Kbird1

the columns I made are Architectural Blocks ( HD can't make symbols) so you need to explode them if you want to change sizes etc of them. the other 3 columns symbols are made by David Michael Designs (DMD) are here in the link under the pics.... http://hometalk.homedesignersoftware.com/showthread.php?19505-Adding-Cupla-affects-entire-plan&p=80592#post80592

your pic shows you have the Slab still set at the default 12" height ( no idea why they chose 12" as default) but it is likely to need to be -16" or approx. as the Terrain will automatically draw at around -18" depending on the type of foundation used. ( Top of the plywood subfloor being 0" , so thickness of ply ,plus floor joist plus default 6" of ground clearance ie 3/4" + 12" + 6" = 18 3/4). You can build the Terrain , then set the Slab height correctly from there by checking in a 3d view ( go split screen with shift F6) you will likely have to reset the columns heights too... did you unzip the file above (to get the .calibz file) and then import it as normal? they were made in HD Pro 10 so shouldn't be any issue with any version after that.... ok just downloaded file and extracted it and then import the 3 columns into HD Pro 2015 Trial no problem. If you tried drag and dropping or double clicking the file to import it it may fail but not if imported via the library menu. Try both a floor beam and a roof beam , I am not 100% sure what HD "thinks" it is in this particular case? it may also depend on whether you draw it on level 1 or on level 2. Mick M.

use a doorway sized to match to "cut the hole" in the wall.... M.

Do a search for Lift on the Forum here and you should find a post from about 2 months ago with 3d warehouse links and one of mine. M. find it here: https://hometalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/156-creating-a-lift-elevator-any-suggestions/?hl=lift

You can add text etc to denote where shear walls are but there is no special "tool" for shear walls , probably because they must be designed by an Engineer in Most Areas and neither HD or Chief does ANY Engineering . You could Copy your Wall Type and use a different fill perhaps to denote where Shearwalls are once the engineer has done the design. David Potter may have more advise on this , he will be more familiar on how they handle it in Chief ...not sure if it relates to HD or not... M.

Solver pretty much got it above but your staircase isn't to Code ("best fit" isnt working correctly apparently) and seems to be missing a tread so I deleted it and started again.... Make the stairwell 6'11" wide with walls aligned in basement and 1st floor (pic) in basement draw a cad line 39" off top wall left to right ( this is the reqd landing depth) make it loner than room so you can find later to delete it. draw 1st staircase ,7 treads (steps) long towards the Cad line , move staircase so top is lined up with CAD line drawn above open staircase dbx , uncheck auto treads. check lock treads make treads 7, tread width 11" etc (See Pic) while open , turn off stringer at wall ( unless you want it?) on style tab and on railing tab turn off railings on the left and turn on railing transitions and "smooth on the right. Don't know your Code but railings are generally 36" high in most areas too. Close DBX click on Staircase tool again and draw the upper stairs away from the 39" CAD line as normal , then click just above the CAD line between the two staircase to get the Landing to auto generate , the 2nd staircase will usually have picked up most of the settings from the 1st staircase Automatically but open and check the boxes etc as above. You can delete CAD line now ,it's no longer needed. Click on the staircase , then on the auto stairwell tool , answer ok to error message (This is due to the misaligned basement double wall and single 1st flr wall , you will have a ledge there and under the Window), now move upto 1st floor , grab upright Railing wall ( see pic..pink) and drag over to Blue corner , (may need CTRL key to drag past corner) and line up with drywall. 1st time I did this the stairwell automatically opened to below , second time I had to select the room and specify Open to below ...not sure what I did different ..if anything? You will now see the Ledge , which you can use Soffits or as I did, the Slab Tool to make 1 1/2" thick "Wood" to cover the exposed framing (see pic) Solver is right , the upper Masterbath wall is not 0.0 °deg. you might want to make the staircase windows 72" tall if you want to open them from the landing ? you wont reach currently its over 7' hopefully this helps..... sorry I cant just upload a "fixed plan" but I don't have Pro 2015 ,so am using the Trial to look at your Plan.

Couple of Posts from the Framing tools , or Columns from the library or the ones posted in the link below and a beam from the framing tools above to support the floor joists. Use the Slab tool to make the Concrete Slab , but I'd build the main house with 2nd floor 1st , then build the extension on the 2 level and use the reference display to set the Posts/Bean and slab in the correct location. https://hometalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=42 the post/column thread https://hometalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/22-cupola-thread-continued/?hl=cupola

There is the Member Gallery .....did you look into that feature ? https://hometalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/gallery/

try turning the railing off all together ...and let full height walls build as normal , then in a elevation view see if you can drag the wall down to the correct height manually. you may need to break the wall where you want the height change to occur as they will probably auto-joing the existing full height walls and become "one". M.

Maybe I am missing something....we are talking about the Window shape/ picture frame is that right? as I don't see a wood grain in the centre of it (beigey color) or around the frame..... perhaps that's the issue? or perhaps I'm confused? M.

Are you referring to the Texture or the Pattern ? .........things may appear different in Standard view vs vector view but in the Material Definition DBX you can change the angle on either the Pattern or Texture Tab or probably both to match. Some Pics of whatever it is might help ? or post your "soffit" and let others "play with it" M.

Not an Error Message I have seen before , but it sounds like you need to fix some wall connections ? The upper and lower stairs should have the same tread depth and Riser Height ...or they wont meet Code , the look to be incorrect in your image as the tread lines don't line up with each other. Post your new plan and I'll look when I have time.... Mick.

Use 1/2 walls (or pony walls?) instead of Railings , can the wall with counter not just be pulled all the way through to the full height area , over drawing the Railing? M.

I think everything is imported into the HD Programs as Fixtures and there is no way around it , nor the ability to change it as far as I know unless that has perhaps changed on newer versions . It is doable in Chief as you can change a symbols properties but not in HD. the problem with turning off Fixtures as well as furniture is stuff like the washing machine or your Vanity Sinks may disappear too but might be worth a try M.

Making Symbols can only be done in Chief , though you can make some Objects out of library items and them save them as an Architectural Block eg stone clad columns made out of Shapes and the library's Brackets ..... ( see other post on columns if you want to look at them here https://hometalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/22-cupola-thread-continued/?hl=cupola) CAD items only show in Elevations or plan view , unless you have the ability to "convert polylines" in HDA? but that maybe a Pro Feature though it is pretty limited to what is convertible to 3D objects eg a slab ,which you can use the Slab tool for anyway..(in Pro). You can however import .skp files from Sketchup 3D Warehouse as well as other sources , check you import>3D menu for your Title's available import options eg .3DS or .OBJ files too. (Mac versions can use .DAE but not .skp at this time) You may get lucky if using a 2015 version to find something on the ChiefTalk X6 Symbols Library too https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/forum/9-symbols-and-content/ of course don't forget to get all the Bonus and Manufacturer's Libraries on the Website.... http://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?r=site%2Flibrary&search=&x=true&hid_cpca=0&hid_cpu=0&hid_ctm=0&hid_ctnm=0&hid_order=&hid_norotator=false&hid_soft_family_1=0&hid_soft_family_2=1&hid_soft_1=0&hid_soft_2=0&hid_soft_3=0&hid_soft_4=1&hid_soft_5=0&hid_soft_6=0&hid_soft_7=0&hid_soft_8=0&hid_soft_9=0&hid_version_1=1&hid_version_2=1&hid_version_3=1&soft_family_2=2&soft_4=4&version_1=on&version_2=on&version_3=on&x=0&y=0 M.

some pics of the issue/situation would help ,what is the pool deck made of? you could try : a narrow Sidewalk (sidewalk tool) a Soffit with concrete / stone material ( cabinet soffit tool is handy for many workarounds) Slab .... if HDA has the Slab tool? Custom Countertop ....that maybe a Pro only Tool ?

Why not just download the Trial version and try it ,play around and see if it suits your needs ... you can't save or Print with it however.....perhaps a cheaper version would suffice ? though I think the Ramps you are referring too are for ADA requirements , not a sloped driveway? as you would require M.

with Decks you can use Click stairs and DRAW DOWN to the Terrain , with one click usually, but have a bit of a read of the Reference Manual section on them , so the frustration levels don't rise unnecessarily ...of course you terrain must be in and at the correct height. M.

A Chief Architect User posted 50 people images today , So if you have a 2015 version program I believe they are compatible , there are 5 files to download , 10 images per file. 1st one is here , then scroll down.... https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/1988-people-images-1st-batch/

The easiest thing to do with things like that is to make a CAD BOX and assign the box Fill and Line colour to be the same as your Background colour , (making it invisible except when selected.) which will blank out the unwanted Foundation. I'm using Pro , don't know what you have ? but think this should work in most Versions... Mick.

There is often more than one way to get things done Been using Pro for about 5 yrs and still am working my way through the 1000 page Manual .....usually when I have an issue .... If you have other double click tips please pass them on..... most icons open the defaults DBX if you double click them so a double click feature like the line break isn't expect by many I think and unless you are aware of it is would appear nothing happened double click that particular icon. M.

Hi K. The edge of the landing which is connecting to the stairs is longer than the width of the stairs so you MUST break the edge of the landing at the point where the stair connects to the landing ,as the landing MUST be the same width as the Staircase for it to join properly. As Solver said you need to align the walls Floor to floor to get rid of the ledge , and you can use the Wall Align tool for that. However you have no Interior walls around the perimeter of your basement either , which you need for drywall and insulation , you can draw interior walls about 6 " off the concrete walls , (so they wont "snap" to the concrete wall) then move them over so the are only 2" off the concrete which is about normal for most basements. these walls will alter your staircase too , so do them 1st and then do the auto staircase. M.

post the plan or more pics....... you did looking at the staircase's railing tab right ? perhaps HDA doesn't have it ? I am on Pro. You have a complicated 5 part stair so heights etc will need to be bang on is my guess , but it's a guess without more info... M.

Doesn't appear to be a problem with you Plan Karen , I deleted your staircase , tried the click technique of Derek's and it worked just fine. Your staircase looks like it could be wider in your pic , I see a ledge on the RH side with flooring on it....... @ Solver ...you have to use the Break line tool and break the edge of the landing IF the edge of the landing it longer than the width of the staircase as a staircase will only join if the landing width is the same ....which is why it connected properly immediately once broken. I think it is on about page 377/378 of the Ref Manual.(pro 10) Mick

Actually Elovia the Break line Tool WILL cut a line but the feature is missed by most people including me ,I only found it after digging deep in the Ref. Manual,it is documented on pages 155/156 of the Ref. Manual ( Pro 10) , you may find posts of mine from last year about it too.... 1st select the object then....... To add a break/vertex/bend to a line object......... click the break line icon ONCE , then click where you want the break To cut the line object completely............ DOUBLE CLICK the break line icon... it is a little tricky placing the cut as seems you must move "it" immediately after placing the break or it reverts to normal if you click on anything else, then and you'll need to re-cut the line by starting over.... Mick.