Alaskan_Son

I use 2D CAD tools very little as well. Off the top of my head, I use them for... -Temporary lines and points (just end up getting deleted) -To build custom mouldings -VERY rarely to clean up sections or 3D vector views sent to layout (more often than not, I'm just deleting lines and not adding them) -Occasionally to draw in a custom tub, drain, etc. when I need to draw up a custom 2D detail but don't need or want to take the time to model everything.

Or what Michael said.

Not sure exactly what you're trying to do with the cabinet and toe kick materials, but try this setting...

I am agree to Perry and Andy. Yes, only...don't do it twice or you will have regret.

Depends a little on your specific design, but I would personally build a deck without any walls and then build the rest with primitive tools.

Only problem with this is that marquee select places a box (aligned with the x y z axis) around the extremities of your polyline solid, so unless the edge you would like to make parallel is in line with one of those axis, it won't work.

It depends on a huge number of factors... -How good you are at what you do. -The overall quality of your design work -How complex your designs are -How many details you draw up and how detailed those details are -Whether or not you provide engineering and stamps -Whether or not you are licensed -The list goes on... 27 cents per square foot definitely sounds low though for just about any circumstance I can imagine.

I think the goal is to be closer to reality not further from it. Instead of an auto rotating sun maybe an added exterior light source option?

Can you possibly attach the plan? You will usually get a much quicker and more accurate response that way.

Another possibility as that your camera is not facing your model or is above or below it.

Try attaching the plan and we may be able to help you. It sounds like a hardware issue to me though.

Check your "All Off" layer set. There is likely a layer in that set that is on. They're called "All On" and "All Off", but if you're not careful you can inadvertently turn layers on in the All Off set and off in the All On set.

Sorry Larry, I was only viewing it in a very small window and missed that. Not sure what else to say. It works for me with no problem at all. A quick video (sorry, I have no microphone setup so there's no sound)... http://screencast.com/t/uDbuR2k2

Try turning off your angle snaps when you're setting those particular dimensions.

I'm sure you have a much deeper reason for asking than what it appears on the surface...at least I hope you do. Joe put it best when he said..."Because its a joist..." Its simply one of the many terms we use for communication purposes. A joist by definition does what a joist does and a beam does what a beam does. A 2x10 can be used as a beam, and a 4x12 can be used as a joist. It all depends on the situation. By calling it a beam (or a joist) you are stating what its purpose is. Its kinda like asking what the difference between a stud and a post is, or even what the difference between a slab and a footer is. Sure you can use a stud or group of studs as a post but a stud is not a post, and you could build a walkway with a 36" wide x 16" deep slab filled with rebar but that doesn't make it a footer.

Well waddya know. You're 100% correct sir. I've never really cared myself so never bothered to try and research it. After your post above I opened up Chief and it appears my default plan is already set that way. I could have sworn it wasn't like that before. I wonder... did they change the OOB default settings sometime over the past year or 2? Doesn't really matter I guess. Good stuff to know. Will likely save me a couple resizing steps from time to time.

I could be wrong, but I think the OP referring to the way walls are DRAWN, not the way dimensions work. When drawing a wall in CA, if you draw an exterior wall and then draw perpendicular walls off each end, I believe the CENTER of the new walls start at the end of the previous wall. It's been a long time since I used AutoCAD, but as I remember it, the practice was to draw precisely as possible AS YOU GO and only adjust if necessary. In Chief the practice is to draw roughly and then adjust. I'd say the latter works much faster once you get used to it.

I think the biggest thing when learning Chief (especially when switching from another program) is to get used to Chief's way of doing things. In Chief, the standard practice and the way the program works best, is to draw first (general shape, layout, and/or placement), and then adjust dimensions.

You can also use Dropbox to share the plan file.

Under default settings, you can also change the temporary dimension settings to something that works better for you.

Place your own dimensions and use those instead. You can also turn off temporary dimensions.

I do the same. And it doesn't take but a few minutes. For walls, I just draw a bunch of actual wall sections and then add the necessary text right beside them. If you pretty consistently use the same few wall types, you can create a CAD detail from view, block the appropriate stuff and then add it to your library for future use. Automatic wall schedules would be a good one for the suggestion section though.

Sounds like you're having bigger computer problems.

If you create a polyline solid in plan view, you can still cut a hole in it while in an elevation. To do so: - Select the polyline solid and "Convert To Solid" - Build another polyline solid that passes through the area where you want the "window" (make sure its extends completely through the first solid that was created) and convert that one to a solid as well. - Select the first solid that was created, click on "Solid Subtraction" and then click on the 2nd solid that was created.

Sneaky!