Drawing walls with interior dimensions only

[Scvide]

I want to be able to draw walls based on interior dimensions.  Not studs, not from the outside of the wall, but as if I am standing in the room and have taken manual measurements.

 

I have tried interior walls, but every time I drag a second wall perpendicular from another wall it add the thickness of the second wall to the first wall drawn.  I don't want that to happen.  Is there a way to create walls within instead of adding to the outside?   In the attached image, I want the red, not the default grey. 

[DBCooper]

Try this:

Open up your "general wall defaults".

Change the "resize about" setting to "inner surface".

Now as you draw a wall and see the temp dimensions, they should show you the interior surface-to-surface  length.  Same if you open up the wall dialog and look at the length.

 

You may also want to change your dimension defaults so that they will locate wall surfaces as well.

 

[Scvide]

Thank you.  I got the first part.. 

I am looking in the Dimension Edit Settings and can't seem to find the second suggestion.  Can you give some direction?

 

Also, when I drag the walls, the only dimensions I see are the ones at the very bottom of the screen. 

[SteveCanbury]

1 hour ago, Scvide said:

I am looking in the Dimension Edit Settings and can't seem to find the second suggestion.  Can you give some direction?

Double-Click the Ruler icon

[DBCooper]

It really depends on how you want your dimensions to work.  Some people, such as a remodeler, may want to layout the as-built based on interior measurements but then they will show normal dimensions in their construction docs.  If you are strictly doing interior work, then you might want all of your dimensions to always go to interior wall surfaces.  You can open your dimension defaults and change your walls to use "surfaces" instead of using the dimension layer (usually the framing) setup in the wall type.

 

Also, check to see if you have temporary dimensions turned on.  You won't get a wall length dimension while you are drawing a wall when they are turned off.

 

[Scvide]

is there a way to toggle which side the wall is created?   I am getting what I want with the interior measurements if I go one direction, but If I go the opposite direction it still gives me the extra wall thickness to the length I had.

 

another way to say it... If I constantly draw right turns, it works.  As soon as I take a left, it breaks the dimensions.   My rooms are not square, so I have to "turn left"

 

Edited Thursday at 08:19 PM by Scvide

[ValleyGuy]

2 hours ago, Scvide said:

is there a way to toggle which side the wall is created?   I am getting what I want with the interior measurements if I go one direction, but If I go the opposite direction it still gives me the extra wall thickness to the length I had.

 

another way to say it... If I constantly draw right turns, it works.  As soon as I take a left, it breaks the dimensions.   My rooms are not square, so I have to "turn left"

 

Walls have interior and exterior sides. This is needed to place headers, wall blocking, viewing the framing, among other things, such as different wall layers (an example might be cement board, membrane and tile interior layers with drywall and paint for exterior layers). You can draw walls in any direction and are still able to change the interior / exterior sides using the 'Reverse Layers' tool. This tool is in the toolbar that appears when an item is selected. Walls designate the exterior side with a selected edge handle.

 

You may also want to open up your wall and under the Wall Types > Define > Wall Properties, Toggle on the Partition Wall. This will only butt a bisecting wall to another wall.

Edited Thursday at 10:28 PM by ValleyGuy

[DBCooper]

I think if you draw your walls clockwise, then it should work out ok regardless of whether you have an inside or outside corner. 

 

The other thing you can do, is just draw your walls out fast and then go back and adjust them to get the dimensions correct.  This is kind of old-school Chief.  You just draw the shape of the room and then you move the walls by typing in the dimensions to force them to be accurate.  This also works best if you go around the room adjusting the walls in a clockwise direction.

 

And last bit of advice, if you have not watched the quick start videos, I highly recommend them:

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/playlists/138/quick-start-video-series.html