I'm ready to flush Chief down the toilet

[orson]

I'm trying to figure out how to get a 1/2 inch scale elevation over to the architect to lay out the windows.

I send the elevation to layout, enter the scale as 1/2 inch and then in page setup I keep the scale at 1inch to maintain that 1/2 inch scale.

If that last sentence didn't make any sense to you it doesn't to me either, but that seems to be what I need to do to make it work.

Now I have this nifty layout with the elevation. The archy uses autoCAD so I figure I can just export the layout as as an autoCAD file. I'm suspicious because the file size is so small, but I don't have autoCAD so I have no way to check the file so I send it over.

Archy lets me know it's garbage.

So I spend a half hour screwing around with it trying to export it, nothing.

I figure I'll just "print" the layout using CutePDF writer to make a pdf which should be to scale. The pdf automatically generates in letter size instead of the layout sheet size so I've got a pdf that is 20 pages of pieces of the layout.....again garbage.

So I figure I'll export the elevation as an image to scale. I'm trying to notate the finished floor height and some other heights on the elevation before I make the image. Of course the only way to do this that I can figure out is to do a manual point to point dimension. The kicker with this is I can't get the :censored:ing dimensions right because it keeps jumping back and forth over the dimension I want...for example 8 feet, closest I can get is 8' 1/8".

I could probably get it dead on 8' if I zoomed in enough, but when I zoom in I can no longer see how long the dimension is, so I have to settle for putting slightly off dimensions in.

[naptownCr]

Orson
Print to PDF995 it is a free download and supports paper size up to 24x36(Arch D)

[orson]

Thanks Nap,

I played with it a little and after some trial and error I got the full size archy into a one page .pdf

Only problem is the scale is off somehow. *sigh*

[naptownCr]

I use softplan and to create a PDF directly from the plans you have to buy their $250 review module. PDF995 is the work around as it acts like any other printer and is what I use to send print jobs to the printer plotter shop.

[Eieio]

Chief comes with pdf 995 as part of the package. Its on the first CD you load in chief

[orson]

Rory I don't see anywhere in Chief to export a PDF, can you tell me where I can find that?

I still can't get the PDF right w/ 995, I'm sending the elevation to layout at 1/2 inch scale, setting the printer to 995, matching up the printer sheet size to the page size, both ArchD 24"x36", both set to landscape.

I hit print, save the pdf, open it on screen, set the view to 100% and the 8 foot measurement that should measure 4 inches on the screen is 4 7/8 inches.

[Eieio]

I don't think you export it. I have mine set up as a printer. So PDF 995 is listed as one of my printers.. I am not in front of a computer now. I am on my tablet, but I can check later when I get back to the house.

[Len]

Yep - PRINT to pdf not export is how most programs work. PDF addons often install as a printer driver.

[orson]

I don't think you export it. I have mine set up as a printer. So PDF 995 is listed as one of my printers.. I am not in front of a computer now. I am on my tablet, but I can check later when I get back to the house.

I was just curious cuz I never saw it in Chief before, I have it loaded up and working so no worries.

Just can't figure out what's going on w/ the scaling

[Eieio]

I was just curious cuz I never saw it in Chief before, I have it loaded up and working so no worries.

Just can't figure out what's going on w/ the scaling

The printing is a little tricky there are several sizing options based on how or what you chose for your layout template..

[kevjob]

Thats the same deal I went thru with homdesigner.

[Winchester]

never had a problem with the chief other than I couldn't print to 24x36... i think the largest was 18x24 or whatever...

but, yeah like everyone else is saying, print to PDF not export.

[AndyGump]

Hey Orson, if you ever have a problem like that again or even not like that with Chief, give me an email and I will try to see what I can do.
I use PDFill (http://www.pdfill.com/download.html)for printing to PDF files, it is free also or $20.00 if you want to use the PDF Editor part of it.
Actually that goes goes for anyone else too.
I often think about ditching Chief too then I think about the cost of Revit or Archicad and go right back to Chief. I get the free versions of Revit and AutoCAD because I am a student and Revit is good but it is just too complicated for the residential stuff I do.

Andy.

Andy.

[orson]

I think the plan is at the right scale, it's the .pdf that is at issue.

If you open a regular letter sized pdf and put it at 100% and hold a ruler up to your screen it's not 8 1/2 inches wide.

Wonder who the genius is that decided that? :rolleyes3: