Video: Features Introduced in Chief Architect X4

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Chief Architect Premier X4
New Features

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3D Rendering & Visualization

  • Reflective material type
    Create material definitions to represent reflective surfaces for ray trace views.
  • Improved lighting through windows in Ray Trace views
    Generate scenes with both natural and man made lighting.
  • Enhanced feedback accuracy for time estimates when generating Ray Trace views
  • Rendered Views now more closely represent Ray Trace Views
  • Cross Section Render Technique controls
    Access the render techniques for Cross Section views through the camera specification dialog.

Plans & Layouts

  • Enhanced “Send to Layout” and “CAD Detail From View”
    Experience faster response times and improved line generation
  • Chief Architect Interiors files compatible with Chief Architect Viewer
    Share your Chief Architect Premier and Interior design files with clients using the free Chief Architect Viewer software

Rooms

  • Automatic Room Connections
    Island rooms (rooms within rooms) automatically connect to outer rooms via an invisible wall to ensure proper room definitions

Walls

  • Improved railings clip to ceiling surface
    Railings that intersect roofs and ceilings are automatically clipped to fit the slope.
  • Pony Wall height controls
    Adjust the height of individual Pony Walls by typing the lower wall’s height into the dialog
  • Thru-Wall controls
    Specify wall intersections / framing on a per wall end basis using the new Thru-Wall attribute
  • Improved Wall Connections for more accurate plan view representations of wall intersections
    Turn ON or OFF Thru-Wall connection display in plan view.
  • Align wall layers with foundation
    Use the wall setting "Foundation to this Line" to specify the alignment of walls with foundations walls.
  • Enhanced Wall Editing
    Adjust wall lengths by selecting dimensions or temporary dimensions that run parallel to the wall.

Cabinets

  • Easily create Stacked Molding
    Add multiple moldings to objects and specify vertical and horizontal offset distances with different Molding Profiles to create stacked moldings.
  • Frameless Cabinet settings
    Change the cabinet style in one click with the new Frameless and Full Overlay options for cabinets.
  • Blind Corner Cabinet Controls
    Turn On or Off Automatic Blind Corner Cabinet behavior.
  • Improved Corner Cabinet Hardware
    Single knob hardware for pie-cut corner cabinets.

Doors & Windows

  • Door Defaults by Door Type
    Set unique door defaults for different types of doors: hinged, pocket, bifold, sliding, and garage.
  • 3D Door Display options
    New edit tools “Show Door Open in 3D” and “Show Door Closed in 3D” make it fast and easy to control the state of doors in 3D views.
  • Adjustable Louver Sizes
    New louver attribute allows you to control their size in windows and doors.
  • Improved representation of doors recessed into masonry walls

Foundations

  • Foundation Defaults
    More detailed control over the foundation automatically generated for Garage rooms.
  • Auto Rebuild Foundations
    Automatically update the foundation plan to align with the 1st floor as the design progresses.
  • Monolithic Slab technology
    Designing slab foundations is now faster, easier, and more accurate.
  • Monolithic Slab Inset Ledges
    Create monolithic slab foundations with inset ledges for masonry wall construction.
  • Monolithic Slab Curbing
    Specify curbing for monolithic slab foundations.
  • Enhanced Garage Slabs with monolithic foundations
    Select components of the slab and adjust garage specific settings to suit your design
  • Display cutout indicators for Garage Doors in foundation stem walls and curbing
  • Bearing Wall attribute
    Generate a footing, or foundation wall + footing below, when automatic foundations are created by setting a wall as a Bearing Wall.
  • Slab footing specification
    Control footings for slabs on a per edge basis; resize, dimension, or exclude the footing.
  • Improved foundations with Slab at top of Stem Wall
  • Slab Volume listed in the slab specification dialog for easy reference

Framing

  • Control Roof Lookout framing
    Turn on or off the automatic generation of lookout framing in the Framing dialog.

Layers

  • Layer Hider tool
    Click on an object in plan view to turn off its layer display
  • Object Layer Properties edit tool
    Quickly and easily modify the layer properties for any object
  • Assign Cameras to Layers
  • Layer Set Defaults for Camera Types
    Specify unique layer sets for each camera type; Full Camera, Floor Camera, Full Overview, Floor Overview, Cross Section, Back-Clipped Cross Section, and Wall Elevation. Control the layers displayed for any of these cameras when they are initially created by assigning layer sets in the Layer Set Defaults dialog.
  • Stair and Ramp Up/Down Arrow layer control
    New layer for stair and ramp arrow allows you to control the display separately.
  • New “Footings, Step Markers” layer
    Control the step markers display, line style, color, line weight, and text style.

Dimensions

  • Dimension Label Fill option
    Specify solid or transparent fill for dimensions' text.
  • Append text to dimensions
    Insert additional text before or after the dimension value for any dimension string. Choose the dimension number to which text is added
  • Enhanced Wall Editing with Dimensions
    Adjust wall lengths by selecting dimensions or temporary dimensions that run parallel to the wall.
  • Box and Bumpout Extension Snaps
    Snap to projected 90° intersections
  • Auto Exterior Dimensions for Slab Foundations
    Automatically dimension monolithic slab foundations with a single click.
  • Dimensions Snap to Foundation Footings
    Accurately dimension foundation footings with manually drawn dimensions.

Lighting / Electrical / HVAC

  • Improved Lighting Units
    Choose from common wattage/lumens values for lights or specify custom values.
  • Easily control lighting
    New edit controls for lighting allow you to turn lights on or off with a single click.
  • Enhanced Adjust Lighting Dialog
    Added information in dialog makes it easy to locate lights by label name or room location
  • Automatic GFCI outlets in Kitchens
    Use the Auto Place Outlet tool to add GFCI outlets to your kitchen rooms.
  • Continuous draw mode for Electrical Connections
    Quickly generate electrical connections for each circuit in your design.

Library / Catalog

  • Faster and more reliable catalog downloads
    Downloaded content automatically installs (no pre-subscription required).
  • Enhanced feedback for Library Catalog downloads status
    Options to Continue or Cancel downloads when Chief Architect closes. Catalog Downloads automatically restart if Chief Architect is closed then re-launched.
  • Library Browser filtered views
    Choose to show or hide entire library catalogs in the Library Browser tree. Improved library load times as hidden items are not loaded into the Library Browser.
  • Library Tree Reorganization
    Manufacturer, User, Chief Architect Core, and Chief Architect Bonus catalogs are now grouped into separate categories for easier navigation.
  • Library Object Shortcuts
    Create shortcut items to any object in the Library Browser to customize your organization.
  • Improved speed of deleting objects from the Library Browser

Text / Annotation / Scripting

  • Text Style tools
    Create unlimited Text Styles and assign them per layer, per default, or per object to control the appearance of labels, dimensions and other text in your design.
  • Specify Line Style and Fill Style for Schedules
    Change schedule grid color and overall background color on a per schedule basis.
  • Improved control over multiple schedules
    Manage multiple schedules of the same type and independently control their display of labels. Improved schedule updating when items in the plan are added to or removed from the schedule display.
  • Create Leader Lines using Rich Text or Plain Text types
  • More control over arrowhead style
    Specify the arrowhead type used for Joist Directions, Sun Angles, Roof Labels, and Stairs and Ramps.
  • Layer for Camera Labels
    Label display for cameras is now independent from the camera display.
  • Automatic Roof Labels
    Display labels for roofs, skylights and holes. Label includes pitch direction arrow and the roof angle in pitch or degrees. Modify the arrow style and text style of the roof labels
  • Labels for Layout Boxes
    Automatic labels for layout views will display the camera name for elevation and section views or the floor plan name for plan views. Create custom labels that will move with the views and you set up you layout .
  • Specify labels for Light Source or “added light” objects
    Uniquely name light sources in your scenes for easy recognition.
  • Soffit, Shelf, and Partition Labels
    Assign custom labels through the new Label Tab for soffits, shelves, and partitions
  • Labels for Bay, Box, and Bow Windows
    Customize labels through the Label Tab of the Bay, Box, and Bow Window dialogs.
  • Primary and Secondary Terrain contour labels
    The primary and secondary labels are now independent of each other. Control the highlight for negative value contour labels.
  • Room Label background fill
    Specify background fill color or solid or transparent fill for room labels
  • Control the location of Labels
    New X and Y offsets for labels allow you to control the orientation of labels in relationship to the object.
  • Window Macros
    Use macros to include Window Type, Top Elevation, Bottom Elevation, and Floor to Header height in window labels.
  • Label macros for Electrical Lights, Stairs & Ramps, Roof Pitch / Slope, and Layout Boxes
  • Create Dynamic Label Macros
    Use Text Macros in combination with the Ruby Scripting tools to dynamically update object labels or other annotation in your design.
  • Text Macro Management dialog
    Create New, Edit, Copy, Delete, and Test custom macros from within the Text Macro Management dialog.

Import / Export

  • AutoCAD 2012 Compatibility. Import or Export DXF and DWG files
  • SketchUp 8 object import (32-bit version only)

User Resources

  • 64-bit version
    The 64-bit version is more efficient in managing memory and you will see better performance on larger plan files. A 32-bit version is available and will also run on 64-bit operating sytems.