MickeyToo

It appears this feature worked in X7 at least.

The use of "Anno-sets" are perfect for that. one click and done

To clarify/expand on what Perrry said…

You can very easily control that via layer sets and layer settings... which many people control and operate using annotation sets. There are a plethora of different approaches and by no means does this cover all of the variations, but in brief you can either:

B. Set your text and/or dimensions text style to be controlled by layer. This way you can change the text style in any given layer set (in Layer Display Options) to a different scale and therefore use the same text and/or dimensions for various details and/or scales. Switching to the appropriate layer set would change the text styles to the appropriate scale.

 

In changing the scale of a CAD Detail, and using the above described method to control the appearance of text and dimensions, how do you get the dimension and text arrows to "automatically" resize when switching between Anno-sets?

Thanks

Michael,

Have you ever considered detective work?

Thanks Mickey, I could already get the same results you show without any problem. I was just trying to help the OP model the condition illustrated in his second image. Now whether or not the footing SHOULD be that small is another subject.

Help me out, Michael.

You said in regard to using the Break Wall tool in the corner: "Problem is that method doesn't really work when your trying to offset your footing in both directions from the corner like in the example though."

But it does work, so what am I missing?

jimmyp (and Michael)

After using the Wall Break Tool (anywhere along the wall -  it doesn't have to be right in the corner), try separating the wall sections and then sizing the wall sections that make up the corner (by dragging or using dimensions) to where you want them, then reconnect the walls. As you can see in the pic, I could get them to within one foot of the corner before the walls snapped back together (don't know that you would want the footing to be any smaller).

Anyway, the key I found is to separate the walls before trying to size the wall for the enlarged footing. Having temporary dimensions on and grid snaps off also helped.

Hope this helps.

For anyone considering Archicad (and is put off by the up-front expense) you should know that the Solo version of this software has recently been introduced in the North American market. It is similar to Start version, but with at least one significant difference.

You can read about it here:

http://www.shoegnome.com/2016/03/27/archicad-solo-has-limitations-and-thats-great/

http://www.graphisoft.com/archicad/solo-edition/

Here is the Simpson library from an earlier version of Chief.  Not a 3D library, but very good 3D representations of Simpson products that can be included in your plan details. Because it is an older library, not all of the products currently offered by Simpson will be found there, but many are.

Simpson (From 9.5).calibz

 

It's quite easy to include or not include the Point Marker at the insertion point of the block.

Place your Point Marker and Copy and Place In Place. 

When selecting the objects to make up the block, just click once on the 2 Point Markers and only one will be included in the block. 

The other copy in the same location can then be used to snap the insertion point to.

If you use a window selection, you will initially get both Point Markers in the selection.

Just come back and Shift Select the Point Marker and one Point Marker will be deleted from the selection.

Then make your block and snap to the Point Marker for the Insertion Point.

 

http://screencast.com/t/wZSBxAeoP

Michael, here is the Chief Video on this topic. I could not find this video on Chief's website, but I had downloaded it way back, and due to file size constraints, have included only the relevant portion.

Insertion Points.wmv

I don't think Glenn was suggesting the point be added to the block. It's just a good tool to help situate/locate your new insertion point. It's especially useful when your insertion point is outside your block or at some other location where you have nothing to snap to. In other words, the point is just used as a tool and then deleted. The problem with using Place Point instead of a Point Marker is that you can't select and move the Temporary Point to help properly position it like you can with a regular Point Marker.

Michael, I never said that Glenn was "suggesting" the point be added to the block, only that if a Point Marker was used within a block to help locate the new insertion point (as he recommended), then it would become part of the block and it CANNOT be deleted (at least as he originally proposed using it). If that is what you want, fine. If not, then Place Point is the tool to use, which carries with it the additional benefit of being snappable when placing the new reference point within the block. You cannot "snap" to a point marker within a CAD block (at least I can't in X7).

The fact that you cannot drag a temporary point around like you can a Point Marker usually does not come into play in most (though not all) of these situations, since accuracy is key and you would most likely be "snapping" to a particular point (the corner of a joist or a foundation, for example).

And yes, the Point Marker can be used outside of the block (as Glenn pointed out too), but that is not the focus of Rashid's problem, nor my response.

MickeyToo,

 

The information in your last post is incorrect.

Or rather, your information and instructions are out of date and do not apply to X8.

 

Glenn, agreed the information I provided does not apply to the current version of Chief (X8) (which I had no way of knowing when I posted, of course), but it is important to point out in lieu of your response that it still "correct"  for the many users who have yet to upgrade, since it produces the same result/resolves the same problem, at least in X7 (which you can not see in my signature).

Rashid,

 

Not sure if this will help in your case, but...

 

You are not limited to placing and snapping a block by it's centre point (Insertion Point).

This method only relates to Cad Blocks - not Architectural blocks.

But keep in mind that a Cad Block can contain 3D objects like slabs, posts, framing, etc..

 

You can place the Insertion point anywhere in the block you like - it can even be outside the block - Chief defaults to the centre of block.

 

Place a Point Marker wherever you want the insertion point to be - you can use snapping or other methods to place the Point Marker in relation to the objects that make up the block....

 

Unless you want the Point Marker to be a part of your block, use the Place Point (temporary point) when doing this exercise. This is how Chief suggest doing it, at least in earlier version. Also, the reference point will not snap to the Point Marker when it is included in the block, again, at least in earlier versions.

Yup, Glenn, still using X7.

You said ,  "...my suggestions are completely different than your interpretation."

How so?

 

If you don't want to use "Use Soffit Surface For Ceiling", uncheck it and then in the roof dbx. on the Structure tab...Roof Layers, uncheck "Use Room Ceiling Finish" and specify a ceiling finish. 

 

Just to add to what Glenn has said, be sure to check "Has Ceiling" and specify a "Thickness." And when he says to "specify a ceiling finish" that will be done on the Materials Panel of the Roof Plane dbx.

From the Ref. Manual :

• When Use Room Ceiling Finish is checked, the ceiling finish thickness and material on the undersides of roof planes are defined by the room below. Uncheck this box to enable the two settings that follow and define the ceiling finish as part of the roof planes instead. When this is unchecked, you can specify the Ceiling Surface material on the Materials Panel.

Works very well.

Thanks, Glenn.

Thank you, Eric.  Very much appreciated!

If this was easy to do, then everybody would be doing it.

 

DJP

But then we might be judged by how well we design rather than how well we are able to manipulate this or that particular piece of software.

Which is probably why so many successful architects and designers are still using 2D or in the case of one local architect, paper even.

Good point, Michael.

I usually use this method early on when setting up the model and before applying the finish details.

If it is less than the entire floor, try pulling back the walls between the rooms you want to change the height in a few inches (making it one large room) then simply reconnect them when done.

I don't do it like Michael, what I meant was, you could choose different reference sets as you want in the layout, after it already set up but I guess using his method , you can.

 Yup. I, too, was setting them up in plan view before accessing/choosing them in Layout. So now we know you can set them up in Layout as well.

Good to know.

Right here Mickey...

Shoot! Right in front of my nose.

Thanks, Michael (and Perry for pointing it out).

You can even set it up from a layout view.

How so, Perry? I don't see how you have access to all of the Layer Sets in Layout, other than to specify which one to use for the Reference Set.

I think the key is you must have the ref set on when sending to layout....  if you do not see the ref set in layout,  it may be because it was sent to layout initially without ref sets on.

Scott, I am sure you already know this (you probably just forgot ), but it is not necessary to have the ref set on when sending a plan view to layout

Any Reference Set (if you have more than one) for any floor can be toggled on in the Plan View panel of the Layout Box Specification of that plan view that was sent to Layout.

Now I am not sure if the OP wants to see the reference set in the Layout or simply some of the items that are on another floor. He could follow DP's advice or he could set up a new reference set (while in plan view) and adjust the layers to show only those items he wants to see and how he wants to see them (reference set lines don't HAVE to be red).

I added it to my library and then brought it back in and can now explode it.

Thanks

Alan

That is because when you added it to the library the block's scaling factor reverted to what it was when the block was created (the block you sent to the library and the one you pasted back in the plan were different sizes). This is another way of doing what Michael suggested.

Johnny,

Not sure what other suggestions may follow, but if you are working with an open polyline one way to accomplish this would be to temporarily break the polyline in a convenient place, and then use Edit Area to move the cluster of points and lines to where you want. After that you can then reconnect the polyline.

Not that difficult, and as Michael suggested, Copy and Paste Hold Position into blank plan and back again if that makes it a bit easier to work on.

Michael,

I have to take exception to your comment about the appropriateness of using the Slab Footing Tool in this situation.

If I got it right, Johnny was simply looking to place strip footings inside a crawl space/stem wall foundation. He did not say so, but this footing will usually accommodate post and not a wall, although it can do that, too, of course. Again, he did not say, but when we do these around here, we do pour a slab, although a very rough one.

Now if we go to the Help files we find this:

Slab Footings are used to define Monolithic Slab foundations, garage curbs, and interior footings.

So it should work in Johnny's situation.

And as to whether to set the default to use a visible or invisible wall, I think it totally depends on your situation. Those who do a lot with monolithic slabs will probably like it the way it is (as Perry pointed out). Others, who do primarily stem wall foundations will find it useful to have it set to use an invisible wall (Johnny).

This is not to take anything away from the options you (and Joey) presented, especially your the second one, since that Foundation Wall/footing can then be added to the library. Very helpful.

... If you look at the little icon, it appears as if the wall on top of that footing is indeed an invisible wall.  Why its not set that way by default is beyond me. 

Michael,

Are you aware that you can set this in Defaults? They have it under Walls.

I changed the wall to "Room Divider" and made it Invisible. Now when you draw with it, it corresponds to the icon.