rlackore

If you don't have any drafting or modeling experience, some terms can be confusing. Terms vary between software programs and professional disciplines. A profile is a representation of an object in outline represented or seen in a side view. A section is the profile of something as it would appear if cut through by an intersecting plane. Draw something in Chief. Literally anything with three dimensions: a wall, a slab, terrain - insert a symbol - whatever. Draw a wall and insert a window: Now cut a section through the wall at the window using Chief's Cross Section/Elevation tool: The Cross Section/Elevation view will automatically open. You are now looking at a section through the wall and window. To model a skate park ramp start with a blank plan. Use the Cross Section/Elevation tool to open a Cross Section/Elevation window. Don't worry that there is nothing visible - all you're actually doing is asking Chief to create a window that allows you to draw on an x/y-z plane. Now use the CAD tools to draw the profile of the ramp, just like I did here: Be sure that the profile is a closed polyline - in other words all the vertices need to be joined to form a closed loop - no open ends allowed. Now select the profile, click the Convert Polyline tool icon, and select Polyline Solid in the Convert Polyline dialog box: When the Polyline Solid Specification dialog box pops up you can change the properties. Use the Thickness setting to set the width of the ramp: Click OK to close the dialog box, shoot an Orthographic Full Overview, and admire your new ramp (use the All On layerset to make sure the ramp's layer is turned on): Once you understand the basic concepts it's a simple matter to create profile sections in Chief using the CAD tools; then give the profile section depth by converting it to a Polyline Solid. If you're still having trouble do a Google search - there's plenty of information out there. Have you downloaded and read the Chief Reference Manual? It has many topics that can help you understand the steps I've described above. I hope this helps - there isn't much more I can do to explain the process.

Xfrog.com is always offering free stuff, both 2D and 3D.

Read about pre-defined metals on page 854 of the Reference Manual. You can assign these in the Properties tab of the Define Materials dialog box: EDIT: Please note that these metals will only show up as shiny in a Raytrace.

All we're referring to is a closed polyline that describes the profile of the shape in a section view. For instance, to create the skate park sections in this picture: ...I opened a Cross Section/Elevation view and created these two closed polyline section profiles: ...then converted them to Polyline Solids.

If you're not creating the slab as part of the room's floor definition, then you can draw a polyline in the shape you need and use the Convert Polyline tool to create the slab.

Draw a closed polyline. Assign a solid fill to the closed polyline. Adjust the transparency setting.

No idea.

I'm sure you noticed this: So, yes, maybe this functionality has been lost.

Don't confuse Primitives with Polyline Solids. You can create all kinds of shapes with Polyline Solids - simply draw a section profile, then convert it to a Polyline Solid: The Reference Manual covers Polyline Solids starting on page 776. EDIT: When building the skate park elements be sure to create the section profiles in an elevation view.

How could you create a union of shapes that don't intersect each other? From the CA X7 manual in reference to creating a Union: "If the original objects do not overlap, they will either not produce a new object or will be duplicated on top of themselves."

Here is some more detail to what I outlined in post #2: 1. Create molding profile in plan view and save it to your User Library: 2. Shoot an elevation of the building (3D>Create Orthographic View>Cross Section/Elevation): 3. Create a detail from the elevation view (CAD>CAD Detail From View): 4. While in the Detail view select the lines across the top of the facade that you need to assign the molding to, then Edit>Copy, switch back to the Elevation view, and Edit>Paste Hold Position. Immediately (without de-selecting the lines) convert them to 3D Molding Polylines: 5. Assign the correct settings in the 3D Molding Polyline Specification dbx; you'll have to play with them to get them correct: 6. Work on each molding separately - sometimes when 3D molding polylines are close together they will behave unpredictably when editing them. You may have to move them away from each other and edit them one at a time. You can achieve a return at the ends by extending the a perpendicular leg an inch or so. With a bit of work you should be able to get what you're after: EDIT: You could also create a single instance of the molding in 3D, save it as a symbol, assign stretch planes, and plop it into your plan.

See what we mean? All you have to do is post the plan - and an instant answer!

Create the molding profile and save it to your Library. Shoot an elevation, then create a Detail From View. Select the lines from the Detail that define the top edges of the facade, copy them to the Elevation, and turn them into 3D Molding Polylines, assign the saved Profile, then position them in place.

Post your plan.

Xfrog is far from a scam. Can you model 3D trees? You have to pay for quality assets. Besides, there are many 2D and 3D models available from Xfrog for free. As far as the skate ramps, this is a quote from your first post: "I'm very new to CA and I'm trying to make some man-made hills & mounds for the landscaping in my project." No mention of skate ramps. To make skate ramps like you see in the video, I'd suggest learning to create Polyline Solids from closed Polylines, and review the Primitive Solids tools as well. Or you can model them in another program and import them into Chief Architect.

If they are steel-plate connected light wood trusses, then yes. Of course, you will also need beams to carry the trusses. And lateral bracing, etc. All I was doing was giving you a solution of how to accomplish the truss profile - nothing more.

You can modify the truss envelope. Don't know if this is exactly what you're looking for: Matt Pole Barn.plan EDIT: Plus everything Graeme said.

You can get plants, both 2D and 3D, from Xfrog.com. Have you tried using the Terrain>Modifier>Hill and Terrain>Modifier>Valley tools? Here is a hill shape that took about 10 seconds. You can achieve all kinds of shapes using the Advanced Splines tools.

Only the OP can tell us for sure, but yes, I think you're interpreting his request too literally. My take on his request is that he's looking to provide a calculated amperage total so branch circuits can be sized properly. I'm sure your familiar with the NEC section that says something like "branch circuits shall be rated in accordance with the maximum permitted ampere rating...". Conductors are also rated by ampacity - so again, you want to know how many amps your placing on the circuit so you can size the conductor (and the breaker) properly. Of course, I could be totally wrong about what the OP is looking to achieve. Maybe he's dealing with systems over 120 volts and conductor runs greater than 1000 feet.

This file only shows a 2D CAD block - no 3D symbol or other geometry.

Huh? P=I x V. It doesn't matter whether you calculate your circuit load based on amps or watts. For lighting circuits it may be more convenient to use watts because that's how lighting fixtures are labeled, but for equipment circuits I find it's easier to use amps.

No trick - as I stated, it's trial and error. The SketchUp file was created in metric. Using metric settings for the import option didn't seem to work as expected, it seemed like regardless of the import option setting CA was actually importing in imperial. Again, I wasn't smart enough to figure out the rhythm or reason - I just played until it I achieved a satisfactory result. Maybe someone else is smarter.

You can also add a custom Component SubCategory. This example schedule includes Circuit and Amps. After the Schedule is complete, you'd have to hand-jam the totals.

Switch back to Edit>Edit Behavior>Default, then grab the end point of one of the lines and snap it to the end point of the other - the will "heal" and join back together.

I successfully imported the table from both the SketchUp and the AutoCAD files. The trick is to discover (sometimes through trial and error) the best import options, then using the Symbol Specification dbx to assign offset and size values.