MattCarp

Now David, what is this "phone book" you speak of? >The only real limiter is ... your intention to get a product, no matter what. True! ...such is life!

Thank you, Keith. I suppose the premise of my question ("Has anyone...") - of course! I should recognize that there is a large community of designers using HD for decades! Your experience makes sense. I guess that my design has some complexity that I'm uncertain about. It's an open concept that requires some engineering with the roof support. Beyond that, I think the rest of the design is straightforward...

I'm curious if anyone has taken the step from new/custom design with Home Designer to actually get construction drawings that were ready for submission to the local code enforcement agency. I'd like to hear about the process. My understanding is that as long as you're following the building code, and, adopt a "prescriptive" design (v. engineered design), the design will be acceptable to local agencies. That said, I think you still need to make sure your design can support the various loads (dead, live, wind, snow, seismic...) with acceptable flexing....and, that soil conditions support your structure. After that, I think it still needs to be submitted by a state licensed engineer. However, the framing and material list tools in Home Designer make it look like you're ready to start buying wood! How do they relate to actual construction / engineering? Do they conform to any rules? How close do you get? I suspect that the extent of the support in the software is to give you an idea of feasibility and to prepare a cost estimate. Don't get me wrong - if that is as far as Home Designer can take me, that's perfectly fine. I find that HD has been worth every penny to allow me to express what I want in a very detailed way. It's absolutely real, and I can imagine my design being built. However, my experience is that finding a structural engineer is not easy, and, I'm concerned about their ability to start from a design I've prepared in Home Designer. So, this has me thinking that after I get an engineer engaged to work with me that I have to start almost at the beginning, which I quickly translate to [redundant?] costs in my mind. So, I'd love to hear about how someone has taken that next step. - How did you find a local engineer - How did you convey your design to the engineer? Did they take your Home Designer plan directly? Did they need to model the design from scratch in other software? - Was any actual engineering done? - How were construction documents created? - How long did it take, how much did it cost? My goal is to finalize a design so that I could turn a drawing package over to a builder for construction. (not to obtain additional general contracting or construction management services). I just want to better understand the complete process so that I know what to expect and can plan for it.

Eric, once again, you have demonstrated how you have earned the account name solver !!! You were exactly right. A friend defined the "Foundation wall-finished", but put the furring strip and drywall, yes, on the main layer! I clicked into the definition and selected those layers and chose "Move Down..." to put them in the Interior category. Issue fixed throughout the basement! Thank you!

I have a "finished" plan (is it ever really finished? ) - single floor with a full basement, poured concrete foundation walls. I then decided to make the basement a foot "taller" by adjusting the room size. I changed the absolute elevation of my rooms from -104 5/8" to -116 5/8". I did that for each room in the basement. This worked fine....except, it left a small gap at the top of the wall, between the wall and ceiling. You can see that in the second attached photo, on the right. I then changed the height of the sill plate from 1 1/2" to 0", and found that this gap was closed (see third attachment). In the second attachment you can see the effect of this on the wall segment that is tiled - it ends right at the ceiling like it should be. Now, what is the effect of this? Do I lose my first floor sill plates? This can't be the proper way to fix the gap, can it? My goal is not just to make it look right. Rather, I want to make sure my framing and materials list are correct, too. Has anyone else done a similar thing, and, what was the right way to do it? ....and then the plan will be finished!!

I ended up breaking the wall... ....but, I used the custom backsplash tool to put a stainless steel plate between the range and the hood! That tool was super easy!

That did it - Thank you Keith!

I'm doing a simple bathroom in HD Pro 2023. Is there a way to tile part of the wall? I'd like tile behind the tub, but the wall is part of a longer wall, so when I change the surface, it applies it to all of the wall (beyond the tub). I tried deleting the wall and butting two together, but HD then combined the wall and deleted the tile from the tub wall! Question 2 is no big deal, but, there doesn't seem to be a standard tub with a shower head? Just the spout and faucet handle... Is there are way to put the overhead shower head?

I am working to "finalize" a design in HD Pro '23. At the moment, I'd like to make sure I'm using standard sizes in my windows. I'm referencing the standard size charts here: https://modernize.com/windows/standard-sizes This chart specifies the rough openings for standard window sizes. In HD, when I look at a window's properties, is the width and height the rough opening? Or, do I add the rough opening values listed in the rough opening panel to the width and height? For example, in my attachments, the window I have designed is 28"w x 48"h. Using the chart, the closest size is a 2840 window, which specifies a rough opening of 32" x 48". The rough opening parameters are 1/2", each side, top, and bottom. I know that I generally don't need to be this precise, but, if I want to make sure my framing lines up with the required rough openings for standard windows, I think I need to just change the window width and height. (I was attempting to verify this by looking at a framing elevation, but I have not perfected the technique to view only the framing of the wall elevation. In some tutorials I see a toolbar drop down for the visible layer set. I don't see this in my version, and, the reference manual doesn't seem to indicate this. I do a wall elevation camera, but when I deselect all the layers except for framing, my updated view is blank...) -Matt

No, I appreciate your partnership in the journey! I learned about the pano views, which I never attempted, or really knew anything about. I can’t explain it either. My theory of a not-completely-implemented function seems wrong. The last thing a developer would do is put the icon there, not the first thing. Maybe a privacy or accessibility setting on my phone? Or, the CA plan needs a certain preparation or setting? Regardless, thank you for exploring it with me!

I have the same version as you… my phone is the iPhone 8, but my wife’s phone is a 13 mini. It behaves the same. I started to play with gyro and walk mode options in the display, but that doesn’t seem to have an effect. I suppose CA support could explain…. I’d love to have the vr work, since it would bring the model to a whole new level.

Yes, there appears to be two functions. Viewing the 3D Model with the 3D Viewer App, which is done after selecting "Export Chief Architect 3D Viewer File". This is what I do, and I select the icon (see attachment). After I do that, the display isn't stable. You've demonstrated the 360* Panorama viewer. I can't open this file with the 3D Viewer App. However, I CAN open Safari on my phone, navigate to the Chief Architect web site, then, log in. There, I select "Manage 360* Panoramas". When I see my list, I can then click on "View" for one of my Panoramas. Again, this is from Safari on my iPhone. Then, when the Pano opens, there is a goggle or viewer icon in the lower right, just left to the full screen icon that you've shown in your first photo. I click on that. Now, if I hold the phone in portrait orientation, nothing happens. BUT, when I rotate the phone to landscape orientation, I get a proper 3D display! That works! Ok. My conclusion - the 3D Pano works through the web browser. The 3D Viewer App has not fully implemented this VR functionality. It's possible that this is in the future. If it comes, I'm hoping it promises the ability to walkthrough the model, similar to what can be done with the Sojourn controls in the app. Thank you for those photos, it helped me zero in on this!

I have previously exported my plan to the CA web site using File > Export > Export Chief Architect 3D Viewer File... I have an iPhone 13 mini with the latest iOS. I have no other apps running. I enter Chief Architect 3D Viewer on my phone, I've logged into my Chief Architect account, then I go to Saved Models, download the plan by pressing the cloud icon, then open the model. Everything is fine, then I select the goggle view, and the attached video is what I get. I've tried this multiple times, on an iPhone 8 and 13. Same behavior. I've confirmed my screen orientation lock is off, allowing the display to go into landscape mode. I have to say that this seems pretty straightforward. I didn't see any settings or preparation steps? It should just work? It seems like the app itself is getting invalid inputs from the phone's motion sensors? -Matt IMG_6467.MOV

Yes, that’s right. When you select the mode to display two images on your phone display and put your phone in a viewer to create the vr effect. I mean, it shouldn’t be limited to Google cardboard should it? There’s nothing special about that? I have a plastic viewer/goggles that you slide your phone into.

Has anyone experimented with the VR Headset function in the phone 3D Viewer? I am using HD Pro '23, and, an iPhone 13 inserted into a phone holder / headset. I can display my model successfully in the Chief Architect 3D Viewer app, all functions work normally. For example, I'm able to physically walk with my phone and my position in the 3D view in the phone changes with my movements. This is working fine. However, when I select the stereoscopic view needed for 3D display in the headset, the image jumps around rapidly and uncontrollably. I've turned camera gyro on/off, no effect. I adjusted the look speed parameter from "1" to "0.5" Of course, I'd like to see the model through the VR goggles to make it that much more real. Honestly, it's an amazingly cool thing. Has anyone else been successful? Any tips?