Chief Architect Help Database - Article Number: 463
How to create and use a plan style template
The information in this article applies to:
Chief Architect X3Chief Architect X2
Chief Archtiect X1
QUESTION
I have a number of different architectural design styles that I often use and would rather not have to set up my default settings every time I begin a new plan that will use one of these styles. How can I do this work once and save it for future use?
EXPLANATION
In Chief Architect, any time you open a new, blank plan, its initial default settings are copied from a template. You can create your own custom template plans to reflect the architectural styles, annotation sets, and materials that you use most often.
Before you begin setting up your style defaults, it's important that you also set up your structural defaults, particularly framing, foundation, roof and wall defaults.
Although not discussed in this article, other settings to consider when creating a template plan are annotation sets, print settings set in the Page Setup dialog, as well as custom layers and layer sets.
ANSWER
To create a new template plan
A template plan is essentially a blank plan with default settings customized to meet a particular set of design needs. There are no special steps needed to save a plan as a template, but you may find it helpful to save all your templates in a particular location, such as a folder in My Documents or in the Chief Architect Templates directory.
- Begin by selecting File> New Plan
from the menu to open a new, blank plan.
- If you have a structural template with settings that you would like to include in your style template, select File> Open Plan
and open it instead.
- You are now ready to specify the default settings appropriate to the style you want to develop.
To set up Floor Defaults
When a template plan is created, only one floor is present, so only the default settings for Floor 1 can be specified. These settings automatically apply to Floor 2 in any plan that uses this template in the future.
- Select Edit> Default Settings
from the menu to open the Default Settings dialog.
- Select Floor and click the Edit button.
- On the General tab of the Floor 1 Defaults dialog, specify the default Ceiling Height for Floor 1.
Note: The default Floor Height for Floor 1 is set at 0" and cannot be changed.
- On the Moldings tab:
- Click the Library button beneath each type of molding that you would like to define.
- In the Select Library Objects dialog, browse to find a molding profile that meets your needs and click OK.
- Specify the Height and the Distance Above Floor for each molding profile.
- When you are satisfied with your selections, click OK.
To set up Wall Defaults
- In the Default Settings dialog:
- Click the + beside Walls.
- Select Wall and click the Edit button.
- In the Wall Defaults dialog, specify the desired wall types that you would like to use whenever the Exterior Wall and Interior Wall tools are used.
- Click the Define button if you would like to create or modify a custom wall type in the Wall Type Definitions dialog.
- In addition to specifying structural aspects of a wall, such as its framing and sheathing, you can specify siding material such as lap siding, shingles or stucco and interior materials including paneling, finished tongue and groove, and sheetrock.
- To learn more about creating custom wall types, see article #716 in this database: How to create a new wall type.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 to define the defaults for upper and lower Pony Walls.
- You can also specify Railing, Deck Railing and Fencing Defaults.
- The Railing, Deck Railing and Fencing Defaults dialogs are similar to the Railing, Newels/Balusters, Layer and Materials tabs of their corresponding specification dialogs.
- A variety of attributes can be specified here, including railing construction, newel and baluster size, style and spacing, and materials.
To set up Door and Window Defaults
- In the Default Settings dialog:
- Click the + beside Door.
- Select Interior Door and click the Edit button.
- In the Interior Door Defaults dialog, specify the type of door you want to place whenever the Hinged Door
tool is used to place a door in an interior wall.
- The Interior Door Defaults dialog is nearly identical to the Door Specification dialog, and allows you to establish a wide variety of attributes for doors, including style, size, hardware, construction, casing, and materials.
- When you are satisfied with your selections, click OK.
- In the Default Settings dialog, select the Exterior Door subheading, click OK, and repeat step 2 to define the type of door you want to place whenever a Hinged Door is placed in an exterior wall.
- In the Default Settings dialog, select Window and click OK.
- In the Window Defaults dialog, specify the type of window that you would like to place using the Window
tool.
- As with door defaults, the Window Defaults dialog allows you to control a range of window attributes, including size, shape, construction, casing, treatments, and materials.
- These settings also affect the component windows in Bay, Box and Bow Windows and in Automatic Dormers.
- When you are satisfied with your selections, click OK.
To set up Cabinet Defaults
- In the Default Settings dialog:
- Click the + beside Cabinets.
- Select Base Cabinet and click the Edit button.
- In the Base Cabinet Defaults dialog, specify the attributes of the base cabinet that you would like to create whenever the Base Cabinet
tool is used.
- As with window and door defaults, the Base Cabinet Defaults dialog is similar to its corresponding specification dialog, the Base Cabinet Specification dialog.
- An extensive range of attributes can be specified, including dimensions, curvature, door and drawer styles, face items, hardware, moldings and materials.
- When you are satisfied with your selections, click OK.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 to establish default settings for Full Height Cabinets, Wall Cabinets, as well as Shelves and Partitions.
To set up defaults for moldings
Trim and moldings can be added to your template plan in a variety of ways.
- Base, crown and chair rail can be applied to the walls of a floor in the Floor Defaults dialog.
- Molding can be placed on cabinets in their corresponding Cabinet Defaults dialog.
- Casing can be selected for doors and windows in their respective defaults dialogs.
If you do not see the style of molding that you need for your architectural style, you can create your own custom molding profiles, add them to the library, and apply them wherever you like in any plan - including template plans.
- For more information about creating custom molding profiles, see article #166 in this database: How to create a custom molding.
To set up material defaults
In some regards, setting up the default materials for the various objects in your plan can be the most time-consuming aspect of creating a template plan, but some time-saving features are available to help you select default materials efficiently.
Often, certain materials are used repeatedly throughout a plan. Wood of a particular type and finish, for example, may be used for molding, window and door casing and cabinetry. When you select this material as a default for one item, and it becomes available in the Plan Materials dialog. Instead of clicking the Library Material button in a given defaults dialog and then browsing the Materials library to find the desired selection, you can find it quickly and easily in the alphabetized Plan Materials list.
The material defaults are specified on the Materials tabs of the defaults dialogs for objects such as doors, windows, cabinets, railings and fencing.
The default materials for walls are specified in the Wall Type Definitions dialog.
The floor materials for categories of rooms, such as kitchens and baths, can be specified in the Room Material Defaults dialogs.
- In the Default Settings dialog, click the + beside Materials, select Room Materials, and click the Edit button.
Some objects, such as stairs, do not have defaults dialogs. You can specify the default materials for their components in the General Material Defaults dialog.
- In the Default Settings dialog, click the + beside Materials, select General Materials, and click the Edit button.
- For an example of how default materials can be specified in the General Material Defaults dialog, see article #459 in this database: How to set up default materials for stairs.
To save and use the completed template
- Select File> Templates> Save Plan as Template
.
- Give the new template a short, descriptive name. Be sure to delete the asterisk (*).This automatically saves the template to the Chief Architect Templates folder.
- To use this template to create a new plan, select File> Templates> New Plan from Template
.
- Select the template from the list and click OK.
To use this template whenever you open a New Plan File
To use the plan as your template whenever you open a New Plan file, specify it as your template in the Preferences dialog.
- Select Edit> Preferences
from the menu to open the Preferences dialog.
- On the New Plans panel of the dialog, click the Browse... button to the right of the Plan Template text field.
- In the Select a Plan Template File dialog, browse to the location of your new template file and click Open to specify this file as your plan template.
- Click OK to close the Preferences dialog and apply your change.
MORE INFORMATION
You can also create custom layout templates, including a border, title block and even your own company logo.
To learn how, see: How to create and use a layout template.
Last updated on: 08-20-2010
