How to stop walls from changing dimensions while drawing

[1090291004350551]

I am just starting to work with this program but one feature really annoys me. You absolutely don't control walls' behavior during drawing. 

F.example I draw one wall 10 feet long, then a corner or some angle and another one 5 feet long. Then I check my first wall--- it's already 9 feet 10 inches...How? I fix one wall, another connected to it  changes accordingly and my plan is screwed... 

Are there any tips or some settings to prevent it? I saw plan samples and they have even dimensions.... How do they get this? 


 

[1090291004350551]

13 minutes ago, solver said:

Have you worked through the tutorial (look under Help), or reviewed the Getting Started videos on the Chief Architect YouTube channel, or the videos on the Chief website?

I am looking through them but I haven't found this specific issue. Maybe it was adressed in some video but so far I found only some ideal examples of drawing.

[glennw]

2 hours ago, 1090291004350551 said:

You absolutely don't control walls' behavior during drawing. 

Do you really think that with such a popular program with so many users, something like that would be allowed to happen.

How about posting the steps you are taking (are you using Tab to define the lengths, etc) and a couple of screen shots.

The best practice (for me anyway) is usually to draw out your walls roughly as close as you can without being too accurate and then locate them accurately using either temp or permanent dimensions.  

[Kbird1]

4 hours ago, glennw said:

The best practice (for me anyway) is usually to draw out your walls roughly as close as you can without being too accurate and then locate them accurately using either temp or permanent dimensions.  

 

This Method Works for me too , roughly draw the Outer shell , then use Temp. Dimensions to move walls so the Rooms are the Correct size. Having the Grid at 12" and Grid Snaps at 1" means you can draw it roughly fairly quickly , by judging the length with the Grid and the Temp Dimension as you Draw. (Hit Alt-Q and check that Temp Dims Option)

 

As Glenn mentioned , you can use the TAB key to set a Wall's length as you Draw it ( drag wall out and hit tab as you do it to get the dimension DBX)

this usually means the wall stays that length , whereas trying to drag a wall out to the right Dimension is difficult and changing the length after the wall is drawn means the wall can lose 1/2 it's thickness when you go around a corner as you have seen.

 

 

 

[MarkMc]

16 hours ago, 1090291004350551 said:

I am looking through them but I haven't found this specific issue. Maybe it was adressed in some video but so far I found only some ideal examples of drawing.

Might try the Reference Manual- I find it a lot easier to deal with than videos. I go right to the index and follow any pertinent links found in a section. You will find most of the answer in the section on Walls, (and follow links -on pg 373 resize about...)

In any case- I usually do what the fellows above suggest, which is also what Chief suggests.

OTOH you can get what you want by changing the Resize About setting to "Inner Surface"-you will also want to make sure that both your temp dimensions and the active dimensions defaults are doing the same thing- measuring to the surface.

Here's a straight wall.

 

Here's a wall added by dragging using the OOB setting for resize about.

 

Here's what happens when you change the setting.

 

Here are the dimensions defaults needed for this to work.

 

[1090291004350551]

12 hours ago, glennw said:

Do you really think that with such a popular program with so many users, something like that would be allowed to happen.

 

I think I might have found the answer already. I turned off Bumping/Pushing setting and walls stopped ... fluctuate.

 

Thank you all for the answers!

 

Quote

 then use Temp. Dimensions to move walls so the Rooms are the Correct size.

 

 

I tried to do it at first but then I had to change the diomensions of dozens of walls again and again and again because when I change one wall other walls change at the same time.

[DARKKNIGHT]

You really need to get the reference manual and do some tutorials before assuming you have no control.  I come from a truss designer background and use Mitek software at work and you enter walls directly with arrow keys and dimensions.  As stated above you can do that similarly with the tab key.  But i understand the push to just draw it out intuitively and slide stuff into place as you go since you are creating the plan yourself.  so unless you are coping something, or doing some existing structures, it makes more sense to roughly draw it out and adjust with dimensions.  When i started using this software last year it was definitely different then what i am used to but i did a lot of tutorials and i read tons of posts on here just to see what people run into.  I actually learned more from watching the full house project videos then the tutorials 

[Kbird1]

5 hours ago, MarkMc said:

 

Here are the dimensions defaults needed for this to work.

 

 

Hi Mark , looks like you reposted Image 1 for Image 4 as it doesn't show any defaults.

 

M.

[Kbird1]

2 hours ago, 1090291004350551 said:

I tried to do it at first but then I had to change the dimensions of dozens of walls again and again and again because when I change one wall other walls change at the same time.

 

You have to be conscious of what will move and in what direction otherwise you will end up on the room re-size merry-go-round much like trying to change individual walls 1 by 1 .

 

M.

[MarkMc]

13 minutes ago, Kbird1 said:

Hi Mark , looks like you reposted Image 1 for Image 4 as it doesn't show any defaults.

Multitasking is overrated- especially at my age Fixed it

[Kbird1]

7 minutes ago, MarkMc said:

Multitasking is overrated- especially at my age Fixed it

 

I've been told it is a Male issue , not age related

[MarkMc]

22 minutes ago, Kbird1 said:

You have to be conscious of what will move and in what direction otherwise you will end up on the room re-size merry-go-round much like trying to change individual walls 1 by 1 .

You have some control over what moves though.

 

5 minutes ago, Kbird1 said:

 

I've been told it is a Male issue , not age related

I'll take either one- the alternative is just not too bright.