Joe_Carrick

Cross Hatch Patterns are based on the [0,0] origin of the Plan. There is no "offset" for these patterns. To do what you want, you would need to create a separate pattern for each area. It would be nice if each filled area had a possible offset in both x & y but as of this time, Chief doesn' have that capability.

I would place a "Room Divider" at each break and make it a Porch without a ceiling or a roof. Then I would use one of the Wood Plank Materials for the Floor Surface. You will need to make copies of that material and edit the angle for each different direction. Using a "Deck Room" in this case is not very easy and the framing can be done manually better than the Auto Deck Framing. BTW, you will need to specify the Porch Room Structure to be framing instead of concrete.

Do a search in the Legacy Forum. There are some threads there that deal with this, without needing Polyline Solids or Soffits.

Can you post a picture of what you want? It would be fun to make a symbol for that. But you might find this one sufficient: https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=aa11b4cc60972d396412bca789fa2916

It would require exporting them (each symbol) from X6 to the 3DS format and then importing them into X4. It can be done, but it's pretty time consuming. I have X4, X5 & X6 all installed on my system but I rarely do any work in prior versions just because the latest version is IMO better.

I know this will sound foolish but try this: 1. Undock the Library Browser and place it on a secondary monitor. 2. Close the Library Browser 3. Save the Plan 4. Close the Plan and open any Plan The Library Browser will be missing. 5. Chief did exactly what it was told to do - but the user might not realize that they told it to do this. Of course, when you add it back using the View Menu, it will be where you had it previously. I would guess that someting similar is happening with those who are having troubles and say that the Library Browser is disappearing. If that's true then it's operator error, not a problem with Chief Architect. Maybe I'm wrong - if so, I apologize to anyone that's having a problem that isn't a result of the above scenario.

There are a couple of Brother Multi-function printers that will do 12"x18".

Perry, I just checked and it's not working for me. Try this: 1. New Plan 2. Create a 1st Floor 3. Create a 2nd Floor - slightly different plan 4. Create a Roof Plan 5. Send each of the above to Layout Pages 1,2,3,4 6. Display Layout Page-1 with the aerial view displayed. It should show Floor 1. 7. Switch to Page 2,3,4 - in each case the aerial view still shows Page-1 8. Move or resize the aerial view - it should show the current page

They aren't doing something the way we are. Maybe they're just testing to see if selecting a region on the Aerial View causes a zoom to the corresponding location on the Layout Page. The problem for me is that the Aerial View doesn't update when the Page is changed. I suspect that they are not checking that condition. Also, if all their layout pages are identical then they wouldn't notice that the aerial view wasn't being updated.

Maybe we need to get them on a GoToMeeting so we can show them. If not that then I can just call and try to explain what's happening.

Lew, I only use such details for those things that need to be revised and should be revised based on the latest practices. I always keep a set of as built plans for reference (prints) but any time I'm doing a new project based on an older set of plans - then I want the latest details according to current codes and practice. This sort of thing is something that I as a user am resposible for.

The difference between a Layout and a Plan is basically just that the Views in the Plan are named Floor 1, Floor 2, etc. and in the Layout they are named Page 1, Page 2, etc. My guess is that the software is checking for Floor to force the Aerial View update. Should be an easy fix to add or Page to the code.

I see what you mean..... It works fine for the Plan, updating to showing the current floor. In Layout, it only get's updated to the current page when the Layout is reloaded. IOW, switch from Layout to another view and then back to Layout. But if the Layout has been placed on another monitor then you have to actually delete the Aerial View and add it back. This is a bug.... CA needs to fix it - report it.

Perry, I believe the Aerial View only applies to the Plan File, not the Layout.

Curt, That pic is almost exactly what I did on our Cabin at Big Bear Lake. I modeled in in Chief almost exactly like your pic. Then I ordered a kit from Amish Country Gazebos and built it.

Doug, The advantages / benefits of using Plan Files (located in a common folder) with CAD Details: 1. Universal updates to all Layouts when the CAD Detail is edited. 2. Ease of editing - not having to retrieve from the Library, unblock, edit, block, put back in Library - then update all affected Layouts. 3. Discrete set of Plan Files can act just like folders in the Library 4. Named CAD Details automatically name Details in the Layout using %view.name% macro 5. New details can be quickly created by copying existing details to a new CAD Detail and modifying that. 6. The details in the Layout are dynamic and provide for quick navigation to the CAD Detail in the Plan File(s) IMO, there are so many of the above that are just the opposite when using the Library method that I simply don't use the Library for CAD objects except those that are discrete and work well as Blocks, just needing to be placed and maybe resized and/or rotated. For any detail that's totally unique to a particular project I create a CAD Detail in that Plan File itself. This also serves as a source for similar details in other projects. Generally those are Wall Sections @ 1/2" scale rather than larger scale details. I sometimes use the CAD Block Details tin the Library which Chief provides as a starting point for a Detail but I'm putting the finished Detail in a CAD Block just so I can take advantage of the benefits listed above.

I'm sorry Glenn, I was trying to help by suggesting that keeping the Browsers docked was a viable way of avoiding the problem of the Library Browser getting lost. I realize that not everyone might want to do it my way but it does eliminate the problem. I believe that the problem is a result of having the Library Browser undocked and located on a secondary monitor and that at some point Chief loses track of where it's supposed to be. So my suggestion is to use the extra monitor real estate for views of the model and keep the Browsers docked on the main app window on the main screen. I actually think that this is one of those spaghetti code things that is going to be almost impossible to untangle. There are so many possibilities for various child or sibling windows to be left open or closed in the wrong order that Chief can easily lose track of what's supposed to be. I think that CA has done a wonderful job of implementing multiple monitor support, but making it absolutely perfect might just never happen. Most likely at som point Chief get's closed before the Library Browser and there's no record of where it was at that time - but that might not be the case either.

Amazing Poll results...... Method 2 is so obviously superior but over 50% use something else. Almost 50% use method 1 - which I can understand since Chief provided details in the Library. The problem is that most of those details don't really fit most jobs.

Don't know. But why would I need to do that? My layout works perfectly with my hardware so I have no need to undock anything.

I'm just trying to get to the point that my CD's are as fast or faster than dsh's. I'll probably never catch up to him for the overall project because I spend too much time on the design - for which I almost never get fully compensated. That's why I need to make my CD's basically just a matter of printing them.

Bill, I also like the automatic callout features of X6 - and I don't like cad detail from view except in a few cases. I haven't quite gotten to the level of overlaying a CAD Detail into a camera view to get the automatic callout. That will take some studying to figure out - maybe you could do a video

Rod, Taking this one level further - Detail Callouts tied to Schedule Fields. IOW, reference a detail and have that filled in on a column in the Door or Window Schedule (Head, Jamb, Sill) or in the Finish Schedule (Moldings - Crown, Chair Rail, Base), etc. I am already putting those references in the Schedules - always have even when doing manual drafting - but I still have to fill them in manually with Chief. It would be great if I could just pick a Door (either in Plan or Schedule - maybe select a Schedule field) and then click on the Layout Detail to fill in the Schedule data.

Perry, What's too many? I typically might have 120 Details in a Layout but only about 20 CAD Details in any single Plan File. I rarely open the Plan Files with the CAD Details in them other than to specifically add / modify / or send to layout. Once I'm thru with them I close the Plan File. I have the following Detail Plan Files: ..Door ..Window ..Roof ..Foundation ..Framing ..Roof ..Railings None of these has more than 20 CAD Details except Framing and it has about 35 CAD Details. I basically violate one of Chief's recommendations because these Detail Plan Files are not in the Project Folder. They are all in a separate common Folder so that they can be used on any and all projects. As soon as I open a layout file, the latest version of all the details is accessed.

While on the subject of Layout Layersets: Assume that I have many details to send to layout and I've created them all with the same Layerset in a single Plan File. Is there any advantage in "Copy Current Layerset" or is it just a way to clutter my Plan File with multiple Layersets? Wouldn't it be better in that case to uncheck that box so that all details have the same line weights, line styles and colors. Then if that Layerset is modified in the Plan File, the changes will be to all the details rather than having to edit multiple (20 +/-) layersets?

So here's my basic CAD Detail Plan. The Text above the line contains a macro that gets updated when the CAD Detail is named. I use the Plan (Floor 1) as the place to create a new detail. Then I copy it to a new CAD Detail which I name. The number or letter in the circle has to be manually edited - which I do after I send the detail to layout. If I need to create a new detail similar to an existing, I can simply copy paste into the Plan (Floor 1), modify that and copy it to a new CAD Detail. I use "Paste-Hold Position" a lot. BTW, the Framing members are CAD Blocks that can be sized for whatever lumber size I need. The perimeter is a heavier line than the cross lines and the box has a solid fill.