Joe_Carrick

Johnny, Click the "Through" radio button. But if the walls are more than about 1" apart it won't work.

So then the next question is: Would you attempt to use the Auto-Dormer Tools or would you just create the Dormer Walls manually and Build the Roof? I find that the Auto-Dormer Tools are a bit difficult to control.

Dermot, I know this has been asked for many times, but would it be possible to have "User Defined Room Types"? Naturally, these would have their own "Defaults" such as floor finish, moldings, etc. As you know, only a select group of Room Types can have specific floor finishes and all rooms inherit their moldings from the "Floor Defaults". Since Rooms are such an integral part of Chief, it would be much easier if we could set the defaults for all room types individually - even Room Names, ceiling structure, ceiling and floor finishes, moldings, etc.

How would you create an Attic Floor? Assume a second floor that is basically like an attic (roof comes down to the floor) and you have dormers (both shed and gable) with the exterior walls aligned with the walls below. The roof is a 12:12 pitch. I see 2 ways of doing this: 1. Make the second floor just 1-1/2" tall. 2. Make the second floor a normal height and move the roof down to the floor elevation. Which method would you use and what are the pros/cons?

How can I get Windows and Doors to show the rough bucks needed in unframed (masonry, concrete, SIP) walls? Do I need to create a symbol for each of them with those as a part of the symbol? Basically, I just want to make sure the openings will be the right size, allowing for a rough buck and a shim space. I would also like the rough buck to show in a 3D view with the Windows and Doors suppressed.

1. CAD Details can be renamed in the Project Browser. They will appear in alphabetical order. 2. Plan Views from any folder can be sent to a Layout in any folder. The Layout Box has a Link to the location it was sent from. For the main Plan, it's a good idea to have the Layout in the same folder.

Larry, Did you copy the Chief Data Folder to your Dropbox Folder? If not, Chief would rebuild the defaults in your Dropbox Folder. Your custom stuff should still exist so you can always reset the default folder locations.

Tools - Project Information I have found that I need to do that for both the Layout and the Plan.

Anna, post the plan. We can't tell what you are doing without the plan itself. I change the glass material in windows and never have a problem so we just need to be able to analyze your plan.

If you use a Wall Material Region it will show up in the materials list but not in the finish schedule. Probably the best solution would be to use a "Wall Covering". That will show up in the Room Schedule. You can rename the Column "Wainscot".

Yes, but you should also note that you can have as many layers as you want and set the thickness of each one. IOW, it's now an assembly.

That's a strange question. How would it work?

The Macro for June 2016 is Area_Perimeter_Volume It can be placed in the Label of: 1. The Label of any closed Polyline and it will display the Area & Perimeter 2. The Label of any PSolid based object and it will display the Area, Perimeter & Volume 3. A Text Box with Leader Line to any Primitive Solid and it will display the Surface Area & Volume Naturally I have created this Macro to display the values in the appropriate units for both Imperial and Metric Plans to the appropriate degree of accuracy.

The Macro for May 2016 is Chief Version. It displays in a Text Box the current Chief Version.

Can you post some pics? maybe even a plan with a perspective camera view?

Check how you set the focal point. Are you using "Center Camera on Point" or "Focus on Object"? Those two things make a difference in how zoom in/out with the mouse reacts.

Zip the plan before posting.

OMG

That's an interesting scale. It almost seems that the detail may have been created as 1-1/2" = 1'-0" and then either exported or imported as 1-1/2" = 1". IAE, determining the ratio is the key to resolving the problem. If the detail is in a CAD Detail Window you can simply change the scale instead of using Transform/Replicate to resize the detail.

Jason, Post the Plan - we can only guess at what you've done. With the Plan we can help.

You would need to create "Log Symbols" with the dovetails on each end - you will probably also need some with dovetail on only the left end, some with a dovetail on only the right end and some with no dovetails. Don't forget the half logs for use at the base and the top of the wall. Once you have them created you would place a stretch plane at x=0 and z=6 (1/2 log height) so that the dovetails don't get distorted when the logs are resized. Then you design your building with a wall thickness about 1/2" less than the log thickness (make the wall type a single layer of a gray material which will in the end be the chinking). You can insert doors and windows in those walls. After you have all the walls in place, start stacking the logs centered on the walls and adjust the lengths as needed. Use "Transform/Replicate" to stack the logs at the appropriate spacing. ie: If the logs are 8"x16" and you want a 2" chinked joint you would replicate at z=18". Basically you use Chief to create normal walls that appear to be solid chinking. Then you stack the logs just like you would if you were building the structure.

I think it would be possible to use "mklink" to redirect Chief to open the Library from a different location. I'll have to investigate further.

The Library file is: C:\Users\<your name>\Documents\Chief Architect Premier X8 Data\Database Libraries\User_Library.calib I regularly copy this file from one system to another using "LogMeIn". There's no real magic to it.

It's an interesting problem. My Library is currently about 350 MB but I have Plans that are over 150 MB. Only when I save a Plan does Dropbox sync to the web. The same is true with the Library - as long as it's open in Chief - Dropbox doesn't have access because Chief "Locks the Library". I think the real problem is in seeing if there's a way to change the location of the Library to the "Dropbox Folder" and still have Chief know where to find it.

Yep......