Chaining walls together

Hello again,

Sorry for all the questions, but I am just trying to find the smartest way for doing basic commands with regards to walls.
Is there a way to chain walls together as I am drawing them so I don't have to draw each wall individually? To me this seems kind of backwards. I think that I should be able to start my wall at at point #1 and draw it a specific distance in what ever direction I move my cursor to point #2. Then while continuing in same wall command a wall would start automatically from point #2 and I can select my distance and direction for point #3. Then a wall would start automatically from point #3 and I can select my distance and direction for point #4. I hope this explains what I am talking about.

I feel like I am wasting time moving walls around to get them to their exact length and location when I could have drawn them to the exact length and location in the first place.

I just think there can be a smarter way of drawing walls.

Thanks,

Max,

I know how to draw walls by clicking the left mouse button 50 million times. I want to be able to left click once pull my mouse in a specific direction, enter a specific distance hit return and my first wall is placed. Then another wall automatically starts from the endpoint of the first wall and you enter in your specific distance in a specific direction, hit return and you second wall is placed.(and so on , and so on)
This way you place your wall at the exact length in the direction you specify.
There should be a smarter way.

Thanks,

There is a smarter and much faster way, but you need to stop thinking like AutoCAD. Just quickly draw an *approximate* shape with all the walls, not worrying about dimensions at all. (Well, getting within a few feet helps.) Automatically dimension *everything*, then adjust dimensions. Believe me, this is MUCH faster and more precise than trying to be exact as you're drawing walls.

Richard

Richard,

Please explain to me how drawing your walls to an approximate size and then changing that size to what you want is "much faster and precise" than drawing your walls to the exact length in the first place. So, your saying taking 2 steps to draw a wall is faster than one step. How is that possible?

If you and I were to both draw the exterior walls of a house 40'x20', I can guarantee you that if Chief was able to draw walls in the manner that I have described above, I would have it drawn to the exact size in half the time that you can. Guaranteed!

And, I am not thinking in the Autocad way. I am thinking the most logical, fastest way a wall can be drawn.

Just because Chief draws a wall a certain way doesn't mean they
can't explore this as an option for making Chief better.

Thanks,

Well, Brian, I can tell you this. I used Generic CAD (with an add-on) from 1987 or so until I started with AutoCAD/Softdesk from about 1992, and have been using ArchiCAD as my main CAD program for the past 3 or 4 years. All of these programs use(d) direct coordinate input for locating walls. And they're not even *close* to the speed I can get with locating walls along with doors and windows with Chief. So, yeah, I'll take you on anytime. ;)

If you ever get the chance, watch someone like Dan Baumann whip together a plan. You'll drop your argument pretty quickly.

Richard

Richard,

I know Dan and he can draw at light speed. He can make everyone else look slow as a turtle. But, he has been using Chief since 1627, back when they used dirt and a stick. He could draw fast back then but the plans didn't last very long. (he,he)
I'll have to review my training videos again (haven't looked at them for a while) to find a better process for drawing walls without having to move so many of them after they are drawn.

Thanks,

I used to use key board input to draw walls in Data Cad with polar co-odinates and it is faster if you are coping a plan or doing a polyline ( much faster for polylines) and Chief has this for lines such as plot plans. Data Cad is very slick with the use of the key board but I don't miss it for walls any more as I just use each new wall to dimension a previous one by dragging clicking and typing.
I move my walls so much during a preliminary design that the initial layout isn't that important to me.
I don't draw the whole house first and auto dimension, then move everything, I keep it straight as I go, to even measures so each move doesn't affect a whole string.
I agree with you but I want other things first like barrel ceilings which I am having to fake on a plan now.
Truthfully I like the way Chief works with walls and wouldn't change it, I would only add more hot keys to do what I am doing with the mouse now.
I wish we could key our way through all the DB's with out using the mouse as much.

Direct entry for the length of walls is something that I have been requesting for a while now.
BUT, it is not the be all and end all for accurately locating walls due to the fact that most walls are mulyilayered and have considerable thickness.
Where would the keyboard distance entry work from when, say, drawing walls at 90° to each other. Inside of wall, centre of wall, outside of wall? And surely you would get differences if you have an internal or an external corner.
I still believe that direct entry keyboard distance is the way to go, even if it means a little fine tuning with the dimension tools after.

Direct entry keyboard distance really shines with the cad tools, and should be introduced for cad, if nothing else.

Glen

Your wish for direct entry for cad was granted some time back - I think it was V7

Gordon,

I assume you are talking about the New Cad Line dbx that allows you to enter a distance and bearing. This is getting close.

But this is not what I am talking about.

What I mean is this.
Start the line command, drag in the direction you want, type the distance on the keyboard, hit Enter. Done.
If you are using a continuous line command (polyline), you just continue in the same manner.

No dbx,s.
The same concept works for moving, copying, etc.
Select the object, select the move command, drag in the correct direction, type the distance on the keyboard, hit Enter. Done.

I enjoyed that feature in Generic Cad - its certainly the fastest way to get directions into the computer.

While I can live without that feature the one thing I find REALLY frustrating is having no distance command for Edit Area.

If I need to stretch or move a building a specific distance I have to set up a reference point, move it the specific distance, select edit area, choose pont to point and click on the 2 points

If there is a better way please let me know.

Hello Marty,

Before you do Edit Area; Go Cad Mode> Positioning Unit.

The curser will step with increments that you have set here. In metric the max is 1200mm ( and I do not know what you get with imperial), which means that you might have to do it in two steps.

Hope it helps, Jan

Thank you Jan

Thats a useful tip which will save a lot of time

Glenn,

The base line or main layer, which the user designates, is where the keyboard entry would work from. Usually it is the outside of the framing where I live, but you could choose the outside or inside of any of the layers.

Max,

Asking for more in addition to perfecting what is already there is what will make the program better for all. I think we all want more options in the cad area first, but options in the other areas will help greatly too. I am satisfied with the current version, but it could be better. Sorry it's not working for you.

Being vocal about changes for the good of the users is better than not saying a word and have nothing happen. As the saying goes "If you don't ask for it, your not going to get it!"

I agree that Chief needs to catch up, we don't need any new major features. We already draw walls I am just proposing chaining walls together and keyboard entry for distances as an option. As far as the drawing wall challenge, we need to compare apples to apples. So, when Chief has these two things as an option for drawing walls we shall duel (at ten paces of course)!;)

Until then, Good Day!

P.S. - You somehow seem to keep spelling my name wrong. I know you couldn't be doing it on purpose.
Is your spell checker not working?(ha,ha):)

No Problem!

I agree with you Max,
Maybe we could have a customizable working version so we only
install the parts of Chief that we use. Ver 7 with some new symbols might be fine with me. I don't know what slowed down Ver 8 but if I don't use it why load it.
Just a thought, I'm not whining but I would like to work without waiting on the screen to regenerate in plan view.
As far as wanting more that's a natural progression, who would go back to 2D cad? Yes I still want more but not everyone elses stuff just mine.
My two cents.