Keith_K

How can he open a plan in 2017 if that plan isn't yet on the "recently opened" index in 2017? On all my attempts I have never been asked that question you quote either. I think I am jinxed.

I was on the point of asking the same question because my frustration since upgrading to 2016 has known no bounds and I am thus extremely loathe to upgrade to 2017 and carry the same problem over. Then I saw this topic. When I worked in 2014 I found it easier to save my files to a desktop folder ('A' in image) because it took only one click to open them rather than the several it takes when accessing them through the HD link. So I thought I would transfer the plans in that folder to a new one ('B' in image) as 2016 drawings so as to avoid all the irritating pop-ups I get saying I need permissions and other such nonsense. So I tried opening plans in 2016 using the "open with" option and then, using the "save as" option suggested above, saved them to the new desktop folder renaming them at the same time. However when I click on the plans to open them from the new 2016 folder, they still open in 2014 and I still get the "permission" pop-ups. I have also tried the "open as administrator" wotsit but nothing seems to work. I really, really don't know what else to do and this issue is fast making me lose interest in my hobby.

I did a rush job on a plan for someone last year mainly to give her concept ideas. This was done using HD Pro 2014. Yesterday I thought I would do some refinement to the plan which is now done with HD Pro 2016. A wall that never appeared in the 2014 3D doll house view has manifested itself in the 2016 3D doll house view and it obliterates the handrail that should be there. I can't get rid of it. 2016 Michelle 25.03.16.plan (And now, not even having had the chance to get used to all the new things in the 2016 version Chief Architect are offering an upgrade to 2017 for $99 It's doing my head in!)

I have read the previous topics and suggested solutions to this problem. Neither of the solutions have worked and I've tried them three times each. The HD icon does not appear in my task bar either. Despite not being able to access my files I am also continually getting a pop-up saying that access requires administrator rights. I have right clicked on the HD icon on my desktop and clicked "run as administrator" Also thrice. Then I get a pop-up asking whether I will allow this programme to make changes to my computer. I click "yes". Then it just goes back to "The programme is already running...". I am living to regret upgrading to Pro 2016. I really am. Does anyone have any further suggestion that will get rid of these problems once and for all. Thank you.

Support suggested that I change my floor default to "monolithic slab". Which I did and it made matters worse. So I have just made everything "floor under this room" and the software can do what it likes with that. I couldn't give a toss any more. I haven't looked at the first floor yet. I am actually quite sorry that I upgraded to 2016. With 2014 I had all my plans in a folder on my desktop. I would open the folder, click on the plan I wanted and it would open. Now when I want something I am asked to give permission to myself to access it, give permission to the system to make changes, get a blank screen, then get another with "recent files" on and select from there hoping that the right (latest) copy of the plan will come up. If it doesn't the whole process must start all over again by opening HD 2016, finding the plan in the folder, hope that it is still an accessible copy, say yes to pop ups, scream and then get to work. And apart from some different DBX layouts (some of which take more clicks to use than the old ones did) I haven't come across anything in 2016 that makes me go "Wow, That's a great addition/facility/whatever". So. Much. Wasted. Time. As they say, a fool and his money are soon parted. Ho hum.

Indeed I am, Jo_Ann. In fact I'm seriously considering changing my name to that.

Thanks for your replies. Kat - I did as suggested with partial success. It changed the floor D and stem wall specs to what they should be but failed to correct the rough/finished ceiling heights which I omitted to mark in my attachments yesterday. Eric - you have success because you aren't me. I am fated to attract problems. There is a god somewhere how believes that I must have things that try me on a daily basis. I am wondering whether the defaults for my foundations and the ground floor don't like each other. I've managed to find a way of uploading the plan too. Michelle Furnished and landscaped.plan

Stupid, naive me. The crux of the matter is that when I opened a plan in the 2016 version all my floor/room settings changed and I had to spend quite some time trying to correct them and getting them to accept what my floor default settings said they should show. I succeeded to a degree but each floor has one which will not change and I don't know why. I check the box to say that it must use the default and it changes to the correct setting but as soon as I click OK it resets to the incorrect setting. I am somewhat pissed off to say the least. I had hoped to achieve a lot this afternoon. Instead I spent hours buggering around with recalcitrant software. I hope that just by looking at my attachments someone will recognise what the problem might be because I am unable to attach of the HD 2016 plan. I have tried saving it to a new folder on my desktop but when I try and open it again I am told that I can't because it simply brings up the plan from the 2014 version with the message that it can't be opened because it has been worked on in a newer version. The only way I can get to it is via the HD software "home page". I opened all the current plans in my desktop plan folder and they all seem to appear on that new HD "home page" but I am resisting the temptation to un-install the 2014 version in case I lose everything. I'm now off to have a beer.

Thank you. I have taken some of my plans off my computer and stored them on memory sticks. I am assuming, from what you say that, if the need ever arises that I have to work on those plans again, the second line of LawB10's response will apply as well. Just so's I know.

Is it necessary to back up all my HD stuff onto a memory stick before I install the new version? Also when do I uninstall the 2014 version? Or will the new installation overwrite everything that is there already?

How glad I am to see that someone has the same problem as I do with the recessing of doors. It's something I have mentioned on a number of discussions but there seems to be no solution forthcoming from CA. When I look at the 3D renderings of my plans the doors always look so wrong. Given that you can fiddle with the inset of windows I wonder why something similar can't be programmed for doors.

Ha! Mick was pressuring me to upgrade and now you've joined him. I got a some money as a birthday present. I'll check with Amazon UK to see whether their prices have dropped accordingly. But don't CA issue a new version (2016) about now?

Hi Eric, Sorry for the delay in my response. Apart from celebrating my 70th Birthday on 24th November I have been waging a battle of wills for the past 5 days with the software when trying to change the chimneys from SIPS to brick. For some reason when doing so all my floor default settings changed. But I won in the end. Thanks for your suggestion above. There is no option for deck materials in the default settings for the deck. However, by switching off the "automatic deck" wotsit I managed to change the railings etc. to my material of choice but the floor still steadfastly refuses to change. It's not the end of the world, I suppose, so I'll just leave it as it is.

Trying to change it via Materials. I even tried saving the plan under another name and changing it there in case the current plan had a "sticky" problem but it's just the same.

Thanks, Eric. 1, 3 & 5 fully sorted. No 4 partially. I have fixed the vestibule walls but the deck still remains the default planking regardless of my setting. As for No. 6, I really don't remember the cursor thingy looking like a snowflake but I will battle on. I might refer No. 2 to Support as it seems to be a bug given that you often see this effect too.

...I get a few small but irritating problems. I know it is suggested that only one query be posted per topic considering that mine are probably quite simple to solve I am going to chance my arm and post them all together on the same topic if you don't mind. 1. It is possible on the window specs to set the inset so that the window sits in the centre of the frame. I can't find a similar option for doors so how do I stop the floor finish from one room bleeding into another? 2. The material used for the exterior window casing is bleeding through into the (different) material used for the interior casing. I tried using the dropper thing which did fix the problem visually but the found that it then changed the exterior sandstone casing to timber as well. How do I stop this? 3. I have turned off the display in 2D of all things to do with roofs as they just get in the way. I have a strange dotted line left on my plan after doing so which I can't click on and delete. Anyone know what this is? 4. The system is not following my material settings. All the interior walls of the vestibule are set as Whipped Cream but in 3D they show as exterior brick walls. Similarly it will not change the floor material of the deck to the one I have specified and insists on using what I assume is the default deck flooring material. My graphic card driver is up to date but nothing I do forces the system to follow what I want. Any suggestions? 5. I have two pocket doors leading to dressing rooms. When I set the first door into the wall I was able to swing it around so that it opened in the opposite direction to what it initially showed. I used the little "arrow" handle to do this. However I am unable to swing the second pocket door around using either the handle or the transform replicate function. And last but not least... 6. Since I changed to Windows 10 I have been having problems with the cursor pointer that appears when I am wanting to move things. It doesn't allow me to move things accurately as I am unable to centre on the dot which appears and it takes several operations to get things right. I don't think that I am dreaming that before Win10 the cursor pointer was totally different and much easier to use to what I have been seeing since. Is there some way that I can specify a type of cursor? Michelle 15.11.15.plan

Sorted. At last! In the end I never used the layout sheet. I just printed straight to the page size of Arch C (the largest pdf995 will accommodate) and my printer man fiddles using his fancy and expensive software to get the actual scale right.

Thanks David. One of the problems was that I couldn't click on the label and drag so I resorted to your other solution and typed my own which I could then drag to where I wanted them. Now I am having problems printing with pdf995. I send things to the printer but then I can't find them anywhere on my computer in order to get them on a memory stick and take them to my plan printer chap in town. Some things are sent to try us.

I can't find anything called a "label tab". Plan and layout files requested,,, Oaklands - Site plan, Dimensions & Room definitions.plan Oaklands - Site plan, Dimensions & Room definitions.layout

Stegbar have an Aussie website but from what I can see they don't offer any CAD downloads. You could have a look at their catalogues and create similar windows using the window specification dialogue in Home Designer. It doesn't seem possible to directly copy and paste website addresses on these forums but here it is all typed out: https//www.stegbar.com.au/Info-Centre/Brochures-and-catalogues If you copy and paste that into your browser...

I can't open your plan to see the structural arrangement you have as I only have HD Pro 2014 but have you tried outlining the area you wont open (on the second floor) with invisible walls and then in the room dialogue select "open below"? Conversely if there is a definite room arrangement under this area, even using invisible walls again, unchecking "roof above this room" and "ceiling above this room" should give the same result. I think.

...when I managed to create a layout sheet for my large plans even if I had to change to scale from 1:100 (1 cm = 1 metre) to 1:150 (½ cm = 1 metre) to make the plan fit on the sheet given that those of us who purchase the "el-cheapo" products are penalised by having a very limited sheet size to choose from. I thought that, for once, I might have done something without having to ask for advice but sadly there are two things that I haven't been able to figure out. The first is how to get rid of the grey grid line things on the layout sheet and the second is how I can rotate and move the floor labels that are automatically plonked on the sheet wherever the software deems fit. Highlighting them to try and drag them doesn't work. Thank you.

Thanks. Where in the library do I find that "round" wotsit? BTW, I've edited the post just above yours. There's some new images and stuff.

Blimey! It takes a bloody age to log on to Hometalk! Hi, Mick. Good to see you again. Hope your time off work was a vacation and not that thing in your chest. I've had a bit of a fiddle with the driveways and this is the end result... Oaklands - proposed development 05.09.15.plan I've forgotten how to make the road markings appear in 3D. I know you have to make them 10mm high but I can't find where you do it. Regarding your and Eric's "thing" about the look of the buildings. At present they are all painted a dull yellow. The cladding was my way of giving them some colour and defining each unit. This is what they currently look like (taken from the 3D image of when I was setting up the project on HD using the 1970s plans). On a side issue. How do I make the chimney pipes extend to above the roof line. I remember on a previous plan that I dragged them up when in doll house view (or camera) but with the ones I have on this plan when I try that it elongates the actual stove as well. The same happens if I add height in the object specs. Apropos your thoughts on that staircase, Eric, these are the specs. The riser height is within the 200 mm maximum permitted by local building regulations.

Thank you so much for your response, Eric. Just what I was looking for. I'll comment on your attachments in sequence. 1. I constantly delete that "thing" but it just comes back again. However for the purpose of presenting my drawings to the owners of the building I'll just do a screen shot immediately after deleting it and, if matters get carried forward later and more detailed drawings are needed, I'll investigate the cause then. 2. Floor material corrected. I don't know why you are seeing some sort of lintel just above the roof ridge. I don't see that. 3. Corrected but it makes no difference, I still get the "can't do" message. I'm not going to waste more time on it now as it doesn't affect anything the owners will see. If matters get carried forward... 4. I don't know what I am supposed to be looking for! If it's to do with your comment about the width of the roadway, that has been of some concern to me. At one stage I had the third carport from the bottom further up and closer to the decking and site edge of the end dwelling. I'll stick it back there and play around with the roadway again. For my sins. And stop bragging with your ability to make curves. You know I can't do it!! 5. I don't know why you are seeing that. This is what I see. 6. Changed. The software doesn't seem to like brick floors on porches because the wood has appeared several times when I was working on the drawings and I've always corrected it. 7. Corrected. It doesn't do to take a half wall into the bedroom, does it? 8. I don't know why you are seeing that. This is what I see. I know what you mean about making each unit more individual. It is what I would prefer as well. But I also know the owners of the property (I used to work for them). They won't spend a penny more than they have to on anything and most certainly won't entertain the idea of re-rendering the whole building in different materials if it isn't really necessary. I do like your suggestion about those rooms. Perhaps making those areas utility rooms rather than toilets would be more feasible. I dunno. Thanks again for your input. It is much appreciated. I wonder why Mick hasn't popped his head above the parapet? I hope he's OK.