How do I (roughly) add my roof truss design back into Chief?

[andr0id]

I have a truss design from Foxworth, and I want to update my framing plans and roof framing plans to show the truss design.

I need to put in 2 girder trusses and then 2 sets of roof trusses.

CA is fighting me every step of the way.

It either won't put in 2nd floor walls or wants to stack attic walls on top of my end/gable trusses. If it doesn't stack attic walls, it won't show exterior sheathing.

 

This is a section of the roof truss plan provided by the truss engineer. I also have the pdfs of all the actual truss dimensions. So I know those girder trusses are 3' tall and 4 ply.

I seem to have no control over how tall to make a truss.

 

Any ideas on how to get this drawn?

 

[Chopsaw]

It can get complicated to make an exact match to the engineering but usually can be done with a little perseverance.  You may need to turn attic walls off and just place one manually that is sheathing and siding but even then chief will ask if you are doing the right thing.  Trusses build between ceiling and roof planes so you may need to provide those even if they really do not belong and use them temporarily to get the trusses built.  Some work may need to be done manually in the truss detail if you can't find an auto setting that works. A temporary truss base may also be helpful but would need to try it.  Depending on your experience level you may benefit from partnering up with someone who has more experience but even some of the most battle hardened pro's here don't bother with trusses so you need to find someone who thinks like you do.

 

The more specific the information and questions you can provide the better the answers will be here on the forum. 

[DRAWZILLA]

get a PDF of the truss plan and import it to your sheets.

[andr0id]

3 hours ago, DRAWZILLA said:

get a PDF of the truss plan and import it to your sheets.

OK, I have that. 

I guess I can make an alternate .plan file that has no roof on it the generate the wall details.

Is that how it is normally done?

 

[andr0id]

I did figure out how to get the end truss to be the "attic wall"

 

1)  create the roof and ceiling planes and draw in the first truss.

2) offset it to 0 relative to the gable wall. This should park it on the outside edge of the wall.

3) multi-copy all the rest of trusses to the other end.

4) pick the 2 ends and set [x] End Truss and [x] Reduced Gable and [x] Force rebuild

5) now build roof framing and wall framing.

 

[GeneDavis]

Tell us why you have to get this in your Chief model, when the truss supplier has already correctly modeled it and provided plans in .pdf.  
 

Does the client require this?  Are you being paid for this?

[robdyck]

1 hour ago, GeneDavis said:

Tell us why you have to get this in your Chief model, when the truss supplier has already correctly modeled it and provided plans in .pdf.  
 

Does the client require this?  Are you being paid for this?

@andr0id What he said.

[Chrisb222]

I'm guessing he wants to be able to view the entire model accurately in CA

 

This is a personal build, not something for a client

 

 

 

 

[andr0id]

2 hours ago, GeneDavis said:

Tell us why you have to get this in your Chief model, when the truss supplier has already correctly modeled it and provided plans in .pdf.  
 

Does the client require this?  Are you being paid for this?

 

I was trying to make construction drawings for my building dept that accurately reflect what's being built.

At this point I'm going to try to just get the wall heights to come out right and then send my framing details to the layout.

 

My only reward the knowledge accumulated on journey.

 

I'm probably going overboard. I think I'm intimidated by the multi page sample layouts and I probably don't really need anything that fancy for Fremont County, CO.

 

 

 

[Chopsaw]

Not likely that the building department will require that level of detail since the truss guys are supposed to be qualified at their jobs.

 

There is nothing wrong with your objective.  I have been urged to sign truss engineering on more than one occasion where I had noted issues and the truss jockey tried to assure me that when the order was shipped it would be correct but I don't play that way when there are 60k in trusses that are not even much use for kindling if they don't fit on the roof.

 

Chief has the tools to verify what has been offered as "engineering" will work on your building or not.  So even if it takes a day or two to draw it, that is better than a 6 week construction delay when you want to get a building closed in.  Also not likely that the truss company will cover those expenses if you have signed off on their design work.

 

If you don't enjoy drawing trusses, you have to wonder who really does day after day after day. 

[GeneDavis]

Ok, now I understand.  I'm totally with you on this, and think you should work to get this model as absolutely precise as possible.  Use the effort to learn Chief and learn it well.

 

As for the trusses, do a search for my thread about a special truss that was endwall top half with a window opening, and girder lower half.

 

@Alaskan_Son helped with a video to show how well Chief can produce real trusses in 3D.

 

Pretend your project is a calling card, the layout prints an example of your capabilities, to show and impress potential clients.

 

Do CAD details for everything.  Go way beyond what's needed for permits.  Make those prints so full of information that anybody can build the job, and if done per prints, every detail will be per you.