Joe_Carrick

Lew, Today, most chimneys are simply walls enclosing a duct - usually a double walled duct with supply air coming in on the outside. Then a cap fixture is placed on top of that - simple symbol to create. Why would a special tool be needed?

We used that slogan when I was in the Navy back in the 1960's. It's not new.

Open the "Object dbx" of your Library Object and set it to "Sits on Roof". That way, when you place one from the Library it will work automatically.

Look in the Object dbx under "Options"

Might be due to the iMac and the zoom level. I am using a Windows Desktop machine with multiple monitors but I seem to remember that working on a laptop with a just a single monitor results in those sort of problems sometimes.

Dan, Can you be more specific? Toolbars ? Arrangement of Icons ?

Just make sure the building you use for the symbol is limited to just it's exterior components. Eliminate all interior walls, doors, cabinets, etc.

BTW, from a practical standpoint, installation of an actual Window in anything other than a vertical or negatively sloped wall is a waterproofing disaster. Skylights are designed for such conditions but Windows aren't. Doors obviously just don't work if they are not installed plumb.

Lew, So how does that apply to Windows, Doors and Basement Walls? Perhaps CA could program a new feature but that doesn't necessarily mean they should. IAE, it would require an entirely different type of object that could be recognized as being substituted for a wall (to define a room) and would need very special handling of doors and windows. ie: Where and how are those items placed in this object? Would Doors be placed at the interior face and how thick would the Jamb be? Would the Windows be placed the same or on the slope of the exterior face and how thick would the Jamb be? The possible parameters and conditions are too varied to make this a reasonable software automated solution. It's a programming nightmare - a virtual "rabbit hole".

NO. If a wall type was to be other than uniform in thickness then what layer(s) of the wall definition should vary and by how much? This just isn't something that makes sense in terms of an "assembly" of material layers.

They DID

Note that if the walls are in fact sloped on both the inside and the outside and only "windows" exist in the sloped walls - then Roof Planes and "Skylights" would be the way to do it. However, you could not currently show the "Windows/Skylights" in Plan View since they would not be shown at the correct size. They would show correctly in 3D Views.

Take a look at this thread: Site Area Analysis Macro System - Offering Services - ChiefTalk Forum (chiefarchitect.com) The measurements use Polylines so it depends on how the Polyline is created. If it's the "Exterior Room" then it's to the "Main Layer", not the exterior veneer. This is the same as the "Standard Area" that Chief uses. Of course, you can modify that Polyline using "Concentric Resize".

I'm afraid it's a whole lot more complicated. Wall types by definition are a uniform thickness. Doors and Windows are vertical elements that fit in vertical walls. I would bet that the walls you show in that picture are vertical on the interior and simply sloped on the exterior. The Doors and Windows are inserted into the walls. For CA to create a "Wall Type" for this is would require a completely different definition of the Layers and their angles relative to vertical. Note that Roof Planes and Skylights present other problems. A Skylight used as a Door would not really work since the door really needs to be vertical. Typically I show such walls with one or more exterior room moldings to get the slope for my 3D Perspectives. I then create CAD details to show how they are to be built.

Hi Diane, I have a macro package that does that. The cost is $75.00

No

Magic Code. I don't think I'll ever be able to fully understand "code blocks" the way you do.

With Roofs on 2 separate floors you would need to use reference floors. Just set up a Layerset that only shows the Roof Planes, Gutters, etc. and Roof Labels along with the Building Perimeter. Create a "Saved Roof Plan" for each Floor and then Display the Top Floor with the Floor Below as a Referenced Floor. Then send that view to your Layout.

YEP!

I think it only returns a value up to the 1st non-numeric character.

Thanks guys. Exactly what I needed. -Michael, I didn't need to remove the inch notation and I just split the string using the "-" as the separator. I did it all in a single line of code.

I have a text string ---- 5 1/4" I need to convert that to a numerical value using Ruby. ie: 5.25 Any ideas?

Another option would be to use the "Cross Section Slider".

You could actually use "Walls with Footings" but you would need to specify the Floor Structure as a Concrete Slab. I prefer this method because it allows me to control the Stem Wall height and Footing as separate dimensions, etc.