Welcome to another fun, insightful, and occasionally chaotic episode of The Designers Show! If you missed this one, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered with all the highlights, laughs, and “ah-ha” moments from Episode #144.
This week, we dove deep into plan reviews, troubleshooting quirky Chief Architect issues, and uncovering the secrets of rendering like a pro. It was a lively discussion filled with practical takeaways, unexpected tech hiccups, and a few classic moments where things miraculously started working just because we were live on air.
So, grab a coffee, settle in, and let’s walk through the lessons, interactions, and knowledge bombs that made this episode one to remember.
The Big Takeaway: There’s Always Something to Learn in Chief Architect
You’d think that after working with Chief Architect for as long as we have, we’d seen it all. But nope—every show, we discover something new. That’s the beauty of this software. There’s always a better way to do something, a hidden feature you never noticed, or a setting that can make your workflow 10x faster.
We kicked things off with a plan review session, hoping to get into real-world examples of design challenges. But guess what? No one submitted plans! (C’mon, guys!) So, Renee pulled out an old project from 2013, and well... let’s just say it was a disaster in every possible way.
This sparked a great discussion on transferring old plans into newer versions of Chief Architect, where we covered:
- The right way to copy and paste plans into a new template
- Why "Paste Hold Position" is your best friend when moving elements
- Turning off Auto-Build features to prevent things from going haywire
- Why having your project centered at (0,0) actually matters
Kevin summed it up perfectly: “Sometimes, fixing an old plan is more work than just redrawing it from scratch.”
Terrain & Elevations – Because Why Would Anything Be Easy?
If you’ve ever copied a plan over and thought, “Wait, where did my terrain go?”—we feel your pain. Terrain modeling in Chief Architect can be a little... finicky.
What we learned (or re-learned):
- Copying a plan doesn’t copy the terrain perimeter. You have to manually reassign it.
- Elevation data can disappear or shift unexpectedly. Always check the default heights!
- You can use an elevation camera and a simple CAD line to measure terrain adjustments. Why guess when you can just measure?
The best part? Renee was teaching us this in real-time while Chief Architect fought him every step of the way. There was definitely a moment where the software decided it just wasn’t going to cooperate, and we all had to laugh.
Rendering Like a Pro – What You’re Doing Wrong & How to Fix It
Renee, aka The Rendering Wizard, gave us a deep dive into how to optimize Chief Architect’s rendering settings. And let’s be honest—most of us aren’t using this software to its full potential when it comes to visuals.
Some of the golden nuggets of rendering wisdom he shared:
- Lowering your sample rates can make a HUGE difference in speed without killing quality.
- If you’re on a Mac with an M1 chip, you need to tweak your resolution settings to avoid slow processing.
- AI-enhanced post-processing (Ka. A, Photoshop, etc.) can turn a decent render into a stunning one.
- Lighting is EVERYTHING. Get it right, and your renders will pop off the screen.
Robin: “So basically, all of us should just hire Renee to do our renderings?”
Renee: “Absolutely.” π
If you’re interested in leveling up your renderings, Renee will be teaching an entire day of rendering techniques at the upcoming Chief Architect Summit. Trust us—it’ll be worth it.
Why Your Layouts Look Messy (And How to Fix Them)
We got into a great discussion about layout views and why so many people struggle to align elevations properly. This is one of those things where, if you get it right, your drawings look polished and professional—but if you get it wrong, it’s just a mess.
The biggest takeaways from this discussion:
- Use Layout Points to keep views aligned across pages. They don’t print, but they make a world of difference!
- Plot line snaps are a game-changer for ensuring elevation alignment.
- If you’re struggling with misaligned views, try point-to-point moving instead of eyeballing it.
Kevin: “It’s amazing how much of Chief Architect is just knowing which button to press.”
Renee: “And knowing when NOT to press something.”
Chief Architect Pro Academy – It’s Getting a Major Upgrade
Dan gave us a long-awaited update on the upcoming Chief Architect Pro Academy relaunch, and let’s just say—it’s going to be bigger and better than ever.
- Twice-a-month live training sessions with real-time Q&A
- More structured video lessons on Chief Architect shortcuts & workflows
- Plan review sessions to help users fine-tune their designs
- Deep dives into time-saving techniques you might not even know exist
If you’ve been waiting for a comprehensive, easy-to-follow Chief Architect training program—this is it.
Upcoming Events & Shoutouts
- Chief Architect Summit (March 17-26, 2024) – A full week of learning, networking, and hands-on training with industry experts.
- π Robin is up for a huge KBIS award! Fingers crossed—she might just take home the win!
- Renee’s Rendering Masterclass – Get ready for a deep dive into professional visualization techniques at the Summit.
Final Thoughts: Keep Learning, Keep Experimenting, and Keep Designing
If this episode reminded us of anything, it’s that there’s always a better way to do something in Chief Architect.
- If something isn’t working, there’s a good chance you’re just one setting away from fixing it.
- If a plan is frustrating you, don’t be afraid to step back and rethink your approach.
- Rendering can be fast AND beautiful—if you know what to tweak.
And of course, the best way to get better? Keep showing up, asking questions, and learning with us every week.
π¬ Missed the episode? Watch it below:
π Key Takeaways:
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Use “Edit Area” & “Paste Hold Position” when transferring plans to avoid misalignment.
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Turn off auto-build for foundations and roofs to prevent unwanted modifications when pasting plans.
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Center your project at (0,0) to improve Chief Architect’s accuracy and performance.
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Use Layout Points for consistent alignment across multiple pages.
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Optimize rendering settings by adjusting sample rates and leveraging AI for post-processing.
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Back up Chief Architect data properly—avoid saving it directly to cloud services like OneDrive or Dropbox to prevent corruption.
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Troubleshoot missing elements by checking hidden layers, floor selections, and saved views.
π Segments with Timestamps:
[0:00] - Show Introduction
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Welcome to The Designer Show #144!
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Quick hellos and shoutouts to the community.
[1:52] - Plan Review & Q&A Session Begins
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No plans were submitted, so the team takes live questions.
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Renee introduces an old plan for analysis.
[3:00] - Chief Architect Summit Announcement
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Details about the upcoming Chief Architect Summit and what attendees can expect.
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Benefits of networking, business development, and deep Chief Architect training.
[6:25] - Transferring Old Plans to New Chief Architect Versions
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Understanding outdated layer systems and display settings.
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Why old plans slow down performance and how to fix them.
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The importance of using Edit Area Tool when moving project files.
[10:26] - Copying & Pasting Plans While Maintaining Accuracy
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Using Paste Hold Position to ensure proper alignment.
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Handling default floor elevations when merging plans.
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Turning off auto-build for roofs and foundations to prevent issues.
[17:55] - Fixing Layer & Display Issues in Transferred Plans
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Checking hidden layers when elements disappear.
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Identifying old plan bugs and how to resolve slow performance.
[20:08] - Chief Architect Terrain Challenges & Fixes
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Rebuilding terrain perimeter after copy-pasting.
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Adjusting subfloor heights relative to terrain.
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Avoiding mistakes when handling complex topography.
[28:42] - Optimizing Chief Architect Renderings
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Adjusting Physically-Based Rendering (PBR) settings for best performance.
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Speeding up rendering on slow machines & Mac M1 chips.
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Using AI (Ka. A) to enhance Chief Architect renderings.
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Post-processing in Photoshop & AI tools for final quality.
[36:53] - Aligning Layout Views for Professional Presentation
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Using sequential hotkeys for quick point placement.
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Aligning elevations with snap points across multiple pages.
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Why keeping plans centered at (0,0) improves accuracy.
[48:28] - Robin’s Framing Plan Issue & Fixing Missing Layers
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Troubleshooting why a framing plan disappeared in certain views.
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Ensuring correct saved views for accurate plan displays.
[54:12] - Chief Architect Pro Academy Updates
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New live training sessions, advanced courses, and interactive Q&A sessions.
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Focus on keyboard shortcuts & workflow optimizations for efficiency.
[56:39] - Community Questions & Final Announcements
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Syncing Chief Architect files across multiple devices.
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Best backup strategies for Chief Architect libraries & projects.
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The importance of keeping project files offline for data integrity.
[65:00] - Closing Remarks & Fun Moments
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Robin’s upcoming KBIS award nomination.
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Chad’s legendary mustache tribute at the Summit.
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Final goodbyes and see you next episode!
π Upcoming Events:
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