rlackore

It can be done, with caveats. The forum link in post #2 will give you an idea of some of the challenges. Our office has completed the following types of commercial projects in CA: 1. Tenant build-outs. 2. Exterior renovations. 3. Low-rise office/retail. 4. Restaurant. 5. Manufacturing buildings (metal framed). 6. Facilities (garages, maintenance buildings, etc.).

This is taken directly off the Chief website: "For all aspects of residential and light commercial design." How can they make this statement without providing the basic tools you need for even the simplest commercial job, such as a tenant build-out? No hollow metal framed doors? No storefronts? Unless they mean to say "home office", any claim to catering to the light commercial market is an outright lie.

A few major deficiencies (IMO): 1. Hollow metal doors and frames. 2. Storefronts. 3. Parapets. 4. Handrail and guardrail extensions, returns, etc. 5. Ability to parametrically draw modular office partitions (cubicles) and toilet partitions. I currently use railing walls, but there are certain drawbacks to this technique. 6. Allow lavatories to cut custom countertops without a base cabinet beneath. 7. Better stair controls for steel pan drop-in stairs, metal stairs, etc.

Attaching a plan would allow the rest of us to try exports/imports and see if we experience the same issue. Also, have you tried export/import as a DAE file - I believe some folks have had more success with that format.

davidinvest, In your previous post I outlined how to create a Material Region. You can follow the same steps, but instead of converting the closed polyline to a Material Region, convert it to a Polyline Solid. Then switch to plan view to position the solid in the x-y axis.

I can't read the attached image - too small for my eyes.

Maybe? But the "white wall" and the "brown wall" below appear to be in the same plane (at least to my eye). I guess we won't know until the OP clarifies things for us.

The MS paint line for Sherwin Williams was discontinued back in 2007. I think dropping it in X8 is long overdue. And unless there was an image file associated with the material, it shouldn't matter when you open your old plan in X8.

davidinvest, Perhaps you could post a sketch of what you're trying to achieve.

I don't consider 20mb out of control. I have files for large projects that are in excess of 120mb.

The problem is the Attic wall above. To to the Attic level, select the wall, open the Wall Specification dbx, and UNcheck Wall Types>Pony Wall.

If I understand your intent, you want the white portion to be arched to match the window; IOW - you're only concerned about achieving an arched material transition. This can be done quite easily with a Material Region. 1) Shoot a Cross Section/Elevation View: 2) Turn off the Patterns, 3D Views layer (to reduce clutter), then Create a CAD Detail from View: 3) Draw a closed CAD polyline in the shape you want. I drew mine in red just for visibility: 4) Select the shape, Copy it, then switch back to your Cross Section/Elevation View and Paste Hold Position. This places the shape in the correct position: 5) With the shape still selected, click on the Convert Polyline icon to bring up the dialog box. Make sure Material Region is selected and click OK: 6) In the Material Region Specification dialog box click the Edit Button to assign the material you desire. Leave the Cut Finish Layers of Parent Object checked: 7) Turn on the Patterns, 3D Views layer. Shoot an Orthographic Overview to make sure you like the result. If not, modify things as necessary. You can always return to the Cross Section Elevation View and modify the Material Region polyline to fine-tune the shape:

Johnny, Bump mapping simulates depth by playing with the lighting calculations. Displacement mapping actually perturbs the underlying surface geometry so you get much greater depth and accuracy in the rendering. However, displacement mapping is very costly compared to bump mapping - much more computational horsepower is required.

You will use roof planes to achieve what you want for the foyer - essentially you can ignore my post #8. You'll need to need to go to the basement level and draw a room divider across the foyer to make the landing area it's own separate room: Then open the Room Specification dbx and uncheck Ceiling Over This Room; this is the step that will give you the vault. Then draw your roof planes, set the baseline height to whatever value you need (I used 48" to approximate your exterior picture). You'll get something like this: As you can see there's no need to fuss about with the closet walls - their height will be determined by the roof planes.

Or, displacement maps. No extra geometry needed, just some time and attention to producing a quality height map for the material definition.

It sounds like you're talking about raytraces. If so, a decent solution that doesn't involve actual profiles would be if Chief implemented displacement maps in the material definition.

If you want the exterior walls set at 8', then use the closet Room Specification dbx to set the Ceiling ( to 8' above the Floor ©, which is 29.5 inches: ...but I suspect you're talking about something like this, which can be accomplished by manually dragging the walls down to the proper height: For exact control of the height, shoot a wall elevation, select the top of the wall to activate the temporary dimension, then click on and enter the dimension. I used 8'-10" because your closet floor is defined as 10": Then you'll have to cap the closet with a soffit to make it look pretty:

The garage can be fixed by adjusting the Room Specification>Structure settings: You can set them to achieve exactly what you want for stem wall height - I just matched the footing on the main house.

Yeah, see my modified post above. When you change the closet floor elevation it will move to the landing:

If the closet is on the basement level, then draw it on the basement, not the first floor. Okay, never mind, you posted a plan. For the closet open the Room Specification dbx and adjust the Structure>Absolute Elevations>Floor value to match the landing height:

Please attach the plan.

I believe you answered your own question regarding how to insert an image. I also assume we're moving on to your real question, which is wall intersections. Try using the Wall Layer Intersections tool, which is this icon here:

David, I believe the OP is trying to assign a profile that will show up in a cross-section. Home_design, you should delete one of your duplicate posts. And you should put a name in your signature so we know what to call you (you can make one up if you don't like the one your parents gave you).

See the picture. Select the Bottom Rail from the drop-down and Replace the profile with a round section.

Zero-depth wall layers are showing up as 1/16" thick in section in X7: This didn't occur in X6 (I just verified this). Can anyone verify for me that this normal X7 behavior? I've also attached some of my wall type defs for reference: walldefs.calibz