DavidJPotter

The more light sources that are turned "on" in a plan each additional unnecessary light source adds time (Ten times for each unnecessary light source per render per light) to obtain a decent end result. Turn on only those light sources that are necessary to light your render scene. Once you reduce the light sources the quicker you will have a good looking image. If the lighting is set properly, you should get a good render view in about 5 to ten passes in ray tracing (on my PC that is about five minutes). The overall quality of your PC is another factor relative to speed. Chief Premier has several render camera types, some better than others. You should study and practice with each type until you begin to obtain some judgement as to how and how long it takes to suit yourself. Great Ray Traced images take time, to mainly learn how to adjust lighting and material properties to get good to great results. Blurry is unacceptable for anyone. DJP

a "random pattern" is an oxymoron by default (in order to be a pattern there must be a regular pattern there which would then not make it "random"). That said, I think that one would have to take a large digital photograph to minimize the apparent pattern of that texture when applied to a 3D face. In terms of a vector line pattern I think that would be difficult to achieve (some repitition would have to occur in a .pat file). I suppose one could manually draw such a thing with 2D CAD but that is intensive work indeed. I have not written a .pat file in some years and what I did once know, I have forgotten. Perhaps some bright person will hopefully make me in the wrong which I would welcome. DJP

My opinion about such things is to do what is required. Work-around is a concept that many use to decry having to work for a living. Chief usually offers more than one way to get something done (a deffinite plus point). I like that, work-rounds I will leave to those who must complain to and about living Life. DJP

I have versions 7-16 active on my PC, let me know if you still require help. DJP

Because you are worthy of vexation as are we all. DJP

Check to see what unit measure is set as default for both plans (Like Glenn said-imperial or metric), that could explain the aparent paradox due to two different measureing units. Check and see please. DJP

You have not looked "everywhere" yet since they are there. Now look under "Architectural - Lighting - Wall Mounted - Spotlights" DJP

What JIm said plus be sure and raise the ceiling height of that room or remove the ceiling on the "Structure Tab" of the "Room Specification Dialog". Otherwise Chief will tend to work as you have it set to "work" (it is just a dumb mechanical device which has to be led to results by you). DJP

Seems like no one wants to respond to this thread. In any case, I never have paid much attention to such things and just do what I must to get work done. I realize this is not much help relative to your query but I consider that it is at least an acknowledgement. I put things where and as I need them-that is what I do and I am satisfied, right or wrong. DJP

I do training and tutoring via the internet since 1999, all you need is a broadband internet connection and a willingness to fairly exchange for help. DJP

Now that Chief Inc ports to Mac for Home Designer titles this PDF question has been appearing at Home Talk in terms of what works as a PDF maker for those applications running on a Mac. I do not yet own a Mac and would be interested how this is working or not presently: 1. Is there a built in "Print to PDF" function on Mac Versions? 2. How does it work for you? 3. If you do not use the built in application (if any) what do you use instead? DJP PS: I have used Cute PDF on my PC for years with good, quick results, never any problems

Until you figure out what wall connections are poor you can left-click where you want to select an object or specific room and then depress the "Tab Key" or "Next" button in the Edit Tool bar to select a specific object or room dialog. When you have straightened out your poor or incorrect wall connections that will end the unwanted behavior. In X6 or Home Designer 2015 titles you should also get a "circle" icon on your cursor and at the exact poor wall connections which makes repairing such situations easier but if you have X5 or earlier you do not have this feature and then have to check all wall connections manually, one at a time until the situation is found and handled. DJP

A kind Chief Talk user made this library awhile back and is what I use to get decent results for this material. I suppose the "reason" is that the default "Stainless Steel" is merely a color and when you have a material that is composed of a color and a texture it is easier to get better visual results from such a "material" DJP Stainless Steel.calibz

The finished ceiling is the distance from the finished floor (structural floor plus its covering which is whatever you set it to) and the bottom of the finished ceiling (the as you said, bottom ot the ceiling joists and or upper floor joists). There is nothing mysterious going on, what is missing is for you to closely confront what your settings are in "Edit - Default Settings -Floor and Framing catagories). The software just operates on out of the box default settings unless you control and set them yourself. Take a good, sober look and then set them up the way that makes sense to you. DJP

Adam, just do it (it isn't "rocket science"), and it on your first try, you get less than perfection, then use the experience to improve the next one and the next one unti you are satisfied. DJP

You can vary the dimensions of the "Casing" but in terms of a separate "Sill" it comes in only at the size that you made the molding profile. In the case of a "Lintel" those can be somewhat controlled by the "Height" input box for "Lintels" but the key where it is being set as casing is the "width" setting for casing in the Window Specification Dialog and the other input boxe for "Lintels", sills are preset relative to the size you made the original modling profile or object. I cannot tell from your posted image exactly what you did or what you intended though. I have never used the methiod shown in your referenced help article, I like to use molding profiles that I then assign a material to. Chief almost always offers more than one way to arrive at an effect. Here is a link to how I commonly do this:http: //www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?61664-brick-window-sill DJP

X6 is more demanding of the same PC hardware than X5 was. Whenever I upgrade Chief Premier I always plan on upgrading my PC hardware, to do otherwise is to guarentee lessor performance which no one has much affinity for. For X6, I upgraded my drive "C' to an SSD and bought a newer, more able video card and for the moment I am satisfied. when I do the next upgrade, I intend to be running Windows 10 and a faster CPU than I now have (a six core CPU). DJP

Since you are a "student" the student version of Chief Premier is vastly superior to Home Designer Pro although there are more tools and settings to learn. If you are not, in fact a student, then Home Designer Pro is the way to go (If you bought just Architectural, I am sure you would be sorry later and then want to upgrade to HD Pro). DJP

In any camera view or plan view any named layer can be "on" or "off" at your choice. If you have ordered framing built, especially too early in the design, it, once built does not update as you make architectural changes, so if you then move a window or door, the framing for that wall penetration does not move until you completely rebuild framing in a new unit of time. Sometimes if you leave that layer "on" in camera views (elevation, full and other camera types) you will see the framing bleed through other layers (part of this can depend upon the quality or lack thereof, of your video card and other visual settings that can effect results. The simplest thing to do is to turn off the framing layers for general isometric views, especially if they are bleeding through other layers. I mainly use framing just for Cross Section views or plan views anyway but to each his or her own. DJP

There are some in the Library Browser under "CAD details" DJP

Thank you for the knowledge report, most people are basically honest so it is good to know in advance who is not, such persons should be shunned. DJP

Manually break (line break tool) the outer edge and wrap the corner about 6" or if all else fails a quick poly-line solid cap to the end. Either method should work. DJP

If your default settings are not set to match the 3D geometry of your intended location of the dormers then the dormer tool will not place a viable dormer. You must set your defaults (Edit- Default Settings - Dormer) in such a way that a dormer can then be created. This is well explained in the Reference Manual and Help files but must be followed by some trial and error practice to really well understand how the defaults operate and how to adjust them to your purposes. DJP

Professor Chaos, I would suggest that you make your PC hardware and Chief Build data part of your signature here, in that most of the answers you will recieve will be germane to X6 rather than earlier versions such as you have. It will help to clarify the context of answers you will receive. DJP

3D Home Architect distributed by Brouderbund for Advanced Relational Technologies and the earliest versions of Chief Architect all ran only on Windows. Where I worked we used Mac's and totally switched to PC's when we started using 3D Home Architect version 3 and then Chief Architect Version 4. DJP