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I created a 15 page layout similar to how Rookie65 describes. It's not fun, but doable. just create 3 separate layouts (1-5 perspective and elevations) (6-10 Floor Plans, Framing Plans etc) (11-15 Kitchen and Bath renderings or elevations, anything else you want) Export said layouts to 3 separate .pdf's Take 3 said separate .pdf's and merge them using Adobe Pro or one of many 3rd party applications There you have a 15 page Layout in Home Designer

Of 145 .plan files currently in my reserve, the largest is 46mb and the smallest is around 5.5mb. because of meta data, it isn't necessarily how much detail is in the plan or how many items per se', as it is how cleanly was it drawn. If you have revised the same plan 15 times, even if nothing was added (just moving cabinets and walls) all that data is still saved into your file, therefore making it a much larger file than your first revision. It is my impression that behind the scenes, the software operates as such: (not exactly, but you get the idea) draw exterior wall wall is 120" in length wall is 96" high wall materials are XXXXX XXXXX, XXXXXXX, XXXXXX, XXXXXXX delete wall note wall was deleted undo redraw wall draw exterior wall wall is 86" in length wall is 96" high wall materials are XXXXX XXXXX, XXXXXXX, XXXXXX, XXXXXXX because we have the "UNDO" function, the software essentially will note every single click you make, BUT Undoing or Deleting doesn't make information disappear (if anything it will add MORE information) it is still embedded in the file, therefore making it larger. OR AT LEAST ... that's my take on how the software works.

In my opinion, terrain controls in HD are dismal. I usually have to manually enter elevation data points (sometimes over 200 for the type of map you've shown) and even then it doesnt slope/level correctly and I also get distorted geometery and spikes. What youre asking for there, is way beyond this softwares capability. You'll also reach a point where the software is "unable" to calculate the terrain data, and EVERY change you make will result in a pop-up saying "Interopolating/calculating terrain" for about 15 seconds. (even if you just change the colour of something, and regardless of your PC specifications.

New user here. Summary When attempting to model a multi-tiered retaining wall system on a steep 30° slope (base elevation around 7110') in Home Designer, the software overrides manual elevation and height controls for both walls. Additionally, attempting to level the area between the walls creates unintended conical terrain anomalies, and existing contour lines cannot be properly broken or modified to integrate with the new wall structures. Detailed Symptoms & Technical Challenges Loss of Wall Elevation Control: The software automatically snaps or assigns wall heights and top/bottom elevations rather than respecting the desired 7110' baseline and intended wall dimensions. Secondary walls placed 5 feet away and designed to be 10 feet high do not maintain correct relative positioning or height parameters. Terrain Deformation (Coning): Using terrain modification tools (such as terrain leveling or flat regions) between the two retaining walls results in distorted geometry (a "cone" effect with erratic elevation points). Contour Line Conflicts: Pre-existing contour lines intersect the newly placed retaining walls incorrectly. Attempts to break, edit, or disconnect the contour lines to resolve the conflict have been unsuccessful. Desired Outcome Successfully place and control the exact top and bottom elevations of a tiered retaining wall system on a 30° slope, create a stable and flat level bench between the walls without terrain distortion, and properly manage contour lines so the terrain accurately reflects the proposed design. Any guidance would be really appreciated. Thanks! This is the actual drawing I am trying to get into Home Designer. At least reasonable close :-)

Fortunately for me, I realized I did want all 3 of the lower corners higher and I was able to lay out the sails in a way I like.

I came up with an arrangement with the provided shapes that I like; no rotating necessary.

I tried importing the newer versions without luck

thank you both, I’v gotten a little further with this. Someone pointed out the library and although it only lists versions for 2023 and later I was able to use the 2023 version in my 2019 software. Using the kite version of the sail in that library I was able to get something resembling what I want into the design. It’s not perfect but it was good enough to be able to define the post locations. I don’t think rotating the sail will do what I need. With the library I’m working with you can pick from a few different versions of rectangular sails and then adjust the “height” so the shape of the sail is set by your choice out of the library and the height setting which basically adjusts the difference between the highest and lowest point of the sail. Here are some snippets from where I’m at now. I have two identical sails both connected to the same high point on the house which is the correct point where I actually want it. Going straight out from that connecting point the corners of the two sails connect together to a cable that goes out to a post at the property line. That single post is at the vector of if each sail had its own post straight out from a line drawn through the center of each sail to the corners opposite of these corners. Each sail has its own post at the property line for the other far corner. The rear sail has a mounting point into the poured concrete between the 1st and 2nd floor. The front sail has a post at the front corner of the garage. I want the 2nd corner of each sail next to the house to be higher. The correct attachment points are there in the design now. If I were to rotate the sail to get the corner there I would end up with one of the other corners out of place. I don’t think this can be done without being able to select a corner of the model and adjust the shape of the sail. Maybe this is a feature in one of the later versions of the library?

I know if you open any of the Elevation views, one can rotate objects looking at them. So how you place camera matters. Select it by clicking with mouse and you get the EDIT doohickeys. Grab the triangle one and you can rotate things in that view which then carry over to the model. I did it once to make a satellite dish from a 3d shape. See screen shot below - just a random thing I did to show you. So may take looking at object and thinking of your end result. Would be nice if the program had rotate objects about XYZ axis but this works just takes practice to get your end result.

Have a look at this discussion; There are numerous other discussions and library items. Jeff.

Solved the issue myself. The problem was the video driver. Even though updates were telling me that I had the latest and best driver, this was not the case. I went to NVIDIA and manually downloaded the latest driver. The black screen and what I thought were arrows that I saw, was part of an NVIDIA backdrop. Once I installed new driver, everything was fine.

As far as I've found the shape you select to start with is the shape you get. No matter the shape you choose you only get to adjust the height of the object and the height of either the top or bottom in relation to ground so you can adjust a single angle but that's it. So I can almost get the 1st sail the way I want but not quite. I'd like the front corner next to the house to be higher.

and I should say property line instead of fence. In real life there is a fence. In the design there's just the property line. Either way the ideal is to keep the poles out of the way. I'm intending to go with 5" schedule 40 steel set with cement in a 12"x4 foot drilled hole

Hmmm, well.... They still let you make it available. I think I can trust you. Maybe we could work something out where you leave it on your account, make it available, and I install it. I downloaded the x14 library and it's letting me try to use it. I was able to place the 1st sail, size it, open the object and set the height from ground roughly around where I want it. i haven't tried working with the posts yet or adjusting the angles. Right now I'm looking at it in perspective view wondering how I'm going to do what I want. The 3 posts in the snippet aren't from the library they are just extrusions I was playing with. They aren't the right height but they are positioned in the right places. I'm thinking I need to draw a guide line between the high attachment point on the house and the attachment point on the pole by the fence to determine the height of the corner of the sail. There will be a cable going from the corner out to the post by the fence. I'm planning on making the posts by the fence something like 7.5 ft tall above ground so the cables are comfortably above head height. This will let me get 2 posts out of a 21' pipe and avoid having to put posts in annoying places. I don't think you can draw lines in perspective view though.

I do, yet they don't allow transfers anymore. I don't think that catalog will work with anything before 2023.

Maybe I can for $3.99? By the way do you still have that 2021 Pro license?

For sail shades, they are in the bonus catalogs: Exteriors and Landscaping>Exterior Sail Shades However, they weren't available until 2023, so you likely won't be able to access them with Suite 2019. You can read what the new version Home Designer 2027 will cost you to upgrade. It's a subscription model, so Suite, Architectural, & Pro are all one program now.

Well,I forgot everything I learned. Hopefully temporarily. I need to add sun shade sails to the plan now. I started a new thread: How to model Sun Shade Sails

First off, I’m using Home Designer suite 2019. I last used Home Designer in May of 2025. I was dealing with some complex roof issues then that I was able to overcome well enough to get accurate roofs for perspective views with the help of the forum. I only use the program for designing stuff for my own home so I have a pattern of learning to use it well enough to accomplish a project and then forgetting how to use it before the next project I need it for. I need to add some sun shade sails to cover the driveway in front of my garage and the boat parking in the side yard behind the driveway. I’ve helped hang some sun shade sails for other people before and they usually end up having to anchor them differently than they had planned. The sails like to be stretched straight out at 45 degree angles from their corners so there is a straight line of tension from the opposing corner so anchor placement needs to be planned along that line, not along sides. I’m going to need to install poles to do this and I want to model it in home designer so I can get the pole placement and ideal height of each pole planned out with some certainty before I start drilling holes and pouring concrete. If you don’t already know what a sun shade sail is, it’s a piece of fabric with buckles in the corners that you hang taught with straps or cables to provide shade and protection from rain. Installations go from interesting arrangements of different geometry sails on quality structures that add architectural interest to poorly hung squares that look tacky. I would like to end up more towards the 1st side of the scale than the latter. I had started planning this out last May and have a design with 7 poles already placed but no sails. I want to model the sails to verify/correct the pole placement and determine the ideal height of each pole. I have my survey in the design already so I can trace the driveway which I haven’t added to the design yet. The driveway surface will have to follow the terrain surface. I think I remember there being a tutorial for that. Hopefully working through that will bring back some of what I used to know how to do in the software. The sails will be at varying pitches, each sloping in 1 or 2 directions. Stretched fabric doesn’t stay square, the edges curve in. If someone experienced could share some pointers on the best way to model them it will probably save me a lot of trial and error as I work through this.

Hello, When I choose a camera view to see my content in 3D mode, I first see a black screen with 2 large arrows pointing to the 2 o'clock position of screen, one on top of another. It sometimes flashes to where I can see 3D mode for a brief second and then nothing onscreen, only white background. This also occurs at startup of Home Designer. The option area is black screen with the 2 arrows. I tried downloading the program again and re-installing, but no difference. Could this be a driver problem? Never did this before. I have Home Designer Pro 2021. Thanks for any info.

Do I see a half wall up against a normal wall? That will create issues. To "paint" the all behind just use the eyedropper to get color of the green wall hit return Then you get a spray can and set it to object mode. And spray the beige wall in one spot. and it will change color.

agree.

"All mean the same thing - plate at bottom of wall that is bolted to slab." Only on houses/buildings with monolithic slabs. Not on a building with a foundation and floor joists. On these structures the plate at bottom of wall is nailed/screwed on top of floor structure.