DavidJPotter

I work with AutoCAD users all the time and for many years using Chief Architect (NOT Home Designer). Since Home Designer 2020 is the First version to offer a full, complete export to AutoCAD (.dwg), I am assuming that you have an HD 2020 version, yes? In 25 years of successful use of this software, I have never heard of your particular error message, so I recommend that you contact Chief Architect Tech Support for advice as to what that means and what you can do about it. DJP

The software reacts to what you do and fail to do. Those unwanted wall artifacts could be caused by walls being out of alignment, floor to floor (solution: manually check all wall alignments and correct any found out of alignment). That is all I can suggest just from viewing a single image from a plan file. In order to say more, you need to share a copy of the plan for others to look at and study its settings and situations. Whatever it actually is, it is based upon something you did but not completed correctly or something you overlooked. DJP

Place a doorway. Open the doorway's dialog box. Got to its "Arch" tab to make it have curved sides. Fill in the apparent objects using the Soffit Tool (found under "Cabinet Tools". A lot of custom objects can be located and emulated using Soffits or "Shapes" from the Library Browser. Often times you have to think "creative" to get things done. DJP

Maybe this can help? DJP

As far as I know, based upon calling Chief Architect Sales and looking on their websites. You get more personal control and ability to fine-tune render views in Chief Architect X11 than in Home Designer Pro (I downloaded the trial version and looked at what was there), which in comparison to X11 was next to nothing. It is an upgrade over what was, before available in HD Pro (only "Standard Render"). If you want more control you have to spend the larger bucks. DJP

I do not yet have my current copies of Home Designer Software. I have been using PBR within X11 Chief Premier for months. I am not sure what controls Home Designer Pro offers, relative to X11 but they should be the same. This image is of what I am speaking of but in Chief Premier X11: Until I obtain my own copy of HD Pro, I can only assume it should look like the above image. You adjust those settings and "Sunlight" to get dramatically better results but it takes a lot of time figuring it all out. I just did a "Search" at the Home Designer website and could find NOTHING about Physical Based Rendering. Please call Chief Architect Sales to verify that any Home Deisgner title actually has PBR, OK? DJP

In Suite your main adjustment tools relative to roof height is the ceiling height setting of the roof over which your roofs build when ordered. You raise or lower roofs by the ceiling height setting per enclosed area. In terms of roof customization, you are limited only to Room Dialog Box Settings and how you pre-program walls on their "Roof Tabs" of their Wall Specification Dialogs per space, per instance. Basic roof types can be studied in the "Build Roof Dialog - Roof Styles Tab". It takes a while to learn so you follow your study by practicing with simple plans until you learn the right settings and procedures that work for a particular result. DJP

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00263/creating-staircases-connected-by-landings.html https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00756/creating-a-landing-between-two-sets-of-stairs.html https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/search/?default_tab=video&q=stairs DJP

No, but there is a "right" way to do this: You go to "File - Open Plan" and then navigate to your "My Documents/Home Designer XXXData/Templates/.profile.plan". You select and open this plan in your software and change its "Default Settings" to suit your habits and preferences. Then thereafter, each time you use the command "File - New Plan" the software will then open a copy of your customized profile.plan each time. For a plan that has been already saved and started, your only alternative is to just find and change "Default Settings" to fit what you intend to do. DJP

The .layout files in Chief and Home Designer Pro are NOT compatible: Home Designer Pro's .layout file only supports a single printed page at a time, whereas Chief Premier's .layout file supports up to 1,000 potential pages per layout file. Home Designer Pro can only view one page per layout file, even if it, being a Chief Architect layout file, may contain multiple pages. Only the plan files are compatible within a single version year. DJP

I started on computers with version four of Chief Architect in 1994. Slightly before that, I had used a then version of what is now Home Designer Pro (it was then called "3D Architect). I used it for three or four weeks and then asked my then boss if there was something more robust. Our consulting Architect suggested Chief Architect Premier which we then purchased and I begin learning. I never looked back or ever needed more since. All I do, hours a day is design and draft so having the necessary tools and few built-in barriers or limitations is important to me as a professional. I need something to aid my creativity not make it harder to get around that tool's shortcomings. In the end, it is for you and only you to decide. DJP

Read this please: https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00442/creating-an-automatic-dormer.html DJP

In terms of appearances, you can emulate the bracing using custom made slabs, shaped to emulate the bracing DJP

I create a template.layout file and then do a "save-as" copy for use for other pages for a particular project. DJP

Since your software, unlike Architectural, Suite. Essentials and Interiors has obviously a feature called "Points" which can be placed manually or automatically; ergo you must have Home Designer Pro. The "Points" tools are found under the "CAD" menu - "Points". Open your Reference Manual (found under the "Help" menu and read the section in it about 'CAD Points" to educate your self on what they are and what uses they were designed for, please. You may also find this Knowledge Base Help Article helpful as well:https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-01113/toggling-the-display-of-roof-intersection-points.html DJP

A photo or sketch shared here will greatly make your desires more clear and help us help you better. DJP

In Suite you first go to "File - Print - Drawing Sheet Set Up". When there you select "18 x24" drawing sheet (if you do not have a printer that prints on 18" x 24" paper then you "print" to an 18"x24" PDF file which you then email or carry to a print shop that does have a printer/plotter that prints at scale to 18" x 24" paper. More material to explain this process can be found here: https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/search/?default_tab=support&q=printing DJP

From what you have written, I would guess that you have not yet made yourself learn how to use manual roof tools. There is very little you cannot do once you make yourself by trial and error (failure and success), learn manual roof tools and procedures. You learn by just doing, failing, then succeeding. If you do not wish to do that please post a copy of your problem plan for others to look at and solve. DJP

Adjust them in an image editing program before importation into Architectural. DJP

Check this out please: https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/videos/watch/2310/reflections-in-camera-views-and-final-views.html DJP

I commonly use chief Architect Premier that has tools to accommodate custom moldings creation at any angle. Soffit objects can be programmed to also display molding profiles, that is something you could try in Pro (I have not tried this myself but it might work, take a look) DJP

That is a good question for Chief Architect Tech Support, I doubt that anyone here will know the answer you need, sorry. DJP

You can print plan views at a specified scale and paper size using Architectural but like Eric said, only Home Designer Pro offers a separate layout file to "layout" views for scaled printing. This Help Article may help you to get what you need with Architectural: https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00116/printing-a-plan-at-a-specific-scale.html DJP

A decent performing desktop and a comparable laptop can be achieved but the laptop will cost at least 30% more than the same performing desktop, so be ready for "sticker shock". I recommend Dell Computer Alienware laptops and Sager Laptops. I also recommend that you get at least an 8 core CPU minimum (more cores, if you can afford them). 32 Gb of RAM and the best stand-alone GPU you can afford. Sturdy performance costs money. DJP

My advice is to get advice from Chief Architect Tech Support. You can get amateur opinions here but this is important that you get this resolved asap. I have always had AMD CPUs as the basis of my PC's with NO complaints or slows unless I was working on an extremely large-complex plan file. Such performance as you describe would drive me batty indeed!. Does this occur on ALL plans of just one or two plans? If you upgrade I would NOT recommend on upgrading your current PC. A lot of the best new hardware will not even fit on your current motherboard, my advice is just to plan a new PC which frees you from the past of your current hardware. DJP