Story Pole, relocating the grade elevation

[dshall]

How do I get the GRADE level to truly reflect where grade is and not where sea level is?

 

I must be missing something,  see pic.

[ShaneK]

Maybe try this? -12

[dshall]

1 hour ago, ShaneK said:

Maybe try this? -12

 

I did try that and it move the the grade to the correct location but now the elevation heights are wrong.  I assuming you did not test it out.

[dshall]

Here is the plan I was using

 

story pole 1.plan

[WesternDesign]

As I understand it, the Grade Level Marker is measured Relative to 1st Floor Subfloor. It is somewhat arbitrary as it is not tied to the location of the actual terrain.  If you set it to 9' and your subfloor is 12" above that, you would think it will label the 1st Floor Subfloor at 10' but, according to the manual, Chief Architect always defines the default height of Floor 1 at 0’-0”. This height value is measured from the top of the subfloor and is the constant by which the heights of structural elements in the program like walls, floors, and ceilings are measured. The heights of architectural objects can be measured relative to this absolute height, as well. As such, this default cannot be changed.

[Doug_N]

Is this what you mean?

[Alaskan_Son]

Yeah, I would just do what Doug probably did and drag off/label a new elevation marker manually.  I have a couple macro based solutions that do this too, but for this instance, I think its already pretty easy using existing tools.  I know you were trying to get it to happen automatically, but I don't think its reasonably possible. 

story pole 2.plan

[Doug_N]

I did'n do that manually.  I just changed the elevation reference in the default pole interface.  CA fixed everything after that,  I deleted the irrelevant markers. 

[Alaskan_Son]

6 hours ago, Doug_N said:

I did'n do that manually.  I just changed the elevation reference in the default pole interface.  CA fixed everything after that,  I deleted the irrelevant markers. 

 

Oops.  I didn't look closely enough at your screenshot.  What you did wasn't what Scott was asking for.  He wants the Grade Level marker to remain labeled as 9ft as he showed in red and as I showed in my suggested solution.

[Doug_N]

Ahh I didn't get that.  So he wants the grade level to be absolute with MSL.  It could be useful to have geodetic references available in CA would't it.

[dshall]

This is such a no brainer,  I can’t believe more users have not asked for it.  

 

I think the the only time I could use it is if the house I was drawing was on the beach a maximum of 5’ higher than the ocean.

 

the last house I did, was on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean .......  the bluff is about 80’ above the beach.....  the house is about 5’-6” from the bluff edge .......  I predict in about 7 years the bluff will erode away and my clients home will be at sea level......  I will use the grade markers then.

[glennw]

Ahah,

You want something like this?

And done automatically.

[Doug_N]

OK smarty pants, how did you do that?  LOL

[glennw]

Scott,

Are you saying that you want to use real world heights for your model, ie, you floor level 1 isn't at Chiefs default zero height - in your case it is at 10'?

I have been using this method a lot recently as it allows you determine things like roof ridge height, floor and ceiling heights, etc, etc, as real world heights.

eg, this allows for easy comparison between sites that may otherwise be based on some assumed datum like 100' - 0".

Don't forget though, that you still have Relative Heights in the room specification dbx's, so you can use the real world heights for things like floor levels and you can then use relative heights to set ceiling heights.

Most objects now allow us to place objects relative to floor, terrain, ceiling, roof, as well as an absolute value.

 

WesternDesign got half way there in saying that Chief won't let you change the default zero floor level, but, you can still change those floor levels on level 1 manually - they do not have to be at 0'-0".

He also made the good point that these dimensions and the Grade Level have nothing whatsoever to do with the terrain. 

[dshall]

9 hours ago, glennw said:

Ahah,

You want something like this?

And done automatically.

 

Yes,  the is what I am trying to do.  In your next post I think you are suggesting that I build level 1 at +10' instead of 0.0'.  For me,  that is a non starter.

[dshall]

6 hours ago, glennw said:

....

Are you saying that you want to use real world heights for your model, ie, you floor level 1 isn't at Chiefs default zero height - in your case it is at 10'?

I have been using this method a lot recently as it allows you determine things like roof ridge height, floor and ceiling heights, etc, etc, as real world heights.

eg, this allows for easy comparison between sites that may otherwise be based on some assumed datum like 100' - 0"........

 

 

This goes back to the discussion we had several years ago where I would of liked to see a SECONDARY VIRTUAL TERRAIN ELEVATION.  This would allow us to do exactly what you are saying without have to build the first floor at real life MSL elevation.  

 

One reason I am against using real world elevations for the ground level is because I bet 50% of the time,  halfway through the design the first floor height above grade will change...... 

[dshall]

Honestly though,  that grade elevation line can be added by drawing a horizontal line and dragging dimension line to it.

 

I do wish I could snap a dimension to the POINT MARKERS

 

 

 

[dshall]

I think this might be the format I will use going forward.

 

Not fully auto but not too bad

 

 

[Kbird1]

On 4/14/2018 at 10:57 PM, glennw said:

Scott,

Are you saying that you want to use real world heights for your model, ie, you floor level 1 isn't at Chiefs default zero height - in your case it is at 10'?

I have been using this method a lot recently as it allows you determine things like roof ridge height, floor and ceiling heights, etc, etc, as real world heights.

eg, this allows for easy comparison between sites that may otherwise be based on some assumed datum like 100' - 0".

Don't forget though, that you still have Relative Heights in the room specification dbx's, so you can use the real world heights for things like floor levels and you can then use relative heights to set ceiling heights.

Most objects now allow us to place objects relative to floor, terrain, ceiling, roof, as well as an absolute value.

 

WesternDesign got half way there in saying that Chief won't let you change the default zero floor level, but, you can still change those floor levels on level 1 manually - they do not have to be at 0'-0".

He also made the good point that these dimensions and the Grade Level have nothing whatsoever to do with the terrain. 

 

I'd like to know more on how you did that Glenn if you have the time, even if Scott is now happy apparently.

 

Thanks.

 

M.

 

[Alaskan_Son]

On 4/15/2018 at 4:31 AM, dshall said:

I think this might be the format I will use going forward.

 

Not fully auto but not too bad

 

 

Scott,  I'm curious...what's wrong with the method I suggested?  You're obviously willing to add some things manually.  It seems like your new method is actually MORE work than what I suggested and it doesn't actually match your requested format.  What I did only takes a few seconds and you have what you originally asked for.  What am I missing?

[dshall]

14 minutes ago, Alaskan_Son said:

Scott,  I'm curious...what's wrong with the method I suggested?  You're obviously willing to add some things manually.  It seems like your new method is actually MORE work than what I suggested and it doesn't actually match your requested format.  What I did only takes a few seconds and you have what you originally asked for.  What am I missing?

 

Hey Michael,  no difference,  you talked about adding a line and so did I,  sorry,  I did not mean to give you short shrift.

 

But the extra work I added is for the format I want to use ...  I need to be able to show height of the structure at sometimes what  is considered an arbitrary elevation  (5' from building on the highest  level unless the highest level is more than 10' higher than lowest level, then the height must be taken from the lowest level but no more than 10' difference.......  unless it is third Thursday of the month..... then the parameters change.

 

Also take a look at what I did...  I am showing the MSL at all floors and ceiling and that is only possible from the outside dimension ,  but I don't need all those elevations from the height elevation hence the request to be able to limit what is dimensioned not only on outside dimension line but also inside dimension line.

 

This is what so often happens with CA,  they do a feature half way....  however....  I must take some blame because I did have a chance to make the request but I did not during BETA...  my bad.

[glennw]

8 hours ago, Kbird1 said:

I'd like to know more on how you did that Glenn if you have the time

 

Mick,

 

It really very simple.

Just enter all your terrain and model data in real world heights.

Although you can still use Relative heights for floor and ceiling heights.

[Kbird1]

3 hours ago, glennw said:

 

Mick,

 

It really very simple.

Just enter all your terrain and model data in real world heights.

Although you can still use Relative heights for floor and ceiling heights.

 

I'll have to try again , in a fresh Plan perhaps, as that was what I tried but I couldn't get Grade to be 9' like in your Image , I may have missed one of Scott's settings though.

 

Thanks for the Tip

 

M.

[digitecht]

I agree with Glenn

 

Time i work with Surveyor's plans and they all use datum above sea level, it is a thing the ties in with all the public utilities here.

So when i put the levels in from Chief, i use the real world data as Glenn mentioned. But then i deviate from Glen's.

I set my floor level to one specific level line and use that as my 00 floor level. eg, lets say my floor level is 42.00 AHD. Then i nominate the 'Building PAd Elevation' to be 42000.

Then off i build the house as normal.

 

This works well for me and everything is then related to the realworld AND the arbitrary levels in Chief..... 

I've been doing this way for some years now.

 

Francis.

[dshall]

Here is a question.  If I want the top of my retaining wall to be 50’ above sea level,  irregardless of what the house elevation is,  how do I do that?

 

understand that I may want to raise my house up 2’-0” from 51’ to 53’.  But I want the retaining wall to stay at 50’.

 

IOW,  I would like to be able to set the top of retaining wall relative to MSL not necessarily to absolute zero.