DavidJPotter

1) Is it possible to put a site plan (dxf file) on its own layer and use it to build the initial terrain and foundation (ideally using this layer to snap to as well), and then remove the layer and continue on? Not on a custom or specific layer that you alone choose (can be done easily in Chief Architect Premier) 2) The site plan is in need of some repair (ie. perimeter is not a closed polygon) Does anyone have a recommendation on the Mac for software that I could use to fix the site plan. I think I need to remove a few layers, join line segments, etc. (Note: site plan is in dxf format). AutoCAD, Intellicad, Turbo CAD, Chief Architect Premier or Home Designer Pro (in a blank plan would be the easiest and then copy-paste into Pro once repaired) DJP

Empiric testing done in a simple test plan is what I recommend, a simple plan file with a single object of whatever type, create a materials list and view the results, I have never done this myself but if I cared to know in detail what it does that is how I would do it. From my own experience, I have only had a single client in the last twenty years who was willing to hire me to create a model (plan file) that would produce a materials list, His firm bid and constructed prefab housing. In order to create a precise materials list one has to make sure that all objects in the plan file precisely emulate the actual objects that are to be used in the actual construction. Materials assignments have to be done carefully with no 3D shortcuts one might use to simply produce construction documents.I would build framimg and then check every board, stud and rafter for precision manually editing the results, Concrete had to be set to precise thicknesses for foundations, grade beams had to be precisely created (I did that in concert with their State Licensed Structural Engineer as to specifications). Pavers had to be the exact same thickness as the actual pavers, underlain with the precise thickness of concrete or packed earth or other strata. What I knew going in is the materials list feature ONLY measures what you put in it and how you put it in the plan file, This requires a complete mastery of Home Designer and its tools. Your problem, as I see it is that this can only be done, in a fine tuned way with Home Designer Pro and also requires a professional's knowledge of building practices, (I have functioned as a Sub Contractor, Remodeling Designer-Salesperson, punch-out Man and Construction Supervisor having to deal with other building professionals including Building Inspectors and city plan checkers). This does not mean that you must have been these things to have the proper judgement, I am just saying I have a little more reality than most casual users in this field of activity. Professionals who do estimating for a living do NOT use the internal Materials List feature, they use the Chief Architect plan file for raw data, dimensions that they feed into a software program specifically designed for cost estimating. I am not saying that Home Designer software can not be used for a useful Materials list, what I am saying as my opinion that most persons who buy Home Designer software do not have the depth of dedication, understanding and knowledge to use Home Designer to create the necessary environment to produce one. You could be an exception of course. The reason I rarely get hired to produce a materials list is that it is cheaper to hire a professional estimater or lumber company to do one using industry established procedures than to make a perfect in every way, virtual model and then read its resulting Materials List. The above is my own opinion based upon my own experiences, I am not an employee of Chief Architect Inc nor is my word the "last word" on the subject, DJP.

KB, You will receive no arguments from me realative to this thread. People new to this forum come here because they cannot or will not thoroughly study anything's referrence manual (in most schools on Earth there is no proper "How to Study" technology taught in any school anywhere and so most people are completely ignorant of how to quickly learn anything to a point where "study" seems like punishment or a "condition" as opposed to this is how to increase usable knowledge. The fact of people assuming that what software they have, everyone has or just being unaware that there might be important information is just a symptom ignorance itself compounded by a lack of learned Study Technology. For now, I think the only possible, workable way is for Chief Architect Inc to require it as part of the sign up procedure because people in general are too irresponsible (or just plain stupid) to see the need and sensitivity to others who try to help them. It is a Human thing. DJP

With Home Designer Suite you can open a single wall's specification dialog- go to its Materials Tab and set that single wall's interior material to something other than its default. That works for that single wall, floor to ceiling. You can change the interior (or exterior) material of a room's walls from the Room Specification Dialog-Materials Tab which then effects all walls of that room. Architectural and Home Deigner Pro have an additional tab in both the Room Dialog and Wall Dialogs for "Wall Coverings" wich alows you to color specific horizontal strips of differing materials on a single wall or all the walls of a room. Suite does not have this feature. You mentioned using the "Wall Break Tool" and yes that would allow you to change the material settings of each vertical wall segment thus made by way of its individual wall dialog box allowing only vertical strips of differing materials assignment. Another way to overlay one material on a wall is to use the soffit tool (cabinet tools) creating 1/16" thick segments and then placing them on the surface of a wall. The soffit object will carry any material assigned to it and they can be resized vertically or horizontally. To find out about the full capabilities of your software you should carefully and methodically read your Reference Manual (found under the "Help" menu of your software), in that document is explained in detail all of the tools and procedures that your software is capable of. Read a little in it and then practice what you learned by opening your software to prove that you now actually understand what you read. Such a process will take you where you want to go quickly. DJP

KB, I have been using this forum since 2005 and no one has ever done so until they have posted several times and been asked directly to do so with no answer to thier question. If this gets enforced it will have to be us enforcing it on others. DJP

At least check these out as they are parsed especially for Home Designer titles (not all but most): http://3dlibrafarchitect.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=ry.chie At least you will have wider choices. DJP

No matter what software you have you can take a base cabinet, set it to blank sides and increase the "counter top" thickness and download the "Cultuted Stone" from the "Manufacturer Content" section of the Home Designer Website for outward appearances. If you have Home Designer Pro you can create custom spabs shaped like that, block them and then add materials. Soffits (cabinet tools) can also be used like slabs above. DJP

Those nuances come from manually adjusting materials and lighting only, the default settings give what you have seen. It takes study followed by lots of practice that creates skill in getting the most out of a plan file. DJP

The limitation is set by your monitor DPI and its screen size in pixels. Chief Architect Permier is the only software application that they make that allows any size possible (I know an English user who created a rendering to be printed at bill board size once). Home Designer tites, all of them are limited to screen size and native DPI. DJP

There are numerous users of Chief Architect Premier in Michigan but you will have to post your query on Chief Talk to reach them. DJP

Each named camera type has it's own "Display Options" dialog and so roofs can be off for back clipped views and on for cross section views, there is a separate Display Options for plan views. DJP

I did a You Tube video on how to do this, basically you are just creating a blank second floor and then draw a tiny room on that black second floor that then emulates a coupla. The only other way to do this is by way of using a coubla symbol. End of story. When you do not have Home Designer Pro with its manual roof tools, it is harder to do because of the preciseness of settings and procedure to accomplsih this by settings alone but can be done in any Home Designer title. DJP

The software (all versions and titles) are programmed to align walls based upon the "main" or structural layer (the layer that bares the structural loading of a wall). So when the floors of two or more floors do not by default align, it is your job to manually align them wall by wall, floor to floor. The makers of the software have done a great job of this in MOST applications but where the walls do not naturally align, it is your job to make them aligned. DJP

Kbird has the right idea in terms of Home Designer Pro (Chief Premier X6 can manually fix that sort of thing but Pro does not have the additional tools for that job, so I agree with Kbird to see if you can fix the simbol in Sketch Up before import to Pro). DJP

There are six or seven different software titles in the current version of Home Designer software line and there are seven or so versions still in use, so until you state also what software you have as part of your question, no one can answer it with certainty. DJP

In order to open a ".plan" file you must have HD Pro 2014 installed on the other divice. If you want merely to share views of a plan, I commonly print views to PDF using "CutePDF" and then anyone who has Adobe Acrobat Reader can then view the file and print the PDF to paper at scale if you like. I think that printing to PDF is the easiest way to share views. DJP