A routine 4 a roof layout ?

Ever tried the "topographic method" of offsetting polylines? It involves a little calculation where the eave line breaks and roofs start at different heights, but still works very well.

Find a new truss company. LOL. Every truss software program that I have seen in the last 10 years has a layout program that analyzes and calculates the planes of roofs to generate plan views of the roof exactly as you spec'd, and if the truss company technicians cannot generate roof lines from the info you supply it is only because they are either too lazy, incompetent, or you have given them info that has contradictory results (he says glancing down at an architectural roof plan that is impossible as drawn.)

If you devel> Long time since I've been here.

You're going to let the truss guy design the roof?

After I throw myself in front of a bus, and have to spend a lot of time convalescing, I've promised myself to do a cartoon of the same building designed by each of the trades to suit themselves. From the forming guys to the caulking guys. I think it would be a bit like that old cartoon of the tire-swing....

It depends on the truss guy. Since I am a truss guy, I would feel better about my designing the roof than the average architect (keyword is average) or house designer. The key to this working is the architect has to really know how he wants the building to look and he has to have decent and accurate elevations and sections.

I have a following of several architects who recognize that I usually have a better ability to draw the plan view of their roof than they do since that is my area of expertise. They send me 25%-50% completion sets without any roof plans or with only some areas done and notes saying "I don't know how to do this area. Figure it out. Send me a plan drawing {without trusses) and maybe some 3d's to review and we can discuss it and move from there."

I had another architect who drew a funky shaped build> You're going to let the truss guy design the roof?

You might have a point. I've seen the scenarios above, but consider them evidence of inferior work by architects. An architect should have a 3d model of the building in his head, and be able to draw it in 3d from any angle. I don't fudge anything.

The most complex roof I ever designed, was built by a crew that not only got it right, but was so proud of their work they gave guided tours to the ridge during the topping off party. I was also pretty impressed by their abilities.

I ended up using offset polylines to draw it in plan correctly. Not that big a deal really. It takes more care than brains.