X18 Features - My favorites


Joe_Carrick
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X18 has some great new features.  Here are my favorites:

  • Project Information. 
    • Project
    • Designer
    • Client
    • Custom - additional consultants, etc
      • image.thumb.png.22f5dbf9760e3541ac46b3c7f1e44d84.png
  • 3D Profiles
    • User defined to add to Walls, Roofs, etc
    • 2D Moldings - Board & Batt, Standing Seam Roofing, etc
      • image.thumb.png.b2b5935fdc9891216f340c67b3549aa5.png
      • Lots of options using 2D Molding Profiles 
    • 3D Moldings - Mission Tile Roofing, Shingles, Shakes, etc
      • 1708971962_SpanishTileRoof.thumb.jpg.541e4c957e0abbf5f69661c9af3dc573.jpg
      • Note that profiles should be as simple as possible to avoid redraw slowdown and file bloat.
      • Don't attempt to create either 2D or 3D profiles with extreme accuracy.  Fewer surfaces will provide better performance while still enhancing the 3D rendering.
  • Room Labels with controls for what is displayed for various view types
  • Wall Intersection editing & Wall Layer Fills
  • Corner Board "Recessed to Sheathing Layer" option
  • Replace Identical Objects in Plan (from Library)
  • Numerous Framing and Truss improvements
  • Schedules (Include from Floors options - much more flexibility)
Edited by Joe_Carrick
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I'm liking a lot of the same, for me I've seen a significant performance increase on my nearly 4 year old laptop.  I used to get a lot of hesitation / lag after individual movements, opening section views and 3D views could take 30 seconds to a minute to render.  I haven't noticed any of that. 

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So far my favorite new feature is fill styles by layer. I haven't had a chance to dive into the 3D profiles or schedule changes yet. The ability to designate a door as interior or exterior regardless of what room it's in is something I've been wanting for a long time too.

 

All in all one of the best new releases in my time as a user.

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13 hours ago, Joe_Carrick said:

X18 has some great new features.  Here are my favorites:

  • Project Information. 
    • Project
    • Designer
    • Client
    • Custom - additional consultants, etc
  • 3D Profiles
    • User defined to add to Walls, Roofs, etc
    • 2D Moldings - Board & Batt, Standing Seam Roofing, etc
    • 3D Moldings - Mission Tile Roofing, Shingles, Shakes, etc
    • 1708971962_SpanishTileRoof.thumb.jpg.541e4c957e0abbf5f69661c9af3dc573.jpg
  • Room Labels with controls for what is displayed for various view types
  • Wall Intersection editing & Wall Layer Fills
  • Corner Board "Recessed to Sheathing Layer" option
  • Replace Identical Objects in Plan (from Library)
  • Numerous Framing and Truss improvements
  • Schedules (Include from Floors options - much more flexibility)

Hey Joe, yes X18 is definitely a big step in the right direction particularly with 3D cladding.

 

How would you show a 3D flashing around the chimney at present ? A 3d molding polyline around the perimeter most likely. I would need 4 segments to do this, one at the back and one at the front and the two sloping sides.
 

I am hoping for an automated method to do this with CA in the future. If CA could read the line between the roof and the chimney and automatically place a molding around it, that would be excellent.
 

I haven’t used CA for a while but I am interested to know how it is done efficiently at present.

 

Thank you for your list above.

Edited by mthd97
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14 hours ago, mthd97 said:

How would you show a 3D flashing around the chimney at present ? A 3d molding polyline around the perimeter most likely. I would need 4 segments to do this, one at the back and one at the front and the two sloping sides.

I would actually need 5 since there's a cricket at the back.  Some things are not that big a deal but it would be a nice feature if CA made flashing at vertical surface intersections with roof planes automatic similar to shadow boards.

 

Another option could be a material region.  They can be either recessed or not depending on the vertical surface. 

  • Recessed for Siding
  • Flush for Concrete or Masonry

After some experimenting I prefer the "Wall Material Region" because it seems to be much easier to adjust.and it sticks to the wall nicely.

Edited by Joe_Carrick
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3 hours ago, Joe_Carrick said:

I would actually need 5 since there's a cricket at the back.  Some things are not that big a deal but it would be a nice feature if CA made flashing at vertical surface intersections with roof planes automatic similar to shadow boards.

 

Another option could be a material region.  They can be either recessed or not depending on the vertical surface. 

  • Recessed for Siding
  • Flush for Concrete or Masonry

After some experimenting I prefer the "Wall Material Region" because it seems to be much easier to adjust.and it sticks to the wall nicely.

A great tip for me to use a “Wall Material Region” for now to apply a flashing around a protrusion. That way I wouldn’t need to create individual flashing segments that may not join correctly either.

 

I have seen a suggestion for automatic flashings and I hope it gets implemented somewhere down the track.

 

I am however quite impressed with the 3D modeling improvements in X18 so far. I also like how an angled wall junction can be squared off too.

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