robdyck

When you edit an SVP, you need to be able to save it. That behavior is automatic if you edit if from the Project Browser. If you edit the view using the 'Edit Active View' tool, then you'll need to follow up by clicking on the 'Save Active View' tool.

@TCB_BdnMY I have a fairly robust collection of construction assemblies with the RSI and R value calculations and that would be included.

Hi Jennifer! You probably just need to rotate your symbol. From the Library Browser, find the door and select Open Object. Go to the 3D tab, and rotate the symbol once in the Z axis. Press OK Then, in any view, simply use the replace object tool.

Thanks for the feedback! Generally speaking, you've mentioned some of the items I would be addressing...although materials lists were low on my priority list at this point. That being said, my template plan would certainly have many built-in material list corrections when compared to Chief's template plans! Window calculation tools would be included and ready for use and the same is true for site plans!

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all having a busy and productive week! I’m looking to get some friendly feedback from the Canadian users in the community regarding our daily workflows. Chief Architect is an incredibly powerful tool right out of the box, but as Canadian designers and builders, we all know it takes a fair amount of setup to fully align it with our local building codes, regional drafting standards, and client presentation expectations. Over the years, I’ve poured a lot of time into optimizing a master template plan designed specifically to streamline a Canadian workflow. The goal wasn't to change how Chief works, but to leverage its core strengths so everything feels intuitive, fast, and completely straightforward from day one. I’ve focused heavily on elevating the default graphic interfaces to deliver a highly polished, presentation-ready look out of the box, including: Refined Graphic Standards: Tailored text styles, clear dimension defaults, and organized layer sets that instantly look crisp and professional on local construction sets. Enhanced 3D & Rendering Defaults: Dialed-in environmental and camera settings so you can jump straight into high-quality client presentations without extra setup time. Streamlined Project Defaults: Cleaned-up defaults for a predictable, efficient out-of-the-box building experience that lets you focus on design rather than tweaking settings. I’m considering packaging and offering this template plan for sale to help other Canadian professionals save dozens of hours of backend configuration and get straight to creating. Before I finalize everything, I’d love to know your thoughts: Would a localized, pre-configured Canadian template add value to your current business workflow? What regional details do you find yourself spending the most time setting up when starting a new project? I really value the expertise in this forum and would love to hear if this is something you’d find helpful. Thanks so much for your time and insights!

SHOWERS.calibz

I've done something slightly different. I've separated the various components so that I have a choice of shower doors and faucets and I place them as an architectural block. You can go a bit further and add a tile trim around the shower, useful if you'll be showing interior views. By doing this, you can easily adjust the shower and have the label auto-update the size by using the width and depth macro. And, by adjusting the bounding box to negative 0.5 on the left, right and back, it becomes simpler to place the shower against the framing. Rather than change shower sizes in the plan, I've done this in advance and have what I need in my library. I find it faster to find and replace a symbol than adjust the one in place. Now, I know that wasn't macro help, but hopefully it's still useful.

I took a stab at it as well. A library symbol is attached, all you need to do is create an arched door way and place this symbol in your plan. For anyone wondering...NOT made with cabinet tools! PANELED ARCH.calibz

Good question Jason. For my own plans, I don't label the assembly calculations on those details. Instead, I use an assembly schedule (with all the effective thermal resistance calculations) and I 'tag' the various assemblies in section views.

I wouldn't hold my breath for that kind of feature and even if they did provide it, I wouldn't expect the flexibility needed or the control of appearance. I've been using 3d details for about 15 years with full control of what I model. I use Chief's tools to my advantage and I don't need to fight any settings to accomplish what I want. Because of that, creating new details and adjusting existing details is very quick and very stable. I have no reason to think that Chief will develop a 3d detail tool that automates the inclusion of components of flashing, tape, membranes, rebar, bolts, and other structural hardware. Because I have created so many of them, I know what goes into making them look right and knowing the level of difficulty involved, I have absolutely no expectation of Chief developing any sort of tool that replaces what I currently do.

I have often wished for this capability but it does not exist. All newly created section or elevation views will inherit the drawing sheet that is active in plan view. So, let's say you want to create all your interior wall elevations at 1/2" scale and you'd like the drawing sheet set properly. In plan view, change the drawing sheet size and scale to suit your preferred elevation views. Create all your interior elevation views. Now, you can change the plan view drawing sheet back to what is intended for the majority of your plan views. For all existing elevation or section views, the drawing sheet must be changed manually as needed. This is a bit of a nuisance if you frequently use multiple sheet sizes like I do. My default is Arch D sheets (36"x24") but I have several customers that require Tabloid (17"x11") so I often need to change the drawing sheet for all the existing elevation cameras, one at a time. It's an annoying waste of time.

For these types of views, you will need to pick your poison. Chief has all the tools...you can create molding polylines from a cabinet, and you can make custom countertops. BUT, that overrides a lot of function / feature just for line weight control. My own suggestion would be to find a balance of line weight display that works for you but doesn't 'fight' Chief...which sooner or later becomes a losing battle. I'm familiar with the sample you referenced but...and this is a big but...that's a different software AND definitely a different pay scale! Chief can do a great job of telling the story while working within it's natural boundaries.

https://3d-viewer.chiefarchitect.com/go?share=023704475132725

Not new! It's tricky to remember to go looking for those new features to implement into an existing template.

Yes, this can be done by using several preset Room Schedules that include / exclude your rooms based on the room type. One of the starting points to this is a very thorough predefined list of rooms as well as a disciplined method of adding new rooms when needed. The next step is customizing each schedule based on the included rooms. It can also help to learn some of the more creative methods of schedule manipulation...outside of the box thinking that Chief doesn't address in the help file.