User's Group Meeting Reactions

**alobartn** · 09-02-2004, 08:10 PM

What a wonderful thing ART did by hosting the first User's Group meeting! It was magical to finally meet the Chief team from Coeur d'Alene, and to put faces with some of the personalities from this site. I only hope more users from this forum show up at next year's meeting, which apparently will take place.

About 150 people were present for the dinner cruise (first night) and all day event full of break-out sessions, meals replete with speeches, information, and good food, CAD shootout contest (a hilarious blast with full color commentary from the CEO), and awards. Even live music!

During the day not one question went unanswered, albeit the answer was not always one the questioner hoped for. Nevertheless the various expertise demonstrated by both staff and end-users was nothing short of inspiring.

Arriving with high hopes for an intense learning experience, mine were exceeded. I feel the ART employees et al deserve praise, who demonstrated exemplary professionalism and knowledge, and who create a sense of confidence that we, the users of the product they have developed, are in good hands and will be well served now and in years to come.

When next year’s announcement arrives, I hope ART will have made provisions for the onslaught of expected participants. Perhaps it won’t be necessary to again lash three cruise boats together just to fit us all on the lake. Maybe there’ll be a boat big enough to fit everyone (it was kinda funny to see that). Anyway, don’t delay in signing up. You won’t regret it! Thank you ART!

**dgavin** · 09-03-2004, 03:02 AM

Adam,

Thanks for the post. I wish I had been able to attend. I wonder if someone could set up a temporary site on Yahoo or somewhere where attendees could post somme pictures? Just a thought.

**Tim Schrock** · 09-03-2004, 04:15 AM

I'm with Dennis, wish I could have been there! Would LOVE to see some pictures! Sounds like we missed a great meeting.

**EricWK** · 09-03-2004, 07:22 AM

What kind of outlook and company goals were presented by the CEO and the Coeur d'Alene crew regarding ART's future? I know there are a so many users that are very committed to help provide practical working comments, feature requests, etc., as well as community support so that ART can continue to prove and improve the application advantages from other competitors.

It sounds like is was a great event, my schedules were too tight here to let me get away. I will try to plan for the next time. I will also be inviting a new user here on the east coast since I helped him convert to Chief this past year.

**alobartn** · 09-03-2004, 10:48 AM

I didn't bring a camera, so I can't help. Maybe ART will post some, or provide a link testifying to the success of the week. I'm still on a layover on my way home. Thank goodness for wireless. I'll post of the image I submitted for the rendering contest. Maybe Christina (the hands down winner) and Jason can post theirs. Hello you guys! How about it? There were some other really nice ones as well as some great plans. Did anyone take photos?
Adam

**louis** · 09-03-2004, 08:28 PM

I did. I will post some when I get home. Nice post Adam!

**WendyWelton** · 09-03-2004, 09:21 PM

The User Group was great. I had a blast. It definately made me feel like part of the team. It sounds like there's some great stuff coming in 10. And even the things that we now know we're not getting in release 10 won't be as sorely missed, because it was pretty clear that ART is listening. Good job! Wendy

**Tim Schrock** · 09-04-2004, 05:30 AM

Ok, you've got me itching for v. 10. Is anyone going to let us (those who couldn't make it) in on the anticipation??? I'm dyin' out here!

**WendyWelton** · 09-04-2004, 05:55 AM

my poor memory, which took 3 different airplanes to get home...

This is all a "they said" by the way ;-) - one never does know what the final will bring!

They said they are fixing the siding-doesn't-meet fascia glitch. I think the exact words were "I did that last night".

The layer list will be simplified and improved - no more "architectural", "system" and "user" - one list, resortable by alphabetical order, by linetype, by color... User layers are simply layers that you add to this list, with no limit on the number. And it'll have boxes to check or uncheck by each layer for whether it displays on screen (and gets sent to layouts) and a separate one in the layer list for what gets rendered. Oh, and you can put anything you want on any layer you want.

They've added some cool stuff to the cabinets - like a good corner cabinet with a 30" stove in it, and the ability to put a range top and a warming drawer in the same cabinet.

Blocks can now have anything in them - like an electrical outlet in a cabinet, all blocked together. And I think they said you can nest blocks as well - like adding an electrical outlet to an existing block, and making a block out of the two together.

Curved roofs!

Some idiot asked if we would be able to change the floor to floor heights after the second floor is drawn, but apparently we can already do that! Ooops.

A Project Navigator - you'll be able to open a single dialogue box and it will list all the layouts, camera views, etc. I think they said we can name camera views in that.

One plan file - no more separate files for each floor - it'll all be in a .plan file.

Visual cadd snaps - it'll have different symbols on screen when you're drawing in cadd that will tell you if the software intends to snap to an endpoint or a midpoint, stay perpendicular to where you're starting, etc.

And I just ran out of memory! Maybe somebody at ART can fill in the pieces (or tell me if I'm smokin' dope on any of this).

Wendy

**alobartn** · 09-04-2004, 06:32 AM

Another feature of the new layer control is that each layer can be chosen to be viewed in 2d and/or 3d.

Text can snap to a line. Hallelujah!

A timer feature is added for individual projects.

Walls will show their length while being drawn. Once drawn, they will retain their length when perpedicular walls are added.

POV Ray timing decreased by 90 percent.

Just kidding about the last one.

Layouts significantly improved.

There were many other proposed features, but I have a crappy memory. I know someone there videoed the presentation, so maybe he will contribute here. As with any software in development, caution must be used when announcing new features because nobody knows what will "make it" to final release.

Also, part of the mission of ART is to improve living for all people using the assitance of computer programs. That may not be limited to Chief Architect in the future. By the way, I know I got that wrong, but I can't find the whole mission statement on the website.

**dgavin** · 09-04-2004, 06:40 AM

"POV Ray timing decreased by 90 percent."

Just kidding about the last one.

Adam - That was cruel. I was ecstatic for about one second.

The rest of the stuff sounds pretty good so far!

**WendyWelton** · 09-04-2004, 06:58 AM

I forgot about the layouts - we'll be able to dimension in the layout - like to set up a couple of images on each page and have them each be the same exact distance to the edge of the paper.

I also seem to remember that we'll each have a headset that we plug into our brains on one end, and the computer on the other, and run the whole thing just by thinking.

And Tom Hanks comes with each new license.

**silverhammer** · 09-04-2004, 08:03 AM

I dont see spell check listed as added

**scottharris** · 09-04-2004, 08:06 AM

Thanks to all of the users for attending. It was incredible to meet with so many of you, and thanks for the kind posts on chieftalk. We'll post information on the chief website, as soon as some of the ART staff recovers. I would appreciate if any of you have pictures, please FTP them to our site, especially the of the 3-boat cruise. ftp.chiefarchitect.com/incoming
Thanks for Coming, and based on the survey results, we'll see you next year!!!!
--scott

In case the images do not appear right, I put a page up at:
http://users.adelphia.net/~skieridah...chiefusers.htm

Opening Session

Jack, Roofs session

Jack, Roofs session, something about the baseline placement

Al Frey, Remodeling Session

Dermot, getting pointers on how plans work

Lunch during a Training session

One-on-One Sessions

CAD Shootout, the Team side of the room. Congrats to the "CAD Blocks" Team.

The master minds behind the event. Without Tequisha and Nadine (right), we could not have pulled it off.

**mcqueenhomes** · 09-04-2004, 09:37 AM

Here's a smaller version of my 3rd place rendering

I'm astounded that I placed against architects and designers who do this every day for their supper when I'm just part-time.

I wonder how long it will be before the owner of the house pictured calls and says, "I saw my house on your website"?

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