Alaskan_Son

Do you use any other CAD software that uses layout type viewport/image compiler that deals with both vector and raster based graphics?

Not sure I have much more I can add Kevin. I don't think it's anything we're going to solve here in the forum though. As I'm sure you've seen, it's a relatively well documented problem that arises with certain apps and their drivers and the solutions are all over the board, anywhere from adjusting color settings to adjusting the dpi output to needing to flatten the PDF and so on. I think reporting the problem to your PDF Viewer/Editor company and then simply using a using a different app till they get it fixed is likely the best solution though. I will leave you with a couple last thoughts though... I'm not exactly sure why Chief uses transparency but I imagine it has something to do with problems associated with generating overlapping viewports. Using image transparency in PDF's is actually quite handy if you're in the habit of post Chief PDF editing. Sometimes I edit the PDF file afterward and the ability to move images around without having the backgrounds cover each other is definitely a benefit. Just a random thought, but I've often thought that the transparency printing black issue may be tied to an underlying background/canvas color being used for certain apps during the printing process. I just know that I need to change the background/canvas color on some apps that I use or I can't even view some PNG's. I sometimes wonder if there isn't a similar background being used during the print process that just needs to be adjusted in some of these apps that are having problems...a color that users don't have any direct access to.

The reference grid is a non-printing item. Just make your own using lines and the Multiple Copy tool.

I actually agree with everything you've stated. The big difference for me though is that I only ever have to draw things once. This is especially a major deal if I'm taking time to actually model the site. Take something as seemingly simple as the driveway. If I'm using a Plan Footprint CAD Detail, and I move the house on the lot, even on a perfectly flat lot, I have to do one of 2 things: Either draw the road and driveway accurately in the plan (which means I'm still dealing with rotating 3D elements in plan), or... Model the driveway in such a way that it is synced up with the CAD version of my lot perimeter and roadway in my Plan Footprint CAD Detail. This has to be one of the worst things to do in Chief IMO. I personally think the trouble's associated with group selecting and rotating things in the plan are a pretty small price to pay. By the way, this can be sped up astronomically by just locking everything that shouldn't be moved in your Plot/Site Plan View. Simply Select All and Move/Rotate as desired.

I used to be a big fan of the Plan Footprint CAD Detail method myself, but since the advent of Saved Plan Views, I've found that one of the most effective and efficient methods is to do the entire site/plot plan right in the model and thereby avoid re-drawing and syncing up any site information. The key of course is to rotate and reposition all the site information instead of rotating the model. We've always been able to do this, but Saved Plan Views just make it a lot easier and more efficient. Specifically... You may want to set most (if not all) your Saved Plan Views to Remember Zoom/Rotation. This step isn't necessary as I'll explain in a moment, but makes things a bit easier to manage. Use the Rotate Plan View tool to set the desired rotation angle for your Site/Plot Plan. This one for sure needs to be set to Remember Zoom/Rotation. The problem that comes into play is that once you try to switch from this Plan View to another, if the other is not set to Remember Zoom Rotation, that one will end up being at the off angle. The workaround is to have at least one other normally oriented Plan View that is set to Remember Zoom/Rotation and to be sure and always switch to that one before switching to others. It really just depends on your workflow. I recommend making a note with that aforementioned angle and placing it somewhere off to the side in your Site/Plot Plan so you can copy/paste it into dialogs as may be necessary later. Once set up, here's a screenshot of what I see when I click on Working Plan View... ...and what I see when I click Plot Plan View... ...and they're both right in the model (no CAD Details) and using very little CAD.

If you're trying to accomplish things like this... ...then simply draw your desired "interior" walls using the appropriate wall types, use one or more walls set to Invisible to enclose the room, and then either uncheck Flat Ceiling Over This Room to remove the ceiling or simply turn off the Ceiling Surfaces layer.

Quick tip I would add is that you can force a schedule to re-order a number of other ways but I personally just do a quick Cut/Paste Hold Position.

My free lessons for the day are probably gonna have to stop here but you’re missing the % signs. It should be... %$test = "testing this out"%

Here’s a quick starter kit I set up a little while back for use in X12 that requires no custom macros in TMM whatsoever. Just copy and paste the following text into your plan and/or layout... Project Information Designer: $Designer_Company = %$Designer_Company = "ASC"% $Designer_Name = %$Designer_Name = "MC"% $Designer_Phone = %$Designer_Phone = "(888) 123-4567"% Client: $Client_Name = %$Client_Name = "Mr. and Mrs. Jones"% $Client_Phone = %$Client_Phone = "(888) 123-4567"% Builder: $Builder_Company = %$Builder_Company = "Super Duper Builders"% $Builder_Supervisor = %$Builder_Supervisor = "Mike Smith"% $Builder_Phone = %$Builder_Phone = "(888) 888-8888"% Other: $Project_Name = %$Project_Name = "Smith Residence"% $Zoning = %$Zoning = "R-2"% $Setback_Side = %$Setback_Side = 10.ft% $Setback_Front = %Setback_Front = 25.ft% $Property_Address = %$Property_Address = "1234 Main St.\nAnchorage, AK 99515"% Just use this as a template and add your own project information variables. Those variables can then be typed into any valid data entry field using the %$Variable_name% format. You just need to make sure the text box is displayed in any and all views that use the information. Just drag it off to the side. Anyway, feel free to use my “starter kit“ to your hearts content but consider contacting me directly with any questions or if you want to dig deeper and really learn more of the basics.

It needs to be executed. I personally just usually put it somewhere where it’s displayed all the time but not visible (either off screen or set to display an empty string).

You take the time to post jabs every time this comes up but you’ve chosen not to post a suggestion in all the time that this forum has been active. Not very productive. In fact there are zero suggestions on this in the Suggestions section. I don’t know maybe some people have complained directly to Chief, but based on what I see here, no one cares all that much, and I can pretty much guarantee it will never change if no one cares enough to make suggestions.

There are a ton of things I use this behavior for all the time. It's a lot quicker and easier to create, edit, copy and paste a text box than it is to create, edit, copy, and paste macros for specific purposes and commonly its a lot more convenient to write a quick one-time-use macro in place than it is to create a custom macro for the purpose.

What I believe Rene is talking about is using one single macro to set all sorts of global "Job Information" variables such as $My_name = "Michael" $Wall_framing = 24 $Project_zip_code = "98765" $Setback = 40.ft ...and so on ...and then defining another macro for each and every one of those variables so he can use the values elsewhere... What I was trying to point out is that all those secondary macros are no longer necessary in X12. You can delete all except the job_info macro and simply place your global variable name directly into a text box, callout, or wherever you want to use it... In fact, you don't even need the job_info macro either. Those global variables can even be defined in a text box. In X12, I believe I could literally delete all my macros if I wanted to and just use single line code typed directly into text boxes. Not that I would want to do that, but I could. The only thing I'm really not sure of is how many commands Ruby will allow to be entered in a single line of code.

You can get the Recessed setting to work by just sticking to a single Main Layer and moving the rest to your Exterior Layers. That being said, you'll also have some other issues to contend with. Increasing the rough opening settings will fix some of it, but that causes some issues of it's own with regard to framing. Really just depends what you're after. I think you just have to choose your battles wisely.

Can you possibly post the wall type you are using?

I assume you've already tried Options>Recessed>To Sheathing Layer/To Main Layer?

I wasn't getting that precise. It obviously depends on the type of foam and type of facing. I was just speaking very generally and pointing out that a building wrap may not be necessary if the foam itself suffices. The product mentioned in the OP almost certainly does NOT. Around here on the other hand, we commonly use an EPS product that has both a plastic facing and a foil facing. It's actually too impermeable in many applications.

Just 20 years of firsthand experience in the industry, many hours in the classroom studying building science, many more hours studying and researching building science on my own, and several certifications in the same. Around here, our vapor barrier actually needs to have a perm rating of 0.06 or less. At best, a good latex paint is roughly 20 times that permeable and at worst its closer to 200 times...and that's assuming it's been applied properly and that it maintains that value indefinitely (which of course it won't).

In your example, presumably, the taped/edge sealed rigid insulation IS the building wrap. I think vapor barrier was a poor choice of words to describe the Tyvek building wrap/air barrier mentioned in the OP. Anyway, most rigid insulation works as a building wrap on its own (and even a vapor barrier if it's properly sealed at the edges). I think ComfortBoard is mineral wool, which doesn't have any such properties.

Your baselines are at different heights.

Make sure your Foundation layer is turned on.

These are both very dangerous pieces of advice for some of the colder northern climate zones.

In X12, there is no reason for the corresponding macros. Simply enter %$wallFraming% wherever you want to use the variable.

I could be wrong, but based on my professional experience, these 2 layers are almost certainly either/or and not both. That being said, you can accomplish what you're after by using a wall type like the one I have defined in the attached plan and then editing the framing in your wall detail. Inspect the wall definition and wall detail in the attached plan to get a better idea. The key things are that you need to properly define some materials, and you need to edit the framing manually. Continuous Insulation Wall Type.plan

First thing I would highlight is that any given page can have multiple layout boxes, so there's no reasonable way a Page Title could automatically be populated with that information (since there's no way of Chief knowing which of the layout boxes it should be using). You do have a few options though: Probably pretty obvious, but just enter the information manually. Use the Layout Box Label and just drag it over into position and rotate it. This of course wouldn't help your Layout Page Table if you use one. Use the %automatic_label% macro in a text box in layout and connect it to your desired layout box using a text line with arrow (with the invisible line style or with the layer simply turned off). This one is much easier to copy and paste from page to page, but again, doesn't help your Layout Page Table. I personally just enter the desired title manually.