Page 173 - Chief Architect Reference Manual

Creating Objects

Creating Objects

In Chief Architect, there are five ways to • Some objects, notably cabinets, doors,
create objects: by clicking to place an object, and windows, will resize smaller to fit
by clicking and dragging to draw an object, into the space.
by entering coordinates, by placing a • Most objects cannot resize in this man-
distribution path or region, or by importing ner, so the program will present a warn-
custom symbols, drawings, pictures or ing message indicating that there is not
metafiles. sufficient space at the current location.
If you create an object using any of these When most drawing tools are active or
methods and the layer it will go on is either library symbols selected for placement, a
locked or turned off, the program will ask preview outline follows your mouse pointer,
you if you want to display or unlock the indicating the size and shape of the object to
layer. Objects can be created on layers that be created. If your pointer is positioned at a
are not set to display, but they cannot be location where the object cannot be placed,
created on locked layers. See “Object this preview outline will not display.
Creation and Layers” on page 176.
As you move the mouse pointer, the center
While the size of the drawing area in Chief point of the object’s back edge will snap to
Architect is limited only by the resources on
your computer, it is best to begin your draw- active snap points when Grid Snaps or
ing near the origin, 0,0,0. The current Object Snaps are enabled. See “Snap
position of your mouse pointer displays in Behaviors” on page 167.
the Status Bar at the bottom of the program
window. See “3D Drafting” on page 32. Many architectural objects can be created in
floor plan view or any 3D view. In order to
Click-to-Create place a stand-alone, click-to-create object in
3D, it is necessary to click near a wall or
Many objects, including doors and windows, within the Terrain Perimeter as these objects
cabinets, library symbols, text, pictures, and help orient the new object within the 3D
images are created by clicking. Select a space.
library object or one of the drawing tools
mentioned above, then click in the drawing Clicking and Dragging
area to place the object at that location.
Other objects, including walls and railings,
Continue clicking to place the selected object straight stairs, and CAD and CAD-based
until another tool is selected. objects are created by clicking and dragging
to define either a path or an enclosed area.
If you click at a location where there is not
enough room for the object to be placed, one Select a tool, then click and drag in the
of two things may happen: drawing area to draw an object between your
start and end points.

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