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Bought Pro initially for stuff we were doing in our house for 2019, 2020, and 2021, even though some things that should have been in there, e.g. round railing sections, sensible lumber lengths, weren't. Getting "unusual" walls right always involved workarounds, and usually produced iffy results. Well.... It's that time of year when a few projects around the house get started up, so I figured I'd upgrade, hoping to find some meaningful improvements. Got here, saw the change to subscription, and changed my mind. I'd have at least considered it if the subscription cost was akin to the yearly upgrade pricing.

Look - it's a cheap bit of software. I have had 20 years (1999) plus with ArchiCAD subscription annually at ~$1 800AU/year. No options. (Note_Revit LT will set you me back $600AU/year. (by comparison)) HDPro - is cheap. If you're happy designing on a room by room basis. I'm not moving on with HDPro for technical CAD failures, that I worked around. I figure if they haven't fixed these frustrations by now they may never fix them. Who knows what lays ahead with Ai - if you think you will need it. HDPro - is still cheap. (Continuing on with HDPro24 is fine by me) Happy modeling. PS: Home Designer may eventually meld into Chief Architect. This DIY market worked well with an annual upgrade. But may well see those users falling off with an older version.

Hey folks, thank you for the help so far. I'm still not exactly sure what the issue is/was. In the picture, you can tell that the issue is related to the left side roof plane. The 'open to below' room is symmetrical to the midline, so its settings should apply to both roof planes. Both roof planes had identical settings. I discovered that the left side roof plane did not have a valid 'top of plate' measurement. I deleted it and copied/reflected the working right side roof plane to the left, and now both seem to be OSB. So at least we're consistent now. Then, I followed Jo_Ann's recommendation, which solve the final piece of the puzzle. Thanks everyone! Making more progress.

Hello, i saw a post about drawing something in sketchup and importing it into my library. As a HDPro user, my access to Premier content libraries is one of the most important reasons to purchase HDPro offered by CA. The sales pitch certainly did not testify to the severe limitation as a HD user. If I need to purchase a CA Premier subscription to use the libraries, the HDPro sales pitch should disclose that. Unless I am mistaken, if so please help. All I want is access to some premium level manfacturers libraries. Cant we get a gratis pass as HD users of 6 selected libraries of our choice? That would be great. Seems I have to literally draw what I want to render in another platform and import as an image in my library. How can I do that in order to place in 3D. Can HDPro import a DXF or DWG image in 3D to put in my library? Thanks, Jason

On the 2nd floor, open the "open below" room dialog, and uncheck "ceiling over this room." Open the materials dialog and select the planking for the ceiling finish. Open the "cat-walk room" and follow the same steps.

Do you have a ceiling thickness set up? If so, that would be where you'd put the ceiling material

The left roof plane shows the osb layer, the right roof plane shows the soffit material which I have set to some planking. The view here is from the first floor looking through the second floor opening, to the second floor roof. Notice that left side shows OSB, right side shows planking. Yet, settings for both roof planes are identical. Appreciate the consideration.

??? Unclear what you did or what you want?

I'm working on a design for our next home build. It'll be a hybrid timber frame, and I'm trying to use 'use soffit surface for ceiling' to create the effect of planking for the ceiling. I have a celestory style upper floor with a 'catwalk' on either side side. The second floor has a room that's 'open below'. The two roof planes have identical settings. For the life of me, I can't seem to get both roof planes to show the planking at the same time. I'm early in the process and just getting structure down, so just ignore the aesthetics for now please Thoughts anyone? <edit> HDP2024

It's a good product, and I give them the credit due for that effort. For me, and I suspect other users in the same 'class' I am, I will have to make decisions. I've been on it since 2017 I think, upgrading every other year or so. And yes, I fully understand that the perpetual license I currently have is only as good as CA is about honoring that. I suspect that since the software 'phone's home' to check on license availability, they could actually shut me down if they wanted to. But the point others have made too, is that the switching costs remain real, but are now augmented by the added pain of the 'non-permanency' of their work product. Leasing models and the neutering of paid products is terribly frustrating. Example: I paid for the Ergatta upgrade to my water rower. In the past 6 months, I've switched my workout technique to be exclusively HIIT. I have little need for the online live activities, really nice video themes, and interactive games. But if you drop the subscription, you lose access to being able to program intervals. You only get time or distance. There's a reason marketers and 'pricing engineers' get paid well. Maybe a compromise solution that would have worked would be: If you already own a CA product, you can continue purchasing perpetual license upgrades. If you're new to the suite, you only get leasing options. The ol' grandfather pitch with a twist. Frustrating for me, is that we're now at a point where I'm truly trying to design our forever home for a build in the next 1-2 years, and I'm unwilling to move to a product that won't let me 'shelf my work' and pull it out 4-5 years later for an addition if I need to. No... I have to stay subscribed the whole time. So I work on 2024 (sad I missed the 2025 notice of last perpetual). Anyhow, I think I have an actual design question I'm stumped by, so I'll go post that.

I would suggest that you try posting your plan and maybe someone can help you. It's not something I could take on, as I am hitting the busy season and have my regular clients to design for. When you post your plan, be sure to note the location of the project, so maybe someone in your locality, or is familiar with the codes for your state, can work on it with you. You should also update your signature so people know which year and version of Home Designer it was originally drawn in. That will be important information to supply in order to get help.

Hi Keith, i am ready to learn and pay for knowledge. could you please help me and let me know your term to teach me and also to review my drafted plan. i want to create and prepared construction drawing ready to submit to building department for permitting thank yo u

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hi? if there is a means for me to gain more knowledge and be efficient. i will pay to attend the class for the review of the plan i need help and assistant in my work.

HOw would it be framed?

Are you planning to pay someone to do this for you?

Hi and how are you? i am not too proficient and i am also a new user of the home designer program. I have drafted a house plan but i will like someone to review it and share with me their wisdom and pointers that i can work on the plan to perfect it. Is there is anyone that could be willing to help review my plans . i could send the file to them via email or am i able to paste the drafted plan here for review and correction. do anyone knows about online drafting class or training for home desinger thank you

Any ideas on how to show a 45-degree splay on interior jambs?

You are very close! Move your roof planes so they form a gable; then, add a wall in the attic that is under the roof planes. BTW I noticed the roof planes are not in alignment; see the left side

LOL Thanks, that worked.

1 - cannot move posts unless they were inserted as items - if part of a railing wall they get equally spaced based on max post spacing You can make railing wall without posts and first add in Columns from the library to fit and locate as you like then draw railing wall without posts. 2 - not sure what you mean - have plan view w/ roof planes visible? 3 - how did you create that railing wall with posts? If railing wall then go to wall edit dialogue and go to post part and select post to ceiling since you do not have flat ceiling under roof for a beam - Beams in HD tend to be horizontal only 4- see #3.

or you can change height in each room by opening room edit dialogue

Go to Default Setting (The little Wrench button) > Floors & Rooms > Floor Levels> 1st Floor > Change Relative Height to your new wall height. OMG I've learned enough now to answer a question!!

That works. Thank you!

Try editing that page number on Page 0 of the layout sheet. That is the master sheet; whatever is on that page, will be on all pages.