Should I Make The Move To Chief From Vectorworks

[dshall]

Glenn....This is "sort of" true when moving cad in a floor plan (edit command), but go to a cad detail and try to use the "edit" commands ----they are greyed out. We talked about this back in the "old ChiefTalk" but so far I've been unable to find the thread. I'll keep looking for it and if I find it I'll post the thread here.

I do not believe this to be so Larry. I will incorporate in tomorrow's vid. The edit cad STRETCH is something I rarely use because I understand this about as much as I understand my wife, but it does work.

[Larry_Sweeney]

Glenn.... Here is the thread where we went into detail about a cad "stretch command" form sometime back a year or two.  http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?62903-Edit-Area-in-Cad-Detail!!!!

[Larry_Sweeney]

I do not believe this to be so Larry. I will incorporate in tomorrow's vid. The edit cad STRETCH is something I rarely use because I understand this about as much as I understand my wife, but it does work.

Scott...... Remember when we talked about "STRETCH" in this thread sometime ago?  http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?62903-Edit-Area-in-Cad-Detail!!!!

[dshall]

Scott...... Remember when we talked about "STRETCH" in this thread sometime ago?  http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?62903-Edit-Area-in-Cad-Detail!!!!

I guess that is why I prefaced my comment with the fact that I understand the stretch command as much as I understand my wife.

I fake my understanding, it limits my exposure to any sort of legal action?

[ebdesign]

When a line is selected w/ a mouse click, the "grip" appears close to where you clicked along the line UNLESS you clicked near the mid-point of the line, in which case you will get the line midpoint as a "grip". (I believe Chief calls it a "center move handle".) "Near" might mean zoom level and/or snapping distance, but I'm guessing w/ that.

I believe this happens even though mid-point snap might be disabled. Chief will move that handle to the mid-point of the line sooner or later anyway. 

As long as I remember Chief's videos accurately, that is my understanding.

I'll be looking for Scott's video in the morning. 

[glennw]

Jim,

 

Yeah, thanks, I get that about the center point.

I am still having trouble duplicating what you get unless I slide the line sideways.

Can you post your plan?

[ebdesign]

I'd like to see a video of it being done as claimed. Make sure the line angle is not horizontal, vertical or any other angle that is part of your angle snaps. Also show the tilde or +/- on your dimensions so we know Chief isn't rounding off the dimension.

[dshall]

Here is a link to the vid. Good vid unless you already know this stuff.

The POLAR OFFSET works as advertised.

 

PART 1 longer than it should be

http://youtu.be/Ci2OJFgAlso

PART 2 short and sweet,  (difference in copy and move or copy in place and then move,  very interesting

http://youtu.be/s2xS-kn--wQ

PART 3

http://youtu.be/c9DddHXesC8

 

I have beaten this to death,  it works for me.

[AndyGump]

Wow, a hijacked thread of a hijacked thread.

 

I love it.

 

And yes, you should switch to Chief from VectorWorks.

 

Andy.

[ebdesign]

Scott,

How long does it take to process? Anxious to see it.

[dshall]

Scott,

How long does it take to process? Anxious to see it.

It's up now.

[ebdesign]

Scott, I watched your video. You didn't watch mine very closely. My angle snaps are on.

In your video, the lines you are offsetting are all at angles that are included in your angle snaps (15d). So when you drag the copy off the original line, the perpendicular drag angle is also part of your angle snaps. Try a line w/ an angle carried out to 6 decimal points (similar to a property/site plan) - or any line really- whose angle is not included in your angle snaps. I can get it real close, depending....... Don't forget, a truly offset line has it's (s) & (e) points also perpendicular to the original line (s) & (e).

I believe movement is controlled by active snaps, w/ the angle snaps taking precedence in this case. I think for offset to truly work for ALL lines, regardless of angle, angle snaps should be off & watch for the perpendicular extension when dragging the copy.

But, I certainly hope otherwise if you can do it.

[rlackore]

 

In your video, the lines you are offsetting are all at angles that are included in your angle snaps (15d). So when you drag the copy off the original line, the perpendicular drag angle is also part of your angle snaps. Try a line w/ an angle carried out to 6 decimal points (similar to a property/site plan) - or any line really- whose angle is not included in your angle snaps. I can get it real close, depending....... Don't forget, a truly offset line has it's (s) & (e) points also perpendicular to the original line (s) & (e).

 

 

I've noticed the same thing. If the line isn't at a "nice" angle, the offset distance is completely fubar.

[rlackore]

Dshall, nice video, thanks. However, offsetting should be easier, as you observed. I know I'm guilty of a bias, but in AutoCAD I can activate an offset command, enter a value for distance and angle (or click on two points to define distance and angle), then begin offsetting objects by selecting them. I can offset as many objects as I want until I exit the command; it's a very powerful, fast, intuitive feature, and CA should have similar functionality.

[ebdesign]

2nd video:
5.333' is 5'-4" exactly. You did not get that when you offset that line.
A copy of a line is always parallel to the original line until it's angle is changed by the user.
Just "words" I know, but that is what we are working w/ here.
Sorry to be such a PIA w/ this topic, but this is important stuff to me.
Particularly w/ site plans/ property line setbacks, etc. I always dimension them after offsetting or concentric moves.

[ebdesign]

Scott,

Great tip on how to concentrically resize polygons. Add a break & drag the new corner. Sweet!

[GerryT]

2nd video:

5.333' is 5'-4" exactly. You did not get that when you offset that line.

A copy of a line is always parallel to the original line until it's angle is changed by the user.

Just "words" I know, but that is what we are working w/ here.

Sorry to be such a PIA w/ this topic, but this is important stuff to me.

Particularly w/ site plans/ property line setbacks, etc. I always dimension them after offsetting or concentric moves.

FYI:  the polar angle when you copy is from start of drag to end. So if you are off a little, the copy distance will be off because of the hypotenuse of the angle. To fix. check the angle of the original line -- add or  subtract 90 and set that as the polar angle -- The distance will then be correct.

[raltd9245]

I am also perfectly content with the 2D tools and support Chief's objective to keep working on the automatically generated 2D representations of the 3D model for working drawings rather than "fixing" the 2D.

 

So much is said on this forum about "drafting" rather than designing in Chief.  Ultimately I think the goal should be to completely automate the "drafting" portion (eliminating the drudgery and enhancing the creativity) of the process which gives clients more design.  I have been using Chief for more than 15 years now and have never been shown any convincing evidence I should switch.  The only meaningful limitation I can see right now in Chief is the lack of out of plumb walls, although unless you are Frank Gehry I don't think 90% of architects even need this (which can actually be done in Chief with a lot of extra effort for the relative few times you might need it).

Bryce you are correct but I guess I'm in the 10%

[ebdesign]

Open dbx of line you want to offset from, copy angle, close dbx, open transform/replicate dbx, click copy, click move, click polar, paste angle and add/subtract 90º, specify offset distance, click ok

 

So we're back to Levis' process, but it's even worse than what he wrote. You lose the copied angle of the original line from the clipboard when the original line is copy/pasted in place. You have to re-select one of the lines & copy the angle, drag the copy in the desired direction, then add/subtract 90d 9in your head.............blah, blah, blah.

It should be foolproof & much easier for dummies like me.

[dshall]

I added part 3,  it works for me.

[ebdesign]

If you want to concentrically copy a polyline, why wouldn't you simply set your jump to the distance you want and drag a corner? You get the spacing between the sides that you want instead of from the corners...even w/ a non-orthogonal hexagon that you were using in your video. or was it a pentagon?

[dshall]

If you want to concentrically copy a polyline, why wouldn't you simply set your jump to the distance you want and drag a corner? You get the spacing between the sides that you want instead of from the corners...even w/ a non-orthogonal hexagon that you were using in your video. or was it a pentagon?

what ever works with the least amount of work.  I don't set the jump  distance...... why?   .....  I don't know,  maybe because I do not now how to do it.

 

I thought the method I  showed was probably about as easy as it  gets.  

 

Hexagon,  pentagon,  triangle,  who cares,  they all work the same.

[Kbird1]

the jump distance is 0" by default in Preferences so it appears not to work even if you use the menu/icon/shortcut key but works nicely otherwise.

[glennw]

If you want to concentrically copy a polyline, why wouldn't you simply set your jump to the distance you want and drag a corner? You get the spacing between the sides that you want instead of from the corners...even w/ a non-orthogonal hexagon that you were using in your video. or was it a pentagon?

 

Jim,

 

This may well be the solution to your offset problem, and is probably an easier way to offset anyway.

Set your Concentric Jump distance to the offset value. 

Toggle into Concentric edit mode.

Select the line, Copy in Place (as a safety measure so you don't slide sideways - this only works if your Primary Movement Method is set to Orthogonal in Preferences).

Drag the line.

It will jump by your Concentric Jump distance.

 

That should work every time without fail.

 

I would be interested to see if it works on your test plan.

The critical thing with any method is to make sure that you have your Primary Movement Method set to Orthogonal and that you use Copy and Paste In Place instead of Copy/Paste.  

 

 

I believe there is a bit of a bug or a quirk here in that the Copy/Paste command seems to override the Orthogonal preference setting (you get a 4 headed move arrow) whereas the Copy and Paste in Place command respects the setting (you get a 2 headed orthogonal move arrow). 

I would have thought that they should work the same.  

[BryceEngstrom]

Bryce you are correct but I guess I'm in the 10%

Okay, but how many of your projects actually involve out of plumb walls?  Do you do those projects completely in another software?