Rookie65

Create a new wall type without drywall on one side. I do it all the time, as I do a lot of basement conversion projects. One tip is to change the "fill" to a different pattern when you name it so you can keep them separate. Simplest is to copy the interior wall type it will be (4 or 6). Then go to the wall type and copy-then name it. Delete the layer of drywall you don't want. You will have to play around with the materials when you go to view it. Often the studs won't show, yet you will see "fir framing" as the material. Hope this helps?

Depending on which Home Designer program you have, you cold do it with 2 landings. Do one set of stairs and set the top height and select your riser height. Put the 1st landing at the bottom. Then set the next landing at a riser height lower. Then you can complete the stairs by looking at the measurements left.

This forum is for the Home Designer series. You may be better served searching/posting on the Chief Architect forum. https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/forum/7-general-q-a/

Looks like you added an exterior wall. Try with an interior wall and see what that does.

Those things show up all the time for no reason. Was supposed to be fixed in the last 2 updates I thought I read in the notes, yet they still appear. Not the end of the world, just a slowdown.

You could also try room dividers to make the room the size of the area you want raised. Set the existing ceiling to the height you need, add the dividers and set the room that those form to the 10' height. That should give you just the perimeter lines you desire.

One of the nice things with this program is that you can build a room the way the program knows how to build it, yet name it what you want it to be called. For example, build it as a "Room Type: Living", yet change the Room Name to "porch" after you uncheck "use default." That will build it with a framed floor, etc. Change other defaults as needed. Maybe try that, as you didn't mention what the rest of the desired structure was, just the foundation.

Most architects will not stamp plans drawn by someone else as it puts their license on the line for a project not designed/drawn by them. A structural engineer can review to make sure the correct framing members, connections, etc. are specified. I am thinking you mean to have them "printed" and then stamped? Not knowing where you are located, asking a user forum for pricing is somewhat pointless. Ask your contractor or check online for structural engineers in your area. They will be the best ones to tell you how much they will charge to review & stamp. There's a good chance they'll notate on the original plan the changes needed and send them back to you. Then you will need to make the corrections and once the plan is re-sent to them to review, then they will affix their stamp if everything is correct. Often they'll do it by PDF and once you have a stamped plan, you can send the PDF to a local print shop that has the correct equipment for the size paper you are using, etc. Or maybe the engineer can print them for you as part of their fee. They'll be the ones to ask.

The footings on the garage are probably generated by default from your settings for garage foundation stem wall height. The little lines are most likely from the exterior walls not being aligned with each other?

I will second Jo_Ann on that last statement. I have been using this program since 2013 for my business and it has served me very well. I initially bought the Architectural version, yet after 3-4 days and seeing what was missing, I knew I needed and upgraded to Pro and haven't looked back. There is so much more you can do with Pro and it gives some more flexibility to be "creative" with materials, etc.

You may be able to do it with an inverted cone. Play around with the dimensions so you can bury it in an object that will hide the point, yet show the rest to get the result you are looking for. Just a thought.

Hi, I am thinking you will have to do it with landings all the way around. Start with the bottom step at the full depth of all the treads together and do the perimeter. You can angle them at 45 deg to get the sharp corners. Then "transform/replicate" on the Z axis up one step height. Then drag it back the depth of the tread and repeat until you have all the steps done. If you don't need the 45 deg angles at the corner, you could likely use what you have and make the landings hit the heights you have. That's how I'd do it, though others may have a different way.

I always use an excel spreadsheet with columns labeled. Type in the info and then copy/paste into a text block in the plan

@ DJP The hinges you were thinking would be hidden are just the ones from the other operating panel for the double door. You had them hidden correctly.

Go to "tools>checks>plan check. Don't necessarily have to fix anything that comes up. When you exit, the square footage should come back. There may be other ways to do it, though I find this one quick.

It can be changed in Pro. Try looking at your default materials. When you find the flooring being used, select it, then look for the "edit" in the top right corner. There you can change angles in properties and the texture sections.

I've used a soffit before when I have had to do that style for my clients.

Sorry, I meant to say "Ctrl", not alt.

Hold down the "alt" button and click the items you want to change. Understand that only items of a like kind will be able to be changed at one time. Decks and rails are considered different items.

I don't think you will be able to do much roof customization without "Pro." Architectural may have it too. Good luck

Since you have Pro, a manual roof will most likely be your solution here. Take some time to learn them, as they can be a lifesaver at times.

If you have the interior measurement, set the default dimensions to use the interior, or draw it roughly and tweak it by using the "interior dimension" tool and drag the arrows to the walls you want to align. Just be sure to start from one wall or corner so everything stays correct. Just set your foundation wall thickness in the defaults and it should work just fine.

Hi, I always use soffits for screening. Set the thickness to an 1/8" or so, just so you can select it to move, extend, etc. Then select the material as "screen", and play around with the settings. This is what I use. Screen: - soffit – 1/8” thick - General – screen – shading contrast 31%, pattern-area, texture x=1”, y=1”, Properties – Transparency 63%, Emissive 5%

Quick answer may be to check to see what the height the material is. If it's the same height as the other terrain, it may not show. Even if you raise it up an 1/8" or so, it could help.

Hi Tracey, I took a quick look at the plans. There are several defaults that ought to be changed that might help. 1) All of the rooms have the 9' ceiling, so the program won't know that the middle area is a higher ceiling. 2) Your default pitch says 8, yet when I turn on roof labels, some of it shows 10. I am thinking you manually changed some/ 3) In the room labels, use what the program has for default names, then change the description as you did. It will help put the correct finishes when you pick materials for the rooms. A couple of design items that maybe should be changed, yet work on the roof for now. I hope this helps a little?