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Is anyone planning on attending the upcoming 2 day training classes in Idaho at the end of August? If so, are you bringing your spouse? I would like to bring my wife with me so we could make a small vacation out of the trip. She is worried that she will not have anything to do while I'm in the 2 day class. I asked Chief if they had anything planned for the spouses for the two days we are in the class. They have nothing planned. Over the years I have attended a lot of AIBD, AIA and Rotary events. They usually had different events planned for the spouses each day such as tours of the local area, lunch and shopping. For those of you that are planning on attending the two day class and bringing your spouse with you, is there away that we can get them in contact with each other so they can makes a plan to meet and see some of the sites while we are in class? Thanks, Mike

I know that there are commands in Chief that will let you do most of the routines AutoCAD does. It to bad that Chief decided on calling these commands a different name. When I first got the program I started looking up some commonly used commands in AutoCAD like offset, mirror, etc. I could not find those names in the manual. Little by little I learned the commands by watching many on-line videos about one thing or another. In those videos they would use a lot of the routines I was looking for and the name of those routines. I still have a lot to learn. But what I have learned so far shows me that Chief X8 is far superior to the version of AutoCAD I have been using. One of the greatest things I have found is the Chief Talk Forum. You guys have been a great help to all us newbies. Without your help the learning curve would be a much greater amount of time. Just reading the question other have asked and the answers you have given have been a great help. Thank to everyone of you that has given your time to help us learn this great program. Mike

Thanks for the information. I have been an AutoCAD user since 1993. I been using an old version which is called Softdesk 8 or S8 as most users called it. Fun that the new version of Chief is X8. Coming from an AutoCAD background it's been difficult to make the transition to Chief. Many of the command names are very different then AutoCAD. The Copy command in AutoCAD is Replicate in Chief. Move command is Transform/Replicate in Chief. Change layer is Layer Painter in Chief. Offset is Jump (that what I was told by tech. support) in Chief. Mirror is Reflect About in Chief. And if you try to look up offset (along with other AutoCAD commands) in the Chief manual, your search comes up empty. I do not understand why Chief as decided to change their command names to be so different then AutoCAD. The commands, copy, erase, move, offset, layer on, layer off, change layer, mirror seem to be self explanatory command names. The Chief commands you have to look up in the manual to understand what they actually do. Chief would get a lot more AutoCAD users to switch to Chief if they used as many of the same command names as AutoCAD.

I'm new to Chief, I'm using X-8. I'm trying to add text to the framing plan. When I do the text from the floor plan is turned on. I created a layer called "framing text" and made that the active layer. As soon as pick the text button it changes the layer back to the "text" layer, which is the layer that the text from the floor plan is on. How do I get the program to stay on the active layer "framing text" when I pick the text button and not switch to the default "text" layer. Or are you guys adding the framing text after you send the framing plan to the layout page. Thanks, Mike

I'm new to Chief. I'm using X-8. I'm working on my first house in Chief. I have 2 questions. 1. I see that Ceiling joists and rafters are called out as "joists" Is there away to change the callout to read "ceiling joists" and "rafters" instead of just joists? 2. If I create a separate ceiling framing plans and roof framing plan how do I add notes to one plan without them showing up on the other plan? Thanks, Mike

Thanks David. I'm not sure how to do that. Is this under default, walls, exterior walls, wall type definition, materials? I do not see anything called area. Thanks, Mike

I'm new to chief. I'm using X-8. How do you show a stucco pattern on the exterior walls in elevation views? When I turn off the color in elevation view the walls have no fill pattern. I have been using AutoCAD since 1993. In AutoCAD I would assign a hatch (fill) pattern of random dots that represents stucco. Is there a way to show a stucco pattern of random dots in elevation view after I turn off the color? Thanks, Mike

I checked and the Framing, Wall layer is turned off. Is there a setting that needs to be changed? These lines are showing up at the 8' plate height at the gable end of the wall. The other gable walls of the plan do not show these horizontal lines. I'm not sure why this gable wall is showing them while the other gable walls do not. Thanks, Mike

I'm new to Chief. I'm using X-8. I'm working on my first plan with chief. On the rear of the house there is a bay window. This bay window is a part of a breakfast nook. The breakfast nook has a vaulted ceiling. When viewing the rear exterior elevation (North) I get extra horizontal lines that should not show. These lines are on the 45 degree walls of the bay. They are at the 8' plate height. This wall is at the gable end. Also the corners of the bay window walls are thicker that the other corner walls. I have attached the plan. If someone could let me know how to remove the horizontal lines at the bay window and why the walls are showing thicker on the 45 degree walls. Thanks, Mike Practice 2-11-2016-2.plan

I'm planning on getting a laptop computer that I can run X-8 on. This would be used to take with me when going over clients plans at their house. Also I plan on attending the upcoming intermediate training for X-8 in Coeur d' Alene. They said that I will need to bring a laptop computer with me. Does anyone have a suggestion on a good laptop computers for X-8. A few months ago someone at Chief suggested the Microsoft Surfaces laptop. Does anyone have any experience with the Microsoft Surfaces laptop. Thanks, Mike

I'm new to Chief, I'm using X-8. I'm starting to convert my AutoCAD title block sheets into Chief layout sheets. I have one converted into my main layout sheet. That took sometime to get it correct. In my usual plan sets I have 3 different types of title block sheets. The first one is my site plan sheet. This sheet is broken down into 4 blocks. The largest bock is for the site plan. The 3 other blocks are smaller and of equal size. In one I show a vicinity map. The second is a legend of symbols and abbreviations. The last one is the sheet index. The second sheet is my main title block sheet, which I use most often. This sheet is already converted The third is my general note sheet which also has my door and window schedule. Is there a way to have these three sheets as layout sheets in the same plan files. Thanks, Mike

Thanks Joe. That's what I was the answer I was looking for, a quick way to either make a measurement in layout view in the scale the drawing was sent as. I did not know that double clicking on the layout view would quickly take you back the plan view. David, I meant 144 feet, not inches. Thanks

I'm new to Chief. I'm using X-8. When I send my plan to a layout page in a 1/4"=1'-0" scale it does not let me use the tape measure tool in a 1/4" scale. My layout sheet is set up as 24"x36" D size paper. When I measure across the paper it shows 36" wide. If it was a 1/4" scale it should show 144". Is there a way to get the correct measurements in a layout page? Or do I have to go back to the plan file to get the correct measurements. Thanks, Mike

I found the save as PDF in the print command, thanks. When the layout is converted into a PDF the wall fill is missing. I had also included a footing detail on this sheet. It has fill patterns to such as concrete, soils and sand. Those fills show up in the PDF file. Is there some setting I am missing? Also when I print this PDF file out on my HP 750c Plus plotter, it is not printing to scale. I do not have the plotter connected to the computer that I have Chief on so I need to print the file from another computer that the plotter is connected too. The plot is off by about 5%. I see that one of the buttons under drawing scale is "print to paper 95%". I did not check that button, I checked off "to scale". My print setting are as follows: Chief Architect: Save-As PDF Paper: Arch D Print Source: Drawing Sheet: Arch D Drawing Scale: To scale I have printed PDF fills that have been sent to me form other firms and they all printed to scale. So I'm assuming that there is nothing wrong with the computer settings that I have my plotter connected too. Thanks, Mike

I'm new to Chief. I'm using X-8 Is there a way to send out the plans in a PDF format. Most of the contractors an printer want the plans in a PDF format. In AutoCAD I use the print command then change the default printer to PDF then hit O.K, then choose a file name to sent it as. I do not see that option in the print command or the export command for Chief. Thanks, Mike

Is there a way to remove the polylines around a fill patterns. I'm new to Chief and have been using AutoCAD since 1993. In AutoCAD I can delete the polyline boundary of the hatch pattern or turn it off . This leaves only the fill (hatch) pattern left which looks a lot better. Also I can give the polyline boundary a different name than the fill pattern. Is there a way to do this in Chief? Thanks, Mike

What does changing the minimum display size do? Is there a way to change a specific dimension in string of dimensions to show in just inches verses feet and inches?

I'm new to Chief, I'm using X-8 I have being adding dimensions to a slab foundation and see that chief does not recognize the cut in the curb wall for the doors around the garage. I have tried all of the different dimension commands and none of them will snap the cut in the curb wall for the garage door and the 2668 door. The point to point seams to get close but it will not snap precisely to the edge of the curb cut. Also is there a way to change the dimension callout on a specific dimension text? Sometimes the smaller dimension text will not fit a within the extension lines. If I could change the dimension to read 14 1/2" instead of 1'-2 1/2" it would just fit between the extension lines. I know I can change the default settings to read only in inches, but I do not want the entire floor plan dimensions to be inches. Thanks, Mike

I'm new to Chief. I'm using X-8. I am getting ready to send my floor plan to the layout page and see that the upper cabinets are hiding the cabinets & appliances below them. Also the lower cabinets counter top is shaded. On the upper cabinets I have changed the line type from a solid line to a dashed line, so that shows up correctly, but the upper cabinets still hide the cabinets and appliance below. Is there a way to make the upper cabinet transparent? Also is there a way to remove the shading of the counter top in the floor plan view? Thanks, Mike

I'm new to Chief. I'm using X-8. Is there a way the change the dimension callout in the dimensions? Where I need to do this is in the bathroom. I need to show the minimum required distance of 30" for the toilet to fit between the shower and the vanity cabinet. In reality I have 36" but the building department insists that I callout the minimum required distance. In AutoCAD I will explode the dimension, then use text edit and change the dimension to show whatever I want it to show. This method is quick since it leaves the dimension lines and only changes the dimension text. Is there a way to do something similar in Chief? Thanks, Mike

That worked. Another couple of questions. I see that using the rich text method the room title uses smaller cased text for most of the title unlike the automatic room title which uses all capital letters. Is there a way to have the rich text macros use all capital letters on the title portion of the room label. Second question, is there a way to change the room title itself using the rich text method? For example the Family Room label only shows the title as Family. Is there a way to have the macro show the title as Family Room? Thanks, Mike

I'm new to Chief. I'm using X-8, When you identify a room in your plan, Chief automatically places a room label with the name and room size. Is there a way to change the text size of each the room name and the room dimensions? I would like to make to room dimension text smaller than the room label text. Also is there a way to show the ceiling height under the room name instead of the room size? Thanks, Mike

That worked. I changed the name from 2D symbol to Sym. That brought the size of the schedule down to a reasonable size. Thank You.

I'm new to Chief. I'm using X-8. Is there a way to reduce the size of the electrical symbols that show up in the electrical schedule. Some of the symbols in the schedule are 4 to 5 times as large as the same symbol on the floor plan. Thanks Mike

There is a layer called Walls Hatching, but is shown to not being used. By doing some hunting and pecking I found that the layer name being used for the wall hatching is call walls, layers. Wall hatching or Walls Poche makes more since to me. I would have thought that the Walls, Layers would have been for the 2 parallel lines defining the walls. Can we change the name of some of these layer names that the components of the walls are drawn on that make more sense? For example. "Walls" for the 2 parallel lines representing the main layer of the wall. "Wall, Poche" or "Wall, Hatching" for the hatching pattern of the wall. "Wall, Siding" or "Wall, Stucco" for the exterior wall finish. "Wall, Drywall" for the interior wall finish. This would make more sense to me and would be more clear to what I am turning on or off. When I look at the wall type specification I do not see any of the wall component layer names. Thanks, Mike