MarkMc

Copy a white material then change it's properties and make it emissive.

OK, did this over coffee. Cabinet set to 3/4 deep, used custom cabinet doors (one for top/bottom and 1 for sides) to make the box. The sizing on the door symbols has to be locked in two of the dimensions the 5/8 and the cabinet box depth. Open included symbols to get an idea. I wouldn't normally bother with this, if I needed to show the 5/8 thickness a CAD detail would usually suffice but just in case. BTW there is a CAD detail from view taken which was pasted back (and hold position) into the elevation view so that the box could be dimensioned. 58 side cab.plan

Ones in library don't suit? can unblock and adjust then re-block? No?

No easy way to do it, even changing to framed and setting to 5/8 (I use framed 3/4 for frameless) you will still get lines at 3/4". Send in a request/report-won't be the first one.

Did this in X11-bunch of landings, railing to follow stairs. PIA getting the right heights. Made one, multiple copy, heights are off/ Copy top one landing, delete, draw stair one step from top-heights correct themselves, paste back top landing and manually adjust height, delete stair. Draw railing in middle of stairs not quite to bottom, set to follow stairs, move, adjust, copy paste to other side.

Think you'll be disappointed, the only symbol type I never import is cabinets. A-Chief does not give them the same intelligence as native cabinets, B- there are lots of things I can do with Chief cabinets that I see people asking for on Kevin's 2020 forum that they can't do. Not native or built in (I always start with F1, then the reference manual then search the forum-tips or symbols) In this case search the forum -two ways to do it- one as a door symbol in the back, the other as a shelf. Posts by me and perhaps Alaskan_Son (for shelf, maybe?)

Yes 2020 can export a 3D dwg or dxf, a 2d dwg of a floor plan, last I knew they had not added elevations but matters not. I investigated that road a few years before I switched and was pretty dissapointed so didn't make the leap then since I thought using both would be essential (around V8 of CA) The problem is that a 3D dwg is a pretty dumb object, it will come into CA as a symbol with a single texture. You can't explode it, can't change to multiple textures or do much else besides resize it. If you want textures or just a part of it you will need to take a side trip through another program first and manipulate the dwg there. (Actually there is a way, kind of advance to hack out a part of it with the delete surface tool but just as well redoing the object first) Altering 3D dwg I use Turbocad mostly, occasionally SU, there are other options. It's rarely worth using a 3D dwg if there is any other choice or it's a very complex object where adjusting is faster than making from scratch.

I haven't found anything else that doesn't work yet-what have you found?

Joe, look at Brian's explanation again -repeat from posted above "The problem is related to how schedule macro is processed. In order to know the schedule number we first must build the schedule in the background. In your case the macro is executing before the schedule is built so the result is you get 0 returned from the macro every time." So the only way to get it to work as is now would be if the macro execution could be delayed.

Coulda sworn I had one of the default fields returning integers but looks like no-oops.

Isn't it odd that it works for referenced macro though? I tried local and global to no end. Don't really need it right now so moved on to ML and symbol components. Another one I just found-anything entered into a custom OIP field returns as a string (entering to decimal places doesn't change to float either) While the standard fields still return integers if entered as such.

Talked with Jason about this and he said no that wouldn't be the reason. Sent it in. Answer returned is: Not sure if it is possible to force the schedule to execute and then get the macro? not something I'm going to mess with right now though.

Cool, never knew.

Change floors, save plan view as-then you have one you can use.

AFAIK you can't copy or move to another floor. You can place it on a different layer, then check display on all floors and turn that layer off in plan views (assuming using them) for the floors where you don't want to see it.

I'd still send it in or otherwise get in touch with support. I've had plenty of plans I tested from 9 and 10. Just migrated 2 templates, one from 9 and one from 10, to 11. The did plans in 11 from those tempates, still no problem (though did find another drawer head where the grain goes wrong but again that is likely a symbol since I never get that with my own drawer symbols unless I mess up making it) Can you determine how old that template is? may be from before X9?

Just tested this since I had not noticed anything previously. I'm not having any issues- tried base cabinets changing door and drawer in the "door drawer tab, from specify for individual door, in the default settings; tried every possibility. Then also tried materials. The only issue was with one drawer front (that I never use just selected at random) where grain was incorrect but I believe that is an issue with the symbol itself. Bottom line-contact support and send them a plan where you have an issue.

Most of the cabinet brands I worked with over the last few years were manufactured FULL custom- (even more custom than what you describe)-they use CabinetVision and have price lists based on what I described. I have no doubt that I could not take 95% of the cabinets you may have specified in the last year and just plug in to one of their price lists. The only time we needed custom quotes were for things completely outside the bock-like say a cabinet with a custom door style, reclaimed wood, with custom turnings, silicone bronze hardware-usually it was because the labor needed to be estimated outside the norm though. Point is one can be put together. Mick, your better off playing with ruby in the Chief Ruby console than in an installed version. Among other things ruby in chief never uses "puts" which you need all the time with an installed version. Ruby installed on your machine can't tell if you can access the data built into an object in Chief, the console can. Other than that it works the same way as the console installed with Ruby to your OS.

Aside from the CL/ML macros, which I don't have a handle on, the others are consistent. Read in the manual or tutorial the difference in the types of evaluated macros. a non evaluated macro works in a text box and reads what you wrote only, a referenced evaluated macro will read the results of the macro into a text box from another object so long as an arrow is connected between the text box and the object an Owner Object evaluated macro will read the results of the macro into a field in the object it is placed in AS LONG AS that object has the NVP's used in the macro (check the object properties macro-copy them and paste somewhere) Note that Collections behave differently than other NVPs Plan attached- open the symbols and look at stretch planes and origins. The width of the bounding box for the RO symbol was set to 1" wider than the symbol was so it will resize 1" smaller than Chief thinks it should be. I included two versions of finished interior one as a door symbol inserted into the back (CA turns that into a peninsula cabinet in description though) the other as a symbol used as a shelf. The shelf symbols are more of a PIA since you need more sizes of them-more stuff posted a year or more ago in symbols or tips section. I've gotten information I can use to price cabinets from manufacturers info from schedules then pasting into a spreadsheet. That requires some looking up and filling in OR using a cabinet mfg on line ordering system. Been doing that for about 6 years now. Last year worked out a way to do that faster. Then figured out it could look up prices, started working on that in August in between real work (I don't need this any more so it's a charity job) Had to learn more about Ruby for that. Almost got there when they gave us the ability to access the OIP fields in macros in X11. Started to rework the macros. Then yesterday figured out that the ML should be easier so going that way. What I am doing will read from a CSV file. It's possible to do what you are asking but I don't think that cabinet mfg even go to that fine a grain. I would not go quite that way. I'd figure out a way to group pricing, (base in size range, add in for number of drawers, upcharge for wood species, charge per door ...), you don't need to count pennies for materials. Doors, drawers, finish and labor are all the most expensive parts. Labor always costs more than materials. Look at how mfg price, there are a couple of methods and look at the object properties in the TMM to see what you can access. Keep it as simple as possible IMO. If you generate a CSV file with pricing then you may be able to adapt, or have someone else adapt what I do for the current project. Call Michael. cab RO.plan

I barely walk with the stuff but trying. In X11 when you go to the object properties macro in the TMM you will see some things listed as Collection, with a bunch of sub things under it. There is an explanation in the user manual about how to get at the stuff in Collections but I haven't been able to make it work as they wrote it. NVP are named value pairs-it's what Chief uses to refer to the attributes that you can get at (also in the reference manual) I would not disagree that it would be great if it were easier but it's not. I have found that even for Chief developers it is not a primary language so they have to work at it. It's there because it is an "accessible" programming language (compared to other prgramming languages) I expect we will see a bit more come baked in when the ML is completed. FWIW the TMM is not really meant for learning-it is what it says, Text Macro Management it's where you write the macros. The Ruby console is a better place to get a feel. The tutorial is a really basic start. After going through that it helps work stuff out. You can select an object in plan and test snippets in the console to see if they work and what the result is if they do. To get anywhere after that you need outside reference- a basic book and a reference of Ruby stuff (technical term for methods, variables, blah blah..) along with a book and a reference (there is a reference linked in the user manual) helps with learning. The reference manual has gotten better with info too this time around. Dealing with that little macro, which is really just a baby step, got me interested in using the ML for that cabinet pricing thing I've been trying to work out. Combined with the addition of custom OIP fields as NVP I am going to try to switch the cabinet pricing thing from schedules to the ML. But I can't get the macros to work there ...yet.

Yes-I'd asked about that and currently CL items are not all available for use as NVP, have to check the object properties macro to see what you can and can't get. Sill working out how to get at "Collections"

Here's one way-cabinet on the right has 4 ROs inserted- each defined as fixture inserts into cabinet-no need to put the drawer glide in the symbol since that doesn't appear to work consistantly. Macro placed in the cabinet comments field-reads the number of inserts, doubles them and outputs a string that reads that number and drawer glides. I would guess that could create problems if you have other inserts but often those cabinets don't. Best I can do on short notice anyway. RO plan with macro.plan

I added inserts, synbol has price and listing in comments "2 drawer glides. As noted 2 of the 4 don't show the comments.

If it's just a full height cabinet, as in plan posted, there are no drawer glides in the CL to edit.

Found it thanks. Didn't help but this did sort of... Changing the ro symbol to inserts into cabinets still allows it to be used as a RO. It will then carry the price and comment (which is where I put the draw glides) BUT inserting 4 rollouts only two list the drawer glides. It doesn't matter if I inert them one at a time or all at once, same result. Plan attached. Maybe someone can get all of them to show the comment? or find another place to put the drawer glides. X11 ro mat list.plan