Chief Architect Help Database - Article Number:  473

How to Change the Way Objects Look in Floor Plan View

The information in this article applies to:
  • Chief Architect X5
  • Chief Architect X4
  • Chief Architect X3
  • Chief Architect X2
  • Chief Architect X1
QUESTION

I would like to change the colors used in plan view for a variety of objects - for example, cabinets, doors, electrical items and dimension lines. How do I do this?

ANSWER

In Chief Architect, you can change the both the line color and the line style used to represent nearly all objects in floor plan view - including walls, floors, furniture and many other objects.  Line color and style can be changed for an entire category of objects, organized by layer in the program, or for individual objects.


To change the display of a layer

  1. Select Tools> Display Settings> Display Options  from the menu.


  2. In the Layer Display Options dialog: 



    • Click on a layer to select it.

    • In the Properties for section at the bottom of the dialog, select the desired Color and Style for the lines representing all objects on this layer.

    • If you would like your changes to affect all layer sets, check the box beside Modify All Layer Sets.

    • Click OK to close the dialog and apply your changes.

 

 

  Warning: Modify All Layer Sets is a state rather than an action, which means that it will remain checked until you uncheck it again.

To avoid making unintentional changes to all layers sets later on, it is strongly recommended that you immediately open the Layer Display Options dialog and uncheck this box after your changes are made.



 

To change the display of a single object

  1. With the Select Objects  tool active, click on an object that you would like to modify the 2D display of to select it.


  2. Click the Open Object  edit button to open the object's specification dialog.


  3. On the Line Style tab of the specification dialog:



    • Click the color bar and select the desired Line Color in the Color Chooser dialog.

    • Select a Line Style from the drop-down list.

    • You can also select a Line Weight which will display when Show Line Weights  is turned on as well as when printed.


  4. Some objects, such as walls, doors, and windows do not have a Line Style tab.  Instead, you can place individual objects on any layer that you need to on the Layer tab of the specification dialog.


  5. A number of objects also have a Fill Style tab in both their defaults and specification dialogs.




    • Select a Fill Pattern from the drop-down list.

    • Specify the pattern's Spacing, Angle, and Line Weight.

    • Choose a Color for the pattern lines and specify whether it has a Transparent Fill.


MORE INFORMATION

To learn more about layer sets, see article 765 in this database: How to use Layer Sets in Chief Architect 10.0 or, for Version X1, article 799: see How to use Layer Set Defaults.


Last updated on: Mar 29, 2013


The Chief Architect support team has compiled a list of articles with common questions and answers.


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