DavidJPotter

Commonly SIP panel companies have their own engineers who can take your design and use it to make the exact calculations for their SIP panels. I have designed a couple of SIP homes. You set up your default Exterior Wall to emulate a SIP exterior wall, communicate your conceptual design to the SIP company and let them divide up your plans into a workable SIP layout. No need to over complicate the cycle of action, your work with trained professionals to obtain a result. DJP

Hi Kevin, You understand that any foundation you draw is purely conceptual, you should, when your plan is finished share it in .dxf file format with a State Licensed Structural Engineer who is licensed to actually design the foundation and other purely structural concerns. That said, you can just go to the foundation level (Floor Zero or <0>) and using the foundation wall tool to manually draw in the foundation under any porches you add on. The program software is smartly created by itself is not "smart" you have to add the additional guidance and actions to make everything right. DJP

If it is really important enough you can just take some digital photos with your phone from various vantage points (views) then import those photos as custom backdrops which you can use for camera views and renderings. DJP

Such objects can be obtained at the Home Designer Website - Catalog Downloads Page and also by search-download and importing into Home Designer of Sketch Up symbols. DJP

HTH DJP

Please watch these Training Videos that address dimensions and dimension tools: https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/search/?default_tab=video&amp;q=dimensions Software does not, by itself DO anything, except what you guide it to do, so the better you understand how to control it to desired results the better. It is YOU, not the software that does or creates anything. DJP

I would not recommend using "Edit Area" for such a small change. Just click on the wall you do not mind moving "a couple of inches" and then move it. No need to make this more complicated that is required. DJP

Daisy, What software did you use to create the attached plan? What version (2019, 2018, etc) and what title? (Home Designer Pro, Architectural, Suite, Interiors or Essentials). Once you share that vital data, then someone can then help you. DJP

Yes, depending upon what actual software you actually have (what is that, please? Chief Architect creates Chief Architect Premier, Chief Architect Interiors, Home Designer Pro, Home Designer Architectural, Home Designer Suite, Home Designer Interiors, Home Designer Essentials, which one do you have?) DJP

DJP Merry Christmas!

Part of learning to use this software is learning what it can and cannot do, what works well and what to avoid. Retaining walls is a buggy tool which I avoid using a lot, as a substitute I prefer slabs as they are easier to work with and do not interact with terrain (they stay where and as you place them with no interaction with terrain). Hope this helps. DJP

I have Chief Architect Premier Versions 7-20 and all Home Designer current titles (Pro, Architectural, Interiors, Suite and Essentials 2019) on my PC, all work well and I have never received the error messages you have. You should be able to run Architectural and Pro on the same computer with no trouble. I am sorry you are having difficulty but I have no idea what is wrong on your computer. Tech Support will be able to assist you whatever is wrong. You may wish to try fully uninstalling Architectural (after you deactivate the license) and then install Pro until you can talk to Tech Support. DJP

You deactivate the license BEFORE uninstalling it, otherwise the Chief Architect Server Software lock assumes it is still installed. Now you will have to contact Chief Architect Sales for assistance to get up and running again, sorry. DJP

Read this please: https://cloud-hd.chiefarchitect.com/1/pdf/sales/home-designer-software-rental-terms-and-conditions.pdf?__utma=244573340.1631896876.1539628647.1544953202.1545517971.10&amp;__utmb=244573340.13.10.1545517971&amp;__utmc=244573340&amp;__utmx=-&amp;__utmz=244573340.1541018596.3.2.utmcsr=Home Designer Pro 20.3.0.54 x64|utmccn=Resource: home|utmcmd=software&amp;__utmv=-&amp;__utmk=188376235 For clarifications please contact Chief Architect Sales. DJP

Here you are: DJP

Some of these videos should help: https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/search/?default_tab=video&amp;q=site+plan+and+north+pointer DJP

DJP

Post a copy of your .plan file please, otherwise we, who would help you, are left to guess what is the matter. DJP

Contact Chief Architect Tech Support for specific help with this kind of issue, please. DJP

What, precise HD title are you using, please? What printer? Are you printing from plan view or a layout file (HD Pro only)? DJP

Home Designer comes with a Print to PDF converter I believe, that is what I mainly use. I have, in the past used CutePDF but I have not had good reliable results with Microsoft PDF or some others. DJP

Rotating the house can be done but is NOT a good idea. If you try it first make a copy of your plan file so it things go off the rails, you have something to fall back on to try again. The best practice is to plan ahead and create the model or house orientated as you wish to start out with. If you need to add a "North Pointer" to show magnetic North relative to the house, there are easily edited tools for that (North Pointer Tool-SunAngle Tool) as opposed to turning the house relative to some arbitrary direction other than the "North-South" of the edit Child Window in Home Designer. DJP

You might also consider just using text and arrows instead of actual symbols. The point is to communicate to other professionals what is needed and wanted. DJP

I have had occasional problems in the past (several years ago) and solved it by reinstalling the PDF creating software. The only "settings" to be careful of are "Print to scale", your paper size and drawing sheet size and orientations. DJP

Not that I know of in terms of Home Designer. What you can do is to manually make your own symbol the size that you want, the only trouble is that it will default to the Default CAD layer, unlike native electrical symbols. DJP