DavidJPotter

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  1. DavidJPotter
    Doesn't AutoCAD have the internal ability to assign line weight and color to lines??? It seems to me your whole premise is to make nice in AutoCAD? So I say "Make it so Number One". DJP
  2. DavidJPotter
    I do not believe you will be able to do as you intend using 2012 unless you have Home Designer Pro. No Chief Architect or Home Designer software can do slanted walls (you have to use roof planes as "walls" and roof planes cannot hold doors and windows, only skylights). You might fare better using Sketch Up for such an exotic design. DJP
  3. DavidJPotter
    No, sorry DJP
  4. DavidJPotter
    Architectural 2018 has a "Custom Countertop tool" (I do not remember about 2015). Architectural, any version has no ability to convert polylines into 3D objects, sorry, that is in Pro and Premier only. DJP
  5. DavidJPotter
    https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-01073/raising-a-bay-window-to-create-a-seat-alcove.html See if this helps any, please DJP
  6. DavidJPotter
    Use two separate cabinet objects, one as drawers and one with a door.provided you have Pro 2014, I do not presently have anything that old working, so this tutorial was done in Pro 2014 DJP
  7. DavidJPotter
    I am sorry, I tried to make a video of editing your roofs but the visual did not come out, the attached image shows the result of the manual editing DJP
  8. DavidJPotter

    unwanted lines

    DavidJPotter replied to odesign's topic in Q&A

    Home Designer Pro, any version, does not have the ability to remove unwanted vector view lines {Chief Premier does). To get rid of the unwanted vector view lines you use a "Standard Render Camera" view and the unwanted lines will disappear. DJP
  9. DavidJPotter
    I assume you are using Home Designer Pro (you need to share this vital data with anyone who might help you). I need to know what version you are using and what software title. You also should share a copy of your .plan file or post some screen capture images so we can at least see what is what, otherwise no help is possible. DJP
  10. DavidJPotter
    Here is your video I promised, done in Architectural 2018: DJP
  11. DavidJPotter
    Share a copy of your .plan file and I will show you how in a video. DJP
  12. DavidJPotter
    Premier does many things that HD Pro cannot do, this is one of them. You might try editing the symbol in Sketch Up and then reimport or edit it in Chief and then reimport into HD Pro. DJP
  13. DavidJPotter
    What I have done here is to place sloped soffits under the roof and then adjusted their location to between the roof rafters. I then downloaded a seamless texture I found using Google Search of Insulation. Created a custom material named "Insulation". Then applied that new custom material to the sloped soffits. I never even thought of doing this until your post today, works for me. In terms of different camera views, you would have to turn on and off appropriate layers in "Display Options" per view, per camera type to get just the look you need and want. Each camera type and plan view has their own "Display Options" dialog that controls what you see and do not see. DJP
  14. DavidJPotter

    Island/Bars

    DavidJPotter replied to CheifUserE's topic in Q&A

    Like Eric said, what you have will define what you can and cannot do. Do you want the bar top the same height as the countertop? Or do you want the bar top raised above the usual 36" tall of kitchen CT's? Two different methods would then appear to do this but you need to say, exactly what it is you want to do and with what. DJP
  15. DavidJPotter
    Standard Render cameras in all Home Designer titles use "Open GL" render software. Open GL only supports 8 light sources per render, so no matter how many you place, only 8 get randomly selected. You can control this to a degree at least as to which 8 lights are to be "ON" in a render view by way of "3D-Lighting-Adjust Lighting" dialog and singly by way of each light sources' dialog (Electrical Services Specification Dialog). To really get the appearance you desire, will require an upgrade to Chief Architect Premier that has a render engine that supports as many light sources as you desire (Called Ray Tracing). Never the less, much can be done to improve the appearance of your Architectural Render views, it just requires more intervention and manual editing by you, especially adjusting Material Properties in camera views (materials definition tool, icon looks like a tri-color and only appears in camera views, the Define Materials dialog has a "Properties" tab for adjusting the appearance of materials. I know you were hoping for a simpler, more straightforward solution but frankly, there isn't one available, just hard diligent study and practice to get the most out of render views. DJP
  16. DavidJPotter
    This video might be of help, take a look: DJP
  17. DavidJPotter
    Were I you, I would create an elevation camera and then measure from the bottom of your building to the target max height using dimension tools. Then you can measure using that dimension to see if your virtual building is too high or low and then adjust the roof plane heights using the "Transform-Replicate" tool to attain the target ridge height. DJP
  18. DavidJPotter
    Unless I am mistaken, Architectural has no"North Pointer" object that controls the magnetic North of the plan file. Pro does, the North Pointer determines "North" for the entire plan file and structure, it also controls the Sun Angle by a preset clock so you can do shadow studies if necessary. You cannot do this in Architectural (I could be wrong but I do not think so). I cannot state this more clearly. With a Magnetic North Pointer controls input lines' compass bearing for the property lines (again an HD Pro facility only, I believe). In Architectural, I would lean towards using a scanned site or plot plan (received from a licensed surveyor) which you can import, scale and orientate relative to the house structure or structures. They usually have a graphic North Pointer which can be used to establish magnetic North, all done manually by you using the software's provided tools. BTW I consider geographic and magnetic to be equivocal in this sense. DJP
  19. DavidJPotter
    No, No< NO! You establish a North Pointer relative to the house (How Magnetic North vectors relative to the North-South of your Desktop). If you enter a compass bearing in a wall, it will just mess up the wall. Architectural does not have a "North Pointer" as Pro does (sorry) so setting up true North in Architectural is near impossible and easy in Home Designer Pro (you do get what you pay for). Then when a magnetic North is established when you enter the distance and bearing data I will then set those lines to the established magnetic North that you manually established earlier. Terran elevation data is usually entered manually as to relative height for a lot. Architectural costs about half of what HD Pro does for good reason, sorry. DJP
  20. DavidJPotter
    Here is what I came up with as a work around: DJP
  21. DavidJPotter
    The basics are to draw the house relative to your desktop so most wall angles are 90 and 45-degree angles. Then you establish a North Pointer for true magnetic North relative to the house. The terrain and property lines are again adjusted to the desktop orientation of the structure and also relative to magnetic North. YOU NEVER ROTATE THE STRUCTURE, RATHER THE ONLY OBJECTS TO BE ROTATED ARE TERRAIN PLANE, PROPERTY LINES, AND ELEVATION OBJECTS AND OTHER PLOT PLAN SPECIFIC OBJECTS, ALL RELATIVE TO THE HOUSE STRUCTURE. The North Pointer also controls the Sun angle relative to shadows for render views with shadows. All you need to know is in the Reference Manual but the first time to create one is the hardest. DJP
  22. DavidJPotter
    You should contact the person who created the file you are having trouble with and ask them to program the file to be "edited in Home Designer Titles", this setting is to be found in Chief Architect Premier (any Version) in "Plan Defaults" as a checkbox. Then, since you have the latest version of Home Designer Pro you should then be able to open, edit and print the .plan file in what you have presently. Chief users who do not often work with Home Designer users often make this mistake. If you would care to, please send me the file and I will properly program it for you and return it (no charge), my email address is shown below DJP
  23. DavidJPotter
    Two ways: 1.cover the end with an edited-reshaped soffit set to drywall or whatever material you desire or 2. if your software allows, change the main layer of your interior wall type from wood to drywall. This changes the reveal to drywall instead of wood. I guess there is a third way only if you have Home Designer Pro where you use a custom slab sized to cover the end of the offending wall and set its material to drywall etc. DJP
  24. DavidJPotter

    3 D View

    DavidJPotter replied to GrahamC's topic in Q&A

    Not me, ever since 1994. Most usually either your video card is weak (does not meet minimum requirements for Home Designer) or you need to update the software drivers for the video card. Either of those matters can cause your difficulties. Without knowing more detailed information about your problem, that is all I can offer. DJP
  25. DavidJPotter
    It is called the "Hatch Wall" tool found under the "Build" Menu-Wall Catagory. Another good exercise for you is just looking through the dialogs of the software and main toolbar dropdowns to see what is there, especially anything that you are unfamiliar with, click on it, and use it in a TEST PLAN to find out. Do not explore while you are working on an important plan but rather in your study and practice time. You can distroy or corrupt a .plan file that contains too many wrong guesses, it is a common problem with new users too lazy to study and practice first. DJP