para-CAD

So I went to add the Window schedule to a plan I'm working on, and on the 3rd floor the window label replaces the actual window size label. That's expected. A Square polyline with a W01 in it or whatever. But then I went down a floor and there is the square, expected, label PLUS a hexagon window label with a different number in it...almost like there are two windows located at the location....but there is not. Here's a video for reference.

My iMac is old so I had Puget Systems build me a windows machine. It works great. Back in X7 days, I would share plan files created on my mac with a windows CA user and the text would often get all out of whack. Not sure if that's still a thing. I love the macOS as a platform but their H/W could be more robust if it carries a "pro" moniker.

Hmmm I just place a back clipped cross section on a plan view and then the section view appears. I never stop to consider what type of view it is utilizing. I hope that this can be changed to just work. I guess I will add this to my workflow to always check what view I'm in. It's amazing how these small things can completely burn through time until they become known. So my "work around" was to export the section to .dwg and "clean it up" in AutoCAD LT. Then I imported it back to CA into a blank, new file. The text was all BOLD and needed repair, but then I was able to take a CAD detail of it and add it to the layout. Thanks for all the quick responses. This site is way more user friendly than the manual (and who really reads any manual /sarc)

So I searched with "cad detail from view - section view" and found nothing. It this the expected behavior - no 2D CAD/editable lines from Section views? I want to make a CAD Detail from View of a Section so I can remove some of the lines that aren't necessary. The Icon and file menu to make a CAD Detail from view are GRAYED OUT when I have the section window active. However, when I am in PLAN view, it's A-OK and works. I'm now going to read up on this feature in the 700 page manual. Either I have a setting misconfigured or CAD Detail from view doesn't work on all items (but should). Plan view (option available) Section view (option not available)

Thanks. I never imagined that the layout layer defaults would be driving the label on the incoming item from a plan. It's defaulted ON and I had reached the point where I was tired of wasting 4 extra mouse actions to remove it every time I sent something to layout. This is now OFF in my template file. Y-E-E-E-S-S-S-S!!

Very cool way to add depth to the information being conveyed. Top shelf work as always!

Where is the check box to permanently disable the automatic label that appears just below the bottom of the exported item on the layout page? It defaults to Elevation [space] and then a number. I never use this and so every time I export to layout I have to "o,o", Open Object, and Suppress Label. I haven't found where I can set that in Preferences or Default Settings to never come on. Thanks in advance for help with this.

I bought the Feb 1, 2017 version. I never got it to work. Maybe I will reach out to the other CA pro and see if what he has is useful. It would be nice to have much more of CA automated.

As clunky as it was, Solid Builder was great for creating individual walls by labelled type. Instead of Wall Detail - 32 I would number walls in reverse site raising order - X01, X02 for exterior and N01 or N02 for interior. It would generate a separate 8 1/2" x 11" sheet per wall so it could be fabricated in the shop and loaded in the order we wanted to erect them. Not sure if that's what you're doing. Just chiming in.

Thanks everyone. Yes...builder was printing from Apple's native Preview app. When he tried Acrobat Reader, it printed fine, no issues. Crisis averted.

So this is the second time a client builder of mine has taken an Arch D scaled PDF plan and printed it to 11x17 [ANSI B] on an HP Officejet 7612 and also an HP Officejet 8600 Premium from an Apple computer and the pages with exported 3D images all print with a solid black background. (Those are all the variables I can think of). When I send the same PDF file to my Brother MFC laser printer it prints 8.5x11 fine.....no black issues. Since I can't reproduce the condition I can't troubleshoot it. Has anyone else experienced and more importantly - SOLVED this? Thanks in advance for any and all help! - Mike

There's an archive folder?

Sounds scammy to me. But then again, I'm working on my degree in Curmudgeonology

Thanks Mike. I will be on this a while. Not 101st SigDet / 5th Grp. Take care.

Can the background image be more realistically locked when viewed through a walk through, or is NO background the recommended setting? 3D Background Locked Please (HB).m4v

Mike, Very nice! Thanks for the input. (BTW I used to live in Clarksville back during Y2K - 3/5 SFG(A) FTCKY) That's a great place to live....second only to the pacific coast. I've framed over 300 structures in my life and every set of plans from designers or architects were lacking or not accurate and so as the framer I got to "figure it out". There was however one architect from Louisville, KY who was amazing, Nick Feldman i think his name was. He drew things as they are in reality. I told myself that some day I would draw plans that could double as cut-sheets (which is what I did as a framer to catch errors before I found them on the jobsite). I still have people question why I go to this depth.....uh......because I'm an American and that's how I want to it. I never want to compete for the cheapest, Wal-mart customer. I have just enough word of mouth from some great builders and some one-off home owners that I stay busy. I never do price per SQ/FT because that seems like a lazy way to ball park. I really like the images that you posted. I am re-inspired to carry on with what I have. I can't be on-site with this client so I am trying to provide enough clear 2D and 3D for him to have less questions and more doing. I've attached some shots of the plan...I take NO credit for the engineering. The owner's good friend is a PE and hand sketched everything in amazing detail. Take care and thanks for the comments.

Okay.....thanks! I'll check it out. I'm betting that creatively is what I am doing. From the link: "Chief Architect is designed to allow you to quickly model conventionally framed structures. A pole structure, however, does not fall into the category of conventional framing, so when building a pole barn, we need to use the program's framing and CAD tools creatively."

The crazy thing for me is that I am completely a dark-mode autocad user. It's the only way to go IMO. Autocad had things pretty well worked out. But dark mode in chief just feels off for me. I stick with the Sage theme. If someone could post the CA settings to make it operate like autocad that would be sweeet. So, autocad can display colors one way on the model, another way in paper space (layout) and then print to a different color. That might be something more unique to them than CA.

Oooooh! Now there's an idea! Thank You!!!!

If I provide a 3D walk through it has to match reality or I'll create more questions than solutions. If it's beyond reasonable to have this style as a window option....I'll just set expectations for that when I do a walk through. This whole 3D modelling preview is not my strong suit. I like useful and accurate plans that get through permitting and can double as cut sheets if needed. This pretty stuff seems like more of a sales tool on the front end and require a bit of creativity....I am NOT a creative kind of man. Ha.

I added a p-line solid to get that look. I need the bottom frame to remain or the sill to be able to extend into the window frame face.

The finished window looks like this

I found somewhere here where to create things in 3D from scratch that you have to start in elevation mode. That's what I'm doing with this shop. I'm trying to take the ENG details and combine with how it will be framed. I haven't been able to configure CA to do this so I'm stuck with hand making every unique item and replicating/aligning, etc. Can CA do this in a more similar way that it builds a standard framed house? I can't have it "close enough" or "almost". I need complete control over girt spacing, wall alignments in between posts, ledgers etc. I like how this is looking, but this takes crazy hours and changes are no fun.

If it's not do-able....I'll live.

I'm not about to do a polyline solid "workaround" for each window, only to have to edit each one as the client makes changes