DavidJPotter

Glad things are going in a positive direction now. DJP

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-01010/creating-a-covered-patio.html DJP

If the "story" you already have is on "Floor One", you then build a "Foundation or Level Zero" floor under floor one. The software defaults to "Floor One" when starting a new plan. If you managed to start with "Floor Zero" (Very unlikely) the process would become more complicated, why do you ask? This is explained in the "Users Guide or Tutorial Guide", the "Help Files, Reference Manual and Video Tutorials" also clearly state this. DJP

Under the "View" main toolbar is a command to "View" toolbars or to turn them off and a command to view the scrollbars and taskbars or not, there is NO icon for this in Chief or Home Designer. DJP

Thank you for posting the data, though you said nothing about your video support or video card. If your video support is built into your Mother Board, it is probably the problem source. Such devices are often built into the Mother Board to cut retail costs. What is required for Home Designer and Chief Premier is a dedicated, stand-alone, video card that has at least 2-4 Gb of its own Video RAM as stated on the Home Designer and Chief Architect websites under "Minimum Requirements" for hardware, that is why I asked in the first place. How much system RAM and CPU speed effects speed and performance whereas the video card controls visual performance. Please share a copy of your .plan file so others can look at it on their PC or Mac to see what results they get, It could be a layer setting in "Display Options" in plan or camera views but no one can be sure without a copy of the offending plan to test. DJP

What is the hardware like that makes up your PC or Mac, you have stated a problem but not supplied much else in the way of data that anyone else can comment on due to the lack of it. I am sorry you are having problems but without any accompanying images, .plan file or other needful data, all I can offer is sympathy. Your type of complaint is not a common one. It could be caused by certain object layers being on in plan view but off in camera views (there is a different Display Options dialog for plan view, and each kind of camera view and another one for the Reference Display, most new users have not yet discovered this fact. DJP

Terrain (virtual grade) was added around 18 years ago but it, at that time was an add-on to the already existing basic application. So you always adjust the terrain (grade) to the structures by way of terrain elevation objects and the "Building Pad" input that allows to raise or lower just the terrain model relative to the floor zero of the structure. In the case of multiple structures in the same plan file you then have to adjust the detached garage floor and ceiling heights relative to the floor and ceiling heights of the main structure or house. Garages are generally lower, floor height wise to a house. It makes the job a little more complicated but I have done it countless times. In order to have a second floor over the garage, you would need to create a second floor for the whole plan but just make it a "Blank Second Floor" and then draw the second floor walls manually, using the "Reference Display" to help guide where to draw the walls. You do it manually because that "Create New Floor" command if done automatically will try to build a second floor not only over the garage but also the house as well, so do not go there. DJP

In this case, then, you are seeing an improper function which is probably rooted in your computer hardware, most likely your video card. A simple, possible fix is to make sure your video card has up to date software drivers or if a desktop computer. it may be running visuals with a cheap, integrated video support built into the Mother Board instead of the more able, separate, stand-alone, dedicated video card (this may be the case without your prior knowledge but is a common problem. If you are using a laptop, its video card may not meet minimum requirements for supporting Home Designer software. Many inexpensive laptops that are fine for minimal browsing and email but not stout enough for graphics-heavy applications like Home Designer and Chief Premier. I am not personally accusing you of anything but rather something that is a common problem and one you might look at. DJP

That layer is called "Plants" in all versions of Home Designer software, make sure that named layer is on in Display Options for the camera type you are using. DJP

I can clearly see the terrain in the background of your posted image, what is actually missing then??? DJP

Most new users do not know that there is a "Display Options" dialog for plan view, each camera type and another one for the "Reference Display" tool, seven in all. They all look a like but are completely different in terms of what they control. So having your terrain "on" in plan views does not mean that it is turned "off" in all the camera views. You have to look (open the Layer Display dialog while in a camera view and check to see if the missing object or objects are in fact missing or just not checked "on" in that "Display Options" dialog that controls what is seen and not seen per camera view, plan view and Reference view. DJP

You either close the camera view tab or if you want to leave it open, on a PC, you use the Windows keyboard command "Ctrl (control key) - Tab key" to switch between open windows in an application.If you have to do anything else, you should communicate to Tech Support for help DJP

Since you have pro, you can shift-select all the roof planes, then using the "Transform-Replicate" tool command the roof planes to move -12" using the "Z-Axis" input box. DJP

If you self-discipline yourself while drawing walls, you merely draw walls in a clockwise direction and this action alone ensures that walls created in this way have their Interior and exterior layers properly situated. In terms of, after the fact knowing which layer of the Interior 4 or 6 wall type, is problematic, since they look the same in plan and camera views. DJP

The software does not do, by default "perfect", when it occurs, it is due to the end user making it so by careful adjustment or in extreme cases, a workaround. I have seen such shortfalls since day one back in 1995 when I started using this software. Your problems, I believe are merely requiring some minor adjustments. I am not making nothing of your complaints but I am saying that such things are mainly handled by manual adjustments by you. DJP

I rendered this .plan file in Interiors 2019, Pro 2019 and X10 Premier, here are the results attached. I used the same PC for each of these. My PC is not new (five years old).The X10 image is after I changed the materials a little but was the same .plan file DJP

The following was posted on the Chief Architect Website: PBRT & Ray Trace Fixes: 3.19 3D Rendering • Fixed an issue where the artistic effects of Line Drawing were lessened when Edge Smoothing on Idle was in use. • Fixed a problem in the Physically Based Rendering Techniq ue that caused fireplaces to be lit incorrectly on the exterior. • Fixed some cases where Matte material types would appear to have reflections in the Physically Based Rendering Technique. • Fixed an issue where materials with a high Roughness value would appear slightly reflective in the Physically Based Rendering Technique. • Improved performance of the generation of new 3D views, including previews in the Library Browser and in dialogs. • Fixed an issue where fence newel posts could be lit incor rectly in the Physically Based Rendering Technique. • Removed the Opaque Glass option from the Physically Based Rendering Technique. • Fixed an issue where louvers on bifold doors in legacy pl ans would sometimes be lit incorrectly in the Physically Based Rendering Technique. • Fixed a problem that someti mes caused reflective objects to appear black after being edited in the Physically Based Rendering Technique. • Fixed some artifacts that could occur in exterior views w hen a large terrain was pres- ent and Improve Light Quality was turned in the Physically Base d Rendering Technique. • Fixed an issue where setting Hardware Edge Smoothing to “ None” on some Macs would cause 3D to be incorrect. • Fixed a problem that caused rooms separated by Room Divid ers to sometimes be lit incorrectly in the Physically Based Rendering Technique. • Fixed an issue that caused Mirror Reflections to be too d ark when Improve Light Qual- ity was checked in the Physic ally Based Rendering Technique. • Fixed a specific case in the Physically Based Rendering T echnique that caused the view would become overly bright and washed out. • Fixed an issue where clicking Reset to Defaults on the Ph ysically Based panel of the Rendering Technique Options dialog could cause the current view be incorrect. • Fixed an issue where the Color toggle did not immediately effect Orthographic views in some cases. • Fixed a specific case where Wall Material Regions were no t lit correctly in the Physi- cally Based Rendering Technique. 6 • Fixed a case where the windo ws in a Bay/Box/Bow Window co uld be lit incorrectly in the Physically Based Rendering Technique. • Improved rendering when us ing the Cross Section Slider wh ile Edge Smoothing on Idle was turned on. • Fixed a problem that caused reflections to be incorrect i n the Physically Based Render- ing Technique if a Watermark was turned on. • Fixed a crash that could occur using images of certain si zes as Ambient Occlusion, Metal, or Roughness maps. • Fixed a performance issue involving Ray Casted Shadows th at occurred while the cam- era was moving. • Fixed an issue that caused shadows to be incorrect if onl y terrain objects were present in the plan. • Fixed an issue in which Ray Casted Shadows did not work c orrectly when using the Cross Section Slider. • Ray Casted Shadows now work when using the Standard Rende ring Technique in an Cross Section/Elevation view. • Fixed an issue that could cause the Backdrop color used i n Vector Views to appear slightly washed out. • Fixed an issue in which Live Views sent to layout using t he Vector View Rendering Tech- nique had line weights that were too thick when printed. 3.20 Ray Tracing • Low roughness materials will now generate perfect reflect ions in ray trace views. • Fixed an issue that could cause artifacts to appear aroun d lights in ray trace views. • Fixed an issue that caused ray traces of orthographic vie ws to be incorrect So update patches should shortly be forthcoming. DJP

The only place I know of to alter the size of one's cursor is within Windows itself and cannot be altered for just one application, it is all or none. DJP

The video card on my laptop is just a year old, the video card on my desktop is about five years old but both are still supported actively by NVIDIA. There have been some complaints relative to Ray Tracing in X10 (HD Pro's Big brother to Home Designer Pro 2019) but nothing really serious, I have had no trouble gaining professional grade images in Pro 2019 or X10, nor have I heard anything like your complaint at Chief Talk but also as I earlier said, the new Home Designer titles have only been on sale for a few days. DJP

Please be more specific with your question or questions, what exactly are you asking advice about? DJP

This is probably resident in your own computer and its hardware. I have never experienced this phenomenon myself, it is a singularly strange happening. Perhaps, you can post a copy of your plan for others to evaluate on their PC or Mac, this would at least confirm my original postulate that it is something resident in your own machine. I would reboot my PC and then see if this repeats. If it continues to repeat. it may simply be that you accidentally placed an object in plan view that causes the dollhouse and overview camera views to such a remote viewpoint that you cannot then see your house initially (That can be verified by sharing your plan with others to investigate). This is the most likely cause as opposed to other possible causes. This I have seen multiple times in the plans of others. DJP

Elizabeth, One on one teaching and tutoring is what I have been doing since 1999. I can certainly help you get started for sure but most of us learn, as I did, at home using the built-in help resources that Chief Inc built into their software: Help Files (F1 Key), Video Tutorials (found under "Help"), at the Home Designer Website you will find, also their "Knowledge Base" Contact me for an appointment! DJP

I also agree with this sentiment in that I too was once a "Newby" and have "been there and done that" wrong so many times until I just one day buckled down and learned the software, After that, it is now a simple pleasure to use the software to create aesthetic and useful structures for people to enjoy. Forget the frustrations and get on to the Joy of Creating as soon as is possible for you. DJP

I always use two plans: one that reflects existing conditions (as built) and then a save-as copy of that plan called: version one, two etc. These plans show potential changes or additions that are proposed to be made. I do agree with Eric in that knowing what software title and version would determine any specific suggestions because different titles and versions vary wildly as to capabilities and choices to get things done. What do you have???? DJP