactly what you're looking for.

Mmm hmmm. I know that's right...snap snap. Absolutely agree. Need to use the right tool for the job. I can rip a 12" beam in half nicely with my table saw but I have to remove the guard, cut it once, flip it over, cut it again, finish cutting the last bit with a handsaw or reciprocating saw, then touch up the cuts as necessary with a planer or belt sander. It's slow, tedious, difficult, somewhat dangerous and leaves a bit to be desired. If I want to do that more than once it's probably time to set up a bandsaw mill, chainsaw mill, or some other tool BUILT FOR THE JOB. In this case...I'd be looking at Archicad.

Take a look at this thread. You might find some useful information in there... https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/7825-auto-interior-dims-a-mess/page-2

David, I have to run so I'm only gonna give you a quick and short response... One of your walls at the entry is reversed. Simply click the Reverse Layers tool to fix that one. For the rest, open one of those walls or Build>Wall>Define Wall Types and change the actual wall definition to apply the material you want. That should fix it and it should behave much more stably that way. I think what's happened is that you've painted your "exterior room" and then when you add those invisible walls it simply confuses the program...it doesn't know whether to use the wall settings or one of the various associated room settings. In fact, you can simply open and close one or 2 of those walls and the materials will change. Change the wall type definition though and you should be good to go. Sorry, won't have time to dig any deeper than that right now as I'm about to head out the door. Hopefully that helps though.

You are correct sir. FWIW, I don't believe I would have constructed the roof that way, I just opened the plan we were given and threw the saddle in where it needed to be.

You bet. You'll probably have to mess with a few other layer settings as well such as placing first floor windows and doors on unique layers as turning those layers on as well, turning on your exterior casing layer...I'm sure you'll run into more. Point is though that its all in the layer control. P.S. One other trick I have used from time to time to avoid sending things to PS is simply sending overlapped views to layout. May or may not work in this situation but its a good tool to throw in your toolbox.

Yep. Layers. Put the 1st floor walls on a unique layer and turn that layer on in your 3D Framing set.

For starters, its because what I believe the OP was really asking for was a complex SADDLE, not a cricket... ...and I'm not too sure Softplan's saddle tool would have worked in this situation either. I will admit that the saddle tool might be a good addition to Chief though.

Build>Wall>Define Wall Types. Select a wall type from the drop down and then click delete. You can also reach the same dbx by opening a wall, clicking on the Wall Types tab and then clicking Define.

Not sure how you addressed your issue Jerry, but for anyone else with a similar question or problem, there are at least 3 quick ways to create new materials: 1. Right click on your User Catalog or on one of it's folders and then navigate to New>Material, give it a name, adjust the various settings, apply a texture, etc. 2. 3D>Materials>Plan materials or Shift + C, click either Copy or New and then define the material as you wish. 3. In a 3D view, click on the Material Painter>Plan Materials and proceed as mentioned above...OR in the Library Materials tab click on the little Add New Material icon... NOTE: You can access these same dbx's by clicking on the Materials tab of just about anything and then clicking on Select Material or one of the 2 material preview windows... There are also a number of ways to edit materials: A. Right click on the material if its in your user library and then click open object and edit as necessary B. 3D>Materials>Adjust Material Definition (the little rainbow icon) C. Use options #2 or #3 above and instead of clicking copy or new...click EDIT TIP: If using option #3 and the Material Painter to copy or edit materials you can quickly find the material you're looking for by first clicking on the Material Eyedropper, selecting the material you'd like to copy or edit AND THEN clicking on the Material Painter. If you do this, the item you previously selected will be pre-selected for you in the select material dbx. Hope that helps.

Gotcha. Sorry about that then. I just pretty quickly glanced at your drawing and then at the plan. I guess I didn't fully grasp what I was looking at. My bad.

It might not actually work. I was just throwing an idea out there. Didn't actually try modelling it. Maybe that's why Alan did what he did. Maybe it was ME who spoke too soon.

I would personally do this instead...

That's odd. Seems to work fine for me. I'll have to watch your video to see what you're doing differently.

Not sure...I've never watched that video. Per my experience and understanding though, textures will retain their orientation with regard to a symbols origin/axis (i.e. the texture will move with the symbol). It works for me anyway. I know because I just tested with Antoine's situation and I've created pretty complex symbols in the past where the wood grain pattern is different on each and every face...and those patterns remain correct no matter how I reposition my symbol in the plan. Here's a quick example... Timber Truss.calibz

Yep...OR just convert your object to a symbol and the texture should "stick" that way as well.

How difficult is it to learn Chief on a scale of 1 to 10?? I'd say right between 1 and 10...and I'm not kidding. Totally depends on what exactly you need to do with it, how much you care about the little details, whether or not you will be using other software, what design processes or software you're accustomed to, your individual techniques and tendencies, your design and/or construction experience, your expectations in general as to what a 3D design software should do for you, etc. In general I think the guys above have about covered it. Its really easy to get started but can take a substantial amount of time to master. I totally agree with David...Study things till you really grasp them. If you don't fully understand something you're just going to continually get hung up on it later and it will likely affect your understanding of other processes as well. The Users Guide is really a valuable resource and is probably worth going through, and the Help files are invaluable as well. Take advantage of them. I'd also add one more note...You will likely learn substantially faster and more efficiently by studying, taking training classes, hiring a tutor, and/or watching tutorial videos than you will winging it and just using the forum. I've kinda done both and I have to say the best things I've learned that have proven to be the strongest foundation and best reference were things I learned from the Users Guide at the very beginning and things I've read in the Help files when I have questions. The forum is definitely a close 3rd but IMO should serve as more of a supplement and clarification source than as a main learning tool...although, you will of course also pick up value tips and tricks from the forum that you can't find anywhere else which gives the forum a unique value all its own. I just really recommend you avoid making it your go-to learning source. I think a lot of people do it and it really just slows the learning process in a lot of ways and can lead down all sorts of rabbit trails keeping people from learning things correctly.

As Rich said, turn on the reference display using either the little icon in his attached picture, by navigating to Tools>Reference Floors>Reference Floor Display, or by simply hitting F9. You can select any floor to be your reference floor by clicking Swap Floor/Reference (just below Reference Floor Display) to toggle between the floor above or the floor below...OR, what I often find easiest...click on Change Floor/Reference (Control+Shift+G)... There you can switch the current floor, the reference floor, the reference floor layer set, and a few display options all in one place. Regarding moving the entire building. You can usually do that pretty easily by using Edit>Edit Area>Edit Area (All Floors). Once you select the tool, simply draw a marquis selection box around the building and then use the move handle to move everything all at once. You can also optionally draw a closed polyline of any shape FIRST, then click on Edit Area while the polyline is selected and that polyline will be used as your selection area.