DavidJPotter

Commonly you import the PDF, then check the correctness of its scaling using Home Designer dimension tools. When properly checked for correctness then you can trace over the indicated walls which does save time. It is easier to do in Chief Premier but is commonly done as above in Home Designer software that allows the importation of PDF files. DJP

That requires using elevation and isometric cameras and the symbol's dialog boxes for 3D location and also using the "Control Key-Drag" method to override symbols bumping into each other during the process. DJP

By altering Roof default settings you can do whatever you wish, take a look. DJP

Chief Architect Premier now has a rope light tool, I do not know if Home Designer Pro has that tool or not. You can currently adjust the color of any light source in any Home Designer or Chief Architect software You cannot in Home Designer alone, you would have to make a custom symbol in SketchUp and then import as a symbol into Home Designer to a degree, you could place shaped soffits and assign a material to them and then using the "Properties Tab" to make that material highly emissive (light emitting) DJP

It is also difficult to change your measuring units (Imperial and Metric) after one has started, the same is true about changing your template plan after you have started using a particular template. You should make sure of those things BEFORE creating much content in a .plan file. As Allen said, above setting Edit -Default Settings is essential. Then you establish the first floor, then the second (if one is intended) then the foundation (Foundations are purely conceptual in that the only persons licensed and trained to design them are State Licensed Structural Engineers, so a lot of attention to detail is unnecessary relative to the foundation until your Engineer can review your plan and then carefully design a foundation for it). DJP

HTH DJP

My advice is lots of study followed by practice with what you just finished studying. A little time spent this way, each day will increase your competence. If you do not do this as a matter of self-discipline, you will never fully learn the software and its tools. HTH DJP

The best way is not to change your mind but rather carefully choose your template before you start. DJP

Like Eric said, if you want to have a floor above an existing floor you MUST create an additional floor (Floor Three in this case). That is the way the software is preprogrammed to work, period. Attic trusses will not help in this case, a new floor above an existing floor is a solution. DJP

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00718/modeling-a-sloping-terrain-for-a-walk-out-basement.html HTH DJP

I rarely have had to do this in and with my use of Chief Architect Premier. In a Railing Specification Dialog box in Premier, there are settings to "Follow Terrain", "Follow Stairs" and so forth which of course makes that whole job easier. DJP

In order to accomplish that in what you have, the railing in question will have to be manually, custom constructed a piece at a time using soffits (cabinet tools) to form the balusters, newels and slanted rails. It should be doable in Architectural or Pro but forget it if you are in any kind of a hurry. It must be done methodically and carefully to be done at all. DJP

The attached image was done with my trial copy of Home Designer Pro 2020. I tried to do the same thing in Architectural 2019 and the necessary controls in the dialog were missing in Architectural, sorry. An upgrade to Pro is what you must do or just do without. DJP

That "Weird Stuff" is called "a ceiling" that is set slightly lower than the roof. It is likely that there are other "settings" elsewhere that are incorrect for what you are trying to do. If you were to share a copy of your (.plan) file, others could then look and report back what was found. DJP

All that is required in whatever version is for you to find out the actual dimensions of an intended symbol to gauge against your actual import of the symbol when you use the wrong unit setting (there are many to choose from during import-take a look please). I imported and added it to my Library, adjusted its "Unit" to "mm" and it came out slightly over 8 feet long (seems about right to me but this can be verified at the manufacturer website). X11 DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY SELECT THE RIGHT UNIT (I did that manually as I recommended to you whether you use Pro or something else. The people who get the most out of Chief Architect and Home Designer software are the ones who learn it and make themselves competent with it. DJP

I agree with Eric (Solver) that you need to help us, to help you by sharing a copy of your .plan file. That way we can look and report what we then find to you to help you. DJP

This part of the forum is for "Tips and Tricks", it is not for posing questions as you have. You should repost this in the "Questions and Answers" section DJP

When I imported your 3D file, I used "Inches" as its unit (the default setting for "Unit") and I then get this building-sized couch (probably like you did). See image: Therefore, the unit for this object is not "Inches" but something else. With free symbols, whatever the source it is incumbent on only you for how it is imported, as you have seen. DJP

This will introduce you to what is involved in terms of material customization: Also and DJP

DO NOT DO THAT EVER IS MY ADVICE!!! HTH DJP

Make that in Sketch UP and then download the finished pieces as symbols into Home Designer. Sketch Up is free and relatively easy to learn and use. https://www.sketchup.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoOOlrdTL4QIVmISzCh0pawk0EAAYASAAEgIdbvD_BwE DJP

Try this please: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/3d-library/index.php?YII_CSRF_TOKEN=2adf611c06fc579a71c698dac1a09e2badee009e&r=site%2Flibrary&search=decorator+switch&x=13&y=12&x=true&hid_cpca=0&hid_cpu=0&hid_ctm=0&hid_ctnm=0&hid_ctu=0&hid_order=&hid_norotator=false&hid_soft_family_1=0&hid_soft_family_2=1&hid_soft_1=0&hid_soft_2=0&hid_soft_4=0&hid_soft_5=0&hid_soft_6=0&hid_soft_7=0&hid_soft_8=0&hid_version_8=0&hid_version_7=0&hid_version_6=0&hid_version_5=0&hid_version_4=0&hid_version_3=0&hid_version_2=0&hid_version_1=0&soft_family_2=2 DJP

HTH DJP

DJP

Home Designer does not have any "Joist" tools in it as your signature inaccurately states or implies. Only Home Designer Pro has such tools. As explained in your Reference Manual under "Framing" you control joist direction with the use of two tools : 1. the Joist Direction Tool, found under "Build, Framing, Joist Direction" and #2: the "Bearing Line Tool", where you can tell the software where bearing lines and stress lines change and thus joist direction changes. DJP