Watch out for confusing terms 'Floor' and 'Layer'

[ADallas]

Floor

Levels of a building have "floor platforms"--often the same platform throughout, but you can have multiple platform constructions at the same level.

 

Notice that I'm calling the first floor a "level." Chief doesn't use that word. When you look at Floor 1, you're on the first floor (the ground floor outside the US). Floor 0 is the foundation, and Floor A is the attic. 

 

Build > Floor > Build New Floor and Build > Floor > Insert New Floor create new levels for the building. Build > Floor > Delete Current Floor removes a level, as if you're playing Jenga. However, Build > Framing > Build Framing has a checkbox to Build Floor Framing. Obviously, this is for the floor platform, not a level in the building. (If Chief used the term 'level', we would be confused by that word, I'm sure. There aren't enough words for all this stuff.)

 

When we open a Room Specification dialog, the Floor referred to is the absolute elevation of the top of the subfloor. The floor finish goes on top of that. Back in the day, we used to refer to Finish Floor (F.F.) elevation, because that's what you want in the same plane, not the subfloor. The subfloor under mortar-set tile is lower than under carpet. No matter. Chief lets us do what we need to do, but don't be confused by Floor meaning "top of subfloor" for that particular room. On the Structure panel, the Floor section is really talking about the floor platform--Floor Structure, Floor Finish.

 

If you're on Floor 2, the top floor in a two-story building, you might think that "Floor Under This Room" should be 1. Instead, it means "build a floor platform for this room, or leave it dirt?" (If you choose to "leave it dirt" and you're on Floor 2, your Room Type should probably be "Open Below.")

 

Layer

A view in Chief (particularly plan views, but it works for other views, too) is like looking at a stack of animation cels. If you draw something all alone on its own cel, now you can easily include it in the stack or not. The cels are called layers.

 

However, some things in Chief--notably Wall Types--are built of layers. For example, siding, sheathing, framing, drywall. You can choose whether or not to show the layers of a wall. Is the wall represented by two lines or can we see the drywall if we zoom in? To hide the layers in a wall, uncheck display for the "Walls, Layers" layer.

 

In the Wall Type Definition dialog, the layers are numbered. The Main Layer is usually between the first layers and the Interior Layers. Selected Wall Layer Line and Material Layer have nothing to do with the Active Layer Display Options, or Working Layer Sets. You might think, after defining a new Wall Type, that Tools > Layer Settings > Display Options... would affect your new Wall Type, but no--it's the pile of cels kind of layer. Likewise, if you choose to display the "Walls, Main Layer Only" layer, you might think that would affect view layers and not wall layers.

 

I hope this reminder to watch out for double meanings helps someone out.