Help Database

A symbol's orientation, origin, and other characteristics can be adjusted in its Symbol Specification dialog. 

In this example, we will change the rotation of a hand tool symbol that ordinarily sits on a table or countertop, so that it stands upright and can be displayed on a vertical pegboard.  To do this, we will create a new folder in the Library Browser, copy and paste a 3D symbol into that folder, and then adjust this symbol's settings.

To copy and paste a symbol into a new library folder

1. Launch Chief Architect and Open  the plan in which you would like to edit a symbol's rotation.
   
   
   
2. Next, select Library> Library Browser  to display the Chief Architect Library Browser.
   
   
   
3. Right-click on the User Catalog and select New> Folder.
   
   
   
   
   
   • In Chief Architect X3, right-click on My Library.
     
     
   • In Chief Architect X2, right click on User Libraries.
     
     
     
4. Type a short, descriptive name for the newly created folder. For the purposes of this example, we called the folder "Shop Hand Tools".
   
   
   
5. Next, browse through the Chief Architect Libraries folder, locate the item that you want to create a copy of, right click on it, and select Copy.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Once copied, scroll back down to your Shop Hand Tools folder in User Libraries, right click on it, and select Paste
   
   
   
   
   
   

To edit a symbol in an unlocked library

We can see that the newly pasted object has the same name as the original, and now we are ready to make changes to just that symbol.

1. Right-click on the pasted copy of the object in your User Catalog and select Open from the contextual menu.
   
   
   
   
   
2. On the 3D tab of the Symbol Specification dialog:  
   
   
    
   
   • Move the radio button under Rotation to X.
     
     
   • Specify the degree of whidh you want to rotate. In this example we use 90 degrees.
     
     
   •  Click on the Rotate + button.
     
     
     
3. Also on the 3D tab, place a checkmark next to Specify Origin, and set the X, Y and Z values to 0".
   
   
   
   
   
   

To update a symbol's 2D CAD block

Now that we have adjusted the orientation of our 3D symbol, we are ready to adjust the display of this object in 2D as well.

1. With the Symbol Specification dialog still open, select the 2D Block tab.
   
   
   
2. Click on the Generate Block button to automatically generate a CAD block based on an overhead projection of the selected symbol.
   
   
   
   
   

   Note: In the Symbol Specification dialog, you can also choose how this object is placed in the plan on the Options tab, its Materials on the Materials tab, and it's Sizing.

   While in this dialog, click on the Help button for more detailed information on the data contained in this dialog.

   
   
   
3. Once you have completed making changes in this dialog, click OK to apply them to the object in the Library Browser.
   
   
   
4. Since we have made changes to this object, let's right click on it and select Rename.  To distinguish it from the original symbol, we can rename this object "Claw Hammer Upright".
   
   
   
   
   
5. Now, select the object, and click in your plan view to place the rotated symbol.