Dimensioning Elevation Plans

[louis]

Yep... I Just Delete The Surface... Completely Accurate And The Fastest Way I Believe......

Guys, just move the camera!

Slide the camera!

Amazing, an elevation view instantly becomes a cross section.

[John D Atkinson]

Thanks Tommy! It works like you say although I don't understand why entering a value in Z Delta changes the Y Position. (I'm using X1 BTW). Louis must be good to have figured that out!

[Tommy Blair]

You're welcome.

[billemery]

Ric,
can you tell me more specificly how you use the delete surface method?

Tommy,
I like the way you use markers: I've got an opportunity to try that out today.

[WendyWelton]

John,

In Chief 10 - Y is always up the page, in plan view, in elevation view, in section view...

In Chief X1, Z is towards the sky in all views. They are now consistently using the X, Y, Z coordinate system in all views.

So - for Sections and Elevations, where you moved things in the Y direction to move them towards the top, in X1 you move them in the Z direction instead.

[Tommy Blair]

John,

In Chief 10 - Y is always up the page, in plan view, in elevation view, in section view...

In Chief X1, Z is towards the sky in all views. They are now consistently using the X, Y, Z coordinate system in all views.

So - for Sections and Elevations, where you moved things in the Y direction to move them towards the top, in X1 you move them in the Z direction instead.

That is true Wendy, but you can't leave out what you have to do to make that work in the absolute position if you want to place the marker at let's say the ceiling height, plate height or whatever. It's not just a matter of placing the height position in the "Z" place. In 10, you place place the position you want it in the "y" position and you're done. Extra steps in X1.

[John D Atkinson]

Wendy, it still seems confusing to me to have to use a Z Delta to move a Y Position.

[John D Atkinson]

Why can't I select a level line marker in a cross section view, open its dbx, change the height and see it move? What does the height control anyway?

[Tommy Blair]

Why can't I select a level line marker in a cross section view, open its dbx, change the height and see it move? What does the height control anyway?

John, if you're talking about a text marker, you really ought to move it with the transform/replicate tool in the absolute (z) direction if you want to move it up or down in an elevation.

[John D Atkinson]

If you designate a text marker to be a level line marker in the dbx, right above the marker radius box another box shows up for height. What does that box do?

[WendyWelton]

Wendy, it still seems confusing to me to have to use a Z Delta to move a Y Position.

John,

When you are working on a section or elevation, you are just looking at a different view of the same model. Chief 10 had X & Y as if it were on the paper - Y towards the top of the paper. There wasn't really a useful Z. When you moved something toward the top of the section, it was being treated as a flat piece of paper, which has no real Z. Now they're treating it like a 3D model.

Chief X1 has full X, Y & Z in all views. (Of course, someone will find a place where this was not carried through, but it's definately true of sections and elevations). Just remember that Z is towards the sky.

Another way to understand the concept is to
- Place a chair in your plan.
- Generate a section view that shows the chair.
- Generate a Vector Full Camera view that shows the chair in the room.
- Tile your view to show all three.

- Now select the chair in any of the three views
- Select the Transform/Replicate tool - check Move and put 24" in the box for Z Delta.

You will see the chair move 24" towards the sky in both your section and your 3D view.

- Undo and repeat, but put 24" in the Y Delta box. The chair will move 24" in the Y direction (towards the top of the screen in plan view) in all three views. It will behave exactly the same no matter which view you are using when you select the chair.

This is a confusing concept for people who did not come to Chief from other software that uses the X, Y, Z coordinates consistently and/or learned it in school. These coordinates are straight out of traditional geometry - that class most of us slept through. Even back in college, I'd see half the class holding their left hand up with forfinger pointed up, thumb toward them and index finger to the right, trying to make a concept that's not immediately untuitive sink into the brains - up to and including during the exam. (The hand thing is quite literally how they taught us this system). So - don't feel bad that it seems alien. You have plenty of company!

[WendyWelton]

Guys, just move the camera!

Slide the camera!

Amazing, an elevation view instantly becomes a cross section.

You know - it never occurred to me to try moving the camera after I had started adding text and dimensions. "The dawn comes late to Marblehead". I'll give it a try!

[WendyWelton]

If you designate a text marker to be a level line marker in the dbx, right above the marker radius box another box shows up for height. What does that box do?

I've never looked at that setting, but here goes...

Hmm - I just tried placing one in a section view and changing this dimension. The listing in Help says it's for the "height of the marker in 3D space", yet mine did not move. Hmmm, says only for Level Line or Point Marker - I have "Level Line" checked.

I'm going to say that at a minimum this is totally unclear, and it might even be a bug.

Maybe somebody who uses this regularly can shed more light?

[lbuttery]

I'm hoping that CA will automate this task.

It seems to me that the info already resides inside the plan so why not have chief create an elevation with the dimensions placed as they are in tradtional architecture ? Are there various ways to do this ? If they are "standard" ways then Chief should let us choose via preferences or defaults which method to use.

Lew

[spark]

Why can't I select a level line marker in a cross section view, open its dbx, change the height and see it move? What does the height control anyway?

I have reviewed this. It doesn't work. The reference manual indeed states that the height value is "...the Height of the marker in 3D space." I'm going to go talk to a few people on the development team and Technical Support and see what the deal is. It may be that "height" is an ambiguous term: ie---a property of the size of the marker or the position of the marker in the Z direction.

It might even be related to text.

I'll get back to you guys when I find out more.