DavidJPotter

Open your "Display Options" dialog and turn off all layers for the structure (Walls Normal,Doors, Windows, Roof Planes etc) then you can "Marquee-Select" (press the "Shift Key" on your keyboard holding it down during the select and rotate process), then from a point outside of what is on screen you wrap a "Marquee Select" that encompasses all objects on screen which can, once selected, rotated relative to the structure. You can see the structure by turning on the "Reference Display" which should show you where the structure is without turning any of its layers. DJP

Chief Premier Version X12 (22) can open most older files but once opened and saved in X12 YOU, could then no longer edit ( change ) them in your older version. Chief and Home Designer titles only work in a two-way fashion if they are the same year of release. It MAY be the way you are exporting the files (tell me how you have been sharing them to date, exactly what steps did you take to attach them to an email?) DJP

DJP

Different Home Designer titles (Suite, Architectural and Home Designer Pro) have vastly different CAD capabilities, so in order to answer your question one would have to know exactly what Home Designer software you have. What do you have please? DJP

Post a copy of your plan file please. DJP

Make a new base cabinet and format it to be 4" deep, turn it on a 45 degree angle and then using "Control - Key -select - drag into position. Your custom counter top will cover the "void" behind the 45 d cabinet. DJP

That cognition is just part of the actual learning curve: they pre-programmed it to work along particular lines and that is what it does. No matter the issue it is as it is and does what it does, so it is incumbent upon us to figure out how it is configured to work and then go with that. I do understand. DJP

BTW I did not "down vote" you but I thought I would mention that anyone can do anything they please in terms of up voting or down voting. It is a choice and is thereby not controlled by reason or ethics, just emotion at the time. I recommend that you ignore stupid people and just do what you do. DJP

Your visible dimensions are measuring to "Framing Surfaces" and the auto dimension display is pre-programmed to display to finished surfaces. Where the Dimension points of a dimension string determine the display. I commonly turn off that Room Label Display for that reason (I cannot control how it displays dimensions, dimension strings, I CAN control). DJP

Please take a look at the attached image DJP

I have my own zoom account and charge $75.00 per hour for one on one help. This sort of thing is a matter of programming walls as "Pony Walls" where a single wall is split into two wall types with editable "Wall Poly Lines" so you an shape the exterior half to show to the exterior and the interior part to fit into the inter section or something similar to that. I do this all the time in Pro or Chief Premier. DJP

What Mick (K Bird) said above but specifically use this procedure: Turn off all Terrain, features, roads-sidewalks-driveway layers. Figure out the exact distance you wish to move the copy of the structure, including its width. Then using "Edit Area -All Floors" command you marquee select the original structure and then while selected you click on the "Transform-Replicate" tool and from that tool's dialog you select the check box "Copy" and then "Move" and in its input box you input the distance you wish the copy to move and in what direction, then click on "OK" to complete the copy-move. If you mess up use the "Undo" command to start over. DJP

Posting a copy of your plan file along with an image that displays your unwanted outcome with some explanation as to what you actually wish to have is part and parcel of obtaining useful help here. DJP

Helping others is a privilege and its is fun usually, sometimes it is hard but it is always satisfying for the helped and the helpers. DJP

Relative to Auto or manual roof creation the "Height" or "Plate Height" of roofs per enclosed space (Roof Specification Dialog - Structure Tab - Ceiling Height) is what controls/determines the height of roofs. Pitch is set globally in the "Build Roof Dialog - Pitch" input box but can also be controlled using Auto Roofs command by way of individual "Wall Specification Dialog box - Roof Tab - Pitch over this wall" input box in Architectural. Architectural includes NO manual roof tools so you are stuck with settings as your only method of control over roofs. Then make sure all enclosed spaces have their g heights set the same. Changing the pitch only alters/changes the angle of the roofs and not their baseline height as above. Your last question requires the use of sloped soffits to emulate an open truss, one can also use the Custom Back splash tool for custom objects but I prefer soffits for that, it is a choice. DJP

DJP

They are programmed to appear ONLY when at least two visible objects or lines are selected, then they "temporarily" show while any object is selected and NO other time. Most Default behaviors and appearances are controlled under "Edit - Default Settings". For "Text" it is "Edit - Default Settings - Text", take a look please. The software is not designed to do as you describe, rather, you draw objects, lines, or a terrain plane in plan view and then using temporary or manually drawn dimensions to relation-ally shape it to match your actual lot. "NORTH" is indicated by using a manually drawn "North Pointer" to indicate magnetic North relative to the orientation of your structure's "north-south" orientation in a plan view screen. Part of learning anything is to first diddle around with an application a little to become familiar with it. I think you are done with that phase. Next found under the "HELP" menu you will find your next Study/Practice Materials, including "Users Guide" which you should read carefully, every page in it, Your "Reference Manual" which describes with lots of words and pictures the basic things you need to know to start using the software. I DO NOT recommend you read the Reference Manual like a novel as it is over two thousand pages long, rather you "Search" it for specific matters you are currently having trouble with or are interested in mastering, you read the material and then open the software to practice what you studied to validate that you did understand what you just studied a matter at a time.Then there is searchable "Help Files" found under "Help", access to help videos on the Home Designer/Chief Architect websites, again you should view those not as a "Binge Watch" but by topic and personal interest. I have created a YouTube page with over 500 videos I have created to address specific questions by users here on this forum and on Chief Talk (which is for Chief Architect Premier users). Some of these YouTube  videos of mine may help get you started as well as the introductory videos on the Home Designer Website. Best of success to you! The software does what it does based upon ONLY what an informed YOU tells it to do, it is not intelligent, it does not know ANYTHING other than simply reacting to what you do and how you do it in a pre-programmed way. It is not an Architect, Engineer, Builder, Developer, Plumber, Electrician or HVAC tech, rather it is a great additional tool, once learned to help you communicate your building desires to other building professionals that will help you bring your dreams to reality. What is produces is a direct mirror of your own competence using it and NOTHING else. DJP

What Eric is referring to is a command in the Edit Toolbar that allows you to select a roof plane and order it to appear on "the Floor Above or the Floor Below" specifically for plan view displays like you wish to make. DJP

You can get that with an Orthographic over view and then under "3D" you set the "3D Views" to "Top View" to obtain a roofs only view straight down view on the roof. take a look! DJP

DJP ProbertRd121 Ext. Plan.plan

The stair tool is pre-programmed to try and stay within a stair "Rise Angle" (steepness of the stair object) so when you manually make a stair shorter by removing steps or treads from the stair, it automatically disconnects from the floor above. That attribute is actually useful in helping a designer draw stairs that will not "Meet Code" for stairs (That does not mean that the software always gets things right, it does not but it is programmed to keep people from designing something that will be rejected by a Permit Authority). Take the time to practice using the stair tool after reading the entire section about Stairs in the "Reference Manual" so it is easier to think with and use the stair tool. DJP

Sadly, yes, to achieve curve like splines you would have to use the "Line Break" tool from your "Edit Toolbar" when you select an elevation line. Adding breaks in a straight line allows one to somewhat emulate the curves of splines available in Pro and Premier. DJP

This tutorial is done in Chief Architect but the Terrain tools are identical in Chief and HD PRo. DJP

Anomalous terrain spikes are commonly caused by crossing elevation objects (lines, splines, points, regions) or placing them too close together. The terrain is designed/programmed to create a gradient between differing height values so when they are placed too close to each other you get unwanted terrain artifacts as in your posted image. Space them out and let them flow to each other will work better. DJP

For the Roof Eave soffit there is a setting, in the roof plane specification dialog - Options Tab for "boxed Eaves", take a look please. For the gaps in the first to second floor walls, It may be an incorrect setting in your plan file (without it to inspect, it is anyone's guess as to the actual cause. Such gaps can be manually repaired by manually closing those wall poly line gaps in a camera view but they are usually caused by an incorrect setting in the room dialog, Floor Defaults or the wall dialog. DJP