Joe_Carrick

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    12028

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Joe_Carrick

  1. Joe_Carrick
    Unfortunately, sometimes we really need to bring a plan forward from an older version. Technically, a Plan is no different than a Template. The only difference is that when you create a new plan from a template you have to give it a new name when you save it. The fact is that when we bring a plan or template forward it really needs to work 100% with the new version. That means CA has to internally modify the file structure to accommodate all changes required. Anything less is just not going to work.
  2. Joe_Carrick
    I'm bumping this post. It was originally posted 3 years ago. AFAIK, only #7 was fixed to date.
  3. Joe_Carrick
    Gerry, can you provide a link to the video about Fill Patterns? Never mind, I found those attributes - but only in X8. They don't exist in X7. So why did CA add those attributes to Polyline Objects in X8 but didn't add other attributes that would be much more useful? Such as fill_name
  4. Joe_Carrick
    Gerry, I really don't want to use an external line style editor. We should be able to use Chief to do this. I agree we should have a readable & editable name field but until we do, the layer works for some things quite well.
  5. Joe_Carrick
    To satisfy Glenn, I guess I need to start using an install program. Maybe that would actually be a good idea anyway. It would reduce the amount of time I have to devote to setup instructions.
  6. Joe_Carrick
    Gerry, I tried using Line Styles and found the following: Chief's built-in Line Styles have names that are usable but user defined Line Styles have a different name (Ruby Attribute) than what the user named it. This makes it almost impossible to use custom Line Styles as an identifier in macros. As far as pattern_angle and/or pattern_spacing: Those attributes are not available to Ruby, so they can't be used. The line_weight is the only really usable attribute that makes this work properly. If you have some way of accessing other attributes not listed I would be delighted to know how. X8 added the Layer Name as an accessible attribute (for all objects) which has proven very helpful - but the ideal would be a name attribute for all Chief Objects.
  7. Joe_Carrick
    Brian did confirm it - I haven't heard anything more from CA. It really should not matter, but the numbers are off by the thickness of the Floor Finish. It essentially is making the Stair that much too tall and results in the risers being a fraction taller than they should be.
  8. Joe_Carrick
    Scott, I had a problem with a plan brought forward that I sent to CA. Basically the Stair Top Elevation did not match the 2nd Floor Elevation. The problem was apparent in the dbx for the Stair vs the dbx for the 2nd Floor Room. New plans from X8 Templates don't have that problem. I am hoping they will have it fixed in the next X8 update.
  9. Joe_Carrick
    It's a simple matter of having the macro in the Roof Plane's Label or not. Each Roof Plane is set to a different line_weight (number) and that's the ID in the table as well as the Label in the Plan. The macro also recognizes, labels and tallies the Roof planes as Existing, Demo or New depending on their Line Style.
  10. Joe_Carrick
    Sorry Glenn, My Roof Macro Package is dynamic and once set up is a lot quicker. It labels each roof plane and provides tables with all the individual roof plan data as well as totals. You can view the video http://screencast.com/t/fDqTIdWZw1 to see 3 of my macro packages, including the Roof Package. It's all done in the Roof Label.and is 100% updated and correct whenever the Layout is printed or displayed. I think Gerry has another method but I think mine is easier since it doesn't require any "process" to get the data updated. 100% accurate and dynamic on the fly.
  11. Joe_Carrick
    True, but automatic calculations are not possible with the built-in label macros. Only with custom macros can calculations be performed.
  12. Joe_Carrick
    In X8 it works. The macros are executed even if you use Callouts for the Labels. In X7 that wasn't the case. The macros would only execute if the Callouts were NOT used as Labels. THANK YOU CA. Now if we could just get the Text Label and the Callout to both display. We could actually have the Header Label as text and the Schedule Callout at the same time.
  13. Joe_Carrick
    Sherry, Most of us just copy our Templates from X7 to X8. Sometimes something doesn't work quite right and we have to use the Templates Chief provides - but almost everything can be copied and or imported from X7.
  14. Joe_Carrick
    Ruby is Chief's macro language. It's more like basic than or similar programming languages. Chief has simplified "tutorial" built in that you can access by opening the Ruby Console and typing "tutorial" <enter>. Macros in Chief are created and/or edited using "Text Macro Management". There a lot more that can be done than what the tutorial shows. You can learn more by downloading "The Little Book of Ruby" and then checking out http://ruby-doc.org There are also quite a few threads on the Forums that give examples.
  15. Joe_Carrick
    I use Ruby macros to do that. You need to know how to use and write macros or maybe subscribe to my "Macro a Month Club".
  16. Joe_Carrick
    You should be able to find a door symbol in the library with the configuration you want. If not, make one. Modifying an existing symbol by adding some solids and "Create Symbol". Then add it to your User Library - it's really pretty easy.
  17. Joe_Carrick
    Can you export from Sketchup to an earlier version SKP format? I think Chief likes SKP version 8
  18. Joe_Carrick
    Definitely not tempered glass
  19. Joe_Carrick
    Check your "Dimension Defaults" for what to snap to. Then make sure Object Snaps are "ON".
  20. Joe_Carrick
    What are you really looking for in curtain walls? Do you want 3D Symbols that snap in place as walls or something else? There are ways to do this in Chief. Give me an example and I'll show you how.
  21. Joe_Carrick
    I've used 2D CAD from 1980 to 2006. The last 20 years of that was AutoCAD. When I started using Chief (Version 9.5) I learned to use Chief's 2D Tools which don't work the same as AutoCAD but they actually provide all the functionality - but just differently. Learn how Chief's tools work - including the ability to generate 2D from the 3D. I do all details in Chief and I can do it faster than I ever could with AutoCAD.
  22. Joe_Carrick
    That's the problem. Chief likes "Rooms" and it treats "Porches" as having a roof and a floor. It's time to go back and redo that area. If you close the Plan and zip it you should be able to upload.
  23. Joe_Carrick
    Start off with just a few key contour lines. Then add a flat region for the house - assuming that you want a flat building pad. Add small flat regions at other locations to get smooth transitions from sloped to flat. Finally, add raised or lowered regions if needed. Play with this concept on a simple plan so you get the idea. It's really the easiest way to do terrain.
  24. Joe_Carrick
    I found that I already had both of these catalogs downloaded in a prior version (X6) on at least 1 of my 3 computers. So I just exported imported them to X8. But that isn't the point. SSA is supposed to include all content, not just some.
  25. Joe_Carrick
    So, FWIW - here's what I did: 1. I broke the railing wall right at the edge of the Door Opening 2. I selected that wall segment and used Transform/Replicate to move it in the y direction 1/2" That allowed the riser surface to show because the wall surface was no longer in front of it.