Help with an old-version Chief plan


OldCKD
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I've been working with a new builder who I discovered uses Chief and I thought great!  He can just email me files and I can import and work with them easily.

 

It's a pretty old version of Chief - 9.5, I think.

 

So I received the plan file and opened and worked on the first floor, no problem, easy peasy.  Then the client decided to hire me to re-design their master suite on the second floor, and here's where the problem comes in.

 

There is no second floor.  When I try to open it and go to the 2nd floor all I get is disconnected attic walls.  Yet according to them on their end the file is complete, and in fact I have a printed set showing it all correctly, including exterior elevations, that they printed off the (supposedly) same file they sent me.

 

I have zero clue how the old versions work, are they not sending me some piece that I need? 

 

I've attached the original plan they sent me, unmodified by me.  What's missing?

Plan J 4-7-14 for Amy.zip

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I don't have my 9.5 version of CA, but if I remember correctly, each floor had its own file.  So the floor 0 would be "floorplan.pl0", Floor 1 would be "floorplan.pl1", Floor 2 would be "floorplan.pl2"....and so on.  The only file you attached is the pl1 file.  It appears there are a couple other ".pl*" files that you haven't received.  Maybe someone who still has 9.5 could verify as I don't have it anymore.  

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Hi Amy,

I'm the builder :) .

Give me a call. The PL2 file is only about 100kb vs. the 4,000kb of data for the PL1 file so I don't think it has all the info in there. The Pb file is the same size so no help there.

I should have the new computers and ver.X6 up and running in a month or so but I don't think our mutual client is going to want to wait. :}

Mike

 

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Mike, 

 

Send Amy all of the .pl* plan files. 

 

If I remember right, the pl1 file will always be larger then the other files because it also has all of the defaults, cad blocks, details, materials, and what not.  The other pl* files will just have the walls and stuff on them. 

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Hi Mike <waves across internet> - small world  :D

 

I was actually wondering if maybe the second floor derives from the first somehow in the old version.  When I first open the (above) file in X6 I get an error message that says "second floor missing" - like it knows it should be there but it's not able to find it.

 

I'm interested to see what happens when I get the PL2 file - will 6 merge the files together?

 

Mike my offer stands if you'd like to come by and test-drive...great to hear you're upgrading, then I can email the revised plans right back to you instead of it being a one-way trip. 

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X6 will merge them together...I have 9.5 running on another computer and could open all of them up to see if it is all there in the original format, then convert to X6 if needed...when i open up the file you posted in the original in 9.5 i get a message that 'floor 2 is missing from the plan files for this plan...."

 

good luck.

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Yes, I can confirm.

In X6, I just opened a .pl1 plan from an old file.

The directory also included the .pl2 files, etc.

The whole model opened in Chief - all the floors, the attic, terrain.

Dimensions were a bit of a mess, but a change in the dimension dbx fixed that very easily.

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OK, I just sent over all the files Pl0, Pl1, Pl2, Pl3 hopefully this will work!

Also, is there a hardware forum?

I am planning a new build and would love some feedback.

At this point it's going to be something like this:

3.5GHz quad core

8GB memory(64bit)

1 TB hard drive

2GB graphics card

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Damn, not having any luck opening the PL2 file.  I suspect I need the original PL1 file that it was attached to/part of, in order to be able to open it.

 

Sounds like a reasonable guess, and it's a bit disheartening because I've done quite a bit of revision to the first floor in X6, that I suspect I will have to re-do if I have to go back to the one I was originally sent. 

 

Any further ideas, guys?

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Put all the original .plx files in the one directory.

Open the .pl1 file in Chief X6.

This should combine all the floors and display the whole model.

Select everything on Level 1 and delete it.

 

Open the file that you amended in X6 (the original .pl1 file) select everything and copy/paste into Level 1 of  the new X6 plan.

You can use Edit Area to make sure you get everything for the copy/paste.

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