DavidJPotter

When you say "scale of the layout" are you speaking of "Paper Size" to print to or the scale of views sent to layout? There is a "Scale" tool for individual views sent to layout (click on the view, doing so displays the "Scale" tool in the "Edit Toolbar". If you want to change the paper size of the layout file, you do that by way of the "Drawing Sheet Set Up" Dialog found under "File - Print - Drawing Sheet Set Up", look these tools up and use them for resizing/rescaling. DJP

Get an NVIDIA 1000 series video card, SSD hard drives, 16 or 32 Gb of RAM and the fastest CPU you can afford ( I prefer AMD myself and build my own systems from parts). DJP

Try these DJP

Those "lines" are the edges of 3D faces (triangles) that as Greg said, you should remove in Sketch Up before export.In Sketch Up you select and then delete the offending 3D faces, if you make a mistake just "undo" but you do clean it up first before export as a .skp to Chief DJP

All I can see as options is to use the "View Menu" to turn off the display of "scrollbars, Tool Pallet, and Status Bar", which leaves the main toolbar. That is as skinny as I could make it look, in terms of the active edit mode of the program. for full-screen presentations, I create a walk-through or other 3D animations offered by Chief Inc that can be recorded as animations. DJP

Framing does not auto-update unless you have "Automatic Wall Framing" checked in Framing Defaults, this has always been so. DJP

Edit - Default Settings - Dimensions - Primary Format. DJP

The common denominator of questions I see asked here is often followed by "I have looked everywhere...!". This indicates to me that one has not looked "everywhere" or perhaps they do not know where "everywhere" is. The last place I would ask for Chief questions is Chief Talk because of the above reason: most users know what they know and of course are willing to share what they know with others. This is one of the strengths of the forum but it is also a weakness in that some of this "knowledge" is not fundamentally well understood by each person. You have the "Help Files", Users Guide and Reference Manual right on your PC and secondly, you have the online "Knowledge Base" all which are searchable. You have training videos by Chief and by others that can help. When I have looked through that particular "Everywhere" I then call Chief Architect Tech Support. We all pay for that and it should be used as a service when needed. When you want "opinions" and "guesses" the Forum is the place or perhaps you just want to vent or socialize. If you are intent on your own competence the "everywhere" listed above plus Tech Support are your best bets. I use Tech Support and you should too, including posting problem plans with data about what is "wrong", this helps us all. DJP

It might be a bug but since I have never seen this on my PC I suspect it is some setting you missed or misunderstood, without a copy of your plan to inspect, it is anybody's guess. DJP

I would resize the three wall poly-lines to the desired height above floor. Then place my windows casing and sills suppressed, then control-key the windows to the top of the reshaped walls. DJP

Every object in Chief Architect has a dialog box where its parameters can be controlled, take a look DJP

In an unedited Vector View camera, this is perfectly natural as a result. A standard render camera solves this optical effect or if you must have a vector view sent to layout, you can use the "Edit Layout Tool" to eliminate such lines or replace lines that might be missing in Vector Views sent to layout for printing. DJP

I have been using, teaching, tutoring and developing this software since the mid-nineties. Your description and my experience DO NOT MATCH. This has never been an issue for any version for me. If you have a negative opinion and outlook towards Chief, there is little I can do or say to change what you have already decided is true. That is all I have to say, you do what seems best for you. DJP

I would not tolerate such behavior myself. The last time I did have trouble with crashes was several versions ago, it turned out to be an out of date mouse driver in my case. Others have had hardware that needs repair (RAM, Hard drive, video card). I keep my PC's interior hardware clean (I clean it once a month) and I have sufficient anti-virus/malware to keep that stuff off my PC and I run utilities to maintain my PC and its daily operation that run every day during the day. You might start with a call to Tech Support and then check your software drivers for mouse, video card, and other key hardware. Clean your case and interior components (carefully) and see if that does not help. DJP.

This is what I came up with, DJP

Chief Architect is easy to learn, especially in terms of floor plans and space planning. It is also VERY sophisticated and takes time to learn ALL its tools and features, like any other professional grade Architectural 3D Modeling software. I have heard from other users that it is generally easier and more user-friendly than for instance, Archicad, Softplan, Architectural Desktop and Revit. I went from pencil and drawing board straight to Chief back in the mid-nineties so I tend to be biased. I am an older person so I never got into the touchscreen thing (the first thing I did on my new laptop is to turn that "feature" off). Many users do use their touch screens but only for presentations, not editing the 3D Model so when you say "compatible" you would need to be a little more specific for a certain answer. DJP

If I was in your shoes, I would uninstall Chief and then reinstall it and libraries. You might also check your hard drive discs for errors (a software application that does that is built into every Microsoft OS. DJP

I can help you with the software issues but I am not a State Licensed Structural Engineer (they are commonly used for such structural consultations). I have all versions of Home Designer Pro and Chief Premier and I have been teaching-tutoring-out sourcing since the mid-nineties. My contact information is in my signature line below this post. DJP

There is no "Template". You can resize any material just using the "Adjust Material" tool :https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01006/customizing-a-library-material.html (which stretched to the size you want would probably look odd in camera views). Or you can find, download an existing image of a tile pattern (Ideally within a reasonable sameness to the one you want. Then import the image using the provided tools in Chief (see this help article for more data on that process: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00767/creating-a-new-material.html DJP

Manually. Size the posts in the rail the same size as the balusters and then add the manual posts. DJP

This is what I do since 1995. Let's Talk, there is a link in my Forum "Signature" to more data about tutoring, teaching, and outsourcing. DJP

I always have my plans reviewed by a State Licensed Structural Engineer after the client and I finish the design. Certainly, one trying to stay away from obvious, excessively expensive design ideas. In this regard, I have never had to redesign a plan because of such possible errors. An Architect is not an Engineer, though they know basic engineering. DJP

What is wrong with this? Lumion works on a good workstation from models exported from Chief DJP

Call or E mail me today! DJP