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I've spent way too much time trying to figure out why my CAD Box's created from the Tool Bar are not displaying as I've configured, in my Plan view. Specifically, I wish to change the fill color of a box that I've created, solid pattern. Simple, yes? I go through the motions, yet the display object does not exhibit my changes. I've gone through the HELP and Reference Guide and followed the dialogs, looked at layer parms, Display, etc., but still no success. And I created a new Plan, just four walls, inserted a polyline/box, changed the Fill, and THAT works as expected. I've compared the display attributes between the two plans, and still can't figure out why the boxes in my original plan are not reflecting my fill changes. Any help would be SO appreciated, before I loose all my hair. Thank you.

Hello Ken! Unfortunately, this default is not currently available in HD Architectural. It is available to set as a default in HD Pro under Edit->Default Settings->Camera Tools->Full Camera (or other camera tool). I hope this helps to clarify!

When I navigate to 3D -> Edit Active Camera..., I can change the Clip Surfaces Within value. But I want to retain that new value as a default. How do I do that? Thanks, -Ken

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Any ideas what this is and how to resolve it? I have Designer pro 2023...... Failed to initialize graphics backend for openGL

Hello Wes! You should be able to achieve this using the Lower Wall Type if Split By Butting Roof setting. We have an article for our Premier version on this feature, but at this point, you should have all the tools to use it in Home Designer Pro as well. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00370/using-lower-wall-type-if-split-by-butting-roof-to-apply-drywall-to-part-of-an-exterior-wall.html I hope this helps! -Roy

what do you want it to be? Siding right? Well many ways one I like is take the Eyedropper thingy and use it to click on siding you want applied to this dormer say the siding on first floor. after you click it turns into a spray can. Spray the siding of the dormer and it will change to what you click on with eyedropper. Use HELP command to learn more on this feature.

I have built a manual dormer, thanks to a slew of YouTube tutorials. The first problem I had was how to fill the wall circled in the first picture. I fixed that, as evidenced in the second picture, by selecting the wall and checking "balloon through ceiling above". My problem now is, how do I make the material above the roof line "exterior siding" while leaving the material below the roof line "interior wall"? I feel like this is a simple setting of some kind that I'm missing. Any ideas?

Have you tried POST to BEAM? not looking at anything but normally if you have posts holding up something there will be a beam above it and normally, they are located like headers. Might be 2 2x12s or a laminated type beam all depends on the post spacing. Might give you what you want and it adds the beam which has to go below rafters anyways.

Hello RickyBobby! Unfortunately, this is a limitation of how the Post to Ceiling functions. It does not see the vault and instead looks purely at the ceiling height for the room. I would recommend in this type of a situation to turn off the posts for the railing and insert them manually with the post tool (Build->Framing->Post). I hope this helps to clarify! -Roy

Hello sosicko! There are certainly many tools and workarounds in Home Designer Pro that can aid in representing more complex situations. One particular tool I find helpful is Point to Point Move. Point to Point Move is helpful for aligning components, especially if there are a lot at play. You can right click on an object, select the tool, then click on the reference point on an object and the final destination point of an object to move it there. If there’s a particular situation in the image you attached that you would like some input on, could you elaborate a bit more? An attached plan file may also be helpful to see what you have so far. The only tools I’m aware of for creating custom objects with holes or cutouts is the 3D Solid tool for Chief Architect Premier. You can see the Subtraction feature at work in the following video for Chief Architect. Unfortunately though, this is not an available feature in HD Pro. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/249/ -Roy

I've been learning much about this program in the last couple of months (currently HDP 2025). I've practiced using soffits, shelves, countertops, etc. to make other things. I've used wall openings and passthroughs and niches. It does get a little hard to navigate when you have to layer up several things. Hopefully I'm missing some tools that would help recreate this room. Being able to punch a hole or create a niche in a soffit would be pretty awesome. How would some of you pros approach this?

Look at the level 2 floor plan. Not much more to really explain.

How did you achieve this?

Not extremely hard to do, but VERY finicky.

I wasn't sure if you had a 2nd floor on the building. That text box y-g-m-n shows is in your "framing" box in the defaults settings tab.

Maybe it is the window treatment you are using, causing trouble? Delete the window treatment, and move the window into the correct position. If you open the window dialog box, in the scroll down window box you can choose "louvers".

You are correct. You have to change the floor parameters to 16" trusses for the second floor and they showed up. Although I've never seen the dialogue box you show in your picture. I changed mine in the dialogue box in my original post. Thanks for the direction.

Thanks, believe me I have tried moving it all around. Here is where I would like it to be. It's almost like they did a Boolean operation or something

maybe bring the right rectangular window closer to the arched one.

Sounds like a job for 'custom splashback tool. Search the data base for it. There was a great example building portal frames using it. Jeff.

What I'd like is for the posts to stop at the roof line. Here is the small example of my larger plan. There is one room(porch) with two roofs and each has their own wall(I broke the wall) just for this example. One does not penetrate and you can see how the other does. Both "balloon through the ceiling' bc I want the posts to go to the roof line. With one railing wall all post penetrate the roof. Is this a fault of my version? See test plan test.plan

Does anyone know how I did this? Cause I don't but I want to do it again. I started with three generic windows and gave them each 6 in flat casing all the way around. But for some reason the one on the Left is doing exactly what I want (the Casing in the Middle) is shrinking down and not overlapping the louvres portion of the window. While the one on the right does not. There is a picture of what I am trying to emulate.

I have a gable roof with a full return and I want the exterior siding to be stucco above and brick below. I have selected lower wall type and changed it to brick, but it does not appear to recognize or see the return as a splitting line. Is there a fix for this?

Hi all, I'm trying to accurately recreate this soffit/ceiling in my plan. On one side of the room, it's a vaulted ceiling with lots of beams, and the other side is this curved half-moon soffit that meets at the base of the vault. I've tried 3D solids, half walls, soffits, attic walls, and none of them are achieving what I need. In one of the photos, you can see the spire on the roof with the windows. I'm really just trying to achieve something as close to the photos as possible, as I'm building out the existing space. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!