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csv
A CSV file is a Comma Separated Values file, which allows data to be
saved in a table structured format.
.ezf
A EZF file is an EasyFrame saw system file, which contains wall
framing information.
.txt
A TXT file is a file that contains human readable text and is
compatible with most text editing programs.
3D solid
Polyline shaped 3D objects that can be modified extensively to
create a variety of custom objects.
AFCI
Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter. A type of outlet or breaker designed to
protect against electrical fires by breaking the circuit when an
electrical arc is detected.
anchor bolt
A type of threaded fastener used to secure a structure or other load
to concrete or masonry.
ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
archive
A historical record. The Auto Archive utility in Chief Architect
automatically creates a historical archive of each plan and layout
file.
attic truss
A type of roof truss with an open space at its bottom center to
accommodate a living space, with webbing above and on either
side of this living space.
balloon framed wall
A framing method in which wall studs and the channels between
them run continuously from the foundation to the roof, and floor
and ceiling platforms are hung on the inside of the walls.
balusters
Closely spaced, vertical supports for railings.
barrel roof
A curved roof that, especially from below, is curved like a cut-away
barrel.
base cabinet
Cabinet type that typically sits on the floor in a bathroom or
kitchen, and supports a countertop.
baseboard
 A board or molding applied to the bottom of a wall to cover the
joint where it meets the floor.
baseline
The pivot point for a roof plane when the pitch is changed, typically
located over the outer main layer of the wall the roof is built on.
bay window
An alcove with angled sides and windows that extends out from an
exterior wall.
beam
A horizontal or pitched structural member that supports floor,
ceiling, or roof framing.
bearing wall
A wall that supports the weight of a floor or roof above it and
transfers it to the foundation.
belly band
Decorative cladding that runs horizontally around a house or
building. It usually runs around the building at about the height of
the first or second floor.
bifold door
A door that is hinged in the middle and has its edges on tracks,
reducing its required swing area.
blocking
Framing members placed between studs, joists, rafters, or trusses
for various purposes such as: preventing framing from twisting,
support for mounted fixtures, and fire safety.
blueprint
A document, usually printed on large format sheets, that describes
an architectural or engineering design in technical detail. The term
refers to a printing process no longer widely used.
board and batten
Vertical siding or interior paneling made of wood, plastic or metal of
varying widths with overlapping seams.
bottom chord
The lowest or bottom-most member of a floor or roof truss.
Although usually horizontal, the bottom chords of roof trusses may
be angled.
bottom plate
A horizontal wall framing member attached to the bottoms of the
wall's studs and secured to the floor platform that the wall bears
on.
breezeway
 An architectural feature similar to a hallway that allows the passage
of a breeze between structures to accommodate high winds, allow
aeration, or provide aesthetic design variation.
brick ledge
A narrow shelf in a foundation wall or slab designed to support
brick or stone veneer.
bridging
Framing members placed between joists, rafters, or trusses to
prevent twisting, stiffen the structure, and distribute loads.
bullnose
Trim that is used to provide a smooth, rounded edge for counter
tops, staircase steps, building corners, verandahs, or other
construction.
CAD
Computer aided drafting or computer aided design.
cantilever
A horizontal beam supported at one end only and projecting out
from that support. Also refers to a structure supported by one or
more such beams.
capital
The top part of a pillar or column that connects it with the load
bearing down on it.
casement
Window style with hinges on the side of its frame, or a window unit
composed of two or more frames with hinges on the side.
cathedral ceiling
A ceiling that has equal sloping sides, meeting in the middle of a
room at a ridge, also having the same pitch as the roof structure.
ceiling joist
A horizontal framing member that supports a room's ceiling surface
rather than bear the weight of a floor, and may also tie opposing
walls and rafters together.
cement
A building material composed of powdered limestone, clay, and
other minerals that can be used as an ingredient in concrete or
mortar or mixed with water, poured into a form, and allowed to
harden or set.
chair rail
A horizontal wall molding located 3-4 feet (1 - 1.25 m) off the floor,
originally used to prevent the backs of chairs from damaging the
wall.
chamfer
 A straight corner bevel of a specified size connecting any two non-
parallel lines.
clerestory
An outside wall of a building, containing windows for supplying
light, that is set higher than the surrounding roofs.
CMU
A standardized, cast masonry building unit made of concrete and
sized larger than 12 x 4 x 4 inches or 305 x 102 x 102 mm. Solid
CMU blocks are joined using grout or mortar while hollow blocks
are typically filled with poured concrete.
coffered ceiling
A sunken ceiling panel or series of panels in the shape of a
polygon(s) used as decoration for a ceiling or vault.
column
A vertical structural support, traditionally made of stone and
consisting of a base, shaft, and capital. Columns may be decorative
only, but typically transfer a load to the structure below and may be
engineered for earthquakes or wind resistance.
concrete
A man-made, stone-based, composite building material composed
of cement, various sizes of aggregate (e.g. sand, gravel, etc), and
sometimes other additives. Ingredients can be combined in
different formulas to produce special properties and then mixed
with water, poured, and allowed to harden.
concrete block
A standardized, cast masonry building unit made of concrete and
sized larger than 12 x 4 x 4 inches or 305 x 102 x 102 mm. Solid
CMU blocks are joined using grout or mortar while hollow blocks
are typically filled with poured concrete.
contextual menu
A menu that opens on screen when you right-click on an object,
generally providing tools to edit the selected object.
corbel
A wall bracket or block located under and supporting an
architectural element that extends out from a wall. Modern corbels
are often decorative only and made of wood; traditionally, they
were stone and built into a masonry wall's structure.
corner boards
Vertical trim boards placed at exterior wall intersections.
crawl space
An unfinished basement space beneath a floor with low clearance
and, typically, access to wiring and plumbing.
cross section
A view that portrays a cut-away portion of a building for the
purpose of seeing the internal components.
crown molding
Horizontal molding used to decorate, or crown, the top of an
architectural element; typically, the top of a wall where it meets the
ceiling or the tops of cabinets or furniture.
cupola
A small structure on top of a building's roof often used to provide
ventilation and admit light.
curb
A raised border at the edge of a street or sidewalk, typically
constructed of concrete.
curtain wall
A non-structural or non load-bearing wall usually built of light-
weight material that provides the outer covering of a building.
cut list
A list that calculates the framing materials of the different structural
components of the plan by counting the individual pieces present in
the model.
dado
The lower part of a wall, below the chair rail, which is typically
decorated.
dentil molding
Decorative molding with repeating blocks carved into it.
dormer
A structure that projects out from a sloping roof and has one or
more walls, its own roof, and one or more windows or vents. A
dormer may bear on the roof or its walls may extend down and
bear on an interior floor platform.
double hung window
A window with two movable sashes, one above the other, that slide
up and down and can be opened at the same time.
double wall
Two walls built face-to-face with no space between them.
downspout
A pipe used to route water from a roof gutter down to the ground,
a drain, or a storage receptacle.
drywall
A board or panel composed of a layer of pressed gypsum plaster
between layers of paper or felt and used as an interior surface
material for walls and ceilings.
dutch hip
A section of roof that starts as a hip section from the fascia upward
and then changes in to a gable end at a determined point below the
ridge.
DWG
Short for drawing, DWG is a proprietary file format used for storing
two- and three-dimensional design data.
DXF
Short for drawing exchange format, DXF is a universal file format
used for storing two- and three-dimensional design information.
eave
Roof edges that extend beyond the outside of a building's
perimeter walls.
egress
A window used as an emergency escape exit. In most residential
structures, these would be installed in basement walls.
euro-style cabinet
Frameless cabinets which have no face frame so the hinges are
secured to the inside of the cabinet, and the doors overlay the
cabinet box.
eyebrow dormer
A low dormer on the slope of a roof having no sides, where the top
of the roofing is curved and carried over a flat bottom.
fascia
A board running horizontally under a roof edge and oriented
vertically to cover the ends of the rafters. Fascia may be made of
wood, aluminum, plastic, or composite materials.
fillet
A rounding of an interior or exterior corner.
finial
An ornamental cap often found at the top of a roof or newel post,
or at the ends of curtain rods.
fire block
Short horizontal members made of wood, sheet metal, or foam
installed between studs to fill or seal the openings in construction
to prevent or slow the spread of fire.
flashing
A strip of material, usually sheet metal, used to weatherproof
valleys between roof planes or where a roof plane meets with
another surface.
floating dormer
 A dormer type in which the walls bear only on the roof plane and
not on walls in the living space below except where the front wall of
the dormer may bear on an exterior wall of the building.
floor platform
The framed or formed box structure that provides the floor of a
building that consists of structural and finish materials.
footing
A slab, or other support, at the bottom of a structure’s foundation
used to evenly distribute the weight of the structure over the
ground.
foundation
The lowest layer of a structure, typically made of concrete and
extending below ground level, of which provides support for the
entire structure.
frieze
A molding applied to the top of an exterior wall to cover the corner
where it meets the roof soffit.
frost line
The depth to which water within soil typically freezes in the winter.
The frost line varies by location, elevation, and soil type and
influences the required depth of a building's foundation.
full height cabinet
Cabinet type that typically starts from the floor and can vary in
height. Unlike base cabinets, full height cabinets don't have
countertops.
furred wall
The creation of a wall with an additional layer made up of strips of
wood or metal to provide a level backing for plaster or another
surface or to create an air space.
gable
The part of a wall that encloses the end of a pitched roof.
GFCI
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. A type of outlet designed to
protect against electrocution in kitchens, baths, outdoors, and
other high-risk areas by automatically tripping a breaker when a
current imbalance is detected.
glulam
Short for glued laminated lumber, a engineered wood product
made of layers of dimensional lumber bonded together using a
structural adhesive and used to create beams, arches, and
sometimes columns.
grade beam
 A reinforced concrete foundation component that transfers a
structure's weight to vertical piers or caissons rather than directly
to the ground and may either be horizontal or follow the slope of
the terrain.
header
A structural horizontal framing member that spans a door or
window opening and redistributes its weight load to the supporting
vertical members.
hearth
The brick, stone, or concrete floor of a fireplace, which usually
extends in front of and to either side of the firebox.
heel height
The vertical thickness of truss or rafter as measured from the
outside of the wall's top plate to the underside of the sheathing.
Effectively equivalent to the roof baseline.
hip
An angled or sloped ridge line along which the angled sides of two
roof planes meet.
hip roof
A roof style in which a roof plane slopes down to bear on every
exterior wall of the structure.
i-beam
A metal beam, usually of rolled or welded steel, with a solid vertical
web and horizontal flanges at top and bottom that resemble a
capital letter I in cross section.
i-joist
An engineered wood product with a solid vertical web made of a
structural panel material between horizontal flanges made of
lumber or laminated wood, so-named because they resemble a
capital letter I in cross section.
insulation
A material that reduces or prevents the transmission or leakage of
one of several forms of energy, including heat, electricity, or sound
from one area to another.
isometric
A 2 dimensional image of a three-dimensional object in which all
three coordinate axes appear equally foreshortened and the angles
between any two of them are 120 degrees.
jack rafter
A short or secondary roof framing member that extends from a
roof hip down to the eave or from a roof valley up to the ridge.
joist
 A horizontal structural member, typically made of wood, steel, or
concrete, that supports a floor, ceiling, or flat roof. Joists are
generally laid out in a parallel, regularly spaced pattern.
joist hanger
A U-shaped metal strap or bracket used to support a wood joist's
end, attach a it to another structural member such as a beam or
ledger board, and transfer some of the joists load to that member.
king stud
A vertical wall framing member that extends from bottom plate to
top plate and is attached to the outside of a door or window
opening's header and jack studs.
knee wall
A short wall for supporting roof rafters that extends past the
uppermost ceiling platform under a pitched roof.
lally column
A round, thin walled structural steel column filled with concrete,
oriented vertically to provide support to beams or timbers
stretching over long spans to prevent buckling.
landing
A platform at the top or bottom step of a staircase. Intermediate
landings between floor levels are also used to prevent a single flight
of stairs from being too long, or where stairs change direction.
lattice
A framework consisting of strips of wood, metal or other material
overlapped to produce a grid with diamond or square shaped gaps.
Sheets of lattice are often used to create exterior screens for
cosmetic or privacy purposes.
layout
The Chief Architect file type in which 2D and 3D views of a plan
model are arranged on a page along with a title block and border.
Layouts are used to produce printed construction documents.
ledger board
A horizontal board, oriented vertically and attached to a wall, that
supports the ends of joists or other structural members where they
tie in to that wall.
legend
A key to identify the variables displayed on a plan.
light rail
A molding beneath a wall cabinet to hide under cabinet lighting.
lineal foot
 A unit of measurement typically used in construction that describes
the total length of a building material in a buy list or structure. Most
commonly, it refers to framing lumber or sticks of molding.
lintel
An architectural element of wood, stone, concrete, or steel located
over a door, doorway, or window. Modern lintels are often
decorative only; historically, they were usually structural.
lookout
Also referred to as a roof outlooker, a small horizontal framing
member oriented to the pitch of the roof that cantilevers past an
exterior wall to support the roof eave and fascia.
lumens
A unit of measure of the visible light emitted by a source. A paraffin
wax taper candle emits about 13 lumens.
mantel
The facing around a fireplace hearth, the term may refer specifically
to the lintel supporting the chimney, to ornamentation over and
around the firebox, or to a shelf above the fireplace.
marquee selection
Selecting one or more objects by clicking and dragging a rectangle
or marquee that intersects or contains the object or objects desired
for selection.
marriage walls
Two walls built side-by-side, such as for sound insulation, furring, or
where the walls of two modular home units meet. In instances such
as these, where walls are both parallel and touching, they are often
referred to as Double Walls.
masonry
A construction method using units of stone, brick, or block joined
using mortar. Poured concrete and stucco are usually considered
types of masonry, as well, while siding products that contain
cement are not.
materials list
A list of all materials currently generated on the plan; can be
reported as a Cut List, Buy List, or Mixed.
millwork
Building products traditionally produced in a sawmill and used for
decorative finish details, the term can also refer to carved or turned
pieces as well as to composite or plastic products rather than wood.
molding
 A strip of wood or other material used to decorate or finish a
surface such as on a wall, around doors and windows, or on
cabinets.
mudsill
A piece of pressure treated lumber placed on top of a masonry
foundation used to protect regular lumber from moisture.
mulled
Multiple windows or windows and doors placed together that share
mullions and casings to form one unit.
newel
An upright post that supports the handrail, typically found at the
bottom, top and landings of staircases.
nosing
The front edge of a horizontal stair tread that extends past the
vertical riser.
o.c.
On Center spacing, the distance between the center point of one
framing member to the center point of the next framing member.
orthographic 3D view
Views that don't have a focal, or vanishing point. Parallel surface
edges and pattern lines appear parallel in these views and objects
appear to be the same size regardless of their distance from the
camera.
overhang
The part of the roof that protrudes beyond the walls of a structure
to provide protection for lower levels.
parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof that extends
above the roof, can be created as a fortification, firewall, or a guard
rail.
PDF
A computer file format that provides an image of a document
independent of the software used to generate the original
document.
perspective view
Views that have a focal, or vanishing point. Surface edges and lines
that would be parallel in real life appear to converge towards that
focal point, and objects closer to the camera appear larger while
objects farther from the camera appear smaller.
pier
A round or rectangular column, typically concrete, that supports a
beam or post.
piling
A post that has been pile-driven into the ground.
pitch
The slope of an object. The pitch of a roof plane is generally
expressed as (rise) in (run), i.e. 8 in 12.
plan file
The file type generated by 3D home design software developed by
Chief Architect Inc.
plan view
The 2D, top down view of a room or a level of a building.
plate
A horizontal framing member at the top or bottom of a walls
framing. Vertical framing members of a wall generally reside
between a bottom plate and 2 top plates.
plenum
The area between a ceiling/floor platform and a suspended ceiling.
Commonly used to house HVAC and electrical wires.
plinth block
The decorative shoe at the base of the door trim, usually thicker
and sometimes wider than the casing.
plot plan
A CAD drawing showing property boundaries, utility locations and
structure locations.
plywood
Wood sheets manufactured by gluing thin layers of wood, peeled
from logs together under heat and pressure.
polygon
A geometric shape comprised of more than two sides formed of
straight lines.
polyline solid
Polyline shaped 3D objects with a specified thickness. They can be
oriented either horizontally or vertically and are useful for creating
custom details anywhere in your 3D model.
pony wall
A single wall composed of two separate wall types; one built above
the other.
post
A vertical piece of timber, or metal, that may be used to support
walls or horizontal beams.
post and beam
A type of construction using heavy timber framing, rather than
traditional dimensional lumber.
pressure-treated wood
Lumber applied with a chemical preservative to help protect it from
insects and fungal decay.
r-factor
A measurement of a material's capacity to impede heat flow; the
higher the number, the greater the resistance.
r-value
A measurement of a material's capacity to impede heat flow; the
higher the number, the greater the resistance.
rafter
A sloped framing member extending from the eave to the ridge of a
roof plane.
receptacle
An electrical outlet in a wall or floor. Residential receptacles are
usually 120 volt, duplex.
reference grid
A grid that appears in your Plan View that serves as a visual
reference for scale.
reflected ceiling plan
A scaled drawing, displaying a view of the ceiling, as if it was
reflected onto a mirror on the floor.
retaining wall
A wall, typically concrete, that holds back terrain on a sloped lot.
The top of a retaining wall usually matches the high side of the
terrain break.
ridge
Top intersection between the opposite slopes or sides of a roof.
rim joist
Dimensional or engineered wood to which the ends of floor joists in
a structure are attached to.
rise
The vertical distance a sloped object moves in a given horizontal
distance (run). Roof plane slopes are expressed in rise and run, i.e.
6 in 12.
riser
The vertical face separating stair treads.
roof return
A small decorative roof plane that connects to the low side of a
gable roof overhang and extends below the upper triangular
portion of the gable wall.
rough opening
A framed opening in a wall in which a window or door is installed.
saltbox
A frame house with two stories in front and one in back, with a
sloping roof that is short in front and long in back.
sash
An assembly of stiles and rails that holds the panes of a window in
the window frame.
schedule
A table which lists items required on a construction project
indicating sizes, types, locations, and special requirements.
Example: Door Schedule.
scissor truss
A roof truss system with bottom chords that slope upward to form
a peak under the top chord.
shade sail
Large piece of durable fabric, tensioned between three or more
anchor points, usually walls, posts or to the ground; used to provide
shade and increase aesthetic appeal.
shake
A wood shingle made from split logs used for roofing or siding.
sheathing
A layer of board or other material applied to studs, joists and
rafters to strengthen the structure and provide a base for weather
proofing or finish materials.
shed roof
A roof style which consists of a single pitched roof plane.
Sometimes called a skillion, flat or lean-to roof.
sheetrock
A board or panel composed of a layer of pressed gypsum plaster
between layers of paper or felt and used as an interior surface
material for walls and ceilings.
shingles
Thin, tapered pieces of wood used for roofing or siding. Can be
tapered on one side or both.
shutter
A hinged cover, often louvered, used for closing off a window.
side lites
Windows that abut the side of a door, usually the same height as
the door.
sill plate
A piece of pressure treated lumber placed on top of a masonry
foundation used to protect regular lumber from moisture.
single hung window
 A window with two sashes, one above the other, one that can slide,
move or open and one that is fixed.
site plan
A document that shows the arrangements of buildings, drives,
landscaping and other elements used to verify developmental
codes are being met.
skillion roof
A roof style which consists of a single pitched roof plane.
Sometimes called a shed, flat or lean-to roof.
skylight
A window set in the roof that allows natural light into a building.
slab
A flat rectangular architectural element that is usually formed of a
single piece.
slab on grade
A type of foundation with a concrete floor which is placed directly
on the soil.
slope
A surface of which one end or side is at a higher level than another.
snap grid
An on-screen grid that allows you to snap objects to specific points
on the grid.
soffit (ceiling)
An enclosed area below an interior ceiling added for architectural
effect or to enclose mechanical elements.
soffit (roof)
Broadly, a soffit is the exposed underside of a structural assembly
on or in a building. Most commonly, it is the underside surface of a
closed roof eave, which typically protects rafter ends from the
elements.
solarium
A room built largely of glass to afford exposure to the sun.
soldier course
A row of bricks set on their ends so that only the long, narrow side
of the brick is visible.
stair landing
A platform at the top or bottom step of a staircase. Intermediate
landings between floor levels are also used to prevent a single flight
of stairs from being too long, or where stairs change direction.
stepped foundation
 A foundation constructed in a series of steps that follow the slope
of the ground with the purpose of avoiding horizontal forces that
may cause cracking or sliding.
stringer
The angled support members that support the treads and risers of
a staircase.
stucco
A fine, durable plaster, typically composed of cement, sand, and
lime, used as an exterior wall finish.
stud
A vertical framing member in the framework of a wall.
subfloor
The rough, lower surface layer of a floor, separating the finished
floor from the floor joists.
suspended ceiling
A false ceiling system comprised of a a grid and lay-in panels that is
suspended below the roof structure with suspension wires.
terrain wall
A section of wall not necessarily part of a building that follows the
slope of the terrain.
threshold
A strip at the bottom of a doorway used to separate different types
of flooring, or as weather protection.
TJI
A brand name of manufactured wood I-joists used as floor joists
and rafters.
tongue and groove
A method of connecting two boards where part of one board fits
into a corresponding recessed area of another board. Tongue and
groove boards are often used as finish materials on floors, walls, or
ceilings.
top chord
The topmost inclined or horizontal member of a truss.
top plate
A horizontal framing member that lays across the top of a stud wall,
on which floor or ceiling joists rest.
transom
A horizontal crossbeam above a door, separating it from a window
above.
transom window
A small window above a door, often hinged to allow for ventilation.
trapezoid
 A two dimensional, four-sided geometric shape with two sides that
are parallel.
tray ceiling
A section of ceiling that is suspended below the structural ceiling
that provides a niche or tray above it for aesthetic depth and/or
lighting. (Sometimes spelled "trey".)
tread
A horizontal surface of a staircase that is stepped on when
ascending and descending.
treated lumber
Any type of lumber that has been treated with chemical
preservatives to help protect from insects, fungal decay, and
moisture.
treated sill plate
A piece of pressure treated lumber placed on top of a masonry
foundation used to protect regular lumber from moisture.
trimmer
The vertical stud that provides additional support for an opening
such as a door or window.
truss
A framework of rafters, posts, and struts designed to support a
structure, such as a roof.
valley
The V-shaped intersection of two sloping roof planes.
valley flashing
Strips of waterproofing material installed in the valley between two
sloping roof planes.
vapor barrier
A material that reduces the diffusion of moisture through wall,
ceiling, and floor assemblies. Also referred to as Vapor Diffusion
Retarders.
vapor diffusion retarder
A material that reduces the diffusion of moisture through wall,
ceiling, and floor assemblies.
verandah
A verandah is a roofed platform along the outside of a house, level
with the ground floor.
video codec
A device or software that enables compression or decompression
of digital video usually contained in a file such as AVI, MP4, or WMV.
wall cabinet
 Cabinet type that is typically mounted on the upper portion of a
wall in a bathroom, kitchen, or utility/laundry room.
winder
A wedge-shaped step that is narrower on one side than the other,
used to change the direction of the stairs without landings.
window frame
The fixed frame of a window which holds either the sash or
casement, comprised of the head, jambs, and sill.
window sash
A frame of stiles and rails to hold glass.