Skip Sheeting In Chief?

[Chopsaw]

4 minutes ago, Ridge_Runner said:

Is it battery powered or does it require an extension cord? Rent or purchase? Couldn't resist.

 

It might even be better than Chief's tool but it is only semi automatic and mouse powered.  Waiting for x13 and I may release it officially.

 

Currently in Beta testing.

[Alaskan_Son]

What you essentially have is a roof with 2 framing layers right?  One perpendicular to the other.  The problem is that Chief doesn't allow for 2 framing layers to be defined so we must frame one of them manually. 

1. Define your roof structure to have 2 layers, one layer for the rafters and one layer for the purlins.  Set the purlin layer to a framing material and and the rafter layer to a non-framing material for the time being.
2. Make sure to check Lookouts in the roof Structure tab and then auto build the roof framing.
3. Select one of the lookouts, block it, and add it to your library.  Name it purlin or something you'll otherwise remember. 
4. Hit Undo a couple times to get rid of the roof framing. 
5. Go back into your roof structure tab and change the structure layers so that the rafter is a framing material and so that the purlin layer is an air gap.
6. You can now frame your roof as usual.
7. Drop your Purlin block into the plan and explode it.  You can now multiple copy that around, resize it as necessary, and use various CAD tools (extend, trim, etc.) to create your purlins.  Because it was originally framed in the second layer of the roof structure it should always automatically return to that second layer when you drop it into the plan. 

NOTE:  The top of your purlin will always automatically align itself with the top of your upper structure layer and will resize about that point if you change the depth.

[HumbleChief]

Thank you for all the help. I used a lookout and repositioned/resized/multi copied/and reflected about the ridge. Worked OK but messes with roof layers a bit. 

[GeneDavis]

1 hour ago, Ridge_Runner said:

I do this all of the time on "pole barn" type structures.

Thread winner!

[HumbleChief]

9 minutes ago, GeneDavis said:

Thread winner!

Depends on how accurate you need the model to be and fortunately I only need the 'look' for now. In the case of the roof I am working with, the structure has a new 1/2" layer of plywood over the skip sheathing/purlins. When the 3/4" lookouts are moved/duplicated/replicated they end up higher than the 1/2" plywood and roof surface. Easy to fix visually by increasing (inaccurately) either the plywood thickness or the roof surface thickness but structurally it's not quite right - perhaps only in this case - but even a true skip sheathing will end up with the lookouts above the roof surface. Framing will look OK and without framing/roof rafters layer on it might be OK in 3D.

 

Michael's solution will probably work the best, until X13 comes out, but haven't made time to try it yet.

[GeneDavis]

You can build a roof, then frame it which will generate lookouts for the gables, then raise the roof the appropriate distance to house the lookout profile when moved up to rafter top.  Move one lookout, edit it for length, then repeat-copy as needed.  Just make sure you haven't checked to auto reframe roofs.

 

You'll need to elevate all the eave and rake work, meaning subfascia and fascia.  I did not go as far as dealing with fascia, but in the image here, I moved one of the gable subfacia members up.