para-CAD

Render using Nano Banana (Google Gemini) free. Or other AI tools. Attached is AI giving me 2 different color styles for a 999SF DADU. If not for marketing, chief is a solid champ for 2D plans for permit.

I'm thinking the M5 Max in the studio config might be a win. Coming in a few months.

That's a tech support issue. Those guys are really good at solving such problems.

Sometimes the chief architect file contains a template that the person paid money for and it would not be morally correct to share that with someone unless they paid the original template designer to have access to that. It would feel like theft to me. My contract only states that the client gets a PDF to submit for permit and I will share as many of those with that client, in case they lose it, as they need.

For hourly work, I export project time and open it in a spreadsheet. I find the total time and bill for that exact time. Hourly clients know upfront that they pay for my time….nothing rounded up in my favor or down in theirs. When I’m dealing with last nigh’ts spicy dinner, they will see some 10 minute work spurts in the spreadsheet on the following day. I often find that working hourly increases my personal stress level if I cannot maintain focus on what I’m doing. Dogs might want to come visit me or my family is doing something unintentional that is distracting. I normally only do hourly if I know there’s going to be lots of changes as the project progresses because it’s impossible to flat rate bid that. I also use a separate timer, there are all kinds of free versions out there that are pretty good. My wife uses Clockify, and I use something that is mac specific. Most time tracking apps create a nice report and consolidate everything. It’s nice being able to track my time while I’m doing research on the county GIS page separately from only tracking work in chief architect from the chief architect time tracker.

Maybe the stair tools got some love!!

I used to use AC as a 2D crutch. Gone. I make sure truss guys get span and pitch....and vault if part of the design...on my plans. Framer's get the the truss plans...or if stick framed I send cut sheets to builders I trust who trust me. Now I use SU as a 3D tool because I can 100% correctly model complex framing, something CA doesn't always do. AC LT isn't too bad of a subscription....cross platform too.

This might get more visibility in General Q&A

The render does NOT get one a permit....so there's that.

Edit wall layer intersections?

You have to release the license from the other machine first. Getting angry never helps.

Nice. I haven’t needed rendering so far, but it’s nice to know that it’s easy and out there

I just watched your video, Rene. It was perfect. Thank you

So far it’s free

https://www.bc.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/W-spec-guide-BCI-and-VL.pdf RO4? I haven't 3D modeled that in chief, for plans for permit. I make cut sheets for me and details for the plans inspectors.

I only see this when using point to point dimension. I’ve been told that that dimensioning tool has to have something for the end of the dimension to snap too and it generates the marker. It sucks that the marker can’t have zero size and it also sucks that sometimes when you delete the dimension the marker stays. I don’t know if this is an easy fix for them but at least in preferences you should be able to set the dimension marker as a super small size as opposed to if you’re trying to place a regular marker

https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2028364686706786614? https://volteco.com/en/products/amphibia-3000-grip

I don't render anything in motion. Sometimes I'll send out 3D screen shots with RFIs for clarifying some thing. On a zoom call, sometimes I walk them through Doll House but I stress that the colors / textures are default, unless they want to pay extra for the time to make it match what they want.....I do this in a light hearted way......because I'm RED/GREEN color blind and not the guy for interior design pallets. People understand and we move on. 3D is great for people who are limited in their spatial skills from 2D plans. I try to focus everyone on the plans for permit aspect. That's why I love working with builders.

I have found, and was educated by someone smarter in chief than me, that you have to hit SAVE first on your files that you want to later SAVE AS. this exact thing happened when someone I was helping thought we should have a backup copy to the plan so we hit save as. This was all done locally on his machine and not in dropbox. He lost quite a bit of time and work. The solution would’ve been to hit save on the original files to make them updated, and then save as and you would have two identical copies at the same work state.

Out for delivery

I'm going to try LOOM again.......if it tries to make you sign up, disregard and I'll send it to Y/T https://www.loom.com/share/09fe58c3aad34dd79e7072625112b2bf The image is a quick start to work through options before chief.