TheKitchenAbode

Agree that if one needs to do very complex 3D modeling then a program specifically design for this would be required. Here is an example of a recent project where I needed to replicate some exposed steel work in a UK Loft. This was done using only Chief Primitive tools, never really had to use these for much but it really did not take long to get a handle on how to work with them. If anything I found it to be more a lack of intuitive functionality and coming to grips with the fact that editing Polylines, other than setting a depth, are dependent upon the plane in which they where originally drawn in. From my limited exposure to this it would have been great if a Polyline object could be just rotated around it's axis to change the editable face orientation. I guess this is accomplished by converting to a solid, something I will have to explore. The first pic shows the site pic I was provided and the 2nd one is the Chief created model. Graham

Kevin - I guess it all comes down to ones expectations. Agree that it would be nice to have more modeling tools but Chief is not a 3D modeling program, it is and Architectural package that permits one to render 3D views. Models are provided by Chief and there are other sources for additional models. If these are not suitable then there are programs available that are specifically designed for this purpose. Based on your viewpoint maybe you should request that the 3D modeling programs add more features that are only available in Chief. I for one would prefer to have several highly functional programs than a jack of all trades one that never really does anything right. Graham

Just insert a blank space or separation between each drawer and set the height. Just did this exact style on a kitchen. In this case the recessed potion was stainless steel. Graham

You could model that with solids and polyline tools. Then position 3D lights in each of the glass bulb pendants. Sometimes you can find an existing symbol that can be incorporated for some of the components, saves building everything from scratch. Graham

Lew - I would not rely to much on the OP, seems more like there's an axe to grind from reading the post. Personally, I really dislike the term "work around", feel it is used too liberally to describe any technique that is not 100 % automated. If this was the true meaning of "work around" then I guess Excel and Photoshop are a disaster. Graham

If you are planing to use these in a kitchen countertop make sure to check if they meet code. The one you are showing has three outlets and these units are prewired, how can this be a 15 amp split, 20 amp or GFI in wet areas. Had a client that wanted this but for the mentioned reasons it would not have passed inspection. Graham

I think this is correct, it's two cabinets back to back. In real life there would be a joint there, just add an end panel or make a cabinet the full depth and configure the front and back faces. Graham

Great idea Michael. You should request that under suggestions. That would consolidate all of the knowledge and experiences concerning this and male it much easier for users to fond what they are looking for. Graham

Just ran the plan on an integrated chip Intel HD3000, everything is fine. No lag, quick, fast and snappy in plan view and 3D camera. Using Windows 10 Pro. Given your system specs I would likely focus on the dual graphics card set-up and version X7 versus X8. If you still have X7 open it up and create a plan, if it runs as expected then open up X8 and replicate (do not upload the X7 plan) the same plan and see how it runs. Then load the X7 plan into X8 and see how it runs. Was there a difference between these? Let us know. Graham

It's mostly about lighting. Essentially Raytrace functions on the same principles that govern photography. How a material appears is determined by the level, direction and colour temp of the light striking it. Here is an example of one run earlier today that contains some stainless steel elements. Still needs some tweaking but more than acceptable as a primarily concept. Graham

Please post the pic so we can see what's going on. Would even be to post the plan. Graham

It is, but it is also necessary to vet a suggestion to ensure it's validity. Please keep in mind that suggestions can be the result of the poster not understanding or knowing that what they are suggesting can actually be done. You may call this a workaround but I just see this as an alternative technique. The discussions around a proposed suggestion brings this to the forefront and as such provides the opportunity to develop a consensus as to the value the suggestion has to the greater majority. Graham

Yes hyperthreading is supported. You will get 2 threads per core so if you have a 4 physical core chip you will get 8 logical cores. Will make a big difference when muli-tasking and Raytracing. Graham

It always unpins when upgrading Chief. Just repin it after. Graham

Jesse - for the regular 3D camera view just use the 3D settings to adjust the interior ambient. As you are not using the Use Camera Settings in the Raytrace DBX this will not affect your raytrace. Try setting the 3D lights to 15% and make the max ambient occlusion 9, minimum 0.5. Run and post. Graham

Jesse - what is the light intensity of the two 3D point lights, also I would change their height to mid height of the floor/ceiling height, these should have the shadows turned off. Are the wall sconces turned on, if not put them on with shadows, try an intensity of about 5%. See what happens. Graham

Jesse, in the Raytrace DBX go to Edit, Advanced Settings and turn of Tone Mapping. This will improve the contrast, if everything goes way to bright then just turn your lights intensity down. Also, suggest changing the shower glass to standard glass, might need to alter the transparency but this will get rid of the greenish glass look. Post your results again and we will see if it needs more tweaking. Graham

Here is an example of Raytrace I just ran. It only uses two Raytrace DBX settings, Ambient Occlusion & Direct Sunlight. Everything else is turned off including Use Camera View Settings & Photon Mapping. 3D lights are used for ambient light control, the other lights are all on and adjusted for accenting. Graham

Ian, Well written and well said. The only thing I would expand on concerns the graphics card requirements. I agree that there is not a great need for high end graphics boards under most circumstances when using 3D view cameras unless one needs to have a high level of smoothing and/or shadows when using these views. I never use this but I believe some users do, probably during client presentations. Of course one could always wait to see if this is needed and then add the board later as an upgrade. Graham

Checkout Wix.com. There are many website templates available. No programing needed; you can self manage the site. Houzz.com also offers a service and their support is very good, worth checking into. Graham

There are a couple of things you can try. One is it needs more passes. Given the amount of fine detail you may need to give it more pixels to work with, try increasing the width and height by 2. If you are using Tone Mapping your pics will be softer, try turning this off to see the effect. Just keep in mind that Tone Mapping tries to correct for extreme lighting conditions so when you turn this off your lighting may need to be adjusted. You can always post the plan and let us take a shot at it. Graham

Fortunately to-date my clients have never refused to sign my contract which also requires them to specifically sign the Terms & Conditions in conjunction to the overall contract. There has been only one case where a client requested a minor alteration which was more for clarification purposes than anything of material consequence and as such I was willing to provide for this. You have to be firm on what you are willing to accept responsibility for and this needs to be clearly outlined in your contract. Yes, it can seem a bit over-the-top or intimidating when using legal terminology, but it really is necessary to ensure clarity and in the event of a dispute it is clear to others as to what exactly the contractual obligations were between the parties. There have been some instances where a dispute has arisen between myself and a client, fortunately I have only had to make a friendly reference to a particular clause for these to be resolved without undermining the relationship. I did notice in someone's response that they had a clause that included e-mail conversations forming part of the contract. Personally, I specifically exclude e-mail or verbal discussions from being included as forming part of the contract. If there is an anticipation that under the contracts duration a change may be required then this should be dealt with via a written mutually signed change/order request form that is referenced from within the original agreement and as such would be considered to be an amendment to the original contract. There are just way to many e-mails and verbiage full of ambiguity to permit allow them inclusion into the contract. If you think about it a smart client could utilize this opening to their advantage by sending carefully crafted e-mails where it may not be obvious to you what their real intentions are. Hate to admit watching Judge Judy but as she often says "if it's not within the 4 corners of the written contract then it's not in the contract". Graham

Just my personal thoughts. The first part is clear and concise, the following section concerning "General guidelines..." seems ambiguous and potentially subject to being misconstrued by a client. For example the term "guidelines" should likely be replaced with the term "information", guidelines could imply that the drawings meet some form of official requirements. I would not make any mention of specific groups that this information may be suitable for such as contractors, governing authorities, structural engineers. I would cover this by something like "the Client and/or End User of said information". Would not use the "does not provide assurance outside this scope", this implies that there are some form of assurances providing they are within a certain scope. The final statement should also refer to your company name. I would as an example likely have something like this, "Any and all Information provided by Seaisle Design Group Ltd. is for the sole purpose of design realization only. Seaisle Design ​Group Ltd. makes no warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy of any said Information such as but not limited to dimensional, material suitability, fit or finish, and a such it is the sole responsibility of the Client and/or End User to determine the suitability of any and all said Information for their intended purpose or use." "The Client also understands that Seaisle Design Group Ltd. cannot be held responsible whatsoever for any consequences, disputes or action(s) that may arise from the use of said information, and the Client agrees, in the event that any action(s) legal or otherwise are taken, to hold Seaisle Design Group harmless and to indemnify Seaisle Design Group Ltd. for any and all costs that may be incurred as a result of any said action(s)." Obviously this is only a rough example but it should provide some insight into this. Also, you should be aware that dependent upon your State or Country of operation that there may be statutes that you cannot over-ride by the inclusion of a waiver. Graham

This issue seems similar to the one discussed a few weeks ago concerning backsplash tile lines not showing in vector view with colors turned on. From my investigation into that one I believe the root cause is that the generic sun adjustments do not function under this specific condition. As being suggested above the materials shading contrast control can be used to work around this. Just wondering if tech support could confirm if the inability to adjust the generic sun in vector view with color on is intended or an oversight. Graham

Your examples are very misleading. One could build a dual processor system based on used Xeon chips that would easily outperform the I7-6970HQ for less than the price of that chip. http://www.techspot.com/review/1155-affordable-dual-xeon-pc/ Graham