Chief Architect x8 Users Guide Layout Tutorial
Chief Architect x8 Users Guide Layout Tutorial
Tutorial
This tutorial will explain how create a layout template, send views to a layout page, then save
the document in PDF format.
In this tutorial you will learn about:
Getting Started
Chief Architect uses two file types: plans and layouts. Plan files (.plan) are used to design a 3D
model of a structure, while layout files (.layout) are used to arrange views of that model on a
sheet along with text, callouts and other annotation to produce professional quality construction
documents. For complete information about layouts, see Layout on page 1235 of the
Reference Manual.
The previous tutorials explore aspects of creating a 3D model in a plan file. This tutorial will
describe how to create a layout file and arrange views of the model - including floor plans,
cross section/elevations, presentation views, and CAD Details - on the layout pages.
Layout Template File, you can also set up one or more Page Templates with the borders and
title block information that you typically use. For more information about plan and layout
templates, see Template Files on page 86 of the Reference Manual.
1.
Create one or more Page Templates. See Setting up Layout Page Templates on page 3.
2.
Set up your Drawing Sheet and create a title block and border for each Page Template that
requires them. See Creating a Border and Title Block on page 8.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Save your new layout template with a short, descriptive name such as "My 18 x 24
Template".
7.
When prompted, click Yes, specifying that you would like to use your new template as the
default.
8.
Your template layout file will close and a new untitled layout file will open.
9.
This tutorial will explain how to set up page templates as well as create a title block and
border in your template file. Since only one layout file can be open at a time, select File>
Close to close the new, untitled layout so you can return to work on your saved template.
Select File> Open Recent Files and select your new layout template from the menu to
open it. See Creating a Layout Template on page 1.
2.
Click on the Project Browser docked to the right side of the program window to make it
active.
If the Project Browser is not open, select View> Project Browser
to open it.
If your program version does not have the Project Browser feature, select Tools>
Layout> Page Down
Click the arrow next to the "Pages" folder to expand a list of the pages in the layout
file that are currently in use. In a new layout, only Pages 0 and 1 will be listed.
Notice the icons beside each page. Page 0 is specified as a Page Template, while Page
1 is a page with content.
Page 1 is listed as a page with content because it has a Layout
Page Table placed on it. See Layout Page Tables on page 1264.
3.
Right-click on Page 0 in the Project Browser and select Edit Page Information
the contextual menu.
from
If your program version does not have the Project Browser feature, go to Page 0 and
4.
5.
Right-click on Page 1 in the Project Browser and select Edit Page Information
If your program version does not have the Project Browser feature, select Tools>
Layout> Page Up
6.
Information
.
In the Layout Page Information dialog:
2.
to go to Page 3.
4.
5.
It uses its Label, "A1.#", and that the # has been replaced with a 1.
It uses its Title, "Site Plan".
Note, too, that the sheet no longer has a title block and border. Instead, it displays a
single revision table. This is because at the moment, the only object on its template,
Page 1, is a revision table.
6.
Repeat the steps above to edit Pages 4 and 5 so that they also use the "Standard Sheet
Template" and the Label "A1.#", and have the Titles "Foundation Plan" and "Floor 1
Plan", respectively.
7.
Modify Pages 6 and 7 so that they use the "Standard Sheet Template" use the Label
"A2.#"., and have the Title "Elevations".
In your own layout template file, you can assign sheet numbers that you typically use in
advance and use the numbering convention of your choice.
If you need to add additional disciplines, types, and/or pages, they can be easily inserted at any
time: either in a specific project or in your layout template file.
To insert new layout pages
1.
2.
Right-click on a Page Template, page with content, or blank page in the Project Browser.
and open the layout file that you wish to insert pages into.
3.
Select Tools> Layout> Change Layout Page and go to the page that is either before or
after the location where you wish to insert a new page.
Select Insert Page Before
to add a page before the current page. The current page
number as shown in the Change Layout Page button will increase by one but the
page number defined by its Label will not change.
Select Insert Page After
to add a page after the current page. The current page
will not be affected but any pages that follow it will have their page numbers increase
by one.
4.
Right-click on the new page in the Project Browser and select Edit Page Information
If your program version does not have the Project Browser feature, select Tools>
5.
If the page is to be a page with content, specify its Label and choose a Page Template
from the drop-down list.
If the page is to be a template, check the box beside Use as Page Template.
Once your Page Templates have been defined as such, you can create a border and title block
for each that matches how it will be used.
1.
2.
3.
4.
You can also specify the drawing sheets Margins if you want.
5.
6.
7.
The layout template files that are installed with Chief Architect have a title block and border
already drawn in them on Layout Page 0, which is the default Layout Page Template. You can
use these as they are, modify them to suit your needs, or delete them and create your own.
You can also create multiple Page Templates, which allows you to control the appearance of the
title block and border on each page. In this tutorial, two variations of the existing title block and
border will be placed onto separate Page Templates. See Setting up Layout Page Templates
on page 3.
To copy a title block and border
1.
to go to Page 0.
2.
3.
Select Edit> Select All to select all of the objects in the view.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
.
to go to Page 1.
it.
Note that the new title block and border is positioned inside the Drawing Sheet exactly
like the original.
In this example, the Cover Sheet Template will not use the same title block and border as the
Standard Sheet Template. It will instead feature general notes, a table of contents, and space for
presentation views.
To modify a title block and border for a cover sheet
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1.
to go to Page 0.
2.
3.
Click on the right vertical edge to select it, then click on the Temporary Dimension that
states how far the selected edge is from the opposite edge.
If you do not see a Temporary Dimension when the edge is selected, select View>
4.
5.
Temporary Dimensions
and try again.
Type a new, smaller value and then press the Enter key to make the polyline smaller. In this
example, 2 6" is used. See Moving Objects Using Dimensions on page 1020 of the
Reference Manual.
Select the left vertical edge of the rectangular polyline that surrounds the Title Block, then:
Click on the Temporary Dimension that states how far that edge is from the right edge
of the Content Area polyline.
Type a new, smaller value then press Enter to make the gap smaller and the Title Block
polyline, larger. In this example, 1/8" is used.
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6.
button, then:
Click and drag a rectangular selection marquee inside of the Title Block border that
partially encloses each of the CAD and Text objects that make up the title block.
Click the Delete
edit button to delete the selected objects.
Select the left edge of the Title Block border and notice the width shown by the
Temporary Dimension. In this example, it is 4 1/4".
7.
8.
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9.
Click on the new text object to select it, then click the Point to Point Move
button. See Point to Point Move on page 224 of the Reference Manual.
edit
When an object is selected, you can use the arrow keys to Nudge it in any direction.
The Nudge distance is equal to files the Grid Snap Unit, which is 1/8" by default in
Imperial layout files. See Nudging on page 224 of the Reference Manual.
The text is now centered in the Title Block border, with a 1/8" space on each side.
A table of contents is often included on the cover sheet.
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2.
Click on the new table to select it, then click the Open Object
Layout Page Table Specification dialog:
Additional modifications to the Cover Sheet Template can be made using the CAD and Text
Tools. These as well as other tools can be used to create a new border from scratch if you wish
To create a new layout border
1.
to go to an empty page.
Alternatively, you can group-select the title block and border on a Page Template as
described in To copy a title block and border on page 10 and then Delete
selected objects.
are enabled, particular Endpoint
the
2.
snaps.
3.
4.
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5.
Select the rectangular polyline, then click and slowly drag a corner edit handle towards its
center. When you reach the your specified Concentric Jump distance, the polyline will
resize so that its edges are that distance from the drawing sheet edges.
6.
You can create a double border in a similar manner. With the polyline still selected:
7.
You can adjust the line weight, style and color for any CAD object in its specification dialog.
See Line Style Panel on page 1085 of the Reference Manual.
To create filleted corners
1.
Select one of the rectangular polylines and click the Fillet Lines
edit button.
2.
3.
2.
Select the new polyline and use Temporary Dimensions to resize it. In this example, a
polyline 3/4" high and 1 1/2" wide is created.
3.
With the polyline still selected, press the Left arrow key twice to Nudge the polyline to the
left. Press the Up arrow key twice to Nudge it upward.
4.
You may want to adjust the Fillet Radius to a smaller value before doing so.
5.
6.
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7.
Use Temporary Dimensions or the new polylines edit handles to adjust the its height.
8.
9.
Page numbers, layout page labels and titles, the current date, drawing scale, designer and client
information, and more can be inserted into text objects using Text Macros. For more
information, see Text Macros on page 1066 of the Reference Manual.
To use a Text Macro in a title block
1.
2.
On the Text panel, click the Insert Macro button and select Global> Layout Info> Layout
Page Number from the menu.
Notice that the characters %page% now appear in the text field.
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3.
4.
Click OK to close the dialog and create the text at the object where clicked.
Position the new text object in the bottom Title Block box, under the word "SHEET:".
When you are finished creating the new title block and border, specify the page that they
are on as a Page Template. See Setting up Layout Page Templates on page 3.
2.
3.
4.
Click the Active Layer Set Control drop-down and select "Plot Plan Set" from the list.
Selecting this layer set turns off the display of layers that arent necessary for a site plan,
such as cabinets, millwork and door and window labels. See Layer Sets on page 148 of
the Reference Manual.
5.
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6.
Under Send Position, choose to Send to Layout Page 3. and leave Show Layout
Page checked so that when you click OK, the layout window will become active.
Under Send Options, select Entire Plan/View.
Uncheck Make Copy of Active Layer Set. This means that once sent to layout, the
view will use the Plot Plan Set and changes made to this layer set will affect the view.
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For more information about Layout Layer Sets, click the Check
Knowledge Base button in the Information message that displays
when you click OK in this dialog.
7.
Confirm that the view is being sent to layout using the same Scale as in the Drawing
Sheet Setup dialog.
Click OK to send the view to layout. An Information message may display with
information about the layer set referenced by the new view on the layout page.
Click OK to close the message box and continue working.
Click the Check Knowledge Base button to launch your default web browser to an
online Knowledge base article with useful information about layout layer sets.
Check the box beside Do not show this message again to prevent this message from
opening in the future. See Message Boxes on page 43 of the Reference Manual.
8.
Once sent to layout, the view can be selected and moved using its edit handles or edit
buttons, and its edges can be edited like a CAD box. See Editing Box-Based Objects on
page 208 of the Reference Manual.
9.
Select Window> Select Next Tab or press Ctrl + Tab to return to floor plan view.
10. Click the Active Layer Set Control drop-down arrow and select Default Set from the list
of available layer sets. See Active Layer Set Control on page 150 of the Reference
Manual.
It is important to switch from the Plot Plan Set so that you do not
make unwanted changes to the site plan view on the layout page.
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views
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1.
2.
3.
Use the CAD and Text tools to add any annotations that the view might require, such as
roof heights, pitches, material specifications, or other notes.
4.
5.
6.
in on the house.
7.
Under Send Position, choose to Send to Layout Page 6 and leave Show Layout
Page checked so that when you click OK, the layout window will become active.
Under Send Options, select Current Screen.
Under Camera View Options, select Plot Lines and leave Color Fill unchecked. See
Plot Line Views on page 1245.
In this example, Make Copy of Active Layer Set is left unchecked. Once sent to
layout, the view will use the Section View Set and changes made to this layer set will
affect the view.
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For more information about Layout Layer Sets, click the Check
Knowledge Base button in the Information message that displays
when you click OK in this dialog.
8.
9.
Confirm that the view is being sent to layout using the same Scale as in the Drawing
Sheet Setup dialog.
When Orthogonal Views such as Cross Section/Elevation views are sent to layout, you
can specify line weights for surface edge lines and pattern lines. You can also leave
these boxes unchecked to use the line weight settings assigned to the individual
objects and patterns in the view. See Send To Layout Dialog on page 1241 of the
Reference Manual.
Click OK.
Return to the elevation view, then select File> Close to close the view. In the Update View
to Layout dialog, click OK. If you had made changes in the elevation view, clicking OK
would update those changes to the layout view. In this case, no changes were made, so it
doesnt matter.
10. Return to floor plan view. A camera symbol now displays, indicating the position of your
saved elevation camera.
11. Repeat this process for any additional desired elevation views. If sending more than one
elevation view to the same page, keep in mind that the elevation views will need to be
selected and repositioned so that they are not stacked on top of one another on the page.
If you would like to make changes to the lines in an elevation view, select CAD> CAD Detail
From View
to make a copy of the view that is composed of editable lines and polylines in
a CAD Detail window. CAD Details can be sent to layout; note, however, that changes made to
the model do not affect these views.
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2.
3.
A new CAD Detail window opens. You can create a CAD detail from scratch using the
CAD tools, or you can place a CAD block from the library.
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4.
In this example, a detail drawing from the CAD Blocks library category is placed. This
block can be exploded and edited as needed. See CAD Blocks on page 1111 of the
Reference Manual.
5.
6.
Confirm that the view is being sent to layout using the same Scaling as in the Drawing
Sheet Setup dialog.
Select Entire Plan/View under Send Options.
In this example, Make Copy of Active Layer Set is checked. Type a short, descriptive
Name for the layer set that the layout view will use, such as "Page 8 Detail Set". Once
sent to layout, the view will use this layer set, so any changes made to the Default Set
will not affect it.
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For more information about Layout Layer Sets, click the Check
Knowledge Base button in the Information message that displays
when you click OK in this dialog.
Under Send Position, choose to Send to Layout Page # 4 and leave Show Layout
Page checked so that when you click OK, the layout window will become active.
7.
While layout page 8 is active, select Tools> Layout> Layout Page Information
open the Layout Page Information dialog. Specify:
to
A Label of "A5.#" to maintain your page numbering convention. See To use multiple
page templates on page 5.
A Title such as "Sections and Details".
Select "Standard Sheet Template" from the Page Template drop-down list.
Notes, legends, schedules, and other details can placed into separate CAD Details and send
them to layout in the same manner.
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1.
2.
3.
In the camera view, use the Move, Orbit and Tilt Camera tools available in the 3D menu to
adjust the view to your liking. See Editing 3D Views on page 918 of the Reference
Manual.
4.
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5.
7.
Notice that in the Status Bar, it is described as a Picture File Box rather than a Layout
Box.
Use the boxs edit handles to resize and crop the image as needed:
Click and drag a corner Resize handle to change the size of the picture box while
maintaining its aspect ratio.
Click and drag a side Reshape handle to crop the extents of the picture within the box.
For more information about editing picture boxes, see Editing Pictures, Metafiles,
and PDF Boxes on page 1151 of the Reference Manual.
Repeat this process for any other camera views you may want to send to layout, including
views using artistic Rendering Techniques such as Watercolor. For more information, see
Rendering Techniques on page 953 of the Reference Manual.
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Printing to PDF
Printing to PDF
A PDF, or Portable Document Format, file saves all of the printable information associated
with a document such as a layout and makes it available for both viewing and printing without
using the software originally used to create it. PDFs are easy to create and provide you with an
efficient way to share your work with others or send documents to a print service.
Chief Architect has a built-in PDF writer, which you can select as your printer in any of the
programs Print dialogs. Alternatively, you can print to PDF using a PDF writer installed on
your computer. For more information, see Printing to a PDF File on page 1222 of the
Reference Manual.
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