Build Roof Dialog

To open the Build Roof dialog, select Build> Roof> Build Roof.

You can also double-click the Roof Tools button or the Roof Plane button.

Use the Build Roof dialog to automatically produce roof planes and roof plane baselines. It also contains initial settings for manually drawn roof planes.

Build Tab

Rebuild Walls/Floors/Ceilings - Check this to construct the floor and ceiling platforms of your model. It is independent of Build Roof Planes.

Build Roof Planes - Check this to build a new roof structure over the entire model. Unless you specify otherwise, the program discards the existing roof planes and produces new ones.

Make Roof Baseline Polylines - Check this to delete any existing roof and to create roof plane baselines (based on the exterior wall layout and roof information defined in those walls). Roof baselines can then be edited like CAD polylines to customize the roof plan. See "Roof Baseline Polylines".

Use Existing Roof Baselines - Check this to produce a roof plan based on your edited roof plane baselines instead of the exterior wall layout. See "Roof Baseline Polylines".

Build Fascia, Gutters, Frieze - Check this to regenerate fascia, gutters, and frieze boards. This option also controls the generation of automatic roof returns. If you have edited roof planes, you may need to select this option to clean up them up. This function is automatically invoked after you manually edit roof planes or draw new roof planes if Auto Rebuild Walls/Floors/Ceilings is checked on the Options tab of the 3D Settings dialog.

Gutters, fascia, and frieze boards display in 3D views and the material list. If you do not want gutters built, open the Build Roof dialog, select Build Fascia, Gutters, Frieze and then uncheck Gutters on the Options tab. The fascia and frieze is rebuilt, but not the gutters. Any existing gutters are deleted.

To delete a gutter for a specific roof plane, select the roof plane. Click the Open Object edit button to display the Roof Plane Specification dialog. Clear Gutters and click OK.

The next time Build Fascia, Gutters, Frieze is selected, the gutter does not display. If you delete a roof plane, the gutter remains in 3D views until you rebuild fascia and gutters.

Allow Low Roof Planes - This should nearly always be checked. If unchecked, the roof plan underside (soffitt) may not generate correctly. The only case where you may need to uncheck it is the rare circumstance when an upper floor overhangs roof planes below.

Pitch - Enter a value to describe the pitch in a ratio over 12. This affects all newly built roof planes. It does not update existing roof planes. For a conversion to degrees, see "Roof Pitches in Degrees".

Roof Overhang - The overhang is measured from the exterior main layer wall surface horizontally to the end of the top of the rafter. It does not include frieze thickness, gutters, sheathing or siding.

Normal is the overhang at the eaves. This is always the overhang for a roof plane having the default Pitch specified above. If the pitch for a particular roof plane is set differently in an exterior wall, its overhang may try to maintain its fascia at the same height. Overhang can be greater for a shallower pitch, lesser for a greater pitch.

Gable is the overhang dimension at gable ends or rake walls.

These values function as the default Overhang for all automatically generated roof planes. You can override the default overhang for a specific roof plane in the Wall Specification dialog. See "Wall Specification Dialog".

Auto Rebuild Roofs - If you check this option, the program automatically rebuilds the roof if you make a change that affects the generation of roofs.

Lock Roof Planes to lock the existing roof plan. This prevents accidental selection Build Roof Planes, resulting in the loss of manual editing.

When Lock Roof Planes is selected, roofs cannot be automatically generated. You must clear Lock Roof Planes before you can select Build Roof Planes.

Checking Lock Roof Planes automatically locks the roof planes layer in the Layer Display Options dialog.

Check Retain Manually Drawn Roof Planes and/or Retain Edited Roof Planes to retain manually drawn and/or edited roof planes, including roof planes over exploded dormers, when the roof planes are automatically generated. They are not deleted, but automatic roof planes may be superimposed on the same area. Select the redundant roof planes and delete them.

Once a roof is correct, do not build roof planes again. From that point forward, only Build Walls/Floors/Ceilings, and perhaps Fascia, Gutters, Frieze to keep the plan updated.

Ignore Top Floor - Check this to ignore the top floor when roofs are automatically generated. Roofs are generated as if the floor were attic having no permanent walls. This is most useful in producing a roof for a house that has only dormers for its top floor windows, such as a cape style house.

Check Trusses to have the roof raised so that the bottom edge of the truss top chord (rafter) is flush with the top of the wall. You must Build Roof Planes after checking Trusses for this change to take effect.

When Trusses is checked, the size of the roof rafter framing is the Top Chord size from the Trusses tab in the Framing dialog.

When Trusses is cleared, the size of the roof framing is the Rafter size from the Roof tab the Framing dialog. If trusses are laid out without selecting the Trusses box, the roof uses the rafter size instead. The "Incorrect" diagram shows this problem.

Raise Off Plate - Enter a positive value in this field to produce the trusses with an energy heel to allow for more insulation. The dimension is measured from the top plate up the outside main layer of the wall to the bottom side of the top chord.

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Same Roof Height at External Walls - When you change the pitch of a roof, it pivots on the baseline at the outer surface of the wall. This means that if you have a plan with roof pitches that vary, you must choose between having the same roof height over the top plate or having the same overhang all around.

Check Same Roof Height at External Walls to keep the walls the same height and change the amount of overhang. It ignores any overhang values you entered on the Roof tab of the Wall Specification dialog.

Uncheck this option to allow some roof planes to raise off the plate. All overahngs are then the same unless they are set to the value entered in the Roof Tab of the Wall Specification dialog.

Same Height Eaves - The eave edges of an independent roof plane meet gables at both ends, or they are part of a set of adjacent roof planes with the same pitch that meet gables at both ends. In order to have the correct overhang and the correct height over the plate, the vertical distance between the eave edge and the top plate can vary for these planes.

Check Same height Eaves to keep this vertical distance the same for all roof planes, independent or not. This only affects independent roof planes. Other planes will all have the same eave to plate top vertical distance.

Segment Angle at Curved Wall - Enter the maximum angle for a roof segement that covers a curved wall. This value is only used when roofs are automatically generated. A smaller angle produces more roof planes.

Min. Alcove - Specify the minimum width of an alcove (depression into an otherwise straight exterior wall). Any alcove less than the specified width is treated as though the exterior wall continues straight across. Alcoves that measure wider than this value are not roofed over; they cause a change in roof planes.

Following is an example showing this difference. If Min Alcove is 36", a 36" wide alcove requires a change in the roof line. Each wall of the alcove has an eave. On the right, the alcove is less than the 36" minimum, so the roof passes right over it.

Click the Num Style button to change the way numbers display in the dialog. Changes made here do not affect the plan.

Options Tab

Show all ridges - Select the check box to display a line along all ridges and valleys in elevations and vector 3D views. This includes the hip ridges between roof planes forming the conical roof above a curved wall.

Boxed eaves - Select the check box if you want to create horizontal soffits at the eaves. You can also change this for an individual roof plane in the Roof Plane Specification dialog.

Square Cut or Plumb Cut - Select either option to determine how the rafter tails are cut. This change displays only after you have rebuilt roofs. Individual roof planes can have this defined in their own Roof Plane Specification dialog.

Fascia Width (at gable or rake walls), Eave Fascia Width - Enter values to define the width of the material that displays in 3D views. This value does not go to the Material List.

This section defines whether or not these items are calculated for the material list. Selecting the check box does not control the display in 3D except for Gutters.

Gutter Tab

Click the Select button to open the Library Browser to the Moldings and Profiles library and select a gutter profile.

Click Default to use the default gutter profile.

Set the Height, Width, and Offset from the top of the fascia for the gutter.

Select From Top or From Bottom to specify whether the Offset is measured from the top or bottom of the gutter profile. See "Moldings Tab".

Frieze Tab

Click the drop-down list to select from the moldings used in the current plan.

Click the Add New button to select a new molding profile from the Library Browser.

Click the Select button to replace the current molding with another molding from the Library Browser.

Click the Delete button to remove the curent molding.

The current molding profile displays here. Set the Height, Width, and Offset from the top of the fascia for the frieze molding.

Select From Top or From Bottom to specify whether the Offset is measured from the top or bottom of the frieze profile. See "Moldings Tab"

Materials Tab

For information about using the Materials tab, see "Materials Tab".