rlackore

I'm assuming the pdf has a graphic that you want to apply to the wall sign. Images in pdf documents are embedded and can be extracted if the document isn't protected. The steps are easy. Open the pdf in a pdf viewer/editor. Select the graphic by clicking on it. It should highlight. If you use Adobe Reader, it will highlight in blue. Right-click and copy the image. Open your favorite image editor (Microsoft Paint works fine), and paste the image, then save it somewhere. In Chief, create a new material and assign the Texture Source to the image. Under Scale, select Stretch to Fit. Assign the new material to your wall sign (p-solid, material region, whatever). Here's a quick and dirty wall sign created with a material region and the steps I described above, using a graphic copied from the X5 User Guide.

Doug, I sincerely apologize for being stupid. You are correct. Sorry for wasting your time.

Thanks Lew.

Sounds to me like the leaders became associated with specific objects, such as cad linework, walls, text, etc. Then, when the object is moved, the leader moves with it, often giving wild and undesirable results. I'm not aware of any way to prevent this association - if I did, I would turn it off.

Here is my plan file, set up at 1/4:12, Print Preview enabled: Here is my layout file, sent at 1/4:12, Layout Line Scaling enabled, Print Preview enabled: I would expect the line style scaling to be the same.

Jim, Nice pdf. Coming from an AutoCAD background, it's always been annoying to me that CA auto-scales dimensions, labels, and line styles according to the screen zoom level. If my Drawing Sheet Setup is set to 1/4:12, then I want my line styles to display at this print scale (relative to all the other geometry), regardless of the screen's zoom level. Here is an illustration of why I'm frustrated with CA's paradigm: I set my Drawing Sheet Setup to 1/4:12. I create a new line style to show a sediment fence. In plan, I enable Show Line Weights, which displays my new line style RELATIVE to the other line styles: When I sent to layout at 1/4:12 with Use Layout Line Scaling I get this: Why don't they display the same? Sheet Setup is 1/4:12, layout box is 1/4:12. I only get the "correct" output if I DON'T enable Layout Line Scaling, but then I lose the benefits of Layout Line Scaling. Further, in layout, enabling/disabling Show Line Weights DOESN'T affect the auto-scaling of line styles. I'm sure I'm missing something, or not thinking about things correctly. Maybe someone can set me straight.

Doug, Have you ever considered a hardware certification program, similar to what some of the AutoDesk products participate in? I think a lot of CA users, both current and future, would appreciate having something more to go on than "mid-high end." Some solid specifications, or certified hardware, would help us nail down our budgets and and avoid making an under-powered or over-powered purchase.

I think CA has created a confusing issue, using the display of line WEIGHT to also control the display of relative line style SCALE. Combine this with Use Layout Line Scale when sending to layout, and it's a complete mess.

Brilliant, though for me it's counter-intuitive. In order to prevent the line styles from scaling (in terms of length of dashes, etc), I have to check "Show Line Weights". I've always had this unchecked. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

It's quick and easy to create a custom door type out of polyline solid (door slab) and two molding polylines (for the base). Use global symbol mapping for the wall/door material, and things will line up properly. The trick that I haven't figured out is how to flush the door with the wall.

I just selected the upper dormer wall in ortho view and dragged the bottom down.

One of the issues I have with CA is its automatic scaling of certain objects depending on your zoom level, eg dimensions, labels, and line styles. You can "turn off" dimension and label auto-scaling in the Preferences>Appearance>Minimum Display Size - set both values to zero. Unfortunately, I haven't discovered a way to prevent the line styles from auto-scaling.

Too obvious. Thanks.

Okay, never mind. I've discovered that there is a very, very tiny "sweet spot" that will activate the autoscroll up. However, try as I might, I can't find a sweet spot for autoscrolling down.

In X5 I was able to select an item in the library browser, drag it toward the top of the library window, and the library would autoscroll. this allowed me to drop the item into a folder that wasn't visible because it was somewhere near the top. I seem to have lost this functionality in X6, so I have to copy the item, scroll, paste the item, delete the original. Is anyone else having this problem?

With "flat under eave subfascia" checked, and "automatically build roof framing" checked, I get a result just like Jim's. Larry, you're screen shots don't show the roof framing being built.

Automatically build roof framing should cut your rafter tail even with the bottom of the subfascia.

Your plan file is zero kilobytes. Have you thrown a shingle texture on the molding? Does the pattern and the texture display better than when using roofs?

This is what I mean. M. compound curved roof.plan

What you want to draw is what CA calls compound curved roofs. You need two roof planes (where you've drawn only one), and only the lower plan is defined as "curved." Check it out in the manual - it's all explained there.

Selecting Main Layer will calculate Standard Area to the exterior face of the Main Layer. Selecting Surface will calculate Standard Area to the exterior face of the exterior finish of the wall, minus bay, box, and bow windows. This is in line with the ANSI Z765 method for calculating square footage.

Yes, lots of railings in the plan. This is good info. Okay, thanks. I cleaned and purged. Noted. My boss wants interior furniture, gadgets, etc shown in plan, so they are in the plan, but I turned off the layers for exterior views. Nope. Since we recently upgraded to X6, I've been working with multiple windows open: plan, sections, details, 3D, etc. I'm starting to think this is my problem. I seems that CA is "Building 3D Model" for every 3D window I have open. I was expecting something quicker, such as 1 rebuild and then 5 screen refreshes (one refresh per open view). I'm not looking forward to having to scale back on the number of my open 3D views, but I guess I'll have to work within the system. Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions, and to Jim Lawes for offering to inspect the plan. I'm marking this as solved.

Thanks for the info. My box actually has two discreet 5150s, for a total of 4 cores - but I get what your saying.

I imagine bloat can certainly be an issue. However, why does CA Merge/Generate/Finalize every floor 10 times? All I'm changing is the display color of a material definition.

It also happens when I create a new material, even though I don't assign it to anything in the model.