Chief Architect X1



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Toolbars

Using the toolbar buttons is the fastest, easiest way to access many program features. You can move the toolbars, customize them by adding or removing buttons, or create your own toolbars from scratch. "Toolbar Customization Dialog".

The toolbars that display in a given view depend on the view type. For example, toolbars that control camera position display in 3D views but not in floor plan view.

When you pass the pointer over a toolbar button, a "tool tip" displays the name of the tool. When you see one of these tool tips, press F1 to get more information about that item. A more detailed description displays in the status bar at the bottom of the window.

Parent and Child Tools

Parent toolbar buttons have a blue triangle in the lower right corner. When you select a parent button, child tools display. For example, click the Window Tools parent button to display its child buttons to the right.

Drop Down Tools

An alternative to the Parent - Child toolbar interface is Drop Down tools. Click on the arrow to the right of a button to display a drop-down list of related child tools.

You can select either Parent - Child or Drop Down tools in the Preferences dialog. See "Appearance Panel".

Toolbar Configurations

Toolbar configurations are sets of toolbars that are organized for certain tasks.

There are eight toolbar configurations in Chief Architect. Each can be accessed in the Toolbar Customization dialog by right-clicking on a toolbar button, or by clicking a button:

The Default Configuration displays a selection of architectural, file management and display settings tools.

The Terrain Configuration displays a selection of terrain, file management and display setting tools.

The Space Planning Configuration displays a selection of file management and display setting tools, as well as the House Wizard tools.

The Drafting Configuration displays a selection of file management, display settings, annotation and other documentation tools.

The Administration Configuration displays a selection of project management, file management and display setting tools.

The CAD Configuration displays a selection of CAD, file management and display setting tools.

The 800x600 Configuration displays toolbars suitably sized for monitors set at 800x600 screen resolution.

The All Tools Configuration displays an expanded selection of architectural, terrain, file managment and display setting tools.

Customizable Toolbars

Since the work you are doing determines the tools you need, Chief Architect allows you to tailor toolbars to suit your own needs. You can store various toolbar configurations for future use. For more information about customizing toolbars, see "Toolbar Customization Dialog".

You can add toolbars to each configuration using the Toolbar Customization dialog while that configuration is active.

The Edit Toolbar

When you select an object, its edit toolbar appears, typically at the bottom of the program window, just above the status bar. The edit toolbar displays toolbar buttons that can be used to edit the selected object or objects. Which buttons display depends on the type of object selected, the current view, and how you selected the object.

The edit toolbar buttons are the same as the options in the contextual menu when you right-click on an object.

Shortcut Keys

Many commands can be invoked from the keyboard. Press Alt on your keyboard and press the underlined letter in a menu name to access that menu.

Some of the function keys also invoke commands. For example, F12 rebuilds walls, floors, and ceilings.

For more information on menu items, toolbar buttons, and shortcut keys, see "Menus and Toolbar Buttons".


Chief Architect
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