johnny

We have a nice (Arch E) large format HP in our office I think we've used 2-3 times in the last year. I worry about the print head drying out from lack of use. Our staple has been an Epson wide format (17x22) 8 color(?) printer that does all our presentation work. I love it. We used to have a KIP CD set printer but decided to let clients pay for their own printing at Kinkos or other "blue-print" shop. Space and time-saver.

Is anyone using macro's to track CAD details and subsequent call-outs in layout? I've noticed that cross sections/elevations can actually input the layout sheet into their callouts - so I am curious if that can be done for CAD details?

Check under your defaults, dimensions, story pole you will see what you need.

Yep, thanks Glenn - and thanks for the skype on this issue. You're 100% right its a new feature.

Where do we report bugs we find?

I watched David's video, and he did the best he could with the information he had. However, the key is the large hip that needs to have a valley into the gable. You can do this with Chief, but your model needs to be further along before anyone can substantially help you. To me, it appears you have a "bastard" hip condition in that the side hip pitch is much greater than the "span" hip condition. The gable appears closer to the "span" pitch, which causes the separation that becomes another run and valley back into your gable. There is subtle complexity there which is going to be tricky, but can all be done with CA. The window in the hip will be an issue to work through, but you can do it.

I opened the file and started to try and help but you dont have enough modeled for anyone to truly help unless someone just makes up the data. Fundamentally I would break out the roofs into main sections and then correct/cleanup the file from there. Place the main body extreme hip in (which you dont have in that file yet, only 1 side - kinda) and then just connect the front gable as if it was a separate roof altogether. You will have roofs intersecting and crossing over each-other to start, but you can then use that info to clean up the file to the point the roof plans. If after doing that you still can't get it then post that file for the help you need. I just dont think you have enough info on what you have done to quickly help.

You will need to clean the entire area up and get rid of the broken walls. This might help - I didn't do the entire archway but you can see where this leads as you can turn off the casing etc. Basically you were trying to shape the walls into an arch, but if you use a doorway it will be clean and easy to control.

You need to check-out ceiling planes and id place a doorway with arch in the attic wall that matches the window arch.

u got it - ur good. Odd walls can change to that without manually setting them, but i know now - thanks.

I've run into this a few time now when I am working through a rough floor plan/elevation concept - where I somehow "break" the wall connections I can't get back - so the floor platform doesn't regenerate. Is there a way to re-connect the walls in a way that it makes the floor platform?...to force the platform re-build? I've attached the rough plan I am working on now - and its the 2nd floor you will see the perimeter walls are connected but I dont have the floor platform I need. Lot 12.plan

Yeah, this is a good video too for a more complex issue. However, the fact we have to go through these steps is a bit much for a simple move command. We should have snaps in all views of nearly all objects - since a user can turn it off on the fly if they want. Chief has snaps but they just need to make it available throughout the app. One step further, they should even have snaps for blocked items.

Ill try that - thanks.

Yes, i have but there aren't snaps on primitives either in elevation....not to mention I guess you can only draw a primitive in floor plan view. Right?

x8 rocks. There is a crash issue i've had very occasionally but i happen to know its related to video drivers. I know this since it was only after I updated video drivers did the issue become present. Just because Chief may crash doesn't mean it has anything to do with Chief. This happens with all programs, and 1/2 the time its related to other issues.

There is a good video on this in the Chief training section if you have SSA. Yes, you have full control over your dimensions and walls.

So I was going through the "framing" menu which has similar tools as under the specific roof framing section. Is it a bug then that you can't control the same info under the general framing Dbx? Yes, I got mine to work like Glenn did, but if you can't control it under the "general framing" section (see my video) Chief should probably just grey that out - so you know. Thanks Glenn - in some ways I am glad to know about that nuance. (edit - I really think this is a bug. The settings under the general framing Dbx should also work for this function since its the same info - right?)

OK, here is a basic roof file - I wasn't able to turn off the sub-fascia like I have in the past. I could swear that is how i've gotten it to work before. subf.plan

Actually he may be right. I swear this is how i've done it before and I just opened a new file and tried to turn off the sub-facia and it rebuilds and re-checks the box automatically. Its like the app isn't listening to the request.

lol...gotcha. but what if you are working on 3D objects you can't convert?

Its in the structure section of the roof plane tab.

Sorry to act completely noobish, but what is CDFV?

You can create a poly solid of any size, and place any picture on it by making that picture a new material with the "stretch to fit" option selected. Then, just place molding around that poly, save as a symbol. You can "paint" any new picture you want since it will replace the other picture material only - not the frame material. Basically, any material can be a picture with the stretch to fit command applied. Here is a good reading resource. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00007/creating-a-custom-picture-painting-or-sign.html

One thing that I keep running into is when I create say a poly sold in floor plan view, but switch to a side elevation view, I no longer have snap-able corners to pt-to-pt move with accuracy. It becomes a sloppy trial-and-error of zooming way in and trying to grab those lines over and over. Is there any way to solve that? I was going to make a suggestion that CA add snap functionality to all views, but I thought there must be some solution.

I think we need the tool you suggested Michael. CAD work can be the most time consuming element of the process (for me I find that to be the case) and its better to have quick, direct tools for the job. Id think of all tool types CAD 2d tools would be the simplest to implement inside CA. Joe's comment from the other thread makes a lot of sense in that CA was a 3d app 1st - 2D app second. Its made CA shine in residential 3d work, but it would be great to have strong basic tools as well - since we are in the 2D plan production business.