447Debbie

Can someone tell me how I can ungray the drawer height. I have ONE base cabinet that is 107" long and I want to divide it up into four sections without having to create four separate box cabinets and connecting them. These will be custom cabinets and I need to draw them as one. I'm sure that once I can set my drawer heights, then something else will be grayed out. Isn't there a way where I can make all sizing available?

Thank you Fred for the insight on the fact that using our plans would create just as much work anyway. Good to know.

I had a designer in mind, in the Phoenix, AZ area. We exchanged a few emails. When the emailing was all over and done with, he told me not to worry about the structural details because when I brought the plan to him for finalizing, he'd start from scratch anyway, draw it from the ground up, and still charge me by the square foot to draw it up. Thus, I would get no discount whatsoever for already having my idea drawn up. Edited to add: I now see this is an old posting, but maybe the OP can reply back how it turned out in the end.

What I ended up doing is I turned off the CAD layer long enough so the text would go away. Then I was able to join my walls. Then I turned the CAD layer back on. My biggest issue is that it was covering up a point where two walls had to join and I couldn't see the join area. Turning off the CAD display got that accomplished. Sure would be nice to be able to edit that text, though I was able to work around it.

I can't select or open the text itself. I can only open the line that it's describing. But when I open the line, it doesn't have any option for text style. You're right, if I turn off the CAD layer, then my setback lines go away.

Thanks. That's a good start. Now I know they're on the CAD layer. I didn't even know that before. But, now I don't see a text option for the CAD layer. Do you know how I can get to that?

How do I turn off the display of these surveyor bearings? I can't see to find it under Tools, Display... See attached image. The dimensions in the red and green boxes are what I'm trying to turn off.

Is there a way I can set defaults for my stairs to 48" wide and 11" tread depth so that I don't have to manually do this each time I draw stairs?

:-) Next time you're in the area and have some time, go take a look. I believe I have an "exemption" against disturbance since the lot is so small. Some lots do have that requirement. The limits for cutting and filling are cut 10' fill 10'. I'm not trying to minimize site work because I realized that would be needed when I bought the lot. The views are the important part. I understand completely about being as high as possible. It's quite a challenge to get high, yet stay below the 30' requirement since we also want to be able to walk out on top the main floor deck roofing, kind of a third floor deck, if you will. I'm not sure we'll actually need that to get the views though, so when push comes to shove, that third floor deck will probably the first thing that will be eliminated. There are a couple of lots that I included in that pdf file I uploaded somewhere in this thread, that might have houses built on them that could potentially block some of our view, but given the challenges they face with how they'll have to position their houses, we might luck out. Regardless, a large portion of our view will remain unobstructed. It's really hard to explain without actually seeing it. I've attached the picture, but I can't tell how clear this will be on the forum.

I would like the 48" x 48" 'landing' at the top of my stairway to be one step down from floor 1 but it seems the software is forcing this to be level with floor 1. Is there a trick to make this happen? It also has to turn 90 degrees from the stairway, else the railings seem to get messed up. See attached picture. Home Designer Pro 2017

That's not how the software works as you can see, the house is "floating" if you were to get to ground level, the house would disappear. I must be missing something because of my inexperience with this software. The first picture is exactly what I have. If I were to do nothing with that lot, and try to build a house on it, the rear would be on stilts and the front would be below ground, even with a walk out basement. I have a lot with a large uneven slope that will require extensive site preparation that will included cutting the front down and filling the back in. Part of my reasoning for drawing it as it actually is was to try to determine where that midpoint between cut and fill would be. The restricting factor is the 30' height restriction. Until the retaining walls are drawn in Home Designer Pro, making the front of the lot level will delete the real terrain that I have to deal with. I think the way to fix this, is with retaining walls since in reality, that's what will be required. I envision my driveway being something like this in the attached, though I do have a few more feet to work with in front of the garage doors. If there is a way for me to tell Home Designer Pro to adjust every one of my elevation points with 23,648" being the new ground level point, I do not know how to do that.

I want to thank everyone on this thread for the input and help with understanding Home Designer Pro. I have a long way to go but I will keep pushing on. For now, I've given up on the official roof and instead spent some time today just raising the default ceiling height on the entire first floor. I then kept that height (12') for the entry way, and lowered every other room back to 10'. I know the literature said not to do it that way if all you wanted to do was raise one ceiling, but for me it just turned out to be the easiest. I'm sure I'll be back for more advice, but for now, I'm done with my attempts at creating the roof. I think I'll leave that up to the experts when I take this to a designer. Thanks to all of you, I appreciated all your time and efforts. Debbie

LB10 I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to delete the terrain I have. 23K (23648" ) is 1970' above sea level and is the terrain I got off of Google Earth for my lot. I imported the trace from Google Earth and that's how Home Designer Pro interpreted the traced data, with the absolute elevations. The lot is 1974' at the front, 1955' at the back with the house taking up about the middle range of 1970'-1960'. Somehow, on this small lot, I have to get that driveway to the garage from 1974 to 1970, while at the same time rising 7" at the curb, and then sloping down, only to rise back up in the last ten feet to the garage. At some point in time if I get different numbers from the surveyor doing the topography, I can then change it. For now, all the points are relative and if I get rid of them then I have no idea how my house will look on my lot. I need to know how it will sit on the terrain. To put them all back to flat wouldn't gain me anything as the terrain points in there are pretty accurate with how the lot really slopes. As far as the ceiling height in the garage, as long as an 8' tall garage door has enough room to open, that's all I car about. I don't want a step from the garage to the house, and I'm finding that's not easy to specify in Home Designer Pro. So far now I've faked it out by saying the floor is 0" from the top of the stem wall. I'll deal with the other 12" later. I also need a slope on the garage floor, but don't see anything in Home Designer Pro for that either. I guess I have to resort to doing something manually. I'm going off on a tangent here. All I was trying to do with my 1st post was to learn how to get the roof all in the same plane on the front so that I could easily construct a portion of the roof over the entry to install a 40" tall light fixture. I now know how to make that roof, but everything else is so cumbersome that I'm afraid I've given up and have decided that if I do bring my existing light fixture to the new build, I will just install it over the basement stair way and forget about raising the ceiling. Though I was successful in getting the 14' ceiling in the entryway, I was not successful in getting the walls on the inside lined up. I have stucco on the interior and drywall on an exterior wall, and I can't fix them because it's the same wall. Where it runs inside it should be drywall, and when it goes thru the roof it should be stucco, but it's not. I've literally spent an entire week of vacation doing nothing but trying to get that entry ceiling raised and I've just given up. I appreciate your help, but I am burned out on this whole design. I think maybe I'll start working on the basement floor plan and leave the elevations for the pros when the time comes to get the real design done officially. It was my intent to have a real designer do it anyway, but at first I was having fun trying to get the first rendition done. To answer your question, I think requires more explanation. There will be a walkout basement below the current floor that is designed. There will be a covered patio on the current floor that is designed. It's in the back of the house, the patio is drawn in. I'd like for the cover of the patio to double as the "third floor walk out deck" accessible by the elevator. There will be NOTHING else on this third floor. Basically, there really will not be a third floor except for the walk out patio that is also the roof for the deck below.

Oh yes, I see that now. I missed it before.

Also, be mindful of how a cover over the deck may block views from inside the house.. yep, that's still in the back of my mind. Hopefully, given the slope and the distance that the mountains are away, a covered deck won't block the view. If it does, the cover will the first to go. The brick tower right of the door houses a U shaped stair. This might work for your plan, raising the ceiling over the stairs and using that space to hang your fixture. I am actually considering just hanging that light over the basement stair and not bothering with a raised ceiling. The bottom of the light would be at six feet with regards to the entryway floor, but there will be more that enough room below it as one is descending the stairs. I have seen this done in some basement homes in AZ (the few and far between). It's not conventional, but it would give a better view of the light and might be a welcome "oddity".

Garages shown entering from the left. 45 Degree Plot 12-10-16.kmz Views with directions.pdf

Untitled_2.zip

I like that but it doesn't provide any overhang over the door. I wouldn't need the overhang to the left. I know I had a porch across the entire front, but that was when I was trying to cover the full front entrance. I'd probably have to go up higher with the ridge, so that once extended out over the front door you could still see the chandelier. The concept you provided is a very good start for me. It gets rid of that obnoxious encroachment of the garage overhang.

My choice would be to cover the deck so that it's a walkable deck up above, accessible from the elevator. As long as I can stay within the height restrictions (30' from natural grade) and be able to design the elevator shaft so that it's not an obnoxious rectangular prism jutting out of the roof, the NPOA said they'd would allow it. Elevator is an IGD drive and requires 108" of overhead clearance (this is measured from the finished 3rd floor surface [ 1. walk-out basement, 2. main level, 3. upper deck]). If push comes to shove, it can get by with 8 feet above, in which case a remote controller would have to installed alongside it in the basement. It's all about aesthetics and height requirements.

I do love this design. There is no encroachment from the garage overhang - LOVE that. I just don't think I can do that with the garage for reasons explained in my lengthy post. Wish I could. I did ask the building dept about this probably three or four months ago, but with the hills on the road and that road to the right being a collector street, there are even more rules and regulations. I realize though I didn't explain all this in my initial postings. It is still possible, if I can meet all site line requirements, but the building dept thought that was highly unlikely based on their knowledge of the terrain and curves on the road. Putting the garage on the left isn't really an option either. It just doesn't flow to the kitchen and since I have to enter there I wouldn't have enough distance to slope up at the curb 7", then slope back down, only to have to slope up again for the last 10' in front of the garage. I definitely have a challenging lot. You know, maybe that right entrance would work. I see you do have the drive coming from the left and swinging around. Plus, that would reduce the left/right dimension 36' to 24' and give me more distance, while increasing the front/back from 24' to 36'. This might allow a straight wall all the way to the back instead of making that jog from the 20' setback to the 30' setback I'd even have the garage at 30' back. MAYBE I can get this to work. The driveway can be outside the setback so..... It will probably take another retaining wall.

Fountain Hills. I also noticed that looked like Sedona but it was the only mountain view I could find in Home Designer Pro. It will be stucco for the exterior. Not sure yet on the roof. I don't want a flat roof over any inside living space. I'd like stone coated steel that looks like slate, but the price may be too much, however it may mean the structure can be less beefy because steel weighs much less that cement tiles. If I don't go with stone coated steel, the roof will be cement tiles that look like slate (not the Spanish style). Exterior style - anything but Spanish, I don't like arches. I guess I would go Traditional as it will better match the interior. No lites in the windows. I want full clear views. Hip roof, low profile 3:12, maybe 4:12. I can go 5:12 max by the NPOA (an HOA but without monthly dues). Interior will be windows and doors without casing. Traditional cabinets and lighting. Not sure how I'll pull that off. The lack of casing is pretty contemporary/modern. I like casing, but I'm trying to cut corners so I can afford the 96" doors and 96" doors with casing won't be cheap. Plus, casing adds a lot of floor space and with the 36" wide doors I'm already adding floor space. The raised ceiling in the entry way is to allow for a chandelier that was given to my husband and I for a wedding present/home warming etc, from his parents who are no longer with us. It's 40" tall. I'd like for it to have window where the sun could possibly hit it (direction is iffy but it is tilted a little west ) because the sun hits the crystals and sends rainbows everywhere. Without a raised ceiling, the other option is to hang it above the basement stairway just off to the left of the entry way. I have given that a lot of consideration. Some say it would look stupid. My thought is, for once we'll be able to see it, instead of having it hanging over our heads. Right now it's 19' up in our entry way, there is a second floor loft that blocks its view, and you really only see the bottom of it. Our current entry really doesn't allow a good view of that fixture, but I digress. It does do the rainbow thing though. (attached picture junk.jpg [i just name it junk so I know I can delete it]) The angled wall wasn't in my beginning plans but was suggested over the one I had initially that made a number of ninety degree turns (I am attaching as Contender 1) because with all the turns, there were corners that blocked the view. The angled wall allows for a full view of Four Peaks, the wash, AND the Superstitions, Weavers Needle, the Fountain. The deck will also be covered but it doesn't necessarily have to be an extension of the house roof. I envision the deck roof being "flat", with the elevator going up to that platform as a look out deck. The Master Bedroom loses the view of Four Peaks, but keeps the view of the Superstitions and adds a night light view. I do like the angled wall plan for the way the living room laid out with a straight view to the tv, and still being able to see the view. It's hard in an open floor plan to even find a wall for the tv, so this was a welcome event to have this turn out like this. The idea of raising the ceiling to the views is a good one, but I have height requirements to meet in the back and there will be a walk out basement below the back which will further add to that restriction. Also, I don't want any vaulted ceilings because they don't ventilate. I've had two and have had issues with both. The wide hall ways are designed for future wheel chair use. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. But, you are right, I don't need that big of an entryway. It just kind of lined up that way, unless I want to walk right into the living room. I am on a corner, but that plan I have right now is up against every setback line except the one on the left and moving left isn't desirable. (Eves can overhang the setback by two feet) The right garage wall is at the 20' setback because I don't anticipate the garage plane going over 20'. I have a 20' height requirement if I'm only set back 20'. Otherwise, my height requirement is 30', and I have to be set back 30'. That's why behind the garage it jogs in 10'. It's a sloped lot. Quite sloped (I am attaching my terrain plan), and will be a walk-out basement. I looked at turning the garage,as a side entry on the left but then the other part of the house would be in the way. It's a very small lot. I can't enter from the other street either as it is not allowed because of hills, site lines, etc. I have to enter from the LEFT side of the lot and sweep across the front of the house, while dropping the elevation of the driveway about four feet. Your idea could still work but the driveway would still enter at the front left (I have to maintain ~85' from the intersection), sweep all the way across the front, and then turn around the corner to enter the garage. Plus, there is only 20' width there to the lot line, it slopes more toward the back, so there will need to be a larger retaining wall to that, vs, the retaining wall height needed with the way it is currently drawn. I don't yet have an official topographical plot, but I did create my own by tracing points on Google Earth, and dumping those into a text file and bringing them into Home Designer Pro. I don't have them under my working plan because it just makes the file huge (45 mb), and it slows down commands. I know Google Earth isn't Gospel, but I walked the lot, and what I got from Google Earth is a very good representation of the actual slope on the lot. I have considered a designer, but wanted to get my floor plan figured out first. My current house took 19 revisions with a designer, I'd prefer not to have to pay for that many revisions again. I certainly admit I am not capable of going without a designer, I just don't want to bring them in this early and I would certainly need the topographical done before bringing in a designer. The other problem is I do not yet live in Arizona, so getting someone on board there would mean I'd be working long distance with them. One caveat - the North arrow could be slightly off, but not much. I found out that Home Designer Pro doesn't maintain the actual plot line bearings when the plot is turned but I had to turn the plot to straighten it out to draw the house at decent working angles. The red line cutting across the floor plan is the Four Peaks view. To the bottom of it you're looking at the neighbor's house. To the right you should see Four Peaks. Other caveats - ignore all the materials on the plan, that will be the last thing I'll do. I am currently planning 96" doors at 36" wide though, and also planning 10' ceilings in the kitchen and living room. I am more than willing to drop to 9' in other rooms if it helps out with the plan or costs. Know that my attic cannot be large enough to stand in (I think they said 6'), otherwise I need fire sprinklers up there as well! I hope this will at least let you know I have put a lot of thinking and research into this. I think I answered all of your questions. Let me know if you have more. terrain plan.zip Contender 1.zip

Home Designer Pro 2017 I'm trying a different tactic. I'll try to make the entry design first, then let the roof fall wherever it goes. Somehow or other I'll have to figure out how to deal with the encroachment of the adjacent garage wall eve and its visual effect on the entry way symmetry. I have an 8' high entry door. That should be good with a 10' ceiling on my first floor (door plus header plus room to spare) Now, above that I need a "plant shelf" that extends 4' out past the entry door to provide a covered entry outside. The plant shelf area has to be 60" high so I can center a 40" high chandelier in a picture window inserted into this 'Plant Shelf" area. If you go to the floor plan level 1 and take a view camera from the entryway looking up you will see what I'm trying to achieve. I've messed around with this using the 'Absolute Elevations' and "Relative Heights" but when I make a change, the results I get are not what I expected. Maybe there is a video out there regarding the understanding of these (Abs Elev and Rel Heights). I tried working on this but I end up with the inside walls all mismatched vertically and nothing lining up. Exterior walls on the garage seem to take on a height of their own. I have exterior walls showing up on the inside of the entry way. When I put a door on my closet in the entry, I lose its ceiling. It really should NOT be this hard to create an extended height entryway. I'm giving up for the night. Tomorrow is another day. Untitled_2.zip

Thank you DavidJPotter. This does help me know how to create the shed roof. I think I'll also subscribe to your YouTube channel for future reference. I'll probably need a lot more help in the future.

Thank you. I will definitely look at it. The shed roof is NOT important. I just thought that would be the best starting place for what I wanted to do. I'll try to tackle the manually-built gable dormer but I wasn't having any luck with the dormers. All the suggestions you made are good ones. I've run them all thru my head already. The problem with moving the front door is the view is out the back windows, and with the door where it currently is, when you walk in the front door, you see the mountain view out the back. Something I'm really considering is putting the chandelier over the stairway just off to the left side of the entry door. The bottom of the light fixture would be at about the 6' level, but it would be hanging over the stairway so it wouldn't matter. You'd walk under it as you went down the stairs. I asked a friend and they told me that looked stupid though. This is really the simplest solution. I've seen it done and it looks good when the stairs are U-shaped and the light is hung over the landing, but I guess it's not that attractive on a stair that goes straight down. I've considered adding some square footage to the entry to make a u-shaped stairway so I could use this method. The celestory would be nice except this will be in Arizona and the sun coming in there will just be too hot. The windows along the diagonal wall will be protected from direct sun by the patio overhang, whenever I get that drawn in. This is really a challenge. It's a good thing I have fun doing this, but it's starting to get to me when I can't make any progress. It has taken me over a year to get the floor plan to where it is now. The lot has a large slope so there will be a walk out basement, that's why I have to watch my heights and stay under the 30' (20' at the right side of the garage). I do really appreciate your efforts and will definitely take a good look at them. Thank you!!!