Are you using Chief Architect to its full potential?

Even experienced users can fall into habits that limit efficiency and accuracy. That’s why Dan Baumann created a 10-part video series to help you identify and overcome the most common mistakes that Chief users make when using this powerful CAD software.

This first clip focuses on a critical mistake: not fully embracing Chief Architect’s CAD capabilities. These overlooked features can make all the difference in your workflow, from underusing tools like Transform Replicate to misunderstanding coordinate systems.

Dive in to learn how to avoid this mistake and maximize your productivity with Chief Architect. And don’t forget to check out the rest of the series for more valuable insights!

Transcript:

All right, let's get into this. I'll talk about the ProAcademy and the Total Immersion Summit. You can go to chiefexperts.com at any time or after this presentation, and you'll see it right there on the homepage, where you can join our waitlist for the new ProAcademy or learn more about the summit. Feel free to do that at any time.

Let's talk about this first one. When I'm working with clients, especially new students, I talk about this. I like to make it very evident that CHIEF is a CAD program, first and foremost. It's a smartly programmed program, but getting smarter, they're doing a lot of things within the program to link things together. If you think of it as a CAD program instead of a program you use to build the house, it makes this whole system work much easier.

It's the Niche program, which means they programmed it to give you tools to make it look like you're drawing a house. The tools work well. They've done a great job of taking much of the Caddishness away from what we must do and learn. The XYZ thing I was showing you is down here. Chief Architect, is a CAD program on your floor plan; you're going to work in many of the views; in all of the views, you are also going to be working in X, Y, but sometimes Z, X, or in chief, Y is up and down, for all CAD programs, optimistic Y is up. Negative Y is down, and then back and forth. You've got X; positive X numbers are to the right, and negative X numbers are to the left. If we go into a 3D, we have a different coordinate system.

Let's go into preferences and the coordinate system and change the size. Let's go 100 by 48. I'm going to change the line length and size of the numbers. Now you can see it clearer. You can do this on your system if you want to follow it better. If I wanted to raise this roof, I would go into transform replicate, this icon here, and type in under Z because Z is up and down.

I could raise that roof 24 inches. Using the z coordinate. Now I've raised that roof, or I could move this window two feet to the left by realizing it is this way. So I'm going to move it.

If you look at the letter, this is a positive number. It doesn't show a minus y if I go into transform replicate, And I go to minus, let's say 24 inches, minus 24. See how I move that over? That's the CAD part of the system we want to get used to using: Transform, Replicate is one of those tools you want to get used to.

The tab key is another significant part of the CAD system that uses coordinates. Suppose I wanted to move this window to the right. I could grab that window, and before I let go of my mouse, I'd hit the tab key. Now you can see here minus X, so it's moving it that way. I'll go minus 36 and hit enter, and it will move it over that much for me.

The tab key could add, draw, or move something.  If I were to return to my floor plan, I would click on something. Let's say I drew a box. And I want to move that box over 6 feet. I start grabbing it, moving it, hitting the tab, and I go 6 feet. And I'm going to move it over. Or I want to move a line. I grab it, hit tab, and I'm going to go minus 12, and I can make that line 12 inches longer. Or move it to the right or left 12 inches. So the tab key is one of those cool tools or keys you'll use a lot if you're aware. Maybe you're just not aware it's there.

Transform replicate-- another big one. People don't use it. I will show you how to set up a keystroke for that.

Chief also does a lot of linking now with schedules and things like that. There are a lot of macros involved, too, and all that is part of the CAD system is Chief Architects. We want to keep that in mind while working with the system. It's a CAD program.

Let's use it like a CAD program.

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