MikeBaldus Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Hello, I am brand new to HD Pro 2015 (or any Chief Architect product). Just started my first plan and saw a need to make notes to myself. Is there any function in HD Pro 2015 for this? My notes could get pretty wordy. Thank you, Mike P.S. How do I add a signature? I have the "Enable signature" checked, but darned if I can see where to create one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidJPotter Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Here is information about "Settings" including "Signature" : https://hometalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?app=core&module=help If you want to add "notes" just create a "Text" object and type, you will thereafter get the hang of what works and what does not. DJP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solution Kbird1 Posted February 27, 2015 Solution Share Posted February 27, 2015 For your sig ,go up to the top right hand corner click on your User name ,click on My Settings and them in new window click on Signature on the left hand side which should open up the Edit window. you are allowed upto 10 lines in your Sig. You can place you Notes with the Standard Text Tool, (CAD menu or icon) once done once, you just double click it to open the box again and add more and change some attributes if wanted eg add a Border, font type size etc. Note you must select any and all text before changing anything like size or color or it wont update ,same as a normal Word document. You can also copy and paste from other sources such as Word docs or PDF etc if desired. M. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBaldus Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 Thank you all! I only had enough time to go check the link provided by DJP and all that it opened up for me. I have a beginning of a signature, and have added some initial profile info. I guess we'll see if the signature works when I submit this post! A bit later today I will steal a little more time to play with the suggestions for adding text and I will report back. Treenet, that's an interesting little script you wrote! I won't ask you to go to the work yet until I experiment with adding text first. Thank you! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBaldus Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 I found time to play just a bit with adding text. It's easy enough and I thank you all for pointing me in the right direction - as well as the other useful info.I am surprised that a program as well conceived and refined over time as HD Pro 2015 doesn't have a simple Notepad feature. Applying our notes to the drawing itself seems like a clunky way to keep notes. To me the elegant solution would be to simply have a Notepad that would save with the plan file but not be a part of the actual plan. That way a user could save extensive notes about a project that he likely wouldn't want to share with a customer and certainly wouldn't want to take up plan area with. I will mark this as solved and go peruse the website for a place to add this as a development suggestion. I hope you same gentlemen will watch for my next question about another basic functionality I haven't found: a construction calculator! I will place that question in a new thread. Thanks again! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Chief Premier does have a loan calculator though..... so does Suite, HDA and Pro according to the Product Matrix PDF below. HDS Product comparison-matrix.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBaldus Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 Treenet, yes I did note that you mentioned a calculator. Actually the fact that your script could potentially be used for any Windows app got my attention even more! I do feel that could be useful to me, but with your language about "if enough interest is there" made me want to respect your time (I wake every morning with a deficit). Being respectful of your time, I haven't yet actually established that I would regularly use your tool so I didn't ask. If it isn't a great deal of trouble I would love to have it - for uses I haven't even thought of yet. But I have no need for the Windows calculator, it's a construction calculator or nothing. I own a handheld (Construction Master) but I usually keep it in the truck. Moving it back and forth will be a hassle, but better than no calculator! I have to say I'm a little worried now that I'm going to invest the time for a large learning curve and find some other major shortcomings in the software. To discover two items missing that I would have thought would be no-brainers is worrisome. Didn't they think that a substantial user base would be people making drawings of existing structures? Not having the calculator might be ok if you are drawing a building from concept because Home Designer does the math for you, but any time you are working with an existing structure it's essential that you check the drawing against reality and a calculator is crucial. That said, I'm sure there is a lot I don't yet know about how to add dimensions to plans. My only real experience is hand drafting on paper, where it's common to "stack" dimensions along a wall: closest are the distances from break to break such as corner to first window, window to window, etc. down the wall, and then another layer of larger dimensions would be stacked on top such as corner to an offset, offset to next corner, and finally an overall corner to corner dimension. The little bit of playing I have done with the program tells me I need to double check the math to make sure I didn't adjust one dimension at the expense of another. I have done that already, probably because I'm new and didn't understand the proper way to make an adjustment when the program drew something other than what I expected. Thank you! I will check back here. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solver Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 See http://www.cast-db.com/archCalc/ for a $20 construction calculator. Windows and Mac. For making a program always on top (windows only) http://www.savardsoftware.com/turbotop and http://www.savardsoftware.com/launchontop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 if you are already familiar with the Construction Master , (I like mine too), it is also available as a Windows Program or Phone App too. http://www.calculated.com/sect62/Mobile-Apps-and-Software.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBaldus Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Thank you gentlemen! I checked them both out. The archCalc is a good basic construction calculator for a good price; I almost bought it, thinking my needs while drafting with Home Designer will be simple. But of course I'm so new at Home Designer that I don't have any accurate guess as to what I really will need. Then after reading through Calculated Industries (Const. Master) website I decided to spend the extra $20. I absolutely love my Construction Master Pro handheld and the desktop version is an exact duplicate, so the familiar interface will pay off. It may even make me better at using the handheld since I sometimes go long stretches not needing it. The user reviews pushed me over the top. One guy said: "Once you get the hang of using the ten key pad with your right hand and the keyboard with your left (to select feet, inches or other keys) it might be even easier to use than the actual calculator we carry on the job site." Very interesting! And as a nice bonus, the app comes with a built-in "always on top" capability! Treenet I hope you see this! Please don't go to the trouble on my account. I'm pretty good at using Windows Alt-Tab to switch between apps anyway, to the point where I'm not entirely sure having the calculator taking up desktop will be a plus for me. But it's sure nice to have the option! Thank you both for providing two price options. I hope others will find this useful. My best to you all, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Mick, I was being very sarcastic. I have trouble with Chief Inc. taking time to introduce a lone calculator over an internal construction calculator or a decent internal notepad not to mention a gadzillion other functions that would be far more beneficial. Just me popping off..... Sorry Max didn't catch that yeah I think it is pretty ironic someone spent time to do that addon but a basic feet/inch calculator is missing. I understand no Notepad since it is easy to copy paste as normal from any window's program, be good to keep all the info together though. M. Ps go up to your username at the Top right ,click, choose My Settings>signature>edit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBaldus Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 I was admittedly being tongue in cheek as my point was that I had anticipated your calculator request before you posted. I have a strange and very dry sense of humor so don't pay any attention to me. I did not intend to appear that I was soliciting anything, I had the utility which was doing nothing and thought it might be useful. The only thing I was not sure of is if it would run on Windows 7 or 8 and that I would need to test. That's it. I see that others found you something else which works too. Great! Ha! He's a comic in his own mind... I will still pay attention to you And no, I took no inference of you soliciting at all. I took it as what it was: an earnest offering of help. Thank you! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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