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Thread: Dept of Sneaky Tricks
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01-30-2009, 05:31 AM #1
Dept of Sneaky Tricks
I'm proposing we all add our various unpublished and not-obvious tricks to this thread.
Please title your individual post with your tip. (The Go Advanced button at the bottom will let you do this).
I won't do the word to rich text thing - let somebody who found it do it - but that's exactly the kind of thing I'm picturing. I'll do my sneaky use of the room finish schedule to obtain an area schedule later when I have time to do it properly.
And PLEASE - the intent of this thread is to collect useful stuff that people can cruise through easily. If something here spurs other thoughts, please start a new thread rather than have this one go all off topic.Last edited by WendyWelton; 01-30-2009 at 05:34 AM.
Wendy Lee Welton
Lic: NH, ME, NY, MA, NCARB
603-431-9559
www.artformarchitecture.com
www.artformhomeplans.com
I wrote code in 1984 to make my Sinclair 100 - so I used to be a programmer! So I can say with authority how easy it is to program Chief features! ;-)
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01-30-2009, 05:48 AM #2
Area Schedule
I'll edit this later to elaborate more, but here's a start:
Start with a Room Finish Schedule
- You can edit the title, make it say "Areas Under Roof" or "Heated Areas" - whatever you want
- The areas columns total
- You can do floor by floor or "all floors"
- You can now add manual room names via the Room dbx. That means you can do something sneaky, like make all the rooms in the existing house "Study" or "Office" as the room type, then name them whatever is appropriate. Then.....
- The Room Finish Schedule let's you choose exactly which room types. So let's assume you make the existing all "Office" room types. You just uncheck "Office" on the schedule and voila - a schedule that shows only your new room types.
Because Chief calculates Standard Room Area to the centerlines of walls, I put a note below that says
KEY
STD. AREA (SQ FT) - Area calculated to the centerlines of walls.
INT. AREA ( SQ FT ) - Area calculated to the interior wall surface.
NOTES
- The Standard Area for this schedule is calculated to the centerlines of walls, including at adjoining garages, porches and decks.
- The Heated Area totals shown below are calculated to the outside face of stud, to more closely follow industry standards.
- Because of this difference in calculation methods, you will see slight differences in the totals.
I sometimes also add to these notes, depending on the stage of design, the client, etc.Wendy Lee Welton
Lic: NH, ME, NY, MA, NCARB
603-431-9559
www.artformarchitecture.com
www.artformhomeplans.com
I wrote code in 1984 to make my Sinclair 100 - so I used to be a programmer! So I can say with authority how easy it is to program Chief features! ;-)
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01-30-2009, 06:46 AM #3Humble Chief User/Abuser
- Join Date
- Sep 2003
- Location
- Vista, CA
- Posts
- 3,264
Import Word Docs Into Rich Text Editor - X2
Great Thread Idea Wendy. Wish it could get stickied somehow because just when I need a sneaky trick these threads seem to disappear.
Anyway the 'sneaky trick' is how to get Rich Text in X-2 to format numbered lists properly and it seems that if you import a Word Doc with everything the way you like it, Rich Text will wrap and number (bullet) properly.
Once imported into Rich Text The Word doc's formatting seems to stay put and wrap properly through 2 or 3 sub heads. Would be cool to see it work properly in the Rich Text dbx (which it does not) but this is a close second.
And it IS called Rich Text which is Word's native text language. Also once in the Chief's Rich Text dbx it continues to behave properly. Which to me means one could copy and paste that text and have that feature at the ready for any future text. A library item?
Yup, works great.
Hope that helps someoneLast edited by HumbleChief; 01-30-2009 at 01:36 PM.
The purpose of Government is to control the common resources, not the common man.
Larry Hawes
Hawes Home Design
Vista, CA
Hawes Home Design
X5 and X6 Public Beta 3
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit
Motherboard EVGA Classified SR-2
Processors (2) 6 core Xeon L5640
Memory 24GB PNY DDR3 1600
Video EVGA GTX 780
Monitor 26" LG 1920 x 1200
21" Viewsonic
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01-30-2009, 11:00 AM #4Humble Chief User/Abuser
- Join Date
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- Vista, CA
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Originally Posted by WendyWeltonThe purpose of Government is to control the common resources, not the common man.
Larry Hawes
Hawes Home Design
Vista, CA
Hawes Home Design
X5 and X6 Public Beta 3
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit
Motherboard EVGA Classified SR-2
Processors (2) 6 core Xeon L5640
Memory 24GB PNY DDR3 1600
Video EVGA GTX 780
Monitor 26" LG 1920 x 1200
21" Viewsonic
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01-30-2009, 01:24 PM #5
X2 I was thinking. But, if someone had tips about X1 I don't see any harm. Just make a note of the version.
Wendy Lee Welton
Lic: NH, ME, NY, MA, NCARB
603-431-9559
www.artformarchitecture.com
www.artformhomeplans.com
I wrote code in 1984 to make my Sinclair 100 - so I used to be a programmer! So I can say with authority how easy it is to program Chief features! ;-)
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01-30-2009, 05:00 PM #6
ICF Walls Drawn Properly
My most commonly used trick is to properly show an ICF wall without the interior walls framing through the foam and into the concrete. I have 2 pre defined wall types for the ICF wall; one with the inside layer of foam and drywall, and the other with the concrete, outside layer of foam, and any siding or exposed rock work. I draw them together using the double wall, and I connect them with an invisible wall to avoid having an island room. I center the footing on the main layer (concrete), and all interior walls join to the inside foam layer. One setback is the way the window sills only frame into the concrete, and not the inside foam layer.
Rod Kervin
Kervin Home Design
Courtenay BC
p. 250-871-0316
If a picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth a thousand pictures, then uploading the chief file is worth a thousand videos.
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01-30-2009, 05:08 PM #7Originally Posted by ChiefCanada.com
Let's each delete our pieces of this. Maybe we can pursuade someone with such power to rename the thread - "2 Dept of Sneaky Tricks"
Any Chief Dudes checking in here?Wendy Lee Welton
Lic: NH, ME, NY, MA, NCARB
603-431-9559
www.artformarchitecture.com
www.artformhomeplans.com
I wrote code in 1984 to make my Sinclair 100 - so I used to be a programmer! So I can say with authority how easy it is to program Chief features! ;-)
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01-31-2009, 04:08 AM #8
Deck/Porch floor over hang
This works with all versions.Decks don't need it now because there is a place to add the overhang.
Make a room polyline, convert it to a slab.
Set the height just above the floor,thickness you want, and resize so it is hanging over the edge the amount you want..........
Allen Colburn Jr.
Pascoag RI 02859
Residential Design Drafting/Framer
Drafter for:
http://www.artformhomeplans.com/
Chief Architect X4
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02-02-2009, 02:19 PM #9
I'm sure everyone knows this, but in X2 when you go to shoot an
elevation, if you right click and drag, that will give you the "rendered
elevation". If you left click and drag it will give you the standard "vector
view elevation".
I just ran in to that, and thought it was kind of neat...it'll save ya a
click or thrice.Last edited by jonathank; 02-02-2009 at 02:22 PM.
Jonathan
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02-02-2009, 02:26 PM #10Special Projects Director
- Join Date
- May 2003
- Posts
- 3,113
Someone requested a tape measure tool, well we actually have one in X2.
Select the point to point dimension tool and as you drag it out you will see the distance displayed. Once you see the dimension you want hit the other mouse button or the esc. key on the keyboard and it goes away. If you have snapping on you will get an accurate dimension string.
(I wish I knew how to rename the thread but haven't found a way yet)Dan Park,
Special Projects Director,
Chief Architect
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02-02-2009, 03:43 PM #11
Creating Ramps
The attached plan file includes details on how to create a ramp using terrain tools. I cannot take credit for most of the ideas here, as I watched them on someone else's training videos, but I can't remember who. It was created in X2, but the same steps work for X1 and probably V10, but I cannot confirm.
For those of you who cannot open the file to see the graphics, here are the steps:
HOW TO CREATE A RAMP:
1. DRAW A RECTANGULAR POLINE, 48" X 16'. THE TOTAL RUN WILL BE 8' WITH A 4' LANDING ON EACH END.
2. CONVERT TO TERRAIN PERIMITER. SET THE SKIRT TO FOLLOW TERRAIN AND SET THE THICKNESS TO REPRESENT YOUR JOISTS AND SHEATHING. I WILL USE 8" FOR 2x8 JOISTS AND 3/4" SUBFLOOR.
3. CHANGE THE MATERIALS TO SHOW FINISH FLOOR. YOU MAY NEED TO ROTATE THE TEXTURE/PATTERN.
4. ADD TERRAIN ELEVATION LINES TO DEFINE THE 4'x4' LANDINGS ON EACH END. ADJUST THE HEIGHT OF THE HIGH END TO 36". NOTICE I PLACED ELEVATION LINES (RED) ON THE ENDS AS WELL.
5. TO MAKE THE LANDINGS FLAT, ADD A FLAT REGION (CUT/FILL) TO EACH LANDING.
6. TO MAKE THE RAMP FLAT, ADD TERRAIN BREAK LINES AT WHERE THE LANDINGS MEET THE RAMP. ALSO ADD TERRAIN ELEVATION LINES ALONG THE RAMP, EQUALLY SPACED AND SET THEIR PROPER ELEVATIONS. THIS SOMEHOW GIVES A BETTER RESULT. SOME ADJUSTMENTS STILL MAY NEED TO BE MADE TO OBTAIN THE DESIRED RESULTS.
7. ADD A RAILING TO EACH EDGE AND DESIGNATE 'FOLLOW TERRAIN' IN THE DBX. USE THE BREAK WALL TOOL TO BREAK THE RAILING AT EACH LANDING. NOTE THAT THE RAILING IS NOW ON THE 'FENCE' LAYER.
8. MAKE ANY AND ALL ADJUSTMENTS YOU NEED TO THE RAILINGS NOW. THE NEXT STEP IS TO EXPORT TO 3DS. THEN YOU CAN IMPORT BACK INTO YOUR MODEL AND YOU ARE DONE.
Disclaimer: I have never done any code research for ramps, so please do not depend on my specifications to be code compliant.
Allan sent me the link to his previous posts about ramps:
http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?p=257966&highlight=ramps#post257966Last edited by sherpa_jones; 08-23-2009 at 11:44 PM.
Rod Kervin
Kervin Home Design
Courtenay BC
p. 250-871-0316
If a picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth a thousand pictures, then uploading the chief file is worth a thousand videos.
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02-02-2009, 03:53 PM #12Special Projects Director
- Join Date
- May 2003
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- 3,113
Here's an article on ramps that has some similar steps. It's kind of an ugly hack but the results are pretty good.
http://www.chiefarchitect.com/suppor...?faqNumber=762Dan Park,
Special Projects Director,
Chief Architect
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02-04-2009, 03:10 PM #13
Create a framed deck overhang past the railing.
For anyone who wants to create a deck with framing that goes past the railing (16" to 2'), here is a way to do it:
1. Begin by drawing your deck railing. Specify each railing as 'no room definition.'
2. Create a wall type and name it 'deck boundary' or something similar. Make it any thickness that works for you, and set the outer line style as dashed or solid, and the inner line style as none. Copy the material 'air gap' and adjust the transparency to full. Set this as your wall material.
3. Draw this wall around your deck, spacing it as appropriate, and connect it to the exterior walls. This should create a room definition to your new boundary wall. Specify it as 'deck.'
4. Draw your stairs down from the boundary wall. Using a poline, draw a landing between the stairs and the railing, and remove the railing at the landing edge that meets the railing. Change the landing thickness to 0, and use the new air gap material you created earlier.
5. Break the railing at each end of the landing and make it invisible. Now your railings shoudl be continuous. Some minor work may be needed to make everything line up, but you should be 99.99% there.
6. Auto frame the deck and you are done.
In my photos here, I drew in my own posts and beam for the roof, as well as all my deck framing, except for the planking which I used from the auto framing. Now the beam supporting the deck is right under the posts and beam supporting the roof, and I the deck is framed 12" past. Thanks to Allen Colburn for suggesting this to me.Rod Kervin
Kervin Home Design
Courtenay BC
p. 250-871-0316
If a picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth a thousand pictures, then uploading the chief file is worth a thousand videos.
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02-06-2009, 04:33 AM #14
http://chieftalk.com/showthread.php?t=26332
Dashed lines below grade tip..
I just tried this by turning off the terrain and drawing a closed spline where the terrain is...........
Allen Colburn Jr.
Pascoag RI 02859
Residential Design Drafting/Framer
Drafter for:
http://www.artformhomeplans.com/
Chief Architect X4
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02-12-2009, 09:28 AM #15Special Projects Director
- Join Date
- May 2003
- Posts
- 3,113
Ever wonder what a tool does and the popup tooltip just does not quite help?
If you hover your mouse over a tool and hit F1 on the keyboard you will get contextual help on that item.Dan Park,
Special Projects Director,
Chief Architect