Joe_Carrick

There are some other things related to this that hopefully will be fixed in X8: 1. Multiple Stringers with spacing 2. Separate materials for Stringers vs Risers (we have Risers vs Treads in X7) 3. 3D Stringers with Closed Risers - we already see the Exterior Stringer Face and Closed Stringers. 4. Optional Soffit below Closed Risers (material selection could do this) 5. Closed Below should result in actual Walls, not just a 3D Surface.

Sounds good. Once I get your plan I can give you a price. Depending on the way your plan is setup, it could be a little more complicated than what I currently do - but maybe less. I don't do much remodel work so that's a little more but other parts of what you do may be less. I don't want to give a blanket price for this until I've looked at your plan.

Rob, There may be a couple of small artifacts left (maybe roof plane related) - but the main thing is to uncheck "Roof Over this Room" for the 2nd floor Deck. That will fix the Soffits.

Alan, Since there are no Defaults for Mulled Units - you should send that in as a suggestion. Without it being requested/suggested it might never happen.

1. Close the Plan 2. Zip it 3. Attach the zipped file

It is rare that any of us can answer based on just a couple of pics. If you post the Plan it's a lot easier for us to see what you've done (right or wrong) and figure out how to fix it.

I also just use a separate Annoset/LayerSet. It's not only live, but my Site Analysis macros are also live.

Perry, I usually delete the extra Wall Elevations but I also have to edit the Camera Callout anyway. I have a CAD Mask stored that I can copy to the Wall Elevation, resize it to fit and there's a couple of Text Blocks included to show the %view_name% and the scale. This makes it much easier to have Interior Elevations Labeled and Positioned correctly in Layout. It would be cool if I could just select a set of Camera Views in the Project Browser and send them all to a Layout Page at one time (separate Layout Boxes of course).

I don't know but I usually just use the Room Edit Toolbar Icon to create the Wall Elevations. Then I almost immediately rename them to include the Room Name so that I can get them automatically Labeled.

Larry, Most of this is automatic if you have it all set up in your Default Template or (as Scott uses - SAM). Elevation and Section Cameras are already in place, auto Roof Planes, automatic Framing and Foundations, are ON, Schedules are in CAD Detail Windows and default Property Boundary, Setbacks and Terrain are already in the Plan. I start with a complete Project File with almost everything already sent to Layout. I essentially start with a 3 story house so I have a Site Plan, Foundation plan, 3 Floor Plans, a Roof Plan, 4 Elevations & 2 Sections plus Floor and Roof Framing Plans already in the Layout. That means that as I work on the Plan, all the Elevations, Sections, Schedules, etc are being done for me. Sometimes I need to move a Camera or add another Section but this is a big time saver. I haven't figured out how to get Interior Elevations and Wall Sections to be automatic and I still have to do the dimensioning and adjust the position of things in the Schedules for numbering purposes. There are a lot of other details to attend to but the basics are auto-magic.

It would be nice if there was an option to have mulled units show as individual components in Schedules. Another feature that would be cool would be to have the geometry of mulled units (trim, etc) without actually having the "mulled" blocking.

Alan, This is IMO more a question of how the Door and Window are going to be ordered and installed. If it's going to be made as a single unit then mull it and have it in the Door Schedule. To get to the hardware & other details you can select the mulled unit and tab to get to the embedded door or window which you can then open. If it's going to be 2 separate pieces just installed in a single opening then don't mull it and the 2 items will be in different Schedules. You can always add notes in the comments of the component dbx so the contractor will understand.

OK. I understand that reason. I don't know if there's a reasonable way to get the "Stucco" to show the way he want's it but I suspect a simple symbol could be devised to partially cover the Window Frame - maybe even with a 2D Block to serve as the Buck Frame. I will look into that - right now I'm going to watch the Players Championship.

That is not how "Buck" details are usually done. The normal detail is for the Buck Frame to be just large enough to allow the window to be installed and trimmed. I've done a lot of Spanish Style homes and the Window trim always covers the "Buck". Maybe the problem here is that you don't understand what a Buck Frame is. It's not the inset, it's a secondary rough window frame attached inside the framed opening in the wall. If done properly there would be no stucco between the Window Frame and the stucco recess. I also just looked at my copy of the "Lillian J Rice" book. She was one of the original Architects for Rancho Santa Fe and all the pics in that book show the same thing as I said above. If you want to do it differently that's OK - but it's not the normal way it's done.

Scott, I don't understand your I DO NOT AGREE replies. If auto Framing is turned on the framing adjusts with the Window when they are moved or resized. If you are simply insisting that the "Buck Frame" show as a part of the wall framing then: 1. You don't really understand that it's not a part of framing - it's a part of the window attachment. 2. Normally this is done with Concrete or Masonry wall construction where there is not "Framing" 3. My statement of Item #5 was not to indicate that the "Buck Frame" was a part of framing - automatic or otherwise. 4. Beyond this - I GIVE UP.

Perry, Ca you just select the Window and use it's handles to move it or resize it? Can you select the window and open it and change the width to more than the width of the wall it's located in? For me those are very important - and I believe were a part of Scott's original wants.

Scott, I agree that without some programming work there's no "perfect" solution. That said, the plan I posted has the following: 1. 3D Views (Standard & Vector) are correct 2. Plan View shows The Window Inset - and that Inset is adjustable. 3. Framing is correct in both Plan and Section Views 4. Windows can be moved and resized the same as any other Window 5. Head, Jamb and Sill Details can be used to show the "Buck Frame" 6. Custom Label and/or Comments can note the specifics. If you save the Window to the Library it's available for use any time and everything is adjustable within the Window dbx. I'm, not sure exactly what else you need - other than for Chief to add a "Buck Frame" to Doors and Windows - or to the Wall_Type Definition. I'm not sure which would be the best place for such a thing but either would probably work. In the meantime if you really need to show the 2x4 "Buck" (there is usually only 1 but you could do 2) it can be done with a CAD Block. I would do this with larger scale details - and my normal Schedules are already set up so that there are detail callouts. I know you said that P's solution was perfect but it doesn't provide #3 & #4 in the above list and it requires another Wall_Type with a thick layer of stucco. As I said in a previous Post, the "Buck Frame" is not a part of the "Framing". It's a part of the Window or Door attachment Detail. My solution keeps the Wall as one thing and the Window as another.

Here's my solution to "Buck Framed Windows" based on the way Chief works currently. The windows in this plan have their Frames sized to emulate a 2x4 Buck, 5/8" Drywall & 1" Stucco. The Frame is inset 3" to work with the 2x8 stud wall I'm using. Those values can be changed to match whatever your conditions are. Buck_Framed_Windows1.plan

If you who are not comfortable setting this up yourself - I can provide the setup for a reasonable fee. Once it's done and in your Profile Plan it's pretty much automatic.

Joey, All of your areas are possible just using macros assigned to default room labels and a reference macro assigned to the property line. All the calculations can be done within the display macro(s) and the whole thing put in a single text box. I have the text box in a CAD Detail that I send to Layout. Here's an example of what I'm doing - it's all extracted directly from the model using macros.

Scott, The one thing about this solution that has to be "touched up" is the wall framing above and below the window. Otherwise it covers just about all the bases. Also, you can't just slide the window to another location. The typical use of "Bucks" for Doors and Windows is a wood frame (1x or 2x) inside a masonry or concrete opening in the wall. This is to provide something to attach the Door or Window to. Using this principle in a thick stud framed wall is similar. The Wall opening is simply framed a little larger and the "Buck" is framed inside that opening. IMO this should be added to the Door and Window dialogs. Then it would be automatic and everything would work exactly as in the real world.

After a more thorough analysis, this would be easy to do if CA would add: 1. Recessed Wall (Bucked Frame) - Wall_Type and width required. 2. Separate Frame and Bucked Frame Materials 3. Recess Casing to Frame I am not going to make this suggestion at this time - maybe later. but it would need to be done for Doors as well.

Note: This could also be done without using a Custom Symbol but you would not be able to change the Frame to Stucco and you would still need to make the window wider and edit the label and the components dbx. There is no perfect solution.

It would be much better if Chief allowed the 2D Block to be offset in the y direction as is the 3D Symbol - actually, that should be automatic (maybe in X8). Then we could make the 2D Block be whatever we wanted and make the Plan View perfect. I tried using exterior casings to cover the ends of the studs but they can't be inset. Maybe Bill's "Blinds" method could be used for that.

OK, Here's what I've come up with. After inserting the Window Symbol in the Plan I had to do a few things: 1. Set the 2D Block to None 2. Adjust the Frame Size to 3" Wide (all around) 3. Set the Frame Depth to 4" inset 4" 4. Add Interior Casings (optional) Manually edit the Label to reflect the actual Window size instead of the Symbol Size. It isn't perfect, but it Frames as an 8" Stud Wall and there are no extra lines to remove. I haven't checked to see what the Schedule says, but it should be possible to modify anything that isn't accurate in the Component dbx.