How can I get the walls I need?

[Gene Davis]

We build a lot with trusses, and our "energy heel" height is always 12 inches or more. It is common for us to do some vaulted ceilings under roof, using scissors trusses.

Chief doesn't seem to be on the same wavelength as us. Take a look at the attached wall section, drawn in Sketchup.

I can use Chief and do a roof manually (or auto), and get the roof up where it is with the 12" heel. I can also do a ceiling plane where needed, elevation-wise. I found out Chief's logic.

What I cannot do, is get Chief, when framing, to place the wall top plates as they are shown in this pic.

What's the secret? I am working in v.10.

[louis]

See if this helps.

http://www.lfcompany.com/louis/chief...dimensions.pdf

[Gene Davis]

Thanks, Louis.

I have been able to figure out, through reviewing the manual, the training, and also through experimentation with the program, how Chief computes roof plane placement. But that is not my problem.

What I want is a wall section from Chief that shows a scissors truss with energy heel, the wall plates up at the 97-1/8" elevation (or however I have set it), the truss bearing on those plates. Just like in my Sketchup pic.

I want to be able to represent a wall section as it will be built.

[Mark]

I am no expert on this but i would try building the roof and in the build roof dialog put height in the raise of top draw the ceiling plane with the ceiling plane tool after that draw the trusses

[MikePreble1]

Is this something like what you want?
Mike

[Allen Brown]

Build Roof DBX, build tab, "raise roof off plate" 12"

[louis]

Gene,

Your plates always build at the ceiling height. Ceiling height and plate height are the same thing. If you truss does not build to the exact configuration you need you may have to edit the truss.

[Gene Davis]

Mike, you give me hope. Now I just have to figure what I am doing wrong in drawing and specifying ceiling planes.

[louis]

Here is what I get with a quick model.

[joey3032]

Gene, they are not getting it. Chief Architect needs to address this sooner rather than later, but for now, there is no way to complete the detail you are after without some editing of the wall sections. I also use 90% truss w/ energy heel systems, and I have tried everything for you already. I still use v10 80% of the time and am now using X1 more and more....but the situation has not improved in X1 either.

In the first pic, as most of you know, I checked no birdsmouth, raised off plate, yada..yada..and Chief detailed correctly. The truss rests on the top plates, flat out to the fascia, however..notice that the wall is trying to come up through the truss. The drywall continues, the insulation continues, the exterior cladding continues...those all require alittle editing to be correct, but not so bad.

Now in pic two, add the scissor effect, and everything goes downhill rather quickly. All the rules of truss usage go out the door as soon as you introduce a different ceiling plane. This requires much editing, and quite frankly, I just detail this in CAD rather that the live cross sections for speed.

As more and more of us go green, the use of energy heel truss systems will become more and more prevalent, as we find more and better ways to seal the building envelope. Having the ability to model these conditions correctly will make life easier...not that we are looking to become truss engineeres...but we do need the ability to get quick Xsections to our engineers to properly design these things for us.

[joey3032]

Well.....I thought I had tried everything. Look at this Gene. After creating the truss, I selected the truss while in backclipped Xsection, and the truss DBX came up. I selected ENERGY HEEL, hit OK, and there you go!

I will continue to play with this function and see what else I can get to happen.

[billemery]

I use the energy heel truss option with vaulted ceilings.

The one thing that Chief doesn't do is place the top plate correctly if "no ceiling over this room is checked"

I get around this by leaving the ceiling in place while I generate the wall framing, and then remove it to show the vault.