The Great Missing Downspout Conspiracy

[Rich Winsor]

The concept seemed simple enough; add some downspouts to the gutters that the software generates when it builds the roof planes. With this in mind off I go to the library to see what is available in the way of downspouts. Well, it turns out that there are no downspouts to be had in the installed core catalogs. No big deal, now I’m off to the website to check out the bonus catalogs. There I find a category for “water supply & drainage” that has a minimal collection of downspouts, elbows and offsets among other things. I download the file to my bonus catalog folder in the library and set about building a downspout on one end of my gutter. After about four hours of wheedling and cajoling and numerous invective laden outbursts I was finally able to coax the downspout shown in image #1 out of the software. But alas, it was a Pyrrhic victory. When I rotated around the corner of the building to check out the downspout from the side view the upper offset has a bulge in it that looks like a python that just ate a pig (see image #2). There is no apparent way to correct this bulge with the limited number of editing options for the offset. Not to be daunted I hied it back to the website to check out the sample and user galleries to see how other users had tackled the downspout problem. Imagine my dismay when I was unable to find even one instance where downspouts had been included in the offered renderings. Is drawing a downspout such a hassle that everyone has decided to forgo the thankless task completely?

[David J. Potter]

Rich,

As a professional 3D modler, draftsperson, Architectural Designer for the last 35 years (twenty years using Chief Architect Premier-Home Designer), no clients have asked me to add or model downspouts as part of my construction documentation or presentation renderings.
Be that as it may I too have experienced similar exsperations when I added them. That being said, when you find an instance of poor performance the thing to do is to report it to Chief Architect Tech support. When they are aware of a problem and can duplicate it, they can and will address the problem.

Chief Premier offers greater tools and choices across the board, in other words, I have numerous additional 3D symbols of downspouts to choose from and additional features (edit choices) to address non-optimum symbol performance. Home Designer software titles do not include these choices.

You can check out what is available at Trimble 3D Warehouse in terms of downspouts to see if perhaps you can find something better there or you can download and learn how to create your own custom downspouts using Sketch Up for import and use in Home Designer. It is up to you.

DJP

[Rich Winsor]

Well, it’s amazing the effect a good night’s sleep and a long, brisk morning bike ride can have on clearing the mind and improving one’s performance at the keyboard. In about 5 minutes I was able to tweak the downspout’s path so that it now displays correctly in 3D view (see image). And although it is not the exact path that I was striving for (as I am trying to faithfully recreate an existing structure) it is for now the best I can do with the resources at hand. I don’t think the issue was poor performance as much as it was a case of asking more performance than the library item was capable of or designed to deliver.

David, as usual you are the voice of reason. However I must admit I am surprised by your revelations concerning apparent industry ambivalence toward downspouts. One would think getting the water efficiently off the roof planes and away from the building structure would be of prime importance to any successful building project. But I digress.

PS. It’s somehow comforting to know that others have struggled with the same task.

[Vikki_WA]

Try this one:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...2&prevstart=96

[Rich Winsor]

Thanks Vikki. Although I added it to my library, I think for now I will stick with my present version. While not perfect, it does bear a close resemblance to the downspouts I am attempting to emulate.