Joe_Carrick

Of course that's the way it's built in the real world. But how do you do it in Chief?

Yeah, I've been trying to figure out if I could do that with some sort of custom exterior casing - something else to consider.

Scott, Maybe this will work - I used a 2x8 stud wall and messed with the window frame. You can also make some adjustments with the Options Panel of the Window dbx.

Scott, I assume you really want a 2x8 studs. If that's the case you could just do the double 2x4 stud wall where the windows are - or even a Wall Type with and extra exterior stucco thickness of 4". Then recess the Window to the Main Layer.

Sounds like you have incorrectly created something. Post the Plan and identify where the problems are occurring - then we can help.

Jon, I can assure you that the Feedback Panel doesn't have that sort of power. OTOH, I'm also sure CA really wants to modernize and simplify the codebase, if for no other reason than to make it much easier to maintain the Application. No software company likes spaghetti.

Todd, DWG is already archaic. It's very little more than 2D vector graphics (lines, arcs and text with linestyles, colors, layers, & fonts). IMO 3DS is better than SKP but it's almost impossible to come up with any standard that's going to encompass everything. CA probably has something in their database that no-one else has - and that's probably true for every system. It would be the same for every other 3D Architectural CAD system - some little nuance of the database has no corollary in any other system. This means that unless every one of those can be added to the "Standard" then it will always be less than perfect.

As one of our past Presidents said "I feel your pain". Chief is in fact a complex piece of software - mainly because it is so capable and construction is complicated with thousands of choices to be made during the design process. No one is going to be an expert very quickly. Some of us did it the hard way - by just plugging away and banging our heads against the wall way too many times. Get whatever training assistance you can afford and be patient - you will get there.

Doug, Typically if these are Framed Walls, they could be done: 1. with over-sized studs cut to the slope. a. 2x8 tapered to 2x4 to get a 4" slope b. 2x10 tapered to 2x4 to get a 6" slope c. etc. 2. with a normal vertical set of studs (2x4, 2x6, etc) and then 2x4's framing the slope. Normally the bottom plate would be the full wall thickness while the top plate(s) would be the top thickness of the wall) Doors & Windows would usually be just framed as if the wall was strictly vertical of the thinner wall dimension and the sloped part of the wall would be held about 2 inches clear for trim, etc. At least that's the way I've always seen it done. It would be nice if anyone else could chime in to verify or dispute my answers.

You could also try using a Peninsula Wall Cabinet from the Library and change the "Doors" to "Opening" and then manually add the Glass Doors.

About the only way I know to do this is a Custom Symbol. If you display a cabinet in 3D without a Door you can then use "Delete Surface" to remove the front and back faces of the back of the cabinet. Convert that to an Interior Furniture Symbol. Place the Symbol in your Plan and add Glass Cabinet Doors manually. It is possible to take this one step further and Block the new Symbol and the Cabinet Door and then make that be recognized as a Cabinet so it will appear in the Schedule.

Should Chief add a capability of "Battered Walls" (walls that are vertical on the inside but sloped on the outside)? This sort of thing has been the subject of countless questions and suggestions over the years but I don't think it's ever been adequately defined. If they can, what should be considered for how the following work: 1. Window Openings? 2. Door Openings? 3. Framing? 4. Wall Slope (angle, thickness at top, thickness at bottom)? 5. Wall alignment (outside at bottom, outside at middle, outside at top)? There are a lot of variables to consider and it's a pretty complex problem - but if we can come up with a good consensus of what should be.......... Please - don't complicate this by expanding the discussion to walls that are sloped on the inside and outside. Those are a very different item which would need to be discussed separately.

Common Data and File Formats have been a goal for over 30 years. Back in the early 1980's there was an initiative to create a standard for 2D CAD called the GIS (Graphic Interchange Standard) which never really became a reality. As much as companies say they want a common standard for interoperability - they tend in the long run to resist actually doing it. Perhaps Trimble and Nemetschek will follow thru with a standard that works with their products. The chance that they would assist Chief or SoftPlan or other 3D CAD Software in this effort is IMO not very good. These big companies are not really interested in helping the smaller companies - unless they can swallow them.

It's probably going to be more work than he wants, but one option is a Layout using Letter Size and just sending the desired views to that Layout.

Michael, Make the railing outside of the "deck area" and check it as "No Room Definition". Then you can move it into place without effecting the existing walls. Works like a charm. Sometimes you just have to ask the right questions - or at least let us know what you really want.

This is a carryover from the days when colored pens could be plotted on vellum or mylar to provide different line weights when printed on a ozalid printer. Those days are long gone. With Chief you have the options of using either "Color" or "Gray Scale" for printing. Most of us print to a PDF and then have that printed on a large scale ink-jet or laser printer.

I think one reason that people sometimes don't get the "automatic update" of the Layout is that the Layout was not open when the Plan was modified. In Theory, opening the Layout File should open the Plan Files and update. I'm not convince that will work - but when I open the Layout and the associated Plans then any changes made in the Plan get updated. There are of course the "Elevations that won't get updated" when a Plan is modified which has to do with how the Cameras are linked only to their View Windows and not to the Layout directly. IAE, opening the Layout and the Plans before making any changes to the Plan is a much more reliable way to get the Layout to update.

To answer your question about the Plan knowing what Layout - it doesn't. this is because any Plan could be sent to multiple Layouts. You can have only one Layout open at a time (at least in a single session of Chief) and that Layout File knows what Plan each Layout Box came from. OTOH, there is nothing in the Plan File to indicate a connection to any Layout other than the one that's currently open. I've been told that all the Plan Files linked to a Layout are automatically opened when the Layout is opened - but they don't actually show in the Project Browser. I think they should. Currently, you have to specifically open the Plan Files in order for them to be displayed in the Project Browser.

I would make an entire Floor to use instead of the Attic. That way I could define that area as a Balcony with Railings. Then I would just Lower the Roof and edit the Roof Planes as needed.

Generally, a metal texture will not appear to be correct in a "Render" view. If you do a "Ray Trace" is should look correct. If that doesn't work, open the Symbol and change the material to "Chrome" (there are a lot of materials in Chief's Library). Do not use the "Spray Can" to change the material - use the dbx.

Here's a macro I created to label Simpson Strong Tie CAD Blocks. It needs to be inserted into a Text Block with Arrow. When the Arrow is connected to the SST CAD Block it will display the Simpson Part #. It's very useful in "to scale framing details". SST Label.zip

I believe you will find that the Text Styles are carried with the Layer Set. If you Export the Layer Set and then Import that Layer Set to another Plan the Text Styles should be there as well. Note: If you have Text Styles that are not assigned to any Layer Set in your Plan then Export/Import of the Layer Sets will not bring over the unused Text Styles.

Sherry, Save the Plan As (use another name). Now go ahead and make the changes to the original. You can always go back to the saved Plan to get the Roof Planes as you had them.

Alan, I would just copy one object, rotate it and then copy that one to wherever I needed it. It's so fast to select, copy/paste then rotate with the mouse and then make multiple paste operations. You can use the "Sticky Mode" - the Push-Pin icon on the Edit Toolbar to paste multiple copies in succession.

How about "Red Chinese Propaganda"?