zowie123

Hi All, I have 4 rows and 4 columns of 22x22 windows. I can block each row or each column separately, but not all the rows and columns together. It gives me the warning that I need to have the windows within 24" of each other and align vertically and horizontally. I created one row then cont alt v from one to the next, they are aligned as perfectly as they can be. Arrg... Does anyone know an easy fix for this? Thank you, Barry

Thank you Joe, that's exactly the conclusion that my small brain was on the verge of solidifying. Good on you mate, thanks again.

After extensive research this week downloading, subscribing and testing, I finally settled on this following options. My criteria was: single user small business, timers available in the windows tray, simple client billing and expense tracking. I also wanted a program that tracked all my computer usage so I could go back and confirm times if I lost track. Only the subscriber type billing programs offer all this in one and generally cost about $15 to $30 dollars a month. I found them all to be overkill for a small business, bulky and generally more time consuming than the task warrants. However, subscription based programs do have their place if you're tracking multiple people in multiple places. I found two in-computer programs that achieve the same results for much less cost and hassle. I settled on Fanurio for tracking time, billing and expenses. It's an efficient small program with a non intrusive timer, or multiple timers that sits in the tray. It's robust and easy. For tracking all my activity by program daily, I settled on Visual Time Analyzer over Manic Time. I downloaded a second browser program--Opera browser and use that exclusively for work related searches, so I can separate casual browsing from work browsing. Visual Time Analyzer allows you to create Projects/Filters so I can track only a few programs, not everyone of them. You can see them by day week month. Manic Time is amazing--very well programmed, but at this time doesn't allow simple filtering. I wrote the programmer and he said that will come in a few months. Hope that helps, Barry First Line Design--Seattle

Hey it takes a village! Thanks for all your shared knowledge. Hearing all the viewpoints is helpful. Cheers!

Hi, I want to copy a couple of wall colors and floor finishes, not all. What's the best way to bring those things from one plan to another? The eye dropper doesn't seem to hold the choices from one plan to another, but I recall there being a way. Old time user getting back into the grind. Thank you, Barry

It would be great if we could just have the Layers DBX open all the time (maybe on a separate monitor) and turn things on and off on the fly instead of click, scroll, click, click every time we want to change the layers we are seeing. Huge Yes Too! Yes please, more professional menus, this windows tab dbx thing is stone age and makes chief look like toy compared to more modern programs. #1 issue and time waster on my list.

Hi Adam, I'm looking for a good time tracker as well. I was considering Chrometa until I read your post. I feel I would benefit more from one that kept track of my computer activities as Chrometa does. Please let me know if you find something useful. Thank you, Barry Barry at firstlinedesign dot com

Hey, you're right Larry! It takes a village......It even works if you have an existing foundation--I'm using Scott's SAM method. Just go to floor 1 Structure DBX, check Monolithic Slab which automatically checks Floor Supplied by the foundation Room below--and looks screwy in the cross section of the DBX. say OK. Then go to floor 0 uncheck monolithic slab in the DBX and check Floor Structure (L) 4" as default. click OK. Then go back up to floor 1 and it looks like it's supposed to. It's a Christmas miracle I tell you, on this day another work around is born! Thanks you, Barry

Thanks Larry, I'm all too familiar with the defaults dbx, but that's the issue. At the 0 level you set the slab at 4" in Foundation, then when you go into Floor defaults, K and L are usually something other than 4". You can edit them to 4", but if you click the default they will generally default to what your first floor has--It seems that 4" should be the default because I made it that in the Foundation defaults, but maybe this adds more latitude. I'm just wondering if I've been missing something all these years. Is there actually is a default for a 4" slab floor at level 0 or do you have to edit K and L to get a 4" slab? Thanks again. Barry

Hi all, I've never understood this. In Defaults Foundation you say slab 4" then you got to defaults Floor and invariably you'll see Floor Finish (K) and Floor Structure(L) reflecting the main floor dimensions, 7/8 and 12 5/8, I can edit them to 4" and make this slab at top of footing look right, but If I check default it goes back to 7/8" and 12 5/8. Is there no default for this foundation floor? Should I not worry that 4" is not showing up in the 0 floor level floor structure (l) box and just edit it to 4 and be done with it? Or is there a more correct way to define my 0 floor slab on footing? Thank you, Barry

Thank you Joseph, I get most of that and I also create anno sets for Architectural, Structural, Electical, Plumbing, HVAC, etc, mainly because I don't understand the complexities of the hierarchy within the system to know what's affecting what. I guess I will stick with the obvious for now, I was just wondering if the edit pen within the Annotation set defaults actually changes the actual defaults or the subset of defaults. It seems there's several places one can edit hierarchies which adds to the confusion. Thank you, Barry

Hi all, I'm confused about Annotation set defaults? So if I choose the stock Electrical Annotations it changes Current CAD, Dimensions, Rich Text, Text, Callouts, Markers, Arrows and Layer Sets to Electrical CAD, Electric Dimensions..Electric Rich text, etc But Does one need to change all these items between Current CAD and Layer Set? Or... can I just change the Current CAD Layer and Layer Set and use 1/4" default for the rest? Then edit the 1/4" Scale Attributes? Does Edit change the 1/4" Scale defaults or does it somehow amend defaults on a unique level? I was on a roll creating a new template until I confused myself at the Anno set defaults:( It seems there are videos showing both methods and I'm not sure why either is correct anymore--perhaps some sleep would help:) Thank you, Barry

If you have a multitude of height in one building it's not that fast, You have to have both plans open and go through each room's dbx.. It's actually quite time consuming and it leave a lot of room for error. Thank you.

Using a macro to fix the 10 year old problem of living area displacement, how bloody brilliant! Quick, someone wake-up a programmer and alert them to this good news. All hail macro-beth! Zzzz...

There's a bit lost in translation, let me see if I can clarify: I don't want to create a template from my old plan because it doesn't have any of the my new template attributes that I want to use: My new Template plan has all the new layer sets I created along with elevation and cross section cameras pre-laid out with corresponding pre-arranged details, dimension lines and notes. Opening an x5 plan into x6 only updates it to x6 as is, it doesn't take on the new layer sets--which I could import--but it also doesn't use any of the pre-laid out cross section and elevation camera views which I have populated with dimensions and notes. If, Edit All Floors, kept the floor heights when copied from plan to plan, then I could pop it into the new Template plan and maintain the integrity of both the structure and the views I have pre-populated with info in my new Template. Anyway, this took longer to explain than just going through the structure and resetting all the floor heights:) It's not something that needs to be done too often, but it would be nice to have the option to keep floor hts when copying using the Edit Area All Floors option. Thanks for all your input, Barry

So I tried everything you suggested and it's not actually doing what I need. My new Template plan has all the new layer sets, elevation and cross section cameras laid out with pre-arranged details and dimension lines. I made a template from this plan. Opening an old plan keeps all the old layer sets and doesn't open into the new template plan with all its Elevation and Cross cameras, It essentially just opens and x5 plan in x6 as is. I can import my layer sets, but not the camera views with preset data. So as far as I can tell, it would be necessary to Edit Area all Floor Copy into a new Template of this type to maintain the integrity of my new template. Having the option to maintain floor hts would also be necessary to maintain the integrity of the original structure. Thank you very much for considering this funky situation. Barry

Thank you Perry, But....All defaults except floor and ceiling hts transfer, they seem to have left floor and ceiling hts out of the defaults?? I created a new plan, imported all defaults from the plan I want to move, then I used Edit All Floors to copy my structure, the notice popped up, the new ceiling and floor hts are different then the plan you are copying into, and indeed it defaulted to the new plan hts. It seems there should be an option to keep all floor and ceiling hts as is? If you have any other work arounds you can think of please let me know, I'm out of ideas for this. I was in Alaska for 2 weeks, just getting back to pick-up this issue. Thanks! The reason I'm doing this is because I've created a new template plan with all the macros layer sets, elevation cameras with dimensions and what not to make life easier and I wanted to transfer this old project into my new template. I could import my layer sets and macros and maybe crossection and elevation cameras. But this plan was started in x5 and I thought it would be more prudent to edit all floors and copy the plan into the new x6 template. Akk! confusing myself now.

Anyone in Seattle who's interested in meeting from time to time to discuss best practices and trade stuff? Email me at barry at firstlinedesign.com at symbol omitted to confuse the spam monsters.

Hi all, So, I copy the the whole house to a new plan through the edit area all floors option. When I paste into the new plan, it takes on the default heights of the new plan for floor foundation roof etc. I would have to go through and pre-set all that info, but all the rooms are different hts. Pasting into new plan defaults destroys the structure I have and it would take a long time to rectify. Is there a way to paste into the new plan and keep all the fl. Height as is? It would be great if when you copied a structure that you had the choice of keeping all that info as is. Thank you, Zowie

YES! Primary format, use the " thingy instead of the ' " marks and it changes. Good on you mate! Thank you

Hi! Perhaps my approach is wrong. When I make a point to point measurement, click on it, open the dbx and change number style to Fractional Inches and say OK, it doesn't change. It stays Feet Fractional inches. I thought we were able to do this with individual strings of measurments, but maybe I'm wrong? Latest chief 6.4 something.

Thanks for your help with this one too. It's very helpful to hear how people organize and why. Good input joy.

If I click through to a plan from layout, make some walls invisible then go back to layout --refresh and everything, it sill shows the walls. If I click into that plan again the walls are indeed invisible, back to layout, not invisible. However, on the same layout page, the walls I disappeared on the second floor view--right next to the 1st floor view, are reflected correctly in layout.?? Am I going crazy? Is there another secret way to refresh?

Thank you all for your great answers..

Essentially It shows up at 36" off the first floor not the second floor. Was that always the case? I thought when I drew them on the second floor, it knew that it was 36" off the second floor? Just checking to see if I should readjust my expectations:) Thank you for considering, Zowie.