rfcomm2k

THANX MICK!

Maybe I am crazy/senile. I seem to recall that when I had a plan open and would click on a wall, dimensions would pop up showing its relation to other walls. I could then click on one of those and change the dimension. For example, if I started a new plan and just drew the walls in without worry about true dimensions, I could then go back and enter the dimensions (more accurate than click and drag). Recently, those dimensions no longer appear. Is this a HDPro feature, or am I confusing it with AutoCAD? If it IS a HDPro feature, how do I turn it back on? The only display opts are for manual and auto dimensions, not temp.

My desire is to spin the model instead of moving the camera.

Thanks Mick, I knew about that but want to know if I can make that the default.

Is it possible in HD Pro 2014 to change the camera default so it centers on the point that defaults to the center of the screen? When I activate the camera it always defaults to centering on the camera itself. So when I move the mouse the camera rotates around the object, instead of rotating the object in front of the camera.

Mick and David, Thanks for all the advice and the video. I will see what I can do to make some changes. Not sure how I ended up with a third floor. Basement is a walk out just have not modified the terrain. The top and bottom landings and the steps off bottom landing are exactly as built. The stairwell was made based on the following measurements: Face of header (where headroom is an issue) to the face of the top landing riser is 110". Top landing from face of riser to wall behind door is 40". Stairs are 36" wide from drywall to drywall. From top of bottom landing there are 11 treads before reaching top landing (top landing makes 12 treads, and step up to second floor makes 13) Last step at top (landing to second floor) is 9.5" high (I know, this exceeds known code, but this is how it is built. Second floor has a 7/8 hardwood floor on it but top landing has just subfloor plywood). Basement ceiling from concrete floor to bottom of I-joists is 105" Bottom landing is 56" from outside wall to face of first stair riser and 45" wide. Bottom landing step on right has 12" tread. Landing step on left has 9.5" tread. I did not remember to measure the height of the bottom landing or the treads for it. Based on the given info how would someone draw the stairs in that configuration? I assume start by opening a new blank plan and setting the default rough ceiling height to 105" and then drawing the perimeter walls. But what should be next? The bottom landing, top landing, or stairs?

Forgot to upload file

I have a basement plan (do not need whole house). Built stairs and landings. Then started to build the walls alongside the stairs. Got the left side done, started the right side. When I attempted to build the half wall on this side as soon as I connect it to the existing full wall both of these become invisible walls. What have I done wrong?

Not sure if this answers my question. I look at the master list as a database that gets updated manually by me by occasionally going to suppliers and getting current prices. I then expected that when I create a new plan and then a material list for that plan, I can then update the plan material list with prices, labor, etc from the MASTER list. Is this correct, or do I not understand how it works?

Never mind, I answered my own question. I forgot to go in to the Framing DBX and build framing.

I have a simple plan showing a bathroom. I defined the walls as Interior 4 with fir studs and selected fir studs from the library. I also allowed a simple roof to be constructed with full gable walls. When I created the material list I expected to see the framing members for the roof structure and for the walls, but NO framing was shown at all. I checked the online knowledgebase and this forum but could not find any mention of HOW to get framing members to show up in the list.

I created a Material List using my pole barn plan. I then went thru the list and added prices for the various materials (concrete, rebar, windows, doors, insulation, etc). I then clicked Update To Master. Later, I opened the Master list and found all these items with the prices intact. Today, I opened another plan and created a material list. I then highlighted the rebar line item and clicked Update From Master, and the price showed up in the new list. I then highlighted the concrete line item and clicked Update From Master. No price appeared. I opened the Master list and the price was there. Both concrete items (from Master list and from new Material list) are identical except for quantity. Same ID number (FO1), same description, etc. So why did this not update?

Have a pole barn structure in which I have added 2 small rooms, a bathroom and a foyer at the rear of structure. Original structure has no ceiling but the ceiling height is 180 1/2". At rear the ceiling height is 130 1/8". The two rooms are to be framed with 8' walls. When I drew the interior walls as needed, one wall extended the full height to the roofline. The other walls remained at the normal height. I then clicked inside each room and tweaked the ceiling height and checked the Ceiling over this room box and added a 5/8: ceiling finish. The space above the ceiling will be used for storage. In camera view the ceiling is missing. I checked the display options and everything needed to display a ceiling is checked. So, why did the first wall extend itself all the way to the roof, and why is the ceiling missing? Is this yet another case in which I will need to manually place framing members to "simulate" a part of the structure that should (in my opinion) exist already?

Great tutorial David but the chamfer I am looking for cuts an angle on the side view rather than the top view. I tried to duplicate what you did and it worked just as you did it, but then when I tried to make the chamfer on the vertical face by using an orthographic view I could not access the break line object, So I deleted it and then while still in the ortho view I drew another polyline box. This time the break line tool was available. I broke the line halfway up the vertical axis (about 4.5" in relation to the thickness of the lumber) and dragged the corner to create the diagonal chamfer.

Is it possible to manually place a framing member and then chamfer one end of it? Case in point is the need to manually place collar ties in roof framing. Need to extend tie from inside post to outside wall. Where it ends at the outer edge of outside wall the roof rafters come down but the collar tie does not have the slope at the end to match the rafter slope. Therefore it looks like a dinosaur's ridges at the edge of roof.

Thank you David, that was a big help. However, I specified trusses in the Build Roof DBX but all it did was show roof rafters, no trusses. I had to manually build trusses and then align them with the existing rafters. This presented the problem in that the truss now over rides the "Raise off Top Plate" info.

OK, I decided to start over from the beginning. Drew the slab first, then the walls. Then tried to modify the roof so that the trusses rest on top of the beams instead of overhanging them as seen in the attached pict. Also, tried to add concrete piers under the posts. First one went OK but all the others would alter the posts by adding one or more on either side of pier. So I deleted them. I have tried the online help but could not see where I am going wrong.

I stand corrected Jo_Ann.

My signature identifies what software I have.

I designed a pole barn to match as close as possible an existing structure (28 x 38 size, 15' 6" posts set on 48" deep footings, then concrete slab poured to the top of the footings, roof trusses 32' wide resting on double 2x12 beams on outer posts and on middle posts. Peak is 26' 10") Existing structure is shown on attaché plan with blue hatch. I had to manually add the middle posts, footings, and double beam because the software seems to think a 28' span is perfectly acceptable for 2x6 truss construction. (sarcasm) After building was as close to existing I then added 2 additions. First was easy, simply drag the west wall to create a new bay number 4, add another post and footing manually, and extend the beam. The rear (North) addition was a challenge because the roofline was extended to reach the outer wall but the pitch was maintained so new rear wall was only 9' high instead of 15'6". I then looked at a camera view of the east side and saw that a number of problems existed: 1. The new side walls for addition have the top "beam" extending past the roofline like a cantilever 2. The existing slab no longer lined up with the top of the footings 3. A stem wall now exists where there should not be one (posts rest on footings, slab rests on gravel base, no stem wall in existing structure. 4. Slab in rear entry and bathroom seems to be at correct height, at least visually, but rest of rear addition and other areas the slab is wrong (# 2 above) I have opened the room DBX for existing area and tried to edit the structure settings by changing stem wall to 0" or to -24 5/8". It lets me change it but when I click OK it reverts back to the previous settings. Any suggestions? What if I were to recreate the walls as 2x6 construction instead of post and rail, and then manually place columns. Will these columns be visible in the plan AND perspective views? Will this then correct the problem stated in #1 above?

Elovia, that helped a LOT! kbird, unfortunately I did not see your post until after I used Elovia's method, but I tried it and it also worked for me.

Home Designer Pro 2014 here. I have drawn polylines to represent radiant floor pattern, but need to break them into smaller zones. Tried to use break tool on polyline and all it does is let me bend the line at that point. I want to physically break the line so I can create a new zone. Is this possible?

@ elovia, I will try your suggestions today. Thanx. @ kbird, attached are two files. One is the original plan, the other is after I checked the extend roof checkbox. When I checked this box two dialog boxes popped up warning me that the roof must connect to walls that have full gable checked. However, I cannot check both boxes. Also, in the original plan I noted that the siding on the gable end does not cover the wall properly. The 12' addition is labeled "Pole Barn Office".

Home Designer Pro 2014 here. Have a pole barn with posts resting on concrete footings. Top of posts is 15'6" high. Trusses span the beams and place the roof ridge at 24'6". I followed advice and used "railings" to construct the posts and beams. So now I have a drawing that appears to look like the existing structure. Now, we are going to add a 12' wide addition to back wall of existing structure and wish to extend the existing roof line to form new eaves on the new back wall. Following the existing pitch will place the top of the new back wall at approximately 8'9". How do I make the roof over this new space follow the lines of the existing roof? And now the big question. Once all these posts, beams, and trusses are in place, the stud walls must be added to the drawing. These walls will rest between the posts and are to be fastened directly to the slab floor. Since these walls are not load bearing there is no need to have a foundation beneath the walls. However, the structure was originally formed using railing type walls. Can I simply draw exterior walls over the existing railing walls, or do I need to follow some other procedure? Last question. Is it possible in HD pro 2014 to create a new wall style that is a post and beam wall with the ability to specify post height and spacing? Using a deck railing to represent a post and beam wall just seems awkward.

Thanx David, but I already had the spacing down on the perimeter walls. My problem is being able to show the two posts in the middle of the structure.