CHAPTER 19 CHIEF ARCHITECT S X9 S NEW FEATURES. Chief Architect X9 s New Features

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1 CHAPTER Chief Architect X9 s New Features Most of the new features introduced with Chief Architect X9 have already been presented in the book, such as the Object Information panel. I will cover several more areas in this chapter so that you can become acquinted with most of the new features of Chief Architect X9. My intent is not to go into a lot of detail in presenting these new features but I do want to highlight most of the more important features that have been added to Chief Architect X9. This chapter will also present some changes that were made to existing features. Chief Architect X9 is available in both PC and MAC version. The PC version is available in both 32 bit and the 64 bit and the MAC version is only available in 64 bit. This chapter and the book presents Chief Architect X9 using the PC version. System/User Interface When you first start Chief Architect X9, the Migrate Settings Dialog will display where you will have the opportunity to migrate settings from your previous version of Chief Architect. In past versions you could migrate your libraries but now you have the opportunity to migrate all of the settings listed in the dialog. Check the ones you want and click OK. Chief Architect X9 will then migrate everything you selected forward. When the migration is finished, you will be advised if there were any errors by an Information dialog. Clicking the View Migration Log button in this dialog will display the Migration Settings Log where you can review any errors. If you have a touch screen, you will find that Chief Architect X9 provides smooth and accurate touch gesture controls on Microsoft Window devices. These controls include pinch zoom, pan, rotate, one finger for left click, right click, dragging, and multi-finger cancel.

2 1. On your windows desktop, double-click the Chief Architect X9 icon, or select Start All Programs Chief Architect Chief Architect Premier X9, or if you have Windows 8 or later, select the program from the list of applications on your Start screen. 2. From the Start screen, click New Plan. With Chief Architect X9 you can now control the size of the tool buttons on its interface. With high definition screens the tool buttons can appear quite small. 3. Click the Preferences tool button (or select Edit Preferences). The Preferences dialog displays. Click on the Appearance panel. Look at the Toolbars section. Note that 20 Pixels is the default setting for Button Size. If you type in a higher number you can increase the size of the tool buttons. Click OK when finished. The next time you launch Chief Architect any changes you made to the size of the tool buttons will take affect. The UNDO and REDO function in Chief Architect has been refactored significantly.you should notice faster, more responsive, and more UNDOs ( you can set in Preferences, in the General panel, for up to 100 UNDO s per session) without affecting performance. 2

3 You now have the ability to control background colors independantly. For example, you can set a black background for plan views and a white background for layouts. 3

4 You can now backup plans into an existing location. You can use the Backup Entire Plan feature to overwrite files into an existing folder instead of requiring an empty directory. 4. Select CAD CAD Block Management. The CAD Block Management dialog displays. Some improvements have been made to this dialog box, including a preview of the selected CAD block. Columns have been added for sorting and renaming blocks. You can also add blocks to the libraray. You can multiple select and insert blocks directly into a design. Click Cancel to close the dialog. 5. Select File Import Import Picture. The Import Picture File dialog displays. From here you could browse to a picture folder and group select a group of pictures and import them all at once into a view. 4

5 Another notification feature has been added to Chief Architect. 6. Using the Straight Exterior Wall tool, draw a building. On one of the walls draw it at a slight angle so that it is not completely horizontal or vertical (you will probably need to press the Ctrl key as you draw the wall to override the snap functions to do this). Note that you will see an off angle icon following the cursor and a notification symbol attached to the wall that is offangle. 7. Move the cursor over the notification symbol. A contextural menu will appear. You can elect to Fix Off Angle Wall or Ignore Off Angle Wall. Click on Fix Off Angle Wall. The Fix Off Angle Wall dialog displays where you can enter the correct value in the New Angle text box ⁰ is listed by default. You can also see what the angle of the wall is currently. You can select where you want the wall locked, either at the Start, Center, or End. Select Start. Click OK. The wall is now horizontal. 5

6 8. Select File New Layout. An untitled layout sheet is generated. 9. Click the Project Browser tool button to display the Project Browser palette. In the Project Browser palette, expand Untitled 1.plan and expand Pages. You now have the ability to reorder the pages listed in the Project Browser. Simply drag-and-drop to change the sequence of the pages. In the example below, after clicking on Page 5 you could drag it to another location in the sequence of pages. The page numbers would then be automatically reordered. Defaults/Editing Chief Architect X9 has added additional draw order controls. 10. Go back to the floor plan view. Place a base cabinet against the rear wall and a wall cabinet over. Using the Rectangular Polyline tool, place a rectangular polyline (make it a little larger than the base cabinet. Select the rectangular polyline and open its specification dialog. Go to the Fill Style panel and select a color fill. Click OK. 6

7 11. With the rectangular polyline selected, click the View Draw Order Edit Tools, found in the Edit toolbar. A new Edit toolbar is generated. The edit buttons presented here allow you to quickly move an object (such as the rectangular polyline) forward and backward in a group, or move to a different drawing group althogether. 12. Click the Select Drawing Group edit button. The Select Drawing Group dialog displays. Currently the rectangular polyline is in Drawing Group- Default: 21-CAD. Let s say that you want the rectangular polyline to display behind the base cabinet. 13. From the Drawing Group drop-down menu, select 31-Counter Top, which is at least one drawing group below the base cabinet group. Click OK. The draw order is changed. As you can see, you now have total control over draw order of objects in Chief Architect. 7

8 You can now group-select and modify defaults for Arrows, Text, Text Styles, Callouts and Markers from their respective muliple default dialogs. 14. Click the Default Settings tool button to display the Default Settings dialog. Expand Text, Callouts and Markers. Double-click Callout to display the Saved Callout Defaults dialog. Groupselect all of the callout defaults in the list (click on the first item, press the Shift key, and click on the last item). Click the Edit button. The Callout Defaults dialog displays. Here you could edit something using any of the options open to you. For example, go to the Text Style panel. Here you could choose to select Use Layer for Text Style. Any changes you make using this dialog will apply to all of the callout defaults that are in the selection group. Close the open dialogs. When you move the living area label to a new location it will now retain its position in the plan. 15. Take a look at the living area label for the small building you drew. If you do not see a living area label, double-click the Select Objects tool button to display the General Plan Defaults dialog. In the Living Area section, check Show Living Area Label. Click OK. Click the label and move it off to one side. Move the walls of your building to different locations and note that the living area label does not move from where you placed it. 8

9 You can now make multiple materials selection. While editing an object using its specification dialog, you can select one or more materials and change them all at once. 16. Select the cabinet in your drawing and open it specification dialog. Go to the Materials panel. Expand Base Cabinet and Recessed Panel. Try selecting several different areas comprising the cabinet, such as Cabinet, Drawers/Panels, Shelves, Panel, etc, using the Ctrl key. Once these items are selecting you can change their materials all at once by clicking the Select Material button and finding a new material. Close any open dialogs when finished. You can now use the Retain Aspect Ratio setting when you are specifying materials to retain the scaling size of textures. 17. Select 3D Materials Plan Materials to display the Plan Materials dialog. Select Birch (honey) or some other material of your choosing. Click the Edit button to display the Define 9

10 Material dialog. Go to the Texture panel. In the Size section, note that you now have the option, Retain Aspect Ratio. Close the dialogs. The Delete Objects Dialog has been expanded. You can now quickly remove all objects of a type such as delete items in a room, on a specific floor, or from the entire plan using the expanded list of object types in the dialog. 18. Select Edit Delete Objects to display the Delete Objects dialog. Chief Architect X-9 has expanded the controls here. There are more objects that you are able to select. You can delete these items from a specifc room, from all rooms on a specfic floor, or from the entire plan. Close the dialog. Content/Library Catalogs The library now has an enhanced search algorithm that can better find results in a search by prioritizing results through better work matching and will include folders in the search result. You can use quotes to search for specific phrases or words. 19. If necessary, display the Library Browser palette by clicking the Library Browser tool button. In the search field of the Library Browser, type color red (don t type the quotes). In 10

11 previous versions of Chief Architect, if you had typed two words as you did here would not have resulted in finding the color red. You can also find items in folders. 20. In the search field of the Library Browser, type stone (don t type the quotes). You will see a selection of folders as well as individual items with stone in their names. As you could in previous versions of Chief Architect, you can right click on any of the search items to see where it is located in the library browser. You can also use quotes. Quotes will allow you to search for a specific item. 21. In the search field of the Library Browser, type blue rug (this time type the quotes). 11

12 With Chief Architect X9 you can update library items associated with an object by painting them onto the item. You have visual feedback through the cursor and when hovering over objects. Using the new Library Painter tool you can update railing panels, newels, balusters, handrails, casings, shutters, and window treatment in 2D and 3D. 22. Create a short section of stairs. Take a Full Camera view of the stairs. In the Library Browser, next to the search field, click the Browse for an item in the library tool button. Expand Chief Architect Core Catalogs. Expand Architectural. Expand Millwork. Expand Balusters, Newels, & Posts. Click on Boxed. Click on BX-01 to select it. Move the cursor to the stairs and hover over the railing. When you hover over a baluster or newell you will see the icon for the Library Painter tool appear. Click and the BX-01 material will be applied. You can do this with panels, newells, balusters, handrails, window and door casings, shutters, and window treatments. You can do this in both 2D and 3D views. Close the camera view when finished. 12

13 Ray Tracing/Camera Views Chief Architect X9 has greatly improved its rendering abilities. Besides being significantly faster with improved quality, ambient occlusion, bloom, and bump maps are all optional elements that can be used in rendered views. The drawing, Chap. 19 Model 1.plan, is used in the following exercises on working with the new features in Chief Architect X9, can be found in the CA X9 Exercise folder. You can use your own Model 1.plan if you prefer 23. Take a Full Camera view of the kitchen looking in from the Nook. Notice the lights in the ceiling. Lighting in Chief Architect X9 now shows bloom. This gives a little glow to the light fixtures, giving them a more realistic appearance of being turned on. If you don t see this, you may have this feature turned off. Click the Default Settings tool button to display the Default Settings dialog. Expand Camera, and then double-click General Camera. On the General panel in the Options section, Bloom (Camera Views and Overviews) should be checked. The bloom feature was formally available only in ray trace views. In the Perspective View Options section, note that you can set the value for Ambient Occlusion. By default it is set to 100%. Click OK. Click Done to close the Default Settings dialog. 24. Notice where walls meet walls and where walls meet ceiling. There is now much better definition in those areas. This is because ambient occlusion is now available in rendered views. Formally ambient occlusion was also only available in ray trace views. Both Ambient Occlusion and Bloom can be turned on or off through the Camera Defaults dialog. Chief Architect X9 will include bump maps in its textures. 13

14 25. Click the Adjust Material Definition dialog. Click on a material in the 3D view such as a countertop of a floor. The Define Material dialog displays. Go to the Texture panel. You can check Use Bump Map to turn on this feature. Almost any texture will benefit from having a bump map associated with it. You can also check Use Normal Map. Checking this and applying a normal map material will add additional depth and realism to your render and ray trace views. You will be able to show the depth of a board and batten siding or texturing on drywall, or the grout in the brick. Out of box materials with normal maps will be released in the released version of Chief Architect X9 (normal maps was not available at the time of this writing). Click OK to close the Define Material dialog. 26. Navigate the 3D view using the Mouse-Orbit Camera tool. You should be able to notice speed improvement as you move around inside the scene. 27. From the Standard View drop-down list, select Line Drawing. The speed of rendering a line drawing has been greatly enhanced as well as Watercolor and Painting. 28. Close the 3D view. One feature that users have asked many time for is the ability to copy saved cameras. Now you can copy a saved camera and save it in its exact position in another plan, in another version of the plan, or on another floor. With Chief Architect X9, you also have the ability to do a 360⁰ spherical ray trace. 14

15 29. Take another full camera view of the kitchen. Make sure you are in a Standard render view. Click the Ray Trace tool button to display the Ray Trace Current View dialog. Default shows as the Current Configuration. If not, select it from the drop-down list. Click the Edit button to display the Ray Trace Options dialog. You should be on the General panel. In the Image section, you now have the option, Generate as 360⁰ Panorama. This will do a complete 360⁰ spherical view. Realize that this will take a great amount of time, much greater than the time a standard ray trace would take. You will be looking through the entire scene (front, behind, above, and below). Click OK to close the dialog. Click Cancel to close the Ray Trace Current View dialog. 15

16 Materials List/Schedules One of the new abilities you have with Chief Architect X9 is adding object information into the object s specification dialog. Formerly, this information was included in the Components dialog, and it still is, however, now you input information, such as code, comment, description, and manufacture using an item s specification dialog. The information you add to the objects specification dialog will populate the component dialog, schedules, and the materials list. 30. Rotate your 3D view until you can see the windows in the Nook. Select one of the windows and open its specification dialog. Go to the Object Information panel. Here you can input information about the window into the appropriate text box. Notice the use of a macro for the Description. Click the Cancel button. You now have the ability to export a materials list in Chief Architect, with accounting codes, descriptions, quantities, and pricing to Buildertrend ( The accounting codes conform to the NAHB Standards. What makes Buildertrend so great for builders, remodelers, and specialty contractors is it is designed to be used on remote devices (such as an I-phone, I-pad). 31. Select Tools Materials List Calculate Materials for All Floors. A materials list is generated. 32. Select File Export Materials List. The Export Materials List dialog displays. If you use Buildertrend software you would want to excess this dialog. In the Third Party Formats section of this dialog, Buildertrend users would select Builder TREND. With Builder TREND selected Chief Architect will include in the export the default columns for accounting codes, descriptions, quantities, and pricing. 33. Close the Export Materials List dialog, and close the view of the materials list. Click No when asked to save it. 16

17 You can now control the display of windows and doors in schedules. You can select options to show or hide casings, lintels and sills, treatments and shutters in the schedule thumbnail images. There are new column options for cabinet schedules, including box height, side finish, and door hinging. 34. Go to the plan view of the Model 1.plan. If necessary, turn on the Schedules layer. 35. Create a window schedule on the plan. Select the schedule and open its specification dialog. On the General panel, in the Available Columns list, click on 3D Interior Elevation and click the Add button. Look at the Object Preview Options section. You can check or uncheck all of the different options listed here. Click OK. 17

18 36. Display the Default Settings dialog. Expand Schedules and double-click Cabinet Schedule. The Cabinet Schedule Defaults dialog displays. You should be on the General panel. New columns have been added to the Available Columns list. They include, Box Height, Door Hinging, and Side Finish. The same columns are also available in the Cabinet Schedule Specification dialog. Click the Cancel button. Dimensions/Annotations You can now dimension to 3D CAD items in elevation views. You can snap dimensions to countertops, polyline solids, and slabs, regardless of the view in which they were originally drawn. You can now see a preview of the revision cloud you are creating or editing from within its specification dialog. 37. Go to the floor plan view of the Model 1.plan. 18

19 38. Click the Revision Cloud tool button (or select CAD Revision Cloud). Place a revision cloud somewhere in the drawing. Select it and open its specification dialog. As you make changes in the dialog the preview will update. Click OK. 39. Use the Cross Section/Elevation view of the Kitchen looking from the right side of the kitchen, through the island to the left side of the kitchen. Zoom into the elevation view. 40. Use the Polyline Solid tool to place a polyline solid on one of the walls. Use the End to End Dimension tool to measure to the bottom edge of the polyline solid from the floor. Close the elevation view without saving. You can use any of the dimension tools to measure to the CAD object. Rooms Custom ceiling planes can now be set as Relative to Floor to easily locate them in reference to floor levels other than level 1. 19

20 41. In the Model 1.plan, zoom into the Master Bedroom. We are going to place a custom ceiling here. From the Roof Plan drop-down menu, click the Ceiling Plane tool button (or select Build Roof Ceiling Plane). Draw part of a ceiling plane in the Master Bedroom. Start the ceiling plane at the outside framing layer of the east exterior wall. 42. Select the ceiling plane and open its specification dialog. You should be on the General panel. In the Height/Pitch section note that there is a drop-down list for Elevation Reference. You can select where you want to reference the ceiling plane from. Click OK to close the dialog. Delete the ceiling plane. 43. Go up to the 2 nd floor. Select Bedroom 1 and open its specification dialog. Go to the Structure panel and in the Ceiling section, uncheck Ceiling Over This Room. Click OK. Take a Full Camera view inside the room by placing the camera in the NW corner of the room and dragging 20

21 a short distance to the SE corner of the room. You have a vaulted ceiling condition with no ceiling plane present. We need to make some changes in order to demonstrate that you can now have short ceilings within larger rooms. If you are using your Model 1.plan save it now. 44. Go to the plan view and delete the window in the east exterior wall of the bedroom, the one at the south end of the bedroom. Delete the closet door. Draw a small room in this corner (see the following illustration). Give the small room a name. 45. Select the room you just made and open it specification dialog. Go to the Structure panel. In the Ceiling section, check Shelf Ceiling. Click OK. Go to the 3D view to see the result. Previously, the ceiling for this small room would have gone all the way to the vaulted ceiling of the larger room. Close the 3D view. You may want to close your Model 1.plan without saving (if you had saved it in step 43) and then reopen it so that you are back to the original floor layout of the bedroom. You could also click the plan of the bedroom. Undo button a number of times to get back to the original floor 21

22 You can now create and specify room types to customize the available rooms list to suit your most common needs and regional naming conventions. 46. Bring up the Default Settings dialog. Expand Floor and Rooms. You will see a new category called Room Types. Double-click it to display the Room Types dialog. This dialog shows a list of the available room types. You have the ability now to select any room type and edit it. 47. From the Available Room Types list, click on Dining. Click the Edit button. The Dining Room Type Defaults dialog displays. You should be on the General panel. Here you can change the Room Name from Dining to something else. You can select a function for the room from the Function drop-down list. You can make modification to the floor structure of any of these rooms in the Structure panel. If you are dealing with a deck room you can make modifications in the Deck and Deck Support panels. Click OK to close the dilog. 22

23 48. Note that in the Room Type dialog, you can Copy an existing room type, you can Rename an existing room type. If a room type is not currently in use, you can Delete a room type. Close any open dialogs. Walls/Railings You can now create recesses in walls (wall niche) like a shower niche or wall display. You can define the niche depth, casing, arch, and other attributes, similar to the way you define attributes for windows. 49. In the Model 1.plan, take a Full Camera view in the Living room looking towards the wall next to the fireplace. From the Window drop-down menu, click the new Wall Niche tool button. Click on the wall to place the wall niche. This wall niche that you just created removes a portion of the surface of the wall. Click on the wall niche to select it and open its specification dialog. You should be on the General panel. Here you can change the size and position of the niche, including the Depth. 23

24 50. Go to the Materials panel. You can change the material for the backing, frame, and trim that may be applied. The niche acts like a window in that it can have a casing, lintel, sill, frame, an arch, and framing. The dialog even has the new Object Information panel. Go to the plan view to see how a niche displays in plan. You can now specify railings and fences with symbol panels, and then define the size, and profile of the hand railing and shoe rail separately. 51. Go up to the 2 nd floor and take a Full Camera view of the railing bordering the balcony. Select the railing and open its specification dialog. Go to the Rail Style panel and in the Specify Railing section, select Panels. 52. In the Top/Bottom Rail section, note that you can elect to have or not have a top rail or a bottom rail. You can also raise or lower the bottom rail a specific distance. You can change the profile of either rail by going to the Rails panel. Close the dialog. 24

25 You can now set a brick ledge depth in the wall specification dialog to automatically generate a notch in the stem wall top. 53. Go to the plan view of the small building you created at the beginning of this chapter. Select one of the exterior walls and open its specification dialog. Go to the Wall Types panel. In the Wall Type drop-down list, select Brick-6. Click the Define button to display the Wall Type Definitions dialog. In the Wall Settings section, note that you can specify the Brick Ledge Depth. The default is 3 but you can change that. Click OK to close this dialog and click OK to close the Wall Specification dialog. 54. From the Build New Floor drop-down menu, click the Build Foundation tool button (or select Build Floor Build Foundation or click Ctrl + F). The Build Foundation dialog displays. You should be on the Foundation panel. For Foundation Type, select Walls with Footings. In the Stem Walls section, change the Minimum Height to 36. Click OK. The New Floor dialog displays. Derive new foundation plan from the 1 st floor plan should be selected. Click OK. 55. Take a Backclipped Cross Section view through the wall you changed into a brick wall. Note the brick ledge. Formerly, this could only be done on a monolithic slab. 25

26 56. Close the cross section view. Framing/Foundations/Roofs You can now adjust the thickness of mudsill framing on a wall by wall basis. 57. Select the brick wall you created and open its specification dialog. Go to the Foundation panel. In the Sill Plate section, you can specify the Count, Width, and Height of the sill plate on a wall by wall basis. Unchecking Sill Plate will remove the sill plate completely. Close the dialog. 26

27 The Slab Specification dialog has added a preview that allows you to visualize a custom slab as you manipulate its properties. 58. Click the Slab tool button and create a slab somewhere outside your small building. Select it and open its specification dialog. As with many other objects in Chief Architect, a preview of the slab you created has been added, which will update as you make changes in the dialog. Click OK. Automatic roof generation has been improved to create more roof scenarios automatically, such as inline gables. A lot of different roof scenarios have been looked at and the automatic roof generator will complete a greater number of different roof styles without you having to intervene and create manual roof planes. Chief Architect will now auto-generate boxed roof soffits that are flush at gable walls. You can control the materials. 59. Create a gable roof for the small building you created at the beginning of this chapter. Once you have the roof on, take an elevation view of one end of the building. If you cannot automatically create a roof, make sure that Roof Over This Room is checked in the Room Specification dialog. 27

28 60. In the 3D view select the attic wall and open its specification dialog. Go to the Wall Types panel. Select Siding-6 from the Wall Type drop-down list. Click OK. Click Yes to the dialog that displays. 61. Select Ctrl + R to display the Build Roof dialog. On the Roof panel, check Build Roof Planes. Go to the Options panel and in the Eaves section, check Boxed Eaves. Check the new Flush Eave option. Click OK and Chief Architect will create a roof system with the flushed eaves. When you use the Gable Line tool to automatically add a gable roof along the edge of a roof plane s eave you can specify the pitch and overhang for the gable within the line s specification dialog. 62. Click the Gable/Roof Line tool button (in the Build Roof drop-down menu, or select Build Roof Gable/Roof Line). On the right side of the small building you drew, draw a short gable roof line. 63. Select the gable roof line and open its specification dialog. You should be on the Gable Line panel. Additional controls have been added, Pitch and Overhang. You can use the default settings, or specify different settings. Click OK when finished. To see the new changes to your roof, you must rebuild it. 28

29 Stairs Chief Architect X9 has added auto L-shaped and U-shaped stairs. You can use these two new tools to automatically drop stairs, complete with landings, into your plans. The stairs will orient and snap to adjacent walls. 64. Let s go back to the Model 1.plan. Zoom into the Living area. Click the Draw Stairs tool button. In the Tool Palette note that the L-Shaped Stair and the U-Shaped Stair tools have been added. 65. Click the U-Shaped Stair tool button. The New Shaped Staircase dialog displays. Note the settings you can change. Click OK. Move the cursor to the Living area. You see the graphic feedback following the cursor as you move it. As you move the staircase close to a wall its orientation will change to show what will match up to the most appropriate up direction. When you move the cursor from one side of the staircase to the other you can change which side of the staircase the stairs will begin. Click to place the staircase. 66. Click the L-Shaped Stair tool button. Click OK to close the New Shaped Staircase dialog. This will work the same way as the u-shaped staircase. Click to place it in the room. 67. Click the Straight Stairs tool button. As you move the mouse, the stairs will also align and orientate to walls. Click the Space key. 68. Select the landing on the l-shaped stairs. Open its specification dialog. Go to the Railing panel. You now have the ability to use the connected stair railing or not to use it, by checking or not checking Use Connected Stair Railing. If you uncheck this you can add a different railing style for the landing that is separate from the stairs. 29

30 69. Select one of the stair sections and open its specification dialog. You now can make modifications to the stair rails. Go to the Railing panel. You can select any one of the style options listed in the Style section. You can also select any of the options listed in the Top/Bottom Rail section. These options can be applied to panels as well. 30

31 70. Go to the Newels/Balusters panel. If you are using balusters for rails, you can apply the options listed here to them. In the Balusters section, you can modify the Type, Width, and Spacing. In the Newels section you several options, including spacing, you can work with. Close the dialog when finished. Cabinets/Moldings You can now use layers and controls in the cabinet dialog to draw doors and drawers open in both 2D and 3D views. 71. In the Model 1.plan, select the base cabinet next to the refrigerator and open its specification dialog. This should be a 4-door base cabinet. Go to the Door/Drawer panel. A new option, Show Open, has been added to both the Door and the Drawer sections. Check Show Open in the Drawer section. Click OK. You see that the drawers are shown open. 72. Select the base cabinet across from the one you just modified. Open its specification dialog and in the Door/Drawer section, check Show Open in the Door section. Click OK. This new feature makes it easier to see if you will have any collision problems with the drawers and cabinet doors. 31

32 You can show open doors/drawers in both 3D and 2D views. However, you can use the Cabinets, Doors & Drawers layer to show or hide their display in elevation, plan (when drawn open), and perspective views. 73. In the plan view, from the Active Layer Display Options palette, uncheck Cabinets, Doors & Drawers layer. 74. Take a 3D view of the kitchen and if the Cabinets, Doors & Drawers layer is turned on for the layer set, the opens drawers and doors will show. Close the 3D view. You can now control the hardware attached to any door or drawer on a single cabinet separately. 75. Select the base cabinet on the right (south) side of the stove top. Open its specification dialog. In the preview, click on the top drawer. This takes you to the Front/Sides/Back panel. Click the Specify button for Appliance/Door/Drawer. Click OK to the Information dialog. The Drawer Face Item Specification dialog displays. 32

33 76. Click the Library button for Drawer Handle Style. The Select Library Object displays. Find a different cabinet drawer handle and select it. Click OK to close the Select Library Object dialog. Only the selected drawer will show the change of handle. Close the open dialogs. You can now attach outlets and switches to the sides of cabinet boxes, soffits, and panels. Outlets will automatically snap to, and move with, cabinets to which they are associated. 77. Turn on the Electrical layer. Click the 110V Outlet tool button. Place an outlet on the base cabinet on the north side of the island. Take a 3D view of the outlet. You may need to select it and move it down so as not to interfere with the countertop. 33

34 The Custom Counter Specification dialog now includes a preview that allows you to visualize a custom counter as you manipulate its properties. 78. Select the custom countertop (you may have to Tab to get the countertop) on the kitchen island and open its specification dialog. Note the preview and close the dialog. You can now set the toe kick for a cabinet to closed on a per-cabinet basis, regardless of the cabinet being connected or adjacent to other cabinets. 79. Place two base cabinets side by side so that they are connected on the west wall of the Nook. Select both of the cabinets and open their specification dialog. On the General panel look at the Toe Kick section. Check Close Toe. Since these two cabinets are bumped together, you typically would not have gotten a closed toe situation between the two. However, you now have the option to mark them as Always Present. Go ahead and check Always Present. Click OK. Take an elevation view of the front of the cabinets. Note that the closed toe is still connected even though the two cabinets are bumped together. Close the elevation view. 34

35 You now have the ability to control overhang distance of automatic countertops for each side of a cabinet. 80. Select one of the cabinets you placed in the Nook. Open its specification dialog. On the General panel, in the Countertop section, note that Uniform is checked for Overhang. So there is a 1 overhang for all sides of the cabinet. Uncheck Uniform. You can now change the overhang for the back, front, right and/or left side. Each side can have a different overhang value. For example, change the value for Front to 4. Click OK. 35

36 This concludes this chapter on the new features in Chief Architect X9. Although I have not covered every single new feature and change, I believe I have covered the major ones. Between this chapter and the rest of the book you will have worked with almost all of the new features and changes. 36