para-CAD

My details are all in CAD details in my plan template and are then referenced to the layout. The only downside is that I use notes quite a bit, and you CAN'T block your CAD work with a schedule then to put it into your user library.

I was told something by a guy who is an expert at using chief. He says he has finally developed a workflow where he lets chief place the deck framing and then he “explodes” everything and manually puts it the way he wants.

This is coming straight from memory, so it may be incorrect, but I remember having to export to a .stl file and then import that into Chief back then.

This sounds like an excellent suggestion. Maybe Chief can make it so that individual rows and columns can have unique spacing.

Is it causing issues if you just drag it far enough away from the model so that it is not viewable when you send that saved plant view to layout?

For me, the engineers that I work with typically want the plan view and maybe an elevation or section if needed. I use saved plan views of each floor plan and foundation and export them to DWG individually. If you have a DWG viewer, it’s always nice to open your exported DWG to make sure that it’s not confusing or has things That might make it difficult for your engineer

This might be cool. The Project Information feature in the layout file is an independent project information tool as compared to the Project Information tool in the plan file. This opens up all kinds of interesting things beyond where I can even think they might be useful knowing that I could have layout-specific project information versus plan-specific project information and since we can create our own fields, this can be extremely powerful.

18 is great. Jump in.

I had a video on YouTube and once the tech guys at Chief saw it, I deleted it

I'm going to screen record this as a baseline because it only happens in Chief and it only happens when I want to grab a grip and move it. And it's about 50% of the time that it doesn't grab and I end up dragging the mouse cursor to where I want it and nothing comes, but then it opens up the dialog box. So, give me a few minutes. And it's only x18, so there is a difference between 17 and 18.

When I left click and hold on a grip and start dragging whatever it is, it feels like nothing is happening until I let go of the left click and then it opens the dialogue box or the parent folder or whatever to the item that I was trying to move.

I experienced the exact same thing and I have about a 50% success rate in grabbing a grip and moving something first time. I've noticed it happens more when trying to move dimensions but that might just be me and it's super frustrating because now I have to keep my hand near the escape key. And my mouse is a brand new Logitech MX4. Only a couple weeks old, so I don't think it's the mouse.

I’m on a mac, so that might narrow it down to chief, possibly in the future, allowing people to screen record within chief.

.......why?

How about post your file in questions and answers to let people know you have a question and that you’re not sharing some kind of cool tip.

Nevermind brother, I figured it out. All I had to do was go to the create crawlspace by polygon and once I click the first point and start dragging the wall, I just type in the length I want and press enter twice and it just makes a segment of the wall with all the contents inside of it. X-ray becomes very cool at that point.

Hey Nathan, I want to use your Foundation SU extension to create a series of Foundation Details. When I start with crawlspaces, is there a correct way to only create a short 4' to 8' piece of linear wall with all the rebar, etc, instead of having to create a full rectangular crawlspace.....then having to explode and cut it? I know this seems odd, but it would be really cool if I could trace out a six-foot linear line and then have your extension draw that item with all the metal and choices that I had selected. You might already have this feature, but if not, imagine using your extensions to create real-world 3D details. If you want to discuss this more in an offline manner, we can do that too.

I would love to have a design agent who could take any of the permit office changes and make them so I don’t have to. That would be super useful. I’ve only had three plans since 2015, go all the way through permitting without a single comment other than here’s your permit.

If there is no automated way, then you can resort to old school methods of drawing a white line thick enough over top that it hides the connecting line. I know that sounds like a hack, but sometimes after spending several hours trying to figure something out in chief, I realize that I am submitting a PDF of 2D lines for permit, and if I have to hide a line, I’ll hide the line

https://superwhisper.com

Can Your Framer just rip 2 inch strips out of 2x6 and tack them directly onto the edge of the plates and studs?

X-18 Chief Search Tool X18.html

Never fear a tool.

You will get more responses if you repost this in the general Q&A section, because this is more of a question you’re asking than a cool tip that you’ve discovered that you’re sharing.

To the original post writer, this might get more traction if you resubmit this in the general questions area as opposed to here, where this is where people share their cool tips that they’ve discovered.