Joe_Carrick

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Posts posted by Joe_Carrick

    Stream Deck XL Setup

    in Symbols and Content

    Posted

    31 minutes ago, 5FT-20Designs said:

    Nice setup Joe.  I need to create default profile for all my programs; but it won’t be so extensive as yours.

    Chief is my default now.

    Create a Default Profile that includes a button to launch each of your Apps.

    For Chief you can have a button that uses Hotkey "win+#" so that if you just make Chief the active App.

    I have Chief as the 4th App on my Taskbar so that button is Hotkey  win+4

     

     

    Stream Deck XL Setup

    in Symbols and Content

    Posted

    1 minute ago, QualicoreHomes said:

    With this system, are your still pressing 2 or 3 buttons to go from one action to another?  For example; If I'm on the "main" screen and I want to draw an exterior wall it be one button to go to walls and then one more to select which type of wall.  Then if I want to draw a door in that wall I would have push the back button to go to the main screen, the opening button and then the type of door, so that be 3.  Do you find you are pushing a lot of buttons for one action?  Are the hot keys not faster as I don't have to go back to the main screen etc?  I would be sold if there was one big screen/device with all the commands that I need on there. 

    Your analysis of how the system works is correct.  It's both unfortunate and fortunate that there isn't a Stream Deck with hundreds of buttons.

    • More buttons would make a much larger unit and it would cost proportionally more
    • The graphic buttons can process any place from 1 - 100 (or maybe more) in a single button press.
    • Chief's Hotkeys can have 1-4 keystrokes (and if using Ctrl, Shift, Alt) there are even more than 4
    • Remembering complex Hotkeys is always a problem.
    • Chief has the potential to have over 1000 Hotkeys - assuming you wanted to replace all the Toolbar icon mouse picks with Hotkey assignments.
    • The StreamDeck buttons are much easier to see and understand than Toolbar icons.  That's true even without Tooltips which can in fact be added.

    In the final analysis, Even with the "Back" button it's still a lot faster.  I tend to draw all my Walls first, then Doors and Windows, etc.  

    • Upvote 1

    Is There a Way To 'Stack' Tool Palettes?

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    OK Larry,

    I see that we are talking about 2 different things:

    • Toolbars
    • Style Pallets

    Both have a place in my workflow.

     

    I'm actually getting away from Toolbars for most cases.  I've gone almost entirely into using a Stream Deck XL to replace most of Chief's graphic access tools.  I prefer my mouse to be involved just in drawing.  I use a "Right Click" to get the "Edit Toolbar" when I really need it but even that is mostly available on my Stream Deck XL.

     

    I have some Floating Toolbars 

    • Paint Modes
    • Edit Toolbar (Right Click)
    • etc

    The Stream Deck XL also provides Hotkeys for all my other Apps.  Basically I can't remember many Hotkeys and my eyes get strained trying to look for small icons with tooltips.  This setup works really well for me.

    Is There a Way To 'Stack' Tool Palettes?

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    BTW; I have requested that the Door Categories be expanded to provide for the different Door Types.

     

    You might want to also make that request/suggestion.

     

    Style Pallets are great for making quick changes to an existing design.  It's really easy to over-ride defaults with a new set of visual characteristics.

     

    One Style Pallet that's great to have is one that sets everything back to "defaults'.

     

    I also dismissed Style Pallets for quite a while - changed my mind BIG TIME

     

    Global Library

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    No, Chief doesn't allow modifications of object in their Core, Bonus & Mfr Libraries.  You can however request the Content Team make modifications - but they have the final decision.

     

    But you can copy Chief Libraries to your User Library.  You can then open symbols in the copies and edit them.  They won't however be changed in the Chief Libraries.  

    Wall fill pattern in Plan View

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    Create a CAD Block. 

    Multi-Copy over your Wall @ 16" o.c.

     

    That's probably the easiest way.

     

    Note that the Chief Core Library has some Detail Blocks for CMU but they are for vertical detail sections.  You would need to create CMU Plan View CAD Blocks:

    • 8x8
    • 8x8 Filled
    • 8x16
    • 8x16 Filled
    • etc.

    "Multi-Copy" and "Distribute along Line" are the tools I would use but it might also be possible to create a "Fill Pattern" to use as Wall Hatching.  AutoCAD Fill Patterns can be imported.

    Pella window label macro

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    Michael,

     

    It's more complicated because each different Pella Window Type has a different macro.  This is only going to be fixed by Chief - most likely by using some modification to Measurement vs Floating Point value comparisons.  

     

    As you indicate, there may be a problem in the "Label" but I'm not sure of that.

     

    IAE, this is a job for CA to solve.

     

    I've reported it to support and I think we should just leave it to them to fix.

    Pella window label macro

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    Gene,

     

    These are parametric Windows and the Library has macros embedded for each Pella Window Type.  Each macro has the Standard Sizes for that Pella Type.

    However, the macros are trying to compare a floating point value to Chief's Measurement Class.  This results in a mismatch so the macros always fail and leave the output as "Custom"

     

    While I could create custom macros it would be a big job.  Chief actually would need to modify the existing macros internally to the Pella Library.  

     

    As they currently exist it's never going to work.

     

    Pella window label macro

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, GeneDavis said:

    Or is the library really just a collection of symbols none of which have any connection to sizing?

    I think that's the case.

    Chief doesn't have much control over what the manufacturers supply in their libraries.  I would have to take a good look at the Pella Library and if those are actually Symbols vs Parametric values for Chief's Window Tool the macro implementation would be different.

    Custom library icon image

    in General Q & A

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Charles said:

     

    Sorry for my ignorance, but what is a "stream deck"?

    -Charles

    Google "Elgato Stream Deck XL"

     

    Basically it's the ultimate Backlit Hotkey Keyboard.  It was designed for "Streamers" but it can automate almost anything you want to do.  I use it to automatically load the Hotkeys for whatever App is currently active. 

     

    • Chief Architect 
    • Word
    • Access
    • Excell
    • NotePad++
    • Edge
    • Thunderbird
    • Pdf-Pro
    • etc

     

    For Chief I have hundreds of tools available with a maximum of 3 key strokes.  All the keys are assigned icons to indicate the tool.  There are only 32 keys but each of those can access 32 more and 32 more and ........

     

    Take a look at some of the videos - you'll be amazed at the possibilities.  Each key can be assigned a variety of different actions and/or combinations of actions.