Automatic Deck Framing will not shut down.

[ConfusedUser]

Ralph:

try MENU - DEFAULTS - ROOMS - DECK ROOM

under DECK tab turn off "AUTO DECK FRAMING"

you can also select the deck and open the room dbx and turn it off
under the deck tab

I don't understand why CA has the deck framing separate from all the other framing defaults ???

In CA's defense I will say that only using the software occassionaly can cause frustration
there is a learning curve (I still have a long ways to go) and it must be climbed
there are no shortcuts or instant elevators to the top

Lew

Hey Lew,

Thanks for responding but when I said that I had spent several hours on trouble shooting I was not kidding. I have looked everywhere to try to turn this thing off and no matter how many check boxes I clear or combos I try - it still ignores and blows away all my work... (and billable hours)...

That setting that you suggest has been off since I started troubleshooting. It seems that if someone can turn this thing off, they must have a specific combo of all the settings that succeeds and I have not yet found that. Any time I do something to the structure of the deck that changes the exterior in any way (even when the change is not related to my manual changes) - the software elects to rebuild everything and I loose all my changes... Really very productive... I might even accept that is recommeds something and asks for approval - but don't blow away all my work!!!! BTW - I do design well above "Code" so that things last and the software seems to not agree with that philosophy.

Your comment concerning a "training curve" is very obvious and has been for several years. I have fought with Chief multiple times and all they will say is "you need more training" and then resolve the issue one or two costly revs later... I have considerable investment in this thing and "switching costs" are holding me here but every time I try to create something that is not "within Chief's concept of what is desirable" - we are beck to this forum and "more training". I am ready to post in several other places about what it "really" takes to make this stuff useful...

FYI - if you are interested... I designed a home for my Brother several years back and I needed an opening in two walls as he had a second floor that we wanted to treat as a pass through. The software would not allow so I had to fake it with windows and then make multiple manual adjusts on material lists, details and sections and work a manual roof as the software back then did not like the interior "fake window"... Now after paying for a several new revision (and all that lost time) - I understand that this function is now available. Paid for by my hours of loss...

Sorry to be grousing as I really like some of the features but as a designer of 30+ years and a former product manager for a "real CAD" system that is used to manufacture aircraft, I really thought that things might be better by now. But it seems that Chief''s approach is if you don't like what we produce and don't want to invest in lots of training and work arounds, then tough luck - go elsewhere...