Material list: framing, structural reporting, buy list. How to get plates and headers to cut from the 16' lengths

[GeneDavis]

For a house framed with exterior walls in 2x6, interior walls in 2x4, and 9/0 nominal ceilings everywhere, I set the buy list to have two lengths only of each size. Thus for 2x6 size, the two lengths are 8'-8 5/8" and 16'.

 

My problem is that the wall plates (and maybe opening header parts also), many being less than 8'-8 5/8", seem to be chopped from the shorter parts, and not the 16s.  I have checked in the setup for structural member reporting that wall plates are to come from longest size, but I don't know how this works in the code to produce buy list part counts.

 

In the image attached, a screencap from my material list, you can see plenty of the 9/0 precut buy list parts counted to do wall plates and headers.

[Alaskan_Son]

Go into Structural Member Reporting and Increase Priority for the longer material lengths.

[GeneDavis]

OK @Alaskan_Son, things are not going the way I want.  In my job with all walls nominally 9/0 tall, studs all the precuts at 8'-8 5/8", there are a lot of door and window openings with trimmer in 8'-1" lengths, and the material list buy list is wanting to cut every one of these from a 16' piece.  Per your observation and comment, I've sequenced the member reporting with two lengths only, 15' first, then 8'-8 5/8".  Pieces 8'-1" go first to the 16, get cut, leave 7'-11 minus the kerf, and I get stuck with a whole bunch of off falls at this length.  What can be done to ensure the trimmers instead get cut from the 8'-8 5/8" lengths? 

 

Shouldn't a part first go for the nearest buy length that first exceeds the cut length?

[PitMan71]

Did anyone come to some sort of conclusion on this?.... I am running into this issue as well. I want random length plates, headers, and such to be cut from 16' lengths but rafters and such to be cut from the next increment length up if it's a certain length or more.

[GeneDavis]

No, and Chief needs to program for it.

 

If I have a 9/0 nominal ceiling height on main and 8/0 on second, plus a feature wall balloon framed needing some studs from 18 foot stock, I'll set up the buy list to have precut 8, precut 9, 16 and 18 lengths.

 

I want the plates and headers, cripples and trimmers, and sills, to cut ONLY from the 16s.  But that is not what Chief does in counting.

[Chrisb222]

1 hour ago, GeneDavis said:

Chief needs to program for it.

 

Has that been requested?

 

https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/forum/8-suggestions/

[Alaskan_Son]

7 hours ago, GeneDavis said:

No, and Chief needs to program for it.

 

If I have a 9/0 nominal ceiling height on main and 8/0 on second, plus a feature wall balloon framed needing some studs from 18 foot stock, I'll set up the buy list to have precut 8, precut 9, 16 and 18 lengths.

 

I want the plates and headers, cripples and trimmers, and sills, to cut ONLY from the 16s.  But that is not what Chief does in counting.

 

It took me a while to understand your problem.  I think I finally get it.  What you want is for Chief to read your mind.  Okay, kinda joking, but not really.  There are essentially 2 things you could be doing with the Priority settings right now:

1. Prioritizing pre-cut studs in which case Chief will cut your trimmers AND cripples from studs
2. Prioritizing plate material in which case Chief will cut your trimmers AND cripples from plate

I think what you probably want is a Structural Member Reporting Priority list for each and every framing member type.  Cut cripples from this, cut trimmers from this, cut sills from this, and so on. 

[GeneDavis]

Try that, Mike.  I did.

 

I got three lineals in this sequence, for 1x6.  16', 20', 9P (104.625").  All my cripples and all the jacks are getting cut from the precuts.  And the 19 foot walls are getting their plates cut from the 20 footers.  Not what I want.

 

We simply need to be able to specify that in wall framing, vertical members less than stud length, and opening framing parts, plus items like ladder framing, are all cut from what we wish, and the wish is what we specify.  I want it from sixteens.

 

Likewise wall plates.  We need to be able to say, "cut from length X."  Not longest length, but the one we want.  In my case, sixteens.

 

You've framed.  I've framed.  On the deck, you want simple rules, and a minimum number of stock lengths.

 

I'm only addressing wall framing in this suggestion.  We could use something like this in floorframe work, for rim stock.  If I frame with rimboard it's not an issue because I set one length for that item and whatever it is that is what gets used.  But for sawn lumber floorframes, one might want all the rim to be from 16 footers without exception.