GeneDavis

Thanks, @Renerabbitt! I show here my screen, I'm in terrain mode, layerset All layers OFF, and as you can see, I turned ON the terrain perimeter layer, and terrain features layer (in which sit the polyline holes). Don't know how, but yes, there are four. I select one, key DELETE, but it does not delete. What is the secret here to a.) deleting a hole feature, and b.) editing the only one I need?

That's a solid question. There is a solid answer, and it's solids. Or Sketchup, or Blender.

I am completely lost with this one. Here is the plan file. I need to edit the hole at the bay windows, the cantilevered room, and at the screened porch. Cannot edit terrain hole.zip

I've various things in my plan such as a post supported room and bay windows and an unexcavated porch that require I edit the terrain hole. I don't want to uncheck the option that results in terrain through the building. I go into terrain mode, plan view, click terrain, click the edit terrain hole thing, perform edits, and when I take a camera view, it is like nothing happened. And I unchecked auto rebuild terrain.

And you'll have to fiddle with the texture origin to get the 3D to look right.

I will be including some bay windows in a new project. I've not done bays before. Specifically, I am talking about the kind of units that come as assembled units from Pella, Andersen, and Marvin. Mulled and joined with fastening jambs, floors under, and tops over. I was wondering how others deal with these. I do work for friends and family and two builders, and always am drawing plans and details for windows with the window source known. One builder always uses Pella, the other always Andersen 400. I asked Grok AI how to address a bay window when drawing plans with Chief, and here is what I got. Look this through and tell me how you do bays bows or boxes that go in as factory assembled units. Begin Grok reply . . . Factory-built bay (or box/bow) windows from manufacturers such as Andersen, Pella, or Marvin are treated in Chief Architect as specialized units that require accurate modeling of the unit itself, its projection/geometry, manufacturer specifications, and—most critically—the rough opening (RO) in the main wall so the assembled unit installs cleanly. Chief’s automatic Bay/Box/Bow Window tools create a parametric bump-out with component windows and walls; these can be customized to match manufacturer data, or you can model a more “one-piece” factory unit with symbols, pass-throughs, or manual construction. Manufacturer catalogs (Andersen, Pella, Marvin) are available in the Chief Architect 3D Library for many standard windows and can serve as a starting point, though true one-piece bay units often need additional customization or notes.⁠Chiefarchitect Here is the practical process for detailing plans so the units can be ordered and the openings framed/built correctly. 1. Gather Manufacturer Data First Obtain the exact product literature (size charts, architectural detail manuals, installation instructions, and measuring guides) for the chosen series (e.g., Andersen 400 Series bay/bow, Marvin Ultimate Bay, Pella equivalents). Key items to extract: Unit (frame-to-frame) dimensions (width, height, projection/depth). Angle (typically 30° or 45° for bays). Minimum rough opening (RO) width and height—often unit size plus ~½″–¾″ or more per side/top/bottom for shims, flashing, wraps, brackets, or sill panning (manufacturers frequently note that the published minimum RO may need to be increased). Projection measured from exterior sheathing to outer face. Support requirements (cable kits, knee braces, headers, etc.). Any seat board, roof, or floor details supplied (or noted as by others). These values drive both the model and the plan dimensions/schedules/notes.⁠Edge.sitecorecloud 2. Place and Size the Bay in Chief Architect Automatic method (recommended starting point for most plans): Go to Build > Window > Bay Window (or Box/Bow). Click on the exterior wall. Select the unit and open its specification dialog. Adjust overall width (usually the widest/back dimension where it meets the main wall), depth/projection, side-wall angle, wall type, floor/ceiling heights relative to the main room, and roof options. Tab-select (or use Select Next Object) individual component windows and open their Window Specification dialogs. Set exact widths, heights, types (casement, double-hung, picture, etc.), and other attributes to match the manufacturer configuration (e.g., 1:1:1 or 1:2:1 sash ratios). In X14 and newer, you can explode the bay into editable walls + windows if further customization is needed (parts cannot be recombined).⁠Chiefarchitect Manual method (for more control or non-standard geometry): Draw the projecting exterior walls with the Build > Wall > Exterior Wall tool. Place standard windows in those walls. Break the original wall segments at the intersections, make the through-wall segment Invisible, and treat the bump-out as its own room (adjust Structure panel floor/ceiling heights, moldings, etc.).⁠Chiefarchitect For a closer “factory one-piece” appearance: Use or create a Window Symbol / Exterior Fixture (from Core Catalogs > Architectural > Windows > Window Units > Protruding, or a custom solid/polyline-based symbol) that inserts into the wall, combined with a Pass-Through opening for clean framing and trim. Some users model the full unit (including top/bottom) as a symbol and place a pass-through for the RO.⁠Chieftalk.chiefarchitect If manufacturer library objects exist for the series, place them from the Library Browser and adjust sizes/labels as needed. Note that full factory bay assemblies are not always pre-modeled as single parametric units. 3. Define Accurate Rough Openings and Framing The critical wall opening is in the main (host) wall where the factory unit installs. In Window Defaults or the individual unit’s specification dialog, go to the Rough Opening panel (X14+) or Framing panel. Choose Additional Space or Clearance Gap and enter the manufacturer-recommended additions (sides, top, bottom). This makes the framed RO = unit size + clearance.⁠Chiefarchitect Set header type/size, trimmer/king-stud counts, and other framing on the Framing panel or in Framing Defaults > Openings. For a mulled or bay unit treated as one opening, use the Options panel (Single Wall Hole) so one header spans the full RO. After generating framing (Build > Framing), review/edit in Wall Detail, Cross-Section, or 3D views. Dimension to the RO (jack stud to jack stud) rather than the sash/frame where possible. Ensure the model accounts for wall thickness, sheathing, and any recessed/offset settings so the unit sits correctly relative to the exterior plane. Regenerate framing after changes. The RO dimensions that appear in schedules and dimensions should match (or be clearly annotated to) the manufacturer’s published minimum RO, with a note that the builder should verify/increase for flashing, wraps, etc. 4. Annotate Plans, Schedules, and Details for Purchasing and Construction Floor plans / exterior elevations: Dimension the overall bay width (at the main wall), depth/projection, side angles, and—most importantly—the RO width and height in the host wall. Suppress or customize automatic labels as needed; add callouts with the exact manufacturer model/series, unit size, and “See manufacturer installation instructions.” Window schedule: Include columns for manufacturer, series/model, unit (frame) size, RO size, projection, glazing, finish, and notes. Use custom macros if you need to display both unit size and calculated RO. Cross-sections / wall details / callouts: Show the relationship of the unit to framing, sheathing, weather barrier, flashing, sill pan, head/jamb details, support cables/braces, and any seat or roof structure. Reference the manufacturer’s ADM (Architectural Detail Manual) or installation guide. Notes / general notes: Explicitly state “Factory-assembled bay window by [Manufacturer/Series]; install per manufacturer instructions into framed rough opening of [exact W × H]. Verify RO dimensions and clearances on site. Unit includes [cable kit, etc.]; roof/floor structure by others as required.” List any required blocking, insulation, or support. Materials list / takeoffs: The schedule and materials list will pull the windows; add manual items or notes for the complete factory unit, supports, and flashing if needed. 5. Verify and Coordinate Build 3D views, elevations, and sections to confirm geometry, roof intersection (control via the bay’s roof options or manual roof planes), and floor/seat relationships. Cross-check the modeled projection, angles, and component sizes against the manufacturer size charts. If the unit has a seat board or is a walk-out style, adjust the bay room’s floor height and structure accordingly. Coordinate with the structural engineer for header sizing over the RO and any additional support for the projecting unit. Before finalizing, confirm current catalog data with the supplier—library objects and published charts can lag product updates. Workflow Summary Select product → extract exact unit size, projection, angle, and RO from manufacturer docs. Place/adjust automatic (or manual) bay or symbol so geometry matches. Set RO clearances and framing so the host-wall opening matches the required RO. Dimension RO and overall geometry; populate schedule with full specs. Add details/notes referencing manufacturer installation requirements. Generate framing and review in multiple views. This approach produces plans from which a contractor can order the exact factory unit and frame a precise opening that accepts it without field modifications. Always prioritize the manufacturer’s current technical data over generic defaults, and note that Chief’s parametric bays are excellent for design and documentation but may still need symbol or manual refinements to represent a true single-piece factory assembly. . . . end Grok reply.

Thanks @robdyck! I found a spec sheet with dimensions for the sink I want to do, and blocked it out in Sketchup, but my trial license for the extension that would do all the edge rounding has expired, and I don't want to do all the follow-me cutting. I have been a SU user since it first came out, and made many objects for use in Chief as symbols, but this one is a challenge with its draft angles and all the roundovers and swoops. It's time to learn another app for doing this, so I went and downloaded Blender, and am deep into study. Might take a couple months, but I'll bet I can do that sink in full 3D. It'll probably blow up any Chief model because of the surface count, though. We'll see.

I have struck out, looking everywhere I could think of. It is 63 inches wide and about 21.5 inches high, top of backsplash to bottom of bowl hanging under the apron.

Thanks, @Renerabbitt! Your video makes it crystal clear. I read your typed response and my first question was, "how did it get into project management (the "managed store"), in order to then have it to rename, then delete and export?" Your video shows the action that brings it in. With Chief open to run, the managed store panel visible, no files opened, the user goes to file explorer to retrieve the latest verson of the project, and double-clicks. That double-click brings it into the managed store and the user sees it in the project browser, where can be accessed.

So lemme get this right. I have a project's plan file open. Only the .plan. I go to the project browser > projects, right click the project, and delete it. And now I file > export > export project, select all making sure all are checked, and send it with the appropriate revision tag (b, z, whatever). Let's call it the Rabbit job. It is in the cloud as a .proj and this was the third iteration, and we're going up from a. So the next time there's work to be done on this it's pulled into Chief project space as Rabbit-c. We're using Chief's project space as the aggregator for all things Rabbit. It (project space and its operations) becomes the means of transport. And that's all. Do I understand this correctly?

Post the plan and we'll find out for you. From here, we can't know your wall specs, or whether walls are vertically aligned.

You might advise the client that just as the builder will need to hire a specialty millwork supplier and installation crew to build it, you might need to do the same in order to render it in 3D for their review, and for that, there will be a separately broken-out charge, the payment due upon submission of rendering. Otherwise, they cannot pay you enough to keep engaging with their hallucinations, taking their screensnips and trying to 3D model it in this custom design. I'd be looking for a 3D wizard both here and from a community of Revit users. Someone that can build a model and give it to you in .skp, 3DS, or any of the other formats that Chief can import.

Solids and shelves and partitions. Doors are another issue, but your photo shows none in the arrangment.

Material region is another option.

You can control gutter ON and OFF by selecting a roof plane by its eave edge and going to the gutter tab in the spec dialog. For the other side, you'll have to give your entire gable a tiny nudge out to have Chief build a return. Play with it and see.

Is this for a framing buy list for the framing contractor?

Try this.

From two days ago, here is an autosaved file, and the wall renders OK. File attached Wall OK in this one.zip

I had it and fiddled with the wall spec and this happened. It is not the roof that is doing this. The part that is good sits atop a first floor exterior wall, and the part with the problem bears on a carry beam, no wall underneath. I'm quite sure it's not the roof cutting away the finish. File attached. Why the siding stripoff.zip

ICF builders, the pros not the DIY, recommend the molded plastic foam bucks and build openings with 1/4" clearance around windows. I want to dimension to the opening, not the window. I can pull a leader off the story pole for the window, but not my opening, which is 1/4" different.

Is there a way to trick Chief? There is a way to pull the unit, i.e. window or door top, for an elevation dimension, but with no wood frame element, I see no way to get the opening elevation.

Windows and doors are to have 1/4 inch RO clearance and Chief won't let me get that tight. Where is the minimum clearance set?

What is this? What did I do wrong? I only got to this when doing what I always do when downloading Chief content. Within the Xwhatever app, do "get additional content," then wait for the download complete message, then do the install selecting the .calib file from my downloads folder. I do the routine today, in the X18 app, selecting the catalog for X18, and if I do in answer to "what do you want to do with this," select OPEN, and what happens? Chief opens X17 and then flashes me this message. I have tried catalog after catalog, and am seeing no .calib files appearing in my downloads.

Maybe @Renerabbitt will enter the room. He's got this covered well.

Here is a camera view with both issues highlighted. The gable wall with fake window centered under peak is killing me. I am unable to generate the wall so it shows properly in 3D. Its right half is "roof cuts wall at bottom" and needs to have that spec so it doesn't protrude into the vault space below. The other is the beam atop the railing (post and beam). The corner join won't render correctly. There are OK corner joins all around the porches. Note the wall spec with the offset posts and beam. Both are offset horizontally so I can get the slab edge 3" past the wall line, so columns do not bear right at the edge. This corner has one of the walls NOT offset, and it needs to be this way. File attached. ICF barndo.zip