Jo_Ann

Some of the items were probably bonus libraries that needed to be downloaded when they were available. BUT all of this stuff should still be made available to the newer products!

You have really chosen a complicated design for a new user to this software (different floor elevations, ceiling heights, invisible walls needed, dormers, building angles, roof pitches, and the addition on the chimney end of the house is a problem all on it's own). What David said about the geometry needing to be correct is an understatement! Roof overhangs can create a problem too (when they overlap each other). YIKES! It CAN be done, but WOW what a headache for you!!

I seem to recall reading a previous forum post about the same subject, and a staff moderator replied that all previous library items were included in newer product versions ( plus new items added). Guess NOT. P.S. The library bicycle is decent looking, but somebody forgot to add the pedal 'arms' !!

If your camera view is taken from outside a room (that includes invisible wall rooms), then that room will not be lighted...UNLESS...you have edited the default setting>render quality>use enhanced lighting. Then add a light, and that room will be lit (even if the camera is outside of the room). Also, you can open the dialog box for the added light, and experiment with the color of the light to get different results.

Be cautious about adding too many sketchup objects to a plan, because they can cause an extreme slowdown to the plan that you are working on.

You can group select many objects ( for example, windows), enabling them to be moved as one unit, as a temporary block. But...not all objects can be saved as a block (for example, windows). HDA 10 Reference manual page 305-306 lists blockable items. Blocks can be saved to the user library. The block icon is a purple/blue cube that appears on the left side tool bar. This tool bar only appears when an item has been selected. The block cube only appears when items have been 'group' selected. You can select textures with the rainbow icon, and then change their X/Y values. This can greatly improve the way that some textures look, but it's sure not a cure-all fix.

Kristine, With your object open in sketchup, go up to the toolbar and choose window>materials (a window will open showing materials). Click on the little house and choose 'in model'. Right click the material...choose 'export texture image'. It will save a jpeg material to the location of your choosing. The feet were added manually (find them in the 'millwork' category in the library. You should also delete the cabinet 'toekick', and raise the cabinet at least 4" off the floor. NOTE: You are using the same version of HDA as I am. Read page 305 of the reference manual, pertaining to 'architectural blocks'.

I'm not very skilled at using sketchup, but I downloaded the 1st object on your list and began experimenting. The 1st thing I did was to import and save the distressed texture (used on the cabinet) to HDA. Then I imported the cabinet to HDA, and re-applied the newly saved texture. Using the rainbow tool, I set it to 'stretch to fit'. The cabinet on the left is the result. The handles appear to be photos applied? Then I created the cabinet on the right using a kitchen cabinet (base cabinet with drawers), and changed the texture to the saved sketchup material. Next, (after not finding similiar handles in the HDA library), I re-opened the sketchup object (in sketchup), recolored the handles, and saved them as a new sketchup object. Then I imported the handle into HDA and placed it on my new cabinet. I copied/pasted the other 7 handles. So, my advice is....keep experimenting.

I am also at a loss as to exactly what you are trying to do, because (as Mick said) you have not provided enough info or even a jpeg of your floor plan. My guess, is that you need to draw invisible walls to separate your deck into 'rooms', then choose which 'room' has a roof and which does not.

Wow! I would never have thought to try unchecking the CAD layer, and it DOES work. Thanks for the tip!

Keith, Here is my updated version of your stairwell. Keep trying...you will get it. Mick, HDA apparently 'sees' the stair sections as one unit, concerning the rails.

Mick, No.

The HD website has a huge knowledge database. http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00790/225/Home-Designer/Decks/Creating-a-Deck.html You should also download and read the user guide, and the reference guide.

I see no option in the tool/display options to uncheck an imported picture. BUT...you could copy the pic, then move to the attic level, and paste hold position. Delete the pic on the original level. When you need to re-display the pic on the original level again, copy/ paste hold position back to the original level.

Keith, As you know, materials or textures are just something you add to an object (a wall or soffit, for example). Add a grey color to a soffit. With the 3d window active, grab the rainbow icon and click on the grey soffit. In the window that opens, you can now alter it's transparency and it's color lightness or darkness. Ta Da! You now have 'smoked' glass! Your stone wall texture size (of the stones) can be altered by changing the values of the X/Y numbers, too. Try experimenting! It's fun! Mick, New pic looks great! I like seeing a bottom rail. HDA does not allow selection of an individual staircase rail. If you choose to not have a left rail, then the entire staircase structure will no longer have a left rail! Quote: it is the experimenting/helping here that has taught me tonnes as I don't always have a project of my own to learn on , so I tacke an interest problem here and try and figure it out....M. DITTO!

Solver nailed it. Use the doorway and pass-thru, inserted into a full interior wall. Extend the pass-thru slightly into the doorway. Drag (in 3d view) both up to meet the hang-down size of your header. Pull the bottom of the pass-thru up or down to the bar height. Suppress casings on both doorway and pass-thru, BOTH sides. Make the soffit counter, and hold down Ctrl key and drag into place. I tried using a half-wall, and a soffit (as a half-wall) and neither of them would build a baseboard for some unknown reason. Usually they do.

KDJ, In the pic I posted, the upper floor is 'open below'. I tried to angle the house so that it would show, and I also painted the back wall to display that feature better. The glass (shower) wall option is in the wall dialog box, within the different wall types listed.

Mick, HDA has very few options for stairs, so I had to do what I had to do. Keith seemed to indicate that he only wanted railings where they were absolutely necessary, that's why there is no rail on the left side lower stair and the upper stair right side (especially if there is a window there). With HDA, embedding the stair in the wall is the only way to eliminate those particular rail sections. In your pic, I see that you eliminated my soffit newel on the left back of the lower landing. I put it there because I thought it was necessary for attaching the glass rail? When experimenting with someone's plan, lots of times it is surprising to learn something new. HDA does not have the option to remove stair ballusters (you either have an entire rail or you don't have a rail at all). Today I learned something NEW!!

Keith, Your graphic card is newer and probably better than mine. I think it's more about textures that are used, and lighting, which greatly affects the render outcome result. I also like to use material definition to alter textures. HD library textures 'as is' are not the greatest.

Ok. Here is the plan. I don't know if this will really be of any help, because my dimensions and Keith's dimensions are probably not the same. I used his floor plan jpeg to try and get it close. I backed up the plan including the textures. Have you ever looked at the textures incuded in a backed up plan? I never used a lot of those textures in there! Why are all those extra textures put in there????? KeithK stairwell.zip

P.S. Is this the place with the moat??????

Hi Keith, Here is my tryst at creating this stair flight. I 'smoked' the glass, because regular transparent glass doesn't look very good in 3d. Of course you could vary the degree of transparency. You don't need the invisible wall on floor one. The railing wall on floor 2 should create and define a room as 'open below' and that creates the open stairwell...which doesn't interfere with the remaining ceiling (beyond the stairwell) on floor 1.

Here is an example using the glass wall option (it allows you to place windows, invisible wall does not). Upper windows are placed program windows. Lower windows and siding are all made using soffits. Interior ceilings soar. There is no protruding wall in the interior vaulted ceiling. It's all up to you. You might want to download the free trial of Pro, and see what the different options are. If you plan to use the program a lot and you have deep pockets, it might be worth the extra cost to you. The HD website offers a substantial rebate if you want to upgrade.

The only way to fix problem #1 (in any lesser program than Pro), is to cover it up. Use an isometric wedge (library shapes) sized to cover the interior siding, and made thin. Place it up against the siding, and partially submerged into the siding. Problem #2 is more extensive. Make the offending wall invisible, or change it into a glass wall (the same thickness as an exterior wall). You then repeat the process as with problem #1, only this time on the outside and the inside (split thin shapes equally to simulate drywall & siding). It will require numerous pieces to simulate both the interior anf exterior wall parts that are missing. It is tedious, but I think that it is the only solution for problem #2 (with any HD title less than Pro). You might try searching the forum, because there have been other posts about this type of problem.

The five 'steps' were individually exported from the program as 5 jpegs and then sent to photoshop to be merged as one. I then added the text and arrows. You can probably do the same thing in the paint program. You can also import the jpeg back into the HD program and then add the text and arrows (within the program), or, add the text and arrows before exporting it the 1st time.