johnny

Does anyone know if its possible to export Chief files WITH all the texture and reflection maps??? Using PBR would be incredibly useful if there was a way to export the work into a rendering app that continued the process.

I once heard someone from Chief describe their terrain modeling like working with cellophane. Then I went to the kitchen and tried to make a terrain model with cellophane - and realized.....he's right, Chief's terrain models are just like that. ...followed by the thought - why would someone make a terrain modeling process similar to working with cellophane?

It looks like you will need to draw in that "gable end" manually. That would be a attic wall and then have the roof cut the wall at bottom (option under roof tab in walls Dbx). You'd then extend the hip roof so its under the new gable end wall - that operation will cut the wall bottom.

Yep that is it!

Also, something else that is actually a factor in my current project. I can't set an allowed angle to the angle I actually need. Chief is limiting the angle to 1/2 deg - but it so happens I have a project that is using a very particular angle based upon a property line, but the number isn't supported by Chief.

It rotates the view, but doesn't let you use right angles to the relative rotation. Everything still draws the same regardless of how you rotate the plan.

Thanks everyone! I've incorporated many of these things to keep working on the project in Chief. Micheal actually gave me a personalize lesson on the best practices (which you guys state here too). I will say, when you rotate a plan it would be very helpful if somehow you could ask Chief to view the plan rotation as the new basis for 0-90 deg. I feel doing that would really make this process very easy.

Is there some trick to drawing in Chief with odd angles. What I am finding is that even if you have exterior walls drawn in an odd-angle nothing else draws itself in relation to the off angle item - in terms of parallel or 90 degree. You basically need to re-set the angle of each element draw in the off angle. If you look at my sketch below, this is the project I am having issue with. I set the red line to 90 deg in Chief so the main section is all right angles. However, the blue like section of the home is an odd degree to the main body (to hug the property line). Drawing/modeling the exterior was fine, but what I am finding is that everything subsequent is beyond a PITA in that nothing is drawing itself relative to walls in that section of the home. Is there a way to make walls and subsequent items snap to 45/90 degrees from the parent item (exterior walls)?

I forgot all about that suggestion... its the simplest thing to implement. Just a checkbox or something on "retain aspect ratio" and let the computer do the work.

But if you have say a site plan that has no clear 90 degree X/Y there is no way to keep the scale contained so its pure madness. Honestly, Chief would only need a little checkbox in that Dbx to say "Keep resize contained" and it would work fine.

Thanks - to clarify so when you say "scale a known distance" that would be taking a measurement of the base scale and doing the math on the % difference for a scale factor? I assume there isn't an easier way. In Vectorworks we have a similar tool to the point-to-point resize with the option to keep the aspect ratio the same. Therefore, when we bring any object like PDF into the drawing we simply point-to-point and type the new dimension. I guess I was thinking somehow point-to-point inside Chief could be constrained. This other method you mention works though.

I would love someone from the forums or Chief Architect explain to me how you can accurately scale a PDF using an associative length contained in a drawing. Point to point resize would work fine if the aspect ratio stayed the same - but it doesn't. Thanks for the help.

I have VW 19 and have to agree, its a buggy release. VW 18 had an initial bug that you couldn't copy anything - but they fixed within a couple days. The good news is that VW seems to fix their releases pretty quick - but it is annoying. Chief is fairly stable in comparison, but I think that has to do with how good a job Chief does with its Beta releases.

Good work there Andy. Though I have to point out the key to having great tools like in Vectorworks is how fast it is to make adjustments or changes thereafter. I agree it might not be bad in Chief just to draw this out one time with no changes - but we all know changes are common even after you think you're past a certain phase of the drawing.

Amen. ...and I would gladly pay Chief for plug-ins on extra toolsets.

There are so many reasons why you don't want to have a single plan file with all homes contained therein. I also don't see any efficiency gains by that approach. Meaning, since you have to update all 3 plans within the file (different elevations), then how does this save any time over independent plan files but 1 Layout file? There is actually a huge benefit by having different plan files. If there is a change to the plan that needs to be updated across the other 3 elevation versions, you can simply copy/paste into place the changes. If they were in the same plan file that wouldn't work. I do this type of work all the time, and its actually fairly efficient keeping separate plan files and 1 Layout file.

Not to put too fine of point on it, but I dont think the way that drawing shows the framing of the column is the way someone would build it. If you really are going to build it onsite and have it contain that inset panel, its best to incorporate it into the structure of the column - like below. You can also buy pre-made fiberglass versions.

Thanks - yes, the trees and plants are from Lumion. Thanks! Lumion is really improving with each release and getting better all the time. Lumion is using both CPU and Graphics card, but I don't know the ratio to give you on importance. My guess is graphics card.

Tract homes for a builder. Designed in Chief - rendered in Lumion.

I hate to be the anti-Chief guy - but Chief is terribly inefficient at this type of work. In other apps you have instancing of units and basically anything you want - which is key for multi-unit buildings. I would not use Chief for this if I was you. Look at Vectorworks or Allplan.

For some reason in the Core Library under "roofing" I no longer see metal roof options. I just reinstalled the Core Library manually and its still not there. I did a search and still cannot find the options in materials for metal roofing. Has there been a change?

Yep - that is the best way for now.

Yep, I often place my texture materials in a small box to the side to show the material more specifically and call it out - I posted a quick example. Thinking through this I found I could use a polysolid but then its a 3rd element in the model, and I need to then trace over with a box to get the perimeter line to show. If you stop to think about it, why can't a 2d box have a texture fill?? I can do it in any other CAD/BIM app i use. powder.pdf

Is it true a poly, box, circle, or other 2d item can't contain a texture fill? What is the point of that limitation?

Chief doesnt have a way to set a ceiling height based upon the depth of a beam. Solver’s suggestion is prob the way to control that ceiling. You may not be looking for design input, but with such a large ridge beam you might be better off embracing the visual and not look to conceal it.