rlackore

If all you're planning to do is build shelves with hanging rods, then 24" minimum on each side of the aisle; make the aisle width what is comfortable for you, but 24" would again be my suggested minimum. If you are planning a more complex project, this PDF guide from Canyon Creek explains almost everything you need to know: Closet Design Guidelines.pdf

Shoot an elevation, create a CAD Detail from View, and draw the shape using the CAD tools. Then copy/paste-hold to the elevation, convert the polyline to a Polyline Solid, and use a plan view to position it correctly.

This is very weird. I've always thought of a CAD block as purely CAD objects - no smart objects like a countertop hole. It makes me wonder what other smart objects I can embed into a CAD block, and will they behave as expected if they aren't assigned to a symbol?

Where are you trying to draw the walls? Which roof plane? Knee walls are explained on page 290 of the Reference Manual - this explains the error message better than I can.

I can't help you with your email without knowing what email program you use, but simply adding the saved raytrace as an attachment should work fine. Same for the PDFs, or almost any other file for that matter.

After the Raytrace is complete: File>Export Picture

File>Print>Print>Save as PDF You can select the A4 sheet size assuming your Layout is set up for A4.

If it's just for decoration you can use Soffits - they can be set up to follow the slope of the ceiling plane. Check out page 779 of the X7 Reference Manual.

You can extract the image used in the SketchUp file and import into Chief using Build>Image>Create Image. Then it will have the proper "face me" behavior. EDIT: Or better yet, use Terrain>Plant>Create Plant Image. Then you can add all sorts of plant data if you want.

What we need is Chief to give us area lights, volume lights, dark lights, etc. These have been requested before, but the more people that post in the Suggestion Forum the better.

The symbol is just parts built from primitives - took about 1 minute. I created the Material texture image in Genetica (by Spiral Graphics), but it could just as easily be created in Gimp or Photoshop using the Selection tool to select areas to make transparent; then save the image as PNG file to preserve the transparency and use it in the Chief Material.

You can make a Symbol by creating a Face and assigning it a Material that uses the plant image as the Texture - BUT it's a pointless exercise because the Symbol won't behave like the plant Image - in other words it won't automatically turn to face the camera. Chief hasn't given us the ability to assign that kind of behavior to a Symbol - only to an Image.

You can also use a material with transparency to achieve this: It saves you some polygons.

Yeah, I understand that technology budgets are never given the priority they deserve. The nice thing about assets like the Xfrog plants and trees is that they never expire - no annual licensing fees - you buy it, you own it. I also understand that the boss usually expects more than a most employees can deliver within a reasonable time frame and budget. All you can do is explain to your boss that if he wants pretty flowers and trees, he needs to pay for them.

I don't believe there is an option to display to the main layer. There is nothing that allows this in Preferences, Defaults, or the Plan Footprint dbx.

Xfrog is a company. It's employees expect a paycheck. Most of their assets are used by professionals for commercial work that generates income. Have you EVER tried to model a flower or a tree? Not easy - though you could use Xfrog's excellent software for windows, only US $190, and create your own. If you monitor Xfrog's site they will periodically offer even more free stuff. Get on their mailing list if you want to be emailed offers. And I would assert that if you can invest US $2700 in Chief Premier, then you can afford US $169 for a flower bundle.

The faucet in your first post was created, and the material was mapped, in SketchUp. SketchUp has tools that allow mapping a photographic image to objects, including positioning the image, wrapping it around cylinders and corners, etc. Chief doesn't have these tools.

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.