joey_martin

Don't use those connections. Just use a CAD spline to have greater control. Have the current CAD layer set to Connections, Electrical.

I'm sure someone has answered you already, but honestly as soon as I read the words..."in AutoCAD"...I stopped reading. If you are going to use Chief, you need to forget AutoCAD. Once I came to that realization my life with Chief became very harmonious.

I do this a lot for a few fellow designers and architects that use CAD only. Will HD Pro 18 read X8 files? I am still using X8 but can whip it out pretty quickly if you can use my file. Do you have a PDF or just CAD files?

Draw the round house, raise the ceiling height to just below the peak, Chief will do the rest.

If you place the notes in the plan file then send them, they will be to scale.

Bearing lines always snap to center of beams and walls. I didn't read through all this, but I do A LOT of framing in my models...A LOT...and the only time this issue occurs is when auto framing is turned off. Turn auto framing back on and make sure all the defaults are set correctly and the beam will automatically do what you want to do, even with the beam at the exact same level as the joists. And BTW...I never use the bearing line unless I need joists to break over a bearing wall. Using the Floor/Ceiling Beam tool will do what you need it to do.

Look through the windows of the garage door. No room definition, no garage slab....a lot of things going on here that need to be addressed before even calling that room a garage. Placing 3 overhead doors in the wall, does not a garage make.

I'm a little confused. Those framing members you see running through your garage door are sill plates. Re-build the framing to get those to go away. As far as moving the garage door forward, the garage door will be mounted on tracks at the back of the framing.....no moving it forwards. Raise your exterior apron to the same level as the garage slab.

Open the symbol and reset the position. There are a few that are scewed and will need reset. It's a simple 2 click fix.

The problem will be, and it will happen, is that the builder asks you to reverse plan #2 in your string of 6. The effort to change that one floor plan, and the effects...if any..it will have on the other 5. Better off with a base plan, and then make your 5 copies (variations) and collect them all on one layout.

The answer, as you have found, is no. There are a couple different options to get close....but no can do with a plan view. I keep hoping though. That option, along with an actual stair tool and a few other things are why I am still using X8. Not going to upgrade until I get what I want.

I no longer carry a license here in Indiana, but without it I/others can produce plans for, and file a State Design Release for commercial projects up to 30,000 cuft, or build-out projects as long as there are no structural changes. Having said all of that, my guess is the requirements for what I put on plans here in Indiana is different that what you need in Virginia. Coastal Virginia is probably even vastly different than the Western part of the state. You need to do a lot of research, legally and professionally, before you simply jump into commercial design and plan prep.

Actually I have no idea. I switched from Autocrap about 12 years ago and haven't looked back. Chief does everything I want/need, so I never bothered to try Softplan.

Chief Good....Softplan bad.....

With all due respect David, that blanket statement simply doesn't apply to everyone. I have been doing this a long time, and have never hired an engineer to design a foundation. In fact, I'm not sure where to even find an engineer that would bother with a task like that, unless it's for a large building downtown. Residential home design and construction is not the rocket science some make it out to be. @DesignMC Do you have the plans in PDF version? If so, I will take a look and shoot you back a price or a couple ideas to get you moving in the right direction. My email is joeymdp@gmail.com, it's also in my signature.

When selecting a dimension to make a move, at least in the Premier version, there are a couple things that could be going on. 1) When you select a side to move that set-back, are you sure you are moving just the side and not the entire box? In my screen shot, the option I have highlighted will move the line and not the entire polyline. 2) Remember that you are moving an arc, and that arc has a radius that will not change, so....when you move the side setback, the arc radius doesn't change accordingly, so you end up with a "skewed" arc. To prevent that, look for this tool to disconnect the edge you want to move from the arc, allowing the arc to stay put, and you can move the side.

Without knowing all the limitations of the home designer version, you should simply be able to make that concentric setback line, I would make it 5' for the sides, and then simply click on the front section and select the temporary dimension that pops up and move the line. In the premier version of Chief this process takes just seconds to complete.

Here I am hovering over a base cabinet and Chief shows me the centerpoint. Also, check EDIT>SNAP SETTINGS>CENTER and make sure that is on.

I think Chief does the same thing. Make sure the deck footing layer isn't locked. I have found that when objects are on locked layers, the center function doesn't work.

In my opinion, if you aren't placing walls then you are asking for trouble. I do quite a few kitchens and would never try one without knowing how much room I have to work with. Hard to sell a 123" run of cabinets if there is only 119" from drywall to drywall.

Which is why I NEVER....EVER....use CAD from View for elevations. Everytime the client will ask to change something. Always use live camera views when completing elevations. But....Take another CAD from View shot, delete everything that doesn't need updated (not as bad as it sounds) and use the COPY and PASTE IN PLACE function on the version you have sent to layout. That should "paste" your update onto the elevation and you can then clean it up a bit.

I use layer sets and set the color of the pattern in the model.

Edit area, should move everything at once.

I had the HP110 for years, which I think was the predecessor to the HP120. I loved it! I did not have the roll feeder, simply feed sheets through the rear as needed and let them fall into the catcher. I gave it up when I moved the office home, and no one was requesting prints much anyway, just PDFs. I now have an Epson that will do 11x17 and it works great.

That is a pretty common design situation where basements are used in conjunction with stairs on a basement wall. Many times that offset is finished and trimmed out to produce a plant shelf, or as stated above, you can have a double wall, or furred wall running up the staircase. Whichever method you use, may also depend on if the staircase is enclosed and is visible, the design intent of the client/designer, or your personal aesthetic as a designer.