Best Practice For Belly Band Molding

[Nicinus]

I'm doing a belly band that is at the height of windows, and was wondering if anyone has a suggestion for a speedier workflow than cutting the line on a one by one basis? I have about 25 windows and this is turning out to be quite tedious.

[Joe_Carrick]

Exterior Room Molding Polyline at the desired height.  You have to define it at that height as it's being created, but that will automatically break at all openings that it passes thru and the moldings will skip the openings.

[Nicinus]

Hmm, can not get that to work. I have created an exterior room molding polyline, but it goes straight over all windows?

[AriseDesign]

Do one have to create an invisible exterior room for this to work? can someone explain the process?

[Joe_Carrick]

Hmm, can not get that to work. I have created an exterior room molding polyline, but it goes straight over all windows?

Try again, but set the height of the molding polyline so that it will be within the windows ( in the US I use 48" as the height )

[Joe_Carrick]

Do one have to create an invisible exterior room for this to work? can someone explain the process?

No, there is an exterior room (just outside the exterior walls) the Chief automatically recognizes.  Just click about 6-12" outside the building and then click on the "Room Molding Polyline" icon.

[Nicinus]

Try again, but set the height of the molding polyline so that it will be within the windows ( in the US I use 48" as the height )

 

Believe me I've tried. Do you get it to work? I did find a note in the Chief articel section though but it may be for an older version if it works for you.

 

http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00070/48/Chief-Architect/Moldings-Millwork/Adding-a-Belly-Band-to-a-Structure.html

 

It basically says what I've been doing so far...

 

1. If your belly band molding goes through a door, or window, return to floor plan view.

    

2. In floor plan, select the Molding, then use the Break Line  edit tool to place a break on either side of the door, or window, opening.

    

3. Select the segment and click on the Open Object  edit tool to display the Molding Polyline Specification dialog again.

    

4. On the General panel, check No Molding on Selected Edge and click OK.

    

5. Repeat the process for any remaining openings that the belly band intersects.

[Joe_Carrick]

Here's an example: I created the Exterior Room Molding Polyline at +48" and used a 3"x8" Edge Molding (uncheck Extrude Inside Polyline)

[Nicinus]

Thanks, that is very encouraging. I'm noticing something odd in my 3D view, my selected polyline is at floor level but the actual molding is where I want it so it seems I'm using an offset somewhere instead of actually lifting up the polyline.

 

Edit: I'm now using the absolut height in the general tab, and set the vertical offset to 0. It did however not make a difference other that my line now is in the expected location. The molding still goes through the windows though.

[Nicinus]

Erased it and re-did it and still doesn't work. My steps are:

 

1. Select exterior room.

2. Create a modling polyline

3. Open it and select height and the molding, uncheck 'Extrude inside polyline'

 

Are you starting with a regular poly and converting to molding or something?

[Nicinus]

Ok, I figured it out. The crucial step was to set the height in that initial dbx. Following the Chief article I was of the impression that was related to the height of the belly band. That setting then adjusted the height in the general tab.

 

Thanks, Joe.

 

 

PS. That Chief article is clearly not updated, I'm starting to get frustrated that 90% of my SSA videos seems to relate to older versions.

[Joe_Carrick]

 

I think I said that in post #2 and again in post #8. 

[Nicinus]

I think I may be so thick that I need instructions three times in order for it to sink in.