GeneDavis

I just model it with solids and assign all wood parts to a layer called Screened Porch Framing. I have done screened porch framing all in Sketchup and then imported the whole shebang into Chief as a symbol, but that was before I realized I could do it just as fast in Chief. The screen can be modeled as a solid, too, and textured with screening image, if you want some 3D render semi-photorealism.

The pic of the SU model is showing some kind of surround. A thin frame. The model should be edited in SU to remove the surround and just leave the door slab. Then it will model correctly when brought into Chief.

Be sure and examine the feature that makes an annotation set "drive" a layer set. It is a feature many Chiefers use. See attached. The LAYER SET setting in the Annotation Set Dialog Box is set one of two ways. Either it is set to the "Use Active Layer Set" setting or it is set to a specified layer set. In the image seen here, it is set to the Framing Set layer set, which means selection of this anno set will "drive" the layer set selection and turn ON that "Framing Set" layer set. It is a great feature of the program. Once you get comfortable with the plan view layer sets and anno sets and have figured out how it will work for you, it is time to create all of the anno sets for detailing so you can do your CAD details in all of the scales such as 1-1/2" = 1'-0".

Need to model a deck railing that is built so 2x2 balusters mount against deck edge. The 2x2s go down and have bottom ends 2 inches below tops of rims and are screwed to rims, thus the whole railing is offset out from the "deck room" edge. I can model this affair using solids but was hoping there might be a way to spec it so Chief builds it.

Haven't seen A36 used for a while. It is A50 where I've been, and where that is, the steel suppliers will help with the design of the connections.

So why is this intermittently not working for me? Is it only in play if the number, the dimension number, is inexact? Because I dimension wall-to-wall, the walls having been exact-dimension set, and I cannot get the tilde.

My hinges are on the 3D Warehouse and will plug right into Chief. Do a search for "glass shower door hinges" and look for the ones by Gene.

DropBox will handle it. Done here all the time. And you ought to edit your sig to show your system specs.

I used one from the library and changed the field material to translucent glass and it looked great in ray traced renders.

Setting up new service in new home, and never before offered different speeds. The offerings begin at 6 mbs, then go to 25, then on up. We don't want to overspend. What would you recommend?

IN the wall? Please clarify. Trusses bear directly on CMU? Please confirm or clarify.

Figured out how to use a very cool Sketchup plug-in called "soap skin bubble" and used it to make a decent looking seat for the chair. If you are a Sketchup user, download it from the 3D Warehouse. Seen here with the Stickley "Highlands" trestle dining table, also up on the Warehouse. To find the chair quickly, search "dining chair Stickley MacIntosh." Enjoy.

Post yer plan, please.

General lighting = 3D>Lighting>Add lights There are some good online video tutorials from Chief about preparation for render: Lighting, materials, sunlight, etc.

How custom? What are you doing that differs from those shown by people like Logix, Amvic, and Polysteel?

It does not stop. You stop when you want. Nice kitchen, but don't you want a tiled backsplash wall? Some undercabinet lighting? Most of us use a quick render setup to check lighting, materials, etc. Try setting up a raytrace config (mine is called "Quick") that has a small screen size (320 width) and none of the advanced settings that take more time. This can help. Be careful which lites you set to show shadows, and use some general lighting, both point type and directional, to help get the scenes to look more photo-real. Me, I kind of prefer the NPR effect gotten with watercolor, lines over, and final view with shadows.

A whole lotta Sketchuppers have modeled the Saarinen tulip table and put their work up on the 3D Warehouse. Find one you like and import it into Chief. What exactly are you trying to do?

Also http://www.amvicsystem.com/icf/cad/ Sometimes it is easiest to just cut and past the available pdf images into layout.

You can do it. Just takes some work. In this situation, the undermount farm sink 3D came from Kohler, and I edited the countertop hole to be right for the sink, per Kohler's installation instruction specs. The symbol's origin is set so it sits out proud of the front with the apron tight to the cab's faceframe, and underneath the 5cm countertop. That line you see across the top of the apron lip is the cabinet front telegraphing through the sink.

No, not at all, Scott. I think Phyllis may have measured her door opening height in a section view from finished floor to door frame and gotten her 7/8" shy number. That is what I get if I examine a door of 80" spec height set in a wall with the rooms having 1/8" underlay and 3/4" flooring as the finish.

Are you taking into account that "height" means above rough floor in Chief? Lemme guess. Your floor finish is two layers totaling 7/8".

In the pic attached of a quick render, you can see the puck light I moved using xform into a wall cab. I changed the shelves to glass, and changed the door to an opening before shooting the raytrace. The puck had been mounted under the cab. The puck light is ON and its material (the lens) is set to LIGHTING WHITE with emissivity way up in the 90s. Have you solved your problem yet?

Do you want the effect of a light strip that is hidden inside the cabinet? Or do you actually want to be able to see the light strip in a camera view, and see its lighting effect with surfaces lit, shadows, etc? Have you set the specs for your light strip object to have one or more lights? Point lights are what you want here, I believe. This is not much different than wanting puck lights inside cabinets to light up the inside of the box, and it can be done. Use the materials control to set your strip to LIGHTING WHITE with very high emissivity, so it looks bright when viewed with the 3D camera.

This one is up on the 3D Warehouse. Stickley does not make one this wide (90" +) so I modeled one. Search "mission TV console" and you'll find it.

Doodled these last night and imported into Chief, then raytraced. Renders shown here. They are up on the 3D Warehouse and are readily found searching for Ethan Allen Rowan (the chests) and Ethan Allen Tatum (the bed.) Enjoy!