BryceEngstrom

It can be approximated with Chief's native framing, but would require more detailed custom modeling using polyline solids and such to replicate completely accurately. Start by overlapping your roof planes like the attached, build your roof framing and that will get you started. Getting the roof rafters trimmed properly and the flat ledger boards modeled properly takes some doing. I usually just start with this and edit my section drawings with CAD and/or Edit Layout.

I suppose it's fairly difficult to express each individual's work flow, process, pattern, etc., but I think I did mention above that for me, this type of setup is inadequate. Which layers I want on or off in design vs. condocs isn't so easily separated and categorized. Each project may present it's own idiosyncratic situations. It just seems to me a more dynamic approach, especially for the design process, would be preferable to more static, slow-to-switch-between, presets.

Yeah, only gets you half way there. The whole point is the on AND off. Just as I've been working since my last comment, I find I also want this for Walls, Invisible, and Walls, Attic Walls all the time.

Maybe you're right. They've been known to take that approach before I think. As just one example of what I am talking about is that I don't typically show roof planes on my floor plans in condocs, but I do like to have them on during the design process, and since the two are constantly overlapping each other, I find I want to go in and turn them on, then turn them off, then turn them on again, etc. several times over the course of a period of work. Now, I could set up another layerset, or maybe even another annoset for that to cut down on clicks but like I said, this is just one minor example of dozens of particular situations where I want to turn a particular layer on, then off, then on again all the time. I would just have too many layersets or annosets to remember what does what. Just hard to see the downside of a more active, on the fly layerset dbx, at least as an option, other than maybe it's just more of a programming nightmare than I imagine.

What is that reason? Assuming redraws will always be getting faster and faster, I can't see how this could be considered a step backwards. Why does one more click make that difference? You can currently switch entire layersets without opening this modal window, you just can't change specific layers within the layerset. I admit multiple monitors are pretty much required for this to be effective, but that is more and more the norm I think, especially given plummeting monitor prices. And, it could just be an option, the way they undocked the library and project browser, but these may still be docked if so desired.

4. Click OK to close the layer dbx in order to see your changes. Given the number of times I do this every day, I see a significant improvement in efficiency (not to mention lessening the annoyance factor) by just moving my mouse over to the always open dbx and click what I want to on or off and see the results immediately without having to close the dbx. I can understand that those without multiple monitors might not want it open all the time but fail to see the downside of having the option to.

Said it before, but will again just since we're on this topic again- It would be great if we could just have the Layers DBX open all the time (maybe on a separate monitor) and turn things on and off on the fly instead of click, scroll, click, click every time we want to change the layers we are seeing.

I don't have an opinion either way as to which should be "king" but I think annosets are more for condocs, while layersets are for both condocs and the design process, which might explain why there are so many more layersets. Your can't annotate in 3D views, but having varying layersets in different 3D views is very helpful during the design process, which aren't the same layersets you want for condoc views.

For residential work I have 17 annosets and 42 layersets. For commercial work I have 20 annosets and 42 layersets. Many of the annosets are to help separate what is useful for design from what is useful during condocs.

Often the overlap is very tiny and you really have to zoom in on it to see it. It happens often when you are trying to get one polyline intersection to snap to another (to make that segment go away) and it just doesn't snap properly. So, try zooming in on each intersection of the polyline, or drag each one of these away and see if you discover a previously unseen intersection hiding there. I agree that it is best to find it when you first see the message and not wait till you've ignored it 5 times.

Oh, sure. No overkill there!

Yeah, I usually just order a semi-custom build full computer. Last one was from Cyber Power, which I have been very happy with. Just time for a new rig. I want more speed, power, and the larger and extra monitors. Will likely just wipe the old system and do a clean re-install of windows and have it available for a potential employee.

Good question. I suppose a lot of it is tradition, but there may also be issues like efficient use of space and font size. All capitals fill the space more efficiently, whereas upper case and lower case basically forces your minimum size text to be based on the lower case. That makes the upper case unnecessarily large and white space where you don't want or desire it. There may be just a simple aesthetic aspect of it too.

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions. Just starting to shop, so will try and keep all of this in mind.

So, starting to shop for a new computer. Ideally, I would like to run one of these new 50" Seiki 4K TV's as my central monitor, have two 30" monitors on either side (2560 x 1600 each) AND a run 1920 x 1080 LED projector. This card (specs attached), says it will run four monitors concurrently, and generally I would be NOT be running the projector at the same time (just have it so I could switch to it as the sole monitor without switching cords around). How do I know it will run that many pixels all at one time? Nvidia Card Specs.bmp

I have had this problem off and on for months. Usually, I could just restart Chief and/or my computer and the User Library would re-appear. No such luck this morning. Priority support suggested I try and import my X5 library, which worked, but that has meant losing a year or more of additions and modification, especially recent code changes to a lot of my details and notes. The User Library file itself was around 1.7 GB but showing as empty in Chief. Online support has said that my have just screwed up the file more by adding lots of copies of things. I assume my library file is corrupted and sent it in. Hope they can fix it. I never have done any dragging and dropping with the Library. I have always just cut/pasted within the Library itself.

Yeah, I have it on good authority that her employees have instructed her not to let her on here any more. She's just too busy running her business. I don't spend even half the time here I used to either. That's probably a good thing.

What about this angle grid that now appears every time I want to draw a line or text with arrow? Can't find where to turn that off either. Don't remember ever seeing this before.

Oh, ouch.

Ah, I guess I confused the snapping grid with snapping to points. It sure would be nice if you didn't have to recheck all of those settings you never use with every update. Gets old.

When you uncheck the reference grid it is like the "major" grid lines go away but zoom in and the "sub" grid lines are still there. Anyone else seeing this?

What I have found is this generally happens when you have copy/pasted text and leader lines to other places on the drawing. Then, re-open, and they want to point back to their original objective. If you think this is the case with you, I would file a bug report about it.

Come to think of it, I think this has happened to me as well.

Yeah, I've done that on occasion as well. Just don't do it enough.

Yes, I too wish I was more diligent about updating my templates. I get caught in this same trap all the time too. Just get so busy and trying to get to the next project all the time.