LiteMari

?s on the Electrical Services Specification: There are three angles that can be speced in Light Data: -90 degree Tilt Angle seems to be what is needed for a std. recessed can on a flat ceiling that is aimed straight down, correct? What is Cut Off Angle? Am I correct that this should be set the beam angle of the flood light being used? What is Direction Angle? Altering from the default of 0 degrees to say 60 degrees has no impact in my camera view. It also seems to only accept positive values. Offset The default for From Base is 1/2". Is this the distance the bulb socket is from the top of the recessed can? The default drop off rate is set at 1.5; I assume that this accounts for the lack of uniformity of light dispersion from the center of the beam to the periphery. Is 1.5 a reasonable value to use for a halogen flood light? Can you set the Kelvin for the light source? I see that you can adjust the color with "white" as default, but what RGB would one use for 3000K? Thanks for cutting my learning curve.

Thank you both. I will look at the articles and should be able to create a custom material.

I am designing a modern home in Home Designer Pro and am considering using James Hardie fiber cement panels (4' x 8' sheets) that would use trim such as Fry Reglet or Easy Trim at the 1/2" reveal where panels "meet". What would be your suggestion for giving an approximation to what this might look like on the house design? I might leave the aluminum reveal as is, or might paint to match the panel color, but initially would want to model the aluminum reveal look. I want to get a sense of the exterior appearance but also want to explore variations of where the vertical and horizontal reveals would be in relationship to the vertical and horizontal exterior line of window and door cladding so as to balance appearance with minimizing the number of cuts as well as wasted material. I have started with making the exterior material stucco as this is in ballpark of my color choice. Thanks for any suggestions.

David I agree it is up to me to determine where I can have confidence in the software, I've just been trying to get at your exp. and others as to whether the Sun Angle and therefore the Shadows it creates does a pretty accurate job. I can put up with the annoyances of having to know myself whether Daylight savings time is in effect, or whether the sun has not already risen, or has already set. Any thoughts, experience on accuracy would be appreicated? Thanks again.

Thanks @Kbird I think I understand most of the basic controls for sun light/shadows. What concerns me is whether the software is doing a reasonably accurate depiction. Have you or others confirmed it against other tools? Given that HD Pro has not taken the time to make it convenient for user I wonder if they have cut corners/accuracy as well. By this I mean it would be fairly easy for software to use database to know a) when daylight savings time is and is NOT in effect at a given lat and long (location); and since it is pulling sun angle from a database it would also be easy for it to "know" that the sun had not risen on a particular date and time and then automatically toggle off sun for user rather than forcing the user to know this and toggle it off. Sun infiltration into windows; shadows caste by different overhang geometries is something that I am working on and I'd like to feel some confidence in what HD Pro is showing visually. I will do my own checking and comparison with other tools, but the lack of taking care of user with some basic conveniences does not inspire my confidence in this aspect of the software. I was very impressed with HD Suite at $100 and what I was able to do; I was hoping that stepping up to HD Pro would give me more AND also accurate control. While I have more control, I don't know about accuracy. I had called tech support and they did not know whether the "sun shining" at night was a flaw or whether it was something I was doing wrong. It seems like it is just how the program works.

Thanks David. Yes I have toggled the Sunlight, but my concern is what seems to be the lack of built in programming sophistication and not sure that I trust the visual results of HD Pro. But that I mean as originally posted, at 3AM entered in the Earth Data area for sun angle, I would hope that this level of software would check the database and simply know that the sun has not yet risen and that it would not need intervention on my part. Reading between the lines of your response, it seems that my hypothesis that HD Pro is not very sophisticated is right. Have you checked what it displays visually against other tools that allow modeling of sun/shadow, and if so do you trust what HD Pro displays? Does it agree with other tools? Thanks

How would you do things, if the window "units/elements" were actually mulled? I have a large fixed/picture window above an awning. I already did what I think you are suggesting by adjusting the top sash of one and the bottom of the other, but is there actually a way to make them as a single mulled unit that can be moved as a single object?

I just upgraded from HD Suite to Pro 2016 and am using Sun Angle and entering Earth Data to deterine sun/shade on various windows and with different overhangs. For the most part what I am seeing seems quite similar to such free online resources such as the sun window calculator at http://susdesign.com/overhang/index.php What puzzles me is that putting in 3AM for a date in March when the sun is below the horizon still shows shadows in a Perspective Full Overview camera; AND hitting the toggle for Sun on/off shows that that camera view is using sunlight I am puzzled. Your thoughts/experience? My hypothesis is that this feature of HD Pro while useful is NOT that robust. Meaning, when you click Day Light Savings time in Earth Data that does NOT mean that HD automatically compensates the sun based on the calendar date that you enter. You the user need to determine whether DST is in effect at that date for your location. I am guessing that HD Pro might simply not have the smarts to know that the sun is below the horizon; uses the correct angle for it and continues to use it as a shining light even in the middle of the night e.g. my 3AM example.

@Kbird1 Again thanks. Yes I'm running Win 7 64 bit so not sure why software isn't even opening after installation. Will call tech support on Monday. I'm fine with buying the prog and then getting refund if needed, but didn't want to uninstall existing trial, and then install purchased download without getting input from tech support. I often buy software based on how responsive and knowledgeable forum participants seem to be as a good forum is invaluable. @Kbird! - if you represent the attitude of this forum then I'm sure I'll be delighted with the prog and forum once I get myself launched - again thanks.

@Kbird1 Thank you very helpful response, and particularly for warning that with the free trial which is what I did, that you are unable to save your work. So far as I have been saved from that frustration as while I was able to install Windows 64 bit version, the software won't even open and yet my older laptop seems to exceed the minimum system requirements. Oh well, I will be patient until Monday.

About to start a 30-day trial. I will be a client of either an architect (probably using Revit; or some CAD software with DXF and/or DWG capability); OR a designer-builder using Home Designer Pro. I want to do some significant work myself to a) convey my ideas, and be able to view and make minor changes on a file that a professional would create e.g. place furniture, change dimensions of a closet or room. In the latter case, my feedback to the professional would be a text message in contrast to returning files to them. I am trying to decide whether I can accomplish what I want with just HD Architecture, or whether I will need HD Pro? If I purchase just HD Architecture: 1) If I am understanding things correctly, with a professional using HD Pro: I could do my preliminary work; do a Backup All Files and convert to a zip file and pass that to the professional. They'd then have all of my thinking; and could choose whether to use that as a starting place for their work, correct? If I'm using 2015 Archi but they're on 2014 Pro would their be problems. 2) Opposite direction: Am I correct that the professional on HD Pro could simply send me a zip file which I could then open in HD Archi and be able to do most things - the most important being various viewing options. I realize that Pro has other features that I would not be able to "deal with/tchange" nor would I want to e.g. more control over roof design and this is likely to be something that professional would have used for my house. 3) If during trial of HD Archi, I realize that I really do want not just the additional import features of Pro but other things ... What'd be the steps in purchasing HD Pro and seamlessly be able to use the HD Archi work I had done during my trial? If 1) & 2) above are correct understanding, then it'd seem that HD Archi is sufficient for me if I work with someone using HD (or Chief Architect) software. ============== With architect using Revit or similar, what is the likelihood of my being able to accomplish some similar exchange with them if I only get HD Archi? It'd seem that I could at least export a 2-D line drawing in DXF format for my communication to them, and follow up with PDF files of 3D static views, correct? But what about receiving something from them and viewing it in HD archi? Thanks for providing clarity.