Joe_Carrick

1 hour ago, solver said:

While having a dedicated toolbar is convenient, all of this could be done by accessing items in the library.

Eric,

A lot of what Rene provides are Tools that set specific limited Style settings.  This allows extremely quick editing of a variety of things.

Unless you've really seen these in action it's not fair to make the above statement.  Some of the Toolbar Buttons do in fact select specific items in the library but that's just a starting point.

13 hours ago, ga7pilot said:

Well, I figured out a way, but it's not for the faint of heart.

If you have a "Master Toolbar Configuration" with all Toolbars then it's fairly easy to make a copy, rename it and delete all the unwanted Toolbars.  

Yes, you can do this in a text editor but you can also do it in Chief.  

I have my Toolbars in a Dropbox Folder instead of the OOB Folder.  That way I can always go back to the OOB file(s) if needed. I do wish Chief had a way to easily identify what the name of each docked toolbar - maybe by holding the cursor over it.  Right now you have to undock them in order to see the name.

15 minutes ago, Larry_Sweeney said:

I would build an extended "ear" on the side panels so it could then be scribed to an out of plumb wall.

So what you want is the ability to specify "Extend End Panel(s) to the back".  I would assume that would only be for "Finised Ends". 

None of the manufacturers I work with have that option.  I would have to specifiy it in "Special Instructions" but that would work.

As I said before, I would just specify a special "Door" or "Panel" to be applied to the cabinet to perform the scribe function.  Most modern cabinets have sides that extend about 1/8" beyond the actual back of the cabinet.

28 minutes ago, Larry_Sweeney said:

Just out of curiosity, is there a way to extend the side panel 3/4" beyond the back of a cabinet? I think this may be a problem.

Not that I know of.  It's also not something that Cabinet Manufacturers typically provide.

If it's to be a finished side, I would add a Side Panel as a separate item.  Just be aware that cabinet box construction has become pretty much standardized - not just in Chief but in the Cabinet Fabrication Industry.  Box sides, backs, tops and bottoms are standardized components.  Face_Frames, Doors and Drawer_Fronts are the custom components.  Some manufacturers limit the cabinet dimensions to 3" increments while others will allow sizing to the 1/16".

What Eric said, and as you might imagine, the correct terminology is "Extended Stile".

Most Cabinet Manufacturers have the terms:

• Extended Stile Right
• Extended Stile Left

along with dimensional values for each.

Ok, so I know how to turn things on/off in Preferences. 

Turning off the "Behavior Indicators" is not something I'd recommend since it provides a clue as to what may be a problem. 

What I didn't realize was that:

• Defaults>3D View Defaults>3D Views>"Auto Rebuild Walls/Floors/Ceilings" existed.

I must have unchecked that at some point while refining my defaults on this Plan, thinking incorrectly that it had to do with "Framing".

However, this particular Default Toggle may not be needed in X14 and it really doesn't indicate a condition to correct.

• Should it always be on and not allow users to turn it off ?
• OTOH, I occasionally see cases where "Auto Rebuild Walls" makes some complex wall intersections difficult to edit and retain.

I'll let Dermot make that decision.  

"Using Input Devices > Pointer Icons" is a strange place to put the definition of "Behavior Indicators" in Help.  I searched for all sorts of terms and didn't find it.  I can only imagine that most users would have the same problem.

IAE, I learned something and next time I'll know. 

Thanks for everyone's help - especially Eric & Dermot.

Great, so how did those get disabled and what should I do to get them enabled?

I am getting a strange cursor that I don't understand.  Essentially it's the "Select" arrow with the "bfc.png" attached. 

• Does anyone know what that's supposed to mean?
• What's needed to release it once it shows up?

I know this is supposed to be a "Behavior Indicator" but I don't see it in the Help.  Evidently it's a new one that hasn't been documented.

What's the error?  

I would suspect that you might need to reverse the process. ie: Create the Tray Ceiling before creating the Trusses.

OTOH, you might have to a have a Ceiling Structure below the Floor Structure.  I don't think a "Tray Ceiling" can recess into the "Floor Structure" above.

I've been creating Custom Toolbar Configurations and here's a couple tips:

• You need to add the Configuration to each of the other configurations so you can switch between them
• New Configurations are automatically given an icon "TB Set" from the "Chief Resources Buttons" Folder

To change the icon to be one of your choice you will need to:

• place your new icon into your current "Toolbar Folder"
• name the icon to match the name of the new Configuration (exaclty)

The new icon will be used the next time you start Chief.

31 minutes ago, Chopsaw said:

It looks to me like most of chief's default buttons were designed within chief so I just carried on doing my custom ones that way.  It beats learning a whole new program anyway.

So can you explain how you create one using Chief? 

IOW, what's your typical procedure to create a new button?

I've seen several Button Creator Tools - but most seem limited in what they produce.  

• Text Only
• A Selection of Graphic Images
• Chief's "Default Image"

Is there one that you prefer for using with Chief Toolbars?  ie: more user defined graphics - but very easy to use.

Hi Ryan,

Your screen is exactly what I'm trying to avoid.  While I like the idea of having the Library, Project and ALDO on separate screens I find that with current wide screen monitors those things don't interfere with my Plan.  However, I really only want the Edit Toolbar at the bottom and a maximum of 3 rows of Toolbars at the top.  That's why I'm tending towards more Configurations.   Also, I like to use my left  side monitors for Chieftalk, MS Edge, Text Editing, etc.  My right side monitor I like to use for 3D Views.

I only need my Kitchen Cabinet Toolbars when laying out Kitchen Cabinets, along with some standard Appliances that takes up the 3rd row. 

For Electical I don't need the Kitchen Cabinet or Appliances Toolbars, etc.

For Dimensioning I don't need anything except my custom Dimensioning Toolbar.

Vertical Space for my Plan is for me the critical real-estate.

I do wish that Chief would remember the widths that I have the side windows set to from one session to the next.  Having to resize them every time I open Chief is a PITA.

Here's a pic of my typical Kitchen Design Configuration.

Do you use different Toolbar Configurations ?

Have you created additional Configurations for:

• Kitchen Design 
• Bath Design
• Appliances
• Mechanical
• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Dimensioning
• CAD Details
• Rendering (Elevations, Sections, Perspectives, etc)

Obviously, Custom Toolbars (especially used for "Place Library Objects" and "Style Palettes") can greatly speed up the process by using objects that you consider standard to your designs.

However, I'm finding that there is just so much screen space available and too many Custom Toolbars - particularly for customization using Style Palettes.

Establishing Configurations to limit the clutter is IMO a necessary project.

I've seen some screen shots that have so many Toolbars displayed that I don't think I'd be able to find anything I wanted to use.

I would be really interested in what other users are doing to avoid the clutter.

Also of interest would be the type of construction - Steel, CMU, Wood, Heavy Timber ????

Gene,

Can't you just use the "surface_area" in the materials list or roof plane schedule?

I would do that with a Molding Polyline - change to an arc to match the curved staircase.  Then add the number of moldings needed - or just do one molding and mutiple replicate the Molding Polyline vertically.

IOW, un-check "Match Callout"

I think you can accomplish the same thing with a marker

I've noted a similar situation.  The selection of a Library Item acts like it's in "sticky mode" and you just need to terminate that tool.  I don't know why it doesn't terminate automatically when switching from Plan to Layout - or Layout to Plan.  

Esc or Spacebar works for me to terminate the tool.

Personally, I would just use a "Wall Material Region" (don't cut finsih layers) rather than editing the Wall Type.  That's much simpler.  I'm assuming that the extra layer is juat a backing for tile.  You could make the WMR include both the backer board, thinset and tile.

zinstall should handle everything.  OTOH, you can always download anything that it doesn't.

1 hour ago, robdyck said:

Warning to those who change their display scale factor: Be prepared to redo every rich text box in every file that you open. It'll also affect rich text used in CAD blocks.

I don't know what the problem is with Chief and the size of rich text or standard text. This has to end at some point. 

New versions seem to be released with this little gift for their customers...different sized text boxes and text that won't hold it's size regardless of display scale factor.

There's no way I'm the only one who has to adjust existing text from previous plans or cad blocks now that I'm using X14. What does everyone else do? 

 

The long and short of it is...pick your poison!

 

This is the reason I rarely use RT except in my Layout Templates for Title Blocks, etc.

By using Standard Text and careful definition of Text Styles for various layers in scale specific Layersets I don't get any of these problems.  All I have to do is make sure I'm using the correct Layerset.

You actually have 3 choices for Layout Box Labels:

• Use System Layer (Layout Box Labels) - edit in the Layer Set
• Use Object Layer (Layout Box Borders) - edit in the Layer Set
• Use Custom Layer - edit in Defaults or for and individual Layout Box

each of which you have the option to define the text style as you wish.

and of couse if you're using a Callout you can edit the text styles for:

• Callout Text
• Above Line Text (including justification)
• Below Line Text (including justification)

Check your AV software to make sure it "exempts" Chief X14.

Also check to see if there's anything showing on the Taskbar that might be hidden beneath Chief.  Sometimes there's another app that needs to be brought forward and closed before Chief can receive any input.