Auto Dormer - Knee Wall problems

[midway22]

Hi, Just started using the package and running into some issues that are probably an easy fix for someone who knows what they are doing!

 

I am running into issues where shed and gable dormers using the auto dormer functionality are seemingly rejecting the knee walls in certain scenarios. The two places I am having problems are:

 

- Shed dormer built on rear of cape cod with 10/12 pitch. The dormer is extending from the ridge to the outside wall. There is about 2' of inset from gabled side walls but the problem is if try to widen to 1' of inset, it says "Cannot find walls for the room to which the back of this dormer should connect." Any idea why it won't let me widen my shed dormer to be closer to the gabled side walls?

 

- Gabled dormer built on knee walls which are at the corner of a room, 90 degree angle. It will let me pull the dormer close to the turn in the walls but fails if I set the edge of the dormer on that 90 deg knee wall corner.

 

I included the plan and a image with the problems highlighted. Not sure if two questions in one post is acceptable but both deal with the auto dormer tool.

 

Thanks in advance

winchester.plan

[solver]

How wide does the shed dormer need to be?

[solver]

Try this. On the second floor, drag the two outside gable walls out several feet.

 

Now expand the dormer to its correct size, then move the gable walls back into place. Turn on Reference Display (F9) and use the Align With Wall Below tool in the Edit Toolbar when you get close.

[solver]

Are you wanting something like this? 

[midway22]

Thanks Eric! The shed approach I believe will work. In my more detailed plan it threw an error when widening the dormer but I will just make the adjustment on a simple plan and re-add the detail under the dormer again.

 

You are correct on the gabled dormer also. How did you work that witchcraft?

 

thanks so much!

[solver]

I cheated.

 

I think this will not be easy in Suite.

 

Try deleting the dormer, removing the walls for the staircase, extend the knee wall all the way across, then place the dormer.

 

Now draw in the walls for the stair.

[midway22]

Thanks again, those solutions are helping me in other areas as well where the system gets unhappy about placement of things.

 

You helped so much I didn't want to pester you again but was there any special way you pulled the staircase wall back onto the dormer and have it seam up to make that wall continuous? I get a little triangle part of the wall empty under the start of the dormer. And also on the inside of the staircase the dormer siding shows through the wall. 

 

 

And last thing I swear; do you know if its possible to make the interior ceiling of the dormer flat without creating custom panels to hide the interior gable?

 

Josh