SusanC

Just what Mark said - make an architectural block of the cabinets you want to combine and you will be able to place them as one unit. Select the cabinets with labels turned on. Block the cabinets by using the "architectural block" tool. Add the architectural block to the User Library using the "add to library" tool. Schedule will report the cabinets as individual. If you need to move the cabinets individually in the future, just "unblock" them.

I also send the Schedules (as CAD details) to their own dedicated layout page. I've watched how our contractors work and they tend to take the floorplan page and the schedules page out of the construction docs and tape them to the wall for each room. There is also a duplicate copy of construction docs on site if anyone needs a full set.

Jeff - Thanks for sharing! This is an amazing tool, kind of like Substance Player, but for stone. I played around with the section of 3d downloads which are just the geometries to place in plan (see the red and the person) and then I went back to the Stone Designer section and downloaded a jpg to apply to the 3d download. Endless combinations. Thanks!

You could use the Orthographic Floor Overview camera to take an overhead view of the room. Move the camera so you are directly overhead. Go into cabinet dbx and turn off the countertops. Select the Vector View, the Technical Illustration, or the Glass House option to see what is inside the cabinets. Unfortunately, there is no way to add dimensions or text to this view, but you could send to layout and add text on the layout. Not ideal. Also, there is no way to control the thickness of the cabinet sides, but there is an active thread right now in the Suggestions Forum asking for the ability to control the thickness of the wood used to build the cabinets. Maybe your original idea of creating a generic CAD block and overlaying it onto the floorplan is easier? Susan

Yes, thank you for sharing! I downloaded your library and played around with different woods on your doors. This will helpful even in a simple color watercolor view to demonstrate to a client which way the grain will be running on a cabinet door. Susan

Steve, I agree! Hafele would be a great addition to Chief. The best way to get their attention is for Chief users, including yourself, to contact them. You can do this by commenting on their FaceBook or Instagram posts (be sure to include #chiefarchitect ) and/or you can send them an email using the contact box on their website. Tell them how much you use their products and would like to see them available in the design software you are using - Chief Architect. Be sure to mention you create renders for client's projects and that material lists populate with product info. Please see example attached. I commented on one of their recent Instagram posts, left a #chiefarchitect, and then sent a copy of the post to Chief. Let me know if I can help! Susan

I was trained on Autocad when I was in school at Boston Architectural College and when I graduated in 2010, the design firm I joined chose Chief Architect over Autocad and we have never questioned that decision. Autocad has it's strengths, but Chief Architect was a much better choice for us for so many reasons - ease of use, 3d renderings, schedules, help videos, several options for training, and an incredible team behind the software. Good luck!

Going to IBS / KBIS in Vegas this week? Consider visiting booths of manufacturers you'd like to see in Chief, introduce yourself and talk with the reps. They love to hear that you spec their products. Tell them how you'd like to be able to use their products in your renders to sell to clients, populate your schedules to place orders, etc.. Also visit the booths of manufacturers who are already in Chief and let them know how much you enjoy using their products in your designs.

Place a door in your plan. Double click on the door to open the dialog box. Select "Barn" door. Go to "Options" tab. Select "Door Panels" and then "Double Door Only". Good luck!

This video gives an explanation of how to include an AsBuilt in your plan. This will allow you to show walls and other items that are existing, but will be changing. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/10266/remodeling-as-built-overlays.html

I had a one on one training session yesterday and asked why this feature is not allowed through defaults. The trainer said he thought it had been set up this way intentionally, but would ask the developers for us. I agree, this is not a feature that is needed all the time, but as a kitchen / bath designer, I like being able to control where the dimensions attach and was just wondering why it can be controlled through the dbx for an individual string, but not through the defaults. Just curious!

Pam: Easy to re-sort a schedule. In the schedule, click on the cabinet you want to move and drag it to the position you want in the schedule and the numbering will adjust. That is discussed at the 6:11 minute mark in this video: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/1544/door-window-cabinet-schedules.html Good luck!

Oh good! Glad it is going to work for you.

If you're in hurry, another option is to use the Wolf ceiling hood which is flush mount and looks similar to the Nuvola 90 when it is installed up in the ceiling. You can find it in Chief's Wolf Cooking catalog. If you need to have your schedule populate correctly, you can just go into the dialog box for this hood and change the name, the specs, etc. Good luck!

And I was just reminded that the Brizo catalog is already available for download from the Chief website. Go to Chief website: User Center / Catalog Downloads / Fixtures and Appliances and you'll find the Brizo catalog for download into Chief.

If you visit the Brizo website and click on "Resources" on the top tool bar, you'll find they do have 4 options of 3d files for download and one of the options will work in Chief. You'll need to sign up for a "My BIM Smith" account on the Brizo website, which is easy. Then you can download that faucet in a .skp file format and import it into Chief. Save it into your User Library. After you import it into Chief you'll have to change the finish and manually place it into a cabinet. I did this for the Brizo "Allaria" faucet and I posted a screen shot showing you the steps to import into Chief: File / Import / Import 3d Symbol.

You're welcome Leah! However, you're going to have to do this for each dimension string for now because it appears it is not possible to make this change in the defaults. While it is time consuming, at least it is possible. I'll let you know if I find a way to do this through the defaults.

My error! I think there may be a bug in the defaults? I used the "edit active view" button when in the elevation. Selected defaults / Dimensions / Locate Manual / Cabinets and then I tried checking just "sides" vs. checking "sides" and "openings". I can get one or the other to work, but not both.

I think you are just missing a check box in the dimensions. If you double click on one of those dimension strings to open the dialog box, look for "Options" to see if you've checked "Display Gaps Between Cabinet Face Items". If that is the solution for you, you'll need to go into your defaults and check that box so all of your dimensions now work that way going forward.

Happy New Year!! Here is a super easy opportunity to have your voice heard for new catalogs in Chief: Visit the Chief Architect Software page on Face Book. Chief recently posted on their home page asking for us to comment on what brands we'd like to see in Chief's library. Please take advantage of this easy opportunity and help Chief make our requests known!! Thanks, Susan p.s. screenshot shows what to look for on the Chief Architect Software FB page.

Check to see if "drawers/doors/panels" is checked for the dimension defaults you are using. If not, the dimension tool won't pick up the panel you applied.

To change all door styles at once - 3 suggestions: Set up a Style Pallet https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/247/using-style-palettes.html or Group select all of the base cabinets and make your change so they all change at once. Then group select all of the wall cabinets, make your change, etc. or Select a door out of the library and apply it to each cabinet by clicking on the cabinet door. ------------------------- The "glass door" option in the cabinet dbx is only available for the 2 doors in the drop down menu = framed door or slab door. Those 2 doors are built differently than the library doors. Parametric vs. 3d objects. Check out this recent thread on how doors work in Chief. This is how I learned about the different types of doors in Chief's dialog boxes and how they work. Good luck! Susan

I also struggle with angled walls and after many years of working on plans for very old homes with crazy angled walls in the Boston area, I found the best way to have complete control over the dimensions at the angles was to use point markers at the end of each angle. I'd then slowly adjust each wall to be as close as possible to my point markers. Might not be the "proper" way to do things, but it gave me control.

I am always amazed at what I learn on Chief Talk! Thank you to all the Chief Staff on this thread for explaining that doors in Chief's drop down menu are parametric and library doors are created as 3d objects and what the properties are of each. I had made a request on this thread and in the suggestion box for the ability to have more customization of cabinet doors through the cabinet dbx, not understanding - until it was explained on this thread - how these doors were created on the back end and what the limitations are. I'd be happy with any improvements to the parametric doors, but understand that is not as easy as it sounds. Chief's cabinet tools are amazing and as a kitchen / bath designer, I'm constantly using them and very appreciative of their many uses and stability. I will go forward trying out some of the ideas presented on this thread for ways to create custom door styles: Eric's creative use of the door tools to create cabinet door symbols, DBCooper's link to MarkMc's countertop strategy, and really interesting - Dermot's use of the cabinet itself to create door symbols. Thanks again everyone for such great input!! Susan

Hi Eric, Thank you very much for the video. I've made custom doors from solids and countertops and saved them as symbols, but had not thought to use a door or window as a tool for creating a custom symbol. Very clever. Susan