robdyck

2 quick tips for trees...this goes for pretty much every 3d tree in the Chief library. It's really unfortunate they were added this way...the whole library needs to be edited.

1. adjust the 3d smoothing angle to a much higher number. I like 99 for obvious reasons, its quick to enter and it's the greatest.
2. adjust the bark texture to a smaller size, reset the aspect ratio, check global symbol mapping.

The image below is of the same tree. The one on the right has the aforementioned edits. Chief should take note...I think this is a prime example of why people think they need a different software to do exterior renders.

@stevenyhof Steve, have you purchased plants from Xfrog, and if so, do you recommend that compared to the available 3d plants from Chief's library?

Between solids, slabs, symbols and 3d moldings, it's not as difficult as you might think...but it's still difficult. I know an individual who modeled this building in Chief (see  link below).

@dskogg Maybe he'll post a few images...it'll make us rethink what can be done in Chief! I helped work through the process of a few techniques, but he did it and the model turned out great.

https://www.rjc.ca/project-details/tudor-house-liquor-store.html

I find it best to establish a plan of action before you get to your computer and if I'm not mistaken these plans formulate while sleeping, right?

Needless to say you'd need to post the plan so that someone could inspect and troubleshoot and then offer a solution.

8 hours ago, Chief_Content said:

shadow trees - what a clever use

I'm not sure if you've read all of the earlier posts, but this technique could be utilized to create a full library of 'flat' plants using the plant images that already exist in the CA library!

With a bit of time and creativity, these 'flat' plants could hold all the plant information as well as an attractive CAD block making them suitable for plan view presentation as well!

Currently this is the perhaps the best way to make plant images look decent in physically based renders.

Yes that can be done in Chief. 

Section View Room Label Library Symbols Attached! 

There are 2 symbols, one for simple placement in section view and one for simple placement in plan view. Keep in mind, it's not a perfect world...in any section or elevation view, if the camera sees the object, the label will display!  Simply select the object in the library and click away in your active view for instant gratification!

The object is on the Material Region layer. The object label is on the Room Label layer. Edit settings to suit your needs.

TIPS: 

1. Place these room labels once your section views are determined. 
2. For the Wall Insert, place it in a section view. It will insert into a wall and will not be visible. Subsequently, It also might be a bit tough to select in that view! But this will be the fastest way possible to identify rooms in section view.
3. For the Room Insert, place it in plan view, either centered in a room or just in front of your section cut line.
4. In Plan View, the labels have been offset. You can very easily select the object by clicking on the label!!

RDBD-ROOM LABELS.calibz11.18 kB · 0 downloads

17 hours ago, westvale said:

How do I create the "transition board" you can see in the 1st image separating two different styles of siding.

It's important to keep in mind that a 3d solid used as a horizontal trim board will not display a wood grain texture with the correct orientation (if that matters to you). This is something that does matter to me. Also, I prefer to use real world trim board sizes and I am far too lazy to resize a 3d solid and paint it. 

So I created a library of molding profiles specifically for exterior trim. They all have a SmartTrim type of material already assigned to them in the library. And they all have simple names.

So, when I need to create one of these trims, I simply type in '1x6' in the library browser. My molding profile appears, I select it which activates the molding tools. In elevation view, select 3d molding line from the tool palette and draw the line. This will create the molding with the correct material. Keep in mind that a 3d molding will 'land' on what ever surface you draw the molding line on. And in plan view, the 3d molding will be on whichever floor level that was active in the elevation camera. 

For a simple elevation view, you might just use a simple trim board, but you can also use more complex and decorative moldings, or you can create stacked moldings, like a 1x6 trim board with metal drip moldings above / below the trim board and with separate materials.

It needs to be a 3d molding. Then, you can simply raise the start or the end right in the molding dialog. Alternatively, the molding line can be adjusted in section view. Make sure the section camera is positioned parallel to the molding in plan view.

6 hours ago, mthd97 said:

I’m not sure which version he was demonstrating but I think he said that “when you edit a wall height, the room definition changes and you can no longer auto rebuild the room” or something to that effect

Changing the top or the bottom of the wall has no effect on any Room Definition. Rather, Rooms control the default top and bottom of walls...so you just need to keep in mind that when you manually change the top or bottom of a wall, that editing action will now prevent a wall from rebuilding correctly if/when a room height or floor height is changed. 

By 'height' I am of course referring to the vertical distance between a floor and ceiling / roof. Does that make sense?

For example, let's assume you have a house with an 8' ceiling. Then, for whatever reason, you manually drag the top of a wall up, let's say 7".  Next week, your client informs you that they actually want a 10 ceiling on that floor level. The wall that was adjusted manually will not build to the correct height...it would now be 14" too short!

Changing the top or the bottom of the wall has no effect on any Room Definition. Rather, Rooms control the default top and bottom of walls...so you just need to keep in mind that when you manually change the top or bottom of a wall, that editing action will now prevent a wall from rebuilding correctly if/when a room height or floor height is changed. 

By 'height' I am of course referring to the vertical distance between a floor and ceiling / roof. Does that make sense?

For example, let's assume you have a house with an 8' ceiling. Then, for whatever reason, you manually drag the top of a wall up, let's say 7".  Next week, your client informs you that they actually want a 10 ceiling on that floor level. The wall that was adjusted manually will not build to the correct height...it would now be 14" too short!

Click the Auto Exterior Dimension tool. It will update correctly...except for the far left wall  of the house and the front wall where the exterior wall is out of alignment with the foundation.

28 minutes ago, winterdd said:

it all still looks right to me.

That's why you have the problem:) It's not right and you're currently not finding the correct text style. Make sure you are checking the text style for the layer set that is used in your electrical plan. A simple way to find this: in the electrical plan, single click a fixture. Select the Object Properties tool from the bottom. Change the text style for the Fixture, Labels layer.

Or post your plan and I'll show you exactly what to do.

Real world application:

https://www.trim-tex.com/products/reveal-shadow-beads

2 hours ago, Michael_Gia said:

Did you spend a lot of time with lighting and materials to get these shots?

I know this question wasn't to me, but I'll chime in anyhow. Lighting helps, but it's not entirely necessary. If an interior scene is too dark, all you need to do is drop in some light sources and turn off their shadows (very quick and simple). As for materials, yes, they can make all the difference. Many of the objects from Chief's library will have an improved appearance with material editing or replacement. A couple of examples: stainless steel for appliances is often too flat, and lacks a realistic sheen while many models that have a fabric cover have poor fabrics that detract from a scene. These are quickly addressed in almost any plan. 

If you're producing renderings, it's a good idea to build your own library of lighting, materials, and models and so on. And always keep in mind that cameras can be copied from one plan to another. 

https://sites.google.com/view/robertdyckbuildingdesign/interior-renderings

When I need to do this, I use a customized Text Note. I set a new note type and use a schedule that includes only the note used for Room Numbering. You will need to manually place the notes and manually organize them, but at least you can't make mistakes regarding the scheduling. Using the Object Information Panel, you can add the Global macros that are available for rooms in the provided fields, or in custom fields. My preferred note shape for this is a 'capsule'.

For the short, chamfered corner, create a wall type that is a single layer, 1/2" thick, drywall material. Under Structure, set it as through wall at both ends.

You can cheat the valley lines to create a level eave at least 1" long for 1 plane and at least 1.5" for the other or model them manually with solids.

Another option, create additional roof planes, just for the boxed eaves.

Create a 3-drawer cabinet. Specify the bottom 2 drawers as a different type of drawer from the library. Paint away. Here I just used slab drawers. The top is a default slab, the bottom 2 have been chosen and painted.

Yes, simply notch the roof plane downward. Gutter and shadow boards can be controlled on an edge-by-edge basis. Select the edges you need to alter and toggle the gutter or shadow board on/off in the roof plane dialog.

If the project browser still shows the 'old' plan file (the one you want to replace), then 1 of 2 things is going on: 

1. a layout box remains in layout that is still linked to the 'old' plan
2. a window is open with a view from the 'old' plan file.

When the reference plan file is replaced (using Tools / Layout / Referenced Plan Files) , the old file should disappear from the PB as soon as the dialog is closed.

 For more specific help, attach your plan files and someone can walk you through the correction for your problem. Alternatively, it would also be helpful if you could record a video demonstrating the issue.

Consider using a CAD mask that still provides the outline of the 'cut' cabinets but shades out the inner details. While this is manual, it will provide context and clarity. A cad block can be made to mask the base and wall cabinet and by adjusting the insert point, it can be quickly place in each view as needed. This would be preferable to cropping the view or altering layers, both of which also take time.

The answer to both is to model them manually. Turn off stringers / trim at wall and model with either a 3d molding or 3d solid in section view. More or less the same for trim at landings.

All you'd have to do is cut/paste the story pole dimension (ctrl-x, ctr-alt-v). This will add point markers at each dimension extension. The elevations will remain as noted but they won't be locating the noted elevations. If you don't want to see those point markers in your elevation or section view, simply select them all and make them really small / place them in the back of the drawing order.

This method requires a bit of habit / memory so that you know / remember your process.

I'd be willing to discuss both renderings and training. Send me a PM or checkout my website.

https://sites.google.com/view/robertdyckbuildingdesign