DavidJPotter

Te ceiling height settings per room tell the roof tool how high to build the baseline of the roof whether you draw it manually or use auto build roofs. Step by step instructions on how to build the various roof types can be found in your "Build Roof Dialog- Roof styles tab". If you have not already read-studied your free "Users Guide" and the section on roof types in your free integral "Reference Manual" should also be carefully studied and then practiced upon in simple test plans to really get grounded. DJP

It helps if you read the "Reference Manual" section on Units and also this is explained fully in your "Users Guide" on how when you open a new plan is where you select "Metric Units or Imperial Units". Easy to do but afterwards you are stuck with whatever you originally chose. If you were to upgrade to Chief Premier it has the ability to "switch" between one unit or the display both. Your main barrier is your own not knowingness. DJP

It can be done but is a little too complicated to explain in detail here on a free help forum. I does involve a number of advanced techniques to bring it off in fully 3D and the simple solution is to just draw the wall elevations using 2D CAD. DJP

It takes a lot of practice and study and sticking to it until you develop the skills. Roof geometry is determined by the geometry of your 3D model, Default Settings-Floor, Room Dialog settings, Build roof dialog settings and your developed skill at manually editing-creating roof planes. DJP

Please call Tech Support. DJP

Read-Study these help articles please: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00777/working-with-light-sources.html This should answer most of your questions. and https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-01007/controlling-light-sources.html DJP

One: Tell us what software application you are using (Suite, Architectural, Pro, Essentials or Interiors and its version number). Two: share the .plan file with us or at least upload some screen capture images of your existing model. DJP

I show such connections using a curved arrow with the text saying "to switch upstairs or to light up or downstairs". Even Chief Premier only does that , I mean think about it, why would a virtual house have such a feature, what purpose could it really have? DJP

Please read-study your "Users Guide" so as to be better orientated to your software. DJP

PLEASE be for specific as to which application (Suite, Essentials, Architectural or HD Pro). Next please thoroughly read-Study your "Users Guide", that can be found under the Help menu. There extensive Help files with your application as well. Plus also under "Help" you can access the "Knowledge Base" which is searchable by topic, The software does not "Know" anything it is you who must know. the software us purely an mechanical device which must be led to any useful results. DJP

a simple handling for ugly wall ends DJP

Read the Reference Manual section on "Custom Materials". If you cannot find or alter an existing material you can do a web search for a suitable texture to import that does work. Textures must be edited so they repeat properly across a 3D face in render views as well. This is not an automatic process but after study and practice it is a skill that one develops with an image editor application. DJP

Easy to do in HD Pro, much harder to do in Suite. You have to set up your porch walls for the creation of a shed roof (see Roof styles tab of the Build Roof dialog)and then vary the ceiling height setting until you get a proper shed roof. You caused the unwanted gable yourself by ordering a gable via the door dialog or by placing a gable line. Remove the Gable setting in the door dialog and or remove the gable line in plan view. DJP

You have caused your own problem by the way you customized your exterior wall type setting the interior layer as the "Main Layer". This effects how walls line up floor to floor and how they are auto-dimensioned. DJP

You need to look at what file types HD Pro outputs and what file types for 3D models that Lumion will allow as an import. When you look I do not think you will be very happy. DJP

What software are you currently using please? Generally speaking the topography tools in HD and in Chief Premiere are very similar and other that roofs are the most difficult for a new user to master, so my advice would be to make sure you understand each "elevation object" is designed to work (carefully read and study the "Users Guide" and the "Reference Guide sections that address elevation objects and then practice using them, one at a time checking the effects they have after placing and changing the input box values one at a time so you really get what the cause and effects are. DJP

I am not sure I fully understand your problem. I have been using this software for over twenty years so I am used to how the software is programmed to work. The largest part of learning this stuff is learning how it is programmed to work, what it does and does not do. I of course do not experience what you are experiencing,can you be a little more precise as to your immediate problem please? Also which software application you are currently using would be extremely useful to anyone attempting to help you. DJP

n each rooms specification dialog's - Structure Tab - Floor input box" you set the floor values to the same figure. DJP

In Architectural it is all framing shown or no framing shown, it is a limitation built in. In order to do exactly what you want you will need to upgrade to Home Designer Pro or Chief Premier, sory. DJP

If your software has the ability, look under "File - Export - .dxf". not all Home Designer software titles have this ability, so it depends wholly on what you bought and its features and abilities. What do you have? DJP

If you have not changed your dormer defaults before placing the dormers to fit the dimensions etc to fit the geometry of your roof then you are attempting to use factory defaults wihich do not fit all possible situations, take a look in Edit - Default Settings - Dormer to change them. Until you get the settings right for your application. DJP

You may find this You Tube video I made useful to demonstrate where you erred: DJP

Suites elevation views are in standard render format only and can not be exported as a .dxf file (only vector views can be converted to .dxf). I think you would have to upgrade to HD Pro in order to select vector view or standard render cameras. DJP

You simply draw the wall type of your choice. The way I would do it is make my wall breaks and then open the Wall dialog box of the center segment of the wall, open its dialog, select the "Wall Types" tab and select a different wall type for the segment. Ideally the new wall type should be the same thickness as the original long segment for structural purposes. DJP

"Library-Download core catalogs" DJP