thecannonguy

Eric, I posted as you suggested. Thanks. Don

Eric, I appreciate your patient teaching style. What is the protocol to enlist paid help getting someone to help me (Nursemaid) edit my design without breaking the bank?, as this home build is our planned retirement home. If I had more time I could do it but spring is coming and I need to get this hammered out. It would be nice to have someone well versed with this program I could call on to assist. Any suggestions? I originally drew this plan on paper, and did so many edits the paper looks worn. It seemed I should be learning a new trick, which would also be helpful on side jobs as well, so I am doing this. Here are pics of my third attempt at my design, which always has more issues as it progresses. (I learned how to overload a plan with dimensions for one ) I am on my 7th attempt and have the basic main living area structure with ledgers and supporting subfloor walls looking fairly correct. When I use Internal ICF walls to create a storm room and separate the garage from the main structure it causes issues (for me) in the design process. (I spent 10 hours just trying to get my knee walls supporting my main living area subfloor correct. Your help was great.) I will also include shots of this 7th attempt. Next is to add the Master suite/mudroom and garage rectangle onto it without butchering it. So I'm trying to incorporate the complicated design elements properly into the program then add the 1/2 story bonus room truss roof afterwards.

Eric, Thanks for the great advice. I did spend over an hour combing through the posts as you suggested before posting this question. I seem to make progress then as soon as I modify the plan to include another element more issues present themselves.

OK Folks I'm new to this. I thought that the red lines which appear on the layers were to help show the walls etc in other layers for alignment purposes. What is this exterior line and what does it represent?

Great Video Help with finding my way around.

Eric, Thank you for sending this video. IN the past 90 hours I have tried multiple small house test plans to see what will happen when I change one or more specifications. I have learned many things by making mistakes in the process. I have tried what is shown here in different configs. with varying results. I will attempt again at your suggestion.

Sorry for terminology issues. When I say "foundation" (stem wall/footing), I mean the part under the wall which is hanging in mid air. The program only places these under the exterior walls. My plan calls for ICF WALLS on the inside of the floorplan.

Thank you, I have been trying the things you have suggested and learning things in process. Question, How would you suggest I find someone in my locality who actually uses this software who might work with me in person? (That is besides the actual company which is only 35 miles away and does not do in person training?) Among the many things I don't understand is why the writers of this software have not defined, using the attributes of ICF Walls (ICF have existed for well over 25 years), for the allowance of placing a ledger where ever one wishes on the ICF wall. ICF walls by nature are foundation walls, after what, 12 versions of the same software?, have not resolved this issue? It seems it would be a simple matter to have a tab/button/tool to manually set the floor frame/ledger height on an ICF Defined Wall without the program breaking the wall into sections. As in balloon framing, the studs go from one level to the next and the ledger for the floor frame is placed on the studwall surface at whatever height is designated for top of floor. The wall frame is shown in the cross section to go completely through from set bottom floor plate to top plate. An ICF should be no different. Why, this is left out, to me, after so many versions, is a head scratcher. It would make using this software much easier in my estimation. Again thanks for your expertise.

I am 80 hours into the learning curve. I scrapped my earlier tries. and started over going step by step with Philip in Chief Architects "Quick start" video. I followed the steps. When I got to laying out the interior walls, I define the walls as ICF, and there is no foundation under them which I find maddening, as, by design, ICF walls are foundation bearing by nature. So, I drop to the foundation level and Identify each of the walls separately as ICF then as foundation walls, the footings are not centered. And, as I mentioned before, when I try to add a ledger on the inside of the styrofoam on the crawlspace side the floor frame generates through the wall to a rim on the outside edge.I tried attaching the file as you suggested but it is too big. I dont know how to shrink it for folks to help me. Very Perplexed.

Thanks Eric, I do realize this software has its limitations. Doing an ICF wall on top of a footing presents challenges. The actual building of the structure is commonsensical with blocks sitting on a footing and a ledger attached to the wall where ever you specify. I will keep plugging away with a test model and watch more videos as you have suggested. Its hard coming out of the hand draft age late. I am able to create the footings separately as individual slabs and connecting them. I am able to set a single wall on the footings on a separate floor. I need to figure out how to place the ledger on the inside wall and display the frame. After this I need to figure out how to make bonus room trusses.

Hello folks, I am new user HD Pro 2021 and want to edit part of a slab to place a square hole through it. How would I go about this? I tried using the edit tab but it only takes the whole slab out, what am i doing wrong? I tried looking for video help but cannot find any on this site or youtube. Thanks, D

Please Pardon my TMI I am an old school hand drawer and am trying to learn something new. Need help trying to establish ICF walls with a ROUGH CEILING HEIGHT of 109 1/8" + STEM WALL HEIGHT of 66 7/8" (Which is the same height I want the Floor-frame) = OVERALL WALL HEIGHT of 176". This wall is on a FOOTING (24" Width x 8" Height).. The floor frame Ledger will be attached directly to the foam block side even with the STEM WALL HEIGHT TRYING TO DO THE DESIGN DRAWINGS AS TO PRINT THEM OUT (MY 3 PREVIOUS HOUSES WERE HAND DRAWN THIS ONE IS MUCH LARGER MORE COMPLICATED FOR ME SO....i BOUGHT pro 2022. MY PREVIOUS HOMES WERE ONE GABLE ROOF - EASY. THIS ONE WE ARE TRYING TO INCORPORATE THE 3 CAR GARAGE/SHOP INTO THE HOUSE, SO AS TO SHARE THE ROOF AND WALLS TO LOWER COST INSTEAD OF HAVING TWO SEPARATE BUILDINGS. New to Pro 2021. Watched multi videos like boot-camp. Then spent a whole week on floorplan in Pro 2022 before trying the elevation which did not work. (Had to get Pro 2021 which they were kind enough to give me:) instead of paying over $1K-3K for a new graphics card.) I found 2021 to be a little harder to do the floorplan. After another week, my 1st plan's foundation has issues where the bottoms are out and did not tie together in some spots. So I began a test file rectangular house to try and figure this out watching more videos. 1. MY TEST PLAN SHOWS THE WALLS WHICH ARE MADE OF FOUNDATION WALL AND UPPER FLOOR WALL AS ONE UNIT. 2. WHEN THE FLOORFRAME IS PLACED, THERE IS NO LEDGER ON THE INSIDE WALL SO THERE IS A GAP.