447Debbie

Thanks. I'll do it that way. I was thinking it would be set it in the defaults dialogue but maybe the Wall Type Definition Dialogue will accomplish the same thing.

What I want to do is change a default somewhere so that I can go into the wall and then tell it to use the default color. Then, if I change color schemes in the future, I only have to change the default in one place, and all walls will update with the new color. Here is part of the problem. I've set the interior of the exterior wall default at Accessible Gray. I click thru to "Done", and it's yellow. I go back and check and the default settings window tells me that Accessible Gray is the color of the wall, yet the wall is the yellow like it's the drywall default. This is the interior of an exterior wall. I have the same issue with interior walls only they default to another gray when I tell it to use a default and I can't even find where that color is set as the default. EDITED TO ADD: The ONLY way I can get the gray color onto the wall is to go in and change it to black, or green, something other than Accessible Gray (which is defined as the default.) Then click thru to Done. Let the walls go black, or green......then go back into the wall colors and choose Accessible Gray manually and not tell it to use the default.

The object painter tools aren't my toolbar. When I click view toolbars, they don't populate. It's 2 1/2 years later and I still can't get wall colors to work. I want to set the default color in one place, then go tell the room specification, or the wall specification, or the material applier, to use the default but it doesn't work. I can open a wall, tell it set the default, it actually says it on the default, but when I look in the 3d viewer it's the yellow from the drywall. So, I went into the wall specification and changed drywall to the color I want, but still can't tell the wall to use the default as it still reverts back to the yellow from the drywall. Which default setting needs to be the color I want and why are there more than three different places to specify the default color?

I've been using this file now and I keep getting the notice that it was created in Chief Architect, probably because that's where you edited it. It also tells me I may not be able to do certain things with the file. Should I not be using this? Am I going to find out later on down the road that there will be something I cannot do with this file?

Yes, that is basically my problem. I finally ended up sending an email off to the truss manufacturer to see if they'll be able to incorporate the interior soffits into the trusses so that the outside wall can effectively be lowered to allow for enough insulation at the top plates. I'm envisioning the plates on the outside wall to be in the same plane with with the bottom of the interior soffits. Hopefully they'll know what I'm asking. I could probably do this with a more elaborate roof, but I'm trying to keep is simple to keep the costs down and to avoid leaks. I might have to take that ceiling down to 11', but I think that's a waste since construction materials (drywall, sheathing, etc.,) are built around 8', 9', and 12' heights.

I was also trying to provide more space for the chandelier in the entry way by cutting into the soffit in the family room, while also making that part of the soffit only 12" high, instead of 24" high. Once I started doing that and adding crown molding to the family room all kinds of strange things started happening as I could not for the life of me stop the crown molding from generating in a six inch space of the entry. Image 5 shows what happens when I try to move that soffit out of the entryway to make the entryway ceiling space larger. Then the crown molding wraps around the soffit and into the entryway! It's not room molding as room molding won't draw on the soffit, I have to use soffit molding. This is just a nightmare. FWIW, the room molding draws on two of the five soffits. It won't draw on the shorter soffit of the soffit along the wall in image 5, and it won't draw on one of the outside walls. I don't want crown molding on the soffit that's on the side of the entryway ceiling as shown in images 5 & 7.

Solver - I was trying to knock down the height of this wall, in the red rectangle by using soffits or a manual ceiling plane about 12" - 18" deep. I don't think it can be built and insulated with the top chord sitting right on the plate like that.

Jo_Ann, I'm trying to lower the ceilng at the edge though, not raise it. If the program is rebuiding then I took that to mean that the ceiling was running into the roof. I was trying the soffits, or the lowered ceiling plane, to get it under the existing roof structure. I realize if I use the default on the buffet it will have the knobs in the right place, but my actual hutch that I own is NOT the default size so the default one really doesn't do me any good. Solver, I had 10' ceilings to begin with. along with taller windows. Then I started talking to the 'energy vanguard' gurus (actually well respected well known people) about the Manual J, S, T, D, etc., who turned me in the opposite direction. Add to that the fact that I want the ductwork in the basement ceiling/main level floor, I was told to reduce the size of the windows and go with 9' ceilings as a default (like the bedrooms, laundry, bathrooms, etc.) So, the only way to reduce the window sizes and still have high ceilings that look good is to put a soffit around the perimeter. I had it looking pretty good, it looked like a tray ceiling, but there wasn't enough room above the plates for the required amount of insulation. I went with 12' in the family room because I absolutely need a 12' section in the entry for the family heirloom chandelier that is 30w x 45h. The 9' default almost works because most of the other areas that I want with high ceilings have the balcony and porch on the exterior so that extends the roof out which I thought would be far enough so that it was up enough above the plates on the outside walls of the family room and kitchen. No problem with the 10' in the kitchen, but the family room and the entry way are a different story. I do have the email that states putting the ductwork in the attic is just a "we've always done it that way' sort of thing, rather than physics and cold air dropping being the real reason. Current energy gurus state if you have a tight house, currently most new construction would/should be that way, there will be no problem putting the supply registers in the floor, vs. the ceiling. But that's off topic here. I was just anticipating further questions on the subject. I think this person will also try to steer me into going with a ventilated attic as well. All this from a very well known person in the HVAC field.

Yeah, the knobs in the air are a confirmed bug in the program. They were told about it back when I still had Home Designer Pro 2018. I assume it won't ever be fixed. Definitely have upper cabinet fixing to do, but that's easy compared to this ceiling problem. Still can't get it. I don't understand why this program is drawing attic walls that aren't aligned as I'm surely not drawing walls in the attic. I contacted customer support and they suggested I do this with manual ceiling planes. That didn't work either. I've now gone back to trying to achieve 10' ceilings in the kitchen and 12' ceilings in the family room surrounded by "soffits" at the 10' height so they match up to the kitchen ceiling height. That will solve the cabinet height problem but I can't figure out how to get the 12' ceiling underneath the roof without the program adding a raised portion on the roof. I would certainly think I could do this by manually creating a ceiling plane at the wall and lowering it by two feet in effect making a soffit but it should be better than a soffit because I would think the framing would at least recognize it. Still no luck. Would you know how to do this? Plan is attached. Once I get this done, I'll be battling the entry way again, which needs a 12' ceiling because of the chandelier I have but I want to separate it from the family room so that the family room ceiling is a four sided rectangle. Basically I want a 12' ceiling in the great room surrounded by soffits that drop down to the 10' height and I'm at my maximum height with the HOA so I can't raise the roof. Untitled_4.zip

Still having the same issue. My room divider wall keeps changing to an invisible wall. The only change I made is that I now want the living room ceiling at 11' whereas before I had it at 12'. So now, the entryway ceiling and the living room ceiling are different heights. I read in an older thread that Home Designer Pro makes this change so there is an enclosed area defined by the platforn step created from two different ceiling heights. I was doing this with a soffit. Now that I have different ceiling heights, I can't get this to work at all. I want crown molding on the living room side, but not on the entryway side. I want an 11' ceiling in the family room, 12' ceiling in this entry way portion, 9' ceiling in the kitchen, and 9' ceiling in the hallway going off to the left to the garage side. Why am I doing this? Because I have to keep the roof line down as I'm struggling with a restriction to stay within a 30' height restriction from natural grade. This is ridiculous. I've spent OVER FOUR HOURS trying to get this one entry way the way I want it. It shouldn't be this difficult to do this. This is a bug and needs to be fixed! I GIVE UP! Untitled_2.zip

You're right. I could have sworn I tried that. Thank you.

I'm trying to create an entry way with a soffit to divide the 12' entryway and the 12' family room. So far so good. Now, I would like crown molding in the family room. So far so good. But, I don't want crown molding in the entry way. How do I get rid of the crown molding in the entry way. Also, how do I complete the wall with drywall where it's just showing bare wood? Yes, I know my roof is -12" from my ceiling level of 10'. I'm doing that to stay under the 30' height restriction so I know there is an angle on the ceiling in the entry way. Untitled_1.zip

Will that allow viewing of the floor plan, or just the 3d images? He's not interested in the 3d images but does want to be able to view the floor plan.

I believe a few years ago I found a viewer for the Home Designer Pro files so that I could send my file to someone and they could open it with a viewer. Does anybody know where I can find this? My HVAC sub is wanting this so he can better quote the system.

I'll have to try that but it didn't work for my cabinets. I think it's because the material I'm looking for, clearcoat Walnut, was downloaded from here as part of the Barker Cabinets Catalog https://www.barkercabinets.com/Chief-Architect-3d-Kitchen-Planner-s/365.htm