Joe_Carrick

Mark, Sorry about the first one. I didn't have my molding cutter properly indexed to the front of the drawer face. Try this one. Lipped Drawer - JPC2.calibz

With Chief Architect, Ruby is currently limited (mostly) to creating textual data which can be displayed in Labels or Text Boxes. Many Chief Objects have available attributes (data about the object) that can be retrieved within a macro and used to do calculations and return the text to be displayed. What's possible depends mainly on what attributes are available. If there's some text you want to create in Plan or Layout from the data contained in Chief (automatically vs manually entering it) it can in most cases be done using macros. So that's your starting point in deciding what you would like a macro to do.

Mark, My Lip Inset profile is pretty typical for that kind of door - to match how Lip-Inset Hinges fit. Generally, the rabbit around the back face of the door is 3/8"x7/16" and the door/drawer overlaps the face of the cabinet 1/4" all the way around.

Note: When I positioned the Drawer Front I made sure the front face was flush with the radius portion of my Molding Cutter. That's the key to eliminating the line.

Dennis, Starting in Plan View 1. I created a closed polyline with the reverse profile of the edge (like a molding cutter that a cabinet shop would use). 2. I converted that to a Polyline Solid 40" tall. 3. I converted that to a Solid. (I blocked it and added to my library of "Cutting Tools" for future use.) Then I displayed an Elevation View 4. I arranged 4 of these to form a "Frame" with an inside dimension of 32" wide x 6" tall 5. I next created a solid box 36" wide x 8" tall x 3/4" thick and positioned it so that it was centered on the above "Frame" 6. Using Solid Subtraction I cut away each edge of the drawer. I need to do a little testing to see if I can save 3D Faces in the Library - kind of like Molding Profiles but to use to extrude as "Molding Cutters".

Larry, There are some books on Ruby you can download but the language IMO is not very well documented and it takes a bit of work and practice to do some of the things I do with it. If you can tell me what you want a macro to do - I'll tell you if it's possible, practical and what I would charge for it.

Mark, Here's one I created using Chief Solids. I created a cutting tool to trim the edges - similar to a router bit. Lipped Drawer - JPC.calibz

Mick, You should be able to get rid of the extra lines by specifying in the Structure Tab of the Foundation Wall Defaults - Hang Floor Platform Above on Wall.

Bernie, This is a macro I use to set up some Ruby Global Variables by writing/reading a file x = "" $BuilderName = "Builder" $BuilderCompany = "BUILDER COMPANY" $BuilderStreet = "Street Address" $BuilderCity = "City" $BuilderState = "ST" $BuilderZip = "99999" $BuilderPhone = "(999) 999-9999" $BuilderFax = "(999) 999-9999" $BuilderEmail = "email@mailserver.com" if File.exist?($fnbldr) cBuilder = File.read($fnbldr) else cBuilder = "Builder BUILDER COMPANY Street Address City ST 99999 Ph: 999-999-9999 Fax: 999-999-9999 Email: builder@mailserver.com" File.open($fnbldr,'w'){|f|f.write(cBuilder)} end cBuilder = cBuilder.dump aStrings = cBuilder.split('\n') $BuilderName = aStrings[0].gsub('"','') $BuilderCompany = aStrings[1].gsub('"','') $BuilderStreet = aStrings[2].gsub('"','') $BuilderCity = aStrings[3].gsub('"','') $BuilderState = aStrings[4].gsub('"','') $BuilderZip = aStrings[5].gsub('"','') $BuilderPhone = aStrings[6].gsub('"','') $BuilderFax = aStrings[7].gsub('"','') $BuilderEmail = aStrings[8].gsub('"','') x Note: $fnbldr is one of several previously established Ruby Global Variables that are the names of the files to read/write and include the full paths. The names are derived by the following macro that needs to be executed someplace - I put in my Layout Title Block. It's important to note that I have a separate folder & sub-folders for each project, so the file names are guaranteed to be unique. x= '' $fnsi = referenced_full_filename.gsub(".plan","") $fnpi = $fnsi+ " Project Info.txt" $fnst = $fnsi+ " Struct Engineer Info.txt" $fnbldr = $fnsi+ " Builder Info.txt" $fnsurv = $fnsi+ " Surveyor Info.txt" $fngeol = $fnsi+ " Geologist Info.txt" $fnT24 = $fnsi+ " T24 Consulant Info.txt" x

To do the Slab 1/2 on the Block Wall you need a Pony Wall (Basically a "Brick Ledge" as Chief calls it) but on the interior instead of the Exterior. The Pony Wall would be the full thickness and the upper part of the Stem Wall would only have the 1/2 Block.

You need to have the Main Layers of the Stem Wall and the wall above align. The Main Layer of the Stem Wall should be the CMU and the Main Layer of the wall above should be the Stud Framing. Your Stem Wall needs to include the extra layers for the brick. Actually, you should probably use a Pony Wall so you have a "Brick Ledge" as it isn't good practice to have the brick extend below grade. Bricks tend to deteriorate when in constant contact with wet soil. BTW, the flashing should go behind the vapor barrier.

I put them on the 1st Floor, dimension them, then copy->paste->paste hold position on all the other floors. I have them on a separate layer so it's easy to just set all other layers off - then marquee select.

Richard, What is your System Configuration? This sounds like the problem with some older computers using HD2000 Graphics Cards and Drivers. I had this sort of problem on one of my systems and just decided to spend a couple hundred bucks for a new NVidea Graphics Card. IAE, contact support for to see if they can help.

Todd, In X6 File->Export->Export Hotkeys (will be XML) In X7 File->Import->Import Hotkeys (XML) This is no problem.

Glenn, Just hit the "Break Line Hot Key" twice in succession. That's the same as Double Clicking on the icon.

Well, I learned something new. The trick is to double click on the "Break Line" Tool - then click on the line where you want to break it. I kept doing just the opposite - never used this before and it's definitely not intuitive. Why don't you guys learn to be specific. It would save me a lot of time trying to figure out the trick. IAE, Most of the time I like to use the Trim Tool. It allows me to cut out a Wall Section from a CAD Detail created from a Section very easily.

I agree with Scott. I actually tried Glenn's method but could not get it to consistently work with Mono Slabs. I would really like to have a set of coherent Defaults so that I could get the Foundations to be at least 90% accurate using Automatic Mono Slabs. It shouldn't take that much to get it done. For any fairly large home the Foundation takes way too much time and then it seems like once I have it the way it should be something happens and I have to spend another hour fixing it.

Clever Glenn, Maybe MonoSlabs can work after all. But I still think this should be much better handled by the software.

They should also probably have a level "basement" that doesn't necessarily need to be used.

Todd, 1. Draw a thin rectangle that crosses the lines you want to break (red in pic) 2. Select that Rectangle and click on the trim tool (scissors) on the edit toolbar 3. Select the fence on the edit toolbar 4. Draw a line inside the thin rectangle so that it crosses the lines you want to cut out. (green in pic) 5. Delete the thin rectangle This is really the easiest way to do it. You can skip #3 & #4 and just pick a line inside the rectangle - but then you have to repeat #2

Use the Trim Tool. You create another rectangle to encompass the things you want to cut out. You might need to experiment a bit with this tool to familiarize yourself with how to use it.

Just try it. You can have X6 & X7 at the same time. If X7 is too slow for your hardware you don't have to use it. I have X7 installed on 3 different machines. The oldest machine had an Intel HD2000 Graphics card that I upgraded for a couple hundred bucks to an NVidea with 2GB Ram. It works fine.

Alan, I'm don't think you want to use a "Room Divider". I personally would use a normal "Railing Wall" (Post to Beam) and suppress the Rails, Newels & Balusters - or use a simple 4" Wall Type and check "Invisible Wall"

Or you can make railings outside of the balcony and set them as "No Room Definition" and then move them into place where you want them.

OK, so for this 2nd Floor Room over the Garage, set the Ceiling Height to 9' and just move the roof planes down 5'.