solver

Is zooming in not giving you what you need? Home Designer lacks this ability.

With Pro, you have the ability to change the framing to be however you want.

Do you need something you cannot get by using doors or windows for the sidelights?

Make the end walls invisible, then infill with a solid shape -- wedge from the library or a Custom Backsplash.

Depends on your internet speed. They need to be installed/imported. You can double click each file, you can group select, right click and choose Open With Suite, you can drag and drop into Suite.

Consider a Custom Backsplash.

Why do you have white lines? They need to be a color that will show against white paper.

If the materials are in your plan, try a File>Backup Entire Plan This will create a zip file that should contain individual texture files.

That's the way the program is programmed to do it. Move the beam to where you want it. Uncheck Auto Rebuild for the deck.

Watch on YouTube: http://youtu.be/1rLoDotwcaI?hd=1

You cannot in Home Designer.

You description of what you want to do is confusing, but here are some general ideas. For your structure, work from the top down. In the structure panel you can change the Ceiling Below value. It's often easier to remove internal walls so you are dealing with single rooms. Select your walls and use Transform/Replicate to move them away a set distance, then do the reverse to put them back. I made the second floor, including the porch all one room, then set the floor below ceiling to 84" and made the 2nd floor ceiling the default height.

No Upgrade to Chief

When you start a new plan, you choose from a set of templates. Those templates contain all your defaults, so you need to create a new template with your defaults, then when it's opened, things like custom walls are already there. You can add a new template to the list, or modify an existing one. The base template is profile.plan. Search the forum for template as I think this has been detailed in the past. Briefly, you would draw a default wall, rename it, then modify it as required. Then set it as your default. Then you can delete the wall. Save the plan as a template and the new wall type will be available. Note that none of the above is supported or documented, so you are on your own and need to be comfortable with working with files in the file system, saving, renaming, editing etc. You can also just draw a series of walls in the plan of the type you want to use. Opening that plan the wall types will be available. The walls may be short and drawn off to the side and may be deleted once they are in use. And no, there is no way to add new wall types directly to the default list. A new type needs to appear in the plan to show on the list.

Place a CAD line where you want the center to be. Use Edit Area (All Floors) to select then Copy/Reflect about the CAD line. If you do not have Edit Area (All Floors), do one floor at a time.

You are asking on the wrong forum. The Chief Architect products are discussed at ChiefTalk. It would be best to contact Chief directly.

I'm unsure, but believe you can do this in Pro. This is a CAD Block -- 3 lines, one with arrows, and a text box centered on the line. You can manually place this as needed.

Correct And what is EQ?

I don't believe you can manually add, but you should be able to export the list, then make changes to it. Open in a spreadsheet and add/change as required.

Not sure what you are asking. The software only does fixtures, not things like ducting or piping. What are you wanting to account for?

The YouTube channel linked above has some good 1 hour long getting started videos that are worth watching. Just know theye are using Pro not Suite, so you will not have all the features they show, but it's the concepts that are important. Also, you can import SketchUp symbols from the 3D Warehouse (google it), and there are bonus catalogs available on the Home Designer site with all types of interior things.

Use exterior walls for exterior and either one for walls common with other apartments. Read the docs on dimensions. Suite may be limited, but you may be able to set your defaults to measure to the surface. Use a soffit. There is a niche tool in some versions. Check the docs. If not, use a pass through and a soffit to close it up. No way to lock dimensions, but you should not need to. Turn off auto dimensions and use Temporary Dimensions. To delete and turn off auto dimensions, go to Edit>Delete Objects and choose interior and exterior dimensions.

Use 2 cabinets.

I'm not trying to take a sale away from Chief Architect, but consider engaging an Architect from the start. Put together a list of your wants and needs, and allow them to do their job. You don't need a plan, that's what the Architect does. They will create one that responds to your site, and your requirements. That said, I'll recommend you start with Suite.