Chrisb222

Chief is optimized fine for me. I use a Mac Mini Late 2014 with 8 GB RAM and on-board Intel graphics, driving two 24" monitors. Probably the weakest system possible to run X11. I can pan around elevations and cross sections with no problem, pretty much real-time except for normal jitters. Orbiting around 3D views is also snappy. Never crashes (knock on wood). Never.

Arial Narrow all caps ~97% Chief Blueprint ~3%

You can also just turn off display of the layer they're on, "Footings, Step Markers."

I typically show shadows on the front elevation only, but yeah when I've shown them on all elevations I use Sun Follows Camera. I don't send color plot lines, so everything including the foundation is black and white.

Depends largely on what one considers "pop" and how much resource they want to put into achieving it. For myself, I find I'm satisfied with a quick simple approach that gets me 80% of where I'd like to be. To get another 10 or 15 percent isn't worth the effort IMO. The techniques I use are, shadows on in Vector View, add some grayscale trees, send to Layout as Plot Lines with "Use Edge Line Defaults" and "Use Pattern Line Defaults" both checked, 20 and 10 line weight respectively. Once in layout, open the object view and change Pattern Line Defaults line color to a light gray. For myself, this got me to a point where I didn't need to develop my technique any more. It's fast, easy, and I like the result.

I have wanted to do something similar but haven't been able to accomplish what you're trying to do, due to Chief's limitations on controlling wall display. At least within my limited knowledge. I have, however, come up with a solution I'm comfortable with, that I understand, and that gets me close to where I want to be. I like to show standard floor plans dimensioned to rough framing, but kitchen layouts to the finished wall surface. And I never want to show layers unless it's a wall with a brick or stone veneer. The two screen captures show an example of my finished drawings, using wall definitions and layer settings. You can see how the floor plan has a 3-1/2" thick interior wall and the kitchen plan has a 4-1/2" thick wall, and the exterior wall is gray on the floorpan and white on the kitchen plan. This is working for me but it would be nice if the wall display had more flexibility.

If I understand what you did, this might be where you went wrong. Do you mean you "changed each wall with stemwall under to show UPPER" ... in the Wall Specification DBX? Because for this to work, ALL PONY WALLS MUST HAVE "DISPLAY IN PLAN VIEW" CHECKED AS "DEFAULT" IN THE WALL SPEC DBX.

Cut/paste in place is a great tool, use it all the time. Also very handy when moving stuff between floors.

This works. Had to drag the walls back up and the "room" that was the box window is now part of the deck. Not sure there aren't other problems caused by this method, but it looks right.

How did you build the box window? If I use the auto box window I don't have that problem. Without your plan file it's anyone's guess how to solve your problem.

+1 I don't see why downspouts can't be made parametric. CA knows where the corners of the building are, it should able to place one "x" distance from the corner of each eave wall, or other settings as may be appropriate. Then we could delete or add them manually as necessary.

This is what I have against them.

Not entirely true, depending on the Rendering Technique. Vector View has a specific setting for shadow intensity: And Standard View has ambient lighting which gives some control of overall depth and intensity:

So when you're in a Saved Plan View, go to Defaults and select Walls > Pony Wall, and choose the view type you want to see in that Saved Plan View. Then, open the pony wall in your plan, and under the Wall Types tab make sure it is set to display the DEFAULT view. Then SAVE THE PLAN VIEW. I suspect you are not saving the settings in the plan view after setting up the default. Either that, or your Layout view is using a different plan view source. Check everything carefully.

No. I use the Mac version and have no problems with pony wall display, except when I introduce an error.

Use a runner the same width as the stairs.

I believe I saw a thread where Joe had a method for generating 3D tiles for not just the edge but also for the entire roof, since the flat pattern is especially fake looking. Might be worth finding that thread.

madcow's post right above mine explains it pretty well.

Yep that works. The eyebrow can be set in the gable wall's DBX Roof tab, Auto Roof Return.

Yeah, if you get a truss company to agree to build that, I don't think I would buy trusses from them.

Cheap $$ to build

Some people here are building them just like a pole barn, then studding the walls in between the poles with 2x4s. I think they're crazy.

Just lower your terrain using a terrain elevation region or terrain elevation specification.

Same thing occurs with a gable meeting an eave running in the same line. The notch will make it generate there also.

Cool, but pricey. How long have you been using yours? Just wondering what the lifespan of something like that would be...