DavidJPotter

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

I commonly move the main roof plan on which the dormers will rest up a floor and only then place the dormer objects, so they do not clutter up the main floor. DJP