Exterior Walls Dimensions

[LoveChief]

Hi All, just wanted to ask if there is a way to get CA to draw an external wall using an internal measurement and/or external measurement (similar to how ACAD does this). Using the centre line is not always helpfull when drawing the plan OK for setting out though.  

[Alaskan_Son]

I think the biggest thing when learning Chief (especially when switching from another program) is to get used to Chief's way of doing things. In Chief, the standard practice and the way the program works best, is to draw first (general shape, layout, and/or placement), and then adjust dimensions.

[glennw]

Hi All, just wanted to ask if there is a way to get CA to draw an external wall using an internal measurement and/or external measurement (similar to how ACAD does this). Using the centre line is not always helpfull when drawing the plan OK for setting out though.  

 

For those of us who aren't familiar with Acad, can you explain in more detail what you mean.

[LoveChief]

Abject apologies glennw, i should have realised. OK, in Revit Architecture when drawing a wall a usuer can set the properties / constraints and one of the options is " Location Line". The location Line determins whether the wall length is measured from the inside face of the wall or the exterior face of the wall.

 

To save getting bogged down in explanation and end up misleading the forum i have provided this link to the ACAD help file topic.

 

http://help.autodesk.com/view/RVT/2015/ENU/?guid=GUID-F26DB6DA-A0EC-424D-B656-3BDF47607F4F

 

I appreciate CA is a differnt product but was just wondering if i have missed a setting somewhere when trying to learn how to use it.

 

 

Hope this helps.

[rlackore]

You can control this here:

 

 

...when drawing your walls, the Resize About setting will control which side is being referenced.

[Kbird1]

If doing As-Builts it can be helpful to set your Dimension defaults to Locate Surfaces instead of the wall Dimension Layer , you can also alter the default wall's definition ( or make a copy) so it dimensions to the exterior or interior surface instead of the Main Layer.

 

CA defaults to the outside of the main Layer not the Center of the wall ,which you can see in Robert's pic and in any wall's definition> "dimension to this line setting"

[Alaskan_Son]

I could be wrong, but I think the OP referring to the way walls are DRAWN, not the way dimensions work. When drawing a wall in CA, if you draw an exterior wall and then draw perpendicular walls off each end, I believe the CENTER of the new walls start at the end of the previous wall. It's been a long time since I used AutoCAD, but as I remember it, the practice was to draw precisely as possible AS YOU GO and only adjust if necessary. In Chief the practice is to draw roughly and then adjust. I'd say the latter works much faster once you get used to it.

[rlackore]

I could be wrong, but I think the OP referring to the way walls are DRAWN

 

Try my suggestion in post 5 - I believe you'll find that this setting controls how the wall is measured while drawing.

[DianneDSC]

I was checking out this last week and I think that if you use the diamond to drag the next section of wall it goes from the outside main layer but if you start a new wall at the end of first wall by clicking then the new wall starts from the center of the first. Not at my computer to verify.

[Kbird1]

I was checking out this last week and I think that if you use the diamond to drag the next section of wall it goes from the outside main layer but if you start a new wall at the end of first wall by clicking then the new wall starts from the center of the first. Not at my computer to verify.

 

I think you are correct Dianne , I definitely recommend setting that Preference to On and am surprised that it isn't that way out of the Box (OOB) , can be frustrating otherwise , you need to click in the right spot and on angled walls it is a nightmare.

 

[Alaskan_Son]

Try my suggestion in post 5 - I believe you'll find that this setting controls how the wall is measured while drawing.

 

Well waddya know.  You're 100% correct sir.  I've never really cared myself so never bothered to try and research it.  After your post above I opened up Chief and it appears my default plan is already set that way.  I could have sworn it wasn't like that before.  I wonder... did they change the OOB default settings sometime over the past year or 2?  Doesn't really matter I guess.  Good stuff to know.  Will likely save me a couple resizing steps from time to time. 

[LoveChief]

Hi Guys, thanks for all your very helpful answers it's good to know there is such a helpful bunch of people out there willing to share stuff. I'm not at my PC at the moment but WILL look in to all the points mentioned.

 

ACAD is fine but i liked the look of Chief when i first opened it. It's going to be fun i'm sure.

 

Thanks again - have a good day.