X18

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scottharris

scottharris

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X18 is in development with some exciting new features.  We expect to preview an open beta version in early July.  A final release is expected later in the summer.

 

This rendering shows off 3D siding and roofing.

Front-Closeup.thumb.png.63a890894f43c8c60d0bf92698633cc6.png

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Oakriverman

Oakriverman

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That is exciting! 

 

I have a question, has anyone ever asked for reference displays on Layout?  That way it would be easier to align your drawings from page to page?

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Renerabbitt

Renerabbitt

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30 minutes ago, Oakriverman said:

That way it would be easier to align your drawings from page to page?

Some easier methods for you that are snappable:

  1. Use points from CAD/Points/Place Points. They are snappable and do not print
  2. Use the Snap Grid and snap your drawings to the same points
  3. Send your view once, then use the copy with paste hold position to a new sheet to maintain position, then use the relink tool to relink to the view you want. This will maintain position exactly

Hope that helps see video:

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Joe_Carrick

Joe_Carrick

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1 hour ago, Oakriverman said:

I have a question, has anyone ever asked for reference displays on Layout?  That way it would be easier to align your drawings from page to page?

I use a different method.  My drawing sheets are the same size (point markers lower left and upper right) as the layout pages.  When sent to Layout they fill the page 100% automatially.

 

Another option is to place a polyline on the drawing sheet matching the sheet boundary.  

Edited by Joe_Carrick
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SHCanada2

SHCanada2

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I just note where my crosshairs land on the left and right by looking at what icon they are touching, and then align the main floor height to that for each one and call it close enough. The issue for me is elevations. Joe, what do you do to align those?

 

I like Rene's point marker way.

 

for this

 

7 hours ago, Renerabbitt said:

Send your view once, then use the copy with paste hold position to a new sheet to maintain position, then use the relink tool to relink to the view you want. This will maintain position exactly

CA changes my floor to 0 when relinking to another SPV, or maybe it is to another plan. dont remember. I just remember it is a tad annoying

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JonathanK

JonathanK

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Definitely a point marker user...my only wish is that you could "snap" them to the corner of the structure.

 

They will snap on elevations, but not on the floor plans.

 

But getting close works as well.

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para-CAD

para-CAD

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RENE #3 is my preferred method.

 

I send a Footings Saved Plan View (SPV) to Layout - position it where I want it - then copy - next sheet Paste Hold Position - next sheet Paste Hold Position - next sheet Paste Hold Position - next sheet Paste Hold Position.

 

On Foundation Sheet, reLink Layout View Port to Foundation SPV

On First Floor Framing Sheet, reLink reLink Layout View Port to First Floor Framing SPV

 

Repeat

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Chrisb222

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I've found the copy/paste hold position, then relink the plan view to be the fastest and easiest.

 

On 6/3/2026 at 12:46 AM, SHCanada2 said:

CA changes my floor to 0 when relinking to another SPV

 

Something's off on your SPV settings. This doesn't happen to me.

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Chrisb222

Chrisb222

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41 minutes ago, SHCanada2 said:

is your SPV any floor or a speciifc floor. Mine are any floor

 

All my SPVs that go to layout are specific floor. But I tested it when switching to the design-stage SPVs I use that are set to Any Floor, they maintain the floor level of the previous view before relinking.

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QualicoreHomes

QualicoreHomes

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On 6/2/2026 at 7:40 AM, scottharris said:

X18 is in development with some exciting new features.  We expect to preview an open beta version in early July.  A final release is expected later in the summer.

 

This rendering shows off 3D siding and roofing.

Front-Closeup.thumb.png.63a890894f43c8c60d0bf92698633cc6.png

Thank you, looking forward to it !!

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dshall

dshall

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On 6/3/2026 at 6:45 AM, JonathanK said:

Definitely a point marker user...my only wish is that you could "snap" them to the corner of the structure.

 

They will snap on elevations, but not on the floor plans.

 

But getting close works as well.

Try TEMPORARY POINTS,  put it on sheet 1 of layout and forget it.....  it shows on every sheet!

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StephenGreene

StephenGreene

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On 6/3/2026 at 11:56 PM, para-CAD said:

RENE #3 is my preferred method.

 

I send a Footings Saved Plan View (SPV) to Layout - position it where I want it - then copy - next sheet Paste Hold Position - next sheet Paste Hold Position - next sheet Paste Hold Position - next sheet Paste Hold Position.

 

On Foundation Sheet, reLink Layout View Port to Foundation SPV

On First Floor Framing Sheet, reLink reLink Layout View Port to First Floor Framing SPV

 

Repeat

 

this is what i do. pages are all perfectly aligned. super easy and no messing with temporary points.

Edited by StephenGreene
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basketballman

basketballman

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1 hour ago, Michael_Gia said:

We don’t need more 3D stuff. 

 

Excellent observation ...

Chief needs to start fixing some of the more glaring basic issues ..

Even the material list that is generated is pretty well worthless as is 3D with A.I. now being the time saving choice of many.

Edited by basketballman
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Mark3D

Mark3D

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I also are a fan of 3d stuff as that has been slow to move in previse updates 

4 minutes ago, ProPlan_2011 said:

I'm just hoping Chief Architect is not depending on this thread for future development, because I disagree that we don't need 3D 'stuff'.  I'm with the band with AI for realistic rendering, but we still need a quick 3D CA view of things before going there.

 

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basketballman

basketballman

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Don't know how Chief is gonna compete with the many free and low cost alternatives that are now available.

 

Below are just a few; even Revit now has a lower cost option to chief

 

A.I .has leveled the playing field in terms of beautiful 3D renderings and accurate detailed material and labor take offs .

 

  Why spend big bucks if you no longer need to.

 

 

Budget Consumer & DIY Tools
  • Live Home 3D: An affordable home design application available for Mac, Windows, and iOS. It provides an intuitive drag-and-drop workflow for floor plans and 3D rendering at a fraction of the cost of professional software. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  • RoomSketcher: A highly scannable, cloud-based blueprint and interior design tool. It features a tiered pricing model starting with a free basic version and inexpensive paid plans starting around $144 per year. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  • Planner 5D: An accessible, browser-based app tailored for beginners and light residential drafting. It uses AI-assisted layout generation and offers functional free tiers alongside low-cost premium unlocks. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Lower-Cost Professional & Drafting Tools
  • SketchUp Pro: While the web version is free, the Pro tier costs around $399 per year. It is widely praised for its rapid 3D modeling, vast object library, and ease of learning, though creating formal 2D construction sets requires its companion app, LayOut. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  • Revit LT: A scaled-down version of Autodesk’s industry-standard BIM platform. It is considerably cheaper than Chief Architect’s professional suite and provides highly structured building data, making it an excellent bridge for professional career skills. [1, 2]
  • ActCAD: A cost-effective 2D/3D CAD option built for the architecture, engineering, and construction fields. It utilizes a perpetual license model that avoids recurring monthly subscription fees. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
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portrait

portrait

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Well said. That being said, I still don’t think any of these programs can really compete with Chief Architect for residential design, especially in terms of user-friendliness, the relatively easy learning curve, the large built-in library, and the speed of producing presentable residential drawings and renderings.

 

At the moment, AI’s first major impact on building design software seems to be in rendering and visualization. That is already changing very quickly. But I think this is only the beginning of a much larger shift. People are already starting to use AI to create plug-ins and small custom tools for their specific needs, especially for platforms like Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, Blender, etc.

In a few years, I believe this kind of customization may become a normal expectation in design software. Chief currently has very limited customization options and does not support external plug-ins in the way some other platforms do. Personally, I am not a big fan of depending too much on plug-ins, because they can complicate a workflow and create compatibility issues. However, sooner or later, I think many users will expect to have that option available.

 

The next stage may be even more interesting. Maybe not immediately, but perhaps in 5–6 years, AI could help people create highly specialized design software from scratch for very specific purposes. For example, instead of using one large general-purpose program and trying to adapt it to every workflow, a small office might be able to create a custom residential design tool tailored exactly to its own standards, drawing style, local code requirements, libraries, schedules, templates, and documentation process.

This does not necessarily mean that large established programs like Chief, Revit, or SketchUp will disappear. More likely, they will need to become more flexible and more open to customization. Chief has a very strong base because it understands residential design extremely well. But as AI makes custom tools and plug-ins easier to create, I think users will increasingly expect software to adapt to their workflow, rather than forcing every user into the same workflow.

 

24 minutes ago, basketballman said:

Don't know how Chief is gonna compete with the many free and low cost alternatives that are now available.

 

Below are just a few; even Revit now has a lower cost option to chief

 

A.I .has leveled the playing field in terms of beautiful 3D renderings and accurate detailed material and labor take offs .

 

  Why spend big bucks if you no longer need to.

Budget Consumer & DIY Tools
  • Live Home 3D: An affordable home design application available for Mac, Windows, and iOS. It provides an intuitive drag-and-drop workflow for floor plans and 3D rendering at a fraction of the cost of professional software. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  • RoomSketcher: A highly scannable, cloud-based blueprint and interior design tool. It features a tiered pricing model starting with a free basic version and inexpensive paid plans starting around $144 per year. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  • Planner 5D: An accessible, browser-based app tailored for beginners and light residential drafting. It uses AI-assisted layout generation and offers functional free tiers alongside low-cost premium unlocks. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Lower-Cost Professional & Drafting Tools
  • SketchUp Pro: While the web version is free, the Pro tier costs around $399 per year. It is widely praised for its rapid 3D modeling, vast object library, and ease of learning, though creating formal 2D construction sets requires its companion app, LayOut. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  • Revit LT: A scaled-down version of Autodesk’s industry-standard BIM platform. It is considerably cheaper than Chief Architect’s professional suite and provides highly structured building data, making it an excellent bridge for professional career skills. [1, 2]
  • ActCAD: A cost-effective 2D/3D CAD option built for the architecture, engineering, and construction fields. It utilizes a perpetual license model that avoids recurring monthly subscription fees. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

 

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