DavidJPotter

If it is occurring in just one plan, that plan is probably corrupt (psychotic-unpredictable etc), this usually happens to new learning users who made too many wrong guesses as to settings, which when they accumulates too many of these, the plan becomes corrupt. Since 1994, I have seen this happen 11 or 12 times and the common denominator is they were files created by new, learning users. You always have recourse to Tech Support and perhaps it is something that can be sorted out. I have seen several such plans that no one could sort out (fix-repair). Send a copy to Tech Support and see what they say. DJP

Have you studied and practiced with the Materials Eye-Dropper (It has four distinct and different modes of use)? Have you studied and practiced using the Materials Spray Can (It has four differing modes as well)? If I want to color just one wall, I commonly just open its dialog box and change just that wall by way of its Materials Tab in the Wall Specification Dialog. This software offers so many different ways to apply materials to objects that an unschooled person can create havoc and chaos fairly easily, until learned it can then seem quite mysterious and vexing. The quality and functioning of your video card is also important, that kind of hardware uses software drivers to communicate with your monitor, it that software is corrupt or out of date, it can also cause unwanted results. I spent many uncomfortable hours learning this software, so I understand (generally) where you are coming from. DJP

Here is a You Tube tutorial about that subject, made for Chief Architect Premier but the steps are the same in any Home Designer-Chief Inc software title: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWibFFtn9Ik DJP

Once you learn how to use the existing tools and dialogs, there is much you can do and many styles and finishes of cabinets you can create. There are additional libraries of symbols and materials you can download from the Home Designer Website to embelish even those choices. You can further expand your existing choices by using "3D Warehouse" as a source but first learn the software and how to make it do what can be done. DJP

They are no longer sold at retail, so you would have to find one by way of E Bay, Craig's List or Garage Sales etc. DJP

That is easily done in Architectural and Pro (pony wall tool) but in Suite you would overlay the exterior walls with custom shaped soffit objects (cabinet tools) and they will then carry any material you set to them. DJP

Are you speaking of the object's "label"? If so, open the dialog of that view on layout (left-click-select-open to get the dialog) and it will have a "label" tab, go to the "Label" tab and check "suppress label" to handle. DJP

Lay out a series of short 2D CAD lines that you can then layout using the dimension tool. Once you have those properly located, you center your "posts" on the center of the CAD lines (I do this all the time for plans). DJP

Trusses require a flat ceiling to be created at all (no ceiling = no truss) so the thing to do is to replace the flat ceiling in your room, set up the defaults on the kind of truss you want, create the trusses, lock the truss layer then remove the flat ceiling. I have done this many times but it must be done in the proper sequence as I laid it out above in order to work. DJP

If you want a roof plane to match the height of the roof planes to the right and left of it, find out what the baseline height, pitch and fascia top values are and impress those values on the roof plane that requires editing. After you insure that the middle roof plane now displays the same baseline, pitch and fascia top you can then use the "Join roofs" tool to finish up. An important factor when manually editing roof planes is to make sure that edited roof planes all have their plan view baselines properly located on the outer edge of the framing over which they build on. Those four factors (baseline location, baseline height, pitch and fascia height) should all match when you have things properly adjusted (Overhang values can directly affect fascia top height so make sure they are all set the same, one to another). DJP These You Tube videos may help demonstrate what I am talking about: http://djpdesigns.net/html/roof_dialog.htm http://djpdesigns.net/html/join_roofs.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBheAzsqJrE

Other than the bonus libraries available from Home Designer your best other bet is "3D warehouse" (do a web search) DJP

Sorry I misunderstood (not hard to do), what you seem to want, I would call a "Bay Window", glad you got some useful help. DJP

I think you will want to uninstall-reinstall it and also make sure you have the latest video card software drivers for your machine as well. DJP

Merely buying the software is JUST a starting point. Then you learn how to use it to emulate your church building and then learn how to create and record a "walk-through". It requires more of you than just downloading the software and then clicking on something. The software is very powerful and sophisticated for its price. It also requires a dedicated end user who is willing to spend the time to learn the tools and then create the needed-wanted product. I consider it a lot of fun and any other attitude should be avoided. DJP

Each version is different when compared to the prior version. There are adjustments you can make to lighting and materials that makes a huge difference in the image's appearance. Changes in your PC-Mac hardware can make a large difference in what things look like in render views. Commonly, each new version has more features and enhancements but there is no intent by Chief Architect Inc to keep a completely "level" quality experience from year to year, pc to mac. This software does what it does based on end user settings against the complication of the 3D model modified by the quality of your PC or Mac. Provided you have no malfunctioning hardware you should expect good, usable behavior from your software purchase. if you are dissatisfied you always have recourse to Tech Support and even a refund within the specified period for that, so exercise your options, be happy! If your PC or Mac is set up for 32 bit operation then you should use the 32 bit version of HD otherwise use the 64 bit version as it should give you better overall performance compared to the 32 bit, just check your PC or Mac for that and act accordingly in harmony with what you have. DJP

Here is my You Tube take on solving your plan: http://youtu.be/eEqFWFXnwKk DJP PS: When you explode a dormer object it returns it to its "natural" state of three walls, two roof planes, a window and a "hole in the roof" poly-line, in its default state, it acts as a single object, exploded it becomes its individually editable parts

You have the right and left hand walls set to "Full Gable Wall" on the "Roof Tab" of each wall's dialog box, uncheck that and then hip roofs will then build. DJP

Where backsplash "refuses" to appear from cabinet dialogs you can replace it manually using a thin-reshaped soffit (cabinet tools) and set its material the same as your intended backsplash. DJP

Post a copy of your plan. DJP

Window wells take several steps: 1. create a custom slab with the outer dimensions of your window well walls. 2. create a terrain feature the same shape as the outer edges of the custom slab created in step #1 and set that feature as a "Hole in Terrain" 3. The terrain hole cuts away the terrain into which you place the custom slab against the exterior wall so it can surround the area outside the window 4. then copy-paste those where you have basement windows below grade. DJP

No, but easily done with Chief Premier, sorry. DJP

Draw using "Railing Walls" set to "Post to Beam". You can then turn on of off the railings depending upon your purpose and look. Try it and see for yourself. DJP

Very applicable to Home Designer use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bgGeOyqQug DJP

Great Tutorial by Chief Tutor.com!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AaF4eh4Rbg DJP

Learning is frustrating for one and all. Read over these important posts to help get you orientated here and to make more efficient your experience here: http://hometalk.homedesignersoftware.com/forumdisplay.php?2-Q-amp-A DJP