johnny

Can you explain this a bit?...im not sure what you mean. Thanks!

I should have clarified this is in Watercolor view mode - which happens to be the only mode I can get the visual i'm looking for like this. So perhaps this is a bug to that style....since I see the "standard" style works as you'd expect.

So in the current release I notice that when I set my elevation camera to show opaque windows its not working for windows inside a porch area. Anyone else getting this?

Fun to see all those designs... what is a shame is how that last decades since have been dominated with such crap design everywhere.

I'm not sure the going rate, but it would probably take 6-8hrs (just a guess) and if you are an engineer Id say $125 an hr is reasonable.

I'm not sure the going rate, but it would probably take 6-8hrs (just a guess) and if you are an engineer Id say $125 an hr is reasonable. OK, well from a practical position on creating this I would use a point marker and use "test boring" with the number next to it. Then, i would duplicate in both X/Y position by the distance you want to make a data-grid. Here is an example.

Looks great!

Not to impede on your design, but something that stands out is the fact your actual modeled hood is elongated in a way that you could actually design around the issue in Chief - and in my opinion - end up with a more practical solution to your condition. What I mean is in your picture example there is a short straight segment before the hood shape transitions to a large flare (where you want to place the shadow molding). In your actual model the flare is much shorter, therefore you could just place the shadow molding on the flat area and not have the modeling problem. You should add the bead molding like your picture example to accentuate the transition and divide the flat area from the flare area. Just a suggestion... Here is an example.

Im not sure you can do this in Chief cleanly. Someone may show you a way to take roof planes and use the gutters for the modeling (im just being silly) but I dont think there is a way to get that molding line to "drape" onto the surface of the hood. You could do this in Sketchup and then export the symbol....

Chief doesn't auto-make photometric plans, so this is going to be a challenge. Not to be rude, but if you have to ask how much to charge for a photometric plan, i am curious if you know how to create a photometric plan. Its not a knock on you, as I couldn't create one alone without a great amount of study and research. I would have to hire a lighting engineer to provide this on a project, which is what I would do if I was you. ...unless we are talking different things. HowtoReadphotometrics(1).pdf

Thanks guys. I guess manual text is the solution. I am curious if anyone knows what "controls" the behavior?...is there a rule of thumb? Notice the 48' text is about where I want....so what made it show up there and not closer to where the other automated text is....?

Something that helped me with Chief and roofs with the auto-features is realizing the connections of all objects (walls/other roof planes) needs to be PERFECT. I can't stress PERFECT enough. Having an issue 99.99999% of the time means something isn't connecting where it needs to.

Is there any way to control the topo label location? What determines their location? Below is an example where i have 2 sites next to each other and want to show a larger terrain perimeter for a specific reason, but then my topo labels aren't near the actual PL.

I dont think it would work the way you think it should. However, the surface studio is almost designed for architects/designers.

What Yusuf did was great for Chief - but the differences with Vectorworks go far deeper. Full control over things like Hardscapes which make these types of drawings precise and realistic. In Chief you'd basically have to manually place each paver/stone in location after custom making the shape.

I agree with this. Completing tasks in Vectorworks is more straightforward and an extension of a designer/architect. Chief is like learning to dance with a partner, and feels like you are working through someone with their own mindset. In Vectorworks you just do it, in Chief you ask it to be done (nicely). That said, there isn't anything on the market so suited for residential so here we all are.

Not trying to sound like a total jerk, but there is far too many issues with the plan to try and save it with adjustments IMO.

I agree - gradient fills are needed along with a couple other small things. All that said, i've been able to get some drawings from Chief I am very happy with.

Thanks guys...being able to save the terrain to library makes my main problem go away.

I personally look at that plan set as not a lot of specific detail but more thorough pictorial examples of what they want to accomplish. What I find very interesting is their cross sections which have a lot of the same non-sense I get when I do mine....but they just leave all those extra (error) lines showing.

Can I really not copy a terrain from one plan file to a next? Also, can I not even copy and paste within the same plan file to a different floor? ...if thats the case I am flabbergasted on so many levels. I'm hoping I am wrong.

I agree, that is a great tool. There are about 10 simple 2D tools which i think Chief could add very easily that would allow us to finish plans with a little more polish and help with concept work.

Thanks...this will help when i am done with my concept but what I was also hoping for is some way to get the automatic features in Chief to shut down partially so that during reworks I dont run into all the "clashes" that come from Chief trying to reconnect on the fly.

The type of work I do requires me to often rework a plan previously modeled - sometimes adjustments, but other times substantial changes. When I start making massive modifications to a plan file in Chief, I run into countless issues of wall connections, room definitions, attic walls etc etc. I'm not suggesting Chief should be able to auto-fix all this, but I would like a way to turn off all the automation while I "paint broad strokes" on my plan rework so all these connection issues don't keep arising and fumbling me up on the workflow. Once I got things generally the way I wanted, id then come back and fix the connections. Is that possible?

Vectorworks is very unique in mixing illustration graphics with BIM. Can you create something your client would like in Chief - yes. Can you create as nice of drawings in Chief as you can Vectorworks....nope. If you mixed a lot of Photoshop editing with Chief you could bridge the gap. Here are a couple drawings I've done in VW. You can really get a hand-drawn look digitally i've not been able to get with other apps.