DavidJPotter

Here is my contribution to your quest: DJP

I learned early not to rely on ANY automatic or software based safety gizmos. Such a naive faith in machines is touching but is actually just personally irresponsible. I manually save (F3 or Ctrl-S) every few seconds while I work so as to minimize any crash losses. If the plan file I am working on shows ANY tendencies towards being crashy I make a save as copy of the file once an hour and save it to my own Archive Folder in the main Client Folder, this way I do not have to rely on the "Auto Archive" automatic system. This way I am fully covered from start to finish. Back in 1998 I lost a day's work, so I accessed what I could do to prevent it ever happening again and the above is what I implemented as a safety protocol. There is always something that you can do about any situation. Blaming others or things outside of yourself for your own outcomes is a deadly waste of time for all concerned. DJP

This is true only if they also own and use the same version of Chief that you created the file in OR they can download a copy of the Client Viewer or Demo Version. There is no way to make it completely proprietary, you either trust them or not. I never share files with another without first being retained or paid. I have never been screwed or lost a design contract by sharing .plan files with others to date since around 1999, you do what seems best for your purposes always. DJP

Each view in this software has its own "Display Options Dialog". In this dialog you can decide what objects and layers show or are absent manually. Plan view has such a dialog. Each Camera type has its own "Display Options" which only controls that camera type. So there you have it, that is how it is programmed to work at your specific commands. DJP

I think your floor is asymmetric enough that the auto roof generator will fail each time (I could be wrong). Here is a You Tube video of me manually editing and maybe fixing your roof based on a lot of guessing on my part: DJP

Thanks! DJP

I have never successfully used elevation points nor have I ever found that I needed to to get proper terrain. I do use lines, splines, breaks and regions. Points, especially if you have many of these are time consuming, hard to see on screen and sometimes hard to find just the point that has the improper value. You are welcome to disagree with me, I do what works for me only and have found points to be an unnecessary pain. DJP

Just a wild guess, but check your "Options" tab of the offending window and door and make sure it is not checked "Recessed". That is probably the cause of the unwanted framing. Look and see. BTW you tried to attach your .plan file while it was still open in Chief (which does not work). First close chief and then attach your .plan file so others can then look and see what is what. DJP

What is the message? I have not seen this. DJP

Number one you should look at how you can reduce to as close to zero as is possible any distractions in your office, it can be and should be done. Number two: dimensions are controlled only by way of "Default Settings - Dimensions - Primary Format tab", how you managed to accidentally change them shall remain a mystery so handle "Number One" above first to the degree you an manage. DJP

I agree this is annoying but I have always successfully just drawn real interior walls under the edge of a curved or straight stair object when I need base moldings to show. You just have to draw such walls carefully and correctly for it to look right, Using just unchecking the setting within the stair dialog "Open Underneath" does not produce base mold (I assume that is what you are lamenting of). So I do what does work as above. DJP

The only times I have observed this is when I also had to "Edit Area all floors visible" move the structure relative to an existing structure. Some of the electrical connections in the moved structure disconnected and I had to manually reconnect them after the move. DJP

Big, complicated drawings that contain lots of line entities and 3D faces will always be a little sluggish (that is the rule which applies to all versions). Try to keep your .plan files lean and mean, minimize using symbols that contain high "face counts" to make them more "artistic or realistic" (symbols from 3D warehouse often have unnecessarily high face counts BTW) to minimize that but if you cannot, don't worry about it. What makes a file "large" is that each pixel or particle of visual elements is plotted digitally using "statements" of each particles "X-Y-Z" coordinate locations which after a while makes a lot of "Zeros and Ones" and it is the accumulation of this verbiage which makes files large in terms of megabytes and requires more computer heavy lifting and time to parse on screen per second. It is simple physics. Even if you do not own a Super Computer you still can do SOMETHING ABOUT IT. DJP

Big, complicated drawings that contain lots of line entities and 3D faces will always be a little sluggish (that is the rule which applies to all versions). Try to keep your .plan files lean and mean, minimize using symbols that contain high "face counts" to make them more "artistic or realistic" (symbols from 3D warehouse often have unnecessarily high face counts BTW) to minimize that but if you cannot, don't worry about it. What makes a file "large" is that each pixel or particle of visual elements is plotted digitally using "statements" of each particles "X-Y-Z" coordinate locations which after a while makes a lot of "Zeros and Ones" and it is the accumulation of this verbiage which makes files large in terms of megabytes and requires more computer heavy lifting and time to parse on screen per second. It is simple physics. Even if you do not own a Super Computer you still can do SOMETHING ABOUT IT. DJP

I do not favor doing as Dennis advocates for in your case your image also contains a water mark of the manufacturer's name which would give away what you did to emulate the door and images do not show at all in vector view cameras (Only in Standard or Ray Traced renders). You might take a look at Chief Tutor.com where David Michael has created a "Door Symbol" quite similar to your pictured door. Take look for yourself and see if it will do. You can do a "Search" at 3dwarehouse.com for Sketch Up door symbols to see if any of those can fill your bill. Those symbols are "free" but unlike symbols make specifically for Chief Architect there is NO quality control of these symbols in terms of quality and workability though I have had good success using them to import and add to my Library Browser in Chief. You can make your own "Custom Muntins" within Chief but getting just the right shape for the door glass might be too difficult to effect. You can download the "Therma Tru" Library catalog which may have a door you can use, they use images as well but have no watermark on them. DJP

The key to controlling terrain is to make ONE CHANGE at a time with elevation objects immediately checking in a camera view or views to observe the change that new or edited elevation object effected. Then make another change and then check the results with camera views. This method is methodical and allows you to remain in control while you are arriving, step by step at your goal or goals. I also NEVER use points because they do not emulate real world values and outcome, they are also quite small and if only one is wrongly set it is hard to then find that single point among points to make a correction. I use elevation lines, splines, areas and breaks. Take it a step at a time and you will then be able to develop judgement and prediction of results. In order to model your specific terrain one would have to know or have seen the terrain at your intended site. The best way is to make site measurements or to have a terrain map to start with. Only on simple terrain have I been successful in importing-converting GPS or other preconceived terrain data directly to a terrain plane in Chief. What I have found successful is to import a graphic terrain map as an image or PDF, scale it, orientate it to the structure model in Chief and then trace over its graphic lines with Elevation object, checking as I go with each change or edit. Placing a number of points first before checking often creates a bizarro world environment which is difficult to straighten out after the fact (too many variables). DJP

In order to answer your question one would have to know the dimensions of the intended flashing but I am sure if I ever needed to display one, I would just do it using whatever method seemed right to me. What I have done in the past is to make a 2D "Detail" saying that the detail is "Typical" and not to bother with 3D modeling it. DJP

Roof design and terrain are the steepest learning curve areas of this software for sure. I can help you provided you are willing to exchange with me for that help (I charge $75.00 per hour for such personalized help). If this is acceptable to you, I can deliver such help live with you participating using my "Go to Meeting" application or once I fully understand exactly what you need and want I can just do the work and return the edited .plan file to you. Let me know (all my resume and contact information can be viewed within my "Signature" below.) DJP

Call Tech Support, Update your drivers, clean the interior of your case. I assume you are using X9? (X9 is faster than X8) DJP

Do not use any kind of "wall" to represent the removed walls, rather use dashed CAD lines that will show where the removed walls were. That way you should then get no "ghost" artifacts in renders. A screen capture showing what you did and what you see would also be helpful, I am guessing what you mean from just your post. The way I do this is to have two plans: 1 an as built showing existing walls that are to be removed using hatch walls and then 2. a remodel plan with the demo walls removed or a "Proposed Remodel Plan". This way you do not get any unwanted artifacts showing up. DJP

I run Versions 7, 9.5 and 10 on a dual boot system of XP and Windows 10. They are on separate hard drives (each OS) so there are no conflicts and no problems with dongle drivers. I have seen reports by others still running Version 10 within Windows 10 but as has been said, with Windows 10 you must get special dongle drivers that work in that OS, your old XP drivers will NOT work in Windows 10. DJP

Never thought of that one Scott, thanks. DJP

There are two ways to do what you want: 1. The method Perry suggested above or 2. You can copy-paste the stair objects into a blank plan, and then export that plan view to a .dwg or .dxf file to import back into your original. Then you import the 2D drawing back into your original plan placing the 2D block lining it up above the 3D stairs using the "Reference Display" tool to do so. This is the only practical way to do this when the stairs are exterior and you want them to be visible on the second floor where no "Open Below" room is possible. DJP

The basic programming of walls and roof planes is that roof planes cut off walls at the plane of the roof. Perry and Shane pointed this out, the roof plane is cutting off the walls you can see in plan view and is causing what you are seeing in camera views. It is the way Chief Architect Premier and Home Designer is programmed to work, so you work with it, following its programming rules. DJP

I mainly use .3ds to export to Sketchfab and have never had any problems what so ever. When I dabbled with Lumion I got best results using .dae files. In short I cannot verify any problems with arched windows, doors when exporting such files. You should be able to turn off the 3D face vertices that I am seeing in your screen shot, they are certainly unwanted visuals. DJP