Creating a Transom and Side Lites for a Door

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

I would like to add a transom and side lites to a door in my plan.  How do I do this?

ANSWER

In Chief Architect, a selection of entryways with transoms and side lites can be found in the Doorways library category.  If you do not find a doorway that suits your needs in the library, you can create one yourself using the Door Tools. 

To create a door with side lites

1. Select Build> Door> Hinged Door  from the menu, then click once on the entry wall to place a door at that location.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Click on the door to select it, then click the Open Object  edit button to open the Door Specification dialog.
   
   
   
   
   • On the General panel, specify the Width and Height that you would like your entry door to be. 
     
     
   • On the Materials panel, specify the materials that you would like this door to display.
     
     
   • Make any other changes that you would like, such as Door Style, then click OK to close the dialog and apply your changes. 
   
   
   
3. Select Build> Door> Fixed Door  and click once on the wall of your entry to create a window at that location. This door will become a side lite.
   
   
   
   
   • If you are not able to place the door on the entry wall because the area is too constricted, temporarily move the door to one side.
     
     
   • If there is still too little room, place the door in another wall where there is enough room, make the door smaller, then copy and paste it onto the entry wall. 
   
   
   
4. Click on this door to select it, then click the Open Object  edit button.
   
   
   
5. On the General panel of the Door Specification dialog that opens:
   
   
   
   
   • Specify the Width and Height that you would like the side lites to be.
     
     
   • Make sure that the window's Floor to Top height is the same as the door's Height.
     
     
   • Make any other needed changes to the Panel Frame Widths, Lites, Materials or any other specification, then click OK to close the dialog and apply your changes. 
   
   
   
6. Click on the window to select it, then click the Copy/Paste  edit button. Click once on the other side of the door to place an exact copy at that location.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Click on each fixed door and use the Move edit handle that displays at its center to slide it until it bumps into the hinged door.
   
   
   
8. Click on one side lite to select it, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard, and click once on the door and the other side lite to select them as a group.
   
   
   
9. With the three objects group-selected, click the Make Mulled Unit  edit button to create an architectural block - a single object made up of multiple items.
   
   

   A quick way to center the blocked door and windows on the entry wall is to select this block, click the Center Object edit button, then click once on the outside of the entry wall.

   
   
   
   
   
10. To see the results so far, select 3D> Create Perspective View> Full Camera  from the menu, and click and drag a camera arrow in the direction of the entry door and side lites. 
    
    
    
    

To create a transom

When a window is placed above one or more windows or doors to form a transom, it's helpful to take advantage of Chief Architect's window levels.

1. Select Build> Window> Window  and click once on the wall of your entry to create a window at that location. This window will become the transom.
   
   
   • If there is too little room on the entry wall to place this window, place it  in another wall where there is enough room, edit it as described below, then copy and paste it onto the entry wall. 
   
   
   
2. Click on this window to select it, then click the Open Object  edit button to open the Window Specification Dialog.
   
   
   
   
   • On the General panel, specify the Width, Height, and Floor to Top height that you would like the transom window to be.
     
     
     • The exact size and height aren't important now, but we do want this window to be high and narrow enough that it will fit between the ceiling of the room inside the door and the top edge of the door and side lites.   
     
     
   • On the Options panel, specify the Vertical Stacking as 1.
     
     
   • Click OK to close the dialog and apply your changes. 
   
   
   
3. In floor plan view, notice that the lines forming the transom window are pale grey in color and that this window does not display a size label. These are some of the effects of placing this window on a non-default level.
   
   
   
4. If you created the transom window on a wall other than the entry wall, click on it to select it, then click the Copy/Paste  edit button. 
   
   
   
   
   • Click once on the entry wall to place an exact copy at that location.
     
     
   • With the transom window still selected, click the Center Object  edit button, then click once on the outside of the entry wall. 
   
   
   
5. Select 3D> Create Orthographic View> Cross Section/Elevation from the menu, then click and drag a camera arrow directly at the entryway.
   
   
   
6. Click on the transom window to select it and using the edit handles that display, make any needed adjustments to its size or its position over the door and side lites.
   
   
   
7. When the you are satisfied with the appearance of the entryway:
   
   
   • Click on the transom window to select it.
     
     
   • Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard.
     
     
   • Click once on the blocked door side lites to select them as a group.
     
     
   • Click the Make Mulled Unit  edit button to create an architectural block that includes the blocked door and side lites, along with the transom window. 
   
   
   
8. Select 3D> Create Perspective View> Full Camera from the menu and click and drag a camera arrow in the direction of the entryway to see the results.
   
   

To add a custom entryway to the library

If you want to, you can add your custom transom entryway to the Doorways library category for future use.

1. In either a 2D or 3D view, use the Select Objects  tool and click on the blocked entryway to select it.
   
   
   
2. Click the Add to Library  edit button.
   
   This will add the mulled unit to the Library Browser, where you can then rename it, move it into the appropriate user created folder that you have created for it, and make other modifications.