30 replies to this topic

[Joseph Smith]

Softplan needs to find a solution to this ongoing rounding problem, the ability to change to text and round is great at each dimension.  How about something built into all these options we now have; System, Project or Drawing to do the rounding automatically.  1/32 is stupidity in home construction, not to mention it makes the designer look like an idiot for showing 1/32 or 1/16.

 

 

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[Keith Almond]

Agreed.

 

My only stipulation is that the rounded dimensions all add up to the total dimension. I've seen quite a few rounded AutoCAD dimensions where the total and the individual items don't add up to the same thing, and that's really stupid.

[Rick Kingsbury]

Agreed. Keith is correct about the dimensions adding up.

[Brad Graber]

i think they should by dynamic in their rounding and not "dumbed down" to text.  i have cried about this since I first bought into version 12 to no avail.  It's about the easiest way to make a mistake and If they could only fix this would take a lot of worry out of the process.  It seems like every house has at least a few 45 degree walls in it and then here come the 32nd's.  

At one time I offered to buy two upgrades the next time around if they fixed it.  

[Mark Petri]

Agreed with all the comments! It makes no sense to measure 32nds of an inch in the field.

[Joseph Smith]

OK sounds like there is more work on the SP development end to take care of this.  I just consulted YouTube and found other software you can simply change the dimension & angle precision.  As an end user this is the simplicity i'm looking for.

[Greg Cherry]

I used Generic Cad a very long time ago and it had a setting called orthosnap way back then that automatically rounded correctly. no 1/8" or 1/32" to worry about. I talked to a SoftPlan Rep a while ago and they were proud of the precision down to the 1/32". I explained to him that a carpenters pencil was 1/8" so why does it matter we can get 1/32" "precision" He wasn't amused. That was as far as it went.

[Ron Sirolli]

I AM WORKING WITH A SET OF PLANS THAT WHERE DRAW WITH AUTOCAD I AM NOT HAPPY THE HAVE 1/16-3/32 EVEN ON THE SIZE OF THE ROOMS

IT IS STUPID THESE ARCHITECTS  SHOULD BE IN THE FIELD FOR 3 YEARS TO NO WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD THE DIMENISION TO

THE CENTER OF THE WALLS THATS IS A NIGHT MARE THAT IS TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT

[Brad Graber]

The response I have always received is that Softplan is proud of the 32nd precision.  While that is great to have such precision, we need the dims to at very least show a rounded dimension and stay dynamic i.e. continue to update automatically when walls are moved.  The technology is already there because there is a box in the edit dimension to change the dimensions to inches and it does stay dynamic at that point.  Ideally for me would be to have a system/project/drawing option setting that we could set that would have the dimension show a rounded dimension of 1/8" or 1/16..... etc. whatever we choose.  Maybe have the real 32nd dimension displayed as a ghosted dimension if softplan wants to keep the precision.  But even that I would recommend being able to turn off so the drawings do not get too messy visually for us draftsmen.

I would love to see this topic get some wheels under it.  I have tried for years to no avail.  

[Daniel Zanoli]

You should try and build off that cartoon...4" walls, 5" walls,  and extensions on the exterior being pulled from the make believe brick that's not out in the field till after its been built. The entire print is all wrong. Every interior number is incorrect.

I'm getting ready right now to go out and try and break the code of this disgusting piece of garbage were trying to build off right now. No really... every number is wrong on this print except the dimensions between the openings. 

[Timothy Dahlstrom]

Let me add my agreement to the long list of "builders" who are tired of seeing ridiculous precision.  Having worked many years with Solidworks, AutoCad, OnShape, etc., control of precision and tolerance is always the function of the designer, not the software.  I used to always harp on the engineers who would default their drawings to .001" precision because they were too lazy to think about what precision was actually required and what increased precision costs.

 

For those of us who understand where 1/4" is fine and where 1/32" in required, let us make that decision.

[Daniel Zanoli]

I stand corrected...after breaking the Divinchi code on this last print we built off.. Even the dimensions between the windows were wrong. I was being nice and tried to give someone some credit.  all the numbers were wrong. After fixing the interior walls,  4" walls and 5" walls. The windows no longer were in the center of the rooms. Had to fix them all.  Why someone would call out a interior wall the wrong width is totally beyond me.. 2x4s are 3.5" wide..2x6s are 5.5" wide and they don't come with drywall attached. Theres no brick out there until after the buildings built.  Exterior dimensions are stud to stud.  Softplan ships with the walls being called out correctly.   Leave it alone        HAD A ROUGH DAY OUT THERE TODAY FIXING HEADERS IN EXTERIOR WALLS.  Kitchen cabs are in incraments of 3.  If you draw a kitchen with a 4" wall and drywall  what is the real number?  Buy the time you get to the other end of the print every room size has changed, and all your exterior windows are off center by an inch or so. 

[Tom Rogers]

What does Covey say? "First seek to understand.  Then to be understood." 

 

I refer back to this every time I think I should customize everything for my liking. :-)  

[Daniel Zanoli]

I had to look that one up.   

[MELINDA ROBERTS]

I agree with this 100%. My contractor and engineer think I'm bonkers. I keep telling them it's the software - they always follow with a look of exasperation. If these dimensions would round to 1/8" instead of 1/32", dimension strings would add up just fine and I wouldn't be the most hated drafter in the world.

[Kevin Rabenaldt]

In response to Ron.  Everyone has their way of doing things.  I dimension interior walls to center of stud and exterior walls to outside edge. Have done this for 20 years.  I only recently have had a builder wanting all measurement to edge of stud.  But you do need to design with the way you want it.  Converting a plan drawn on center to stud to edge of stud created a lot fractions.  Going the other way does the same.   I asked various framers through the years that said center to stud was fine with them.  So maybe to edge of stud depends on where in the country are in and what they are used to.  I see advantages and disadvantages to both.

 

Kevin

[Timothy Byrnes]

I keep adjusting walls until I have a round number. It is very, very rare when I cannot come to a solution. If memory serves me right, only one time have I not been able to get number to ¼" or bigger. I just keep playing with the walls in all directions that make a change in the area I am concerned about.

[Dennis Hilborn]

I keep adjusting walls until I have a round number. It is very, very rare when I cannot come to a solution. If memory serves me right, only one time have I not been able to get number to ¼" or bigger. I just keep playing with the walls in all directions that make a change in the area I am concerned about.

But, should you really have to "play" with the walls to get the dimensions to work out right.  How much time and energy are you wasting. 

You should be able to set the precision you want and the software should work that way.  Autocad worked that way for 25 years for me. 

[Keith Almond]

No matter how much you play with them, if you have 45° walls, you are going to get a stupid dimension somewhere, if you actually add ALL the required dimensions. Sometimes you can avoid it by not showing the 45° dimensions, and just use horizontal and verticals However, ALL dimensions in a standard rectangular building are easily edited. 

[Brad Graber]

Good to see this continue to get attention.  This has been one of my biggest requests to fix since I started on softplan 10 years ago.