joey_martin

A cheat to getting the level markers where you want them is to place the "0" line with a CAD line and then place the level markers from that line. The temp dims will help you place those from the line, starting at the top and working down so that they don't get in each other way of the temp dims.

And Lew, I think you are stuck in a situation where you can't see the forest for the trees. I think Chief is as much BIM as 98% of it's users want and/or need. The BIM you are pushing towards just doesn't make sense for the demographic that Chief Architect is pushing for. Besides a few special construction situation (that even AutoCAD would need a workaround for by the way) Chief Architect does everything I need and then some. I think you personally have only scratched the surface of the power this software gives you, and are stuck in the "what am I missing" mode. Not trying to offend...just think you are asking for a product that very few in this particular market care about. It's like you're trying to sale paintbrushes to an auto-body shop. While paintbrushes are nice and all, they just don't apply to that business.

I agree with statement 100%. I generally stay out of the BIM discussions...mostly because it just doesn't apply to my office...but Sketchup is not BIM. Lew, before you state your argument about how we are wrong, do this for me. I need a simple one bedroom house...nothing special, say 900 sqft. I would like to have complete construction plans and a list of materials so that I can pull some numbers. My municipality requires framing plan, even for small project, so I need those as well. Oh, and I need some schedules and other data for ResCheck. I can complete that entire requested project using Chief alone....could Sketchup do that?

I am considering doing some training sessions. I have sent out some "feelers" about meeting space, and I am considering traveling to a couple locations to do training for companies thinking of making the switch. Intriguing that so many find my style appealing. It may be time to look at the business of training others.

I print my PDF's in color, what the client does with it after I deliver it is up to them. I have color in mt title block, and generally put a color rendering or sketch on the cover page. I want my delivered product with the logo in color and the sketch...again, after that it's up to the end user. I control all of the B/W with layer sets. I have my "working" layer sets that have all the colors everyone is accustomed to, and when I send the view or plan to layout, I make a copy of that set and tag the end of it with LAYOUT and then set the B/W for final printing. Everything is controlled with layersets.

The key to getting the gray scale to work properly is to always print (PDF) in color. If you use B/W for final prints this method doesnt really work, or requires more work than is needed.

For what it's worth. I have used the same method of dimension elevations since the days of hand drawing on my board. I set the floor line at zero and go from there. It's a lot easier than trying to get dims to snap to a line that you may or may not be able to see. Pretty quick method, and not really a work around since elevations have been created this way for as long as I have been in the business.

I don't see this as a problem. There are many, many times that there will be areas of the basement finished and areas unfinished. In order for the materials list to be as correct as possible, not to mention the stair data, those finished areas need to have the flooring accounted for. If the project is to have a completely unfinished basement, then this argument really has no merit....IMO....because a couple clicks (whether before or after adding the basement) is all it takes to rid the model and materials list of the flooring. Having the flooring there for the finished areas is important. If Chief were to change to no flooring by default, there would be a completely different list of users that would be complaining that they never have completely unfinished basements, and need for flooring to be there by default. The only real solution...again, in my opinion, is possibly to have the option of flooring by foundation default after the walls reach 84" in height, but then again....what about the unfinished areas. You would have to go back and remove the flooring. Either way, we area adding and/or removing flooring from areas of the basement that require it.....which is exactly what I do now for nearly every project.

There is....I just told you where it was. It's no different than if you are doing a ten floor building. You can't set the floor 8 defaults before you have a floor 8 to default.

As soon as you have "4 walls" connected to form the basement, open the floor 0 dbx and remove the floor finish surface. Now for the rest of the time you are modifying floor 1, the flooring will be gone from floor 0 until you are ready to specify the flooring in the rooms formed in the basement. If the basement is to be unfinished, you will never have to look at that setting again.

If you open the floor dbx and open the floor finish default, you then delete the floor finish layers. And, you can set this up ahead of time and the flooring will not show. You are missing something because we just about only build basements in my neck of the wood....I do A LOT of basements and have never had an issue.

All Chief Architect. I no longer own a working copy of AutoCAD. I'm not even sure I could remember how to use it, it's been almost a decade since I made the switch.

http://www.chiefarchitect.com/products/samples.html#aibd-working-drawing-winner-joey-martin

I tend to use a lot of grey scale. I have created a style that I am very pleased with. There is a complete set of my plans on the Chief website.

I do them by adding color boxes to layout sheet and send them to the back so that my lines show through. Not exactly the same, but similar. And I bet that the CAD software that created the layout is not the same software that created that presentation. Looks like Paint Shop to me, or Photo Shop.

I have used the method Kevin suggests, it's not that difficult to accomplish and works very well.

Sorry for getting back late, but you need to uncheck the "Extrude inside.." as mentioned above, and if set the height properly from the get go. If it doesn't work then you need to return your copy of Chief as it it badly broken. This feature has been available for a few versions now and works every time when executed properly.

Make sure you wait to create it until after you have placed and moved all the doors and windows. That way Chief will make all the proper cuts for you. Other wise the molding will cover the doors and windows. In the attached pic, I added a trim band to the bottom of the house, and notice Chief cut the garage doors for me.

I'm not sure who is more confused, me or the OP. I suppose a wrist watch and a pencil would be a good place to start if Chief is $$$ (?)

Chief has a time tracker included. You need to pay attention to turning it off when needed, or ensure the settings are to your standards. I use it for my hourly billing project....though I don't bill hourly that often...but when I do, I just use the time tracker and export as needed.

Chief will do it for you. Just make sure you have the rafters set to 9.25" and the eave fascia/sub fascia set to 5.5" and Chief will take care of the rest.

To answer the question. Use 2 different stair sections connected by a "Landing" that is really just another tread. It's not a workaround....it's how the stairs would be built in the field.

You can relink. Click on one of the blank areas where the PDF is suppose to be. There should be a remnant of it there for you to open and re-link, or click the re-link tool in the toolbar.

Half of the posts have been the usual rabble about posting the plan. I, however, along with Larry at least gave him a starting point. If there is no plan attached, move on so as to not become so offended.

At the risk of being ostracized from the community for not giving a rats a$# if you post the plan or not...I can tell you FROM EXPERIENCE that your walls are not connected somewhere. Or you have for some reason chosen a wall type that is checked for no room definition. Do a little searching around the the first floor and you will find the offending wall corner that is causing the issue, or perhaps you added a wrap around porch and the exterior walls have become reversed. Not sure why these things happen, but they do.