mtldesigns

yes sir...  already noted.  Thank you!

The matching gable access via the breezeway was shot down.  I will be putting in a 1 hour wall just cover the a$$es.  She is OK with two pull down stairs attic accesses.  Now to find a place for these ugly things.

I really liked the gable access to, but not my house. 

Thanks for all the input..  at least I know I was thinking along the right path, as you all.

My suggestion to client..  And to me has to be cheaper in the long run...

I am glad to see I was on the same train of thought as you gents.  And like you mentioned its 5/8 drywall, so not going to break a bank.  I just want to make sure its noted, even if not required, can't go wrong.

Joe, I love the idea of the vault, I will ask Sharon (my client) if she likes it also.  Maybe even create my attic access to both sides via that "gable wall" instead of going through ceiling.  Gets rid of me trying to figure out a location for these ugly things.  

For all you code experts I have a question for you, maybe I am over thinking this.  Designing a single family home (very small) that will be built in N.C.  I don't have the county yet, my client is still looking for a large chunk of land, but wanted home designed first.  My client is lady who will be retiring early 2021, and she will be using this home as income property.  She will be living in the main house and it will be separated from the bedrooms she wants to rent by a breezeway.  The breezeway is slab over fill, and the "bedroom" wing will have its own utility closet, so she can control if not being rented.  My question, will I need a 1 hour wall in the attic above this breezeway?  I understand the code if this was two units, but this is kinda edgy.  Makes sense that it does not, because if she was renting rooms inside the main house, it wouldn't. Just trying to think ahead and avoid any potential design error.  

If I am understanding your question, Could be two things;  One you painted the wall.  If you did, changing the default won't correct the wall.  You will need to delete and redraw.  If that's not the case, see if this works; Go to the wall DBX,and on the roof tab, check the lower wall and then pick the wall you want showing on the interior side.

I thought it would also.  And you can find "planks" as a material type.. but its not actual planks as you would see on a deck, its flooring.  The underside of this deck also tells me that this is intended for a interior landing.  Try changing that material to "no material" or "air gap", and the frame looks like paper.. I don't know how else to describe it.  

I have a exterior staircase with a landing about 2/3's up.  Using the stair tool, it all works out great, nice rise/run.  The issue is the landing is not "decking" material as is the deck it connects too.  Is the only fix, is to create a "floating deck" at the height of this landing and connect it with two separate stairs?  By going this route, framing would be better too..  so I think I answered my own question.  Pipe in if there is a different method..

Hey Rocky,

I believe you can fix this with editing the wall layer intersections.  Pull that grip until the highlighted wall looks like its mitered.

and nothing in your archive folder?

As Joey says!  

Wow.. I learned something new today too.  I always did the old fashion way and edited the room molding polyline.  

Thanks Glen.  

I totally understand Xref's in AutoCAD (been using this tool for 10 + years at day job)..  and I realized Chief could not do the exact same, so I was hoping for some kind of happy medium.  That's why after I was complete with the house plans (not located anywhere in a real world x,y & z or off any datum), I saved as separate models and create symbols of each.  Still, these symbols were not located in a specific spot, as a xref'd model would be.  With these symbols, I could located and adjust angles, as I placed into "site plan" model.  I was hoping that I could also have a separate models, one with landscaping and one with the extras, as mentioned above.  I guess I was really asking if this was possible AND if so, would this reduce the size the files.

When Mark and you mentioned "reference" files, I was thinking you were saying there was slight possibility, maybe that happy medium I was looking for.  I am going to research more on this.  Thanks for pointing me in a direction.  Even if it works half a$$, it still might be something to think about.  I have to get these file sizes down.  Besides just sluggish performance, these big files don't upload either.     

Have a blessed day! 

21 minutes ago, Alaskan_Son said:

..just bear in mind that any referenced plan files cannot be re-positioned in relation to each other.  They are always fixed in relation to the origin. 

Interesting..  never thought to look here...

And that's how a true Xref would work, all having the same "fixed". 

36 minutes ago, rlackore said:

You can combine plan files in Chief, but they won't "auto-update" like an AutoCAD Xref, because they are now part of the plan into which they've been inserted.

 

 

That's what I have found out too..  I asked originally, because I will be the first to admit, I don't know all Chief has to offer.  

I've been watching some vids on TwinMotion, and getting to point to finally start to learn it hands on.  I was going to use this slow down to learn more in depth, but its not slow anymore, so kinda put on back burner.     

BTW, if I love the house on left style..  modern and a low profile! 

28 minutes ago, Gawdzira said:

When you made the symbols, did you make the houses into a shell only? If not, start deleting. I don't think you need interior doors for a site plan.

 That was my first go round with broker.. but he shot that down.  When this is all done, and he is marketing, he wants 59 second vids from each house looking inside and outside, so future buyers will get a feel of the neighborhood.  

24 minutes ago, MarkMc said:

I put all the furniture and symbols into a separate plan. Then just referenced it both in plans and in 3D.

How did you reference them into the model Mark?  I can see how this might work, but not understanding the steps. 

Def. not ray tracing.. $hoot.. 10 passes might take a day..  :-)

I just sectioned a whole house (camera on first floor), there are three floors of this house, and on each floor I did a poly, and it appeared correctly on each plan.  But I didn't see any settings that you were asking about. But like Robert says, its easy to move. 

So do you update your cad symbols in cad then carry over?

I am working on a pocket neighborhood, 12 small houses on a lot with a shared parking.  Cool idea actually.  I created each house as a symbol, after I "saved-as" when the plans were completed, cleaned/purged each to get the file sizes of each to about 50 kb. I am not done with this site plan file, as I need to add some more lighting, signs and landscaping.  Broker wants these rendered banners and vids ready for a Home Builders Parade in September.  My issue is so far my total file size of the site is 1,210,000 kb (what you see in the attachment and after a purge).  My system is bogging down.  Even though all my models are on D drive and have plenty of space, my C drive (has only 31 GB left, and that gets eaten up running a camera.. ram I am assuming). 

The question is, will creating two or three plans and combine into one even work in Chief?  For instance, have a file that is just with the landscaping (trees, small plants, & mulch), another of the parking, walks, lighting...) Insert them all into one "site" model with a common insertion point.  When editing any of the attached files, it updates, like a xref would.  I am thinking CA does not have this capabilities. Example, if I have a landscape model xref'd into the site model, and update that landscape model, will it update?   I know its to late in the game for this project, but this broker is planning similar hoods in other locations, and I'd like to be a little smarter when I set these up.        

I use a AutoDesk Plant 3D all day, and xrefs are only way to go to keep parent file size down.  I am hoping CA is the same way.

Any other advice on getting this file size down? I have purge material and blocks.. and that helps a little.        

On top of this, I wish there was a way to explode symbols, even from manufacturing catalogs.  Instead of always modeling from scratch on a symbol you can't find, you one close and modify...  

Great advice and makes total sense.  The one and only home I did with a walkout, I did per the pre-cut length studs, but did not have to give any kind of list.  So maybe, the home owner- who also was the builder did not purchase these (even though story-pole and section dimensions showed this).  I am going to note this advice though for future plans.  

Not asking really, just making a statement more than anything.  Chief does the real time growth too, but the plants need to be image, because it doesn't seem to work on the 3D plants.  

Where is the Land of Eves?  

Be great to get to work on the 3D plants...  but always can go in and manually change sizes.

Here's another thing I found, and wonder if anyone has ever used in lieu of Insulation Air Gap.  Under the Library Browser, Core Catalogs, Materials, is a Misc. Folder with "opening (no material)".  Looks like this might be an option for a lot of things I was using air gap for.  

That was one of the many cool things I thought Chief did back in X6 when I first loaded it.  Actually used it when planting my trees in back yard, showed wife why I spaced them out.  But those were all images, so I am assuming because most plants are 3D now is why it doesn't work?  I don't use images anymore to test that theory.  No biggie.. was in plant chooser and I saw this on the pull down.

And THANK YOU for your service to Rob..  quite a resume.  

I feel you on the computing, inter workings as well, esp. in re: to renders.  Too many terms, and it sees like they all mean the same thing.