katalyst777

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=f495ed4bd25d92c662a18c83539376f1 https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=4a189223ec06e4a0c9afb9bcb5d2c3d https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00888/importing-3d-symbols.html

No, but you can contact the company directly and pay the money to renew your SSA so that you can regain access to that and the other catalogs that are a benefit of keeping your SSA up to date.

Attach the plan?

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00120/creating-a-parapet-roof.html The article uses asphalt, but you can choose a different material that better looks like what you want. The 3D Warehouse is the best resource out there for importing 3D symbols (like roof drains) that aren't already in the software. https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/search.html?q=roof+drain https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00888/importing-3d-symbols.html

See this Knowledge Base article. KB-00911: Message: This file cannot be saved to the specified location. Basically, to move the file, make sure it isn't open in the Home Designer software and navigate to the file's location on your computer and move it so it isn't nested too far down in tons of subfolders. You can also right-click on the file in Windows and choose to rename it to something shorter. To just create a copy of the file in the software at a new location with a simpler name, select File> Save As.

Terrain Features - Start with a rectangular one, change the material, then edit its shape to whatever you need. Here's an earlier thread that discusses the same thing with an image for an example. https://hometalk.chiefarchitect.com/index.php?/topic/19-flared-walkway/

You're in kind of a tough spot, because if you buy a new computer, the operating system won't be compatible with the old Home Designer software, and if your integrated chipset's driver isn't from 2014 or newer (according to the article posted previously) then Pro 2016 would probably still have 3D problems on the same computer, so you'd probably be looking at upgrading the computer AND the software, not one or the other.

Ah, an integrated Intel chipset, that could well explain it. I tend to forget that they even started offering to support systems with shared graphics with the 2015 versions because it still seems like most people who post here still have problems with them since Intel chipsets share system memory instead of having dedicated video memory of their own like a real video card. You can always double check the various version system requirements in the Knowledge Base. https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-01095/home-designer-minimum-system-requirements.html Although since you somehow got it to work before, maybe the video chipset hardware itself is failing? That could explain why the issue is inconsistent, you didn't see the problem before and its started to manifest now that the design is more complex (and exhibits on the material used on the largest surfaces in your plan, the walls) and even why updating the driver made it worse. You'd get "repair" if you didn't actually uninstall the software first, so while you can try uninstalling the program completely and then reinstalling, I really doubt that would make any difference since the system doesn't even meet the system requirements and with the company's Support folks it seems like you've pretty well narrowed down the culprit to the integrated Intel video chipset.

I would recommend importing it in to a new, blank file, make you changes, then just Copy/Paste it off to the side in to the plan with your structure in it.

If updating the driver made it worse, it sounds like it really is a video card issue, and neither user nor program error, but it's a bummer that the newer driver didn't fix it. What is the operating system, video card on the computer and what was the driver you used? Did you go through your computer manufacturer's website or the video card vendor's directly for the new driver? Maybe there's a different one available that will give you better results?

Or upgrade to Chief Premier!

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00467/troubleshooting-missing-toolbars.html

If I had to guess without seeing the plan, you are probably seeing the ceiling of Floor 1/floor platform from Floor 2 extending in to the door area.

You can still create your own custom lattice material which accomplishes the same thing. Just use a Google image search for something like "lattice png" to find and save a photograph of a material that already has the transparency for in between the lattice. Most will probably already be set up to tile well across a large surface.

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-02972/migrating-home-designer-to-a-new-computer.html

As you work on your design, it becomes more complex, takes up more video memory to render more surfaces and can expose weaknesses or bugs that probably got fixed with a newer driver for your video card.

My initial thought was that it might be a weird sign of z-fighting, where maybe there were two siding materials in your Wall Type definitions, or one material was applied to the Wall Type and the other applied to the individual walls or exterior room, but in looking over the Plan Materials saved with the plan you attached, I don't even see a modified siding that displays vertically. Assuming that you didn't actually use the rainbow tool to modify the orientation without realizing it, I would guess that your video card isn't consistently rendering the material the way it should, so it would be worth updating the driver if you haven't done so recently. Instructions can be found on the Home Designer Knowledge Base at: https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00897/troubleshooting-3d-display-problems.html Beyond that, I think you're outside of the support time frame with the older version, but they might still be able to help you out, especially if it was a known issue in the earlier versions (I don't recall anything like that ever being discussed in the forum previously though and it seems like something that would've come up).

You've probably created an "island room" condition which would have issues if there wasn't a connecting invisible wall (aka room divider), so just delete the unneeded dimensions that are referencing it.

I believe you need the Premier X7 version of the software to choose how objects will be imported (as Millwork for balusters, as electrical objects for lights, etc) and to have all of those features. Everything in Home Designer seems to come in set as a "fixture."

Review this article from the Knowledge Base. KB-00279: Opening 3D Home Architect® Deluxe Plans It states (emphasis added): "While you could try to replace all of the missing textures, objects, and defaults using materials and symbols from your current Home Designer Library Browser, the real advantage to be being able to view the older file to reference dimensions and object placement. In order to have all of the capabilities available in a current version plan, such as Wall Types and other features, recreating the plan in the current version of Chief Architect will be necessary." Per this article, it's probably best to just recreate the plan in the new version, but if you have to use the old file, then I second contacting Tech Support and would stay away from trying to create folders and place old files in them.

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00182/creating-a-framing-cut-buy-list.html

Could you clarify what it is that you are trying to do? Something more like this auto created roof? You've got the display of Attic Walls turned off in your camera views, which is why you're seeing a gap there, everything else is just a matter of setting it up correctly. You might want to create a copy of the plan and use Edit> Reset to Defaults, check EVERYTHING and then focus just on getting the roof right, then turn off Auto Rebuild and adjust the Ceiling Heights in rooms as needed. You can use the instructions on creating a Shed roof (two opposing sides marked "Full Gable", one set to High Shed and the opposed wall from that pitch set to 1.2 degrees) to create the "flat" roofs rather than using Soffits (the Wall Spec dialog won't let you set it lower than 1.2 degrees, but you can modify the roof planes afterwards to make them truly zero if that's what you want.)

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-01095/home-designer-minimum-system-requirements.html According to this Knowledge Base article, it looks like 2015 was where they dropped support for the Home Designer software on XP, so 2014 and earlier versions should work?

This looks like a Saltbox style roof. https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00735/creating-a-saltbox-roof.html

If the view is going completely black, it probably means there's a problem with the video card, so start with updating the driver. Instructions in this Knowledge Base article if you are unfamiliar with the process. https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00897/troubleshooting-3d-display-problems.html