Floating houses and Roofs that defy known physics:the trials of a CA Newbie

[Lauren58]

Thanks Mike
That worked! Using this program reminds me of when I first started using Photoshop. It had a steep learning curve. Now a few years later I can do photoshop in my sleep practically. I almost cringe asking a question because I am sure there is an obvious or easy answer. I DO look in the help files extensively before I ask my questions but I can't always find them.
Thanks again
Lauren

[Lauren58]

Hi Doug
It appears I needed some updates but since I bought this laptop with Chief installed by previous owner something in the configuration is not allowing me to update despite several attempts.Would having the above file in x4 format be readable by my un updated x5?

[lbuttery]

Lauren:

assuming you have a valid X4 license you can upgrade to X5
but soon it will have to be X6

yes, newer versions can read/edit prior plans
but older versions can't open newer plans

Lew

[abqjimlynch]

I made another structure in the same plan, put the dormer on it, re-sized the dormer, selected it and used the control key to drag it onto the tiny house roof, I then deleted the other building. Once I figured out the workaround it took 5 minutes. figuring out the workaround took me about an hour

[Curtis Johnson]

Lauren:

This simple plan is just a small house with a box window on the gable end wall. To get the gable roof over the box window, I just drew a small roof plane on the outside main layer of one side of the box window. I then took a full overview camera peak at what happened. The roof actually generated like a prow roof extension ... at the peak of the main structures roof plane(s). I had the box window centered on the gable wall. I then checked the baseline height of one of the main roof planes and copied the setting. I then selected the small roof plane I drew over one side of the box window; opened the roof specification and pasted the baseline value in the baseline selection box ... then hit OK. I checked it with the camera again and as expected, it was down at the same plate elevation as the main structures walls. At this point there was no eave overhang so I grabbed the bottom center handle of the roof plane and drug it out several inches to create an eave overhang. I also drug the outer edge out several inches to give it some gable overhang as well. I then selected the small roof plane > copy > reflect about line > clicked on the centerline of the box window ... and main roof ridge > OK. I checked with the full overview camera and the roof planes over the box window looked OK. This is a very quick method of making a mirrored copy of anything that is centered on some feature. In the full overview, I was missing a gable attic wall over the box window so I had to go up to the attic level to place that. Once that was done (and F12 to get the gable wall under the small roof planes), the results looked at shown in the image.

You can place any roof plane at any elevation desired by changing the baseline, fascia top or ridge settings ... you just have to make sure you lock the pitch before changing one of those values to move a roof plane. Depending on the settings used for your box window, your roof planes may not be at the same elevation as the main structure's wall plate elevations. Play around with a simple model such as I have shown and you should be able to accomplish what you need to do. A good understanding of the settings in the roof specifications dbx and how changing the different values (pitch, fascia top, baseline, ridge height) affects a roof plane will really help with your roof building. It is really quite simple once you've practiced with roof planes. You might take a look at some of Chief's sample plans and check out their roof planes ... see what settings are used for different roof planes ... that might be of some help to you.

[Lauren58]

Hello
Well I managed to get two eyebrow dormers on this house. The one over the door I could get no closer to the edge of the roof for some reason. Also I did make a vaulted ceiling and had to make a polyline dormer hole. All of this only took me 3 days.LOL However the inside of the dormers never did get finished out with dry wall (like a regular shed dormer would). I may start a new thread as this one seems to have gone dead.









As you can see as I was able to get the dormer over the main window right up to the eaves but the one over the door refused to come any closer to the eave. No matter what I did it would not budge without losing its dormer qualities.Since they are essentially decorative and on the surface there is NOTHING structurally in the way of this dormer.The door insets but the walls stop at the baseline. Very strange behavior. The help files were no help.
I also changed the roof over the bump out window in front.

[abqjimlynch]

Getting there! As you mentioned that you are a Photoshop person, I will let you in on something; I have been known to take final chief renders/views and touch them up in a graphics editing program if needed. Shhhh, don't tell everyone

[Lauren58]

Getting there! As you mentioned that you are a Photoshop person, I will let you in on something; I have been known to take final chief renders/views and touch them up in a graphics editing program if needed. Shhhh, don't tell everyone

Yes I probably would do that also but I wanted some good blueprints/plans so this thing could be built correctly. Do you have any ideas why the one dormer would not come closer to the eave over the door? Oh yeah I do have CA x5 just without the very last update.Like I said I bought this laptop from someone on Craigs list with Chief installed and no CDs. I am pretty sure it is legit but don't know why it is not updating.
OH BTW-Just curious what does "before the mast" mean? Are you a sailor? And are there nearby oceans in Albuquerque?

[Lauren58]

Oh also I wanted exposed rafter tails but by removing a lot of the fascia and eave trim it by default removed the same trim from my dormers. Any suggestions or work arounds for this? Seems like eyebrow dormers act differently than gable dormers in this program.
Lauren

[perryh]

I think for you to be able to update Chief at all , you need to transfer the license ownership thru Chief. Call tech support.

[Lauren58]

OK. Thanks. I will try that.