Wall Dimensions

[RobUSMC]

90% of our projects are interiors (Kitchens & Baths) . We are going to be doing an entire home remodel and I need a refresher on exterior wall dimensions please.  When drawing the first exterior wall at a certain length is not an issue. Lets say the wall (outside brick to outside brick) is 8'-5 1/2" i can see the length while drawing or open the wall and just enter the wall length. However, when the next connecting wall is drawn the first wall length changes by the width of the new wall. Whats the best way to fix this issue.  I assume you could select the first wall and enter the length but it still only dimensions from the main (framing) layer.  In previous versions, to change the main layer in the wall definitions it was just a check on what you wanted the main layer to be but I don't see that in X9. Is this the best way or is there another way while drawing exterior walls to have dimensions reference the outside brick surface?   See attached.  Thank you so much for any help

[rlackore]

For the temporary dimensions, set the With Wall Selected to Locate Wall Surface:

 

 

For manual dimensions, within you're Dimension Defaults, set Locate Objects>Walls to Surfaces:

 

[glennw]

Rob,

 

You need to have a look at Alt+Q (General Wall Defaults) where you can change the  Resize About wall layer.

[rlackore]

1 hour ago, glennw said:

Rob,

 

You need to have a look at Alt+Q (General Wall Defaults) where you can change the  Resize About wall layer.

 

Yes, that can also work well, and may be a better solution for most circumstances. Changing the temporary dimension defaults can have a few advantages, but Glen's solution may give you all you need.

[Alaskan_Son]

I think Glenn's answer is probably what you're looking for and is important to understand regardless because all other resizing of that wall uses this setting.  That Resize About Layer is the location within the wall assembly around which the wall is generated.  Just think of drawing walls as a series of single lines.  The wall is simply expanded from that line....

NOTE:  All the exterior walls in the examples above were drawn clockwise and the interior wall was drawn bottom to top.  The direction you draw your walls in is important to understand as it determines which side of the line the wall is generated on as well as which direction the interior and exterior layers are facing when the wall is initially drawn.

 

In order to efficiently use those settings you may find it helpful to Reverse Layers of a wall from time to time and you may want to toggle between different Resize About options depending on what you're drawing.

 

A couple other notes too:

• As Robert pointed out you can also use Temporary Dimensions.  You can either use them visually or by clicking on them and changing them while the wall is selected.  I think its important to note that those temporary dimensions get their length based on the Resize About setting though.
• You can of course also change the length of the wall in the wall dbx as well as by using normal dimensions that are snapped to the wall but you may also explore using the tab input method while drawing your walls.  Just click to start the wall, hit tab while dragging, and enter the desired length/angle

You may have already understood much of that but I thought I'd spell it out for anyone who doesn't.  Hope that helps.

[RobUSMC]

Great input from all.  Alt Q  did change the reference point that I was looking for.  I drew a wall that I wanted 20' long but when I draw another wall off the end of that wall it changes / decreases the first walls length. When I open the wall dbx and re-enter the 20' wall length it will not change it.

[Kbird1]

Hi Rob , I mostly do Remodels too , so most of my Dims are setup for Surfaces mostly, especially doing the Existing/As-Builts but when i just drew your example I still have a 20'' wall ............what is your Alt-Q setting? 

[RobUSMC]

[RobUSMC]

Thanks for the great input Michael

[Kbird1]

24 minutes ago, RobUSMC said:

 

Does it happen if you use my Setting?  ---- main layer outside?

 

***edit....Tried your setting , I still don't get your wall shorting....

 

M.

[Richard_Morrison]

1 hour ago, RobUSMC said:

 When I open the wall dbx and re-enter the 20' wall length it will not change it.

 

Setting the lengths of walls this way through the DBX is seldom useful, to my mind. Much faster to get an approximate roughed out plan, do a Shift-A to dimension everything, using whichever reference points you want, and then adjust by using the displayed dimensions.

[glennw]

13 hours ago, Alaskan_Son said:

The direction you draw your walls in is important to understand as it determines which side of the line the wall is generated on as well as which direction the interior and exterior layers are facing when the wall is initially drawn.

 

 

 In past versions (I am not sure when it changed) the direction you drew external walls was critical.

You needed to draw them clockwise so that they were the right way around (not inside out)

Chief couldn't tell what was the inside or outside of a wall.

But a few versions back (maybe when we got the new Wall Type Definitions dbx) Chief got smart and can now tell from the wall definition, what is the external of the wall and what is the internal.

So....if you are drawing an enclosed room anti-clockwise, the walls will draw inside out until you close the walls and form a room.

Chief will then automatically reverse all the walls so that they are not inside out.

[Alaskan_Son]

7 minutes ago, glennw said:

 

 In past versions (I am not sure when it changed) the direction you drew external walls was critical.

You needed to draw them clockwise so that they were the right way around (not inside out)

Chief couldn't tell what was the inside or outside of a wall.

But a few versions back (maybe when we got the new Wall Type Definitions dbx) Chief got smart and can now tell from the wall definition, what is the external of the wall and what is the internal.

So....if you are drawing an enclosed room anti-clockwise, the walls will draw inside out until you close the walls and form a room.

Chief will then automatically reverse all the walls so that they are not inside out.

 

Yeah, I noticed that as well.  I think it must have only been within the last couple versions.  I don't recall seeing it documented either.  At any rate, I think its still important to understand or else your wall will be placed on the wrong side of your chosen Resize About layer while you're drawing.  In addition, when Chief automatically flips walls in those situations, I believe it does so around the center of the wall and not around the Resize About layer.

[RobUSMC]

Yes I did know to draw in clockwise.  I never knew that it might have changed