joey_martin

Chief doesn't do hidden lines for roof planes (don't get me started on that) so here is what I do. You can use the roof plane level tool... this tool allow you to move a roof plane up or down depending on where you want it shown. I then fill and note the "upper" roof planes so that they are noticeable and noted that they are on a different level. This one.... shows the roof planes with the fill as resting on the first floor plate line, and there is a note saying that as well.

Just add a point light for rendering where the 2D symbol you place in the soffit is.

It can still be done, it's just not as easy. Use the CAD FROM VIEW tool and delete all the "stuff" and you are left with what you need for the 2 story wall elevation.

Just use the 2D symbol and move on, don't bang your head trying to get those to work corectly. Go to CAD>CAD BLOCK MANAGEMENT and look for the outlet and light 2D symbols and INSERT and it will drop them in your plan, which you can save to your library for future use.

As an aside...check the manufacture warranty as it pertains to flat roofs and the shingles you are showing. Most will not warranty anything below a 2:12 slope. No sense in showing your homeowners a roof that isn't advisable.

I'll just toss this out there...but you could set up all your info without using the layout at all. You can place a title block on you plan file and use the PRINT PREVIEW to align everything. This method may work better for you rather than using the layout file. SImply print everything from the plan file.

This is what I see when I open a new plan. *My Notes box is already there with the notes I know I am going to use on 95% of new home plans *The 4 green markers are elevation cameras already set up and linked to my elevation notes that are in a CAD detail. *The blue marker in the middle is the 0,0 coordinate starting point. All plan start there with the back left corner being at 0,0. Allows me to be able to use the transform/replicate tool to move things a set amount in a set X,Y direction. All of my layer and anno sets are good to go. I am starting to use the saved plan views a bit, so there are some of those saved as well. Everything I need to start a new plan is there.

Once you get that saved, aim Chief at the file and every time you hit new plan it will open.

Fix it in the defaults and save it as a template plan.

If you are specifying pre-cut studs your ROUGH CEILING HEIGHT needs to be set at 121.125" The finished ceiling height is dependent on ceiling drywall thickness and flooring thickness, so use the rough height based on the lumber you are using, or that you expect to use.

I use a framing anno/layer set so that I can add dims where I want/need them to locate points along the framing plans.

I have used Custom Concrete a couple times. They are pretty competitively priced even coming up this way. Local guy(s) is a bit less expensive, but when I need a foundation done on time I will gladly pay CC a bit more.

@SNestor I haven't done a crawlspace in a while..almost all basements now. I have one builder up in Kokomo that still lays crawlspaces and uses either the solid or cored, whichever he can get his hands on.

Top, not corner. Here in crawlspace land many builders still use the L-Block for the brick ledge.

You don't in Chief Architect, but you can make the foundation wall a PONY WALL and set the depth of the top to 4" so that it simulates an L-Block. Also, Chief will automatically add your brick ledge and it will be very close to what you need if you set the wall definition up right. From there, detail the rest.

Other than adding an overhang note on the roof plan....

Dimensioning to roof planes while in plan view isn't all that common...I have never seen it in my 25 years.

It's just reversing the wall layer, do your work and reverse them back. You are probably using an interior railing wall.

Make the default foundation mono slab, then double click in the bathroom and look under the structure tab and uncheck the mono slab option and see if that gives you what you want. There will be some cleanup and some adjustments to those foundation rooms once you have them all set, but it should work.

I would use the EDIT AREA (ALL FLOORS) tool to take the 8" section cut out first, then use the same tool to select the area to be moved and point to point move that section into place. Remember though, the AutoCAD stretch tool, from what I can remember works well, but it's only moving 2D lines, in Chief you are moving 3D parametric objects so there will likely be a little housecleaning to do.

Don't "Pull the wall down" simply put the shed roof on it and the auto generated attic walls will go away.

Click on the wall the roof planes are setting on and change the pitch there. Auto Roofs will still work using the walls.

Are the main layers above in line with one another?

Open a test plan and try setting these and see if this helps. You are, in my opinion, wayyyyyy overthink this. I do a ton of construction plans each year and rarely need more than these. MDP X12 Default_Anno_Sets.cadefs MDP X12 Layer Sets.layers