Nedd recommendation for video showing common problems with fixes

[rockyshepheard]

I am looking for a video showing examples of issues like planes and vertices popping out of the design (i think caused by edges not aligning or being colinear), walls that get segmented because it doesn't like something near it, roofs that won't join, objects that you cannot apply a material to...etc...and possible fixes. I have looked for weeks but haven't found anything.

 

Maybe I will suggest one in the suggestion box along with my other ideas like roof planes that all have different colors that you can turn on or off, highlighting something in plan view which could highlight the corresponding object in 3D (an easy one to implement, I think), being able to turn off interference such that any object could pass through any other object if turned on...etc.

[Mark3D]

those planes popping up are because you dont have the roof edge on the gable  at -135 deg they are something like like -135.311666° select the roof plane edge look at selected line tab

[rockyshepheard]

I apologize but I'm not advanced to understand your comment.
Would you be able to make a quick rectangular house plan showing this?
To me gable means that the wall fills under the roof vertically to a ridge  line point. "The roof edge on the gable"? I believe the gable wall went all the way up to the roof (Chief does that)...not the roof edge because of the overhang which goes a certain distance past the gable wall.

Thank you!

[rockyshepheard]

Thank you. I get it now. If the wall angle is different than the roof angle you get those anomalies.

Thanks!

[rockyshepheard]

Hmm. I wonder why your model doesn’t  have those anomalies. Is it because the angle of the roof plane and the angle of the wall are sufficiently separated even though not the same?

[dshall]

just post your plan and someone will help you within an hour.

[DRAWZILLA]

Do you have auto framing on? so when you adjust the roof plane it will re-frame automatically.

[rockyshepheard]

I am not sure what causes these long extended anomalies. I can't seem to reproduce them by putting the roof plane near the wall and changing the angle say from 180 to 179.032 for instance. If I can't reproduce it then I probably don't know why it happens. Does anyone know how reproduce these?

[rockyshepheard]

Hi Drawzilla, I am not sure. Do you think turning turning auto framing on would help prevent what happens in the above image?

Thx

[DRAWZILLA]

 I always have auto framing , everything ,on all the time until I need to turn it off to manually frame from that point     

          Yes because if not the old framing will remain. But if your roof planes are not correctly drawn you might get some artifacts  that might show up. using the join tool will help with that.

[Alaskan_Son]

If I was to make a video with common problems and common fixes it would just be a short commentary to encourage people to:

1. Use the Tutorial Guide to get started (it will help you understand the basics of how Chief was intended to be used).  If you start out missing some of the fundamentals, you're going to struggle ALWAYS.
2. Use the Help files (both via Launch Help and via the little "Help" button in the various dialogs.  In my opinion, this should be the very first place a person goes to learn what a tool or setting is, what it does, and how it was intended to be used.
3. Go to the videos and the Knowledge Base articles only after deciding that the Help files don't answer your question
4. Go to the forum when all the above fails or if it's a question on an issue that simply doesn't seem to be addressed elsewhere
5. If your time is worth much, consider getting some personal training.  You might be surprised out how much you can learn in a short session.  Its typically FAR MORE than you would glean spending the same amount of time typing up questions and reading answers here on the forum...which by the way can be very misleading (the answers).

[MarkMc]

I agree with Michael.  I'd add three things I've done (do). Take an introductory course if you can't, won't or don't want to do the tutorial. Read the Reference Manual in your spare time, keep it on your phone  randomly is fine, regularity is important.

As to the forum look at everything, every day. Read some, try to solve someone else's problem on your own and check back to see how you did. Then try the best answer(s) given if you are off. 

I'd double down on read the help (f1 key) and only ask here after beating your head in for a while. 

[Alaskan_Son]

7 minutes ago, MarkMc said:

As to the forum look at everything, every day. Read some, try to solve someone else's problem on your own and check back to see how you did. Then try the best answer(s) given if you are off. 

 

This is one area where I would really recommend people be careful.  On the surface, it makes sense, but I see incorrect and conflicting information here on the forum ALL THE TIME.

[lbuttery]

This is one area where I would really recommend people be careful.  On the surface, it makes sense, but I see incorrect and conflicting information here on the forum ALL THE TIME.

 

Michael:

 

yes, but so ? - if they have the time they can even try the wrong answers and they will still learn

 

In time, if they follow every post they will learn who gives good answers and who doesn't

 

Lew

[Alaskan_Son]

2 hours ago, lbuttery said:

 

Michael:

 

yes, but so ? - if they have the time they can even try the wrong answers and they will still learn

 

To test your theory, I would suggest you try learning to play piano by hiring a plumber.  See how far you get.  You both might eventually figure out how to make something that doesn't sound like total crap, but is that really the best way to go about it?  Definitely not.  I guarantee this approach will always result in picking up bad habits, misunderstanding or total missing the fundamentals, and a ton of wasted time for both you and the "teacher".

 

NOTE:  There are a lot of proficient users here on the forum, so don't get me wrong.  There is plenty of good information.  Trying to sort through it though when you don't actually know what you're looking for can be an exercise in futility.

[Michael_Gia]

Ok I’ll let the genie out of the bottle. 

 

We we all know what OP is referring to, and I think it’s a great idea.  There are recurrent issues, bugs, necessary work-arounds that we all navigate through on a regular basis, because the software isn’t perfect. I don’t expect it to be. 

 

However, all of the training videos from Chief show the perfect world where everything works out as planned. 

They rarely point out potential and common issues, because although the videos are meant to be instructional, Chief is always selling. 

I don’t blame them for that either. 

 

It would be nice to have some videos for common problems and workarounds but who has time for this?

So I think, as Scott mentioned, just post your plan with a short description of the problem and someone will answer in less than an hour. 

 

 

[rockyshepheard]

Will do! Thanks.

[Alaskan_Son]

1 hour ago, Michael_Gia said:

Chief is always selling. 

I don’t blame them for that either. 

 

It would be nice to have some videos for common problems and workarounds but who has time for this?

So I think, as Scott mentioned, just post your plan with a short description of the problem and someone will answer in less than an hour. 

 

Chief (and a handful of other independent teachers and consultants) are endeavoring to teach people how to use the tools we’ve been given.  If you learn to use the program correctly, you typically don’t have these common issues to contend with.  

 

This suggestion feels kinda like Joe Blow asking Designer Man to draw up some detailed construction documents, disregarding all the construction details and notes when building the house, and then asking Designer Man to draw up MORE plans on his own dime to show Joe Blow what he did wrong.  Sounds a little unreasonable to me.  

 

 

 

 

Okay, so what about the “common” problems that still arise when you ARE using the program correctly?  

 

1.  Contact tech support and get the problem reported so they can fix it.

2.  There are about as many solutions as there are settings for any given problem.  In the case of the roof anomalies above?  

 

Fixing the angle could fix the problem, as could simply changing the angle to another off angle.  Dragging that little narrow roof closer to the building could fix the problem, dragging the upper roof planes further past the lower roof could fix the problem, building the low roof using a full return instead of an independent plane could fix the problem, the list could go on and on and on.  

 

I’ve made a lot of videos over the years to help address some common problems and I can tell you from experience that most fixes only work for a very small handful of situations.  The next time the problem come up?  It requires a totally different solution because one of the various dynamics has changed.

 

The best solution to LEGITIMATE problems (after doing your best to learn and use the software correctly) is to reach out to tech support and/or to some of the other users here on the forum.  Someone will help you sort it out for your specific plan, but there’s a really good chance the solution is going to be different the next time you run into a similar situation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheKitchenAbode]

 

15 hours ago, Alaskan_Son said:

Fixing the angle could fix the problem, as could simply changing the angle to another off angle.  Dragging that little narrow roof closer to the building could fix the problem, dragging the upper roof planes further past the lower roof could fix the problem, building the low roof using a full return instead of an independent plane could fix the problem, the list could go on and on and on.  

 

All of the above either singular or in combination. There could also be issues concerning wall specifications and how they are located, for instance there's an exterior wall in front of another exterior wall that is not returned back to the main wall. Though I'm far from a roofing expert I have always found that when results are not as expected it is usually due to the fact that it is related to an inconsistency in something I have set either knowingly or inadvertently. Resolving such issues requires one to take a systematic approach going through the plan and checking each wall and roof section to ensure the correct settings.

 

In the plan in question there are many inconsistencies such as differing baseline heights, differing overhang distances from the baseline, there is also a mix of different exterior wall types, some as per default settings and others set differently such as balloon through ceiling and more. Also, when laying out exterior walls one should always keep in mind how such a layout can be roofed, incorporating all kinds of in's and out's may appear to look cool but it will lead to a roofing nightmare not only for CA but also in reality if the structure was ever intended to be built.

 

As has been stated, there is a wealth of information in the reference manual, knowledge base and online tutorials that should first be researched. There are very few other software packages that provide as comprehensive support resources as CA. When exploring things it's best to do this with a very simple model, for example a simple square 4 wall room will allow you to explore roof types and planes, once you grasp that you can then add another element to this model and explore how one roof type interconnects with another. Keep in mind that if something goes amiss it is much easier to track the problem down when your model is not highly complex. Also, if the problem persists it will be much easier for someone else to assist should you post this in the forum, much better than posting a problematic plan with 20 or more roof planes and expecting someone to go through and check every conceivable setting.