In X-1

[DL Drafting]

I do use object snaps to move roofs and almost all other objects into their exact location, so I am familiar with snaps. I generally, but not always, snap to the roof plane where it intersects with the outside of the framed wall then to the wall where I want it to be placed. It still seems to work fine with my program, and there is no loss of connectivity when I scroll with the mouse or move it around.

[PhoenixConstruction]

OK, just spoke with Louis & he's right, now that I understand what to do to make the anomoly appear. Go to Manual Roof tools, move on an outside wall at your baseline and you will see the object snap indicator (hourglass). Draw a manual roof section. Now click somewhere else and zoom. Move back to the wall and you will see that the object snap indicators are gone. Click the mouse and they come back. I've even got another one for you - If you move off screen, say to another monitor, the same thing happens, without zooming.

Apparently this does not happen with Vista. I have XP on both my laptop and desktop with different mice (Microsoft & Logitech), and the same thing happens on both. I can see where this would be annoying for production users, especially for mostly manual roof building or editing. You need the object snap indicator so that you are on the correct baseline for your roof.

Thank You Louis for the education.

[louis]

Dan,

Are you using Vista?

[tracey11]

My object snaps stay active while zooming but I also had the problem where my manual roof planes would not work and then try and try again and suddenly it functions as it should.

[louis]

If a user was doing a big complicated roof all manually this would drive the person crazy.

I'm really trying to help users have a very pleasant Chief experience.

[PhoenixConstruction]

Tracy, they may stay active while a roof plane is active, but click somewhere else [and then zoom], and see what happens - Unless you're using Vista. By the way, the Obj Snaps don't only go away on the wall, they go away on the inactive roof planes as well, try it. No zoom - Active, Zoom - no object snaps.

[PhoenixConstruction]

Wow, just discovered something else along same line. Draw any cad lines, and zoom or not, Object snaps are ok [as long as you are in cad mode]. Now click on the Roof Tool button and go to your cad line, OK..... Now zoom, Object Snaps gone . Seems to be something only with the Roof Parent Tool.

[Tommy Blair]

This is true George as Louis and me mentioned earlier. It's a roof thing.

[DL Drafting]

Thanks for the video, Louis. That helped me see it. You are right. I am using XP Media Center Edition 2005. I was not clicking the mouse somewhere else as George pointed out. Sorry I missed that. So, now we have to go back an re-click on object snaps to reactivate the function, or so it would appear.

[louis]

I don't even need to click in a different place. The object snap should be available at all times as you move the cursor over the main layer of the wall after zooming.

[tracey11]

"I suspect that it really does not work for anyone who replied."

I now understand the problem and as you guessed it does not work for me.

[Allen42acj]

Yes that is a pain.
And the tool doesn't grey out to show it's off..

[DL Drafting]

Louis,
Will this be submitted as a bug report? D

[louis]

Dan,

You bet.

[fcwilt]

Hi,

Well I finally got it to happen in Vista so it's not an OS thing. It seems to be an "unexpected feature".

I never de-selected the roof plane during my tests and thus I never saw it.

You will notice that when you first enter roof mode you can click and drag to establish the baseline of a roof plane. If you finish that plane you can then click and drag to establish a baseline for another roof plane. If after finishing the first roof plane you zoom, then a click and drag does not establish a baseline.

I am guessing here but I think what is happening is not related to snaps but to mode. Snaps only seem to appear when they serve a purpose, such as when drawing a roof plane. The zoom seems to have the effect of taking the program out of draw-roof-plane mode and thus snaps serve no purpose and do not display. A extra click after zooming and draw-roof-plane mode is back and now snaps appear.

I have noticed that if I zoom, click and drag, zoom, click and drag a bogus baseline appears well away from where I clicked. As long as this baseline is showing I can't do anything with roof planes.

Bugs! You gotta love 'em.