Joe_Carrick

The over-glaze is an artistic effect that is almost impossible to achieve in a Chief Render.

Perry, One way to do that is to "copy/paste" the name. You already have the CAD Block in the list so just open CAD Block Management and copy the name from there and paste it as the name of your new Block.

The February 2016 Macro of the Month is: Stair Label - Section & Stair Label - Total. These are used with Leader Line Text to annotate Stairs Example output for Stair Label - Total is: 14 R.@ 7 7/8" = 9'-1 7/8" 12 T.@ 9" deep x 32" wide For Metric Plans the output is in mm rather than Imperial units.

Just a side note about this system - all the Details are "To Scale" and you can use not only CAD Objects but you can use walls and any other Chief Object to create the Details.

That would be a problem - I'm often actually wanting a new block with a different name and still keep the existing block. If you use the same name all the existing instances will be changed. Sometimes that's helpful but sometimes it isn't.

Chief provides a Template CAD Block Template that contains on Floor 1 a variety of CAD Blocks that are useful for creating Details. I use this template to create my Detail Plan Database. The Basics are that I have a Detail Plan for each category: Railing Foundation Roof Doors Windows etc.... For each of those I've enhanced Floor 1 by adding additional CAD Blocks that can be used to build up new details. I also have a Detail Title and a Frame to contain the detail. After I've created a detail I copy it to a CAD Detail Window in the Plan and name it so that the Project Browser acts as my INDEX. These Detail Plans are always available, independent from the Library and make it much easier to copy and modify. Since the Details are sent to the Layout(s) and always link back to the Detail Plan(s) - any modification of the Detail will be reflected in the Layout of any project where it was used. Typically my Layouts (including my Default Layout Template) have not only the Project Plan linked, but since the Details have been sent from the Detail Plans - all of those Plans are also linked. Whenever I open a Layout and select a Layout Box with one of my Details - I can open the Detail in its Plan directly. I never have to go searching thru the Library for a Detail.

When a Symbol is used its CAD Block is usually named to match the Symbol name. That's helpful because it allows you to find it in CAD Block Management and even Insert it in the Plan independently from the Symbol. However, when you just Block some CAD Objects Chief names them block1, block2, block3, etc which doesn't much - how do you know which block to choose. However, you can rename them by opening the blocks' dbx and changing the name. Then when you want to use that block it's a simple matter of opening CAD Block Management, Hotkey "V", selecting that block from the list and Inserting it. This is particularly useful when creating Details since there is an attribute object_type that contains the name. That can be used in a macro to automatically annotate the object using Leader Line Text.

When using a macro in Leader Line Text it is sometimes difficult to connect to the correct object. Here's a little trick: Select the Object and move it to the "Front Group" & also "Move to Front of Group". The Leader Line will then connect to that object instead of another object at the same location. In the case of Closed Polylines with a Fill the arrowhead can be inside the Polyline. If the Polyline Fill is hiding something that you want to show - such as the walls under a Stairs, etc just make the Fill 25% transparent.

I think the main reason was that most of us don't do "Plant Schedules" and it wasn't easy to have multiple Schedules for the other items without conflicts. In addition Plant images don't convert to Symbols and it's easy to make them very small and hide them behind the Callout.

Tommy, Cabinet Doors (in the Library) are in fact just Symbols. It's really easy to display one in 3D and make it a Symbol of another type (Millwork, Interior Furnishing, etc) and set it to "Hang on Wall" or whatever other behavior is needed. IAE, yes the use of a Symbol is appropriate for the panels.

You can use leader line text with a user macro (referenced & evaluated). The macro would be: %LayerName% layer.to_s.gsub("_"," ").upcase You just need to create a layer with the name you want and place the line on that layer. That macro will work to display the layer of any Chief Object beginning with version X8. If you don't want the leader line to show, you can do one of the following: 1. Change it to a "Blank Line Style" (this is actually available in Chiefs dropdown list. 2. Change its color to white.

For the Baseboard, Wainscot & Chair-Rail create a single molding profile to use as a base molding for the room. For the Panels, use a Cabinet Door and place as needed.

I really hate it that some people insist on using non-standard fonts. I get a Plan of Layout that has all sorts of strange fonts. When go ahead and open them either Chief or Windows substitutes something they think is "close" and sometimes the size get's changed at the same time. Then there are also the strange "Text Styles" that some users have come up with. Grrrrr............

Thomas, What Version of Chief are you using?

Sometimes I find that the "Furnishings, Interior" layer needs to be displayed. Also, "Architectural Blocks" may need to be displayed. It really depends on what Symbol you have selected from the Library. They aren't all "Millwork".

There was another thread in Suggestions - evidently deleted - concerning these objects and their "Height" and "Thickness". Here are 3 pics of a site with a rather steep terrain, I added a Road, 2 Driveways, 3 Sidewalks and a Slab. The Road, Driveways and Sidewalks were all specified to be 1" High. The Slab is 12" Thick with the Top Surface 6" above the Terrain. Note that the Road, Driveway and Sidewalks all effect the Terrain by attempting to be "Level" perpendicular to their centerlines. However, where these items meet their surfaces are "warped" to join with the major item. None of them have any real thickness as can be seen in the 2nd and 3rd pics. The Slab, does have a thickness and that can be seen in the 3rd pic. The Suggestion I had made previously was that the "Thickness" should exist and that we should be able to edit those values similarly to how we can for a slab.

I will also have an effect in the Finish Schedule. Wall Coverings are another method of adding paint, wallpaper, etc.

This problem is usually caused be a slight misalignment of the cabinets. This can be vertically or horizontally. If everything is perfectly butted together it should work. It would appear that the Oven Cabinet may be misaligned (either in the x or y direction). It's probably wider than the space between the other 2 cabinets. However, if it still doesn't work make a Molding Polyline at the edges of the Cabinets and apply the crown molding to that instead of to the Cabinets themselves.

Reverse the wall Layer so that the main layer is to the outside of the shower. Then you can turn the corner.

I would use a molding profile. It would show in Standard Render as well as Vector Views. I'm not sure how that would work for material take-offs but otherwise.......

What Michael said.... He's getting very fast with the responses.

Yep, I didn't read your response carefully enough to catch the "stacking" part.

To simplify this, I would use 2 Moldings: 1. 1 or 2 Simple rectangular Molding Profile for the Flat Bricks with a brick texture. 2. 3D Molding for a single "Dog Tooth Brick" Apply each of these to the Molding Polyline with elevation and size as needed. This has the best chance of looking right at corners. Here's a pic

FWIW, I don't think Room Divider is appropriate. A "Post to Beam" railing wall would be my choice - and then simply specify the Room as a Porch. Porches by default have a roof.

I've noticed that I often have problems opening one version after having used the other. This is not something that I ever noticed before X8. It seems like now I have to use "Run as Administrator" while I didn't previously. Naturally, this brings up the "User Account Control" dialog which I have to answer before Chief will open. 1. Why has this changed from prior releases? 2. Am I the only one having this problem?