MarkMc

Here are a few other ways to do it- simplest are the two on the right (edited oops) which have valance added in the accessories tab- one on the right has a custom symbol with returns. The three on the left are not for the faint of hear to work out, takes a bit of practice and trial and error. Those have a custom door symbol that is a valance added. The last one on the left is a cabinet used as a base with custom door symbol- then stick another cabinet on top. Symbols are all in the plan. To learn from them open the objects DBX and also open the symbol DBX to see what is going on. I don't set valances to stretch in the middle, rather usually part way- open the symbols. Base w valance.plan

I get an average CPU usage maxing at 7.3%, minimum around 5 depending on view. GPU 17-25% on load depending on view, using 1000-11000 mb gpu memory, 1.5 GB Ram. Plan works fine on mine.

If there was an announcement of this I missed it. The complete line of Stanisci Hoods is now at the 3D library. Very large variety, are used by numerous cabinet manufacturers, or can be sent to you mfg for finishing (if they do that) I'd been collecting some from Trimble 3D warehouse over the years but then they went away. I'd asked Stanisci about it, goes to show once in a while a mfg listens Pleased as punch.

By bottom do you mean the toe height on the sides, the floor of the cabinet, or just the front of the bottom rail?

You don't have to reset toolbars for the library browser, use View-Library browser. Sometimes if you tear off a view, close the library there and close the program the browser is not there on reopen.

Preferences, new plans. Be sure to pick something from the Template folder.

One more thing -learn about importing defaults. Makes it easier to change brands or construction among other things.

Set your default template to have the correct top drawer height and toe size- whatever you like for the rest (wall cab height-counter overhangs and corners etc) I place the most commonly used mfg doors, along with species, colors and moldings-some other parts into a folder in my user catalog. Then point the default cabinet door and drawer to one of those. It is much easier to navigate in one folder than be clicking around all the catalogs. Note be sure to set the default door style for applied panels to match. So go and design -to change door style you then only have to change the default door style and everything placed (that you didn't alter) will change. To change those that you altered you can drag the door symbol onto it in a 3D view. So to affirm what Richard said. Get to know the program and what it does and doesn't do-in particular explore defaults and pay close attention to those that are "dynamic" Noted with a (D). Look around the forum for old posts in tips and elsewhere. Another useful thing to do for specific cabinet brands is to make several cabinets that require either configuration (drawer bases, micro) , a special label (trash pullouts, etc), or added code for modifications in the OIP feilds. Place those in your user library folder for the brand. These should only be made from the cabinets using the Build, Cabinets -do NOT use the Chief core library cabinets. Only those from the build menu will follow defaults dynamically. After doing your plan you use "replace from library" to place those cabinets where you need them. (I make drawer bases at 15" wide so they will always fit) Here is one of my mfg folders in the user library along with an expanded view of one brands cabinets there.

I usually convert pdfs either to png file (I use BlueBeam PDF Revu for that) or if it was not scanned or otherwise crummy I use PDF2CAD to convert to a DWG. file. Both programs have fully functional trial versions available. DWG can be edited and is easier to scale- I import those to a CAD detail, place on a special layer, block, copy and paste into floor plan. PNG can be scaled, easier than pdf IMO but still trial and error.

Zipped plan used to make the one pictured. Used a wall cabinet, included panel for glass (though it's cherry when you look at it) used as side panel inset in cabinet. Open DBX to see cabinet structure. Adjust to what you need and convert to a symbol. Garage Door.zip

You are looking for it to dimension the casing itself. I've never tried that, always just call out the casing. The "sides" are the outside of the window. AFAIK Cheif won't dimension to the inside of the casing but as I said I never tried. FWIW your overall width casing to casing is correct.

I use distance rounding, grid snaps OFF. Locate casings DO NOT locate sides it only confuses things. I use Premier and don't remember if you have control over all the following in Interiors.... Dimension should equal-window width + casing width times 2 + 2 times the difference between "overlap frame" (default is 5/8) and frame dimensions (default is 3/4") So a 30" window with 3-1/2 casing will give you 37-1/4" casing to casing.

X8 came out in 2016 so you may need to have them save the SU files to an older version. For safety I'd go back a bit.

Suggest you reconsider and do something along the lines of Chopsaws suggestion. IRL the sanest way is to at least fur the wall out to deal with framing and that part is exterior. Make a wall type for the furred section. You will give up at least 1-1/4" somewhere in the vanity run. The attached gives up a little more but wall framing is simpler.

Yes you can. You really need to simply try this eh? in Chief create a cabinet schedule. Do it on a cad detail (best practices) Select it (it will be highlighted) copy it (use ctrl + c) open a blank spreadsheet, paste. Then save -as xls, csv, whatever you like. What you need to know is what the "header labels" for each column needs to be for them to import it. You can open a previous CSV file to see. Check the format if any for numbers that they are using (fractions or decimals) Might be the only thing you have to mess with-changing from fractions to decimals would be easiest in the spreadsheet. schedule to spreadsheet.mp4

Another tactic I use is to force folders to the top of the user library combined with a filter for the user library. Have one folder (spaces in the front of name) " _most", another per project " A_projectname" a few others I move around that are needed often. Spaces in the front of the name forces the folder up the chain. One advantage is that when using replace from library- the program will automatically look in the folder the object being replaced is in, saves clicks.

Let me see how the week shapes up. I'll do an online meeting with you sometime between Wed and Saturday. What time zone are you in? I use zoom.us, gave up my full account but can still do one on one free.

I am also a K&B studio. You could do most of it in Interiors- I started with it (and regretted that decision) but would take longer. The two things that are the most important in Premier are Annotation sets- these make working during design easier, for that part you could manage to have layersets do some of the lifting-I did when I had interiors. The biggest deal with Annosets is annotations and dimensions. It is far faster and easier to have sets for specific dimension needs than to use auto dimensions or fiddle with them. What you could not do easily using Interiors that I have in the plans is dimension the openings and such. CA does not snap to opening, it snaps ONLY to cabinet sides. To get those drawings I show I use "CAD detail from view" (there are a number of other uses for that as well). When I used interiors I had to either export the view as DWG and mess with it in Turbo Cad then bring it back into chief OR place lines on a layer manually to snap dimensions to. Sure you don't need framing or terrain. What little framing you would really ever need you can fake manually easy enough. OTOH it's can be nice to have if you want to spec a knee wall for an island or location of framing for hood vents. I rarely use terrain but on those few occasions it really makes the client happy. Chief saves time, is stable, has great support and even Premier is cheaper than 2020. To me it's a no brainer. Chief sells jobs, drawing at least a box and adjacent rooms is too damn simple not to and clients love it. Producing thorough drawings makes contractors happy leading to the best source of referral business I know (closing rates above 80%). Once you get a handle on the program being able to quickly step outside where you normally would- drop in some framing, terrain, trusses, can help that contractor which means.... To the best of my knowledge no other than whatever was recorded from the Goto meeting we did last year (search the forum). I tried doing a quick rough video (I'm not known for doing vids to put it mildly) It came to 50 mbs and is pretty crappy. May get the point across. I'll see if I can do something else later in the week. It would only be the very basic concept though. To make it all work well you need to set up a system and a video of that would be long. (last guy I trained on the system was 3 days) But just go ahead and start- make a schedule, copy, past into a spreadsheet. The tricky parts are: getting items other than cabinets into the schedule and adding modifications. Mods are much simpler since X9 and the addition of the OIP- object information panel- to the cabinet DBX. BTW- you said you're using the trial version. Down side is it doesn't save. They have a rent to own option. FWIW at my last job I wanted a laptop, they wouldn't get me one. Read a book on sales that the boss gave me. Had a line in there something like- "they won't buy you a laptop? well there's a store down the block....buy your own" I did that and had already been buying some software on my own. The laptop increased my sales and paid for itself in less than 6 months, both that and the software helped a lot when I got laid off, made it possible to start this business quickly. Just a though.

There's also several related vids on Chiefs support site. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/search/?default_tab=video&q=split+level

Attached stripped down plan with saved camera- think the ply was deleted from this version (see note). Floated in: blocking, face of the micro, psolid for the body, and the outlets. The rest is done in the DBX, some from the back or sides. I've done the flush inset micros a couple of ways all in cabinet DBX but the beaded inset made things complicated enough. (Note that the island apron and legs have changed, being supplied with apron to size, mortise and tenon to legs and cabinets, pre-drilled with pocket holes and screws. Drawing was for that was done by the factory after I asked the tech about it. Other brands we might have to do what is shown.) Island.zip The drawer boxes are just the way CA does them (which is NOT accurate since everyone attached a drawerhead to a full dovetail box.)

What I posted was all done 100% in CA. Contractor and architect received other pages as well related to construction. Final installer gets one or two more from me. Do I need more? Short answer is No, this is adequate to guarantee I get what I want once coupled with a written order. I work with 3 brands. Each has specs for construction standards. One is semi custom so there are mods but can't really change the specs. The other two will change whatever I want that is feasible. No one would not accept drawings from me to use for CNC they program that themselves within an overall system. I receive back pdfs of CADs for clarification and have a tech to deal with on the project (all three do that) Industry standard is that the written order will take precedence over drawings They will use my drawings for clarification but not live by them. If I miss a discrepancy between the final written acknowledgement and the drawing it becomes my problem, if they miss it then theirs. The techs from the two better companies will check things and make suggestions. It is a team effort.

Should mention- to best get good final drawings and dimensions you want to learn and set up Annotation Sets, that means you need Premier. DO NOT GET INTERIORS if you are serious about kitchens. My 2cents.

Yes that can be done. I've been meaning to a video on that but this year has not gone according to plan so it has not happened. I did do a web meeting that I think someone recorded (Chopsaw?) and posted on the forum. I've posted assorted information in the Tips section and maybe some in symbols for getting things into the schedule that are a bit tricky. Overall to do that: Design with the cabinets from the build section ONLY do not use any of Chiefs library cabinets. Develop and save your own most used cabinets and save those to the library in the user section-by brand. Those should have labels and codes needed. I keep about 2 dozen per brand. It can be pretty easy to change those from one brand to the next and add to the library. Before adding them to the library place them on a different layer (base cabinets 2 etc) Once you have most designed use "replace from library" tp put your saved cabinets in (trash pullouts, etc) Be very careful with the default settings for everything. I keep templates for each brand/construction but usually use a template set for ceiling height and or casing sizes, then import the cabinet defaults. The thing to watch the most is the materials defaults in the overall default section THEY ARE DIFFERENT than the individual cabinet defaults. At some point it helps to have a macro for a brands label covering the majority of simple changes. Macros are a dark art, one that I started to learn then this year hit. Mine are only partially developed. Once I get some time (hope over the next couple of months) I will finish at least one or two of those off and then do the video noted above. There a couple of folks who will write custom macros but I don't have any idea of cost or effectiveness. NOTE- that with the custom macro in use, and having library cabinets on a separate layer, you can change brands by groups selecting any that did not come from the library and change the label to that of another brands macro. The single best way to get ANYTHING into the schedule is to turn it into a cabinet-look in Tips and Symbols for things I've posted. (also in that video) Learn to make door symbols it is easier than fishing them out from other brands IMO(again been posted) I carry 3 manufacturers and only one supports CA (and that is recent) Make a directory where you save all of your symbol plans for easy alteration in the future (need a wider rail-no sweat) If you use a door (or anything else often) from the main or mfg catalogs copy them to your user catalog (makes life much simpler when changing things during the process) There are tricks for library management that help. Code, comments etc go in the OIP (object information panel) There is likely some more to it but off the top of my head it's a good start. Oh there are some quirks to how CA defines finished sides- better than it was but still a couple. The biggest issue arises if you have hacked cabinets in some exotic/odd way (I do a lot) I often only want part of the schedule for the the order- can either adjust that once in a spreadsheet OR turn off columns in CA prior to copying, after copying simply UNDO. To get it into a spreadsheet just select the schedule (keep those on a CAD detail and as part of your template), copy (ctrl+C), then paste into a blank spreadsheet. A little copy paste special work is easy enough if you need to change the lines of the accessory/mod codes (I keep them separated in the OIP by colons) I left 2020 for CA X3- around 2011 with 10 years on 2020 besides other CAD experience. It was not easy BUT I firmly believe that the changes since then would make it easier. It's different though. Even with the original difficulties I had I've never given up, around V7 I stopped looking back completely. FWIW I got the program end of November and took a one day on line course with them (I HIGHLY recommend doing that to start even though it will not get you much of what you need for real life kitchen work it is still invaluable.) A day later I came down with the flu and was out for almost a month. Then had to do a complete house-kitchen, entry, office, media, two closets...I managed to get it out the door (wasn't pretty though '-> Bottom line is compared to anything out there -the learning curve is worth it. Guess I'll put this out there. By the end of the first quarter of '18 I'm scaling back and leaving my showroom. Will only be doing a minor amount of cabinet sales for select few. I intend to find a few clients to do finish drawings for (who is TBD). I've also done a bit of training and been outlining a book on using CA for kitchen dealers that I plan to write next year (once X10 is out) Though while I've written enough things like that over the years I don't have any idea how I'm going to distribute it. Besides you'll need something sooner Attached are two examples of recent jobs. Not the presentations but the final drawings. One has a schedule included and I'm attaching a CSV generated for that. The other are the drawings sent to the factory for a kind of complicated kitchen. There is no schedule for the second one since they use descriptions not codes (the acks are 26 pgs w/another 26 pages of drawings just would not fit.) Plan with schedule.pdf Recent to factory.pdf Schedule exported.csv

Attached the OOB X9 sets. OOB_X9.cadefs

I assumed it was custom of some sort though I've only seen custom curved done in frameless. If they were flat I'd guess the intermediate "rails" would likely be simply applied. In any case, pricey but someone would do it (In my old line of work I'd tell folks "If you know someone who does it don't call us"