Archnot-Boltz

+1 a PITA that doesn't have to be.

Fat Maxx 35' and a nerves of steel!!! (sorry)-bB

Cudos to phone support, apparently I'm the DA (and I'm not an attorney) on this one. Would be nice if Chief could automatically give you a gate, but fine this time around. bB

Did you ever figure out how to draw a GD chain link fence with this cryptic tool? I'm searching the web and about to call phone support an ***** a bit.-bB

.....and sometimes (most all times), you just have to throw in the towel and say "Good Enough for Con Docs"! I'll keep hoping and for sure, waiting for something more intuitive and user friendly from our friends at Chief (hey I'm only 61, so there's a chance of it happening in my lifetime). Have a nice weekend. Maybe I'll have to bite the bullet and look at some of Michael's "Secret Handshake" vids! -bB

Perry, you were on the right track. Glenn, I was just getting ready to post the plan when I re-checked the DBX of the offending dimension string (see attached image for the error of my ways). I have no idea how my dimension line's extension distance got changed from my default distance (3") to 242 5/16". It only occurs on that one string and is now fixed by changing the value back to 3". Thanks for the help and I will take the extra time in the future to post the plan (sorry Glenn, I just got a little lazy).-BB

Manual Dims. But why do they pick points in the wrong direction. Will check my extensions. This happens with Framing and CAD lines while in section views.thanks-BB

Why does Chief (x9) dimension to "Stage Left" when dimensioning to my header framing while in Vector Section View? See attached image. I do have the Framing Radio buttons Locate: Ends and Centers turned on in the DBX. Did they fix this issue in x10 ? If not, I'll go to "Suggestions". thanks for any comments or feedback. Brad Boltz

+1 For the Automatic Downspouts, has anyone dragged it over to Suggestions? Nicely crafted work-arounds by the way but you know how I am about work-arounds. May have to bite the bullet and learn a work-around just for the brain exercise.

It's a heck of a Long Time Issue for a program that will occasionally, automatically build walls that I don't want. I've been scratching my head about this one for a long time. BB

I did a general search and it brought me to this dead end discussion.

Wouldn't this type of graphical dbx make roof framing and truss creation a bit easier? The attached image is from an unknown program but shows the use of the term HAP (height above plate) which for me is better than Chief's use of the term "Baseline Height" in the imageless Roof Framing and Roof Plane dbx's Softplan uses a graphic section diagram similar to the attached image in their roof specification dbx (and that was way back in 1996 when I had the opportunity to use the program for about 4 months). I would like visual feed back such as this in many of the dbx's. Would illuminate confusion in many instances and make the program more intuitive and user friendly.-cheers-BB

I never understood the need for getting a new Dongle with every version upgrade. As Chief is doing currently, why couldn't they upgrade your hardware lock thru the computer the same as they do with the software check. Would only have to be done at each version upgrade and would allow that dongle to open and operate all previous versions. As it currently stands, I could give all of my old dongles to other people along with my manuals and program disks and they could be simultaneously using v7, 8, 9, 9.5, 10, x1-x5 while I plug away on x9. If the dongles were made backward compatible, it would be a whole lot easier to reference and bring drawings forward to the new version when needed. Personally, I would like to see a tool that would automatically bring all previous versions forward at each version upgrade. Kind of like migrating libraries. But what do I know? Just a thought and maybe not doable or valid.-bB

Still no relief thus far (X9) for these inadequate dimension tool snaps. Even with Grid turned off, Chief's dims will locate phantom points before snapping (if you're lucky) to relevant points in an elevation or section view (also note the PITA in that I can only make a CAD line parallel to a roof plane in a section view where the roof plane is cut but not in a regular elevation view that does not cut the roof plane). In my attached image example, I was not able to get a dimension to snap to my 9.25" beam (which is a framing item and I have my dims set to locate framing sides & centers). The image shows the proper 9 1/4" value only because I snapped the dim to the text arrow leader tip and then snapped the arrow leader to the bottom corner of the beam (how's that for a forkin' convoluted work-a-round time waster?). All other attempts to locate the bottom corner of said beam resulted in the dim locating the carriage bolts or the text arrow leader lines (and I have locate text- turned off in my dim settings) or just shooting off into space. Please fix this, Chief. This brings up the other ongoing issue with dimensions and the way Chief puts text and associated leader line arrows on the same layer but the text leader lines behave as CAD lines and cause all kinds of jumping around when moving nearby objects or CAD items. Same for the Bearing Line tool which I've had jump out of parallel because they followed some other item and went from xy ortho to some random diagonal relating to a moved object that it followed. -thanks for your consideration.-bB

Or simply divide by 100 = 51.69 Sq and round up to 52 squares of roofing. I wouldn't personally take the time to create a new unit but kind of cool to know you can and how to do it.

Was basically pointing out what I think is an inconsistent behavior in the program. I certainly appreciate the feedback. Drawing is of As-is-Conditions.-bb

Thanks Michael, I do indeed know how to get around the issue by either raising my roof planes to match the other three correct ones and or temporarily changing the invisible walls to normal then changing back, which is what I've done since my posting. I need to try your "Gap Material" method when I get a chance. That's a cleaver solution and use of the wall layers attributes. Probably a "Work-a-round" but still a cool one that won't cause me to ***** and actually one I should use when creating "Frameless Glass" shower enclosures. I still think that the behavior of the invisible walls is something that Chief should fix and I guess I should send it to Tech support as an issue. I can't imagine that it hasn't already been a requested fix but redundant requests only reinforce the issues. Thanks, again-Brad

I just drew some 4/12 pitch Truss designated Roof Planes on an open front pole building with a relative rough ceiling height of 17'4". The front of the building is open, so I'm using Invisible Walls to demarcate the open front (this is an existing conditions drawing). In the attached 3d Image (see also the attached plan file), the roof planes generate correctly on the 3 roof planes that bear on Regular Walls (17'4" clg hgt- Roof Baseline generates at 223.625"). The one roof plane that was drawn over the Invisible Wall, generates at a Roof Baseline Hgt of 104.75". When I change that wall from Invisible to Regular wall, the Roof Baseline will generate at the expected height of 223.625". Why would there be such a discrepancy? One would expect the ceiling height of the room that's determining the Roof Baseline on the other 3 roof planes to cause the Baseline over the Invisible Wall to be the same. If this is user error, then Chief's logic for drawing roofs is wrong. As a user since Chief'97, I don't understand why I would have such an unexpected result drawing such a simple roof. For me, this shows the need for Chief to allow the User to "Set a bearing height for roof planes, independent of ceiling or room heights which is limiting and has been an issue since before the X-Versions. thanks for any comments or feedback. Brad Boltz InvisibleWallsRoofBearingDiscrepancyDrawing.zip

It does in the Mastic library but the only one that has texture and patterns is the Grey (see attached). Too bad, because it displays better in both vector and standard views.The others have color but no pattern. Chief's Wood Bd & Batten has both but the battens are Iny's , more like a T-111. As far as Certainteed's (in the Bonus Cats, I missed seeing them for some reason, my bad.). Thanks for pointing it out Eric, I had found the Chief B&B and forgot about it too. Just call me Senior Momento's.

Good Point on the 3d, I hadn't thought of that.Thanks-BB

and maybe someday, Chief will update the siding libraries or get the siding mfrs to give us comprehensive "bim information" on their entire available product line. I don't understand the omission of CertainTeed's Board & Batten Siding from our library. At the very least, Chief could give us a Generic board and batten with color match capabilities. Please add the attached siding product line to our siding libraries.-thanks, Brad They give us such a huge amount of great library "usefull" stuff (counter top paper towel holders and floor mounted TP holders?) but grab bars and towel holders don't come with dimension friendly or accurate centerlines for proper placement and sizing (a continuing beef for moi). and I appologize to the great programmers who are doing a job that is way beyond my knowledge or capabilities when I couldn't even grasp Basic Fortran's 1's and 0's enough to create punch card's to do a simple 1+1=2 program in 1975! Just once in awhile I wish they would give CAD dummies like me, a month or year to draw live in front of you so that y'all could see how many of us "real world dummies" use and abuse your excellent program.-cheers and beers from Up Over to the Right(East Coast, not political ideology).-bB

Already have that setting. It's the second leader line( Options/Add Arrow) that doesn't have the 2(two) segments and requires using the break tool or the "Diamond" Grab Point. The "Diamond" Grab Handle causes the arrow to point back onto itself per my attached screenshot.

I'm sorry Joe, I used the wrong name for the tool. It is "Leader Line" text which to my way of thinking is a Text with a Leader Line (Capital "T" with and Arrow Icon). Typically in the past, I used the "break" tool to create the bend but recently (in X8), I started using the "diamond" grab handle which saves a mouse click. Why should I have to use the "break" tool when it's easier to grab the "diamond" handle & pull it to whatever object I'm pointing to? I just don't understand the need for the behavior of the arrow pointing back to itself and would like Chief to fix it. Thanks for examining the issue and corroborating the behavior when drawing a new "Text Arrow". -BB

First thing I look for. Always have on except when modifying a cad polyline. See attached Screen Shot attempting to explain sequence in which it occurs. I wish I knew how to do a vid to better describe the behavior. May have to bug phone support this morning.

Thanks Bill, I recently upgraded from 8 to 9 and I guess my snap settings migrated from 8? I'm thinking that maybe in X8 I must have changed it to 5 pixels to try and stop my dimensions from snapping off of "Ortho" when pulling a string across a busy drawing. Who knows. Looks like another case of "User Error".-bB