DavidJPotter

I use two camera views for this kind of action1. to place the vase in plan view (you usually have to use the "Control Key-CTRL Key) to left-click-select the vase then press the control key and then drag the vase object to where you want it to go. and 2.Use an interior elevation camera to get the vase's height location where it needs to be. using the control key as necessary. (The reason you use the control key is that symbols and certain other objects in the software environment are programmed to act as if they are "solid" and so bump into other solid objects in an area. You overcome that programming using the control key so you can then move the selected object freely. DJP

Photo Realism is in the eye of the beholder, Home Designer software is for amateurs mostly. The most stunning Photo Realistic results you see here and on the Home Designer website were produced by dedicated persons who spent months perfecting their knowledge of how to get those stellar results. The software does not do anything past what an educated end user tells it to do. Design Professionals use professional grade software (I use Chief Architect Premier, it costs about $2,800.00 to buy or rents for $199.00 per month). It took me about a year of work to really learn how to use it for any Architectural result and style. I can name several other applications that Others use (Architectural Desktop by Autodesk, ArchiCAD, a European based application, it is a lot more expensive than Chief Premier, Softplan, Sketch Up and several others. Whether or not any of those produce Photo Realism is due to the knowledge and skill of their end users and NOT the software. Users of Lumion consistently create photo realistic animations and render views of 3D models created in Chief Architect Premier then imported into Lumion for the final views etc. Lumion by itself costs $3,000.00 but if you are a professional, it is cheap because of the potential it makes possible. If you want to measure and input those measurements into a Home Designer software title for viewing in 3D and sharing with other building professionals, it is perfect for that even though its output is limited by the individual skill and perseverance of its end user. It is easy to learn and use but any kind of professional grade produce comes from many hours of applied study, practice, failures, and successes. Be honest with your own purposes, any acceptable results are because of the end user and NOT the software they used. DJP

Terrain as a feature was added to Home Designer many years ago but the point is it was and is an add on feature. As such you create it as a unified object separate from the 3D model of the structure. You set the terrain relative to the floor zero of the 3D structure. That is what the "Building Pad" input box is for. By increasing or decreasing the value placed into the "Building Pad" input box determines its surface relationship to the floor zero level of the house model. It is not rocket science but merely a direct relationship that is there for you to control. So control it please. DJP

place increasing values in that box or even negative values and then see what that does to the terrain plane relative to your structure (it is called trial and error and is a great way to learn how a tool is programmed to work). Reading the Manual is all well and good but then you also need to apply what you studied by trial and error practice, observing the results as you go. Only doing that will then provide a balanced way for you to gain Knowledge from your study and practice time. Just do it! DJP

Open the "Terrain Specification Dialog". Then locate the "Building Pad" input box and uncheck "Auto calculate" and set it to suit your purposes. You might also bother to read your "Users Guide" and "Reference Manual" (both found under the "Help" menu) where all this sort of thing is explained, lots to know. DJP

No, but there is 3D Warehouse to peruse and if you are really intent you can download, Sketch Up, learn how to use it (it is free) and make your stuff for import into Pro there. DJP

Home Designer is not capable of "Photo Realism". It is useful for general space concept planning and beautiful render views can be achieved once the software is thoroughly learned. This requires a commitment from you to achieve such results. That said, to achieve good professional results as to "Photo Realism" requires Professional grade Architectural software and a professional grade, learned user to achieve which from your post I perceive that you are NOT willing to 1. spend the money to become a design professional and 2. You are not willing to spend the personal time necessary to do so. If my assumptions are correct, you need to post at the Chief Talk website in the "Seeking Help" section where respondents will be professional users of Chief Architect Software, many of whom are also certified Interior Designers as well. They can work closely with you to obtain the end product you seek which you can then also see "Photo Realisticly". Software designed for hobbyists like Home Designer get DIY (useful but not "Photo Realistic") results. DJP

No Home Designer software has the ability to export to.dwg. You can export to .dxf which your landscaper guy can import, try that. DJP

My point is that to get an accurate Materials List, the End User must model the column, post or whatever accurately in detail that object.So if your calculations are off it is because you have not accurately modeled the object in detail. This is true in Chief Premiere and in Home Designer titles. DJP

Yes, you want to set the "Ceiling Structure" from the first floor from the default "2x6 wood ceiling joists by default" to a slab using your intended thickness for the roof rafters to set upon in you require a slanted roof. If you require a flat roof with parapet walls you simply create a second floor, set its dialog box to "No Ceiling and No Roof" and set the ceiling height of the second floor to the intended height of the parapet walls. You change the "Floor Structure" of the second floor to a slab (No wood floor joists), then You set the second floor's floor covering to be impervious roofing instead of flooring. Either way works, just two different approaches. All achieved with settings and perhaps a custom slab if no parapet walls are needed. DJP

Draw invisible walls directly under the dormer on the first floor and then designate that enclosed area on its "Structure Tab" to be "No Ceiling above this room" and that should then remove the ceiling revealing the upper dormer from the first floor vantage point. Give that a try please. DJP

Stair objects seek out the "DEFAULT" floor height you set or failed to set in "Edit - Default Settings - Current Floor" for floor zero, they will not seek out an added slab as you have done. Set the Default floor height for the entire floor to your basement height and the separate area you want higher set that by its local Room Specification Dialog - Structure Tab - Floor Height. When you have done that the stair object will then "behave". Software, any software is just a preprogrammed mechanical device and "knows" only what you tell it to know. You you do not do it properly, you get what you got. DJP

Camera views are not like the Human Eye in that if you place a camera viewpoint too close to a wall, it merely cuts through that wall you are too close to. That is "Usual behavior" and that is probably what you are seeing. If something is visually missing but you know it is there, it is probably on a named layer that can be found alphabetically in a "Display Options" dialog found under "Tools - Display Options". . Plan view and each camera view has its own "Display Options" dialog when that camera view is active. So in plan view or any particular camera view visual objects can be "turned on or off" at your command. Take a look and see if your missing dimensions are just "turned off" or unchecked in Display Options. DJP

Duplicate libraries can simply be deleted by right clicking. Manufacturer libraries should be editable using the provided command found in Chief under "Library". As far as I know Core libraries, Bonus Libraries and only be updated or deleted. (Not sure about deletion but you can try and see, if you delete something you wish to keep you can download the core libraries in a new unit of time). I recently spent some time reorganizing my "User LIbraries", deleting duplicates and organizing them into general categories for my own use. You are free to ask Tech Support for advice as well. DJP

I have been using Chief Premier and Home Designer software since versions 4 (Chief) and (6) Home Designer. Since 1995 I have always had dual monitors with which that software works perfectly well. With Dual monitors each one is a different size, the ones I have now are 18" and 30", At need I can change the font size and icon size in those programs ( in Windows and in Chief but not HD) anytime I wish though I generally leave their resolutions alone at their maximum resolutions with no problems for a 70 year old dude with waning eyesight. DJP

Windows and your video card do the scaling, not Home Designer. You can change the screen resolution to see it larger on screen. DJP

That is one of the most onerous shortcomings of Home Designer software I am sorry to say. If I only used Home Designer software what I would do is to import a .dfx file into a blank plan first and then copy paste the dxf into my developed .plan file so I could if having trouble, not save and start again with a new copy-paste copy. DJP

Well I exported the Simpson Strong Tie library from my copy of X9 and then tried to import that into Home Designer Pro and Architecture 2018 and neither of those could do so. I an only surmise from that the command intention is for that library to be only for Chief Premier users, sorry, I tried. DJP

Pam, my apologies in that I assumed that Suite was enabled for soffits to be slanted. After checking in Suite 2017 I found that this is not the case. In the ensuing versions since I last looked this feature has been removed by Chief Inc. I suppose your only choice is to make a symbol using Sketch Up and then importing that object into Suite as a symbol and then placing that symbol where you need it to cover the gable hole in the ceiling or you can upgrade to Architectural 2018 that does have the sloped soffit feature in it. I am sorry for the misinformation earlier posted by me. DJP

The missing tool in Suite is called "Custom Ceiling Planes" which only Home Designer Pro and Chief Premier have. You can repair the interior vaulted ceiling by covering the void with a custom slanted soffit (found under cabinet tools), It will have to be made very thin, probably 1" thick so it only appears to the interior, otherwise it will also be seen in exterior and exterior overview views but can be done in Suite with ease. DJP

It is not clear to me just from what you have posted what it is that you are trying to do or what it currently looks like nor what it should look like. Need for help from you to help you please. DJP

As Eric has pointed out it is essential to know what software Home Designer title and version you have in order to answer with certainty what to do because of the varying abilities of each software title. Also one would nave to know exactly what kind of winder stairs you need and want as not all variations of winder stairs are produced the same way, it depends upon what you intend (not all winder stairs are structurally the same). So a photo or diagram would help clarify for others to help you with useful advice. DJP

IF you need this sort of creative structural freedom well that is what Home Designer Pro and Chief Architect Premier are for, any other software title is for hobby persons and tinkerers only, Pro and Premier are for Professionals, that is all you are confronted with. DJP

Then please do as Eric and I have asked you to do. You might also post a copy of your plan file that we can then look at and report on, your choice. DJP

In Essentials you would create an elevation view of your structure then using your "Tape Measure" tool you can then get the value you desire. Only in Home Designer Pro can you permanently draw such dimensions for printing purposes. DJP