DavidJPotter

Edit - Preferences DJP

Not sure if you should have posted this in Suggestions but no method I know of unless all the floor levels of the first floor are the same. Usually they are not the same, often the garage is lower than the house. In such cases one manually adjusts the stem walls and footings unless of course you are a State Licensed Structural Engineer allowed to design foundations of course. DJP

The main difference between CA and AutoCAD is that AutoCAD is natively 2D and CA is natively 3D. so you can use 2D stuff in CA but it will never be anything other than 2D (will not show in isometric cameras)/ CA uses 3D symbols not 2D CAD blocks, that is the main difference. DJP

You can change the sun angle and sun intensity to control the size and darkness of shadows as well. DJP

Ditto DJP

I am rather sure that Eric and Yusuf both altered the roofs manually in terms of "How". No time like the present to start learning by trying-failing-trying-failing until you obtain a success. DJP

The stair dialog does not allow any glass panels at all. In order to have that condition you turn off the railings in the stair specification dialog and then draw railing walls on top of the edge of your stairs with the railing wall set to " Follow Stairs". When precisely done, that is the only solution. DJP

Here is what I have DJP Raytrace Settings-Forum Notes.pdf

The attached image I made for a Pool Builder friend using Chief Premier x4. I used 3D molding poly lines and custom molding profiles on poly lines. DJP

The files open fine in my AutoCAD viewer but they do not work in Chief. I did get an error message about ".shx" files opening them in AutoCAD. Contact Tech Support to see if they can help. DJP

Select and delete or manually alter duplicates. DJP

That depends upon your skill, sensitivity and how much you successfully promote. Those things are all variables from person to person. DJP

The thing most new users foul up on is not really studying the software in depth before taking on a complicated project. This is like self torture where you assume you can " figure it out on the fly". When reading or watching a video NEVER go past a word or symbol you do not fully understand, get it defined and understood because it is part of the intended knowledge you need to be competent. Part of learning what Chief can do and how it does it is finding out what it does not do or how you thought it should work. That information is to be found in your "Users Guide" and "Reference Manual" that install as part of your software. Study in short time segments outside of your working time. Read or watch a video and then open your software and demonstrate whether or not you understand what you just studied. Once you really learn how to do what you desire, using this software is a joy indeed. DJP

The windows will NOT show on the first floor because they are not on the first floor, rather they are in the attic and show there. DJP

I use Sketchfab.com for sharing 3D models. DJP

Draw them where they are to start: in the basement to the first floor. DJP

That is what 2D CAD is for, you overlay a cross section so it communicates what you desire. There are also "Designer Blocks" to help with detail components. DJP

There is a lot of good advice above but the rock bottom requirement is to really confront (squarely look at ) dialog box settings before doing anything. It seems like people have forgotten how to really look at a dialog box, see how it is set before acting. This is even more true with the print dialogs from Chief and from a PDF file to paper, you miss one simple setting and all is then waste, it is so preventable. DJP

Bay windows are or tend to be problematic for the reasons you state. The bay window tool is rather inflexible and cannot emulate a true bay window unit that you would buy and install in a hole in the wall. What you probably should do is see if you can find a suitable bay window unit at 3D warehouse and then place it in a wall opening you create in Chief (a wall opening is just a resized doorway with casing and sill turned off to create a wall hole). DJP

The choice is yours, some may offer "rules and conventions" but as designer of your own home, the choice is yours. 8' doors are more expensive than 6' 8" doors but as I say, it is your project. DJP

The deck must be draw in a hole in the roof or an area where the roof surrounds but does not intrude on the deck space. If the deck is to be stepped then you divide the deck space so by its dialogs it can be controlled as to its floor height. DJP

Harry, For a plan file created in Version 10, all materials will have to be reassociated and assigned for instance in X8 for the render to then come out right on top of the usual light and material property adjustments. I am merely pointing out that sharing the file is just a starting point to a product. If you thought otherwise, I am sorry but I would assume that getting a good Ray Trace will take at least an hour just to set up. The best Ray Tracer I know of is Jintu E.P. Montego (website: http://www.jintudesigns.com/ ) DJP

Version 10 only adds .alb files to the library Browser, it will not accept what most modern Library File formats, that's the facts Jack. DJP

3D Molding poly line. DJP

When I upgrade, I plan to get an NVIDIA 1070, at $400.00 that is the best performance boost for the money. DJP