Framing Members lost in Layout, why?

[Alex-Berkeley]

When I send sections to Layout, my rafters, plates, and beams only show up as "X" ... no perimeter box. It's all there on the sections but I seem to be going around in circles trying to solve this. I've been using Chief since 1993, but just started exploring Layout and whether it is an acceptable alternate for my usual DXF/DWG dumps to DesignCAD.

I bet this pretty obvious, but I've spent too much time already unbuilding, building, fiddling with layer sets and 3D toggles.

A little kindness, please? - Alex

[Bill]

Alex, if your cross-section camera bi-sects the framing members (is perpendicular to the framing members), Chief will show those framing members filled with an X, as it should.

Framing members that are parallel will show as single lines or rectangular white filled boxes (with no X).

I suspect your framing is showing the way it is designed to show in cross-section...........I could be wrong, but I doubt it

[Alex-Berkeley]

Thanks for checking out the question, Bill.

My sections show all framing exactly as they should ... a perpendicular cut through a rafter shows as an X-box.

Problem is when this section is sent to Layout, the box part disappears and the leaving only the X ... so a double top plate shows as two stacked X's. Rafters cut perpendicular show just the X, no box. I've even wondered whether there is a "fill" that's obscuring things.

I've tried shooting the section as a full CAD detail ... this retains the wall layers and the X-boxes but sacrifices the active link to the plans.

For years I've just dumped my Chief design work to my drafting program, but I'd really like to streamline this process if I can. I'm really struggling to get the Layout function to work on a very simple project before I use it on larger commissions.
Thanks for the input! - Alex

[Bill]

Hi Alex,

If you have been sending the sections to another CAD program for doing CD's, then what is the objection to doing the same thing in Chief (IE: View to CAD)?

You can always maintain the active link, by saving the camera.

Since I do CD's for other users, builders, developerers, etc all over the country, I avoid sending any thing to the layout until all the structural aspects of the plan have been worked out and incorporated into the drawings.

That way, I rarely have to "Update" the layout. All my elevations and sections remain with the plan file until they have been finalized. If I were to have a problem with the way a cross-section camera displayed items, I can just send it to CAD and then to the layout.

HTH