Joe_Carrick

I will say this just once. Find a good Architect or Building Designer in your area that you are comfortable working with - then hire them to do the job. Preferably you can find one that is proficient with Chief Architect and that will work/consult with you on what you want/need. A good residential design professional will save you many times the fee they charge for their work. Not only will the finished product (your home) be less expensive but it will be done much faster and it will function much better for you. The training and experience is they have is invaluable. You will spend hundreds if not thousands of hours learning to use Chief proficiently and you will still not be as good as a design professional.

Dermot, I think there are many of us who would like the ability to have things cut in sections to be heavier and possibly a different color. The same could be said for the edges in elevations. You might want to rethink your long term goal for this case. "Live Views" have given the ability to make our elevations and sections much more artistic. Please don't do anything that goes backwards.

See the help file for "Custom Muntins"

Thanks Michael. So now I get the RED in both Plan and Layout for both. CROSS SECTION CALLOUTS CROSS SECTION LINES Scott, the Key to the Cross Section Lines being in color in the Layout is using a "Live View".

This is nutty, I get the Cross Section Lines as RED in both the Section View and in that View sent to Layout. This only works for "Live Views", not for "Plot Lines" But I can't get the Cross Section Callout to be RED in the Plan - even though I've changed those Layers - but when I send the Plan to Layout the Cross Section Lines in the Layout are RED.

Hi Val, If you use the Schedule Callout it replaces the Text Label. It is possible to use a user text macro (Referenced Context) in a Text Box with a Leader Line to add the size and other attributes. This can be done in conjunction with the Schedule Callout. However, that only works in Plan View, not in an Elevation View. One of my requests - for at least a couple of versions has been additional labels for elevations and sections. IOW, one label for Plan Views and a secondary label for Elevations/Section Views.

Ryan, As other users have stated: Chief doesn't know anything about engineering. It puts in the framing according to what you have specified in the Framing Defaults. You should study those and as previously mentioned - Consult with an Engineer or Architect.

Arnstein, You are correct that thinking like AutoCAD is not going to work in Chief. The key is realizing that Chief is Floor/Room based. Within a Floor Level you create Exterior Walls that encompass a set of Rooms. Each Floor Level has a height and various other Defaults. Rooms also have Defaults as do Walls, Doors, Windows, Cabinets, Roofs, etc. Almost any of these things can be modified for individual objects as you build the model. Just remember that you aren't drawing lines and arcs. You are building a structure that consists of spaces contained within the perimeter walls and the floors above and below. It's a different way of thinking - more like stacking boxes than drawing on a sheet of paper. All the paper output is done by sending any view of your model to Layout. That can be almost totally automatic - but it requires some initial setup of Plan and Layout Templates.

Start with the exterior walls and get those set to the correct distances. Then you can add interior walls, select each one and set it's distance from the exterior walls. This can be done very simply by just selecting the wall, then select the displayed dimension and enter the correct value. Do this for each interior wall starting from top to bottom and then from left to right.

Chief has a built-in "Ray Trace" capability. You simply display a "Standard Render" view and invoke the "Ray Trace Tool". You can let that run as long as needed to get the clarity needed. Usually 4-8 passes is sufficient for a good photo quality. Each pass will take more or less time depending on the model, the number of light sources, reflective materials, etc. Your system specs (CPU, Memory, etc) are also factors in the time it takes. It is also possible to use external programs like Lumion to do Ray Traces.

The pics you posted are "Ray Traces", which are not the same as "Renderings". Here's a sample "Ray Trace" I did in Chief. The same view displayed only as a "Rendering" would not be as crisp but could be done using a variety of techniques such as watercolor, watercolor with lines, vector, etc.

Scott, Tell us what you really think. BTW, I am in total agreement with you.

It's the 2D CAD Block for the Hood. You might have to expode the CAD Block, find the Polyline that has a fill and remove that. Then Block it and set the Symbol's 2D Block to your new version.

No, but you can use a Spherical Panoramic Backdrop Spherical Panoramic Backdrops Spherical Panoramic Backdrops are a special type of backdrop that wraps around the model in 3D views as though it were applied to a sphere surrounding it. It takes an image processing program or special camera to generate spherical panoramic backdrops. If you have such a file, you can specify it as your Backdrop image, then check Spherical Panoramic Backdrop in the 3D View Defaults dialog. The Use Generated Sky option in the 3D View Defaults dialog produces a special Spherical Panoramic Backdrop that simulates a daytime sky using the Generic Sun or active Sun Angle data. See Sun Angles and Shadows.

You should report this to customer support and be able to show/explain exactly how it occurs. That's the only way to make sure it gets fixed in the Library.

Just grab the Extension Lines and pull the end back.

Another option would be to use a "Railing Wall" (Post to Beam, Open with Middle Rail) and a second "Exterior Siding Wall". You would need to create "Millwork Symbols" for the Steel Columns (Newels) and Rails. Then a 3rd Wall Type for the Interior Furred condition.

If you can stay away from the "chain" and just have a "rod" or "cord" then a strategically placed stretch plane will work great. It's a lot easier.

BTW, you can also use Library Cabinet Doors.

This can be somewhat simplified by using a wall type that has the following layers: 1. Exterior Metal Siding 2. Insulation Layer (Air Gap) Steel Columns (Posts), Beams, etc can be positioned as needed. Separate Walls for Interior (Furred & Free Standing) The Roof can be done almost entirely with Roof Framing.

I might use a wall covering if I wasn't concerned with the materials list and the wainscot was on all walls of the room. The downside to using a wall covering is that you can't suppress it on a wall by wall basis.

Note: You might need to use a Molding Polyline for the Wall Cap since the Top Railing on the Wall will be interrupted by the posts. You will also need to add a 3d Molding Polyline as the Door Frame and use of a Door Symbol will make it possible to set the y origin offset.

1. Use a Solid Railing Wall 2. Set it as Post to Beam 3. Insert a Doorway 4. Modify the Doorway to a Hinged Door and change the Door Height. 5. Make whatever modifications you need to the Newells, Rails, etc.

i know there are "Wainscot Symbols" in the Library - but I find them pretty much worthless. Here's how I do it: 1. I use a Base Board Molding and a Chair Rail Molding for the bottom and top. a. The Base Board will be broken at Doors b. The Chair Rail will be broken at Doors and Windows 2. Then I add a Wall Material Region between those moldings. a. This will be broken at both Doors and Windows 3. Finally, I add Millwork Symbols or Cabinet Doors as embellishments. a. These can be repeated using Multi-Copy or Transform Replicate b. You can use many other symbol types, depending on what you want. c. You might not even need any Symbols depending on the wainscot design. This method provides a great deal of flexibility and avoids a lot of work.

Note, if you want just a single "Jamb" the full wall thickness you will need a custom wall type.