DavidJPotter

Call Tech Support for help. DJP

How close you can place windows is controlled in Window Defaults - spacing. That value can be as little as zero to whatever you like. Otherwise it is like Eric said: measure your space. Figure out how many windows at what dimensions and then place the windows, then group select the four windows and use the "Center tool" on the group selection set. Same as you would do in the field. DJP

In any version or title you toggle up to the <A> or attic level, find the attic wall you wish to edit, then open its dialog. Go to its Materials Tab and then change the exterior material to the one you wish. If your software has a "Pony-Wall" tool you can further split the attic wall into two separate sections and assign different materials to the two halves using the "Wall Specification Dialog". That only works if you have Architectural or Home Designer Pro. The prior advice works with any title or version. DJP

When I first saw your post yesterday, I said to myself, " he is out of luck", I hoped maybe someone who uses something other than Pro would chime in with a solution. I have repaired your file as best as I can in Chief X6, you can continue to edit it in Home Designer Suite 2015 but just do not ever rebuild roof planes. The You Tube video is attached as well as the edited file. https://youtu.be/cvYU2HcQI8w DJP ICF - Russ R6 Lodr.plan

In order to have a "sunken" anything you start with a hole in the floor or a "room" with a lowered floor (room dialog box - floor level) and then place the whatever in the hole or lowered "room". the lowered room should be the same size as the object you wish to place in the hole-lowered room or space just as in the article you mentioned. DJP

Most Pool Companies use a program called "Pool Draw", it is a wonderful program for that purpose with animations and also does good schematic drawings for building pools. The ONLY file format you can import into any Home Designer title is in .dxf format or perhaps image formats like .jpg, .png, .bmp or .tiff. All of those file formats are 2D only not 3D but can be imported into a plan view of Home Designer and used to trace over the 2D to create a 3D representation at least of the ground level appearance of a pool. DJP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy_miavIB40 DJP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEegSQWn61M DJP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AWn8Pe4UgQ DJP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr0pXalRI2c DJP

My point is that there must be curtain objects there to accept any material, one would then commonly assign a material to the curtains by way of the Materials Tab of the window as opposed to the eye dropper or materials sprayer. DJP

The article states The steps you took bypassed the above I think. DJP

Make them. perhaps using some shapes and soffits or you can check the catalog download area of the home designer website or Sketchup 3D Warehouse for something to download and import. DJP

Thank you, I do what I can but when I am working there are MANY smart competent users here to answer questions and they do so with regularity, you know who you are! DJP

Set your Default Settings BEFORE wasting a lot of time drawing. Set your defaults FIRST (In your case you would set your exterior and interior walls using the log siding material. Turn off all base moldings (they cover up the bottom portion of the interior walls), Default Settings - Materials - Exterior Walls should be set to your log siding and if you want the logs to sit on the ground you will either have to set the foundation walls (usually concrete) to log siding or raise the terrain (Terrain Specification Dialog - Building Pad input box) so the concrete does not show. This software is great, has lots of tools but it by itself does NOTHING, you have to tell it what to do at every turn and bend or nothing good happens. DJP

Ciao!, Based on the appearance in your photo,you just draw the walls, the window is not "recessed", it is bookended by a wing wall and a corner, just draw them that way. Here is a You Tube video of me matching your photo in Essentials 2016: https://youtu.be/OQVdmmB4CVQ DJP

Your final authority would be Chief Architect Sales or Tech Support but in my experience your 2016 libraries should work just fine in 2017. Try it and see or call those who a paid to know. DJP

Library Browser - Materials - Siding & Paneling - Log Siding. Stone siding is in the Cultured Stone catalog you can download from the home Designer website. You can build a timber frame structure, with some difficulty depending upon how willing you are to work. DJP

Here is a You Tube Video showing you how: https://youtu.be/EhWYWkGUcCQ DJP

Sounds like you mean "Chair Rail molding", those can be added via Room Specification Dialogs, you are just limited to what is currently in the Library Browser or make it in Sketch UP and import. DJP

Pro allows image imports (.tiff, .jpg, .png, .bmp) and will handle .dxf imports (not .dwg) and several other file types but not all possible types. You can call Chief Architect Sales to find out more precise information. DJP

here is a video of that application to base cabinets in Pro 2017 https://youtu.be/-hcGW7-CEFQ DJP

The lowest level can be floor zero, that is the garage level where you place the piers, I would assume. Then build your upper floors.Home Designer will only do structures up to four stories only, so your image will work in Home Designer. I cannot tell just from your photo how the lowest floor will look to passers by. The piers can be simply cylinder shapes from the "Shapes" section of the Library Browser. To advise more I would need to know more. Generally speaking make sure all Default Settings are set correctly relative to how you intend to build the home in the field, set Default settings FIRST before starting to actually draw the walls. DJP

Attached is your edited file, I also did a You Tube video of what I did to your plan file, I hope you find it useful: https://youtu.be/Cl_mGYC4dow DJP alt f3d.zip

If you are a State LIcensed Structural Engineer licensed to operate in your State, "YES", otherwise "NO" (Leave engineering to those trained to it please). Outside the USA, who knows? DJP