johnny

Yeah, good stuff Larry. Can you ruby script that selection process you did Larry? It would be nice to have some custom selections as a button of per-determined criteria.

Thank you sir.....so you know I was being silly in that message which is why I used the tongue sticking out emoticon. +1 to you too!

I realize there may have been another answer about letting him keep his drywall exterior, but the simple fact is he does need exterior walls - - I wasn't thinking of a way to let him keep his drywall exterior surface and have the joist level fill in with wall material.....i guess unless he was building this garage structure inside another larger building....hummmm....

Actually - you've framed the house using walls with Sheetrock each side. You need to change those walls to exterior walls, and I personally wouldn't try to make the driveway apron a "room".

That is the future Joist area...and you have your siding layer off.

OK, so how about this. If you are trying to do this (below) you will need something like Maya, Modo, or Vectorworks: If you are trying to do this (below) then CA is best bet - in fact, even if you are creating your own furniture, then you can later bring to CA for staging. FYI this is an older video, CA is much better today even.

I can tell you for interior design there is nothing i've seen that can match CA's ease of use - and yes, you can add anything you want. CA even supports most types of file imports, so you can bring a 3d object into the app and very easily setup your custom directories for your own library. You can be very precise...so dont worry about that. CA isn't good for "designing" furniture though. If you import a furniture piece that has the fabric as a separate layer you can change those sections, but there won't be a way to map new fabric onto furniture. Even with this you may need each section of the furniture fabric to be different so you can correctly map the direction. Then again, if you are going to be designing and editing fabrics you will need a full blown 3D molding application. However, you should still use CA for your arrangements and final staging and then use Sketchup or some other app for your furniture design etc. If you are going to be doing much outside the home, I would just get the Premier version. You can save a little money on the interior version, but I think you'd be best off with not having any restrictions.

Can you please explain "locked".....I feel knowing that may help me a lot. thanks

I've run into a layerset I can't delete - does anyone know why that is?

I can give you this file if you want...but am just getting into CDs.

Sherry - I would try what Joe is saying about the CAD Details....they are actually perfect for my use. In fact, i was going to combine Perry's suggestion with Joe's.

Scratch part of that upper comment - I guess I can save a template file with these CAD Details and they end up with the new plan file.

Thanks Guys! - actually this CAD Detail option is a really good feature for me to use my "arch notes" in since I often change them per-project slightly. Wendy's method of having a central file that doesn't change won't work for my needs, but I can see where that would work for many. So if I understand Joe there isn't a direct way to copy the group of CAD Details from one plan file to the other, but I can combine into Layout file.

I'm very confused over something related to CAD details. It appears that a CA project file has its own CAD details and the layout file that goes with the main file has another set. Can someone help me understand why and when you would use one over the other and vice versa? - Also, am I limited to bringing a Cad detail located in my main project file only into a Layout file? - Is there a good reason why we can't bring a Cad detail into a main project file and display the same way we would in Layout (like a blocked item)? -Lastly, is the "save-as" method the only method someone can use to transfer CAD details to new project files in an easy step? (without copying individually) Again, thanks in advance.

I was just futzing around but I think this is actually a clean solution. Obviously you would need to get your settings correct - my example is just conceptualizing the process. So again this is using a ramp for the outside stringers and then set a custom rail however you want. What I will note about the ramp option is that you can actually very effectively set the "base" and "bottom" heights which give you control over how the edge at the first tread works....pretty cool actually. Bill's option looks like it would work too, but the ramp option almost lets you size the stringer like a solid piece of material.

OK, I have a better solution for you after thinking about it. 1. Create your curved stair as you would any other stair - expect with no handrails and open under. 2. Create a "ramp" the size of the stringers you want and set your rail style, and again "open" under. Set each "ramp" flanking your stairs in the middle and it worked great. I still would suggest drawing some guide lines to establish your diameters etc. as this will make input faster IMO. (ADDED - i just noticed Glenns comment above being the same - I had my window open)

You should star by drawing a 2d plan view you want for the stairs, and then use that as guidelines and as a sketch of what you are trying to do.

Architectural notes for me appear on each major drawing sheet. I've attached an example of a foundation plan with these types of notes - however, this was done in CA and I wasn't familiar with the text formatting properties. I use architectural notes for most typical call-outs that I want more narrative. I've found this approach to bringing less errors and less plan clutter. This is different from structural notes, or combining structural/general notes.

That was a very cool tip Perry!

Would anyone mind sharing where they place architectural notes? In plans I've done in CA, I've had specific layersets that were activated by the Annosets, which then had an activation of the specific text layer for each architectural "sheet" I had in a file. I would actually have Annosets named "A-1 Floor Plan" etc. Watching Wendy's videos it would appear she doesn't do it that way, so I am curious how others get that done.

Thanks bud.... you know i'd love to know 1/2 the stuff you know about CA. (PS - another clarify for people who didn't understand what I said, in some of your Annoset/Layerset/MRLS vids you talking about how confusing it was, and my point is that you provide a testimony of the confusion in a Scott Hall version of you 3-4 years ago....which is why I said "intermediate" user.)

No way I am intermediate....try hanging on from pure noob to beginner.

I guess I have clarify. Scott at the time was an intermediate user (wasn't that like 3-4 years ago?)...today he is a pro. Those videos helped me a lot, and I am sure Scott knows how thankful I am on his time and efforts - - and this isn't to say his method wasn't effective since his stumbling through things is more matched to my stumbling through things in CA, so its MUCH more informative than a typical tutorial. My only point was that there wasn't fluid tutorial since the process is semi-complex. Again, id rather have it be "real" than making something look easy that really isnt.

I believe the Anno-set concept was a good solution to the existing framework CA had in place, but I can tell you that other apps which deal with the same problems have a lot easier system to understand and control. If anyone wants me to provide a quick vid on how VW deals with the same issues, please let me know. I can tell you I never had an issue learning that system, but the CA system is very difficult to track sometimes....but admit that Wendy's recent vid helped a lot. Scott, I love your presentation style, but if anyone wants to watch the anno-set series he did on Anno-sets/layerselts/MRLS located at ChiefTutor.com, it will give you a good testimony to an intermediate user's view of this process.

You mean this doesn't say that?: I still find this odd and would prefer each 'view' to remember the annotation set. For example; I'm working on framing in plan view, but have multiple sections open so I can transfer beam and post sizing and notes to the sections. Going back and forth between the views means I have to toggle the annoy set each time because my sections are at 3/8" and plans are at 1/4" scale. I would prefer to have the annotation set be remembered with the view. I understand that plan view isn't static and can change for foundation, framing, plan views, etc, (although it would be helpful to have the foundation also remember it's annotation set).