PJS-59 Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 I like HO Railroads. I am getting started on a new layout and want to build HO Scale Houses and buildings. I figured I could create the building plan with Chief Architect and print the elevations with Scale Dimensions to use for cutting and building the scale model. I have created the first building, was able to set the print scale for HO (1/7" = 1') and print a "Full Size" elevation that I can use a ruler to get measurements from, or use as a template and cut printout and balsa wood together. Can anyone give me any ideas on how to show scale dimensions? Ex house is 50' wide, HO Scale would be 7.14". a 7' high Door would be 1" high on HO Scale model. I have attached the 1st plan file Basic 50x4 Duplex.plan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 There are 2 different approaches you could potentially take for this one. Scale down ALL your various components before you start modeling (walls, roof structure, floor structure, window sizes, door sizes, molding sizes, etc.) and actually build the model to true scale. Create your own Units and use those instead. You can do this by going into Preferences>General>Unit Conversions and then adding a new Unit. The unit might look like this... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJS-59 Posted December 12, 2022 Author Share Posted December 12, 2022 Can both the feet & scaled " be shown on the dimension lines? 1 above and 1 below? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 Just now, PJS-59 said: Can both the feet & scaled " be shown on the dimension lines? 1 above and 1 below? Look closer at the image I posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJS-59 Posted December 12, 2022 Author Share Posted December 12, 2022 Got it. This works perfectly. THANKS 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glennw Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 If you can get hold of a copy of Chief X10, it had a handy Print Model tool that may help with what you are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 5 minutes ago, glennw said: If you can get hold of a copy of Chief X10, it had a handy Print Model tool that may help with what you are doing. I always forget about that feature. Pretty cool, but I'm always curious how many people actually made use of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richoffan Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 3 hours ago, Alaskan_Son said: Create your own Units and use those instead. You can do this by going into Preferences>General>Unit Conversions and then adding a new Unit. The unit might look like this... Well dang! I didn't know that. I never noticed you could add your own. I build wooden model ships to keep my sanity (jury's still out) and use this all the time to draw up custom parts. I always had to futz with the scale. Thank You! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob-Roraback Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Hi Patrick, I used to produce HO scale models myself using Chief Architect. I would build the model full size and use the export feature to send a scaled down elevation cad file to a laser cutting service and they would cut the building walls out of basswood stock 1/16" thick. 1. Build your building full scale. 2. Create an elevation of each side of the building. 3. In each elevation create a "cad detail from view". 4. Open each cad detail and go to EDIT, SELECT ALL then go to the TRANSFORM/ REPLICATE tool and check the box that say's RESIZE and enter .0149 which is 1/87th of 1. Your elevation will seem to vanish but just hit the F6 key and it will be back. What you now have is a perfectly scaled elevation that you can send to a layout at a 1" = 1" scale and print. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJS-59 Posted December 13, 2022 Author Share Posted December 13, 2022 I now have 90% of what I need to create the HO model. I used the print option with 1/7" = 1' to print full HO Size elevations. I used the Secondary Format with new " HO Scale dimension to see actual sizes, so I have both Full Scale dimensions and HO Scale Dimensions on the printout. I am now missing 1 component, how can I get the "Roof Plane" dimension for a hip roof? In Glennw's post regarding the "Print Model" in X10, it shows the roof planes. I can not find a way to show the roof planes with actual dimensions. Is this possible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob-Roraback Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Patrick, not sure how accurate you are trying to make these buildings but at your scaling you are at 1/84th, HO scale is 1/87th. If you are planning on using plastic injection molded windows and doors (available from Tichy) your openings would have to be accurately sized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJS-59 Posted December 13, 2022 Author Share Posted December 13, 2022 I got the information from Google where in HO Scale 1/7" = 1'. Thanks for the update. I will change my HO Scale dimension to 1" = 87". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glennw Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 This should work... If you select a roof (say, by its hip) and open its dbx, go to the Selected Line panel. You can see both the Projected Length and Length At Pitch. Work out the ratio between the two and then apply that to a Unit Conversion similar to what you did previously with the scale. You should then be able to use the Primary and Secondary dimension formats and dimension roof planes showing both dimensions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gawdzira Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 I did use that print model feature once when making a chipboard model. The guy in the office next to me just got a small laser cutter for making wood models and now I really miss having that feature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJS-59 Posted December 14, 2022 Author Share Posted December 14, 2022 18 hours ago, glennw said: This should work... If you select a roof (say, by its hip) and open its dbx, go to the Selected Line panel. You can see both the Projected Length and Length At Pitch. Work out the ratio between the two and then apply that to a Unit Conversion similar to what you did previously with the scale. You should then be able to use the Primary and Secondary dimension formats and dimension roof planes showing both dimensions. I am using Chief Architect X14, I am unfamiliar with open its dbx? I can get the the line length in full size inches, but not display it so as a dimension line with both dimensions so I can print it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glennw Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 4 hours ago, PJS-59 said: I am using Chief Architect X14, I am unfamiliar with open its dbx? I can get the the line length in full size inches, but not display it so as a dimension line with both dimensions so I can print it. dbx = dialog box Double click an object or Open Object on the Edit toolbar to open an objects dbx. The place where you can change an objects properties. What are the "both" dimensions you want - do you want Real and HO scale rather than Projected and At Pitch? Why can't you dimension a roof plane - what is happening? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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