johnny

golly-gees I guess you are right. I never thought about opening 2 apps.

Yeah Im with Michael - I can't get 2 layout files to open.

I get a TON of crashes when I start messing around with faces. Anyone else?

Check this out - https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/search.html?q=balcony&backendClass=entity You'll get close but I doubt you will find the exact one you want - you may need to model part of it yourself.

Thanks guys - great video. So if you go to a "solid" it basically becomes a 1-way dead end street? You can no longer edit the shape other than scale and "Boolean"? I could swear there was a video showing a basic push/pull in action inside Chief....maybe I am wrong through.

We have the option of converting slabs, poly-solids, etc into something called a "solid" which then brings up a "3d shape specification" dbx that has very limited edit-ability. In fact, you lose almost all edit ability you had on a slab/poly solid etc converting to this "solid" - I wonder why its even an option. What is a "solid"...and why would you want to convert to this more limited shape type?

This was very helpful - thank you again Wendy. Is there a way to have your CD 1/4" have all of the existing dimensions and text become 1/8" values? Say you have 1/4" drawings but you want to have the same drawings print at 1/8" or some other scale...

For residential (traditional styles) modeling, I agree CA is much faster. However, you really dont get stuck in Vectorworks on odd issues since you can always revert to simple modeling - and CD creation is better inside Vectorworks (true BIM custom schedules/notes). I find CA terrible at basic shape modeling for reasons that ought not to be - but its other tools (roofs, cabinets, etc) are really powerful. If someone's business is residential architecture CA is tough to match at the present time.

I found one in 3DWarehouse - its basic though. https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=f3bd3aaee70021f13b9f5fd1ade63890

A while back I did a custom eyebrow dormer after watching this video in Vectorworks, and was actually amazed how fast it was inside CA. As Glenn says if you go the auto-dormer route that can be fast too.

I agree 100%. Id like to see it be an added tool, not in place of simple windows. So something like "complex windows/doors" tool. Having this tool inside CA would be massive improvement for light commercial projects.

Programs like Vectorworks and Archicad may have incredible BIM schedules and features, and my office is 80% Vectorworks still (2D primary). However, those other apps can be a lot more modeling/time intensive on otherwise simple things in CA. Here is another architect who posted a good video on building an eyebrow window inside Vectorworks. Most will watch this and think "good lord I am glad this can be done in CA much faster", and that is why I think we are all trying to make CA work for us. Now, the problem with CA can be you get to the general goal faster but if you run into a glitch or problem all the time savings is out the window. Thats where I hope knowing this app on the Glenn W. level could be MUCH MUCH better.

One aspect of Chief I think we sometimes forget is that everything they do in Premier is dumbed-down to make their DIY products. None of us really know how much that market effects the "pro" version of CA, but the problem with Chief is they have somewhat opposing views from their clients as to what's important. How important is sophisticated modeling and scheduling to a DIY user? I really think Chief has a lot of potential, but I often think that other apps designed only for professionals may end up moving so far past Chief in key areas perhaps I am wasting my time on a product that is attached to DIY niche market. This also explains why the eye candy aspect has been so important.

Thanks for help on the first 2. Odd, I never set the rafter depth differently. Thanks for that catch though, as I kept thinking it was a connection issue and couldn't find it. Got me to the point of at least getting what I needed out tonight - I just didn't show the other side in any of my presentation pics (its just preliminary work).

So im working on a project where I am designing exterior concepts - however, for some reason I am running into glitches (surface) I can't fix or explain. I've tried to rebuild walls and roofs, check my "connections" and everything I typically do to find problems and these issues remain. Thought I would see if any experts out there could explain some of these. Thanks! Lot 12b.plan

All you have to do is: 1. Customize the label per door. 2. Delete the schedule category "size" 3. Change the schedule title of label to "size".

I dont get it - why not then just edit the label and use that column to describe the door? Maybe I am missing something.

Amen....can I get a hallelujah? Its little things like watching a CA demonstration of what was supposed to be making a CD ready drawing and the lady makes something that not only wouldn't qualify as CD ready but actually is completely messed up. I shook my head when I saw that the other day and realized that is 1/2 the problem - CA does such an awesome job at the eye candy stuff the CD process hasn't improved much.

I have to say, I hear what people are saying about using straight text for keynotes, but i've made so many errors when you go change or add notes - going back and re-sequencing them. That is a true hassle as well. x8 was a great release, but its somewhat inexcusable (i say that joking-semi-serious) we didn't get 1 or 2 general notes schedule ability. I can see that giving us 100% custom schedules may take some time, but giving us copies of existing notes for general purposes would be very easy - again, Michael is showing it can be done now with some effort. What we REALLY need in the future is the ability to set an object or poly label to a call out - and have a note/label that gets reported to the schedule. That would be cool.

So working with cabinet tools now - i have to say here is where Chief really shines - and I was wanting to place a "filler" cabinet. Searching on the forums I found an old thread that said making a cabinet section was the best way to do that. Its from a much older version of CA, but is that still the method?

So if I draw a series of interior dimensions, and then want to align them along the same line (if I didn't pull them across that way to start obviously) I can only "eyeball" the alignment - they dont snap. However, when I draw a completely manual dimension, they do seem to have snap points to align more easily. Tomorrow I will try a video to explain better.

I can't quite get a handle on dimensions inside CA. Manual dimensions seem to be able to snap sometimes, but when I draw interior dimensions those dont seem to have snap ability to align. I've looked for a setting but dont see one.

Unless I am misunderstanding what you wanted, there shouldn't be any way that you can create an as-built 3D model on one floor and your proposed 3D changes on another - that just wont work. Unless you just wanted 2D work...

I have to agree. Its one thing if we are talking about something the App doesn't do and we can find a way around it, but its another thing if the App clearly can handled something and there isn't any good reason the workaround is required. Michael demonstrates well that Chief has all the note/schedule abilities it needs - but someone at Chief just needs to give us the ability to make user defined notes without any work-around.

As Alaska said PDF - but keep in mind you should probably print to PDF from Layout if you didn't fully realize that.