madcowscarnival Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 I'm trying to figure out a way to increase the resolution of using the image clip function of your run-of-the-mill Acrobat Reader and pasting into Chief Architect. I use this frequently in two scenarios: copy-pasting something from my PDF of the 2015 IRC/IBC as well as copying images from previous drawings/details made in autocad. I'm aware I could import and create new details in Chief, but the dimensions/labels always come in strange requiring more time to correct them than I have right now. However, from the code book, I have nothing short of recreating a detail from scratch. I have previously image/PDF printed from a virtual printer at high resolution to a standalone file then imported into Chief, which looks good, but is time consuming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VHampton Posted May 31, 2018 Share Posted May 31, 2018 The only way to get a really crisp resolution is to zoom in on the pdf as close as you can - before taking the screen capture. It won't "pixelate" too badly upon import into Chief Another option I came across is this nifty dwg/dxf converter. Choose your image file, and hit the convert button.The end result can get kind of wonky, especially if there are tons of notes and dimensions in your image file, but it does work, and sometimes really well. https://jpgtodxf.online/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para-CAD Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 I've done this on my last five plans because I have several details that I like that I created in AutoCAD and I'm not skilled enough in chief architect yet to bring them across successfully. Here's how I manage to bring in details as screenshots with 144 PPI/DPI resolution and at scale. I even called the ICC and vendors to get permission to use their work directly in my plans. So far, green light. I started a thread here... Here is a PDF of a layout pages I paste my details and other CAD files onto as scaled image files. reference_01.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VHampton Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 Just a quick reply to say that if you have an autoCAD background, then the cross over to chief cad work should be quite easy. If this may be of help, here is a step by step... Save your auto cad .dwg files to the desk top, or pull them out of whatever folder you keep them in. Open a cad detail window in chief. In a plan view, the ‘cad detail management’ drop down menu will give you the options to create an inventory of details for your project. I use use two monitors which makes this quite easy... Drag the auto cad file from the desktop straight into the chief plan. You will get a dialogue box to walk you through the import. Once complete, you can draw away as you normally would with the other software. Making a block of these details by shift selecting (and then using the block tool) will allow you to add them to your chief library for future use on other projects. Theres an icon for adding to library in case you’re not familiar with that yet. The chief tools are are very similar to what you’re used to, but probably slightly unfamiliar due to the icons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para-CAD Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 I have a single .dwt file that has maybe 500 details on it. I tried to import that and learned that each detail should be its own uniquely named file. I haven't taken the time to do that yet. Maybe I'll get motivated one day when I have time.... So how do I deploy a CAD detail in chief......in the plan, or directly in a layout? I would assume in a layout but I've never tried. And in autocad, I make a viewport to select what I want to see of the modelspace in paperspace....not 100% clued in with the same process in CA. Thus, I only have the actual floor plan in the plan file. I tried a site plan in the plan file once. Big head ache for me. So I keep scouring youtube and watching videos from those who have gone before and are kind enough to capture/share their knowledge. Mine are a bastardization of CA and autoCAD, but they work. It'll be nice when I can streamline the workflow. I can't seem to get CA to put the level of specificity into some things that I can in AutoCAD (I know it's only because I haven't mastered yet) Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions. I appreciate that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard_Morrison Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 12 hours ago, para-CAD said: I have a single .dwt file that has maybe 500 details on it. I tried to import that and learned that each detail should be its own uniquely named file. I haven't taken the time to do that yet. No, you don't need a separate file for each detail. You can use a separate CAD Detail for each detail. So one file could have many details. You could import the large file onto a plan, and then copy-paste each detail into its own Detail window. Adding lots of CAD details into your your main project file can slow things down. You can send details from their own detail file directly onto the Layout, or copy the details into a CAD Detail(s) in the Layout file and send the Detail to the same Layout file, which will keep all of that project's details together. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para-CAD Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 2 hours ago, Richard_Morrison said: No, you don't need a separate file for each detail. You can use a separate CAD Detail for each detail. So one file could have many details. You could import the large file onto a plan, and then copy-paste each detail into its own Detail window. Adding lots of CAD details into your your main project file can slow things down. You can send details from their own detail file directly onto the Layout, or copy the details into a CAD Detail(s) in the Layout file and send the Detail to the same Layout file, which will keep all of that project's details together. Thanks Richard! I hadn't understood that before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtcapa1 Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 I hate to admit this but I tend to do way too many project specific detailed sections cuts. I do have about 30 basic details that I can reuse, but on most of my remodel projects I just use CA to draw a section, and if I've taken the time to make a near perfect 3d model I use the live image to draft a 2d looking detail, so it is updated when the plan changes. I'll fill it with custom boxes with different fills as needed and populate it with the text needed to explain everything. I prefer custom details over the canned ones and so does every contractor that builds from my plans. Rarely have any questions or problems in the field. It just takes a lot longer to complete a set of plans as each one is very customized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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