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Joe_Carrick
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Hey Joe,  if you want,  you can do a prelim test with me.  Maybe I can provide a few constructive critiques before the big launch.  Joe,  this will be huge if you get it right.  I think you know what I am looking for,  but a guinne pig such as myself might be a good test for your macro.  

 

BTW,  I do not know how to spell guinne.......  I went to the Perry School of Spelling.

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Joe:

 

Nothing special here. The technique can be used with any object in Chief that has the area or something similar attribute and a label . I demo ed this three years ago with roof polylines. Standard Polylines make this more convenient now because they can be blocked and stored in the library for reuse. but not much more so. There are also even more convenient methods using the console and custom methods. All have their drawbacks and for simple plans I doubt if more convenient than just paper/pencil. Note that i warned back then that this would not be the "end all " unless a name or ID attribute was also provided. and of course ignored.

 

If anyone is curious or wants to pursue this i am still offering my gotomeeting seminars in which i will explain the procedure-- I will not write the macros for you.  For those not inclined to learn anything new, Joe's method will work just fine, abet with some "hook up". Better yet, just demand this feature from Chief!! It's way past due to have area analysis and key notes in Chief.

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Gerry,

 

You don't know what I'm doing.  There's no need to use the "Console" or to do any "Hook-Up" as you've used in the past.  It was those things that you did to "Hook-Up" the data which turned me and several others off.

 

I'm providing a simple solution that anyone can use very easily.  Please don't knock what you don't know.

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Hey Joe,  if you want,  you can do a prelim test with me.  Maybe I can provide a few constructive critiques before the big launch.  Joe,  this will be huge if you get it right.  I think you know what I am looking for,  but a guinne pig such as myself might be a good test for your macro.  

 

BTW,  I do not know how to spell guinne.......  I went to the Perry School of Spelling.

It should be me , I'm a much bigger Pig than you.

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Joe:

 

I AM NOT KNOCKING WHAT YOU ARE DOING!! I encourage and Hopefully everyone interested will purchase your macros. The best teacher is experience. But i do  know exactly what and how you are doing  although I will admit there are many variations which I am just saying are 6 vs half dozen. And you can always argue your macros are different because of some immaterial detail. "The eye of the beholder"

 

I am still willing to discuss the particulars with any one interested but I am guessing few are willing to address reality. BTW, the "no hook up" only works if you want to argue semantics. or your projects are virtually identical in form, which is what I was trying to avoid as impractical. "

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Hmmmm

 

... this has always been possible for the last two years.  Not sure what this has to do with X8??

 

Joe:

 

I AM NOT KNOCKING WHAT YOU ARE DOING!! ... But i do  know exactly what and how you are doing  although I will admit there are many variations which I am just saying are 6 vs half dozen. And you can always argue your macros are different because of some immaterial detail. "The eye of the beholder"

 

Obviously SOMETHING changed with X8 or you wouldn't have started a thread titled  "Area Analysis Now Possible In Chief"  in which you state  "a new feature was added that made data access in Chief more user friendly. Labels have been added to polyline derived objects which allow for data gathering via macros"

and then proceed to make several hours of video demonstrating your methodology. 

 

This sounds almost EXACTLY like what Joe was trying to tell you when he said   "The macro I've created was never possible before X8 - at least not in any way that was realistically feasible for the average user, myself included.  This is a single macro that can be assigned to the "Label" of any Polyline.  That's all that it takes - a separate macro isn't needed for each Polyline and Text Boxes with arrows connected to the Polylines are not needed."

 

And for the record I started watching the videos in that thread but macros are too far down my priority list to spend that much time on.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Can you send me an example of a Macro

 

Thanks 

Scott

Alpha Home Design

Scott,

 

Here's a simple macro that you can put in the Label of any Door  It displays the distance from the bottom to the handle in inches.

 

Macro Name = Handle_Height

 

  result = owner.handle_distance_from_bottom

  result = result.to_s

  result = 'Handle Height = ' + result + ' inches'

 

Enter that in "Text Macro Management" as a new macro, check the "evaluate box" and save it.  Then in the Door Label select the "Insert" button and select that macro from the User Defined List

 

This is a free sample.  It might not be very useful but it's an example of how macros work.

Line #1 gets the data from the door as a numerical value and assigns it to a local variable named "result"

Line #2 converts that to a text string

Line #3 adds 3 strings together.

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The January 2016 Macro of the Month is:

 

BlockName and is used with Leader Line Text to annotate CAD Blocks.  This is very useful for annotation of CAD Details made up of Library Blocks.  To change the annotation, simply rename the Block.  This will change the annotation for all like Blocks in the Plan.

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  • 1 month later...

The February 2016 Macro of the Month is:

 

Stair Label - Section & Stair Label - Total.  These are used with Leader Line Text to annotate Stairs

 

Example output for Stair Label - Total is:

 

  14 R.@ 7 7/8" = 9'-1 7/8"

  12 T.@ 9" deep x 32" wide

 

For Metric Plans the output is in mm rather than Imperial units.

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  • 1 month later...

The March 2016 Macro of the Month is:

 

Counter Top Areas - Counter Top List - Counter Top Total Area

These are used to accumulate and display the Areas of Counter Tops

  %Counter Top Areas% is placed in the Label of Cabinets and Custom Countertops

  %Counter Top List% is placed in a Text Box

  %Counter Top Total Area% is placed in a Text Box

 

Example output is:post-47-0-33525000-1460134852_thumb.jpg

 

For Metric Plans the output is in mm rather than Imperial units.

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The Macro for Arpil 2016 is Opening Header Label

 

So I was thinking about Scott's complaint about the fact that Chief doesn't provide a way to easily show Headers and Label them in the Framing Plan.  Perry had mentioned that you had to use a Referenced Macro - which is a PITA and the Header itself still isn't shown.

 

I came up with a CAD Block containing everything needed.

  Header

  Text Box with Arrow

  Macro in the Text Box

 

Sample output:post-47-0-90293400-1460135929_thumb.jpg

 

The Block is placed at the Center of any opening - then rotated if necessary - then un-blocked.  The red "Header" can be stretched as needed and the text can be independently moved.

 

I know this isn't the ideal of having Chief provide real "Headers with Labels in Framing Plans - but it's close.

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  • 2 months later...

The Macro for June 2016 is Area_Perimeter_Volume

 

It can be placed in the Label of:

  1.  The Label of any closed Polyline and it will display the Area & Perimeter

  2.  The Label of any PSolid based object and it will display the Area, Perimeter & Volume

  3.  A Text Box with Leader Line to any Primitive Solid and it will display the Surface Area & Volume

 

Naturally I have created this Macro to display the values in the appropriate units for both Imperial and Metric Plans to the appropriate degree of accuracy.

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  • 1 month later...

The Macro for July 2016 is Floor Name.

It displays in a Text Box the Floor Name as follows:

 

Level 0 --- BASEMENT  PLAN or FOUNDATION  PLAN if there's no Living Area on Level 0

Level 1 --- FIRST  FLOOR  PLAN

Level 2 --- SECOND  FLOOR  PLAN

Level 3 --- THIRD  FLOOR  PLAN
ETC. 
Up to TENTH  FLOOR  PLAN

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Joe

Sent you an email about signing up but no reply.

Did you not get it? Used the link you provided.

 

If you are still taking new members & would like to pay you for past offerings so I may catch up to the group.

 

Thanks

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi Joe

I am very interested in buying all of your packages except Site Area Analysis also. I want to join subscription service as well. I would like more info on the packages that you do not have videos on, please.

 

Can you send me a paypal invoice for all of this?

 

Phil

 

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The Macro for August 2016 is Vent Labels

 

It provides a 2 line Label for Vents as follows:

 

  I.  Line 1
    a.  The first letter of the "Component Code" (upper case)
          Attic..........A
            Foundation ....F
            Garage.........G
        b.  Any preceeding characters specified in the Label Tab of the Schedule
          V- as an example
      c.  The Schedule Number
        
        Examples:
      AV-01, AV-02, AV-03
        FV-04, FV-05
        GV-06, GV-07, GV-08, GV-09

    II.  Line 2
      a.  The size (width x height)
        b.  @ <height above floor
        
        Example:
          16x6 @12"

            
Naturally, as with all my macros, if the plan is metric the appropriate units will be used.
 

This is the last macro of the current subscription.  At this time I am having trouble coming up with additional macros that fit within the size/scope of the subscription service so unless  subscribers can suggest new macros I will not be continuing the "Macro a Month Club".  Instead I will develop and refine more comprehensive macro packages which will be offered individually.

I appreciate everyone who has joined during the past year and sincerely hope I've made your life a little easier.

 

vty, Joe

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