VHampton

This makes perfect sense. I have a unique system which is similar...As each Non-Architectural Plan becomes part of the set... I keep the page numbers associated with the layout numbers, but then we throw in the S1, S2, S3, or E1, E2, E3 alongside the sheet numbers. That way we can just say to the builder... look at page 30 for example, and there they find the structurals or electricals. The double template page is definitely quite organized, but the set gets all wonky (for me anyway). I got frustrated when I couldn't print ages 1 through 15 in the print dialogue box because this sheets were not in sync with the layout. By way of example, having three template pages made page one actually page three, It was just weird, and change can be hard to get used to when someone else has their own way to skin the cat. Keep it simple has been my method, and old dogs sometimes get set in their ways. Thank you for explaining though. I do see the benefit.

Thanks to you both for the quick replies. Solver, you are absolutely correct...the template page can be deleted once you find and destroy anything associated with it. I managed to kill off page two by locating some cad details tied into. ....Could not do this for the third template page unfortunately. The solution was to simply send it to the back of the set. Still don't understand why anyone would make more than one template sheet. It creates quite a mess unless I am missing something. Thanks again.

Thanks very much for having a look! The template pages can be opened via the dialogue box, but they won't delete. It's really strange. If you uncheck the tab for a page to revert back to a regular sheet, it won't budge. Wiill give this a try in the morning and let you know how it goes. ...why the darn page won't just vanish after checking the box in the screen capture has been a mystery. No wonder they call you the solver! Thanks very much.

Hello all, I had hired a fellow user to help with a set of Construction documents. A long story short, he created three template pages. I only want one. Page zero. This way all of the numbers in the set will correspond to the page numbers on the layout. This has been slightly frustrating, as the template pages can not be deleted. Is there a trick to this? The draftsman I hired said that he did not know how. Now I have to manually add the page numbers as the set grows. If you insert a new page, every number in the set bumps up to the next sheet. And back to the manual page numbering system. Thanks. - Val

There is no so thing as a dumb question. ...Most fellow user are more than happy to oblige. In fact, it's quite incredible to see the generous display of assistance which invariably arises when a new user needs to get a better grasp of something. Wendy... you may have added that one should be forewarned that posting an image or plan is encouraged to garner a response by some of the first responders. Just as the Grinch had a very good heart when all was said and done, so do the bridge trolls, even if they give you a good kick in the shin before sharing their wisdom. lol

You can use polyline solids for the pool walls, as well as the water. The attached may not be perfect, but it's pretty close.

You're almost there! Make a poly-solid for the siding... with a "hole" to allow the tilted window to show through. Do the same on the interior for the sheetrock. ...on a side note, I always do an edit and cut...then place the polylines up on the attic level where they don't mess up the floor plan.

This was not an upgrade issue it seems. It turns out that a far away object in the plan view can cause shadow glitches on the model. The only remedy is to search out whatever is off by its lonesome on the far reaches of the drawing.

Yes ...the good old days. Before the golden archive parachute was invented! After all these years, I still use the letter Z as the safety net. (No control plus another key.) There aren't too many words in our business with a z in them. ....just tap on it fifteen minutes or so. Old habits die hard!

A few weeks ago, I was having at least a crash an hour, thinking that it was the video card... The auto archives saved nothing!! Kind of scary. So I got in the habit of saving every five minutes with a hotkey. A long story short, I discovered that it was an "apphang" problem with Windows. Not sure if this is your situation Larry, but if it crashes again, have a look and see why. This screen shot is what I ran through to clear the problem, and knock on wood, it has not crashed since. On a side note, I wonder how many users have experienced crashes, only to find that the Auto Save is not archiving the file (after a crash).

You can always go to your auto archives, pull up an old copy and just delete half of the plan. This gives you a better sense to see how it behaves after being chopped in half. There could be a quirk in there that you may not realize. (CAD fill) has been known to bog down a plan. Be careful of using too much concrete or sand. Although this may not be your issue, it's a quirk which can be seen when exporting a CAD file, or when trying to open up a pdf. I recent drew a volleyball court, and gave it a tight fill style using granular sand. The pdf just spun endlessly as it tried to open the drawing. Try the surgical plan reduction method on an archived copy for a speed test. There very well could be an object that's causing an issue....

Thanks Perry. I thought pretty much the same thing. Updating every single viewport in real time, is probably asking way too much of the graphics card. This is a good solution, and I will definitely give it a shot. ...it's probably time to buy a new desktop anyway...

Not to get off subject... but I usually keep at least a dozen or more 3d camera views (in layout) set as always update... A long story short, Chief crashes, or should I say, locks up very often, and it never auto save the plan (only the layout) Never happened in X8 . It always happens after rapid fire changes or zooming in and out. ....Graphics card is up to date, and has plenty of memory.

Awesome Bill.... and Thank You!

Hi all, Have never used 3 x 12's and don't think that we ever will. .... I have been making my own CAD arrows and text for years, and thought that there has to be a better way to create a typical TJI designation. There must be a setting somewhere to adjust the default joist label, but I can't seem to locate. Thank you in advance!

I use live elevation on perspective views. It works great. ....meaning no noticeable slow down. Just a hunch, but maybe live elevations work much faster all depending on what kind of view was sent to the layout. Standard Camera (colors and textures) seem very fast, if not immediate. Line drawings or Vector View ...agreed, not fast. Maybe because the drawing process involves assembling a much greater number of lines and shapes.

I use this all the time Larry. It's a great feature, but as you pointed out, the process isn't exactly something that you want to sit around and watch. I usually hit the update tab, get up from the desk, and find something to do for half an hour.

Thanks Joe. Will do. I've wasted enough time trying to be my own exterminator. It's time to call in the experts.

I figured the same. It's strange because it only shows up in a layout view. Regular camera shadows are fine.

Has anyone seen this?

Thanks for the tip Chopsaw. Dermot's and Brian's posts gave some indication on how to attain the desired look. Am making minor tweaks to the settings, and am almost there. ...per the original post the "Edge smoothing while idle" option is what threw me. I saved a custom icon on the toolbar to make it easy to turn on and off. I personally like stronger shadows for Vector elevations, but do appreciate that the 3d standard views were immediately so good that it almost negates the need to Ray Trace. .....Change can be scary, but it's always invariably for the best. Thanks Dermot and Brian for the tips.

Appreciate this thread. The new camera options have been slightly confusing, and as per the original post...I too thought that the edge smoothing feature was a bug at first. I often do exported screen captures of both standard view and vector views, and the images looked more like an impressionist painting, rather than in X8 where the jpeg exports by default it seems, are clean and crisp. I think I may have solved this now by always keeping edge smoothing off?? And I toggled the hardware edge smoothing to the maximum. (This feature seems seems to have been invented for folks who might be using a low grade video card). Secondly.... I am still trying out how to get a better shadow option in the new release. Does ambient occlusion have anything to do with this? X8 may have had less of a photo-realistic view in pre Race Trace cameras, but the shadow lines seemed a tad sharper. The views seem to now have a much softer washed out tone Anyway...very pleased with the new release. The Living Area finally staying put seems to be the best fix yet. Just need some guidance on these new camera settings. Thank you.

Hey Robert, Thank you very much! This is awesome. Really appreciate your time in outlining the step by step on how to do this. The Bonus catalogues seem to be full of all sorts of amazing fixtures, and how this one object is still missing from the basic inventory is unusual. ...I bet it would take the programmers only a short while for them to add this to the library. Thanks again! Val

Hi All, I did some research in the symbol related area of the forum. Apparently Chief has yet to develop a square recessed light in the library, which is quite surprising given the huge popluarity in LED square lights these days. I could be wrong, but the threads made no reference on where to find one, only suggestions that you make your own. Anyway.... The attached plan shows 2 lights with data sources. A third (square symbol) is home made. I did my best to assign the correct "emissive" properties to it, the same way that the library content has, but it still won't emit any light. Just a soft glow. This isn't a huge deal, but I was hoping someone might have a quick answer on whether or not one can create a symbol which behaves like a light. Thanks in advance! Lighting Symbol Test Plan.zip

Thanks to both Ed and Brian, and Dermot. The download seems to have been the solution. That said, I undid the not recommended RayTrace implant from X8 into X9...by reinserting the proper X9 RayTrace folder. Then we downloaded the Virtual C install. It now works wonderfully. . Not having seen the full ability of the new X9 RayTrace process, until I finally had it working....I was mistaken. It streams noticeably better than all previous releases. At the end of the day, I greatly appreciate the resolve, and hope that anyone who runs into this issue will go with the Chief resolution and not my method. I am not a programmer and never plan on becoming one, even if I know my way around PCs. My time is better spent drawing houses! All the best, Val