GeneDavis

This one is pretty new, uses X12, and is by Chief Architect. You won't really be drawing exteriors per se. You will be creating a 3D house by first drawing its first floor walls, defining all the rooms, and adding windows and doors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1noFJ4vycmw&loop=0 Having then done this much, you have created all of the interior spaces. But before you begin, you'll need to set your defaults for walls, rooms, floors, windows, doors, and more.

More info needed. Got a section detail? And describe "pwf."

I'd like to talk you out of it, but . . .

Look in Suggestions for my spiral stairs thing, and feel free to list out EVERYTHING you want in spiral stairs. Spell out for the Chief developers EXACTLY what you expect in a spec dialog for spiral staircase. And if it's something other than a center-pole one, spell out what it is.

See if this helps. Do a SPV called ceiling framing and do the defaults and layersets needed.

Revit sure costs a lot.

The exterior color sets are in the brochure that is downloaded from this page. https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/project-ideas-inspiration/exteriors/home-exterior-ideas-inspiration

Client wants exterior views showing about a dozen different color schemes for the siding and trim. He'll go with Benjamin Moore and the source is their excellent site which shows pro-chosen mixes for main body, accent, and trim. We've got clapboard, siding trim, window and door trim, board and batten gables (material region 3d battens, soffit, fascia, and a porch ceiling. Using the B-M pages with Chief's eyedropper to make colors is easy. New .plan file for each new scheme?

Thanks, Mark. I did that, but to make the .pdf searchable on my iPhone I need to open the manual in the iBooks app. But it works great. A good case for getting an iPad Pro, with the big screen.

My ears perked up when purlins got mentioned. Does this mean we can have multiple framing layers in walls, the most obvious use being battens for rainscreen siding details?

Take a look at your layers, focusing on all the layers that itemize objects: walls, roof planes, footings, framing, cabinets, fixtures, all those objects that can be counted and included in a material list. Example: windows. Copy that layer and rename it Windows - asbuilt. Turn off the M for this layer. Now do this for everything. And then, reassign everything in your model that is asbuilt to these layers.

I can't check this. Phone only, no Chief, no computer, but is HELP available when there's no web connection? 'Cause BnC's got no connection.

Why don't you write up the request and post it in Suggestions. Be really specific. You've seen here what can be done with Chief right now, and you'll need to state exactly, detail by detail, how your version of the end result is different.

'Cause my Asus is going into retirement, I'm considering this: Dell G7 17.3" 300Hz Gaming Laptop, i7-16Gb, RTX2070, 512Gb SSD. $1,450

I know it's old, but it was working fine for me using x12, until the hard drive caught a cold or something. So it's in a shop getting a new one, this one SS. And it's getting reformatted so Win10 can do updates. For 3D rendering I thought I would try to get really proficient with lighting and settings and materials and just do PBR. Going into X13, will I be OK?

Not posting both plan and layout?

And where do you go to get web access? Chief won't sustain periods of use without a web access.

There's this thing in tools called Reference Display. Find it and fiddle with it for 30 minutes or so. I know you've no web connection so you cannot access Help or watch training videos, but somehow with your phone, you post here. I can watch training vids on my phone. Can you?

Copy and paste works for me.

Show us your default setting for overhangs, eave and gable.

Don't think he meant auto, because he said "pull." But why pull when you can set things up and auto-dimension with one click?

Edit to delete. Takes seconds.

Rephrase "pull your centerline dimensions." Are you questioning how auto exterior dimensions work? You can specify in dimension defaults how openings get dimensioned: rough opening, unit edges, or centers.

I'm trying to imagine this done with floor framing. Really trying. Wouldn't soffits be the way to build this in the field?

Take the time you spent posting your question and followup here. Select a roof plane. Open it's spec dialog. Go through it, page by page, and examine all the things you can edit. Take your time. Try making changes. You can undo any change. You'll find out about gutters this way, and a whole lot more.