Alaskan_Son

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Everything posted by Alaskan_Son

  1. You're not missing anything. It's just not something we can currently do using Chief settings. We can however use a custom font to switch the space and dash characters....
  2. Quick tip. Try to avoid the temptation of simply moving items to the very front or very back drawing group and instead move them more incrementally. I think it's easy to just move to the top or bottom as a reflex which offers a quick solution but you end up chasing your tail later on.
  3. I'm not an expert, but I believe it gets a little complicated. There are different generations and versions of both HDMI and DisplayPort and it can depend not only on the computer but on the monitor/TV that you're connecting to. They both seem to be totally capable options though. There are 2 things that I think are worth noting though: 1. As I understand it, HDMI is proprietary and DisplayPort is open source (if that's something that might drive your decision making). 2. DisaplyPort can drive multiple monitors from a single feed via daisy-chaining. There are limits and the monitors need to support the functionality, but this means you could have a single available port and still add multiple monitors.
  4. Away from my computer now, but the best I’ve personally been able to come up with for “smart”/somewhat automated pitch markers is essentially built like this (adjust as necessary for scale and personal preferences): Use a right triangle for the pitch marker itself For the purposes of this example and to create the marker for a 6/12 pitch, the top/horizontal edge of the triangle should be 24” long and the side/vertical leg should be 12” long. to create the automated numeric labels, I use 2 single segment polylines along with their labels. One of the easiest ways to create these it to simply draw a line, place a break in that line, and then click the Simplify Polyline tool. One polyline is vertical and one polyline is horizontal. Each of the 2 single segment polylines should have an arrow sized to zero on both ends, each should have its own unique arrow style to keep the 2 polylines from accidentally combining. Each of the 2 single segment polylines should have %(perimeter/2).round% in the label and each label should be offset appropriately. I have mine set to something like a 6” text height and an 8” offset from the line. The vertical polyline with arrows should be connected to both ends of the vertical triangle leg and the horizontal polyline with arrows should be connected to both ends of the horizontal triangle leg. The top edge of the triangle should never change length unless you want to change the scale (and if so, you’ll want to change the macros to suit). To adjust your pitch marker either select the vertical leg and set its height to double your pitch, OR make the diagonal leg perpendicular to your roof plane. If you are going to use the Make Parallel/Perpendicular tool, it’s important that you select the diagonal line on the upper half of the line. If you select the line on the lower half then the top edge length will adjust (not what you probably want). You can block and store in your library, but the labels don’t properly remember their offsets when placed in new plans. You’re better off placing one in each of your template plan cameras and then copying/pasting as desired. EDIT: Back at my computer. Here's a quick demo... P.S. None of this is new to X13. It just came up in the conversation so I figured I'd share.
  5. Okay, I see what you're saying now and I can confirm. X13 has a larger minimum than what X12 had. It seems to be triggered by the Layer Properties section. Toggle Layer Properties off and you can get it much smaller. I would suggest you report this as a bug.
  6. They only get so small. If you’re working with a single screen, I really suggest you leave all 3 side windows tabbed with each other on one side.
  7. For the other part, you'll need to drag your roof plane over so that its not only flush with your wall but just a tiny bit past your wall...
  8. Some of these situations need a little manual involvement. Try to select this wall.... ...and then drag it through to replace the automatically generated attic wall....
  9. My comment was less about polylines and more about label capabilities. Being able to place the label on a different layer, the ability to justify text, and the ability to add a border are the main things. This allows for different formatting for different objects, allows for turning some labels off and leaving other labels on, and allows for more refined looking labels in general. Yes we could use text boxes before but that is astronomically more time consuming than simply using the object’s label.
  10. I don’t understand then why you can’t simply make a material out of the picture file and set it to Stretch To Fit.
  11. Are you needing to use the transparency setting available in the Image tool or does the picture file have transparency of its own?
  12. Yes. This is one of the best new features IMO.
  13. There are tons of different methods but you might even consider building the one on the left using a ramp.
  14. Turn off the railing on one side or the other and then place that railing manually using a railing WALL set to Follow Stairs.
  15. He was talking about this. In the following example, mine are all unchecked because I have no need for the tool...
  16. It seems maybe I just read your original post too literally: We’ve had boolean operations for polyline solids for quite some time—just not full 3D boolean as you clarified in your followup post. We could even complete boolean operations while IN 3D but only with regard to the extrusion shape. There is a good reason for this by the way, and that is because the polyline-solid is in extruded polyline (CAD based object) and not a general solid shape...more on that in a moment. This is something we simply just had in X12. A few side notes too that are pretty important IMO. We can use use dissimilar primitive/CAD based objects in boolean operations in X13 which is what I think you were really talking about, but the behavior is less new than some might think. Really all that’s happening is that Chief is automatically converting them to solids instead of us doing so on purpose. In other words, it’s not a new capability, Chief just saved us a step. This comes at a notable cost though because as soon as you use dissimilar objects in boolean operations, the resulting object is a solid. I won’t go into all the various scenarios but while this may be fine for many situations, it isn’t always a good thing and actually introduces extra steps for many operations. For example... ...many times I don’t want them to retain their separate heights. I want a unified extrusion shape with a single height. In X13 this now requires extra steps. Bottom line is that there were some great improvements in X13 with regard to primitives (some of which haven’t even been mentioned in this thread), but boolean capabilities are hardly new...just different, and we definitely had the ability to edit in all views in X12.
  17. I’ve studied and tested the new features as well as probably anyone and I do realize that. I’m just saying the specific capability Richard described isn’t new.
  18. Chief did add some new solid capabilities in X13 but what you’re describing was another capability that we already had in X12. I’m thinking you must not have done much exploration for a couple versions.
  19. When did you last upgrade? Like the fireplace tool deprecation, this is one that has been there for a little while now. You’re right though. It was a welcome addition.
  20. I suggest you use a different approach altogether. It’s easy to do that type of thing by just masking the unwanted portion rather than deleting it. Just use a filled Polyline (background color fill and using the Invisible line style).
  21. A number of ways, but here's a pretty easy one...Open an OOB template plan that has the desired default Pony Wall in it, draw a section of Glass Pony Wall, copy it, go back to your other plan, paste it, and then click the Set as Default tool.
  22. Its not just for moving objects. In my post above I was actually referring to using the method to draw the walls...click to start, drag, hit tab, enter distance(s)/direction, hit Enter. Also, just a side note, but the tab entry method (using the Enter Coordinates dialog) can also be used to accurately move or resize an object to a specific length or distance without even know what that distance is. Consider the following example: Let's say you want dimension A to be 12'. You can simply drag point C so that it snaps to point B, hit Tab, hit the forward arrow, and enter -12' into the dialog.... Follow that by hitting the tab key and you’ll see how far you actually need to move Point C. Hit Enter and your desired dimension will be 12'...
  23. Okay, then the next places I would look would be these: Your Current Active Dimension Defaults: Don't forget that your Temporary Dimensions get their rounding behaviors from your Active Dimension Defaults. Its possible that you're not changing dimensions that appear to be correct when in fact they should be changed because the displayed dimension value is rounded too far. In other words, if you want to see 14' and your dimensions are rounding to the nearest 1/2" then 13' 11-3/4" would report as 14' and look just fine. It would however add 1/4" to your compounding problem. Your General Wall Defaults>Resize About setting: This can be both the source and solution to some of these types of problems. Depending on how you're drawing your walls, toggling this setting can make accurate placement a lot easier and more intuitive. This setting also controls how walls get resized so if its set so that your walls are resizing in an unexpected way, it could also cause your dimensions to jump on you. For example, if you set your walls to resize about the Main Layer Inside during the initial drawing phase and then subsequently change your exterior wall type from 2x4 to 2x6, the overall footprint of your house would increase by 2" in every direction throwing all your dimensions off. Your Wall Direction: Wall layers can be reversed; either manually or automatically, and doing so can move your dimension ends. This is just something to be aware of because sometimes--particularly if you JUST placed the dimension recently--it can appear as if though your dimension is wrong when in fact its just measuring the other side of the wall. Your Wall Definitions: Your various wall layer thicknesses and "Dimension to" settings can play a big role here. This can be especially true if you are dimensioning to surfaces of walls with unusual layer thickness, when your walls have layer thicknesses that are not 1/32" increments, when you have multiple main layers, or when your layer thicknesses have a higher degree of accuracy than your dimensions are rounding. Also, just some added tips: I personally don't use Temporary Dimensions for initial modeling very often. They're a little too limiting and don't provide a good way for you to keep track of what you've already set or not set. Again, consider toggling the Resize About setting during your modeling process. This can make it a lot easier to draw walls like you designed them or like you measured them. Sometimes you may want it to be the Main Layer, sometimes you way want it to be the surface layer, or sometimes you may want it to be the center of the wall. You can use the Tab input method when drawing walls. This can be particularity useful and accurate when used in combination with the Resize About Setting. For your canary-in-the-coal-mine, you can consider starting with a polyline or even using the Input Point tool. You can then snap your walls to those points. Again though, that Resize About Setting can make a huge difference here. Your reference lines/points are only useful if they're snapped to the correct wall layers...and again, the wall layers are only useful of their thicknesses are correct and accounted for.