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Finally got some time to look at these responses. I decided after reading this is was time to read the ref manual "Materials" " Library Browser"... Alot going on there still reading. Thanks for the help Joe, yes I have my own engineered proprietary renders I'll offer to my clients and perhaps the public soon. I'll also be offering a hempcrete binder. I know how to design been doing it for over 30 years, just do not know how to run this software that well. Getting there.

Joe, are you saying start with a CA_CMU shown in the pic? If so how do I modify the width and length? I know how to modify the thickness of the wall/block. That work out real nice since they are staggered. I found some old threads on this subject but no good answer. https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=cheif%20architect%20strawbale%20house

If you are calculating amps you are calculating flow (like water flow) per unit time of electrical charge. That is not a "load". OP says this, Perhaps he did not understand or miscommunication with his electrician and used "load" inadvertently. As I said above "power consumption" is often referred to as "load" in watts but, not to be mistaken with Impedance which is " electrical load" in resistance and the unit is OHM. Impedance differs from resistance because it has magnitude and phase, resistors only have magnitude. Impedance determines if lights flicker if a high load appliance comes on relative to a power source, therefore it is the cumulative 'load' on a circuit including both lights and appliances and anything else on the circuit. Impedance measures the difference in amplitude between amps and volts. In parallel circuits it does not add up as in a spread sheet, it is more complicated than that, in fact, it is complex and a program or plug-in would be nice. The Cartesian formula is, Z = R + JX R= Resistance J= Current type unit X= Reactance .

You're still a guru we all know that. So how would you create four exterior walls made of 16" wide 18" tall 36" long stacked strawbales without the use of p-solids? 8' tall walls and a 16' x 16' plan.

I created two P_solids in an empty plan made of concrete that are showing in the ML including cubic yards to purchase. I was hoping that was the case since there are things I want to do in CA I do not see a tool or material for. I grouped them into an Architectural Block that does not show? My understanding is AB's are just groupings that can be of different materials. I can imagine an Assemble input in the ML. For example, I do Installation, Assemble, and Detail drawings where I work. It is not all captured on one "Layout"......It can be if the company decides and some do, we then call that "detail on assemble or installation". Not popular since suppliers that are making details we do not want seeing the rest of the design for proprietary purposes, or, it can clutter what they are trying to build. Where I work now they have a mono detail directive that does not allow more than one detail to be created per sheet. If you can imagine every P_solid needing it's own drawing. Has to do with BIMs, that's another long winded thread as to why. I did know there was such a thing as primitive solids thanks for the heads up. I'll research them. So lets say I want to create a house with 16" x 18" x 36" strawbale insulation. Would it not be best to create a volume of it in the wall type dbx as the main layer provided it is load bearing. The 36" spacing would occur by specifying it in the wall framing default? In this case create the wall type with inner and outer layers such as 2" plaster on both sides rather than creating p-solids and stacking bales and adding p-solid plaster renders to both sides? If I wanted to show 18" ( 1/2 of 36") staggered & stacked bales I would then probably have to use p-solids and stack them in the 3d model one-by-one? I do not fully understand how to put material textures to P_solids, etc. How would I in the example above find a picture of a strawbale on the internet and apply it to the P_solid so it looks real? Would that be a pattern or texture in the wall type dbx? CA has strawbale in the catalog but it looks like furniture.

I guess that is true by the same token it is not part of the Framing in the ML either it has an "installation" category. It would be more clear if there was a DBX spec call out to include the words "insulation" since there are at least two ways I know of now to drive stud spacing. I think I am beginning to understand why so many people especially new like me are struggling with or do not use the ML. I been around many CAD programs that try and push data to a spread sheet. Even large companies do not use it and do hand inputs. The large company I work for now just made a change to push data direct from the CAD model properties DBXs to BIMS software, it is working good after ALOT of growing pains. I can get there with the data now that I understand it better. Anyway learned alot from you and Glenn here as usual thank you both. I'll be in San Diego for the holidays, not sure if you are doing a seminar or know of any let me know.

Joe, let me try and get this straight. See PIC 1, I had the framing wall default set to "use wall framing material" so CA looked at my wall default "wall type, material" where I call out a CA catalog material "Fir Stud 24'OC" which shows 24 OC studs in my views BUT CA could care less about that it looks at the stud spacing in "framing wall default" that is deactivated and shows 16 OC. Go figure! To fix this I unchecked and deactivated "use wall framing material" so that CA would now look at "framing wall defaults" where I changed the stud spacing to 24 OC. See PIC 2, now the insulation is calculating 6" x 24"x 48" and yes the 16" width is now 24", we are getting there! I'm not aware of OC procuring a 6" batt, it is 5 1/2, if it is 6 inch it will compress and loose r-value. We need another place to change wall stud spacing so I can get more confused What is the ceiling looking at where is the 12" coming from? Floor and 1st floor framing defaults both showing 5 1/2.

Thanks guys. Glenn, when I select matls it defaults to 24 OC and if you take a framing overview or cut it shows 2x6's for both ceiling joist and wall studs @ 24 OC. See attached PICS. Unless I am doing something wrong the model has the correct cavity volumes of 5 1/2" x 23" x 120"( 10' studs I used) but, the program is not reading it correctly (EG: 6" x 16" x 93"). Same with the ceiling where is "12" x 24" x 48 " batts" coming from? I was lead to believe when I purchased the software there is a functional ML. I read alot on here that have said the model has to be perfect. In this simple model where is the model at fault? Perhaps I need to call CA or write a ticket since I do not want to have babysit this ML to the point where I can spend the same amount of time doing it by hand as others have opted to do. The batts I am purchasing come in 5 1/2" x 23" x 47". See PIC below: I created a new material called "Insulation 24 OC" with those "sheet" dims....See the 1st ML CA rounds it's specs I imputed as 5 1/2" x 23" x 47" to 5 1/2" x 24" x 48 ", go figure, and says count equals 133. I get a count of 120( 2.5 batts/cavity x 48 cavities)...close enough not sure if CA adds 10 % waste? See next ML I turn off conditioned room as you said since I don't need CA def anymore as a work around other than CA round the width and length dims an inch up I do not like. Not sure what to do with the ceiling? On a side note: how do I get that 5 1/2 dimension text in the first pic above to show horizontally? I looked everywhere, the rotation handle takes the leaders and arrows with it.

Here is the plan. I built a small simple test house using 2 x 6's on 24 oc everywhere. The ML is coming up with 12" x 24" x 48" ceiling insulation & 6" x 16" x 93" wall batts. Not only is that the wrong size to fit the cavities but mfgs don't make it. ML Test.plan

I decided to redo my first CA model now that I know a little more and take it slow watching the ML. I built a wall then ran it to see if it made sense. Been driving myself batty not knowing I had to create a room before the batts show up, pun intended Appears I was taking it too slow, Rrrrrr! Thanks Michael. So now it shows 16 oc insulation batts in a 24 oc wall. must be more weird batty nutty stuff going on in the wall? Just my luck! What are others using for take-offs?

See attached.The only way I can get batt insulation to show in the material list is to add it in as a main layer w/zero thickness then my 2x 6 main layer studs won't show in the ML? The catalog has 16 oc batts I want 24 so what do I do now? What is the purpose of the check mark "insu" when checked batt quantities does not show up in the ML? What does adding values to the Energy section do?

Thanks gents. I like it

I have been working in a BIMS environment for global fortune 500 companies for around 20 years now. I seen the transition and what it is capable of, and it's issues. We use Enovia which is state-of-the art. Just last week I was dealing with routing issues on a HVAC design I am trying to release and get signed off by 12 other disciplines on a big power generator plumbing. It has a history of "concurrent engineering", "Design Build" "Integrated Product" and a few other buzz words software sales guys come up with. In reality for large companies that "route" design packages to multiple down stream reviewers it has it's benefits compared to back in the day when the designers should "walk" the package around having taken responsibility for "Integrated Design" and coordination. Back in the day that did not happen as well as today, granted, not all is contributed to BIMS software, much still lies in the hands of the designer to do and understand how to communicate. Along with BIMs is "Relationship Design" that handles clashes or "collisions" that's another animal but based on software model management that helps manage designers that may not be communicating. I would not let life cycle management software such as BIMs stop Chief from offering the licenses now. There will be a lot of complex learning curves in big construction companies transitioning to BIMS, over kill at the home level, it is just software the Architect/ designers still have to pull in the right expertise and do the coordination.

Electrical load is in watts not amps and listing an amp rating for a fixture does nothing to determine it. Based on the OP I have a feeling the electrician is looking for CA interface software that does “load calculations” to determine impedance and whether lights will flicker when the HVAC is turned on, etc, due to voltage drops. Perhaps a simulation plug-in that does load analysis based on statistics from load field meters. With the green and energy efficient movement, IECC 2012, came a need to know for CO2 emissions, utility bills, sizing of solar arrays and storage batteries. See sample report below, NREL has been behind it for one developing load data to design to embedded in simulation software. Add a NREL SAM or PV Wattts plug in would be useful.... Add DC vs AC, inverters, KWH’s, it can get complex. If you looked at the HVAC thread Rob linked to, there the OP is asking for the same thing, to calculate or simulate HVAC loads. If one could do both electrical and HVAC in the CA model that would be very powerful. I’m not sure why CA does not offer plug-ins or work benches, I for one would be willing to pay the price for the additional licenses. As far as plumbing, in my mechanical HVAC design CATIA software I use it has a “tubing workbench” that automatically routes to “smart” hardware like clamps, b-nuts, sleeves, with nodes programmed in them. There is an additional charge for the work bench. I pick the clamps and the software shows me several routes I can choose from. It has an electrical work bench that does the same. The software is "smart", has bend radius, max distance between bends for tube bending machines, different end types(square, flared, etc), materials I can assign, etc. Although it can be a PITA that be nice too. Another would be Finite Element Modeling (FEM) for structures. It is a pain to export CA to other software’s. It is useful for design integration and communication purposes to do all design analysis in one model. That is where most industries have headed. http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy06osti/38601.pdf It would be nice to show clients empirically simulated bar or pie charts, based on averages for a family of 2, 4, 6, etc

The max load on any circuit is P=IE so for a 120 Volt xs 15 amp breaker = 1800 watts before the breaker trips or the 14 gage wire frys. Same for 12/2, 20 amp. Code defines system architecture. Not sure what you`re wanting CA to do that is not already simply defined. Been a while since I did Sparky stuff think that's right.

Thanks much, that helps. Once the part(s) are edited how do you combine or constrain them again into a closed CAD polyline I think it is called?

Is it best to model trusses first them auto build the floors and wall framing to them later?

Mickey, I see. Dimension tool in camera section views needs some improvements it appears. Other programs I run are not this difficult. I at least learned how to reduce those big cross hair markers in that thread but, labor intensive using point-to-point. I'm trying to dimension details so I can show code officials, suppliers, etc, what I'm considering so it should be easy to produce prelim layouts using end-to-end basic dimensions w/o adding lines or markers. Point to point dimension I only use if I absolutely have to since it takes too much time to zero a point in on a line, etc... I just did a cad detail and used lines to make a quick drawing. If I delete a line that I created from the end of another line it deletes both lines. It appears there are links (constraints) being generated by CA I'd like to turn off since when it happens I have to recreate all the lines that were linked. There should be a way to control links, turn them on or off. If I want to constrain a line to another or not I should have control over. Same with dimensions.

Joey, I am using a rafter as an example to illustrate a short distance issue using end-to end dimensioning not as a final means to develop my layout. I see I am spoiled by the CATIA V6 software I run for corporate. I can also see why it cost $25,000/license and yearly maintenance fees corporate not I can afford. It establishes links or constraints between 2d and 3d geometry. All of the dimension tool functions find the lines, points, etc with no effort at all. The 2D links can be a real pain, they have a “parent” and “child” relationship. If you break a link by deleting a parent before a child now you have the task of finding all the children without a parent in the model. There are link management tools. You can set up 3D constraints too such that say a wall will automatically update to a linked element like a roof pitch which appears to be what CA does, the only difference is we have total control over those links and again they can be a real pain sometimes. See attached. Like Robert I was easily able to get the rafter dimension to work using point dimension with all my snaps turned off. The cross hairs clutter the drawing and usually are not needed in close proximity linear dimensions. I use them for circle or arc center lines. The end to end dimension should work here. As you can see in the attachment when I changed roof planes from a 5 1/2 to a 7 1/4 rafter the dimension did not update in my backclipped section view. “I know you can use the Point to Point dimension tool that will place markers (yuk!)” Mickey, I tried to locate these markers by copying the cross section lines to their own layer and turning off all other layers but they would not show. Are they temporary or can they be constrained to for auto updating dimensions? How do I recall a saved backclipped cross section? I do not see how to open it back up and looked in the chief folders on my hard drive. Glenn, very kind of you to offer a Skype session, thank you! I hired someone in my time zone to get the ball rolling faster and have a session today. I also put an ad it the services wanted section looking for regional help: https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/7046-looking-for-us-midwest-ca-trainer/ Thanks for all the replies much appreciated!

Seeking pro help in the US central time zone during the week from 5-7 PM and/or weekends anytime. I work a 9-5 designing aircraft, CA after and on weekends. The max I will pay is $50/hr for that you should be pro and know how to teach as well as you run CA. I'm am trying to break ground on my company's first spec home asap, due to my day job the CA learning curve is taking too long. I'm in KS. My email is Terrylport@gmail.com Note: Not looking for a drafter, I want to learn the software.

Glenn, see attached. The arrows are drawn with lines. Load the plan take a backclipped at any rafter. I am trying to dimension a rafter depth using the end-to-end tool but no section lines are being detected....Temp dimension extension lines appear than disappear. All locks are off all layers turned on. A skype session sounds awesome! If you have time this weekend? I was just pointing my labtop CAM at my monitor last night showing someone the design is the only way I know of. I may be looking for some hired online support since this learning curve is longer than I had thought and I need to get his done asap. Powerful software just does things different than I am use to like layers and filters and I do this all day on CATIA, CADAM, Autocad now for decades. I design aircraft at a firm all day, homes at night and weekends. I'm in the Central US in Wichita, KS time zone. My email is Terrylport@gmail.com if anyone is interested.

I unlocked everything and turned on all displays except labels and end-to-end or angle dimension at close proximity such as dimension a rafter or stud disappear and will not create. I had some limited success with long dimension that would not attach to lines I tried to pick rather found something it could attach to. It seems to be having the same problem in layouts or on plans. Manual dimensions works somewhat put throw a bunch of dimensions stacked on one another. I'd appreciate it if someone would load the plan I attached try it to see what I am talking about. I must have some setting off. I saved the backclipped view when CA asked how do I bring it back up? Where did it go? ParaFlex_Vaulted_Moved.plan Template (Wall Layout).layout

Graeme, I'm taking backclipped cross section camera views. Give it a try then try and put a dimension using end-to-end of a rafter depth or angular dimension of rafter to soffit, the lines are not being detected or are pickable. I tried to increase the line weight up to 30 which looks way too thick so I have them all set a five, did not matter. Other software I use this is what happens to images, is that not what camera views basically are? Therefore we need to send them to layout or CAD details to fully explode them?

Anyone, why can I not pick stuff in the cross-section/elevation view to manual dimension or put text to it easy? As noted in the quote I want a method that updates my dimensions and/or views live or has a 3D/2D link if CA can do that? It is suggested above that I do all my dimensions in my plan, sections, views then send to lay out but I can't pick a darn thing in them? Also when I take views in my plan and save are they suppose to save too? Mine do not? ParaFlex_Vaulted_Moved.plan

Thanks Perry. That worked out great moving the roof planes using transform/replicate in the Z, and to get the joist to butt up to the rafters same tool in the Y selecting groups at a time. On to trusses.