Kbird1

Delete what you sent at 1/4" (default) to layout and resend at 1/2" ........not right ?, delete and rescale as needed till it fits nicely.....if you drag the box or resize it , it will no longer be at scale...

If the Center handle is a large square it should move the window , if both the center square AND the edge square are large it will resize with the dim.  not move it .
(see Pic)
 
M.

the grouped ones are here Eric , under grouped Rooms assuming I am somehow not seeing CA symbols even though I have filtered those titles out.
 
http://3dlibrary.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?YII_CSRF_TOKEN=bc6a051cf36264c1195f78129302c427bd22af1c&r=site%2Flibrary&search=&x=true&hid_cpca=0&hid_cpu=0&hid_ctm=0&hid_ctnm=0&hid_ctu=0&hid_order=&hid_norotator=false&hid_soft_family_1=0&hid_soft_family_2=1&hid_soft_family_3=0&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_soft_10=0&hid_version_4=1&hid_version_3=0&hid_version_2=0&hid_version_1=0&soft_family_2=2&soft_4=4&version_4=on&x=0&y=0#8337e5f29916f44bca268b7e8cba9374
 
If the Grouped Rooms are "blocks" you should be able to explode them in Pro and then save the Items you want to your User Library.
 
M.

sounds like you have backgrounds on? in whatever view you are using, you can turn it off in Preferences for each view type or per Plan via the3D Menu. The default one is a sky scene , look in 3D>3D View Defaults , on the Backdrop Tab you can change it or turn it off and specify a colour , I usually use an off white or pale grey as the default is too bright for me.
 
Dulux doesn't have a Library for HD AFAIK but if you know the RGB numbers for the Colour you can make the Colour by making a Custom Material and saving it to you Library. There is a Resene's Catalogue , not sure if they are in Oz as well as NZ though?
 
Please add you details to your Forum Signature , see mine below .
 
M.

Do a search on auto stairwell , if that doesn't work look up Open Below Rooms

Nvidia gaming cards are what is suggested for HD and Chief products , no need for Quadro or other CAD/CAM Cards
 
if only doing CAD/CAM I would think ddr3 is fine if you want to game on it too go DDR5 ...
 
M.

use the Room Divider on the Wall menu ,it allows you to delineate rooms like that with invisible walls ( it used to be called Invisible Wall on the Menu in fact)

no need , the drywall inside attics is an old issue
 
however if it's not that
 
"Please add your Version no# and title to your Signature , if you haven't already, as many answers require this information."

NO not your title    your software  Version and Title , one step closer you have 2016 and I think Home Designer Pro from your comments. All Titles have a year and there are 5 Titles per year so it is important to know the Year (version) and Titles to get good answers as they all have different capabilities
.
What you are seeing is My Signature as I have to ask a lot of Users to add this info to their Forum Profile Signature via their User Name at the Top right
 
You have to add the dimensions with the Dimension tools yourself , there are no Auto dimensions for elevations in HD Products. You can also use Callouts and Text in elevations to Label Objects
 

 
 

You hadn't set the Roof Pitch in the front Railing wall of each Deck to something low like 2-3° either and each end railing wall needs to be set to Full Gable to get a shed Roof in the Wall's DBX Roof Tab too.
 
I see you have stairs going up so I built the 2nd floor , for two reasons so you will get a proper stairwell and so that you can make Rooms on the @nd level even if it is only an Attic Space as HD software doesn't allow you to do anything on it's own Attic level , so you have to make a 2nd Floor and then make the ceiling height 0" if needed so you get a Floor up there and can make Rooms etc.
 
as you can see in the pic I left the 2nd floor at 8' as I don't know your real height. Though it is likely you will need some height otherwise the Roofs will meld together , in which case it could be done with a Gull Wing roof too I think in this situation.
 
M.

Yep, that is the accepted Paradigm in HD/Chief Software , personally I like the 3-4 click auto basement         let the software do the work....

You didn't mention the Matrix so I thought a good place to start but did not look at it myself as I have Pro/Premier , but you will have to call Sales on Monday as I don't know what Int. Materials or House Materials means sorry , I am just an end user like you.
 
I do know that the ML is only as accurate as your model , so anything you want on the list you have to put in the model , eg HD defaults to using 4x8' drywall which isn't the best way to do Board, you want as few sheet joins as possible , so you want 10' or 12' board on walls that long etc. It only does basic take offs too it does not allow of nails,bolts, glue, hangers etc etc ie not in the Model , not in the ML. I have basically stopped using it (Contractor) as I don't trust it except for basic stuff , but do a search on this Forum and at Chieftalk on Material List to find out a bit more about it , maybe you can get away with the Cheapest title if all you need is 3D visualization since it sounds like you can do a take off the old way, and you should check the ML's figures yourself as it only calculates sqft's and with no Waste.
 
M.
 
EDIT : the matrix seems to say the ML in Suite is the same as Pro so perhaps worth spending the extra $20-40 over Int. or Essent.

A newer version (2016) can always open older versions but not the other way around , you would also be able to open X7 files as X7 = 2016.

you need to set the Window separation , it's default is 2" , it's in    Defaults>Window >General Tab  (at the bottom) .
 
it maybe useful to also check the Box while in there for     Defaults>Plan>Ignore Casing for Opening Resize.  ( at top in general section)

there have been other posts on this like this one
 
https://hometalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/231-screened-in-porch/?hl=porch

1st time I have seen this question , the "white" is your background colour ( in preferences) , not sure how you "coloured your Rooms"  though? as I'm not familiar with Essentials so not sure what options you have, I assume you want the purple and green in the doorways?  
 
You could possibly make a thin Soffit (cabinet menu) (width of wall X width of Door X 3//4" thick set at 0" above floor) and colour it to match each room and place it in the doorway to hide the background ..... same idea for the shower stall if needed 

not sure if it's what you want/need but here are two CAD Blocks I have used in the past , you should be able to resize them as needed the normal way once placed in plan if needed.
 
M.
 
Scale Blocks_1.calibz

did you toggle them off with the toggle textures button under 3D>Camera View Options I think?  or accidently click the icon for it?

if the roof is already built , add an interior wall where you need it, open the Wall's DBX and check the box "Knee Wall"
 
M.

That's not how the "software thinks"  , it is programmed to build level 1, then level 2 ,then the attic/roof and finally when done, the foundation... you can make the software work ,how you
build it in the real world , yes , but it'll be more work as pointed out by Eric. ...a lot more effort than the 3 minutes it took me to do the other way.
 
When you rebuild the foundation it automatically cuts out the wall in the foundation for the new bumps outs , but because you want it on 36" (37 1/2 with sill plate) you have to put the full height (100 1/2 (96 1/2") basement)   wall back 1st. 

yes , you have to draw Trusses manually ( pretty easy).....they don't auto generate like Rafters, though they auto eliminate Rafters if drawn near the same location
check your reference manual
or this KB Article
http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00417/169/Home-Designer/Framing/Trusses/Creating-Exposed-Trusses-in-Home-Designer-Pro.html

Good Question took a bit of digging  but YES
 
Edit>Defaults>Manual Dimensions>Edit           ( or dbl click dimensions icon for defaults dbx)
 
at the bottom of the DBX click on the Number Style Button and change it to Feet+inches.
 
On page 62 of my manual , which point to page 89
 
The number style for the coordinates is
controlled in the Number Style/Angle Style
dialog. See “Number Style/Angle Style
Dialog” on page 89.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

For your sig ,go up to the top right hand corner click on your User name ,click on My Settings and them in new window click on Signature on the left hand side which should open up the Edit window. you are allowed upto 10 lines in your Sig.
 
You can place you Notes with the Standard Text Tool, (CAD menu or icon) once done once, you just double click it to open the box again and add more and change some attributes if wanted eg add a Border, font type size etc. Note you must select any and all text before changing anything like size or color or it wont update ,same as a normal Word document. You can also copy and paste from other sources such as Word docs or PDF etc if desired.
 
M.

It does , I usually have them turned off myself , you have to turn them off while in the 2D view though, if you are not aware EVERY view has its own display Options DBX (dialog box)
 
M.

Me either    but I think it works cos everything you import to HD is assigned to the  Default CAD Layer    (CMiIW)