Large commercial project

[Don Randall]

I am answering this assuming you are using X1.

Was it a mistake to create them all separately?

No. Too much in one plan can result in a huge file size and slow down Chief as you work. Your computer power (CPU, RAM, etc) will define just how large a Chief file you can tolerate.

Can I import the other two buildings into the main file without having to export them as .dwg/.dxf files?

Yes. Open your main plan file, then from the file menu open the 2nd plan file. Go to your 2nd plan file and "select" all that you want to import to the main plan file and click copy. "Selecting" is best done with Edit Area Tools (several options). Then go to Window Menu (bottom) and click on the main file plan (shifts you back to the main file) and then paste from the Edit Menu.

Can I copy/paste all floors of one file to the new main file?

Yes. Same process - Edit Area Select and then Copy/Paste

To get comfortable with this process, create three simple plans (place representative items like landscape, CAD etc) and save. In the main plan file create your site plan and through the process described above copy/paste over the parts of the other two plans you want. Play around with all the copy/paste options.

Also, read the manual on Edit Area Tools, Copying and Pasting Objects and Translate/Replicate Tools. There are other special items that can be copy/pasted via Special Paste. There is pretty good flexibility in copy/paste functions not only within a plan file, but as well, cross-plan files.