Timber Frame Sample Plan

[KristjanM]

I am brand new to Chief. One of the sample plans I am particularly interested in is titled "Timber Frame". Does anyone know how the timber work was created? In Chief or somewhere else and imported in?

[Kiwideziner]

Sample plans are created in CA otherwise they cannot be called samples

[KristjanM]

Kiwideziner, I guess that should be obvious. Having just looked at a number of 3D solid videos. I can now see how it was done.

 

solver, not sure what you mean. In Canada, a timber would be a larger wood structural member that would come from a sawmill, not a lumber yard. I realize that timber means lumber in other places. There are certainly some timber frame pieces in the sample plan.

[GeneDavis]

I didn't download the plan, but looked at the .pdf of the layout.  All the lineals, meaning the posts and beams, can be drawn with Chief's framing tools.  I'd do the trusses with solids in elevation view.  
 

You can build it by creating wall types that are SIP-like, if that's you goal, but I think maybe the sample is of a hybrid structure, timber frame as load-bearing.
 

I've done two of these, one an SIP wrap over a loadbearing timber frame inside, tight to the panels.  The other was a hybrid, with wood framed walls and timber trusses up under the rafter-framed roof, trusses load-bearing to support purlins and a big ridge beam. 

[Dermot]

You can download the sample plan and open it in the program to see how things were made. 

 

I think most of the structural pieces were created using 3D Solids and some of them were then grouped into architectural blocks or converted into millwork symbols.  I would guess that the tree trunks used as the support posts were imported from another modelling program but I don't really know for sure.

[KristjanM]

Thanks for all the comments. I have downloaded the plan and can see the solids. Using a combination of posts, beams and solids should be fairly straightforward. Now if you could just get the textures to automatically align to the length of each member, I'd be really happy.

[rgardner]

2 hours ago, KristjanM said:

Thanks for all the comments. I have downloaded the plan and can see the solids. Using a combination of posts, beams and solids should be fairly straightforward. Now if you could just get the textures to automatically align to the length of each member, I'd be really happy.

There are log posts in the catalogs

 

Directional materials you can make a copy and turn the texture 90deg and Apply that copy to the other directional members.

 

btw despite what is being said I still recommend using the framing members like the truss tool to create the different components.

[KristjanM]

rgardner,

The ortho textures are easy. It's a problem when the timbers are at 30 deg or 60 deg or whatever. It wouldn't be that much work to create textrures slanted at a specific angle. Just lazy after working with software which automatically aligns the textures.

I'm going to try both ways, with the truss tool and with solids and find which one I prefer. I'm sure there will be instances when one or the other is better for a specific job.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[GeneDavis]

I was just lazy and painted knotty pine everywhere in this one.  I'm gonna go with Eric's suggestion next time and do exploded solids.

 

In Sketchup, you can apply a different texture to every face in a model, and it is a cool feature, you can edit the texture on each face, rotating it as needed, moving it to center a knot, and more.

 

What you need in Chief is a bunch of imported textures, good photos of wide long boards.

[rgardner]

2 hours ago, KristjanM said:

rgardner,

The ortho textures are easy. It's a problem when the timbers are at 30 deg or 60 deg or whatever. It wouldn't be that much work to create textrures slanted at a specific angle. Just lazy after working with software which automatically aligns the textures.

I'm going to try both ways, with the truss tool and with solids and find which one I prefer. I'm sure there will be instances when one or the other is better for a specific job.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Another reason to use the framing tools instead of using solids.

[Dermot]

Please note that I was not endorsing or criticizing how this sample plan was made.  Only explaining how it was made since that was the question that was asked.  

 

This particular sample plan was built a long time ago and then last updated in X7.  We have had a number of tools that have improved since then.  

 

You should use whatever tools you think will work best for you and your needs.