As Built Canvas to Chief

[ElJefeArchitect]

I am hoping Canvas to Chief goes well. I'm not yet impressed by the website or the sales.

In the meantime does anyone in Northern California do field measures fo as-builts and offer output in Chief?

Thanks!

[Gawdzira]

Northern California is a large area. Where are you working more specifically? I am in the Monterey area.

Thanks

Alan

[ElJefeArchitect]

I am in the East Bay. Projects are generally within a 30 mile radius.

Thanks!

[RobDesLLC]

I've had great success using Canvas for as-builts. I offer the following insights that have helped me integrate Canvas into my workflow:

 

1. Take your time doing the scans. Go room by room, starting at the doorway and moving clockwise around the room and back to the door. Slow and steady is the key.
2. After completing the scans, thoroughly photo document the entire house in the same order as the scans were performed.
3. Measure key dimensions for reference, preferably longer dimensions.
4. Allow 16-24 hours of your time to refine the Chief Architect plan sent from Canvas into an accurate model - materials, layers/layer sets, foundation, decks, etc. - using the photos taken on site for reference.
5. Map out the electrical circuits and add them to your as-built model. I prefer to take a copy of the as-built plan file on a Windows tablet to the site and draw in electrical connections there.
6. Convert the as-built survey into a site model in your as-built plan, and you now have a complete as-built of the house and property. 

 

To help illustrate design constraints, I place color-coded disks on the terrain to represent the trees around the house, and I have created color-coded, translucent moldings to represent property boundaries, setbacks, adjacent use/adjacent street buffers, easements, and wetland buffers. This is particularly useful when dealing with additions. 

 

[rgardner]

On 9/13/2024 at 12:50 PM, ElJefeArchitect said:

I am in the East Bay. Projects are generally within a 30 mile radius.

Thanks!

@Renerabbitt's back yard and one of the fastest out there.  @MKBDesignis also out there.