DavidJPotter

You can set you your layout file, in Pro 2015 for 18x24 or 11x17 and then print that to PDF, take the results to a print service for up-sizing to 24x36 or 36x48 by just planning your content ahead accordingly. Home Designer Pro has the basic tools, it just takes additional steps to do what Chief Architect Premier does natively. DJP

You use a layout sheet (file) to format and layout your plan views. Each layout sheet should be set up to emulate a particular printed paper sheet. You then send views to that sheet to communicate the part of your project you are highlighting. Views sent to an open layout file can be placed there at scales of your choice showing as much or as little as you wish to emphasize what you are communicating. You use the "Send to Layout" dialog to set the scale taking into consideration how much of the printed sheet such views will require. Each layout file can then represent a printed sheet of plans so you have as many layout files as you have intended printed sheets. Those are the basics, the particulars are all very well described in your Help Files and reference Manual (found under the "Help" menu. DJP

In order to answer your question I would need to know exactly what software you are using. Home Designer Pro is designed to do professional grade, scaled planned sheets, other titles can also produce scaled plan and other views (each title has a Reference Manual that tells you how to get these jobs done in each title and version). Basically you use the tools you have to do this, more specific advice can be offered once we know what you are using. DJP

A set of plans is what Home Designer Pro is designed to assist one in creating. As others have pointed out, one would have to know what is locally required by the plan checking-permitting authority in order to properly define what is required by that authority. So your first step is a visit to their website or office to see what their requirements are. Then you learn how to use the software in order to create and format such required plans. There is no single source of training that would "fit all" possible requirements other than your Reference Manual and its chapters that describe how to create construction documents using the provided tools. Basically you find out what is needed and wanted by your local building permit authority and then using Home Designer Pro to create those documents. It is easier to state what is required than it is to then by study and practice developing the competence to then do those actions. You already have the raw materials and documentation. There are many video tutorials that break down the various jobs and tools to do what needs doing, so just start at the beginning and carry through based upon knowing what you need to present. DJP

Not on a PC, I do not currently own a Mac. (twenty year user on PC's) DJP

Generally speaking, I use as few elevation objects as possible to get terrain appearance correct. I NEVER use elevation points, ever, they concentrically alter the terrain and afterwards it is easy to forget where they are and what values you have set them to. Their use just makes a hard job impossible to edit. I use lines, splines and regions only, much simpler to deal with. Keep it simple and learn how to adjust them against the other to get the desired effect by small tweaks checking each change with a camera view. DJP

Say what software version and title you have so others can then know what you can and cannot do with it please. There are lots of titles and versions being used and they vary in terms of ability and procedure. DJP

They do what they do. Have you availed yourself of the library catalogs available here yet: http://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?r=site/library&search=&x=0&y=0&x=true&soft_family_2=2&hid_soft_family_2=2&utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign= There is also a lot of useful free symbols here for download and use: https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/?redirect=1 DJP

A new feature has been added to indicate unwanted or just to communicate that certain conditions are currently happening. When you see a circle on a wall or on your cursor that means that you have an unconnected wall connection (you fix the wall connection and the cursor indication will then go away). When you have turned off "Angle Snaps" a symbol appears on your cursor until the condition is corrected. There are several other such conditions that are now built in to remind the end user that certain conditions are currently active. There is much to learn and it is all useful to know. DJP

It would have to be a corresponding version of Chief Premier which does have the ability to edit plan files and then share with Home Designer Users but the exact VERSION MUST be known beforehand as it is version sensitive. DJP

Architectural, unlike Home Designer Pro does not allow fine adjustment of floor platform thickness. The only adjustments you can make are in the "Ceiling and floor finish" input boxes but you can make such adjustments and thus emulate thicker floor platform thicknesses by altering those values, just not as finely as in HD Pro or Chief Premier. DJP

I am sure one of the Knowledge Base Help articles will help you: http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/search/?q=custom+material&submit.x=8&submit.y=5&default_tab=support&site=chief_architect&client=chief_architect&restrict=ChiefArchitect&proxystylesheet=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chiefarchitect.com%2Fsearch%2Fchiefsearch_stylesheet.xslt&output=xml_no_dtd DJP

You can place a soffit object where you want the wall extension and set the material to whatever you require. Walls are necessary but they do have some built in limitations as you have seen.It is hard to make walls do what they are not programmed to do. DJP

Here is a hyper-link to the Home Designer Support page-updates where the current updates, per title are listed: http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/updates.html DJP

It may seem to you that perfection is the goal. I would suggest to you that accuracy is the more important factor and they are NOT the same thing. I am and have been doing remodeling projects professionally for a couple of decades and for remodeling projects where you have an existing structure the key areas that need to be accurate are those directly adjacent to areas where additions and or renovations are to occur. The rest of the house is merely a "backdrop" for the work area. In other words, areas that you are not building from scratch merely need to not detract from the communication of what is being changed or added. A virtual model is vastly different from an existing structure in its basic character (computers are best at straight lines and angles unlike the "real" world where machine perfection is not a constant by default). The point of construction documentation, drawings and renderings is to convey what you want done to others. Competent building professionals already know HOW to build, there are existing codes, inspections and procedures to curb a sometime lack of personal ethics or someone's "bad day" at your expense. Plumbers, Electricians and HVAC specialists are also State Licensed so your most important thing to do is to find a General Contractor who has a demonstrated track record of competence and honesty (they are out there along with the ones who give the rest of them a bad name). Make sure the addition is accurate (it will have to have a foundation designed by a State Licensed Structural Engineer or for smaller room additions a State Licensed Architect will serve) and inaccuracies at that stage of the project can be expensive to repair and cause delays. If you will give us a little more to work with, in terms of data about your concerns, we are glad to help but we have to understand the problem to supply useful answers, post a picture or pictures, say what software you are using and its version number. DJP

Unless you have Home Designer Pro (any version) you will not be easily able to do the roofs on ths house (Pro has manual roof tools that you MUST have to do wll of those in detail), plus of course you would have to learn how to use those manual tools. What do you have? DJP

I also submitted a ticket and referenced this thread and attached my simple plan. DJP

I checked Mick's results (downloaded-installed the update) drew an open below-clerestory room and was unable to get the crown molding showing properly in the open-below area, ( I thought if I could figure out a work-round, I would then make a video of it to share) but no-dice, it is a bug and proper function should be returned by Chief Inc with another patch. DJP

When Viddi says "look closely" she means zoom rather close to see if any wall connection corners look "funny" and those like that manually reconnect them until they do look right (if no "Room Dialog Box" can be accessed then THAT IS the reason for no floor. The floor material can be set to "zero thickness" (sero thickness + no visual floor) DJP

Tell us (me) what software you have and its version number please and post a picture of what you are seeing on your computer screen so we (I) can have some orientation as to what you are seeing or not seeing. Define exactly what you mean by "lost my floors". DJP

Dimensions do ONLY what you set them to do. This software is a mechanical device that runs on settings. If the settings are wrong then the dimensions are wrong ( See Edit - Dimension Defaults - Locate Objects). When you create a custom wall type you have to tell the software what is the "Main Layer" and by default it will measure only to you you set as the "Main Layer" (if that is set wrong by you then dimensions are then wrong as well). You have to do a little study and practice to get the precise results you want (just like your Architect did or anyone else who intends accurate graphic communication from Architectural Software). That is what is happening (or not happening in this case). I am not being mean or mean spirited but rather just answering your query factually. DJP