DavidJPotter

Thanks Mick, Suite does not come with the ability to import dxf files, sorry, of all the available titles of Home Designer only Home Designer Pro has that ability. DJP

A "Break" is a "Break" but with "Object Snaps" "ON" it just takes one line and divides it into two lines. If you then want to remove a segment then you make a second break so as to isolate that line entity. Then turn "ON" "Edit Poly-Line Parts"; with that tool mode active, you can then move, copy or delete the isolated line entity from the others as you wish. When done turn off "Edit Poly-Line Parts" mode. DJP

What software title and version DO you have please? Answer that please and then I can answer you question but not until then. DJP

Rich, Grammar is important to understanding but NOT more important than the communication occuring. Correcting someone's grammar is secondary to helping them and is an unnecessary invalidation of their communication. Though perhaps "corrrect" I consider it rude and unwanted, along with posts that point out misspelling, this is not Facebook or English class, this is a forum mainly for helping others with this stuff. If you are having a bad day, take it out on the nearest telephone pole and not those looking for help here please. Don't make fun of others, help them. DJP

"Interestingly I remembered something Leanne said on the old support ticket along the lines of having too many round objects in a plan sometimes caused problems" Keith, in this software there are no 3D curves,rather curves are broken down into segments to commnicate the appearance of a curve. Each of those segments creates several "3D Faces" and as the total "Face Count" rises in a plan file, that increases the computation time to locate and create each of those 3D faces per unit of time and thus as they add up it stresses the ability of the usual PC to keep up, causing loss of general eD performance but does not cause any specific problems other than general camera view performance per view. I had the same exact problem with a plan that I worked on yesterday and I solved the problem, I was in a hurry and do not remember exactly what I did (except what I advised you to do in an earlier post in this thread). It was as Mick said, it was a conflicting setting, I found it and then drove on. I am sorry I did not note what it was, I will try to remember. DJP

ddestimate, That is very awesome use of the tool at hand (I have been spoiled by Chief Premier and so never looked how it could be done in HD), very well done! The best way to really learn something is to teach it to others because the learner often end up teaching you! DJP

For general information on ADA: http://www.ada.gov/ Insulated panel construction type walls can be custom layered within Pro to emulate the thickness and layering of SIP and other specialized wall types (Default Settings - Walls - Define Walls dialog) DJP

In order to accurately address your question, it is necessary to know what title and software version you are using. That is because of the six different titles per version of software that Home Designer makes, they vary in how finely you can set dimension display. Once I know exactly what you have, I can then respond with a useful answer that will be true for your particular application. DJP

Only Chief Premier has a built-in schedule tool for windows, doors, cabinets, electrical, plumbing and a room finish schedule, no Home Designer titles have this built-in feature. DJP

Make sure "Object Snaps" is "ON" or line entities will not "snap" to each other. This is a generalized answer because you have not stated which "Title" of the 2015 version you have, they vary wildly in tools and abilities. DJP

The best advice I can give you is to carefully read and then practice using all the tools that are described in the Reference Manual (Help - Reference Manual). This takes time to do so do it a little at a time, using simple test plans to practice with, then when you have some confidence in your competence, apply that knowledge to your main plan. Confront, think through and set all your Defaults for a plan before you spend a lot of time doing things which you will have to correct or change later (double work). The software is a mechanical device, it does not think, have judgement or clairvoyance, you control it and its tools to a result always. DJP

You guide the roof generator to a desired result,sometimes by using temporary walls, always by settings in wall dialogs-roof tab, The software cannot read your mind so you have to take actions to tell it what you want. Without seeing your plan or at least a screen capture image, I cannot give you precise advice other than the above. DJP

Max, The only persons authorized to design foundations in the USA are State Licensed Structural Engineers, all other foundation designs are purely conceptual. So it is less important what sort of foundation the software draws since it will not be used for actual construction. The best way to use this software is to set ALL default settings before drawing the first wall, this way the software is programmed to assist your creative activity. I am not sure what you meant when you said "I lost all of my interior plans." That should have happened only on the Foundation level, Whether roofs or foundation when you order an automatic rebuild of roofs or foundaiton the entire group is redone and older work is lost. DJP

Look in the Library Browser of Home Designer Pro, and type "Bibb" in the "Search" input window and you will see two different hose bibb symbols you can use. Home Designer Pro has all the tools necessary to create a plumbing plan, electrical plan, elevations, HVAC plan,3D views, cross sections and details for construction documentation. DJP

Banks prefer a floor plan for each floor and four elevations commonly. Like Mick said "What program are you using?". I charge $75.00 per hour for such work, a small cottage, single story with relatively simple roofs should take me about four hours. If you want an electrical plan as well, that will take an additional hour. I also need to know what size paper your bank requires for the printed plans (I will deliver the plans to you in PDF format that you can then print to scale). DJP

Keith, I appreciate the lengths to which you have gone to succinctly state your observations and I understand your frustration. I do not work for Chief Architect Inc though I have in the past as a seminarist. Settings change when other values or settings cause them to. You should be able to make your SWT value stay unchanged by reseting it to your Default when it becomes un-checked. I too have seen this phenomenon from time to time without noticing how I caused it, so I just check and recheck such settings till they stay put. I think you should submit your concerns as a Tech Support Ticket submission for a termminatedly final solution since you may not want to adopt my "solution" of just insisting that the program comply with my repeated instructions. I have never been unable to make the software do what I want but it is true that sometimes it seems resistant to orders. DJP

Click where you want to open a room dialog and then hit the "Next" button or "Tab" key until just the object or room you want is selected, try that and see if that gets it done for you. DJP

Draw (enclose) your porch with walls, so you can get a "Room Specification Dialog". Then open the room dialog, go to the structure tab and un-check "Ceiling over this room" which will then make the bottom side of your roof planes, the "ceiling". You mentioned "perfected" well that takes a little more than dialog box settings but that will get you started, perfection is something you do by controlling the software and its tools through study followed by practice developing your own competence. DJP

Winder Stairs as shown in your posted image require Home Designer Pro ONLY and the two walls formed into a corner and then the stairs must be "checked "Winders" in their dialog box. If you have anything other than Pro you cannot easily do Winder Stairs. This video might or might not help you:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfPkhywdw2w It depends upon WHICH software title and version you have which you should state when you post questions please. DJP

Yes, the new forum requires a sign in on each visit, one purpose is to keep down spammers so the forum is used just for what it is intended. DJP

In Pro and Chief Premier the plate height is controled by "Edit - Default Settings - Floor - Structure Tab - Ceiling Height" generally speaking. You can modify or make exceptions in local "Room Specification Dialogs - Structure Tab - Ceiling Height". These settings then determine the "Z" axis height of roof planes and plate height (roof planes determine where walls terminate in the "Z" axis). There are other settings in "Edit - Default Settings - Framing" (in Pro and Chief Premier only) that set floor platform thickness for multi story structures which direcely effect roof "Z" axis height but I think that is beyond the scope of your question. DJP

Keith, I use these tools all the time and it sounds like you have set things up correctly (set North Pointer relative to the "North-South" orientation of the plan file or in other words relative to the house), Go to "Edit - Preferences - Sun Angle" to set your Lat. and long. and Time Zone). Then place a "Sun Arrow" in the plan view from which you can then control the Sun Angle relative to the time of day that you set for each rendering. If you have done that you should get the expected results, if not, you will have to contact Tech Support to figure out why this is not working for you (perhaps you missed a step?). I have never had anything other than expected results in many versions of Chief Premier and Home Designer Pro (their tools are exactly the same). DJP

I rarely do landscaping or irrigation layouts using the irrigation library that comes with Chief Architect Permier, I looked in the Library Browser of Architectural 2014 and did a search for "watering" and there are landscape watering symbols there in an "Irrigation" section under the "Exteriors" section. Otherwise I am unfamiliar with "Rain Bird". If I were to need such specific objects, I would check "3D Warehouse" and then if no joy there I would then look at making them myself using Chief Architect Permier or Sketch Up. DJP

The advantage is the 64 bit version on a 64 bit PC or Mac will handle twice as much data per unit of time, especially important for larger, complex plan files. Of course one must learn how to properly create a plan file, a corrupt plan file that contains too many wrong guesses and paradoxical settings will not run well on any PC or Mac. So it is incumbent upon the end user to learn their tools and use the software as it is as opposed to how one might think it ought to be. This is more important than 32 bit or 64 bit. DJP

You might share a copy with us here sowe can then look, I so not have trouble with pony walls on my PC. DJP