Addition

[HStone 0]

I am trying to design an addition, connected by a breezeway, to an existing complicated structure. This building, or rather connected group of buildings, sits built into a hillside with retaining walls. There is a flat area on the site onto which we would like to build a tall, tower like, addition. I cannot seem to get started on it. If I draw walls and adjust the floor heights to match where it's going to connect the existing building, I can create a first floor but I cannot get the program to generate additional floors. I will attach a PDF overview for starters. Anybody with an idea about what's wrong I would be greatly appreciative to hear from you. The proposed site is the flat area between the greenhouse and the other buildings.
Thank you, Henry

Proposed site overview.pdf

[glennw 1024]

What is stopping you from using Build New Floor?

[HStone 0]

Wish I knew. When I use it on what should be identified as wanting a third floor added to a second floor, it offers fifth or sixth floors. And if I go ahead and try and produce a new floor nothing appears.

[solver 1630]

Have you already drawn a structure and built floors for it?

 

And now you want to add an addition?

[HStone 0]

Thanks for your help;
I completed a while ago a drawing of existing conditions. This is a residence which incorporates a 1920s Lord and Burnham greenhouse, and two other structures on three levels. The greenhouse, and the building several steps down from it, are all incorporated in the "second floor" part of the drawing. The owners would like a two-bedroom addition in the form of a tower (the height will allow a view of the Hudson River). The idea is that the first floor, or ground-floor, of the addition be at the same elevation as the greenhouse floor. This very unusual grouping can definitely accommodate another unusual piece. I have drawn a sort of test structure on the flat area next to the greenhouse, but cannot seem to add floors to it.

(Drawing the curved eave greenhouse and the intersecting curved eave piece that connects to the house stretched my abilities with Chief Architect to their limit. In fact it really isn't fully drawn as some of the connections were never really resolved. It could be that hidden in there is whatever it is that's causing my problem.)

Thanks again, Henry

[HStone 0]

Here is an overview of the complex.

Ex'g overview.pdf

[rlackore 407]

Nothing should prevent you from adding additional floors. PDFs don't help us diagnose a problem - attach the plan file.

[HStone 0]

Hi; I sent the PDFs just to give you a picture of what I'm dealing with. I'll send the Plan file now if you're willing to give it a look. There is no addition drawn as I could get it to work.

Thanks again, Henry

Existing GH w proposed Tower.plan

[HStone 0]

Could NOT...

[rgardner 163]

You have 7 floors setup in your plan.  Every time you added a floor you selected blank instead of allowing chief to autobuild the walls.  If this is what you want then go draw your walls where you want them (hint use reference layer to see where the walls below are as well as the align with wall below tool.)  If you want them to autobuild go delete floors 3-7 and BUILD a new floor but look at the dbx that pops up when you do it.

[solver 1630]

 

[HStone 0]

Thanks Eric. The difficulty that I'm having is that when I try to create what is called a new third floor, above the "second floor" I put on the terrain next to the greenhouse (and has a the floor height of 150 to match the greenhouse) I seem to lose control of the process. The program adds another floor to all the buildings. I don't how to make it not do that. Thanks again for your help, Henry

[solver 1630]

13 minutes ago, HStone said:

The program adds another floor to all the buildings. I don't how to make it not do that.

 

Are you saying the program adds walls to the other buildings?

 

I don't understand what you don't understand. Try to say exactly what you are doing, and what is happening that you do not want.

 

I tried to show in the video that once you have created a Floor in Chief, you can draw anywhere on it without any changes to what is already there.

[HStone 0]

Thanks Eric; I saw that's what you demonstrated, but I can't make it work on my drawing. If you don't have it already I will attach it here and then if you have a moment, try putting a structure on the flat area next to the greenhouse and then add floors to it. Note that the addition wants to have a floor elevation the same as the greenhouse - 150. If you have the same difficulty as I have had then this will be a case of a picture being worth a thousand words.

Once again I really appreciate your input. Henry

Existing GH w proposed Tower.plan

[solver 1630]

 

[HStone 0]

Hi Eric; you make it look simple. The control alt V command is not what I knew. Anyhow, following your example I'll see if I can do what I wanted to do. Thanks so much, I'll let you know what happens.
Henry

[HStone 0]

I hate to keep bothering you, but when I create a sample box like you did (and as I had done before), and then add a floor above it (third) the adjacent buildings also pop up. The buildings with the green roofs stay put but the walls around the greenhouse are the ones that pop up an additional floor or more depending on what I asked for.

[solver 1630]

7 minutes ago, HStone said:

and then add a floor above it (third)

 

Did you see me at any time "add a floor"?

 

I simply drew or pasted walls on already existing floors.

[HStone 0]

OK! I''ll see what I can do.

[HStone 0]

I'm up against what seems a painfully rudimentary problem: in the window on the toolbar where you choose the floor to display I am only offered 0, 1, 2, A. How do I get it to offer me additional upper floors without using "add a floor"?

[solver 1630]

 

[HStone 0]

Good morning Eric; thanks for your patience and I think I have finally got it!

Now I can get to work on actually designing this, probably odd, structure. If you like I can send you a copy once I've done it.

Best, Henry