GeneDavis

Doing it on first floor with second floor over is a little easier, because you can put some beef into the floorframe rims to do what's needed, but there is some good info here. I just did a search in my browser for "header framing over a corner window."

A 40-plus-year-old house was built first as a rectangular chalet-roof thing, then it got a rectangular addition, another rectangle, joining the chalet at an off-90 angle. Now another addition is to happen, this one a rectangle, patched to one side of that second rectangle. Roofing this new addition, and joining it to the as-built, is a challenge for me. I envision a hip-roofed array, must be the same pitch (very close to 2/12 if not exactly that), truss-framed, with a lay-over section built atop the existing. See the pics. There is a Google Earth overhead of the as-built, and my two pics, one highlighting the two as-built roof planes, the other highlighting the addition that has the lay-over part. I think to do the roof remodel this way, particularly with engineered trusses (100 psf ground snow load), we'll need to get via site measurements, the exact as-built roof's geometry. However we design the roof of the addition, the overhang of the as-built roof along the 24-foot length of this new addition will be demo'd, so right now we could go up with ladders and cordless sawzalls and chop off a segment directly above where there is a window. What tools and techniques would you use to get the measurements so as to be able to model the as-built roof accurately?

Not likely. I've built those as garage floors with basements under. Just use a floor structure with layers for the top finish, the 'crete, and the molded EPS stay-in-place forms, and CAD details to show what to do. And do a CAD detail of the plan showing the layout and form lengths. That'd do it for any responsible builder.

Does this help?

Solids will do this nicely. There is no Chief "tool" that produces these, so create them manually with solids.

I just tried doing this by creating a second floor, floor structure like a ceiling structure, i.e. no sheathing, 2x6 joists, made the height of the "floor" 1.5", and autoframed with 2x10 rafters. Comes out just right.

Suggest it. Be clear. It ain't there in X15

@rwaldrondesignswhy not go ahead right now and compose a suggestion that Chief have an option for this? Preferences>Appearance>Text seems like the right place to have it. Something like "Attach leader lines to text at font center first line of block" might be clear enough to understand. Right now the attachment defaults to center of block, and the attachment point can be dragged to snap to block corners and midpoints sides and top and bottom. Your option, if checked, would give you what you want, and also give users an additional snap point for moving the leader attachment point.

Open for spec one of the OK walls. Take a screencap of the wall's type. In the structure tab, take a screencap. See my examples. Now do the same for the 45 wall.

Now is a good time to learn to make new layers for your specific needs in controlling visibility of objects. Click on "New" and type in your new layer's name.

Go for it! Get busy with Chief's 3D and create the glass panel with its two base fittings, including light sources, and one top clip. Save as millwork and use as deck railing.

I think @ValleyGuy has the right approach, and it models the top cap and rail, with 1.5" square baluster butted to cap at top and bevel cut at bottom, seen in almost all those decks built back when this was the fashion. Plus, if you are a newbie with Chief and interested in learning new things, you get to create a molding (the 2x cap and top rail) and a solid (the baluster) you save as a millwork item.

Are you looking to model the arrangement exactly as the photo depicts, with the beams atop the columns having a width narrower than the width/depth of the jacketed columns?

In which panel beginning with 1 at bottom and 8 at top do you want window lites? The garage door symbols in the library are set to stretch up to a limit above which the panels repeat. You will need to make your own door symbol, which takes a few minutes.

Looks like it's where you want it. No? Examine the joint in a section view, measure how you would like to relocate your ceiling plane. Without a plan to examine, it's unclear whether your ceilings are roof bottom layers, or ceiling plans you drew. Ceiling planes are readily relocated with the x-y-z move tool.

For this as-built?

Why not just model the whole thing as a 3D solid, explode it so that each face can be separately textured, and then use the p'line you began with for making the 3D moldings to mock up the outside corner and inside beads? Modeling it with walls seems more tedious. You have the two-story-plus end wall that is shaped, two upper walls for the chimney, two lower walls for the fireplace, thus five walls to draw. Then there are wall connections to deal with, plus whatever happens above the roof.

@winterdd, does "clean it up" mean finish it for them including con docs? Is this a one-off custom or is it to be a stock build for them. Are you in it for con docs also?

Roof planes or solids, and good luck with all the vinyl corner bead and J-stop.

@basketballman, are you willing to share how you do the iso plumbing riser graphic you show in your sample plan? Looks generic to me. Is it, or is it plan-specific?

The user must not understand how to use SPVs, and works from a template in which there are none. Ask them.

Here is another take on it, from a guy whose only biz is doing as-builts.

Might as well just take Chief on a laptop and go around with a laser tape. Plus of course some other tools. This video has a lot of good info from those that do a whole lot of this. I don't think there is a magic bullet app that automates this process, if real-life con docs for remodeling is the need.

I can model that in no cabinets.

And yet it's seen in plenty of photos of homes for sale.