Slab Footing Tool?

[johnny]

So I was looking at another thread about footings, and wanted to see what the "slab footing tool" was. To me, that tool doesn't act anything like you'd expect for a "footing" tool. What the heck is that tool supposed to do?

The real confusion is the fact there are 2 sections of this "wall"...and you control the wall more than what appears to be the "footing". Very odd to me.

Here is a video simply showing my confusion...nothing much to see.

[dshall]

Take a look at this JPC,  it is very old,  but it may give you some insight.

 

[dshall]

Oh,  maybe you want to skip it,  boy,  a different approach.

[dshall]

JPC,  connect the  footing you drew to the outside perimeter,  and they will behave.

 

You are correct,  the slab footings are simply walls with footing...  

[Alaskan_Son]

I believe the confusion arises because by default that slab footing tool should be set as an invisible wall but it's not. Check "invisible" and it should behave a lot more like you would expect it to.

[Alaskan_Son]

On second thought, maybe the reason they did not set it as an invisible wall by default is because people would get confused when they resized the width of that footing using the edit handles and all of a sudden there was a 16 inch wall displayed. If people catch on by themselves that they have to change it to an invisible wall they are more likely to remember the wall width needs to be changed instead of just the footing.

That's just a guess though.

[johnny]

Yep, the wall to invisible works as I expected.  Although, because there is a wall element at all it wants to connect to the foundation walls in ways I didn't want it to.  Perhaps I can keep working with it, but I am starting to see why manual slab tools may be the best answer.

[OkcDesigner]

I use it to do thickened slab beams. It comes in with same depth footing how ever around here we rarely show footing under thinkended slab beams....

Thinckened Slabbeam.plan

[DRAWZILLA]

Johnny

You shouldn't mix raised floors and slab footings, if you need a slab floor in a raised floor situation, spec it in the room definition, or like Scott says outside the raised floor. Slab footings will not create a slab floor unless you make a room, close it.

[lbuttery]

  If people catch on by themselves that they have to change it to an invisible wall they are more likely to remember the wall width needs to be changed instead of just the footing.

 

That is INSANE - if that was CA's reasoning :(

 

these are the kind of "secrets" that can cause great frustration and annoyance with Chief

 

CA "stop the madness"

 

Lew

 

 

[dshall]

Lew and Johnny,  why do you turn it into an invisible wall?

 

There are a few very specific cases  where you might want to do that,  butI have been working with mono slab footings since I was knee high to a grasshopper,   and I think I have used the invisible tool 1% of the time.

[Alaskan_Son]

On second thought, maybe the reason they did not set it as an invisible wall by default is because people would get confused when they resized the width of that footing using the edit handles and all of a sudden there was a 16 inch wall displayed. If people catch on by themselves that they have to change it to an invisible wall they are more likely to remember the wall width needs to be changed instead of just the footing.

That's just a guess though.

 

Nevermind that I said this.  I just got back to my computer and tested it out.  The width of the wall resizes along with the footing, so I'm back to thinking there's no reason the wall shouldn't be set as "Invisible" by default.  I'm going to send this in to tech support.  It's really just confusing as it is.  If you look at the little icon, it appears as if the wall on top of that footing is indeed an invisible wall.  Why its not set that way by default is beyond me. 

[Alaskan_Son]

Lew and Johnny, why do you turn it into an invisible wall?

There are a few very specific cases where you might want to do that, butI have been working with mono slab footings since I was knee high to a grasshopper, and I think I have used the invisible tool 1% of the time.

I don't think we're talking about mono slabs here Scott (even though I believe that was the purpose Chief had in mind for the Slab Footing tool). In Johnny's video for example, I think he was playing around with putting simple footings inside a crawlspace foundation. In those instances though I think more often than not a person is better off setting the foundation wall type as the actual wall type that will be framed on top of that footing.

Regardless though, I maintain that the Slab Footing tool should probably be an invisible wall by default. I don't know though. I may be overlooking something.

[Alaskan_Son]

Okay,  so I played around with it a little more.  I definitely WAS overlooking something.  You'll have to forgive me.  We very rarely use mono slabs here in Alaska so I haven't had to draw them up much...

 

I take back what I said about thinking the slab footing should be an invisible wall by default.  That works fine when trying to draw a simple standalone footing like in Johnny's example, but when used for the purpose that tool was created it doesn't work so good.  It works fine for a mono slab with a zero ceiling height but once you start playing around with thickened edges you start to have problems. 

[johnny]

Where I was looking to use this is continuous footings instead of pads for interior floor beam support (crawl).  Some homes we spec to pour these footing "lines" and hoped this tool would work for that.

[johnny]

Okay,  so I played around with it a little more.  I definitely WAS overlooking something.  You'll have to forgive me.  We very rarely use mono slabs here in Alaska so I haven't had to draw them up much...

 

I take back what I said about thinking the slab footing should be an invisible wall by default.  That works fine when trying to draw a simple standalone footing like in Johnny's example, but when used for the purpose that tool was created it doesn't work so good.  It works fine for a mono slab with a zero ceiling height but once you start playing around with thickened edges you start to have problems. 

 

but if you want to just draw a footing shouldn't it do exactly that?  I'm trying to figure out why you'd want a same-thickness wall on top of the footing.

[Alaskan_Son]

Johnny, try these 2 things...

1. Use a regular foundation wall, set it as an invisible wall, and turn the invisible wall layer off in plan view.

OR

2. Simply break one of the foundation walls in 2 places perpendicular to where you want your footing and drag that little footing across to the opposite wall using the footing edit handle. Only downside to this method is that you end up with an extra line when trying to join that extra wide footing to the opposite wall. The line only shows up in plan view but its a bit of a nuisance.

[glennw]

Johnny,

 

I think you missed the point right back in the first post.

The tool is called Slab Footing.

It is for drawing footings for MONO SLABS - not foundation walls with footings.

 

With the Slab Footing tool, you can draw perimeter footings to form a mono slab with thickened edge footings.

You can also use it to draw internal integral footings under a mono slab.

You can also use it to define a kerb (or stem wall) above the mono slab.

 

To draw thickened mono slab footings, Chief uses a footing and then a foundation wall on top.

The height of the foundation wall (stem wall) is normally the same as the slab thickness.

The footing height is the height from bottom of footing to underside of slab. 

This was the method used by Chief when they introduced slab footings way back when - it defines a foundation room forming a mono slab.

 

So...I think that you are trying to use the Slab Footing tool to do something that it is not designed for.

[joey_martin]

Johnny place a post footing and resize it accordingly. I have found that slab tool to be unusable. I have tried it for thickened areas under a basement slab with little luck. The post footing works the best.

[MickeyToo]

Where I was looking to use this is continuous footings instead of pads for interior floor beam support (crawl).  Some homes we spec to pour these footing "lines" and hoped this tool would work for that.

 

Johnny,

 

Lots of very good suggestions, but I see no reason not to include the Slab Footing tool for the purpose you stated, so long as you check off "Invisible" and "No Room Definition" (so it won't mess with your structure defaults and allow you to specify a floor for the entire crawl space). 

 

If you want to change the thickness of the footing (make it deeper, let's say) or its elevation relative to the foundation footing, you can easily do so in 3D or in cross section view.

 

Hope this helps.

[johnny]

Johnny place a post footing and resize it accordingly. I have found that slab tool to be unusable. I have tried it for thickened areas under a basement slab with little luck. The post footing works the best.

 

That worked fairly easy too.  I wish the footings could connect, but at least im getting what I need.  thx

[CJSpud]

Wouldn't you think that for a tool such as "slab footing", that you'd be able to find a video from Chief Architect that demonstrates the intended usage of this tool?

 

 

If there is such a video, how would one know how to find it if using the tool's designated name doesn't get you there?  Please, CA, improve the search capabilities for your videos so we can reasonably find what we're looking for!  I tried some other "related" search terms which didn't seem to yield any videos worth wasting my time watching based upon their titles.  Maybe Chief hasn't included anything on this tool in any of their videos???

 

We Chief Talk participants are guilty in a similar way when we start threads and forget to list key words for our topics when we make the original post.  That makes me wonder why, with our thread responses, we don't have the ability to add our own (additional) key words if we choose to? 

[Alaskan_Son]

The Help files are pretty clear on what that tool was intended for.  I think the Help files are a grossly underused asset.

[CJSpud]

I agree ... F1 should be the 1st place to look for answers if you can't figure it out quickly.  I do like to watch the videos for added reinforcement of how Chief's tools work and are to be used.  I don't like the fact that some topics in the videos are almost unsearchable (or non-existant ... ???) unless you're a key word wizard or can figure out the best associated topics to look in.

[MickeyToo]

... If you look at the little icon, it appears as if the wall on top of that footing is indeed an invisible wall.  Why its not set that way by default is beyond me. 

 

 

Michael,

 

Are you aware that you can set this in Defaults? They have it under Walls.

 

I changed the wall to "Room Divider" and made it Invisible. Now when you draw with it, it corresponds to the icon.