tommy1

Carl, just go to CutePDF.com

You're welcome. It took about 5 hours to do all of the library mainly because I wasted so much time trying to make one part of the library work.

Okay, Here is the Microwave & warming drawer library that can be opened starting with X3. I couldn't get X2 to let me create anew folder in my library for some reason so I did it in X3. The only difference with this library is that I couldn't get the "prebuilt" items to work right and deleted them. So what I did was edit the original symbols so that now you can place the same appliances in cabinets just like any other appliances that fit into a cabinet. I tested these in X5 and all was good. I made them in X3 so I know it works fine there. Hopefully this works for people who haven't upgraded to X6 yet. If you have X6, then you might just download the original X6 file posted here. BTW, keep in mind that the 30" ovens need to be deeper than 24" for them to fit in the cabinet. Microwaves & Warming Drawers.calibz

Mick, if you like, send me an email at my email address below and I'll do an online meeting with you and show you. If you don't want to do that, let me know. Since I'm running real slow this week on work, I might go ahead and make a library of those symbols that can be used in any version starting with X2 (.calibz files). It is good to know though how to do this if you ever decide you would like to share a symbol with someone who has an earlier version. Doing a single symbol is fast. Doing complete libraries takes a lot more time.

Look yall, this is all about file management when dealing with layouts and different hard drives mostly. If you are the only person working on the plan on that specific hard drive, then problems with associated files and a layout is minimal as long as you DON'T change the path from which something was sent to the layout like rearranging files in Windows Explorer (or Windows Browser) after you sent something to the layout. This will change the path of the file sent to the layout and therefore cause an association issue with the layout. If more than one person is going to be working on a plan with different computers (hard drives), then file association issues between the users will happen if everything associated with the plan and layout is not in a single main folder. This means that if sharing plans between hard drives then you either need to use something like DropBox or Zip the folder with the files and send it to the other person, or move the folder to the other hard drive via jump drive. Most of the plans I work on will have between two to three people working on it at different times. File management is critical once the layout is started. Textures are not an issue if you are the only person working on it on a single hard drive. But when sharing between multiple people, you have to be careful about textures used in a plan. For example if I use a texture that I know the other person doesn't have on their computer, then I know that I need to put that texture (image file) in the folder or they will get an error as soon as they take a render camera telling then that there is an image file missing. By me putting that texture (image) in the folder, I know that they will see it in a render. However, just because it's in the folder doesn't mean that they will be able to assign that texture to a new item in the plan. They will have to take that image (texture) from the folder, put it in a separate folder and then do a "convert texture to material" so that it will then be in their library so that they can assign that new texture to something. Bottom line, if you keep all associated plan files, layout files, new textures if your sharing, or any file sent to the layout in a folder, you will not have any file association problems. I have helped many people over the years that call me and want to know why a layout doesn't update or is losing items. I have been able to fix it and find the problem 100% of the time. Side note: Symbols from the library do transfer from computer to computer and should not be an issue BUT the textures for the symbol is can be an issue. Custom molding profiles used for crown, baseboards, banding, etc.. will be an issue too if the other person wants to add that profile to something new in the plan. This is why I always place the new custom profile in a cad detail in the plan so that they can add it to their library if they need to use it for something new in the plan.

Try doing more passes?

Scott, I don't ever use "save in plan" but I think that once you do that, you can't get rid of it in that plan or layout. With that said, I think that if you send something to layout and then later whatever you send becomes void and you delete it, Chief will still try to find it. I believe this happened to me years ago and I kept getting errors because Chief couldn't find it. I don't know if that currently holds true.

Joey, our user group is online and free. You can attend from home. See Houston User Group. Call me if you would like more information. If you call and I don't answer, leave a number for me to call you.

If you keep a job folder and place all associated plan files, layout files and images in that folder or anything that is sent to the layout in that folder and send the images to the layout from that folder, you would never have this problem. I don't ever have file association problems with a layout.

Sorry, yes you can. I can even get this library into V10 without doing Sketchup. (or at least X1)

Not sure that can be done. I don't see an option to import Sketch-up files in x1. Maybe I'm missing something though or forgot how to do it.

This is why I like to show people online how to do this so they can watch and learn. I demonstrate this kind of stuff at our user meetings but am always happy to help someone one on one online.

Great, but won't help with the file posted. Unless of course if someone makes .SKP files.

Just checked in X1 and I don't think I can get them to an .alb file.

Okay, here is the 24" built in that will work in X5. You can see though that the cad block in plan view isn't quite right but may due if you want these. I believe the others will move just fine that are not in cabinets. The color layers had to be reset and the origin of the appliance had to be set. If anyone is still interested in an earlier version of this library, email me and can live with the way it looks in plan view. Moving symbols back to earlier versions is a minor pain, but if you want them it most certainly can be done with any symbol. It will take a little of time to do this for all of them. I can make a library with folders just like the original library. Maybe the person who did this library has a fast way of doing this. BTW, I'm doing this from with-in Chief. Not using an outside program.

Louie, I have said many times that YES, symbols can be backward compatible. Very easy to do. I will download this library tomorrow morning and make it useable in X5. If anyone needs them in an earlier version, let me know. Email me at my email address in my signature. I just downloaded the library. There are a lot more symbols than I thought in this library. I moved it to X3 and X5 but you have to offset the fixture for each symbol unless some of them are stand alone symbols (not in a cabinet). I didn't look at them all. If this winds up taking too much time, then I'll do an online meeting with whoever is interested and show you how to do it and I'll send the files necessary to do it in your version. I also think it can be done in very earlier versions that have .alb files too. I can't load V10 (get the hardware lock to work with Windows 8) so I can't test it. The textures need to be reset as well but I'm not going to do that. It can be done by the user. The 3D look will look correct but will not look exactly right in 2d (plan view) meaning the appliance will be inside the cabinet, not having the front sticking out slightly. It's more difficult to do this for items that are placed in cabinets. It's a snap for stand alone items. I'll post an example of 3D and plan view in the morning. It will look the same for all versions. Can this be done? Sure.

But not GFIs or GFCIs I believe. CAD user, if you call me. I can show you online what I do. For your other post concerning wall alignment, I could show you a little secret for that too.

Block them.

I used to have this problem many years ago using PDF995. Ever since I switched to CutePDF, I don't have any problems (for years).

Timmy, I certainly don't follow your approach. I'm not sure anyone will be able to give you a good answer without seeing the plan or knowing much more information. I for one would have to see how you did your terrain. Is the terrain complete? Is the house already placed in the correct location on the property? Is the building platform height set correctly based on the house location on the terrain and elevation data (heights)? If the house is sitting on an area of the terrain where the terrain is sloped, then the ridge heights will vary from the ground around the house due to the slope. If the house is sitting on an flat part of the terrain, then is a simple math calculation you can do to get a quick estimated height. How much of the foundation is exposed from the ground? This will make a difference on the building pad height. Are you asking this question because you have an aerial easement on the property? If so, are you showing it on a site plan? Certain questions I feel are better to ask with one on one help online or in person because it would take way too long to answer it here without having many posts. However, if someone has already seen the plan then maybe they can give you some good answers. I see you have some previous posts about importing or exporting surveys. BTW, I have to show some ridge heights in elevations to the planning department. Doing it Lew's way would not help me for permitting.

BTW, there is one for the ceiling however, it doesn't recognize an overhang (soffit) and takes the angle pitch of the roof. It also doesn't rotate right. It does work though the way I described.

If you want spot lights that are mounted to the soffit of the overhang (not the wall), you need to copy the wall spot light to your user library. From there, open the symbol, make it sit on floor and rotate the symbol so that it faces down. When you take an elevation of it, you'll have to reset the origins. Drag it up to the overhang.

That doesn't necessarily work all the time depending on how far away it is. If you can't find it, call me or email me with your phone number. I have a quick sure fire way to probably fix your problem or send me your plan and I'll fix it and send it back.

You pretty much have it right.

I do my volutes like this. If interested in how I do it, email me. I believe I have a plan file that doubles as a tutorial on how I do them. I also have a symbol of a volute in the plan that you can down load.