Stairs and object visibility on different floor plans

[TriDiWorx]

Hey,

 

Have two questions.

1. On picture red arrows. Is there a way to make Chief to do stairs where beams connect at a proper height. Right now every stair I do seems to attach to second floor or landing just below it. If you think in reality you cannot connect those beams. It is in the air and looks weird/unreal. There should be one more tread at the top, but if I make this additional tread it just changes angle and hangs the stair back in the air. Basically you cannot actually build this stair.

2. I modelled my balcony and stairs on the second floor. Can I display them on second floor as balcony and on first floor as post and beams? Or I just have to redraw those details on first floor with CAD objects to be able to see them there? This is one thing that I do not like in Chief that it shows objects only on floors where it was drawn. Even if the object goes through all floors. Like chimneys. Or is there a fix for that? Right now I have been using cad lines on objects. Then copying them, going to another floor and pasting them in place.

[rlackore]

Solution to question 1: Open the Stair Specification dialog box. Under the General tab, uncheck Automatic Heights, check Top Tread, Lock Bottom, and paste the deck room floor height value into the upper stair section's Top Height box.

 

[robdyck]

55 minutes ago, TriDiWorx said:

If you think in reality you cannot connect those beams. It is in the air and looks weird/unreal.

There actually are many different methods for making this connection. You are right in that Chief's stair tool doesn't model in this connection, but that doesn't mean you can't model any connection method you desire.

The addition of a tread flush to the top deck surface isn't a structural necessity, simply a matter of preference.

[robdyck]

58 minutes ago, TriDiWorx said:

Can I display them on second floor as balcony and on first floor as post and beams?

That doesn't really make sense. They are stairs. 

If you'd like them to display as dashed lines on a different plan view in Layout, there are multiple methods to accomplish that. You can copy and crop a layout box in layout, and set it to use a different  view if you'd like.

Also, you can use Reference Displays to show as much or as little as you'd like. This can be more work to setup but is handy if it is something you'll need often.

Open 'Help' and search 'Reference Display'.

[TriDiWorx]

59 minutes ago, rlackore said:

Solution to question 1: Open the Stair Specification dialog box. Under the General tab, uncheck Automatic Heights, check Top Tread, Lock Bottom, and paste the deck room floor height value into the upper stair section's Top Height box.

 

Thank you. This works. 

Was doing all sort of other things to stairs, but apparently not that.

[TriDiWorx]

52 minutes ago, robdyck said:

That doesn't really make sense. They are stairs. 

If you'd like them to display as dashed lines on a different plan view in Layout, there are multiple methods to accomplish that. You can copy and crop a layout box in layout, and set it to use a different  view if you'd like.

Also, you can use Reference Displays to show as much or as little as you'd like. This can be more work to setup but is handy if it is something you'll need often.

Open 'Help' and search 'Reference Display'.

 

The sentence you quoted is about balcony not stairs. Stairs are mostly not an issue. If I do auto stairwell or manual open below room then it shows properly on all needed floor plans.

 

When I have this balcony like on the picture. If I do floor plans then on first floor I need to show posts and main beams, on second floor I show an actual balcony/deck and on foundation plan I show foundation columns. Same structure just different level. Different elements of structure need to be shown on different levels. But Chief only shows those things on a single story where it was placed. And yes I know about reference display and CAD drawing. Basically this is what I was doing all along. It is just not very good. It would be much better if Chief would be able to cut through those objects in a plan view on a specific height and show it on all levels. Floor plan is after all a horizontal section of a building.

Another example is when I do a chimney with 3D solid. It goes through all levels to the roof. But I see it only on the level I placed it. Would be great if I changed the location of chimney it could change on all levels. If I redraw chimney on other levels with CAD lines then I have to remember to move CAD lines also. So it is half way like drafting in AutoCAD for example.

And by levels and stories I mean "floors/floor plans".

 

But thank you for the info. I guess I will just be using CAD drawing and reference display as I was doing.

[robdyck]

4 minutes ago, TriDiWorx said:

I guess I will just be using CAD drawing and reference display as I was doing

My bad, I assumed you weren't aware of the available methods. There really is no true function to allow a floor by floor display of certain objects. That might make a great suggestion though!

FWIW, I draw all the structural components for a deck / balcony manually. So I'm already placing them on the correct level. I don't use Chief's auto tools for deck framing / structure.

I have saved objects in my library that have the correct notes applied to the label tab and I'd rather place everything correctly myself than edit what Chief builds.

As or chimneys, etc, I do what you do, manually place cad objects and yup, gotta remember them all if something moves, but it's usually quicker than setting up and managing a ref. display.

[TriDiWorx]

47 minutes ago, robdyck said:

My bad, I assumed you weren't aware of the available methods. There really is no true function to allow a floor by floor display of certain objects. That might make a great suggestion though!

FWIW, I draw all the structural components for a deck / balcony manually. So I'm already placing them on the correct level. I don't use Chief's auto tools for deck framing / structure.

I have saved objects in my library that have the correct notes applied to the label tab and I'd rather place everything correctly myself than edit what Chief builds.

As or chimneys, etc, I do what you do, manually place cad objects and yup, gotta remember them all if something moves, but it's usually quicker than setting up and managing a ref. display.

 

Thank you. It is actually a good idea. If I get the time I might save some objects to library myself. I don't really like Chiefs decking and railing tools anyway. They just break stuff or are not flexible enough. This time it was an easy deck so I chose built in tools for speed. And on that note stair tools could be also a bit less forceful. Sometimes I need to make a stair that is not "best fit" or most comfortable build/angle.

 

I do all low decks that are on the ground with 3D solid (when I don't need framing details). Just place a chunk on the ground. Shape it how I need and apply deck texture on it. Not amazing, but is easy, fast and does not collide with anything.

[DBCooper]

It seems like the program will already put the deck structural elements on the floor below.  Not sure why you would need to use cad or reference display.  

 

[TriDiWorx]

18 hours ago, DBCooper said:

It seems like the program will already put the deck structural elements on the floor below.  Not sure why you would need to use cad or reference display.  

 

 

Oops. It really does. I had just deck layers turned off. I thought I had them on in my template and did not check.
Then the only thing that does not work for me this way are 3D solid objects.

I mostly do not use deck tools so overlooked this. It shows up for me too. Just needed to turn on layers.

Thanks!

[SHCanada2]

On 8/22/2022 at 10:00 AM, TriDiWorx said:

I don't really like Chiefs decking and railing tools anyway. They just break stuff or are not flexible enough

there is a topic in suggestions to make these tools better, please upvote them !