Floor layout dimensions keep changing...

[rockyshepheard]

I have been using this software for two months and have never been able to duplicate a floor plan such that where I begin matches up to where I end.

Somewhere along the way dimensions keep always changing on me. CA definitely needs a lock so you can draw a section of wall, lock it and then draw the next section...thus assuring that one section does not shorten or lengthen another unbeknownst to you. Very frustrating.

 

I suppose it is even more problematic if you are changing a dimension after fully dimensioning the full floor plan.

 

Also, some of my walls seem to dimension to the studs and what I am reproducing is dimensioned from drywall. Where might I change this? 

Thank for any assistance!

Rocky

[MarkMc]

Check dimension defaults, locate. Be sure to also look at walls, size about.

 

Can't quite tell from your description why things are changing on you but it sounds like a good idea to read up on those or watch a video as that's not a typical problem.  

[tommy1]

Rocky, I'll call you mid morning. We'll do a team viewer meeting. There's a couple of things you should probably know.

[rockyshepheard]

Thanks all.

So far the only solution I can think of is to draw one section of wall and put it on a layer. lock it. Make new layer. And draw the next section. Lock that. Etc..Then, I suspect this brute force method would end the issue.

[tommy1]

Rocky, you shouldn't need to do that. There is probably some reason why it's doing that. I haven't had any walls jump in years and when it did, it was usually associated with stairs. I need to see what you're doing.

[TheKitchenAbode]

Rocky, are you talking about a situation where say you have one wall and then you added another wall at the end of the first wall running in another direction, say perpendicular and the first wall will shorten 1/2 the thickness of the just added second wall. If so, as far as I know CA uses the wall centers when making connections so this effect is understandable. When I do an initial wall layout I never try to accurately set walls one at a time. I just rough in the walls, then manually dimension them and then make the final adjustments.

[lbuttery]

Rocky:

 

locking layers won't help

 

those locks prevent you from making changes while locked

but Chief will make the change if it "needs" to based on something you are doing

 

Chief walls are very stable so you must be doing something wrong

 

watch more videos or take Tommy up on his offer

 

you shouldn't be having this issue

 

 

HOWEVER, there are times when you have a room or floor or wing "done" and then due to a ripple effect

Chief WILL change that area with unintended consequences

 

for over a decade I have requested that Chief be able to place locks at various levels

and then issue a warning if Chief "needs" to make a change based on the "ripple" effect

 

CA doesn't believe these locks are needed

 

Lew

[MarkMc]

19 minutes ago, TheKitchenAbode said:

f so, as far as I know CA uses the wall centers when making connections so this effect is understandable

What it uses depends on default settings. In each of the attached the first wall was drawn at 120". The perpendicular wall added by pulling the diamond on the end. Each pair represents a different setting in wall defaults, general, resize about. First two are about inner and outer surface-notice that the dimension is different depending on which direction you make the new wall. The third is as you note, about center in which case both dimensions are the same BUT neither is 120 due to resizing about wall center.

 

Wondering-are you trying to draw a section of wall and then just add another section to the end in the same direction?

 

The biggest problem I've had with folks I've trained has been working interiors and leaving the temp dimensions set to the default but using dimensions that are to surface.

The other issue is paying attention when resizing a wall to the little arrows and which way it resizes.

I guess Tommy will get you through but as I indicated it would still be a good idea to read up on some of this.

 

 

 

Like Graham I often draw rough and finish out dimensions later.  But nowadays I'm most often starting with an accurate overall length, then adding interior walls and locating those as I go. Doing this all the more since I started measuring with a laser directly into Chief. I recently throught together a spreadsheet to add chained dimensions up from hand drawn sheets clients send me. Attached in zip file-was made in Libre Office, converted a version to excel and I thinkthe formulas are simple enough to work there too but I didn't check that.

 

Dimension worksheet.zip

[rockyshepheard]

Tommy, I await your call

TheKitchenAbode, I think so but dimension changes are more in feet than inches.

Lbuttery, The ripple effect sounds poss. Here is an example.

Make a 10' sectionA 4' sectionB then add add more wallsC.

Lengthening A moves B to the right. Then lengthening B shortens A.

Lengthening B should push C in the direction of B.

[TheKitchenAbode]

Thanks Mark, I thought there may be a way to control this, it just never bothered me enough to hunt it down.

[rockyshepheard]

MarkMC, My sections are all perpendicular to each other.

Thx

 

[MarkMc]

15 minutes ago, TheKitchenAbode said:

Thanks Mark, I thought there may be a way to control this, it just never bothered me enough to hunt it down.

I never worried about it myself until I had trainee handing me files where dims were off, then looked it up. It's sort of pick your poison IMO.

[tommy1]

Hopefully he has a better idea now on his problem without other walls moving.