DavidJPotter

Frankly, I read and reread your post and I haven't the foggiest idea what you are talking about (just from what you posted). I totally understand that you are frustrated but not why. Whenever peole say things like "Chief won't or it doesn't" just tend to indicate to me that the originator doesn't know how to use Chief to get a specific task done. I do not say this to put you in your place or to tell you to not communicate your concerns at all. I am saying that from what you have posted, I cannot say anything really useful to help you which is always my intent. DJP

Select the poly-Line, while selected, in the "Edit Toolbar" you left-click on the "Line Break" tool and the right after that you left-click where you want the break to appear on the selected poly-line. If you goof you do the action agin until you do get the break you want. DJP

Call Tech Support and they will help you resolve the matter. DJP

Easy is a rather subjective term, I have done mansard roofs but manually, I suppose you could get kinda-sorta close automatically with a lot of presetting but would then envolve some manual editing afterwards. DJP

Edit - Preferences - Render -Preview Options DJP

I am not completely sure why this is a problem for you for the following reasons. That elevation view can be edited, line-wise on layout (using the edit layout tool) to appear however you want it to for CD's. Second you can take that elevation view and convert it to a CAD detail which you can then alter however you want as to appearance. No one is going to live in or build a virtual house other than you, its purpose is to communicate your design and nothing more, so it if can be altered to do that job your job as a drafts person is done. No one can tell at a glance in isometric view if the model is off an inch or two, so I would not bother with trying to make the virtual model a perfect duplicate of the house in the field if it can be edited to communicate your actual intentions and can certainly be done as is. DJP

In earlier versions of Chief you had a ceiling height setting and a lowered ceiling setting which did not vary from room to room, unless you manually changed thoses settings. We asked for finer control and we got in it the guise of input boxes for floor covering and ceiling covering. Past that I am not sure what you might accept as a "solution" that is implied by your post. From my point of veiw that is what they did and it works quite well. DJP

I can tell you that "Edit-Default Settings-Floor-Structure Tab-Ceiling Height" is where you communicate to the software what the majority of roof baseline heights should be by way of the Ceiling Height setting. Then where you want a single room to be higher or lower than that default you set that change in that room's (enclosed space) Room Specification Dialog-Structure Tab-Ceiling height input box. To control a single roof plane over a single wall you can 1. Open it's dialog box, move the "radio button" from its default position by the baseline moving it to lock the pitch value, then add or subtract from one of the other values in the dialog which will manually move the roof plane up or down as you command, 2. Select the roof plane, open the "Transform-Replicate" dialog which has inputs to precisely move the roof plane up or down in the "Z" axis. In all cases, it is something YOU do and not the software, get out of your head that this software does something, thinks, has judgement or an opinion. It is a sophisticated machine for sure but it only does what it is told when it is told by you; there is a lot to learn and it is all worth learning. DJP

No, to make a custom gazebo or like structure you use native tools (walls, roofs, poly-line solids, slabs etc) to create such things. DJP

If you assign a custom material by way of the walls materials tab in only changes for THAT wall only, only when you assign a different material by way of the Wall Spacification Dialog - Define Wall - specific layer does that then glabally apply. DJP

I have versions 7, 9, 10 and 11 installed on a dual-boot of XP and Windows 7 (XP on one Hard Drive and Windows 7 on another separately) which has worked for me for years). I am glad you took the time to share your experience and success. This is the first time I have heard of an emulator working, how is your general performance with this set up (I also installed version 10 directly within Windows 7, but its performance is not as good as in XP), lots of crashes and flickering screens? DJP

This is a fixed window, with eliptical arch, reflected. I assigned a rectangular molding profile to the exterior casing and then applied brick soldier course to the exterior casing. DJP

A twenty-year user here and that sounds impossibly strange to me. Can you please post some screen shot images of what you are seeing please? I am sorry but just from what you have written above, I am not getting a clear series of events and actions. You are always welcome to call Tech Support by phone or "ticket" as well. DJP

I use Cute PDF and Adobe Acrobat Pro V6 with Version 10-16 with no problems ever BUT as Lew and Kiwi said, you miss a settng in the print dialogs of Chief or the Printer software (just one!) and you are screwed. I always print very methodically and take nothing for granted in any dialog, checking them all carefully, otherwise you just get wasted time as a product. DJP

The largest plan file I have done to date was 120Mb, a 1,000,000 SF, hexigon shaped, 8 story Hotel. I think that was in X3. Cumulated 3D face count is the most important limiter to performance (or expander in terms of file size), like Perry said, round 3D objects add the most vaces per squrare inch, another one is symbols imported from 3D Warehouse (skp files) that can natively contain uber-3D faces and slow things down. You always get what you create and pay for it in performance or the lack there of. There is no reason that your CAD details must perforce be in the same plan file as they tend to weigh down a plan file as well, they can be stored-created in a separate plan file if you like. DJP

The basic-basic to learning any subject is fully understanding the nomenclature of what you are studying, any term or symbol you come across while studying that is not understood exactly as the author intended will deny you the ability to fully understand what was intended to be conveyed by that author. Look up the word and find THE deffinition that applys to what you are studying and make sure you fully understand that definition, often times an understanding of the words etymology (where, when and how it came into use in English) is also useful for a better, fuller understanding of that word or symbol. If after study you cannot get the effect you want, there is probably a word or symbol in what you studied that you do not fully understand and THAT is why you cannot get the intended results. Very basic and very vital datum. Go back, find it and get it understood. The same thing applies to watching video tutorials (if you can't then do what it showed, you misunderstood something in or said or shown in the video, go back and watch it again and be on the lookout for what you missed understanding). Another important datum relative to study is to follow your interests first and then break the rest down into small steps (do not try to read the Reference Manual as you would a novel or short story). Read-Study a particular tool and then practice using that tool as studied. Successful Study followed by successful practice (demonstrating to self your own competence) will always equate to usable knowledge and competence. DJP

The best answer to your question is to look at the interface and dropdown menus, to see where stuff is and then use X6 in some simple test plans and see for yourself what's new. Read the Users Guide and Reference Manual especially the "What's New" section. All tools must be studied and then practiced with to be of any use to anyone. Features and settings have been added which we have asked for since X2. Not all possible improvements have been made of course but a lot of useful things have been, enjoy! DJP

They should eventually make those cut off automatically by roof planes but not yet, for now, I fill in with poly-line solids I make for the purpose. DJP

export the image file and then rotate it in an image editing program. DJP

Carl please post a copy of your plan or at least an image. DJP

I thoroughly agree, this has been frustrating for years (versions) that "cancel" means "when I get around to it Bud!", what is up with that? DJP

Gene, I have designed many such homes and you just set the walls as seems proper. I don't exactly understand what you are asking "What is my best route to getting the frost walls built in Chief, and getting that basement slab modeled accurately?" . I mean the exact design will be determined by a State Licensed Local Structural Engineer, not you, me or anyone else. From your posted image (if it were mine), I would step the stem walls along the gradient in the terrain for the purpose of looks, the actual design will fall to a Structural Engineer who has inspected your design and the intended property. DJP

Maybe Tech Support can offer some help to you, I have neither a Mac or that particular plotter, sorry you are having trouble. DJP

Without actually seeing what you are speaking of, I would use custom poly-line solid created in the desired shape, then apply the material of your choice to the result. DJP

Vinnie, I agree with Doug Park, in that I work hard to keep my PC in peak condition and I rarely see the "blue Donut" of Windows. It may be a typo but you list only 16 Mb of RAM, didn't you mean Gb instead of Mb? (Modern Windows Operating systems will not run on so little as 16 Mb) DJP