Jo_Ann

LawB10, I did this using the saltbox tutorial, then added auto dormers.

From looking at the real house pictures, you might fare better by trying this tutorial. https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00735/creating-a-saltbox-roof.html

In the 3d view, if you select the blocked cabinet, then hit the tab key, you can modify each cabinet without unblocking the unit.

Here is a link that might also be helpful: http://hometalk.homedesignersoftware.com/showthread.php?19439-How-to-add-a-dormer-to-the-attic-level

As LawB10 has shown, you can do this with your program using 'auto build roof'. I was also able to do it. You were on the right track (manipulating temporary ceiling heights). Some of the alterations might seem extreme, but once the roof is correct (and 'auto roof' is turned off), everything can be set back to it's default, and any extra walls can be deleted. You can never EVER rebuild the roof again, after the defaults have been reset.

Take a look at all the pieces used in this fireplace plan, and maybe it will help you to create a better looking fireplace. contempory fireplace.plan

Doesn't that remove the floor structure too? If you want the framing to still show, reset the room as a 'deck' Use the paint can to 'paint' the posts that you want to remove (choose some gawdy color that you will never use in this plan). Then select them with the rainbow tool, and increase the transparency to 100 percent. To remove the post footings (with the 3d window the 'active' window), on the toolbar -- Tools/Display options. Scroll down to 'post footings' and uncheck them.

Yikes. You should recheck your numbers for the floor elevations and ceiling heights in the 1st floor garage/family room area. Your plan does not look like it matches the real house pics. You shouldn't draw in ANY interior walls on the 2nd floor, until the entire roof is correctly modeled. You have also used some incorrect wall types on floor 2. ALL these mistakes matter. If you find that those elevations/ceiling heights need to be changed, fix them in the plan, then repost the plan. Some good pics of the real house (ALL of the roof showing) might be beneficial for someone on the forum to better help you.

I would use a corner base cabinet (with diagonal door), made into a countertop. Set the cabinet height to 1.5" Set 'floor to bottom' at 34.5" You should now have only a countertop. When resized behind the sink and against the wall, it will also have a backsplash. Copy/paste this countertop. Move the pasted counter to the side of the sink and resize. Hold down ctrl and drag into the counter behind the sink (merge). Copy/paste/rotate this counter to the opposite side of the sink.

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You're welcome!

I have no clue. Mine works.

Skip the attic walls - they are not a necessity. Delete your dormer and start over. Draw 2 side walls as shown - make them gable walls. Draw the room divider wall. Put the 2 wall breaks in - open the wall and set the shed pitch. Open the 'room', and set the ceiling height full height. Draw the 3 railing walls for the deck.

Your floor plan should look like this. You should not be having any problem building a deck. Attic walls shown have been manually drawn to close the open roof gap next to the deck walls. Set them as 'no room definition'.

Remember what I said about rebuilding the roof again, after raising the ceiling? You needed to lower the ceiling back to where it was when the gables popped up. Also keep checking the outer porch walls on floor 1, because the program sneakily keeps changing the 'in from baseline' setting. The dormer room needs to be kept separate from the 2nd floor (use a room divider wall). The dormer room ceiling should be set to it's finished height, THEN rebuild the roof.

Yes. But...you will not be able to remove the roof eave in front of the door, if you have used the dormer tool to create the dormer.

How did you create the dormer?

Make your own panel. First, eliminate the balusters by assigning them 'no material' or use the rainbow tool (in the 3d window) to make them invisible. Use soffits for posts. Set sloped soffits for the criss-crossed rails. Align the pieces in the 2d window. Raise the pieces in the 3d window. When all is correct, hold ctrl key to select all pieces (easiest to do in 3d window) and block them together. Your example appears to have glass. Use another sloped soffit (make it taller and thinner and semi-transparent) to simulate glass. Move this into the center of the blocked rail assembly (hold down ctrl), and raise it into correct position in the 3d view. Select the glass and the rail block, and block them together. You can now copy/paste each panel as a unit.

Try some experimenting. Build 2nd floor, 'finished ceiling' set to 0, uncheck 'ceiling over this room'. Partition off front part of dormer room with invisible room divider. Set ceiling in front portion of room to finished height. Turn OFF 'auto build roof' and raise ceiling in the other rooms. NEVER rebuild roof again after raising ceiling, or your roof will go wonky! If you have set the roof dialog to 'ignore 2nd floor', the dormer will not build.

Did you turn off 'auto build roof' and raise the 'finished ceiling' after your prior thread? You CAN use the dormer tool to build a shed dormer with 'auto build roof' turned off. You can NOT manually build a dormer with 'auto build roof' turned off.

CottageDesigner, Reread the instructions I gave.

The block 'cube' doesn't appear until you have 2 items jointly selected.

A little bit of trickery required. Divide the bump-out room with a wall (as shown), and use the settings shown. Move the high shed wall in or out until everything builds correct. Keep checking your structure settings dialog to make sure the program doesn't auto check the box for 'roof over this room'. It can be finicky. Move up to the attic level, and drag each existing gable attic wall over to connect with the main wall of the house. This fills the hole left in the exterior gable wall by the 'no roof' room.

I don't know why your door framing doesn't show, but in my version it does. Also, I turned off 'auto rebuild roof', then raised the ceiling and checked 'ceiling over this room'. As you can see, the program then added the framing for the ceiling. With this type of plan, NEVER raise the ceiling until you have turned off 'auto rebuild roof', or the whole roof will raise. NEVER rebuild the roof again after you have raised the ceiling.

Reduce the depth of your 2nd floor deck, and reconnect the attic wall in front of it. Also, designating that deck as a 'balcony' seems to make it play nicer with the porch ceiling below it. With your framing 3d window the 'active' window, go to your display options and check 'railings'.