Chief Architect Help Database - Article Number: 609
How to Create an Accent Wall
The information in this article applies to:- Chief Architect X5
- Chief Architect X4
- Chief Architect X3
- Chief Architect X2
- Chief Architect X1
I would like to apply different materials to parts of the walls in my plan. How can I do this?
If you wish to create an accent wall by applying a material to a single wall, specify the desired material in its Wall Specification dialog.
If you wish to apply the material to only a section of a wall rather than its entire length, then you will need to break the wall into two or more segments first. This applies to both exterior and interior wall surfaces; however, if you wish to apply a different material to an exterior wall surface, the best approach will be to use a different wall type, since different siding materials typically have different thicknesses.
To apply a material to a section of wall
- Identify the specific wall segment to which you would like to apply a unique material, then select Build> Wall> Break Wall
from the menu.
- With the Break Wall
This will add a wall break to each side of the wall section, separating that segment from the rest of the wall. - Using the Select Objects
tool, click on the wall segment to select it, then click the Open Object
edit button.
- On the Materials tab of the Wall Specification dialog:
- Click on either Exterior Wall Surface or Interior Wall Surface, depending on which you want to change, then click the Library Material button.
- In the Select Library Object dialog, browse the Materials library category to find a material that suits your needs for the selected wall segment.
- Click on the desired material to select it, then click OK to close the dialog and return to the Wall Specification dialog.
- Click OK to close the Wall Specification dialog and apply your change.
- Click on either Exterior Wall Surface or Interior Wall Surface, depending on which you want to change, then click the Library Material button.
- To see the results, select 3D> Create Perspective View> Full Camera
from the menu, then click and drag a camera arrow pointed at the wall surface that was modified.
In Chief Architect X1 and prior, use 3D> Create Render View> Render Full Camera.
In Chief Architect, there are several ways to select the material or materials that display on a wall. It is very helpful to understand that some of these ways override others in a predictable way.
- When a new wall is drawn in a plan, the materials that display on its surfaces are determined by the type of wall being drawn.
These materials are specified in the Wall Type Definitions dialog.
To learn how to create a new wall type, see article #716 in this database How to create a new wall type. - Wall materials can be changed on a room-by-room basis.
When wall materials are changed in a particular room, the default material specified in the Wall Type Definitions dialog is overridden in that room only.
Wall materials for a room can be selected on the Materials tab of the Room Specification dialog or using the Material Painterin a 3D view of the room.
This applies to both interior and exterior wall surfaces, as Chief Architect creates an exterior room around each floor of your plan specifically for the purpose of applying wall materials. - The wall materials of an individual room can also be overridden on a wall-by-wall basis on the Materials tab of the Wall Specification dialog.
If you want the wall to display the default material as specified for the wall type, and that material is being overridden by a room wall material, select the actual material rather than "Default", because "Default" will continue to be overridden.
If you want to create a pony wall, it's important that the default Wall Type materials not be overridden by either room or individual wall specifications. - You can use the Wall Covering tab of either a room, or an individual wall, to display differenet materials horizontally in a room, or on an individual wall surface.
To learn how to apply materials to a horizontal section of a wall, see article #655: How to add wallpaper to a room.
Last updated on: Mar 29, 2013
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