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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Customizing Toolbars
One of the first things you want to do, before you start using Chief Architect for production work, is to customize the toolbars, so you can work more efficiently.
First, the Why's:
On a regular basis, while designing a house, I go into Chief's library, find an object, click on it, and place it into my plan. This process takes me about 45 seconds.
I know, you're asking yourself "Is it worth it for me to learn to do this, all to save myself 45 seconds?" Look at it this way: If I didn't have all these custom items on my toolbar, I would burn up 45 seconds each time I wanted to place one of these items on my plan. Since I place about 150 of these items per house plan, that's 6,750 seconds, or 112.5 minutes, or 1.875 hours per plan. If I am drawing 2 houses per week, that's 93 hours a year. That's equivalent to 2-1/2 weeks of work. If I am saving that much time, I can either work two more weeks each year and get paid for it, or I can take two extra weeks of vacation a year, for the same income!!
Here is a screen shot of the Default configuration that comes "Out Of The Box": (Click picture for a higher resolution)
As you can see, it has two rows on top, and one row to the side.
If you look closer, those rows are broken into "Toolbars".
The top row is broken into two toolbars; the first has your "open", "save", "Print", "Send To Layout", "Default Settings", "Preferences", "Active Layerset Control",
"Layer Set Management", "Library Browser", & "Help".
The next toolbar has your different toolbar configurations, to include "Default Configuration", Terrain Configuration", "Kitchen & Bath Design", "MEP", "Space Planning", "Plan Detailing", and "CAD" configurations.
The bottom row is one toolbar, with all your "Building" tools: walls, doors, windows, cabinets, electrical, stairs, floor tools, roofs, framing, slabs, shapes, dimensions, text, cameras, and change floor tools.
Along the right side are two toolbars; the first is different window view tools, and the second are your preference tools.
Although you can create construction drawings & house designs with this toolbar configuration, if you want to be more efficient, draw houses faster, and therefore make more money, it makes sense to customize the toolbars to maximize the program for the way you use it.
Chief Architect X2 uses the "Drop Down Menu" style of toolbars. Call me Old School, but I don't like having to use the drop downs, I prefer to have a tool right there staring me into the eyes, where I can see it, recognize it, and click once to use it.
In addition to that, Chief Architect X2 has a very extensive library of 3D object to use on your houses. The library is so large, that it is sometimes very time consuming to search through it to find the object you are looking for. If you are like me, there are several library objects that you use on a regular basis in all your homes; sinks, washer & dryer, tub/shower combo unit, beds, dressers, tables, etc.
So, I have placed all my most common tools, and my most common library objects on my toolbars.
Keep in mind that Chief will only let you place a maximum of 80 Toolbars on your desktop, but it will allow you to place an unlimited number of tools on those toolbars. I will go into how to do this down below.
Here is the custom configuration I use:
If you look closely, you will notice I added 8 new toolbars, which include about 70 different tools. Along the top I have my various CAD tools, my dimension tools, my "Break Wall" tool, and a few others.
On the right side, I have placed my different Library Objects, categorized into like groups; Electrical Objects, bed room/living room furniture, bathroom/HVAC fixtures, & kitchen appliances.
Next, The Hows:
The first thing I want to show you, is how to make a custom toolbar configuration, so you can switch to it at anytime.
First, go to "Tools>Toolbars & Hot Keys>Customize Toolbars". Go to the "Configurations" tab, highlight the "Default Configuration", and click the "Copy" button on the right side. This will bring up a window that wants to know where you want to save this copy, and what you want to call it. It will automatically open the right folder, but just in case, it is in the "Toolbars" folder, which is in the "Chief Architect X2 Data" folder.
Next, the name. I called mine AB Configuration (A for Allen, B for Brown), then click "Save". The next thing you want to do, is highlight your new toolbar configuration, and click "Switch To". This will get you using the new configuration in Chief. This window will still be open, which you want. Now we start to customize.
Lets first start with some CAD tools: Go to the "Tools" tab, and highlight "All Views". We'll start with some line tools: Click once in the middle box, which is titled "Main Toolbar Buttons", and type the letter "L" on your keyboard. This will jump you down to the tools that start with the letter "L". (By the way, this is a shortcut that works throughout Chief).
Next, click on the tool titled "Line Tools". In the box on the right, which is labeled "Child Tools", you will see the child tools associated with the parent line tool. Let's start with the "Draw Line" tool; Click on the "Draw Line" tool, and drag it onto a blank spot on your upper toolbar area. This will place a new toolbar with that tool on it. Next, click on the "Sun Angle" tool, and drag it over to the same spot, and drop it right on top of the "Draw Line" tool. This will place the sun angle tool on the same toolbar. Remember how I said that Chief will only let you have 80 toolbars?
Next, click again in the middle box, and type the letter "B", and highlight "Box Tools". Go into the "Child Buttons" area, and drag the "Rectangular Polyline" over and drop it onto the other two items you already placed. You can then place any of the other child tools you want access to with them. Next, do the same for the circle tools, "Point Marker", "Place Point", and the "Delete Temporary Points" tools. I would also place your dimension tools on this same toolbar; "End To End" dimension, "Point to Point" dimension, and the "Interior" dimension tools.
One other big tool you want to add is you "Break Wall" tool. Drop that tool just to the right of your wall tools on the main toolbar on the second row down from the top. This item used to be easier to access in previous versions of Chief than it is now, so this one is a must.
Next, the Library Objects: This step is a little bit different method than above. Instead of going into the library and just dragging the objects onto the toolbar, you have an extra step, so let's get started:
Again, go to "Tools>Tools & Hotkeys>Customize Toolbars". In the "Tools" tab, click on "All Views". Next, click in the middle box (Main Toolbar Buttons), and type the letter"P". This will shortcut you down to the tools starting with "P". Look for the tool labeled "Place Library Object". Now, drag this tool down and drop it onto an open space on the right toolbar area. Repeat this step 6-8 more times, dropping the same tool right on top of itself each time. By doing this, you will create a toolbar that has 6-8 potentially different objects from your library. Click "Close".
The next step is where the magic happens: The first thing you want to do is to click on the top object on this new toolbar. A window will pop open titled "Library Object Button Specification". The reason for this, is that you must now assign a library object to this button. So, click the "Library" button near the top right. At this point, you need to navigate through you library and choose something to assign to this button. Let's start with furniture. One of the most common items I place in a plan are beds. First pick a King size bed, and click "OK". This will close the library and bring you back to the "Library Object Button Specification" window. Next, you need assign a "Button Icon Choice". Never use the default, pick either Automatic 1, or Automatic 2, then click "OK". Repeat those steps for the next 6-7 object buttons, and assign Queen size bed, double, single, dining room table, maybe some dressers.
You can then repeat the same steps to make a toolbar for your most commonly used appliances, another for your most commonly used light fixtures & smoke detectors, and then another one for plumbing fixtures, etc.
I hope this blog had some useful information for you! Please take a look at my website for some free online Chief Architect training videos, and check back here often (or subscribe) for more great and useful Chief Architect How-To information!
First, the Why's:
On a regular basis, while designing a house, I go into Chief's library, find an object, click on it, and place it into my plan. This process takes me about 45 seconds.
I know, you're asking yourself "Is it worth it for me to learn to do this, all to save myself 45 seconds?" Look at it this way: If I didn't have all these custom items on my toolbar, I would burn up 45 seconds each time I wanted to place one of these items on my plan. Since I place about 150 of these items per house plan, that's 6,750 seconds, or 112.5 minutes, or 1.875 hours per plan. If I am drawing 2 houses per week, that's 93 hours a year. That's equivalent to 2-1/2 weeks of work. If I am saving that much time, I can either work two more weeks each year and get paid for it, or I can take two extra weeks of vacation a year, for the same income!!
Here is a screen shot of the Default configuration that comes "Out Of The Box": (Click picture for a higher resolution)
As you can see, it has two rows on top, and one row to the side.If you look closer, those rows are broken into "Toolbars".
The top row is broken into two toolbars; the first has your "open", "save", "Print", "Send To Layout", "Default Settings", "Preferences", "Active Layerset Control",
"Layer Set Management", "Library Browser", & "Help".
The next toolbar has your different toolbar configurations, to include "Default Configuration", Terrain Configuration", "Kitchen & Bath Design", "MEP", "Space Planning", "Plan Detailing", and "CAD" configurations.
The bottom row is one toolbar, with all your "Building" tools: walls, doors, windows, cabinets, electrical, stairs, floor tools, roofs, framing, slabs, shapes, dimensions, text, cameras, and change floor tools.
Along the right side are two toolbars; the first is different window view tools, and the second are your preference tools.
Although you can create construction drawings & house designs with this toolbar configuration, if you want to be more efficient, draw houses faster, and therefore make more money, it makes sense to customize the toolbars to maximize the program for the way you use it.
Chief Architect X2 uses the "Drop Down Menu" style of toolbars. Call me Old School, but I don't like having to use the drop downs, I prefer to have a tool right there staring me into the eyes, where I can see it, recognize it, and click once to use it.
In addition to that, Chief Architect X2 has a very extensive library of 3D object to use on your houses. The library is so large, that it is sometimes very time consuming to search through it to find the object you are looking for. If you are like me, there are several library objects that you use on a regular basis in all your homes; sinks, washer & dryer, tub/shower combo unit, beds, dressers, tables, etc.
So, I have placed all my most common tools, and my most common library objects on my toolbars.
Keep in mind that Chief will only let you place a maximum of 80 Toolbars on your desktop, but it will allow you to place an unlimited number of tools on those toolbars. I will go into how to do this down below.
Here is the custom configuration I use:
If you look closely, you will notice I added 8 new toolbars, which include about 70 different tools. Along the top I have my various CAD tools, my dimension tools, my "Break Wall" tool, and a few others.On the right side, I have placed my different Library Objects, categorized into like groups; Electrical Objects, bed room/living room furniture, bathroom/HVAC fixtures, & kitchen appliances.
Next, The Hows:
The first thing I want to show you, is how to make a custom toolbar configuration, so you can switch to it at anytime.
First, go to "Tools>Toolbars & Hot Keys>Customize Toolbars". Go to the "Configurations" tab, highlight the "Default Configuration", and click the "Copy" button on the right side. This will bring up a window that wants to know where you want to save this copy, and what you want to call it. It will automatically open the right folder, but just in case, it is in the "Toolbars" folder, which is in the "Chief Architect X2 Data" folder.
Next, the name. I called mine AB Configuration (A for Allen, B for Brown), then click "Save". The next thing you want to do, is highlight your new toolbar configuration, and click "Switch To". This will get you using the new configuration in Chief. This window will still be open, which you want. Now we start to customize.
Lets first start with some CAD tools: Go to the "Tools" tab, and highlight "All Views". We'll start with some line tools: Click once in the middle box, which is titled "Main Toolbar Buttons", and type the letter "L" on your keyboard. This will jump you down to the tools that start with the letter "L". (By the way, this is a shortcut that works throughout Chief).
Next, click on the tool titled "Line Tools". In the box on the right, which is labeled "Child Tools", you will see the child tools associated with the parent line tool. Let's start with the "Draw Line" tool; Click on the "Draw Line" tool, and drag it onto a blank spot on your upper toolbar area. This will place a new toolbar with that tool on it. Next, click on the "Sun Angle" tool, and drag it over to the same spot, and drop it right on top of the "Draw Line" tool. This will place the sun angle tool on the same toolbar. Remember how I said that Chief will only let you have 80 toolbars?
Next, click again in the middle box, and type the letter "B", and highlight "Box Tools". Go into the "Child Buttons" area, and drag the "Rectangular Polyline" over and drop it onto the other two items you already placed. You can then place any of the other child tools you want access to with them. Next, do the same for the circle tools, "Point Marker", "Place Point", and the "Delete Temporary Points" tools. I would also place your dimension tools on this same toolbar; "End To End" dimension, "Point to Point" dimension, and the "Interior" dimension tools.
One other big tool you want to add is you "Break Wall" tool. Drop that tool just to the right of your wall tools on the main toolbar on the second row down from the top. This item used to be easier to access in previous versions of Chief than it is now, so this one is a must.
Next, the Library Objects: This step is a little bit different method than above. Instead of going into the library and just dragging the objects onto the toolbar, you have an extra step, so let's get started:
Again, go to "Tools>Tools & Hotkeys>Customize Toolbars". In the "Tools" tab, click on "All Views". Next, click in the middle box (Main Toolbar Buttons), and type the letter"P". This will shortcut you down to the tools starting with "P". Look for the tool labeled "Place Library Object". Now, drag this tool down and drop it onto an open space on the right toolbar area. Repeat this step 6-8 more times, dropping the same tool right on top of itself each time. By doing this, you will create a toolbar that has 6-8 potentially different objects from your library. Click "Close".
The next step is where the magic happens: The first thing you want to do is to click on the top object on this new toolbar. A window will pop open titled "Library Object Button Specification". The reason for this, is that you must now assign a library object to this button. So, click the "Library" button near the top right. At this point, you need to navigate through you library and choose something to assign to this button. Let's start with furniture. One of the most common items I place in a plan are beds. First pick a King size bed, and click "OK". This will close the library and bring you back to the "Library Object Button Specification" window. Next, you need assign a "Button Icon Choice". Never use the default, pick either Automatic 1, or Automatic 2, then click "OK". Repeat those steps for the next 6-7 object buttons, and assign Queen size bed, double, single, dining room table, maybe some dressers.
You can then repeat the same steps to make a toolbar for your most commonly used appliances, another for your most commonly used light fixtures & smoke detectors, and then another one for plumbing fixtures, etc.
I hope this blog had some useful information for you! Please take a look at my website for some free online Chief Architect training videos, and check back here often (or subscribe) for more great and useful Chief Architect How-To information!
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