Chief Architect Sample house plan designed in a Southwest style with modern elements and exposed framing. Play

Chief Architect X16

There are many great new features in Chief Architect X16—Mac ray tracing, 3D dimensions, poche fill, newel spacing for decks, and more. Watch the new features summary videos or see our detailed new features list (PDF) to learn how the new tools in X16 can benefit you!

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Chief Architect X16
New Features Summary

X16 New Features (PDF)
3D house framing render with 3D plumbing HVAC, callouts to new productivity software features for undo history, find and search tools.

Productivity Features
  • An action history list is available to undo several actions without clicking undo for each event individually
  • Automatic numbering has been added for construction lines. In the construction line defaults, is a new option to include automatic ordering and the rules for these lines
  • The reflect about tool works on angled centers — such as copying a window or cabinet and reflecting it to the adjacent wall
  • A find tool locates objects on layers from the active layer display options. The program will search plan views, CAD details and your default settings
  • A concentric resize tool is available for polyline-based objects to quickly set a jump amount and concentrically resize
  • 2D & 3D molding polylines are combined into a single object. There is no more distinction if you draw a polyline in an elevation or a plan view
  • For 3D views, you can quickly toggle on / off hand drawn lines on your renderings using a hotkey
  • Chief Architect has a lot of tools and finding where these tools are located is now easier with a new tool search bar
Render of deck cut away to show framing and 3D dimensions. New building and construction features call out controls for beams, posts and railings.

Building &
Construction Features
  • The build framing dialog has been simplified by moving the framing defaults to a separate view
  • Framing for openings now has an option for flat headers, like for interior doors when a full header may not be required for non‑bearing walls
  • Roof truss framing direction line to control the automatic direction for trusses
  • Manually position & dimension railing newels
  • Deck and interior railing wall newel spacing can be defined from start, end, centered between ends, manually, or automatically spaced. Newels can be repositioned within the railing
  • Added control for deck posts & beams. For beams, specify the count and position. Deck posts can be aligned with the beam's center, exterior or interior edge
  • Add stairs to library—if you have customized stairs and ramps and want to reuse them on future projects, you can add them to the library
  • For cabinet doors and drawers, define the panel's thickness
  • Space planning has been updated to improve bubble diagramming for design layout. Room boxes have polyline editing, allowing you to add breaks and change the room's shape
Image of primary bedroom with stained glass windows and vaulted ceiling. New presentation features called out for Mac ray tracing, 3D dimensions and lighting.

Presentation Features
  • Mac real‑time ray tracing. Physically based GPU ray tracing is now available for Mac computers that meet Chief Architect's system requirements
  • Path tracing exposed for PBR ray tracing—settings that simulate light transport throughout a scene using physically based principles for more realistic renderings
  • Emissive Materials—produce light in GPU ray trace views—known as area lights. Now fireplaces, TV screens, light bulb glass, and vertical rope lights will contribute light based on the emissive value
  • High dynamic range backdrops. HDR backdrops are spherical and contribute environment lighting effects to both 3D scenes and material previews
  • Light can pass through translucent materials such as curtains, glass, leaves, and other materials in PBR ray trace views
  • 3D Dimensions—dimensions can now be created in 3D Views. Automatic dimensions for interior, exterior, and story pole work similar to the way they work in plan views and elevations
3D house cut away to reveal the interior, drafting and project management software features called out for room schedules, CAD details and layers.

Drafting & Project Management Features
  • Poche fill has been added for walls and platforms. This includes wall tops in plan views and in other views—poche for walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs
  • CAD details can be copied between plans, making it easy to transfer details from one project to another
  • Individual components that make up a wall assembly can be assigned to specific layers for control in 2D, 3D, and material list views
  • Schedules can include objects from multiple rooms
  • Add schedules to the library for windows, cabinets, fixtures and more—storing custom schedules in the library makes it easy to share with others or reuse on future projects
  • Dimension leader lines can be created for dimensions that don't fit between extension lines