it's the little things

[jimmyp]

Salutations

 

Certain things chief is so smart about.

others it seems to want to out wit me.

 

a few examples as perhaps I am misusing or my expectations are out of line.

 

1)

I draw a square house. I want a deck on one side to bump out at the corner of the house. I use a cad line to grab the framing layer corner (absolutely crucial and addressed next.) no matter what I do, which direction I come from with the railing wall, trying to grab snaps on different sides, chief wants to push my railing wall on the opposite side of my line such that I have to just drop in the wall and then transform/replicate it over 3.5.

 

2)

why does chief allow me to dimension or snap to siding? I mean I understand the wall layers thing (...I think...). and on another new plan I set my siding material on the exterior layer of my sip wall osb so as to not have any siding to snap to. but shouldn't snaps be turned off for siding? like, does anyone dimension to siding? and at the very least is there a way to turn off what part of the wall layer can be snapped? so like on a standard 2x4 exterior wall the only snappable (?neologism?) part of the wall is the outside of the 2x4. Personally, I prefer even interior walls measured from the exterior of the framing.

 

3)

when working with framing or other rectilinear type things, in this specific case running girders around a deck that has to be freestanding from the main structure. I get an outline with cad or railing walls etc. autobuild framing as this is the only way I am aware of to get the designation "Deck rim joist" ((same with mudsill: is there a way to non-automagically draw a mudsill?)) I use dimension lines to adjust the girders as desired. now it's time to connect them. well on a 3.5" girder the grip is in the middle. so as soon as I get close to the next one, it wants to snap to the corner, NOT recitilinearly but at some screwy angle. grrrr....  why?  surely it should not be the default case that I want my girders to run at 2.7985 degrees. is there an ortho engage setting?

 

4)

let's talk about automatic interior dimensions.... nah, not right now lol

 

------------

sorry.

this is pretty much a rant.

but

I would like to bring these things to the attention of others since it's these little things that have me yelling at a screen lol

=D

------------

[DavidJPotter]

1. Zoom in for greater control

2. See "Default Settings - Dimensions - Locate Objects Tab"

3. Check Default Settings - Framing and The Room Dialog for a Deck on its Structure Tab, build framing and then manually adjust or edit the results

4. Auto Interior dimensions kinda suck as we all know

 

DJP

[jimmyp]

thanks DJP for this and also your attentiveness and helpfulness on this forum.

 

I will try those suggestions right now.

[jimmyp]

here is another one.

 

5)

If I layout some cad lines, and then use manual dimensions to bump things around, the cad lines stop the dimension line based move.

same thing with toilets or cabinets etc on walls: try to bump the wall with dimensions: nope. have to move all the fixtures then move the wall then move the items back against the wall....

[jimmyp]

1) zooming is what I end up HAVING to do just because chief prioritizes certain snaps and does not have an ortho lock that I'm aware of. this is not really efficient and is what I'm trying to avoid.

 

2) locate objects does not say anything about siding. I have wall dimension layer and primary wall side checked. still siding seems like it should NEVER be dimensioned to in plan view. I should NEVER snap a deck railing to siding. etc etc
Does anyone WANT to snap to siding? am i missing something?

 

3) that's what I do.
I want to understand a little better why certain snap points have priority.

I want to know if there's an ortho lock so my joists don't try to go crooked.

I want to know if there's a way to manually create "Deck rim joist" or "Mudsill" outside of the automagic framing. 

 

I'm really just trying to understand the software a little bit better so that I can adjust my thinking if needed.

[DRAWZILLA]

If you don't want some walls to get dimensioned, set the(railing) or any wall to -no locate. You can also set the "dimension to"  in the wall DBX.  Turn on angle snaps for straight joists.

Create the joists inside and drag it outside for it to stick but only after you are done Auto. framing, or do it with p-solids. What version are you using, it makes a difference.

[DavidJPotter]

 

1) zooming is what I end up HAVING to do just because chief prioritizes certain snaps and does not have an ortho lock that I'm aware of. this is not really efficient and is what I'm trying to avoid.

 

2) locate objects does not say anything about siding. I have wall dimension layer and primary wall side checked. still siding seems like it should NEVER be dimensioned to in plan view. I should NEVER snap a deck railing to siding. etc etc

Does anyone WANT to snap to siding? am i missing something?

 

3) that's what I do.

I want to understand a little better why certain snap points have priority.

I want to know if there's an ortho lock so my joists don't try to go crooked.

I want to know if there's a way to manually create "Deck rim joist" or "Mudsill" outside of the automagic framing. 

 

I'm really just trying to understand the software a little bit better so that I can adjust my thinking if needed.

You should contact Tech Support to find out how and why Chief is programmed to work as it does, I think the answers will tend to be a little Geeky but that is the way of such things

 

DJP

[Mark3D]

Try turning grid snaps off maybe that will help

[glennw]

 

 

1)

I draw a square house. I want a deck on one side to bump out at the corner of the house. I use a cad line to grab the framing layer corner (absolutely crucial and addressed next.) no matter what I do, which direction I come from with the railing wall, trying to grab snaps on different sides, chief wants to push my railing wall on the opposite side of my line such that I have to just drop in the wall and then transform/replicate it over 3.5.

 

To change the grip locations in a wall, go Alt+Q and select the wall layer for Resize About.

 

2)

why does chief allow me to dimension or snap to siding? I mean I understand the wall layers thing (...I think...). and on another new plan I set my siding material on the exterior layer of my sip wall osb so as to not have any siding to snap to. but shouldn't snaps be turned off for siding? like, does anyone dimension to siding? and at the very least is there a way to turn off what part of the wall layer can be snapped? so like on a standard 2x4 exterior wall the only snappable (?neologism?) part of the wall is the outside of the 2x4. Personally, I prefer even interior walls measured from the exterior of the framing.

 

Open the dbx for the dimension style you are using...Locate Objects...Walls...uncheck Surfaces.

 

3)

when working with framing or other rectilinear type things, in this specific case running girders around a deck that has to be freestanding from the main structure. I get an outline with cad or railing walls etc. autobuild framing as this is the only way I am aware of to get the designation "Deck rim joist" ((same with mudsill: is there a way to non-automagically draw a mudsill?)) I use dimension lines to adjust the girders as desired. now it's time to connect them. well on a 3.5" girder the grip is in the middle. so as soon as I get close to the next one, it wants to snap to the corner, NOT recitilinearly but at some screwy angle. grrrr....  why?  surely it should not be the default case that I want my girders to run at 2.7985 degrees. is there an ortho engage setting?

 

Use a framing object and draw them manually.

------------

 

 

Also...

There are a few ortho controls:

Angle Snaps is the main one

The Primary Movement Method (Orthogonal or Polar) is another

Always Snap Walls on Allowed Angles is another

 

5)

If I layout some cad lines, and then use manual dimensions to bump things around, the cad lines stop the dimension line based move.

 

Have a look at the Cad Stops Move and Wall Stops Move setting in the line dbx.

 

same thing with toilets or cabinets etc on walls: try to bump the wall with dimensions: nope. have to move all the fixtures then move the wall then move the items back against the wall....

 

 

Have a look for the "Bumping/Pushing for Type in Dimensions" setting in Preferences.

[JJohnson]

 

4)

let's talk about automatic interior dimensions.... nah, not right now lol

 

------------

sorry.

this is pretty much a rant.

but

I would like to bring these things to the attention of others since it's these little things that have me yelling at a screen lol

=D

------------

 

Auto interior dimensions will place what looks like thousands of dimensions into a floor plan

if you do a whole floor.  Better to select a room, look at the tool bar that comes up when you

do that, then auto int dim for just that one selected room, then clean up.

 

glennw pointed out that auto interior dimensions show every walls length in a room, as well

as opening locations.  Gets so cluttered !

[Gawdzira]

Sometimes, when you are dimensioning it is is helpful to turn on the wall layer "Main Layer Only" so that you are only seeing the framing lines.

[jimmyp]

1)

resize about now set to "main layer outside"

I have a feeling this addresses quite a few things...

THANKS!!

 

2)

surfaces is NOT selected.

 

I think the best solution to the snapping to siding issue is addressed by "main layers only" but this solution seems similar to my making the outside of the sheathing layer have the siding material for the model.

 

 

3) 

If I draw a joist, it does not show up on the bottom left or the material list as a "rim joist" or "mudsill"

nitpicky I know....

 

angle snaps does not seem to affect my problem behaviors.

Primary movement method is set to ortho

But my problem is more that chief gives priority in a way I don't understand. If i extend a joist to make a corner, the move handle is in the center. but it will want to snap to the corner rather than maintaining its alignment....

 

 

Bumping/pushing is checked in preferences>snap properties.

 

I found "cad stops move" and "wall stops move" and it looks like 1) this is on a case by case basis and 2) it doesn't address a toilet or cabinet stopping a wall from moving... (And I just had to check... there are no such options on toilets

 

4)

I wanted to get a quick idea on some electrical outlets and only electrical but it was such a jumbled mess that I gave up with an immediate ctrl-Z

[jimmyp]

ok

so here it is again with the snap priority.

I'm trying to draw a leader line. I select the midpoint snap. chief prefers the corner snap. 

I made a video.  

 

 

[glennw]

The Leader Line IS snapping to the midpoint.

It is snapping to the midpoint of the END of the framing member.

[DRAWZILLA]

Glen, very cute baby, Grandson??

[jimmyp]

Glen good eye. You are correct.

Why does it not snap to where I tell it to in the first place?

Why does it jump?

Is there a default for this behavior that you know?

Thanks

[glennw]

Hi Perry,

Yes, first grandson.

What.......cute is the best you an do!

He's better than cute!

Just like his grandad.

[dshall]

Hi Perry,

Yes, first grandson.

What.......cute is the best you an do!

He's better than cute!

Just like his grandad.

 

he is as bald as his Grandad.

[DRAWZILLA]

Thanks Scott, that was the best comeback. I have one just like that--no hair, we need a cute contest.

[glennw]

You guys are so cruel.

[Joe_Carrick]

Glenn,

 

Bald is "Sexy"

[DRAWZILLA]

I think he needs to change that picture, can't argue with that one.