Construction 101?????

[Bradley Boltz]

Do the software developers at Chief understand basic residential construction (or am I guilty of user error?)? In my 37 1/2 years of working in residential construction, residential design and commercial and residential architecture, I've never seen a new construction framing scenario where a 5 ft tub or tub-shower's rough framing is greater than 5 ft (some framers allow an additional 1/4" or more for error but really the drawing rough dim should be 5ft).

Chief automatically locates and stops their 5' tubs at the face of the drywall layer (although, they correctly stop their cabinetry at he drywall face). Their 5' tubs and tub-showers never fit when placed in a rough framed space of 5'-0" when a drywall layer exists (4'-11" fin to fin or gyp to gyp). This was never a problem for me when I only used framing with no drywall on my new construction drawings. But Chief has consistently advocated using drywall layers on wall framing in order to properly create your model and materials list etc.

Typically,I will resize my tubs to 4'-11" after placing them somewhere in the plan where they fit and will then have to move them using the point to point tool. How about a radio button in the fixture's dbx defaults that would allow to choose either: snap to framing or snap to gyp or surface layer? This has been a work-a-round and minor PITA for too long now. Did they fix it in X6 or am I wrong in thinking that it needs fixing?-BAD CAD Brad

[Steve C.]

I size my tubs at 59" for (wall) dimension purposes because CA's drywall bumps the tub. Just a thing ya have to do.

[Joe Carrick]

Edit the Bounding Box to the 4'11" dimension. The Bounding Box is what has to fit between the walls.

[Bradley Boltz]

I size my tubs at 59" for (wall) dimension purposes because CA's drywall bumps the tub. Just a thing ya have to do.

At this juncture in the evolution of Chief as a premier residential CAD package, why should we have to? Actually a couple of the tubs don't have their bounding boxes such that the actual corners of the units coincide with the edge of the bounding box and similar issues with the centers of ceiling fans aligning in plan view but off in 3d. No reason not to have a programmer assigned to proactively finding and fixing them (especially when pointed out by a user).- BB

[Bradley Boltz]

Edit the Bounding Box to the 4'11" dimension. The Bounding Box is what has to fit between the walls.

Is there a difference in editing the bounding box and resizing the symbol in the dbx?

[JJohnson]

Is there a difference in editing the bounding box and resizing the symbol in the dbx?

When a symbol is selected, it's edit handles are at the permiter of it's bounding box.

From the help files under bounding box

[Bradley Boltz]

OK, thanks, you are all confirming something I know and already do (similar to you). I just think it's something so basically wrong and simple to fix that I don't know why it continues and why I have to waste time readjusting the tub size every time I select one from the library. My other question was: has it been fixed in X6?

[kenoeightspot]

Add the resized tub to your user lib.never resize again.

[Bradley Boltz]

Thanks Mr Page. I guess I should take advantage of the user library one of these days. I tend to get a bit lazy in that regard because I'm a staunch follower of "Use it Right out of the Box".

Of course that doesn't help with the tub/shower symbols that have bounding boxes that are out of registration with the symbol. Eg bounding box perimeter does not align with the symbol edges.-Brad

[kenoeightspot]

The objects/symbols out of the box should be fixed but until then we have to do what we have to do.

[garyohmer]

Use the full size - drop tub in bathroom first hit the bumping/push (f11) and snap in place.

[joey3032]

Use the point to point move tool and simply grab the corner of the tub and place it at the corner of the framing.

[Bradley Boltz]

Use the point to point move tool and simply grab the corner of the tub and place it at the corner of the framing.

Grab the corner of What ? When the bounding box doesn't align/register with the symbol? See attached: The symbol on the left and the bounding box are aligned and in proper register for grabbing the corners. The symbol on the right is off and the outer corners of the symbol are longer than 5'-0" but the bounding box is 5'-0" long and the corner of the bounding box is not in the same place as its corresponding symbol corner.

Dudes, I know how to properly use the "point to point" tool. My workaround is to not use the defective symbols when this occurs thus rendering many of the symbols useless. The centers of many of the ceiling fan symbols are out of wack in regards to the center grab handle of the fan symbol does not align with the actual center of the symbol. When you use the point to point tool in those instances the symbol will not dimension correctly visually in the plan. Just a PITA and I often resort to dimensioning to a separately placed cad line or point. These little work-arounds eventually add up to a lot of time and unecessary irritation- Brad

[Gene Davis]

Whoever created that symbol may have been thinking of this issue, but failed to get one detail right.

The tub unit is just a shade under 60", but its placement thingy, the bounding box, should be 59". Not sure if the bounding box for a symbol can be smaller than the symbol, though.

The problem is the whole issue with bounding boxes and finished wall surfaces. Just about all other classes of fixtures and furniture are such that one wants the bounding box to bump the finish. Tubs and shower units that go into rough pre-drywall stage are an exception.

T'would be better if Chief simply built all these tubs and showers at 59".

[JJohnson]

Use the point to point move tool and simply grab the corner of the tub and place it at the corner of the framing.

This buries the faucet trim in render views.
Better to resize tub to 59".