Joe_Carrick

I like to have my bathroom tile walls show thru the glass shower door/wall. I can't seem to get that to work even though the material of the glass shower wall is transparent. I make the glass wall as a solid railing, no room definition, 6' tall, and insert a slab door (3/8" thick tempered glass). It works perfectly in perspective views, but in room elevations the wall beyond the glass wall isn't visible. What am I missing? I'm pretty sure I had done this successfully before.

Jim, You're correct about needing to remove the (D) before adding to the Library. Otherwise, the current Defaults will over-ride what you put in the Library. For some things (like Toe-Kick dimensions, Countertop thickness, etc) I don't bother to remove the (D) but for most things I do that. My experience is that component changes are saved and carried forward. It could be just that I've also saved the components in my Default Plan. Most of the component detail I have is universal (ie: just additional notes that Chief didn't otherwise provide for.)

Note that if you save a cabinet with a fixture or appliance in the Library - that's what you get when you place it in a Plan. Saves another step - or maybe more.

Another Option is to add your cabinets to your User Library. Then place them in the new Plan, select and set as Default. This will change the Plan Defaults for the type of Cabinet (Base, Wall, Tall, etc.) I use a Library of Cabinets with separate folders: Frameless 1/2" Overlay 1-1/4" Overlay Full Inset with Base, Wall, Full Height, Sink Base, Dishwasher Base, Compactor Base, Oven & Microwave, etc. That way I seldom have to configure a new Cabinet - I can simply select the one I want completely configured except for custom material selections and Door/Drawer styles. Note that chagning the Defaults will change every cabinet of the same type throughout the plan if it's set to Use Default. This can be a very powerful way of working with Cabinets, Doors, Windows, etc.

Import the Libraries - Core, Bonus, Manufacturers. Then migrate your X5 User Library into X6. Importing Library Catalogs Chief Architect library files have two different file extensions: .calib and .calibz. Both files can include any combination of Chief Architect library items; in addition, .calibz files are able to save data associated with textures and images. Both file types can be imported into the Chief Architect library. There are several ways to import a .calib or .calibz file into the program library: • Double-click on the file in an operating system window. • Drag the file from an operating system window and drop it into the Chief Architect program window. • Select Library> Import Library from the program menu. To import library files into the library 1. Select Library> Import Library to display the Import Library Data dialog. 2. Browse to the .calib or .calibz file(s) that you want to import and either single or group-select the files so that their names display in the File Name field. • To select a group of files, click on the first one, hold down the Shift key, then click on another file. The two files plus all files in between are selected. • To select multiple files individually, click on one, hold down the Ctrl key, then click on additional files. Only the files you click on are selected. • To select all files in the directory, click on one and press Ctrl + A. Only do this if you wish to import all files in the folder. 3. Click the Open button. 4. A progress bar will display, telling you the progress of each library data file as it is imported. Once imported, each file will be located in the User Catalog. When a .calib or .calibz file is imported into the program, its contents are automatically placed in the User Catalog. Any images or textures saved in a .calibz file will be copied into the Chief Architect X6 Data\ Images and Textures folders for backup purposes. The program will only reference these copies if it cannot locate the files in their original locations. See Chief Architect Data. Legacy Library Conversion If you have Chief Architect X5 library content, the initial startup of Chief Architect X6 will give you the option to migrate this content for use in Chief Architect X6. See Migrating Library Catalogs. You can also import legacy .calib and .calibz files created in Chief Architect X4, X3, or X2 for use in version X6 at any time. See Exporting Library Catalogs.

This has been asked for multiple times in the past 5 years. Having the ability to add to Defaults for not only Rooms, but also for most other things similar to the way we can add to the Library would be very helpful. In addition, it should be per floor as well. There's another thread about this concept - I'll see if I can find it. https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/1278-defaults-per-floor-and-room-type/ Take particular note of post #10.

Jenny, Once you have your cabinets with the sub categories.... Save them in your Library (create a sub folder for them) and then use those instead of Chief's generics. That way you won't have to constantly go in and edit each cabinet, adding the sub categories and the data. What's in the Library can be used complete with any project. I've done this with Doors, Windows, Cabinets, Appliances and Plumbing Fixtures. I even have some Cabinets with Appliances and/or Sinks stored in the Library with Mfr Data. If you do most jobs with the same design elements it's a lot faster than messing around with generic cabinets, etc and then having to do a lot of editing.

So if you are using a MAC, the best bet is a PDF Printer rather than Chief's Save to PDF.

FWIW, I like to conceal the return air behind a louvered door or something totally architectural. Millwork detail such as baseboards, wainscot panels, toekick space under cabinets, etc are all great places to conceal the registers. It's not always possible but any way to hide the ugly pieces of sheet metal is what I like to do.

Ugly and you have to get up on a ladder.

1. Homeowner's hate to go up in the attic to change the filters. 2. When the WH fails and the drywall and carpet, etc get soaked they're going to scream bloody murder. Basically, I just think it's good practice to make all systems easily accessible for maintenance and repair. Saving a few square feet of floor area doesn't make sense when you consider how much of a problem it can create.

If it was me, I would just create a series of 3D boxes making up the cross section of the railing and convert them to a 3D Molding Symbol. The trick is to make them long enough so that you don't have a lot of short segments - not a problem in 3D Standard Render but with any Vector View it can look very strange if the segments are too short.

I don't know about Perry and the FAU in the Attic, but that's not my practice at all. Maybe it's because I do some work up in the mountains above 7000 feet elevation. I want my FAU and WH in conditioned spaces so things don't freeze. I've seen too many Water Heaters and Pipes burst causing flooding in attics and basements. In most cases the building department won't even allow plumbing in exterior walls. Water lines are not a good idea in unheated crawl spaces either.

Five minutes using a Molding and a 3D Box.

That's a forced air unit (Gas Heater and AC) with a duct - the Box with X in it>

Jim, You are right about this for Color, Line Weight & Line Style. The biggest problem I have with the way this works is that the Display is controlled totally by the CAD Block Layer. If that Layer is displayed then the entire Block is displayed but if it's not then no part of the Block is displayed. I would like to selectively display various object layers within the CAD Block.

I believe this is related to something that I've asked for several times. I would like to be able to have the sub-items in CAD Blocks display at their original line weights, line-styles & colors - independent from the CAD Block settings (optional of course for those who like it the way it is but as a default or preference setting). I suspect that the problem with getting casings to display at different line weights is a similar problem in that Doors & Windows seem to act like (and maybe are) CAD Blocks. IAE, the idea is as follows: Depending on a Default or Preference setting (Default could even over-ride Preference) the display of CAD Blocks would either be at the CAD Block Layerset values or at their individual Layerset values.

I can't think of any cases where coordinating the 2D and 3D origins would cause such problems. The use of the Ctrl key for moving objects simply allows the user to over-ride Chief's built-in axis and snap locks and allows the user to place 2 objects within the same physical space. Sometimes that is fine and sometimes it creates other problems. For placing Appliances into Cabinets I prefer to use the center tool or transform/replicate or both. The accuracy doing it that way is much better. IAE, I never said that it must be all my way - in fact, I believe I've given several possible solutions and none of them would preclude you from having the 2D and 3D origins different. Why do you insist that I shouldn't be able to have them match if I want to offset them the same? There are many Symbols in Chief that have offset 3D origins (Doors, Doorways and Windows for example often need that in order to be positioned correctly in 3D. Many Appliance Symbols that are designed ot be placed in Cabinets have such offsets.) In most cases Chief handles the 2D representation of those objects internally. However, there are cases where the user wants to create or import a Symbol to act in a specific manner and not having the option to control the placement of the 2D Block to match what the 3D origin provides just doesn't make sense.

Michael, I think you're being too complicated in how you view this. Basically, I'm just saying that what I see in a 3D view should look the same in Plan (ie CD's). I really can't see how that would give any problems with dimensioning. BTW, AFAIK the only thing that the Ctrl Key provides is to over-ride axis and/or snap modes. That has nothing to do with my point.

The Window thing is only one case. Having the origins match but both being offset by the same amount is not the same as having them both at [0,0] so no, it doesn't put us back to square one. We can in fact insert a symbol into a wall (X7 provides for "Window Symbols" aka "Projection Windows" but the implementation wasn't complete)

Of course, if Chief would allow us to change the "side" of windows like it does doors then we would get bothe the 3D and 2D to change sides.

Instead of asking me, why don't you just try it. I know it works because I'd already done it hours ago.

But of course this also points out the fact that rotating the 3D Symbol doesn't rotate the 2D Block. Basically the same thing as the difference in origin values as with rotation. We really need CA to do something about these anomalies. I can see where there could be some cases where you would want them to be different but there are many more cases where they should be coordinated .

Simple answer..... In the symbol dbx - rotate the symbol 180 degrees. Do I get a prize?

Ron, I think you're right, but it really depends on the structure. In Scott's case I believe he has a span of about 16' so if he sloped in just one direction at 1/4" per foot he would have a total drop of 4" which could be a visual problem. There are basically 3 ways to get slope on a "Flat Roof": 1. Sloped the Rafters and add level ceiling joists if needed. 2. Level Rafters and add wedged shaped strips on top to create the slope 3. Level Rafters and a LW Concrete Topping sloped as needed. My preference is #3