ComputerMaster86

In the "Wall Specification Dialogue Box" we have the option to extend exterior wall layers by entering a positive or negative number in the numeric value field labeled "Extend". However, if there is not a wall present below the wall we are editing, then I believe entering a value into this field does absolutely nothing. I am trying to confirm that this is indeed the case. If I could raise the bottom edge of my steel siding by entering a negative value for "Extend", I could imitate a bit of the grade board "Bottom Girt" being exposed below the siding. I usually don't have a wall below the currently selected wall in this scenario.

I will have to try your suggestion and see if that works on my end. This is looking like I need to send in a report to Chief. I have not run into this issue with other dialogue boxes.

2026-07-04_02-17-11.mp4

Sorry to say but that doesn't seem to be true. It's indeed rounding the value I typed in. In other dialogue boxes Chief will round the display without rounding the value. For both the vertical and horizontal offset for molding profiles Chief seems to be rounding the actual value. I realized this after typing in values that used 32nd's and 64th's of an inch and my profile would move more than I wanted it to or wouldn't move at all, compared to the last value I typed in.. It was driving be batty. Then I realized it was only moving in increments of 1/16th's of an inch.

This is a little frustrating. I can't be as precise as I want to be using the both the horizontal and vertical offsets. Chief is rounding values to the nearest 1/16th of an inch.

I have added a custom ridge cap profile using a molding profile. I am noticing where one types in a vertical offset Chief keeps rounding the value to the nearest 16th of an inch. There is physically no way to type in a more precise value. Tried both X18 and X17 and get the same result.

I believe I have things working now. Maybe I mistakenly had two profiles set to the same program but, I don't think I did.

Automatic Profile switching is working but not for my Chief Architect X17 program. It's not detecting that the Chief Architect X17 program window is the active window and switching the profile. Could this be a multiple monitors issue?

I have been actively using an RTX 4070 super desktop graphics card in my Small Form Factor computer for about a year now and it does me fine. It's not the fastest card on the market but, it's by no means a horrible performing card.

Here is a project I am involved in currently. It's in very early development but, I wondered tonight what Google Gemini / Nano Banana would output based on my original image. Nothing special. A.I. Prompt Turn this rendered image into a photo realistic rendering. Do not change the structure. Keep integrity and colors of the original structure. Siding is suppose to be board and batten. Add a gravel driveway going up to the garage doors. Add some landscaping and make it a late afternoon sunny scene.

Some of my projects have been 3/16" scale. Sometimes for me that's the best option since I can't print Arch E or ANSI E.

I understand what you mean. I ocasionally get asked to provider DWG's for various resions. TurboCAD allows me to save in DWG format. If I ever need to further refine a DWG export from Chief Architect I do it in TurboCAD. It seems though exported DWG's from Chief Architect has sufficed most of time.

I pay for and keep an up to date version (Perpetual License) of TurboCAD on my system. TurboCAD has been a great affordable alternative to AutoCAD for me. About the only thing I ever use TurboCAD for these days is to draw up something that is quite a bit outside the realm architecture. Maybe a part drawing or some fabrication drawing. Occasionally, I will open up DWG's that people supply me in TurboCAD for editing / viewing. For condocs and design work, I am not really needing AutoCAD / TurboCAD no more. If I could get Chief to "Come See the Light" on some dimension stuff and some more 2D capabilities, I would need TurboCAD / AutoCAD even less.

I am currently using two letter (actually 3 characters total) hotkeys. I then pair those up with modifier keys "Ctrl", "Alt" & "Ctrl" + "Alt". Here is an example... = O O (Open Object) Ctrl + = O O (Open Row Object) Alt + = O O (Open View) = P E (Edit Page Info) Ctrl + = P E (Exchange with Previous Page) Alt + = P E (Exchange with Next Page) Ctrl + Alt + = P E (Client Designer Information) The only reason for the "=" sign at beginning is it just allows me to make use of the "Alt" modifier key in my hotkey system. Renee is probably going to strongly discourage me from using "Alt". Technically he already has. I don't use "Shift" for the most part because I have had trouble integrating it into my hotkey setup without running into problems. So I just use what I have been able to get working and that is Ctrl and Alt Keys. I have these hot keys mirrored in radial menus for my 3Dconnexion devices. With all this said, I steel keep thinking about hotkeys and different ways of doing things. So if I ever have another light bulb moment go off in my head, I am likely to change things up.

I am aware of this but, the way I do my hotkeys "Alt" doesn't interfere with Chief's main menu's. If I am understanding what sequential key's are, I am already using them.

Sorry to pick your brains on a somewhat silly topic and question but, here it is. Is it possible to use the hotkey combination (Shift) Key + (=+) Key as a hotkey combination in Chief Architect X17. I haven't had any luck being able to use that combination inside chief. I also tried researching if any other programs on my system might use that combination, hence interfering with its use in Chief. All to no avail. If I could somehow figure out how to get the hotkey combination (Shift) Key + (=+) to work inside chief it would allow me 7 to 8 working levels of stacked hotkeys. My current custom hot key set up makes use of "Ctrl", "Alt", and "Ctrl + Alt". modifier keys.

I had a similar experience, I don't remember having the issue in prior versions of Chief Architect Premier. I don't remember for X16 if I was experiencing the issue. But the issue seems prevalent in X17 in CAD Details. Two things for me... I never use the Point to Point Dimension tool (I sort of hate that tool.) and I am always snapping dimensions to objects displayed on screen. I just reported this to chief and included two different plan files with specific CAD Detail examples. I will see what they say. .

Just a small FYI about Chief's "Find and Replace" tool. If the word "Batt" is the output (computed result) of a text macro, "Find and Replace" will be of no help in locating and finding the word. It works as advertised on actual text, or pieces of text that are part of macro code.

I never use that dimension tool and I still get random plus markers in CAD details. Sounds like others are having the issue.

I might be experiencing this in X17 if it's the same issue. I have cross-shaped (+) marker's that keep reappearing even if I delete them. They appear randomly in random spots in 2D CAD Details.

Here is my plan file https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1btgtkvk8e22lwxqdz7zr/Bottom-Girt-Try.zip?rlkey=u8gcrdbbr1xq30ccktfaln76l&st=pypuj35w&dl=0

For those of you that use horizontal framing, what is the secret sauce to getting the "Bottom Run Elevation" to work correctly? Maybe chief needs to do more work on this feature. I have my template set up so that I always draw my first floor on Chief Architect's 2nd level. I am trying to get the bottom edge my 2 x 8 (Bottom Girt "Grade Board") to align with the bottom surface of the 4" concrete floor. I am not concerned with modeling the thickened edge of the concrete for the purpose of the 3D display but, typically I just let the concrete be 4" or whatever thickness is being used. The bottom edge of the grade board is usally placed at the same elevation as the bottom edge of concrete . Chief's level 1 I do not typically use other than I set it to a 42" rough ceiling. 42" is the distance that footings typically need to be below grade in Michigan unless the AHJ requests deeper.

I have my Chief Architect plan template set up to use separate plans views for different floor levels. I have been doing this for a long while now, probably almost as long as I have been using plan views. The only thing I have not done with this setup was use separate layer and annotation sets for different floor levels. All floor levels reference the same layer set and annotation set for each plan view type (floor, electrical, plumbing, furniture, framing, etc.). Each plan view type has its own layer and annotation set. For me, separate plan views for different floor levels seems to offer flexibility and less issues when using reference display. For example, my 2D post / footing symbols for post-framed buildings are usually placed on the main floor level. Then for a 2nd story they are referenced using reference display with a dedicated layer set on the upper level. I do need to think this all through again and see if plan views for different floor levels are truly necessary in my reference display work flow.

I must of also tried the following prompt at some point... "Create a HDRI photo realistic rendering. Keep integrity of original image. Do not change any image details. Do not move or modify features. Keep all colors the same. Add natural sunlight. Keep original image Size."

Here is an image I exported from Chief and tried in chat GPT a few months back... Here was the output from chat GPT... It added a shingle ridge cap to a steel roof. It misinterpreted the porch beam and that was a little off. I used "Create photo realistic rendered image. Keep integrity of original image." I probably needed to use a better prompt.