DavidJPotter

What software are you using, they all have different capabilities and routes to solution? DJP

Whatever you set as wall studs will determine the initial dimensions of the blocking. Once the blocking is added it can be edited to any size you wish by way of each framing members dialog box, one at a time. I had never tired to place wall blocking in Home Designer Pro before today, I have done it many times in Chief Premier but its tools are superior to what you have to painstakingly do in Pro. It can be done however you wish but is entirely a manual effort to do. DJP

Within reason you can do whatever you want AFTER you have fully learned how to use Home Designer Pro. Truthfully software does not DO anything by itself, it takes a dedicated user who is willing to take the time to fully learn through study followed by practice how to use the software to emulate to other building professionals what is needed and wanted. That is something you do after spending the time to develop the competence necessary to do so. There is no short cut to competence other than just hard, dedicated work. DJP

Eric is correct, you will need to draw custom ceiling planes (found under roof tools) to model this. It will not be completely easy for a new user, the ceiling planes must form a ridge under the main roof planes, so their baselines must follow the angles shown in your photos. I am sorry but I do not have time to make a video (paid work to do). But your room has flat ceilings as well as vaulted ceilings ( the interior vaults will emulate the vaulted ceilings) so it will be a combination of invisible walls (where you require flat ceilings) and custom ceiling planes where you require a vaulted ceiling. DJP

Make the bay window a "room" by drawing an invisible wall to make it so, then open its resulting "Room Specification Dialog - Structure Tab - ceiling over this room check box (uncheck)" and you will then have a common rafter vault in that area. If you want something more fancy, then please say so, the above will vault the enclosed area but only in that area, not into the adjacent room. DJP

This may help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KX98L1IB-w and this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Y5tSYtk9E DJP

Victorian roofs can be done in Home Designer Pro but I do not believe a truly professional representation can be done in anything else. The Architectural decorations under, on and around the top of the roof can be emulated with some difficulty. What software do you have? It really depends upon how detailed your finished model (plan file) needs to be to determine what software to use. If all you are interested in is floor plans or interiors, any Home Designer title will do but for relationally correct inside and out type 3D models you really need Home Designer Pro IMHO. Even with Pro you will have to learn how to use its tools, in and of itself, it does nothing, you lead it to a result, it is a tool for you to control. DJP

Vector view is what I use 99% of the time, you can do as you wish. DJP

This You Tube video may help you: https://youtu.be/cKNYRFvTqsA DJP

"Corbels" found in the Library Browser under "Architectural - Millwork - Corbels" DJP

Dormers have a dialog box like any other object. That dialog box has a "Walls" tab where you can select the type of wall you desire. If you properly set Wall Defaults to the wall type in Edit Default Settings - Wall - Exterior Wall and set the exterior material of the wall in Wall Defaults - Exterior Wall and in Edit Default Settings - Materials - Exterior Wall to the same desired outer layer (exterior siding) then and only then have you done your job properly. The software is merely a mechanical device that requires your control and guidance in terms of your intended outcome. DJP

A material is defined by two separate file types per material 1. is a .pat file or pattern file for visuals in vector views 2. For render views a material has a texture file (usually a bit map image file like .jpeg, .png or .bmp file formats) You can find the precise procedure in your Reference Manual, the section is about "Custom Materials", how to create and import them. In order to have a circular pattern the texture or image would have to show a single instance of the masonry pattern and so seamlessly repeat itself across 3D faces or surfaces. One would have to learn how to write .pat files (such technology exists on the "WWW", I used to know how to write simple .pat files but have since forgotten how to, if you are determined enough you can do that as well). If you can find an image of a single instance of your intended texture (often times an image from a masonry company website can be used but it must be properly trimmed so it repeats across 3D surfaces seamlessly. This is about all I know about custom materials. DJP Here is a video about making seamless texture files:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2xR3WQDSZc

Brian Spector asked me to repair his roof system and shared the file so I could do so. He created the design in Architectural 2015 and I repaired it in Chief X6. When your floor plan is asymmetric your resulting roof system will be also and sometimes that is beyond the capabilities of anything than Pro or Chief. The video is of me editing Brian's plan file: https://youtu.be/ZkMd20pWUJw DJP Roof Help.plan

Here is a You Tube video of me looking over and editing your plan: https://youtu.be/yDUb1ibz3Pg DJP Floor Plan.plan

That just indicates that the grade beam (footing) has been notched for a door, it is an automatic function of the software. Unless you are a State Licensed Structural Engineer and thus licensed by the State to draw actual foundation plans, don't worry about minor details like that. DJP

This is not rocket science, just open your software and give it a try until you figure it out by trial and error (that is the best way, anyway). Read the data you have and then try that, until you get the outcome you want. DJP

I reported this as a bug to Tech Support. They told me it is now "logged" and they are looking into it. DJP

You Create a layout file for each printed page that you require (Floor Plan.layout, elevations.layout, electrical plan.layout etc). DJP

I do not see any windows in your posted image at all. Do you mean "doors", the doors with a bookcase in front of them? DJP

Kat, thanks for the correction! DJP

Do what Kat suggests for sure. DJP

Architectural does not have the ability to lock any layers, sorry. DJP

I did a sketch of your intended design in Suite and then in Pro so you can see the difference in capabilities of the two programs. I think you will be much happier with Home Designer Pro as opposed to anything else: https://youtu.be/GosnMg2IuSE DJP

The video you are referring to was done in Chief Architect Premier and can be done with Home Designer Pro but NOT Home Designer Suite. Whether or not your job can or cannot be done in Suite is open to question (I do not fully understand just from your post exactly what you want to do). It does not sound complex but in order for us to help you Eric and I must completely understand your intentions to determine whether or not what you want to do can be done in Suite. DJP

Only Home Designer Pro, Chief Premier and Chief Interiors have that functionality, sorry. DJP