robdyck

If you post your plan file, someone will be able to provide you with the specific solution. If posting your plan file publicly doesn't work for you, you could always consider paid consultation where you have the benefit of confidential communication. Either way, you'll get specific solutions in a very timely fashion. Help on the forum is free, but you may be surprised at how much you can learn or how many problems can be addressed in a 30-60 minute consultation.

This might be worth a one-on-one conversation with a consultant. I only use live section views with minimal additions of cad items for section views. This suggests to me that you would probable benefit by sharing your files with an expert and discussing solutions to those issues. It could be as simple as layer management, or more complex relating to the actual model. Feel free to send me a PM if you'd like to explore that. Alternatively, for the purpose of this forum, it would be best if you post your plan or at least good images of your sections views with very clear descriptions of what you don't like and the kind of improvements you'd like to see.

During the Beta, I pointed out this unfortunate complication of something that was otherwise as simple as could be. I requested at least an option to generate the cad items on a single layer as in X15. The short answer is No, you are now stuck with multiple layers to manage for section views that use the Auto Detail tool. It might be a good idea to express your thoughts directly to Chief, perhaps additional voices can bring back an option for one of the few things that was still simple! For section views, I always kept my default cad layer as the color red until all cleanup and adjustment were finished. This gave me a clean and simple visual cue as to where I needed to add or edit cad detailing. After my final review, I simply adjusted the layer color to black, just before printing. Visually this process helped me 'see' where I needed to work as opposed to 'looking' for those same areas.

@westvale @buzzsaw204 The default lighting for your camera is probably the sun, set to follow the camera. Open the 'Adjust Sunlight' dialog. Uncheck 'Sun Follows Camera'. Use the sliders to adjust the sunlight direction until you're happy with the effect. A tilt angle of -90 degrees will move the sunlight high enough that your view will have fairly even lighting without the light spot.

Without seeing one of your finished plan sets or chatting with you about your visual preferences, I'm pretty sure there are other techniques that would achieve what you're after and possibly even add some improvements you might not have thought of. You could always send me a PM if you'd like to discuss this further and aren't interested in posting a plan on the forum.

Yes, that would do it.

If the exterior layers are the same and aligned, the material should blend seamlessly. Have you carefully checked the alignment and materials? I can take a look quickly if you post your plan file or a download link to the plan file. Remember, the file must be closed when sending the file.

Glad to help!

I think the answer to this is going to be unique to each individual. People work differently and projects are unique as well. I frequently need to customize a layer set in order to properly display some unique condition. And the size of a building can change through the design phase, meaning you might not know the drawing scale until design is mostly complete. Not to mention it can change after completion, like when the client asks for a 4-car garage at a 45 degree angle to the house...after the drawings are done. It happens and it's work to deal with it, no matter how you're set up. Combine those issues and that means that the multiplication of layer sets can be very time consuming to maintain. Especially when you consider that you may need to update a template plan annually for each new version of Chief. Personally, I found it simpler to update a layer set on the fly when necessary. If my building grows too big for my paper and I'm forced to move from 1/4" scale to 3/16" scale, I simply adjust. It can be as simple as selecting all the dimensions on a floor plan and changing the dimension default that they use. Or editing a layer set by selecting all layers based on text style and changing the text style to the desired scaled version. Rather than multiple layer sets for each drawing type at each possible scale, I just adjust the layer set. I keep a variety of dimensions and text styles, but I'm not interested in maintaining 40 or 50 SVPS and default sets and layer sets. I choose a quick pivot on an as-needed basis over trying to maintain multiple options that often need to be edited to suit a particular project anyways. The important thing is to find the method that's fastest and most repeatable and reliable for you.

or for bigger ones

You'll need to make quite a few adjustments: Set the clerestory window elevation reference to 'Absolute' reset the dormer walls to use default top & bottom heights set the dormer walls to 'gable' - NOT knee walls Create an 'Open Below' room (exterior walls > not attic walls, uncheck 'No Room Definition, check connections at each end, make dormer walls one continuous wall)

Check out the 'Austin' sample plan.

You won't be able to replace that c-channel in the wall dbx. If you want to model a z-channel, you'll need to add them manually.

There's nothing fun about this but I'd probably consider making a CAD detail out of those wall hatches. The cleanup is pretty quick, although not live.

This is the solution. This 'transparent' edge effect is quite common for some materials with a normal map. A color matched surface underneath is the solution. If you don't want to add a roof underlayment layer, you can make the OSB layer black, but the underlayment makes more sense. This same approach can be used to solve similar display issues for certain board & batten types of materials as well as for some tile textures with normal maps.

Hi Jim, I'm not getting those results UNLESS the bottom of the window is in the space occupied by the finish flooring. 1/8" above the finish flooring should bring it back.

to reproduce the wall layering and configuration, you will need to break a wall and use a different wall type. Friendly reminder to keep in mind that you won't be able to make Chief conform to pre-existing notions based on other software. Sometimes, your methods will need to conform to the functions of Chief Architect

In order to prevent the exterior material from wrapping around the end, you can move the exterior material layer to become part of the main layer. I can't tell you exactly how that will affect your model, but be prepared for unintended consequences. Maybe it works well, maybe it doesn't.

In the meantime 2 things to try first: Renumber Schedule select schedule, Ctrl-x, Ctrl-alt-v

That is the easy way. I do this all the time. One schedule per floor...only notes included from that floor. I'm doing it right now actually. PM me with your plan file if you don't want to post it here and I'll show you what you can do specific to your project. And then I'll return your file.

I ate a late lunch and then made another symbol with just a face for the drain which took the face count down to 1574. I should probably do some actual work yet today...

It's a kitchen sink coming soon

I'd be happy to give you a price. I'll PM you with my email address.

All you should need is a separate schedule for each floor with the included items limited per floor.

To go back to a 2x6 top chord: open truss tr-2 dialog select 'Lock Truss Envelope..." change top chord back to 5 1/2" select 'Force Truss Rebuild"