Top Tips for X1

[ambrozac]

When working with Roof Planes, try different settings, to see what works best for you. For me, Object Snaps on, Bumps/Push and Angle Snaps off, resembles more the way V10 works. Don't forget the shortcuts. (3) for Break Line and (2), to join Roof Planes.

[louis]

Jere, I put on my Wendy costume and...

To find out where 0,0 is place a point and put it at ab absolute location 0,0 and there it is.

Rob and I recommend that you have the corner of your building at 0.0. then you have no need for a framing reference.

[louis]

(Both 10 & X1 can have layer weirdness from deletions (long story, short thread, just trust me...

I never delete layers from an import so I have not had this problem but I know why it's a problem and it's also the reason I don't delete layers.

[WendyWelton]

To find out where a given project, or imported dwg is, relative to 0,0, select and open any line. The attached jpeg shows one that's far enough from 0,0 to confuse the crap out of Chief.

Chief, (and other 3D programs - this is not unique to Chief), don't particularly like getting too far from 0,0. It makes it harder and harder for the math parts to figure the 3D images out. Here's a 3D view of a project that was way far from 0,0, and the dbx of a line. See how those numbers are fairly big?

If you're starting a plan from scratch, Chief will start you in an appropriate place. Locating your building with a corner at 0,0 - as Louis teaches, is a good idea if you do dimensions relative to one side. If you do simple strings as I do, you'll never miss it if you don't.

The situation I'm talking about is where you import a surveyor's dwg before you begin your house. This is pretty common practice. Well, if this is one lot in a large development, or worse yet - pulled out of a county-wide survey, your lot can be a long long ways from 0,0 in that larger drawing.

I first ran into it with the images I'm posting here, but have caught several similar ones since - and able to avoid the problem. I was puzzled as all get-out - couldn't figure out why my windows were all warped, trim half buried in the house - spooky lookin' stuff. The client thought I was incompetent and/or using mickey mouse software (I actually lost the client). Tech support showed me the way pretty quickly, but I'd already made a fool of myself.

I usually open surveyors' plans in autocad first to check. But, you don't need any software other than Chief:

Simply import into a blank file first. It will drop it according to it's x,y coordinates, even if they're in Pakistan. Grab what you want (Edit Area in Chief 10, Copy in X1). Then, in a new plan, right where Chief places you when you start it, Paste without using any Hold Position. It will put your site close to the middle of your world and you won't have any problems.

If you're bringing terrain in to a project you've already started, if you drop it in, zoom all and have to really hunt - big clue, you're site is too far from the center of your little world. Undo. Bring that site into a blank file. Zoom so you can find your stuff. Copy to your main file - drop, block, move as you wish, unblock, then work on your contours.

[WendyWelton]

"I put on my Wendy costume and..."

and the picture of this is.... where?

[louis]

If you're starting a plan from scratch, Chief will start you in an appropriate place. Locating your building with a corner at 0,0 - as Louis teaches, is a good idea if you do dimensions relative to one side. If you do simple strings as I do, you'll never miss it if you don't.

The reason to put the plan at 0.,0 has nothing to do with dimensions at all.

[WendyWelton]

Hey Cliff,

I haven't train myself to use the shortcuts yet. Which ones do you find the most useful?

[WendyWelton]

Oooh - I have a great new insult - instead of "elevator doesn't go to the top floor", we could say "his house is a bit to far from 0,0" - that could be the secret geek recognition pseudo insult, gaining us entry onto the Chief Spaceship when the world ends. Aren't pain meds fun?

[ambrozac]

Hey Cliff,

I haven't train myself to use the shortcuts yet. Which ones do you find the most useful?

I'm not the best Wendy. My brain is only capable of single letters and numbers. C,F,K,S,W,Y,F3,F5,F6,F8,F12, 2,3, are what I use most. I/O L/R and arrow keys. No two key strokes for me.

[WendyWelton]

"No two key strokes for me."

I hear you - I only have two hands, and my brain is already pushing the mouse with the left, entering the numbers with the right...

The one thing I miss the most about auto-stuff is the F3 and F8 keys. F3 toggles snaps on and off. F8 toggles ortho on and off. No mouse movement, minimal dexterity. When I'm editing in a-stuff I'm wailing on those two keys almost as often as all the other combined.

[WendyWelton]

"The reason to put the plan at 0.,0 has nothing to do with dimensions at all."

Having never felt the need to do this, I'll bite. Hey Louis! 'splain us please!?

[Ron Ravenscroft]

When I pick an object I use the keep hitting the TAB KEY until I find the object. It was one of Dan's suggestions and saves much time. I used to sit there and pick pick pick like and idoit.

Ron

[louis]

Having never felt the need to do this, I'll bite. Hey Louis! 'splain us please!?

Wendy,

I already gave the reason in the previous post. No need to use a framing reference marker.

Before I did this I had to use framing markers all the time. If you don't use them look into them.

[WendyWelton]

I'll confess - I've never used a framing reference marker and am blissfully ignorant of what you mean. Well, maybe I do and just don't know it. I dimension my framing all relative to the foundation wall and top of foundation. Do you use some system that's relative to 0,0?

[WendyWelton]

Ron,

Yes, tab tab tab - me too. Another nice thing in X1 - in Chief 10 tabbing would not get you around roads, which stayed stubbornly selected no matter what.

I'm also a big fan of targetted layersets. I have one I call "Working - Isolate" that I redefine at will - leaving only what I need to see on, and only what I need to access unlocked. It's a real speed trick. All my working layersets are called Working... so they go to the end of the list and keep my fixed layersets clean.