Help Database

There are several ways to create a tray or coffered ceiling in Chief Architect.  Using the Platform Hole tool is among the quickest and easiest.

To begin, launch Chief Architect and either choose to Open  a plan you want to create a tray or coffered ceiling in, or create a new plan by selecting File> New Plan  from the menu.

In this example, we use a single 15' x 20' room with a ceiling height of 97 1/8".

If there is living space located above the tray ceiling in your plan, you may need to specify a lower Finished Ceiling height for the room so there is sufficient room in the floor/ceiling platform for the tray ceiling.

To create a ceiling hole

1. Select Build> Floor> Hole in Ceiling Platform  from the menu.
   
   In Chief Architect X1 and prior, use Build> Structure> Platform Hole. 
   
   
   
2. Click and drag a platform hole polyline in the room where you want to create a tray ceiling.
   
    
   
   *This polyline creates a hole in the default ceiling above this room. 
   
   
   
3. To use the Move Object Using Dimension to precisely position the edges of the platform hole, click on an edge of the polyline, then click on one of the temporary dimensions that display, enter in the exact distance value you want, and press Enter on your keyboard. 
   
   In Chief Architect X1 and prior, the Move Object Using Dimension tool displayed a dialog, instead of in-line text.
   
   In this example, the ceiling hole is 24" from the walls of the room.
   
   
   
4. Next, use edit tools such as Break Line , Fillet Two Lines , Chamfer Two Lines , or Change Line/Arc  to shape the platform hole as needed.
   
   
   
   In this example, we used Chamfer Two Lines to chamfer the four corners using a Chamfer Distance of 24".
   
   
   

To create the sides of the tray ceiling

You can create sides of the tray ceiling using a Molding Polyline.

1. Click on the platform hole to select it, then click the Copy/Paste  edit button.
   
   
   
2. Click in an empty area of floor plan view to place a copy of the platform hole polyline at that location.
   
    
   
   You may receive a warning that, "A floor or ceiling platform hole polyline is placed where the platform height changes, or where no platform exists. Move the hole so it is completely contained within a single platform."
   
   If so, click OK in the Warning dialog.
   
   
   
3. Next, use the Select Objects  tool to click on the copy of the platform hole polyline to select it, then then click the Convert to Plain Polyline  edit button.
   
   This changes the polyline from a platform hole to a plain CAD polyline with no special function.
   
   
   
4. With the polyline still selected, now click the Convert Polyline  edit tool.
   
   
   
5. In the Convert Polyline dialog box, select Molding Polyline and click OK.
   
   
   
   
   
6. In the Molding Polyline Specification dialog box:
   
   
   
   
   • On the General tab, specify the Height of the molding.
     
     In this example, the height of the bottom of the molding is 97 1/8" which, as you recall, is the height of our room in which this molding will be placed.  
     
     
   • On the Moldings tab, click the Add New button and browse the Select Library Object dialog to select a molding profile. 
     
     Also on the Moldings tab, specify the Height and Width of the molding, the Offset, and be sure that the box beside Inside is checked so that the molding profile faces the inside of the polyline.
     
     
   • Click OK to close the dialog box and apply your specifications to the molding polyline.
     
     
     
7. Click on the molding polyline to select it and use the Move  edit handle which displays at its center to move the polyline into the same location as the platform hole inside the room.
   
   
   
   *The platform hole and molding polyline are at the same location.  
   
   
   

To create the upper ceiling

1. Select Build> Roof> Ceiling Plane  from the menu. 
   
   Creating a ceiling plane is similar to manually creating a roof plane: Click and drag to create the ceiling plane baseline, then release the mouse button.
   
   Click once to establish the location of the ceiling plane ridge.
   
   
   
   *The ceiling plane displays with dashed pink lines. It was drawn larger than the platform hole.
   
   
   
2. With the ceiling plane selected, click the Open Object  edit button to open the Ceiling Plane Specification dialog box: 
   
   
   
   
   • Set the pitch to 0 to create a flat ceiling.
     
     
   • Click the radio button beside the Pitch to lock it.
     
     
   • Raise the height of either the Bottom at Ridge or Inside Bottom.
     
     In this example, the upper ceiling is 12 inches above the lower ceiling, so its height is specified at 109 1/8".
     
     
   • Uncheck the box next to Use Ceiling Room Finish
      
   • Click OK to close the dialog box.
     
     
     
3. Use the ceiling plane's edit handles to reshape the ceiling so that it is the same shape as the platform hole.
   
   Use the Break Line  edit tool as needed to add edges to the ceiling plane.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Select 3D> Create Perspective View> Full Camera  and click and drag out a view in the room to see your tray ceiling in 3D.
   
   In Chief Architect X1 and prior, use the 3D> Create Render View> Render Full Camera.