johnny

You guys should keep in mind that Dropbox simply sync's the files to your local drive. In the background it is just creating a copy on their server, which then allows other computers to sync with the updated files. Its basically an expanded version of Microsoft's old "briefcase". So you aren't working "on" Dropbox and so its just a set of local files like anything else....so it should work perfectly fine. There are some settings where you can change this, but I bet 99% of people who use dropbox keep the settings default.

I believe you simply change your default layout files text - same way as plan file essentially.

I've had these small anomalies as well, and 90% of the time they go away with some wall adjustment back and forth.

You need a cloud server that also stores a copy of the files on your local drive - more of a sync service. My office setup Sharepoint and it was a real hassle until we started using the corresponding Onedrive module since Chief's Layout files need to access "plan" files freely. Most other modern apps I use allow linking of file data through the web, but Chief doesn't do this at all....it must be local. You should be able to use just the "plan" files though.

Scott - thanks for the info...i downloaded MS Expression and LOVE it. This is going to help me a lot with all sorts of things.

Thanks Michael - I bought that macro and a couple others I was going to get from you. Sent you paypal...

Is there any way to have the display type vary from CAD objects? If I wanted the terrain to show a certain dimension type can I then have a "box" show another way?...or is it one or other for entire plan?

Not possible to block those items...chief doesn't allow blocks of walls and other things.

If the OP's issue is a "screened deck" then using the "deck railing" tool for the perimeter would be the most practical, and then the terrain won't cut under the "room".

I have to say, i've gone down the path of trying to import complex topo's into Chief and each time I think time better served just drawing Chief's elevation splines over top. You'd have a more more efficient and manageable topo if you just recreated the lines IMO.

I took the OP's question as wanting to combine multiple lines at once....like many other apps do. Doesn't the tool you show only combine 2 lines at a time?

I dont think there is a tool or command that connects touching line segments in Chief. You can click each line end-node and move it slightly for a "snap-join" operation, and do that for each instance..... but that is about it as far as I know. In your situation, I just import the file and set the lines to a layer (background) to then "sketch" over with Chief's terrain tools. Chief's terrains are tricky enough on their own without trying more complicated imports.

I think the OP has found an area where Chief is broken. I've used multiple settings with virtually no change in what gets exported. This can't be working correctly so should be reported as bug based on my tests that confirm what the OP is experiencing.

Very clever Yusuf...

Anyone else find interesting that 2 of the 3 stair examples used aren't to code. That says a lot to me about a company trying to make a pretty picture and flashing marketing over nuts and bolts of getting it to work correctly.

Yep that worked - thx.

Is there a way to override Chief in sizing a door? I have a closet where casing will be on the outside and fit fine, but on the interior casing won't fit. However, Chief is keeping me from sizing the door the way I want, since its constraining to the inside casing width. I really hope I can override this somehow. Thanks!

Correct. In Chief there is nothing "on" layers (like other apps) so the terrain modifiers can't be controlled to effect a certain terrain no matter the layer setting...they are only visual settings for an object that is contained on a particular "floor".

exactly - nothing wrong with that.

That is an older version of Archicad - but watching this video I wish this is how Chief worked. Yes, I realize this is a add-on.

Very cool. Id like to do something like this for all my standard details as well.

I agree. I'm on the Chief band-wagon for now, but I dont hold a lot of hope Chief is going to keep up with industry leaders. If you really examine how fast everyone else is moving its not looking great for Chief which still has such an archaic feel to certain tools and VERY clumsy and cluttered IU. Its driving be crazy to enter a Dbx for every modification. Archicad, Revit, AllPlan, and Vectorworks seem to have 2-3x the feature upgrades year over year that Chief has and are much more impressive in scope. Chief still has some residential specific tools that make it appealing for me, and am resolved to stick it out until X10. I ended up getting 4 new licenses this year so am committed for the moment.

I believe one of the principle points Larry is making is no one here was thinking this is a complete X9 preview, so the comments are based upon simply the choice of presenting fairly insignificant features first. Its a minor discussion point, not an absolute condemnation of Chief. However, I realize there are other comments based upon frustration and I can't say those aren't warranted either. I myself have a love-hate-love relationship with CA. They seem to do just enough to keep me here but those scales have to be analyzed yearly.

Not to be a sour-puss, but sort of an underwhelming video. I know they are going to release more vids, but if this was my first and only insight into X9 I would have been slightly disappointed. If I was Chief I would have started with the best X9 features first and then work the other way in subsequent presentations.

Nice job Renerabbitt! The fact you did that in Chief makes it even more impressive. However, since the subject is proficiency in Chief, and I have modeled items like this before in Sketchup and Vectorworks - I think it could be done in about 1hr with an app more suited to shape modeling. Sketchup and Vectorworks can create duplicated connected sub-components in those other apps would make the process much, much faster. To start you'd rough out the shapes making those components and then come back and refine each piece - but the app would then change all child version within the model. Also, I could scan the 2d drawings by the manufacture and place them in the X/Y coordinates for fast reference and model through the 2D drawings. If this was of interest to prove my point on efficiency, I would be willing to do a video of a recreate in Sketchup or Vectorworks. I could do a time-laps set at like a 10:1 interval or something. However, me saying this should take nothing away from Renerabbitt's work here. Its top notch. I just dont want to lose the message to Chief on how bad their shape tools are.