creating symbol

[sunnyseven]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm attempting to create a symbol from a molding polyline. I open a new plan, draw a rectangle, convert it to a molding polyline, take a full camera view, convert that to a symbol via the tool menu, store it in the library then attempt to use it. The problem arises when I store it in the library browser. The symbol doesn't look like the 3D object I took the camera view of. Instead, it appears as four of them joined together in a chain, which makes it fairly useless in the drawing I'm attempting to make. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong?

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

[Renerabbitt]

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5 minutes ago, sunsen said:

Hello everyone,

 

I'm attempting to create a symbol from a molding polyline. I open a new plan, draw a rectangle, convert it to a molding polyline, take a full camera view, convert that to a symbol via the tool menu, store it in the library then attempt to use it. The problem arises when I store it in the library browser. The symbol doesn't look like the 3D object I took the camera view of. Instead, it appears as four of them joined together in a chain, which makes it fairly useless in the drawing I'm attempting to make. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong?

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

I could guess but it would be better if you uploaded a plan with the symbol and also the molding

[Kbird1]

There are a couple of tutorials in the KB , but look for a setting to do with "repeating" perhaps :

 

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00786/creating-and-using-symbol-moldings.html

 

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00840/creating-a-custom-dentil-molding.html

[SNestor]

8 hours ago, sunsen said:

Hello everyone,

 

I'm attempting to create a symbol from a molding polyline. I open a new plan, draw a rectangle, convert it to a molding polyline, take a full camera view, convert that to a symbol via the tool menu, store it in the library then attempt to use it. The problem arises when I store it in the library browser. The symbol doesn't look like the 3D object I took the camera view of. Instead, it appears as four of them joined together in a chain, which makes it fairly useless in the drawing I'm attempting to make. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong?

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

You are skipping an important step.  After saving the molding to your library you need to use either a molding line or molding poly line tool...open the dialogue box for the molding line and on the “moldings” tab...add the molding you just created (it’s in your library) to the molding line.  
 

then take a camera view...from this view you can then create a symbol.  

[Joe_Carrick]

When you create the symbol you shouldn't classify it as a molding.  Geometric Shape or some other Symbol class would be appropriate.

[Alaskan_Son]

2 hours ago, Joe_Carrick said:

When you create the symbol you shouldn't classify it as a molding.  Geometric Shape or some other Symbol class would be appropriate.

 

I think Joe probably guessed correctly here.  Sounds like you're creating a molding symbol.  These symbol types were designed to apply to a molding line and not as freestanding objects.  This is why you're seeing the repeating pattern.  Chief is showing you what it's going to look like when applied as a molding.  Next time you convert to symbol, just make it a fixture.

[sunnyseven]

Thanks all. That did the trick. 

[sunnyseven]

One more question. Is it normal that symbols don't show up in cross section views? The symbol seems to do just fine in camera views and even the orthographic view but no sign of it in the clipped cross section or cross section views. The reason I had to use a symbol is because I had a 3D shape for a soffit on a building that had to be tilted to align with the roof. The molding polylines I used for the same application on the flat roof sections of the structure display as you'd expect.

[Signatures]

Welcome sunsen

 

It's helpful to know what software you are using as it changes from version to version.

 

It helps others to have this info in your signature so it's always available. Please see this topic for a signature how to.

 

https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/topic/18908-signature-here-at-chief-talk