Alaskan_Son

Are you talking about something like this?

 

I can definitely help provide you with a system for this.  Looks like you're right down the road.  Let's get together and we'll set you up with something.

1 minute ago, REMDES said:

 Hello

In the above image it shows two plans open at the same time ......what is the relationship of these plans  are they interconnected meaning if one plan is modified the other plan is also.

Can someone explain?

Thanks 

 

No.  They're completely separate plans.  We were simply discussing issues related to dealing with 2 plan files that happen to share the same name. 

You'll have to manually add a callout or text box with the %room.schedule_number% macro in it to each room.  You can also add the %schedule_number% macro to your room label, but I don't like that option because it grossly limits your formatting options for that portion of your room label.

16 minutes ago, JKEdmo said:

I couldn't make room divider / invisible work for me.  As soon as I made the adjacent wall invisible, the starter tread appears.

A Room Divider set to NOT Invisible will stop the started tread from generating.  It may however start casing issues with any wall mounted grab rail. 

17 hours ago, someguy said:

I think wall type drives what is the default material when you select or change a wall to that type. Changing just the material only changes what is viewed and painted on. If you draw a new wall it uses the default or you can also change the material back to default. I’m really new to chief and this got me for a while but now I’m starting to understand what drives what. So many defaults and views to understand. 

 

I don't think the OP has any issue understanding how to control wall materials.  A wall's Materials are driven by the Wall Type Definition.  Whatever material is being used in the Wall Type Definition is the Default Material for that Wall Layer.  If a wall is painted using the Material Painter or if one of the surface's Materials is changed in the Wall's material tab, then that particular surface will no longer be using the default.  This is all pretty basic stuff.  What the OP is specifically asking about is something else entirely:

 

There are settings in the Material Defaults for "Walls (Exterior)" and for "Walls (Interior)/Soffits" that don't seem to have any affect on walls.  That's the issue being discussed.  It's really an unusual default setting because it doesn't actually seem to have an effective place in the hierarchy. 

 

Your room has no ceiling finish:

 

...and you don't have any manually drawn ceiling planes in the plan either.

This particular issue perplexes me as well and it’s something that keeps me awake at night every couple years or so.  I feel like I’ve figured out more of the nuances on a couple different occasions but as of right now, I only know a few things:

1.  The Interior Wall material setting is used for the automatic stair enclosure walls on interior stairs.

2.  The Interior Wall material setting is used for library previews.

3.  Both Interior and Exterior Wall material defaults are assigned to the Rooms’ Materials.  I seem to recall figuring out when these kick in at one point, but I can’t remember anymore.  It may be that they no longer do what they once did, or it may be that it’s only under the rarest of unique circumstances that they do anything, maybe in those odd scenarios where Chief needs to fill in an area automatically and there’s no clear wall to use as the basis.  I don’t know.  Maybe I am simply misremembering and I’ve never figured it out, but I absolutely seem to have some memory of certain exterior walls on some covered entries taking on that Exterior Wall Material default.  
 

No matter though,  I agree It’s certainly not clear what they do or when they kick in.   And it doesn’t seem to be anywhere in the Help files either.  

6 minutes ago, Renerabbitt said:

I suppose I could've elaborated:

I get it.  That wouldn't fix the problem for me though.  Not only does it not solve the problem with the identical tabs themselves, but it also only works when the text box is in view.

25 minutes ago, Renerabbitt said:

 

Simple solution:

alternatively:

I do it all the time.
I also don't open files from Chief, I open them from the folder, just as quick and guarantees the correct file is open

 

That's wouldn't be my problem.  This would be my problem:

 

2 files with the same name open at the same time.  This is something that would happen a lot in my workflow too.  No, I think I'll stick with my current system.  I just know I would end up making a mess of the wrong plan all the time. 

8 minutes ago, Chrisb222 said:

 

This is similar to my method. The "same name" method being described wouldn't work for me. I often have multiple versions of a file open and need to see a unique file name. I also extensively use File > Open Recent Files to open files, where under this convention all the file names would be the same. Plus it's one more folder level to navigate when scrolling to get to a file.

 

In addition, I use File > Open Recent Files in other software looking for, say a PDF, and need that unique file name to appear. Attaching files to emails would entail one more folder level, with a much greater risk of sending the wrong file (for me at least).

 

It's not too hard to Save As a layout with "XXXXX_02," do the same with the .plan, then change the referenced plan file in layout. Plus that is done while still working in the program.

 

Thank you for chiming in.  I think you helped nudge me that extra bit I needed.  Its clear to me that having files with the same name (whether Chief handles it fine or not) is going to cause me problems.  I just know I would have a MAJOR problem keeping track of which plan I was working on without a clear identifier right there in the name if the plan.  I have a big enough problem managing open program tabs sometimes. 

3 minutes ago, Chrisb222 said:

File > Open Recent Files to open files, where under this convention all the file names would be the same.

 

Ya, this would be a problem for me as well. I actually already have this problem to a smaller extent because I do some manual syncing sometimes and end up having 2 files with the same name showing up on the list.  To deal with this, I've learned to float over the name and wait for the popup showing the file path before I open it:

Just now, SHCanada2 said:

maybe there is a way to alias the plan file, so they dont appear to all have the same file name, but do

Oh, I see what you're saying.  We can do that in Windows but Chief still displays the actual file name.  Same with linking to layout.  We can link to an alias but the link immediately grabs onto the actual file and not the alias. 

1 minute ago, SHCanada2 said:

symbolic links?

 

Not sure what you mean.

@rgardnerand @Renerabbitt, do you guys ever have problems with a layout trying to read information from the wrong file if multiple versions using the same name are open at the same time?  I would assume not but it does seem a little weird having several files with the same name open at the same time. 

 

In thinking this through, that might actually be my biggest concern aside from the file bloat.  I'm not sure I would mentally be able to handle that very well.  I could easily see myself with 2 version open at the same time and accidentally making a bunch of changes to the wrong one.

Just now, SHCanada2 said:

sounds dangerous

 

Yes, it has its potential problems but it also has some pretty massive benefits. 

16 minutes ago, Renerabbitt said:

 

4 minutes ago, rgardner said:

For Clarification:

 

So you can see the old versions in the archive file.  I only put them in the archive (set to not backup) once I am in Construction doc versions and/or I know the old versions are ruled out.

 

Okay.  Ya, you guys are both using a variant of the first version I showed.  You plan files are renamed for each new project since something like "Koenig_New.plan" would obviously need to be renamed "Smith_New.plan" when you start drawing for the Smith's.  That in turn means the "Smith.layout" would need to be relinked when you first start the project, or am I missing something?

 

The 2nd version/variant I suggested would alleviate the need for EVER relinking...even when starting a whole new project.  The layout would get renamed but the plan name would always remain the exact same. 

 

 

10 minutes ago, SHCanada2 said:

so they look like 20230405 - 84 Howse Heights.pdf? and you manually enter the 20230405?

 

if there are two on the same date, what do you enter?

 

The actual PDF file name gets a unique identifier like so:

Smith Prelim 1

Smith Prelim 2

Smith Cabinetry 1

Smith Cabinetry 2

Smith Permitting

....

 

On the PDF pages though I just use the date stamp:

 

I guess if multiple versions going out on the same day was a common problem for me, I might consider using an actual time stamp and not just the date. 

 

I used to included a manual version number on my PDF cover page but got tired of manually updating that.  I realized at some point that a time/date stamp serves the same purposes without any of the extra work.

 

1 minute ago, SHCanada2 said:

@rene, I'm curious as to how you version PDFs to customers. do they match the folder plus a .x? totally different, manually kept track of?

 

 

 

 

 I can't speak for Rene, but I personally version PDF's only by date.  Preliminary vs. Construction might get a different title or watermark of some sort, but versions I only reference using the date.

12 minutes ago, Renerabbitt said:

Example Project file. Layout and plan names are NEVER renamed.

 

Can you show one of those folders expanded?  I think you and Ryan are using 2 different (although similar) systems.  His seems to be more like the first Option I showed above whereas yours seems to be more like the 2nd Option. 

13 minutes ago, rgardner said:

inside I would have 2023_Smith_AB, 2023_Smith_New, and 2023_Smith Layout

Yeah, that's different from what I described.  The first version I showed describes a system with an identifying name being assigned to the plan and layout file (this is the one you seem to be using).  The second version I showed (the one you just referenced but seem to contradict with your file naming description ) has no unique identified whatsoever.  Every single plan and layout file across any and all projects would use the same name.   What you just described has both the plan and layout files using a name that ties them to a specific project.  Any unique identifiers in the name of your plan file would necessitate a re-linking at some point. 

On 4/4/2023 at 5:51 AM, rgardner said:

That is a good practice to do on revisions instead of having files such as: "johnson_new_v3.6.plan"

 

Instead you would have a folder such as 20230404_Johson with files: 2023_Johnson_AB.plan, 2023_Johnson_new.plan, & 2023_Johnson.layout.  Changes tomorrow and you duplicate the folder and rename it 20230405_Johnson with the same files inside.

 

Interesting option.  I might have to consider using it myself.  Essentially your folder structure looks like this right?

Smith Project

          |__________Version 1 Folder

                                             |__________Smith Plan

                                             |__________Smith Layout

          |__________Version 2 Folder

                                             |__________Smith Plan

                                             |__________Smith Layout

          |__________Version 3 Folder

                                             |__________Smith Plan

                                             |__________Smith Layout

...my only worries would be that I might have a difficult time searching for files since there would be tons with the same name, and that the identically named files might eventually cause problems with a layout trying to grab the wrong version.  I assume the latter should never happen because I believe Chief will always look in the current folder first, but it feels like a potential problem.  I guess I also don't like the idea of all the redundant files bloating my system.  It does look super easy though so it might be worth it.

 

It should be noted that this approach still requires re-linking for instances like what the OP has presented since the plan and layout files would both be getting new names.  I wonder then if your system wouldn't be better served using this folder structure instead where (hypothetically at least) no relinking would ever be necessary:

Smith Project

          |__________Version 1 Folder

                                             |__________My Plan

                                             |__________My Layout

          |__________Version 2 Folder

                                             |__________My Plan

                                             |__________My Layout

Johnson Project

          |__________Version 1 Folder

                                             |__________My Plan

                                             |__________My Layout

         ....

 

 

The system I currently use works more like this:

Smith Project

          |__________Smith V1 Plan

          |__________Smith V1 Layout

          |__________Smith V2 Plan

          |__________Smith V3 Plan

          |__________Smith V4 Plan

          |__________Smith MAIN Plan

          |__________Smith MAIN Layout

...where the "MAIN" Plan and layout are always the current version.  No need for re-linking for any given Project because I never change the name of the current file.  Whenever I reach a fork in the road where I want a new version, I simply do a Save As, give the old version a Plan VX name and then immediately Save As again back to the Plan MAIN name.  I will only version the layout if its something I know I'll want to return to.  The biggest problem with my system is that simultaneously having access to multiple Layout version requires re-linking.  It's not something I need very often, but your method would make that part incredibly easy.  I could also modify my system to alleviate ever needing to re-linking for new projects by simply removing the unique name from my MAIN versions like this:

Smith Project

          |__________Smith V1 Plan

          |__________Smith V1 Layout

          |__________Smith V2 Plan

          |__________MAIN Plan

          |__________MAIN Layout

Johnson Project

          ....

          |__________MAIN Plan

          |__________MAIN Layout

 

Hmmmm.   I might be rethinking my file system here soon.  I do kinda like that very first version I demonstrated above (the one I think you described in your post). I just have to decide whether the issues I mentioned are really going to be problems or not.

 

 

 

Its because Chief's Sliding Doors are essentially designed to operate like an exterior slider where one side is fixed and one side is operable.  If you want or need Sliding Doors to have 2 independently operable panels than you might want to send in a suggestion.

4 hours ago, DougDM said:

for now I just moved it to my Archives. No longer referencing but upon opening Phillips layout it's looking for it. 

That's not what I said to do.  I said to change the file...so that you're referencing the correct plan. Select the Old Plan from the list of Referenced Files, click the Browse button, and then select your New Plan.

You can do this with the Reference Display for both your Plan View and your Camera Views.  You just have to set the Reference Display to use the desired Plan file.  In X15 Chief expanded this capability to include not only the ability to offset that Referenced Plan in the X, Y, and Z directions but also the ability to skew the angle: