ChiefArchitect

Home Designer Boot Camp! If you are evaluating Home Designer or just getting started using it, our Boot Camp webinars are a great way to learn the basics, and best of all, they’re FREE! In these live sessions, we will cover the following topics: • Getting started • Defaults and preferences • Floor plans • Roofs and ceilings • Framing • Kitchens and baths • 3D rendering View the schedule and sign up: https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/products/training.html

Congratulations to our 3 winners in the Residential Design Contest! 1st Place – Bobby McFadden 2nd Place – Steve Johnsen of @HOME Custom Design 3rd Place – Gisela Weissman-Everhard View all of the amazing submissions. We enjoyed viewing everyone’s design and want to thank you all for sharing with us and our community! Varying prize packages will be awarded!

Are you interested in continuing your education and learning more about the additional features in our professional software products? We have extended our schedule for Free Thursday webinars! Visit our website to register for topics of interest, where you can also pre-ask questions you have. Our presenters will answer them for you LIVE in the demo!

Thank you for posting your question. While roof layers are not available in Home Designer Pro (they are in our Chief Architect Premier version), it does include OSB sheathing for your roof planes automatically. You can change this roof sheathing material to plywood or other material. You will find this material control in the "Build Roof" dialog box in the "Materials" tab. The roof sheathing is also calculated in the Materials List so you have the quantity as well. Kind regards, Derek Chief Architect Sales

We are excited to continue to offer free webinars that demonstrate features in Chief Architect Premier for the next few Thursdays at noon PST. Check out these topics, then register to join us. 4/09/2020 - Productivity Tips, with Scott Harris 4/16/2020 - Dimensioning Tips, with Adrean Stephenson 4/23/2020 - Saved Plan Views, Layer Sets, and Default Sets, with Scott Harris

If you find you've got extra time on your hands, here's a fun way to spend your time (wait for it)... constructively. Learn a new skill or dream up your next project with one of our software packages. We are offering some discounts to make the transition easier! Visit our website to get the details.

Congratulations to March's Kitchen, Bath, and Interiors Design Contest Winners! Visit our Blog to see the submissions by Giuseppe Rispoli, Abe Neufeld, and Adam Gibson. You can get your own moment of victory in April's contest focusing on Residential Design - we are taking submissions now! Learn how to enter.

The results are in! We asked, "What's trending?". See what your peers had to say about design trends on our latest post on our Survey Results. We also dive into some trending styles in our 2020 Interior Design Trends post. We've even created a companion catalog for the trending styles in our Design Trends No.1 Maximalism / Biophlia catalog.

We are in this together! Learn about the actions Chief Architect is taking in regards to the following topics: Virtual Training Classes Chief Architect Student Licenses Chief Architect Employees https://www.chiefarchitect.com/company/aboutchief.html#covid-19

We are offering FREE STUDENT LICENSES to allow more flexibility for students to complete coursework outside the classroom. Licenses will be valid March 17 - June 30, 2020. Learn more and download the application on our website.

Share your favorite interior designs with us to be entered in our next contest. Our blog has all the details. We are taking submissions until March 23rd; we can't wait to see what you've been creating!

Upgrade today to access the latest version and newest features! Visit our website to see what's new.

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to pass on your suggestions about print size. I think this is a good idea and will pass this on to our features team for consideration. Kind regards, Derek Pedersen Chief Architect Software

Thank you for the question. I am not aware of a specific iPhone app for capturing elevation data and I have heard that the accuracy of the elevation data from a smartphone may not be accurate enough to produce acceptable results (particularly with complex terrain). Most that are capturing elevation data are using a higher end GPS unit. Note that the app or GPS unit you use will need to be able to export the points you capture in a GPX file type. Here is a training video with information about the terrain data import process. https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/videos/watch/2265/terrain-elevation-gps-import.html Consider posting this in the Q&A section of the Home Talk forum. There may be some users out there that have direct experience with an iPhone app that can plot and export terrain data. Most users are not looking at the "Sales Related Questions" area of the forum. Kind regards, Derek Chief Architect Software

Tiffany, Thank you for the question. If you are already using Room Planner, you will be able to continue using it. It is not available to purchase or download a s new app, but existing users can still access and download Room Planner. We received feedback from customers that the Room Planner app was lacking in detail and accuracy for capturing as-builts. Chief Architect is if focusing development resources on the desktop apps for OSX and Windows and the 3D Viewer on mobile to ensure we continue to lead the market with these products. Many are using Home Designer on a laptop or tablet computer such as the Microsoft Surface to capture as-builts. Leica offers Bluetooth compatible laser devices that will interface with the computer and Home Designer, so that the measurements will go directly into the Home Designer similar to Room Planner. Here is a help article on how to hook up a Leica device with Home Designer. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01846/using-a-leica-disto-device-with-chief-architect-software.html Kind regards, Derek Chief Architect Software

Michael, Thank you for the question. Yes, Home Designer 2020 and Chief Architect X11 will support the Mac OS Catalina. Feel free to contact us with any questions. 208-292-3400 or sales@chiefarchitect.com Kind regards, Derek Chief Architect Software

Thank you for the question. If you purchased an upgrade from Home Designer Pro to Chief Architect ($500 discount off the price of Premier), we add Premier to your existing Product Key for Home Designer Pro. The Pro version will still work and can be used for archival purposes, but you will not be able to run Pro and Premier on different computers at the same time. For example, if Pro is running on "Computer A", you will not be able to open Premier on "Computer B" until you make the license available. Here is a Knowledge Base article about using Chief on multiple computers. The software security is described in this article applies to managing the license when you upgrade from Pro to Premier. https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00956/installing-chief-architect-on-multiple-computers.html Feel free to contact Sales with any questions at 208-292-3400 or email sales@chiefarchitect.com Kind regards, Derek Chief Architect Software

Hello, Thank you for the feedback about the print model feature. This feature was removed in the Home Designer 2020 version. I will submit your request about the print model feature as well as your feedback about the Loan Calculator and Reverse Plan features. Kind regards, Derek Pedersen Chief Architect Software

Thank you for the question. Yes, you can upgrade Home Designer Pro to Chief Architect Interiors or Premier. You get a $500 discount off the price of Chief Architect (the discount applies to both versions). Below is a link to make the upgrade purchase to the Chief Architect Premier version (note you will need to enter your Pro product key during the checkout process). If you would like to upgrade to Interiors, you will need to give our sales office a call at 208-292-3400. The upgrade to Interiors is not available for online purchase. Pro to Premier Upgrade: https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/discounts/?from-version=21&from-product=professional&to-product=premier Kind regards, Derek Pedersen Chief Architect Software

Hello, Thank you for the question. The version you upgraded from is no longer a valid license and can't be sold. It can continue to be used by you for archival purposes but it can't be transferred, sold or used by another party. Also, note that the Suite and Pro version that you have share the same product key so if someone else was using the Suite version it would interfere with your use of Home Designer Pro. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions at 208-292-3400 or email sales@chiefarchitect.com Kind regards, Derek Pedersen Chief Architect Software

Thank you for posting a question and sorry you were not able to access your upgrade download. If the email you used in your recent order is different than the email we had previously for your prior product, it is possible that the new product was put in a different digital locker. Please contact our Customer Service if you have not found your upgrade product in your digital locker. We will be happy to assist you. We can be contacted at 208.292.3400 or email customerservice@chiefarchitect.com Kind regards, Derek Pedersen Chief Architect Software

Hello, Thank you for the question. Plumbing is typically handled with 2D cad lines in our Home Designer products (Note that different line styles and colors can be set to represent different plumbing runs). There is not a tool specifically for adding 3D plumbing, but you could use our basic shapes such as the horizontal and vertical cylinder shapes that are in the library to add 3D plumbing lines. It would, however, be difficult to see the plumbing runs if they are placed inside wall cavities or in attic or floor structure spaces. Glasshouse rendering view would be one way to see the plumbing 3D objects that are inside the structure. Feel free to contact us in Sales if you have any questions at 208-292-3400 or email sales@chiefarchitect.com Kind regards, Derek Pedersen Chief Architect Software

Hello, Thank you for the question. You can contact our Sales department to cancel your software rental. They can be reached by email at sales@chiefarchitect.com Kind regards, Derek Pedersen Chief Architect Software

Hello, Thank you for the question. You will need to contact Customer Service so that we can track down your software Product Key. You can reach us by phone at 208.292.3400 or email customerservice@chiefarchitect.com. Kind regards, Derek Chief Architect Software

Thank you for the question. If you are looking at purchasing a new Mac Book and a primary use of the computer is to run Home Designer, I would consider getting a Mac Book that has a dedicated graphic card (Nvidia) rather than the integrated graphics setup such as the Intel Iris. The Nvidia (dedicated) graphics set up will be more expensive, but will run Home Designer more efficiently and with faster performance. With that said, the Intel Iris setup you have listed is supported and should run Home Designer just fine. I only mention the difference because you are looking at buying a new computer. Feel free to contact us in Sales if you need any assistance or would like to discuss in more detail. We can be reached at 208-292-3400. Kind regards, Derek Pedersen Chief Architect Software