DianeP Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 Does anyone have a railing like this they can share or tell me how to go about making it myself. The one I found in the symbols available in our software has 2 x's where I need only one and it has iron balisters where I don't need to have any. Thanks! This is what I am wanting, but need the x's to resize according to available space. this is what chief has available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chopsaw Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 You need to draw it to scale in 3D and convert it to a millwork symbol. However that design will not stretch very far properly and look correct so you may need to draw each size you need. Stretch the library one out to 12' or so and see what happens to it. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-02893/creating-custom-balusters-and-railing-panels.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DzinEye Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 The challenge (impossibility in Chief) for that design to stretch properly is that you will usually just want it to stretch in length, but stay the same height in any given installation... and for that design to stretch only in length uniformly the pieces would have to rotate as they get longer, which stretching alone can't do. Make a cad detail from view of the elevation with the railing set as just a top and lower rail, then in the cad detail set all your X's with 2-rectangles then copy hold position into your 3D view elevation and turn them all into P-solids. You might find it easiest to rotate/align the pieces correctly using Tranform/Replicate, and rotate about current point, in which you've made a current point at the endpoint of a properly located piece. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeP Posted September 5, 2020 Author Share Posted September 5, 2020 2 hours ago, DzinEye said: The challenge (impossibility in Chief) for that design to stretch properly is that you will usually just want it to stretch in length, but stay the same height in any given installation... and for that design to stretch only in length uniformly the pieces would have to rotate as they get longer, which stretching alone can't do. Make a cad detail from view of the elevation with the railing set as just a top and lower rail, then in the cad detail set all your X's with 2-rectangles then copy hold position into your 3D view elevation and turn them all into P-solids. You might find it easiest to rotate/align the pieces correctly using Tranform/Replicate, and rotate about current point, in which you've made a current point at the endpoint of a properly located piece. 3 hours ago, Chopsaw said: You need to draw it to scale in 3D and convert it to a millwork symbol. However that design will not stretch very far properly and look correct so you may need to draw each size you need. Stretch the library one out to 12' or so and see what happens to it. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-02893/creating-custom-balusters-and-railing-panels.html Thanks guys, your guidance saved me some time. I ended up drawing a line where I need it between the upright posts. Then I changed that into 1.5" x 4" molding polyline offset .75" from the line I drew so the molding would be centered. Then I reflected it upon itself and took both copies and blocked them together and copied them to the next locations they were needed, adjusting them if necessary. Wasn't too bad. I tried making it into a symbol, but as you mentioned DzinEye, the pieces needed to rotate just a little and I couldn't figure out how to compensate for that quickly. Chopsaw, when I stretched the CA symbol to 21' it just made another copy of the x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DzinEye Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 30 minutes ago, DianeP said: Then I changed that into 1.5" x 4" molding polyline offset .75" from the line I drew so the molding would be centered. Good idea!... easier than a p-solid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdyck Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 You can also take the library symbol, "Baluster X', place it in plan, turn up the smoothing angle, then delete the iron balusters with a single click each. Then, convert to a new mill work symbol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeP Posted September 6, 2020 Author Share Posted September 6, 2020 4 minutes ago, robdyck said: You can also take the library symbol, "Baluster X', place it in plan, turn up the smoothing angle, then delete the iron balusters with a single click each. Then, convert to a new mill work symbol. Oh wow,. So going to try this. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeP Posted September 6, 2020 Author Share Posted September 6, 2020 15 hours ago, robdyck said: You can also take the library symbol, "Baluster X', place it in plan, turn up the smoothing angle, then delete the iron balusters with a single click each. Then, convert to a new mill work symbol. Rob, I tried to figure this out but it wouldn't let me changed the smoothing angle. Held it at 45 degrees even though it looked like it changed it before I closed the dialog box with "ok". Also didn't see where I could turn off the balusters. When you get time, could you give me more information. I have a work around now, but would like to learn this way. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdyck Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 @DianeP Original: changed to 90: baluster x.mp4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdyck Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 1 minute ago, solver said: Nice find Eric! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeP Posted September 6, 2020 Author Share Posted September 6, 2020 4 minutes ago, robdyck said: @DianeP Original: changed to 90: baluster x.mp4 EXCELLENT!! Thanks for the tutorial video. This won't let me have a wider x panel, will it? Is there a way to change the width of the panel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeP Posted September 6, 2020 Author Share Posted September 6, 2020 3 minutes ago, solver said: Eric, this looks like it is a wider panel too. I will have to check to see if it could work. Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdyck Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 Just now, DianeP said: EXCELLENT!! Thanks for the tutorial video. This won't let me have a wider x panel, will it? Is there a way to change the width of the panel? You'll still be able to stretch it, but as was mentioned above, too wide or too narrow will mess up the proportions. Otherwise, stretch away! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeP Posted September 6, 2020 Author Share Posted September 6, 2020 1 minute ago, robdyck said: You'll still be able to stretch it, but as was mentioned above, too wide or too narrow will mess up the proportions. Otherwise, stretch away! I increased the width between newel posts to 244" in the above picture, but it didn't change the width of the panels just the distance between the posts. Is there another way to stretch the panels so I can see what it looks like? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdyck Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 3 minutes ago, DianeP said: I increased the width between newel posts to 244" in the above picture, but it didn't change the width of the panels just the distance between the posts. Is there another way to stretch the panels so I can see what it looks like? Thanks! Play with the newel spacing. Forget that...doesn't apply. I'd be using a different object for the tall posts so my railing would be independent of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeP Posted September 6, 2020 Author Share Posted September 6, 2020 3 minutes ago, robdyck said: Play with the newel spacing. ???? This is what I did. No change for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdyck Posted September 6, 2020 Share Posted September 6, 2020 1 minute ago, DianeP said: ???? This is what I did. No change for me. Yeah, I edited my post after I realized it wouldn't apply. I know this isn't the popular method, but why not just place the panels in manually? Then you're in complete control and they're easy to resize. Just saying...If it takes longer to figure out how to do it using the railing dbx then why bother? Unless you're determined to figure it out. You may need to make multiple panel symbols of various widths to help control the number of panels that show up. You currently have 4...how many do you want? Copy the symbol and make a new one, bigger or smaller to see if that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeP Posted September 6, 2020 Author Share Posted September 6, 2020 I have it done, just trying to learn a CA way to do it next time. This builder uses them a lot and thought next time I wouldn't have to do a manual method. Your info was so helpful. I learned some new things about symbols I didn't know before. Thanks a bunch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard_Z Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 This one was easy to make. Stretch plains right in the center. X Railing.calibz 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeP Posted September 7, 2020 Author Share Posted September 7, 2020 Awesome Richard, I think that will work for what I may need in the future. Thanks so much for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeP Posted September 7, 2020 Author Share Posted September 7, 2020 4 hours ago, Richard_Z said: This one was easy to make. Stretch plains right in the center. X Railing.calibz Richard I have a question, Is there a way I can make the panels thicker, 1.5" x 4". I tried to make it work on the dialog box for the railing but it didn't change anything visually when I changed the panel thickness to 4". Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeaconHill Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 Just looking to do this on a deck off of a horse barn and trying to apply the Glass X symbol to the balusters. For some reason they are showing up 90 degrees to what is expected. I have looked for a setting to rotate them, but cannot find anything. Am I missing something? This happens with any railing symbol I apply. Will probably place and resize the symbol manually anyway, but thought I should ask if this happens to anyone else or am I just doing it wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chopsaw Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 8 minutes ago, BeaconHill said: Just looking to do this on a deck off of a horse barn and trying to apply the Glass X symbol to the balusters. For some reason they are showing up 90 degrees to what is expected. I have looked for a setting to rotate them, but cannot find anything. Am I missing something? This happens with any railing symbol I apply. Will probably place and resize the symbol manually anyway, but thought I should ask if this happens to anyone else or am I just doing it wrong? Place it as the "Panel" and it should work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeaconHill Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 Oh shoot! Thanks! I knew I was missing something. Have done this before and it worked so was having a hard time understanding why it wasn't now. I guess I forgot to switch it to a panel. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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