Attic Trusses

[TeaMan]

I'm using HDP 8.0 and can't seem to find enough information on how to install attic trusses. I found information saying I needed some kind of floor truss below the attic truss or it won't install them. I am not sure how to proceed with this. I thought the attic truss was built to carry the load and didn't need to have a truss below it. I've never seen it that way anyway.

Can anyone help me understand how to proceed in adding these trusses to my workshop? Is there something I'm missing?

Thanks
TeaMan

[David J. Potter]

All that is required for attic trusses is a defined ceiling below and roof planes above.
All the tool does is fill in the cavity between those two structural areas (ceiling and roof planes based on how you have set framing defaults).

The "Truss Tool" is a manual tool; you draw each truss or a truss and then copy-paste the others at your choice.

There is a lot more to this but it is well covered in the videos, manual, help files and help database that is available to you here, on your PC and on line.

DJP

[TeaMan]

I've done everything you suggest. I get an error when I edit one of my trusses and try to chang it to an attic truss. It says "a flat ceiling must be present for the center of the truss and floor platforms for the ends of the truss". I have a flat ceiling, and have no idea what it wants at the ends. Nothing in the manual, videos, or database explains this.

TeaMan

[dcdavis]

Teaman

I found information saying I needed some kind of floor truss below the attic truss or it won't install them.

Not a floor truss but floor platforms.

Dean

[TeaMan]

OK, so what are floor platforms? I'm not familiar for this at all?

[lbuttery]

so what are floor platforms


they are what creates the floor for a room,
can be framed or trussed and then a sub floor and then a flooring material


Lew

[TeaMan]

OK, If I understand correctly the floor platform is created by selecting the room and selecting floor under room. If the attic isn't a room and can't be selected, I can't select floor under this room to create a floor platform. How do I create one? Is it really this difficult?

[lbuttery]

Is it really this difficult


There is a learning curve (for any software) some climb faster than others, some can't climb too far, some don't read the trailmaps before starting out
some get caught in "traps" that can only be learned by experience


Floor A can't have rooms defined, this is probably in the docs, but does trip up newbies regularly

if you need rooms "up there" create another floor (floor 2 or floor 3) and make sure you have a ceiling

trusses are generated between the ceiling plane and the roof plane, both must be present.

Lew

[Dave Pitman]

TM,
In the room dbx, check "ceiling over this room" and "roof over this room"
Then, build roof planes, then you can build roof trusses by dragging them across the bearing wall tops.

[lbuttery]

floor platform is created by selecting the room and selecting floor under room


a normal room will get a floor platform automatically

the "floor under room" setting is similiar to using "open below" in that the floor platofrm is skipped and the "floor" is supplied by the room below, usually a slab for the foundation.

You probably don't need to use this setting

Lew

[Curtis Johnson]

Here's a thread where I attempted to help Ed O. out with his project:

http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?t=43459

If this information isn't helpful, please search the forum for other threads - try using either "attic truss" or perhaps "bonus room" for your searches.

[TeaMan]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I think I have enough information to get me though it. I would assume that the second floor would be created with Zero wall height, then let the trusses become the room above. I'll give that a try first.

I already have a roof on this building with trusses built. I'm not sure what will happen when I try to add a second floor, it it'll delete my roof or not. I'll try it and see. If it works, I should then be able to change my existing trusss to attic trusses.

If all else fails, I'll remove the roof, create a second floor with ceiling above, then roof planes, and create the trusses.

I have some playing to do. The best way to learn a software and it's limitations is to try things and see if they work. If not try again. I also find that frustration isn't worth it if you can ask a question, get some feedback and get out of a rut. Learning happens much faster if you are not frustrated.

Again, Thanks
TeaMan

[Allen42acj]

Tea
You need knee walls and a ceiling height..
The manual should explain it..
Not discouraging your question here, I had to do Attic trusses a short time ago and the Chief Help section explained it good.
Practice on a small square box type of plan.

[lbuttery]

once the roof is created you could delete the whole house and the roof remains

Lew

[Curtis Johnson]

If I get tooooo frustrated, toooooo quick, I call Tech Support and that is usually where it ends. If time isn't an issue, I try here on the forum to get any help needed. Weekends is a no brainer ... you got to do it here or get help from one of the CA power users. Louis Fernandez did that for me one weekend using GoToMeeting. Help usually isn't too far away. Once in awhile it might take a little bit of time to get a good answer back but that "usually" isn't the case.