DavidJPotter

DJP

DJP

I have on my Windows 10 PC All versions of Chief Architect software from the year 2002 to the present (Version 7 through 21) and they all run just fine, I have versions X2 -X11 (12-21) on my Windows 10 laptop. I know nothing of the Microsoft Surface devices but any pc that runs Windows 10 or Windows 8 or 7 should run your software just fine. Your old laptop really must have been weak and old indeed. It appears that the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 has an Intel 630 video support which is rather minimal but should work. Here are the stated "Minimum Requirements" for Home Designer 2020 titles: Home Designer 2020 Version 21, released in 2019 Windows 10 / 8 / 7 (64-bit) Mac 10.13 / 10.14 (High Sierra / Mojave) Multi-core processor RAM - 4 GB RAM (minimum) / 16 GB (recommended) 5 GB available hard disk space (minimum) / 50 GB (recommended) Video Card 1 GB of dedicated video card memory (minimum) or Gen7.5/Haswell or newer Intel Integrated Graphics Chipset / 4 GB or 8 GB gaming video card (recommended) OpenGL 3.3 or higher (Windows) OpenGL 4.1 or higher (Mac) Internet Access required for installation, license authentication, deactivation, video, and library catalog access. Internet access for license validation is required once every 14 days. DJP

Unless you are a State Licensed Structural Engineer I would recommend that you not worry about the details of the foundation (in most states of the USA a licensed structural engineer is required to design plans for foundations and one would be wise to protect one's investment building it on a foundation designed by someone trained to do so). No one will ever "live" in a digital, virtual house model, the purpose of our 3D models is to create 2D plans to communicate our desires to Building Professionals who know how to do what they do. Eric has offered in his post above, some hyperlinks to resources for self-help which are searchable for specific help, avail yourself of them. Help yourself and help us help you. DJP

I programmed the attached, edited plan file so it can still be opened and worked in Architectural. DJP ArchitecturalPlan06b-2floor.zip

I did not go to school to do what I do. I did work in Property Management as a Maintenance Engineer (Maintenance Man) which led to managing Maintenance Persons, maids, painters, plumbers, HVAC Techs, and carpenters which then led to opening my own service and remodeling company. My point is that the way to learn to design, at least from my viewpoint is to do it, then evaluate what you have done in the software, show it to your wife and friends and see their reactions. You will never quickly develop your own ability until you exercise it and have it critiqued by others. So get started!! You do not need anyone else's permission to create, just create! You can study floor plans created by others as examples and inspirations. There scads of those that you can access online for free. DJP

For such a job, I would use dimensions instead of trying to use a centering tool (Angie 15 explained the unworkability of that very well). DJP

It is not possible to upload a copy of your plan file while it is actively open in Home Designer Pro. Close it and then add the file while the program is closed. I still do not see a problem. What a designer does is to decide where things go based upon your experience with spaces you have lived in, it is not "Rocket Science" and is just based upon real-life and your won sense of what is right. DJP

On a "stair landing object" you click-select the landing edge you wish to edit by selecting and then opening its dialog where in its dialog you will see a checkbox: "No railing on this edge". Checking that checkbox will remove the railing, unchecking it will put the railing back visually. See if that helps. DJP

Once you send a view to layout its size is "fixed" by your pre-settings that you sent that view to layout with. Once the view is "on" layout you can only increase the size of text or dimensions by increasing them in the plan view that is the "parent" of the view sent to layout. There is no possible adjustment that you can make of a view sent to layout while it is "ON" the layout, only in plan view can that be done, manually by YOU. DJP

Your posted floor plan contains nothing but "right angles", what is the actual problem, I wonder? DJP

Please open your "Reference Manual" and then carefully read the section on "Materials List" where exactly how the tool is designed to work. The reference manual can be found under the main toolbar under "Help". DJP

You can place a soffit where you wish the molding to be (soffits are multi-purpose objects you can easily customize and use for purposes other than as a "soffit"). Soffits can have a molding attached to their edges for easily adding a molding to a fixed symbol. Symbols can be resized but not otherwise altered or given a different category. DJP

See if some of these video tutorials help you: https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/search/?default_tab=video&q=dimensions&page=1 DJP

Terrain was added as a feature in the year 2,000 AD and as such, it is an "add-on" to the basic program. So when thinking about terrain relative to your structural objects, you bring the terrain to those by using the "Terrain Specification Dialog - Building Pad" input box to raise or lower the terrain as an object relative to structural components like foundation walls or a 3D modeled structure. DJP

BTW: The "Edit Area - All Floors" command is not offered in Architectura as a choice. It does exist in Chief Architect Premier and Home Designer Pro under the "Edit Menu", that is why you could not find it because it does not exist in your software version. DJP

The problem is that you rotated the structure when the common practice is to rotate the plot plan, terrain plane, etc leaving the structure where and as it was intended to be in the native "North-South" of your PC/Mac screen. This causes wall angles to be off pre-programmed allowed angles and as you have seen makes further unnecessary rotating of the structure problematic. You NEVER rotate the structure, always the terrain, features, elevation data, etc. That can be rotated relative to the structure. DJP

Legacy plan files are by default problematic, especially in terms of materials and symbols, due to the changing programming of those objects from version to version. The first thing I do when opening and working on a legacy plan is to start from scratch in "Edit - Default Settings" all categories and reassign materials to materials in my Library Browser, replacing older symbols with ones from my Library Browser. It takes a few minutes to do thoroughly but will have to be done sooner or later with old plans. It is what it is. DJP

I downloaded your plan and looked at it. Bizarre indeed. But I completely agree with Eric, in that without knowing exactly what you intend as a roof system, no one can tell you with certainty what next to do (other than just to try again). DJP

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/videos/watch/2291/custom-textures.html DJP

In Windows 10 type "sound" into the "Search" input box and then go to "Sound Settings" and take a look. DJP

No, it is probably something on your PC. Do you have a laptop or a desktop PC or Mac? As Eric said, try another browser, they are free. Check your sound settings and hardware. DJP

Terrain as a feature was added to Chief Architect and Home Designer back in the year 2,000. It has always acted like the add on feature it is. It must be thought of as separate from and different from Structures, room dialog boxes, etc. The terrain is showing in your greenhouse because the green house's floor is perfectly flat and the terrain is not. You can either make the terrain flat there or place a feature around the greenhouse and program that feature to be a "Hole in the Terrain" to remove the visual terrain from the interior of the greenhouse. Bazarroworld outcomes with terrain are caused by the interaction of elevation objects in conflict one with the other by being too close to each other (which creates conflicting "orders" between the elevation objects). You want to allow the terrain to flow from one elevation value to another gradiently. If an abrupt terrain height change is required then one uses the tool designed for that purpose: "Terrain Break" tool. None of this comes "easily" to anyone, it requires study of the Reference Manual and then lots of trial and error practice to learn how to obtain a result with certainty. DJP

Make the "shower" area its own "Room" using invisible walls, then open the "Showers" Room Specification Dialog box and turn on the baseboard by way of that dialog box once you create it separate from the rest of the bathroom. DJP

I have been using and teaching this software since 1994. When I see such an "error message" as you described, I completely ignore it and just drive on. Only if I get the error message repetitively do I then pay any attention to it. A Windows Operating System is a perfect venue for variable behavior. If you were to talk to Tech Support on Monday I doubt if they can tell you with clarity why you are getting the error message (I could be wrong of course but I doubt it). My advice is to just push on and complete your work if the message persists, then call Tech Support on Monday and see what they have to say. DJP