Archnot-Boltz

Am I correct in assuming that the Chief App will be available for loading onto an iPhone or iPad? Then, the scan file can be imported directly into a Chief file that resides on a Windows PC? thanks, BB

Hey Glenn, long time no hear. I just Googled this subject because I still have issue navigating "help" and c an find Chief items easier via Google. I too was able to rotate a rectangle about a point using this tool but as I recall from using it a couple years ago, once rotated from 0 degrees, you can't rotate back to 0 degrees. See attached image. Is there any solution to this issue other than using the angular dimension tool to move it back to 0 degrees (horizontal)? Cheers, Brad

Ok, I've made this request in the past as a request to fix a ridiculous anomaly (like how the Deck Ledger always attaches to the house rim joist instead of the sheathing (which should be the designer's option, not Chiefs) and or as a feature request to have the ability to set a default that will prevent the automatic framing mistake or developer oversight that causes the last rafter or raked rafter ledger board against the house to always match the ridge beam size . This causes multiple manually resizing of said member during the design and client presentation process, as well as a final resizing after turning off automatic roof framing. It seems like a 10 minute patch fix for the guys that write code for Chief. Please add as a "Productivity Feature" in Chief 18. Humbley and mumbley (you don't want to know what I mumble) yours-BB

I'm using a 32" with a mild curve beside a 16" Lenova laptop with an I9 and an RTX4070 8gig. Back in the "old days" V-8 and V-9 etc. There was a toilet icon that automatically took you to the generic plumbing fixtures library. The electrical library was similar and actually had easier to find fixtures. Do you actually use all of those icons. You seem like a short-cut key kind of guy? I'm solely icon driven.

Holy crap, that's a tool bar from hell (or heaven!), wow! What do you have, a 72" monitor? Actually, I'd like to get the plumbing stuff back on my extended toolbar like I used to have on the pre-X versions. Now, I'm motivated.-bb

Then after downloading the library, I couldn't find the library but found the original library that I was searching under Iron Columns after having searched "Wrought Iron Columns"!

Didn't that irritate the heck out of you (long time power user) that you couldn't simply/easily find this column in a logical place in the program? I had to google the topic to find this post. Otherwise, I was just swimming in the wind.

Having good luck with our two i9s with 8 gig NVIDIA rtx's thus far. Just wish we'd gotten the 16 or 17 instead of the 15". My daughter has a 17" i7 Lenova that she's had for five years doing digital arts (3d modeling and game art and is still kicking with only 6 gig NVIDIA GTX). I still wish they put DVD drives in them! bb

Like my co-worker (who now primarily uses Softplan), I was completely underwhelmed by yesterday's X16 features presentation. Kudos for finally giving us snap points on windows and doors, more control on railings and newels but still didn't go far enough. 3d dimensions seem like a decent way to clarify a detail for a builder or client and of course if you're modeling in 3d. Nothing said about being able to make your deck stair railings align with your deck railings, no secondary graspable handrails (see Softplan) etc. Oh, and the corner shelves thing is nice but would rather have my exterior wall intersections improved and ability to lock the intersections and framing. One day I'll get off my brain and make an analog list. Until then, I guess I'll shut up and wait for the beta to download and hope that there are some hidden gems not covered. -bb

I stand corrected. Thanks DB and I'm glad the bears didn't eat you!

My co-worker switched to SP two years ago and thinks that SP is oriented more towards builder details and what it takes to design and draft a set of construction documents. SP (he tells me daily) focuses on fixing things that a builder/designer needs while Chief lets us languish with no Framing for Stairs and Landings. SP gives you automatic joist hanger placement. SP gives you automatic secondary graspable railings that are required by the IRC. and I could go on. From my own perspective and initial use of SP back in 1997 when it was still a DOS program (and the first CAD software that I could wrap my architectural designer head around), SP was a much more mature program than Chief '97 which was 3D Home Architect on steroids and seemed initially, a bit "Mickey Mouse" in comparison. Ultimately, purchasing Chief came down to a better brain to hand interface that felt more like drawing than CAD drafting combined with a great intro price deal of $699.00 (can't remember if more or less) vs about $1900.00 for SP which I couldn't afford in 1998. I've always thought that Chief and Softplan should be bought out by a savy tech company with deep pockets like a Google (except they dropped the ball with Sketchup) and marry SP to Chief and Sketchup and have a badarse baby. But that ain't happening in my lifetime (unless Elon Musk is listening!?). To finish, I'm wondering if X-16 has addressed any of these glaringly missing construction drawing tools that SP has been implementing? Or did we just get another Grand Cabinet Library?! -BB

Is it me or does it seem anything but intuitive to not just be able to create and modify a schedule and have it automatically able to be send to layout? Create CAD Detail from View is a convoluted process by not just sending a PRE-Cropped View and having to delete all the superfluous crap in order to have a clean detail. I had to look up this string on Google in order to remember how to send a schedule to layout. Fortunately, I've been able to do additions and such without schedules but indure the pain everytime I need to include them in my drawings.

Seems like a suggestions request item to me. Maybe it's been addressed in X16! bb

Hey Dermot, I just edited my post, there's no issue with the Mod-Bit roof material pattern but the issue does occur with the CAD lines that I had evidentally drawn manually but forgot.. I couldn't get your phone tech (Devin) to get the same results so I'm sending the plan in with "Attention Devin".- Thanks BB

Ok, here attached is an image of an issue that I occaissionally have and can never figure out why when creating a Line of Text with a Leader line arrow, I sometimes get a second arrow at the change of leader line direction (elbow). This is frustrating when it happens but I figured out the issue today. In my attached image, my roofing material is Modified Bitument and for some reason, the horizontal lines of this material pattern are individually selectable as CAD Lines. (while on the phone with Tech Support, I realized that I must have manually drawn the horizontal lines on my roof elevation view, so there's nothing wierd with the Mod-Bit roof pattern, my Bad) When I try to play a text line with leader arrow (Chief continues to name these "dumb" which is misleading), I get two leader lines with arrows . When I place the same text line with leader arrow in a different space off to the side of the roof, I get the expected result of one arrow. Also in my image, I created a CAD Polygon (I still don't know what a polyline is from my days in geometry class - to me, a polyline would be an un-closed polygon) with horizontal CAD lines 0.25" OC. When I place a line of Text with a leader line and arrow, I get the same issue as I did placing my text object on my roof plane. So, the problem is occurring because Chief's Leader Lines with Arrows are CAD items on a CAD layer and I think they should be Text Items on a Separate Text Layer. When you Underline a section of Text, Chief doesn't treat the underline as a separate CAD Line, so why do it with our Text Leader Lines and Arrows? So, is this a Bug or just a "fringe benefit" of Chief's layering logic? I'm open for the critiques, bring em!!