Help Database

You can quickly create a custom curved roof for your structure by drawing and then editing a roof plane. 


To create a barrel roof

1. Open the plan in which you would like to create a barrel roof or select File> New Plan  from the menu.  In this example a simple 20' x 30' building is used.
   
   
   
2. Select Build> Roof> Roof Plane  from the menu, then draw a single roof plane over your structure.
    
   
   • Click and drag along one of the exterior walls on which the roof will rest to create a roof baseline.
     
     
   • Release the mouse and click anywhere in the middle of the room to set the ridgetop of the roof plane.
     
     
   • The roof plane will display as a dashed, green rectangle.
     
     
     
     
     
3. Using the Select Objects  tool, click one time on the roof plane near one of its edges to select it and display its edit handles.
   
   
   • Use the side edit handles to resize the plane so that it completely encompasses the area over which you would like the barrel roof.
     
     
     
     
     
   • Dimensions can also be used to accurately locate roof overhangs.
     
     
     
     
     
4. When the roof plane is appropriately sized, select it and click on the Open Object  edit button to open the Roof Plane Specification dialog.  On the General tab: 
   
   
   
   
   • Click the radio button beside Baseline to lock this value. 
     
     
   • Specify the Pitch as 0.  
     
     
   • The Ridge/Top, Baseline, and Fascia Top heights will now all be the same.
     
     
     
5. In the Curved Roof section in the lower portion of the General tab, check the box beside Curved Roof.  
   
   
   • The maximum Angle at value is 89° (or -89°), which produces a true half-barrel roof.  To achieve this, specify a small Radius to roof surface value such as 1, then press the Tab key.  The program will apply the smallest possible radius value for this roof.
     
     
     
     
   • To lessen the pitch of the curved roof at the eaves increase the Radius to roof surface value.
     
      
     
     
   • When you are satisfied with the settings for your barrel roof, click the OK button to close the dialog and apply your settings. 
     
     
   • You may find it helpful to adjust these settings more than once.  
     
     
     
6. To see the results, select 3D> Create Perspective View> Full Overview  from the menu.
   
   In Chief Architect X1 and prior, use 3D> Create Render View> Render Full Overview.