Three story columns in plan view

[dshall]

I was not offering a solution - I was suggesting a new feature that would address this issue - the option to mark an object in some way that would cause an object that spanned multiple floors to appear on each appropriate floor.

References are a viable work around but I don't believe they should be necessary. CA simply hasn't addressed the issue of such objects in the 2D representation - such an object works as expected in the 3D representation - it follows, to my way of thinking, that it should work much the same way in the 2D representation.

For now I would go with CAD block.

I would probably choose the MRLS, but it too has its downsides in this particular situation. I suppose cad blocks come in a close second. Hey, CA, fix this, thank you.

[Doug Park]

Personally, I would just duplicate the columns on each floor with just the height that you need for each floor. While this would result in a material list that isn't quite correct it would give you everything that you need for working drawings. Using a reference layer set would also work to get the items you need to show from the other floor to show on the floors above.

It would be nice to have an option to mark certain things to draw on more than one floor, but that isn't a feature that is currently available.

[fcwilt]

Personally, I would just duplicate the columns on each floor with just the height that you need for each floor. While this would result in a material list that isn't quite correct it would give you everything that you need for working drawings. Using a reference layer set would also work to get the items you need to show from the other floor to show on the floors above.

It would be nice to have an option to mark certain things to draw on more than one floor, but that isn't a feature that is currently available.

One thing came to mind regarding using a reference set - it doesn't show the actual size of the object on the other floors. Consider a tapered shape, like a cone - you are going to see the diameter of the base of the cone, on all floors - as opposed to seeing the diameter of the "apparent" base of the cone at the floor you are viewing. There may be times when you want to see one or the other.

With a CAD block you can chose what to see.

If you used separate objects on each floor, to get the 3D views correct you are going to end up with the "apparent" base diameter in the 2D views on each floor.

So if this new feature were to be implemented what should be displayed in the 2D views?

[Curtis Johnson]

Frederick confirmed your dilemma ... columns created on a floor level will not display on other levels even though you have correctly defined their heights to span or extend to/through the other floor levels. This is something Chief should address some day. The solution to not being able to place your railings is most easily resolved by following Doug's suggestion of recreating the columns on each additional floor level. I think this is an issue that most Chief users have contended with so your question is a good one. As you gain experience with Chief you may learn to deal with this, or similar issues, in more than one way ... That's what makes Chief flexible ... having multiple ways to do things. Good luck. Please post an image when you get your columns and rails in place on the other levels ... I would like to see how it turned out for you. I might learn something in the process, and yes, I have learned many things from Chief users who have not used the program as long as I have been using it.

Welcome to the forum. Again, a good question. Perhaps you should consider putting your ideas on how you would like Chief to deal with this issue into a new thread on the Suggestion forum.

[perryh]

Reference sets solve that problem except for the column taper showing smaller as you go up. I use reference sets in every plan I do. Saves a lot of time. Once you set it up its automatic. You might want to add the cad block on the 3rd floor bc you can only reference one floor at a time. It works great for roofs also or just about anything you have in the plan.

[fcwilt]

I know that reference sets are one viable solution but I would like to see CA solve this problem at a more basic level. An object that exists on multiple floors should appear on each floor, at least as an option.

[Curtis Johnson]

I totally agree with you Frederick - we need the ability to display "through" columns on multiple floor levels.

[rollerroman]

Wow, thanks for all the ideas! I have been using CAD software for years, and I recently switched over to CA to try and speed up some processes. With this particular problem, I am ordering custom length railings, and I need to know the diameter of the tapered columns on all three floors to get the correct length for the railings.

Intuitively it seems like you could select to display objects on all floors which they are present.

If I place a new column on each floor, the tapered diameter will not be correct unless I do my own calculations, which would take longer than just using my previous CAD software, the material list would be off and my renderings would look funny.

I'll just assume it's one of those things, and I'll use the workarounds you kindly suggested.

Thanks!

[Levis]

If I place a new column on each floor, the tapered diameter will not be correct unless I do my own calculations, which would take longer than just using my previous CAD software, the material list would be off and my renderings would look funny.

Similarly to the taper problem, if you want to use tall columns with detailing at the top & bottom, like greek columns or some craftsman ones for example, you wouldn't want to show a separate column on each floor because the rendering would not be accurate.

[fcwilt]

Well you'd have to go to the trouble of creating your columns in (this case) three parts. Then both 2D and 3D would be "correct" but it's a difficult workaround.

[Levis]

Currently, I would just put in one column on the lowest floor and a cad patch on the other floors. A bit of a simpler workaround, but the point remains that, as you said earlier Frederick, we should have the option of showing it on all floors that it's actually on (and at the right size/diameter in the case of a taper).

[mgabriel]

Isn't a plan view taken roughly 40" AFF? What about an overhead camera (plan view) of each respective floor with the section slider? Then make a CAD detail of the view...wouldn't necessarily be "live", and I must admit, I've not tried this idea and I am uncertain if the columns would show even with this technique. I'm simply offering another suggestion/thought process of a simple means to accomplish the task at hand.

Experience tells me if you are ordering custom railings that have little to no room for dimensional slippage, field measuring is a much safer bet than trying to make a perfect model to take the measurements....but this opinion has absolutely nothing to do with addressing the OP questions