Randall30

Is it possible somehow to create an angled roof line, something like seen here in this photo of a modern black cabin? If so, how is this done? (I have Chief Architect Home Designer Architectural 2021)

I am playing with a floor plan for a 2 story house. I did the main floor, then decided to draw the basement, then drew the second floor. I was only caring about 2D plans for the house. But now I would like to see if I can create a 3D plan. Is there a way to make the basement the 1st floor, the main floor the 2nd floor, the second floor the 3rd floor, give that the basement technically becomes the first floor?

Thank you Rookie65 !!!

EDIT (SOLVED: Yes the lines are for a roof over each room. I am selecting each room one by one then choose to have NO ROOF over each room. A little time consuming but it is making those lines go away. --------- I am designing a floor plan for my house, I have it looking good-- except for some weird lines over each room that I think might relate to a roof? I want them to NOT display, because the purpose of this floor plan is to simply show the floor plan to potential buyers when I sell my house; the floor plan does not have to be viewed in 3D etc, I just want a simple floor plan. I have attached the main floor plan so you can see what I mean--- lines crisscrossing over each room, that mean nothing to me, again maybe related to the roof and if so how would I turn them off, or would I somehow create the house with no roof to get rid of the lines?

Thank you to all! It was all so simple once I upgraded to HDS Architectural. Just had to double click on the deck, choose Deck options, then choose Plank Direction, as shown in attached screenshot. Upgraded to Architectural today for $99, worth it. I was able to easily swap floors to create a pier beam foundation (Floor#1) without starting from scratch, using my single story Floor#1 to become Floor#2. And the deck planking direction is now simple to alter angles on.

Cool thank you. I do not see the floor swapping option in my Home Designer Suite 2016, but I do see it in the HDS Architectural trial version I downloaded; that cinches my decision to upgrade to Architectural for $99. I want that swap floor feature!

I have one story house design. Is there a way to change the first floor, complete with the furniture, appliances, etc to a second floor? My reason is that I want to design a single story house but with a pier and beam foundation; and what I am reading online is that in order to create a pier and beam foundation the piers have to be created as a 'first floor'. So somehow I need to take my existing first floor and change it to a second floor. Or do I need to start from scratch?

How do I set the decking to 45 degrees? I am not seeing any angle options in any of the decking menus and submenus. Seems like if an angled Hatch pattern is chosen that Home Designer should then display that angled pattern otherwise why even have the angled Hatch pattern as an option.

As show in the screenshot here, if I set the deck Fill Style to a Fill Pattern such as Hatch, this is not showing up in the 3D view. Solution? or is this just something that Home Designer can not do in 3D?

So I think I will upgrade to Home Designer Architectural. I have a question--- during checkout, there is the option to pay an extra $15 to get a USB backup; is this really needed? Can't I just backup the downloaded zip or msi file for the upgrade and copy it myself to my own external USB?

Anybody try the trial version or own Home Designer Architectural who can comment on if you decided to upgrade or if you stayed with Home Designer Suite, and why? I am on the fence (haha no pun intended) deciding whether to pay the $99 upgrade cost (I have Suite 2016). Designing a home that I would hope to build in a year or two, I am not a professional.

So I tried the trial of Architectural and that does not have the rotate materials option. Hmm. I guess I will try the trial version of the Professional / Premier and see if that has the rotate materials option. Frustrating not to be able to have a simple thing like vertical lap siding--- most of nature is vertical (flora), so vertical wood siding makes so much sense, such as with the Juvet Landscape Hotel siding on their buildings. I just want to be able to emulate that in this software.

I did do a Crtl+F to search the manual for 'rotate material' and 'rotate' and could not find any matches for rotating material. Maybe my 2016 version is just too old and does not have that feature. I am thinking of upgrading from "Suite" to the 'Architectural' version of Home Designer; I just would like to know the rotate materials could be done if I do that. Maybe I can also search online for a vertical oriented material and use that to create a new material to use, idk. I am going to try the trial versions of Architectural and also Professional; my thought is that my 2016 software version of Suite is just plain outdated.

I am not seeing 'Plan Materials" in any menu section. Perhaps that is in a more recent version of the software? I have Home Designer Suite 2016.

I want to put vertical weathered lap siding on a house exterior but I do not see this in the materials listing, there is only horizontal weathered lap siding as shown in attached image. Is there a way to make it vertical??? Ultimately I am trying to go for a look like with the Juvet Landscape Hotel siding (photo attached). Can anybody help me? (I am using Chief Architect Home Designer Suite 2016 and if I can get this to work I will likely upgrade to the Architect version.). If needed I am even willing to purchase a separate materials library if it would accomplish this. Or do I need to create my own material?