paccoastJeff Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Tried trial version for a week and just purchased full version this morning. Having trouble dimensioning exterior walls. I'm trying to go in the clockwise direction suggested on some of the video's. Is there a way to "lock" a dimension once you have changed it? When changing some dimensions the option to choose which direction the change affects. I had a back and one side completely done. The total front and rear width dimensions were the same. As I started to change individual measurements on the front of the plan, it started changing the measurements at the back that had already been set to their proper values. I have searched and haven't found it there is a way to lock things. I'm unsure why at times there is a choice how you want the change to move, and others, there isn't. I'm guessing the answer is rather simple. I would appreciate any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgardner Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 2 minutes ago, paccoastJeff said: Tried trial version for a week and just purchased full version this morning. Having trouble dimensioning exterior walls. I'm trying to go in the clockwise direction suggested on some of the video's. Is there a way to "lock" a dimension once you have changed it? When changing some dimensions the option to choose which direction the change affects. I had a back and one side completely done. The total front and rear width dimensions were the same. As I started to change individual measurements on the front of the plan, it started changing the measurements at the back that had already been set to their proper values. I have searched and haven't found it there is a way to lock things. I'm unsure why at times there is a choice how you want the change to move, and others, there isn't. I'm guessing the answer is rather simple. I would appreciate any help. Welcome to the Chief Family! In this case it might be best to post your plan to see what you are referencing. Just make sure that before you upload it you close it out of chief or it will stay locked and not upload to the site. Of course it is superbowl sunday so you may or may not get a quick response on this one... BTW from the Everett area, where are you located? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paccoastJeff Posted February 2, 2020 Author Share Posted February 2, 2020 Thanks rgardner. Waiting to watch the game myself. I'm in the tricities area on the other side of the mountains. I can't figure out why dimensions that have already set are changed. As an example, working across the front I set one garage door area to 12'. The dimension across the entire front remains 67', which is what it is supposed to be. The garage area to the left of the 12' is supposed to be 22'. I change it to 22', using any of the possible direction selections, and it changes the 12' dimension I already set, while the 67' remains. I just attached the rough outline of the exterior walls. It's a plan we build a lot, so I am very familiar with it, and am going off an existing drawing for practice. At the back, when I select the 32' wall that is inset, I can't select the dimension and change it. If I select the 17' wall to the left of it, which I have already set at 17', it gives me the option to select the dimension of the 32' wall and change it, but without a choice of how the change affects overall. At one point I had all of the rear and right side dimensions correct, and moved to the right front. I set the right, front wall at 12', when I change the wall next to it to 22', the overall (67') dimension stayed the same, but it changed the 12' dimension I had just set. I'm sure I'm missing something? Have used Softplan for 8 years and the exterior dimensioning seemed to go much easier, but I'm sure this will be great when I figure out what I'm doing wrong. GV Rough Outline.plan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgardner Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Ok, let me see if I can understand what you are trying to do. First off yes always go clockwise, I try to do that in all aspects of drawing it from top to right down left. It is a good habit and then your walls are always on the correct side you want as well as your electrical connections go the way you want them to arc. Maybe this will help? When making that first bay of what I think the garage is supposed to be (it showed 11' for the right side) click the side wall that you want to move to make the 12' length then click the dimension line as shown and type. That wall will move over. Same as the left side. Works the same in polylines as well. Does that help answer what you are looking for? BTW Thank you very much for filling in your signature line. It surely does help as you will see! I am sure some of the guys who are much more skilled at this will chime in with some pointers as well. But have fun! It is addicting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgardner Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Just noticed it was the other side but the principles hold true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paccoastJeff Posted February 2, 2020 Author Share Posted February 2, 2020 Thank you! I was selecting the wall that actually needed to change. I should have been selecting the intersecting wall that needed to move. Went back around and did that and it's exactly what I wanted. Thank you, most sincerely, for the help. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Hi and Welcome....... just thought I'd point out the Use of the Knowledgebase (KB), there is a quick tutorial on this method of using the perpendicular temporary dimension there , but also hundreds of others you'll likely find useful over the next few months. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01116/moving-walls-using-dimensions.html Mick. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diyDehnel Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 some how I thing you are missing the original intent of their question. I too who uses many professional CAD packages want to know if I can LOCK a dimension. I use the principles you talk about here but regardless of going CW occasional the program chooses to simple change a dimension I have previous set EXACTLY. So the real question is how do you LOCK a dimension so when it arbitrarily works within those constraints it changes UNLOCK constraints as expected and not a dimension that has already been set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosco2017 Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 28 minutes ago, diyDehnel said: the program chooses to simple change a dimension I have previous set EXACTLY. Hmm. I've never had this happen to me. Now, on the other hand, I have accidently moved walls by my own mistakes. Perhaps you're doing the same thing? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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