Vertical siding vs horizontal on same building


rfcomm2k
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I am really beginning to doubt the quality of this product. I am sure a lot of these complaints I have can be attributed to user error, but I cannot avoid thinking that maybe the user errors are caused by flaws in the way the program operates.

 

Attached is a screen shot taken of the same house with two different views. One is a full camera view which shows the siding as it was intended in the horizontal mode. The other is a perspective full overview which shows the same house now has the siding placed vertically. I changed nothing between showing these two views.

 

Now, if this is indeed a user problem, I reiterate my belief that the program should not allow the user to make whatever changes that cause this error.

 

If however it is a program error, I need to know what will be done to correct it.

 

Also attached is the plan file this error came from.

 

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My initial thought was that it might be a weird sign of z-fighting, where maybe there were two siding materials in your Wall Type definitions, or one material was applied to the Wall Type and the other applied to the individual walls or exterior room, but in looking over the Plan Materials saved with the plan you attached, I don't even see a modified siding that displays vertically.

Assuming that you didn't actually use the rainbow tool to modify the orientation without realizing it, I would guess that your video card isn't consistently rendering the material the way it should, so it would be worth updating the driver if you haven't done so recently.

Instructions can be found on the Home Designer Knowledge Base at:

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00897/troubleshooting-3d-display-problems.html

Beyond that, I think you're outside of the support time frame with the older version, but they might still be able to help you out, especially if it was a known issue in the earlier versions (I don't recall anything like that ever being discussed in the forum previously though and it seems like something that would've come up).

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I submitted a support case with a pict of 4 views (plan, camera, dollhouse, perspective). Camera and dollhouse views worked fine but perspective was wrong. Support person responded that it could not be reproduced on his end but he saved the file on his end and sent it back to me. I opened it and it looked fine again.

 

I will look into video updates, but that makes no sense to me because it WAS working fine up to a point.

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I will look into video updates, but that makes no sense to me because it WAS working fine up to a point.

As you work on your design, it becomes more complex, takes up more video memory to render more surfaces and can expose weaknesses or bugs that probably got fixed with a newer driver for your video card.

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You are welcome to your opinions always. My opinion based on using this software since 1994 is that it works exactly as it was designed to work. New users often guess too much as opposed to actual study followed by practice and thus get unexpected-unwanted results. It is only Human to blame another source for one's lack of responsibilities and lack of competence. I would recommend competence over "rightness" but it is your choice to make. DJP

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Nice comeback DJP. Now allow me a bit of the same. I submitted a case to support, and included the drawing file that is displaying this phenomena.

 

In the reply back the tech told me "I did nothing to the file but back up the entire plan, send it to a compressed folder and return it to you. It is my hope that when you open the file the problem will be solved".

 

After I downloaded the file and opened it, I found that the siding DID display properly. So I saved it. Upon opening it to do work later in the day I found to my horror that the vertical siding issue had returned. BUT I HAD DONE NOTHING BUT OPEN, LOOK AT PERSPECTIVE VIEW, SAVE, AND REOPEN.

 

I have run a scan of my laptop, and ran CHKDSK for errors. Nothing found. Upon recommendation of the Tech I updated the video driver. This only made problem worse, displaying a checkerboard grid on the siding. So I restored the older driver.

 

Obviously something is wrong, and I would be happy to take responsibility for it, if only I knew what it was.

 

So, please get down off your soapbox David, and try to avoid making comments like you just did unless you really have an answer.

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If updating the driver made it worse, it sounds like it really is a video card issue, and neither user nor program error, but it's a bummer that the newer driver didn't fix it. 

What is the operating system, video card on the computer and what was the driver you used?  Did you go through your computer manufacturer's website or the video card vendor's directly for the new driver?  Maybe there's a different one available that will give you better results?

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Windows 7, Intel video, and I went direct to Intel.

 

Here is the catch. HD support now tells me that this video board was not supported til HDPro 2015. But the software has worked perfectly for several years without displaying this oddity.

 

I could use this as an excuse to replace the laptop, or to upgrade to the latest HDPro. But that is complicated by the fact that it worked OK for so long. IF this problem had presented itself with the first plan I developed, or at least the first plan using this siding, then I could accept the explanation.

 

No, I think there is something else wrong here. I had attempted to reinstall the HDPro software, and in the process it asked me if I wish to repair, which I selected. 10 seconds into the "repair" a new screen appeared telling me the process had been interrupted, but I had not touched it. And support does not have any advice on that problem. 

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Ah, an integrated Intel chipset, that could well explain it.  I tend to forget that they even started offering to support systems with shared graphics with the 2015 versions because it still seems like most people who post here still have problems with them since Intel chipsets share system memory instead of having dedicated video memory of their own like a real video card.

You can always double check the various version system requirements in the Knowledge Base.

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-01095/home-designer-minimum-system-requirements.html

Although since you somehow got it to work before, maybe the video chipset hardware itself is failing?  That could explain why the issue is inconsistent, you didn't see the problem before and its started to manifest now that the design is more complex (and exhibits on the material used on the largest surfaces in your plan, the walls) and even why updating the driver made it worse.

You'd get "repair" if you didn't actually uninstall the software first, so while you can try uninstalling the program completely and then reinstalling, I really doubt that would make any difference since the system doesn't even meet the system requirements and with the company's Support folks it seems like you've pretty well narrowed down the culprit to the integrated Intel video chipset.

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Well, the first laptop I purchased had an NVidia graphics card as recommended when I first purchased HDPro 2012. But I had a lot of trouble making it work, so I returned that laptop the next day and purchased THIS one because it was advertised as having 1GB of video RAM and 2GB system RAM. I upgraded the laptop to 6GB of system RAM.

Anyway, thank you all for your input here. I have resigned myself to having to purchase either version 2016 (which it is stated supports integrated video) or else purchasing a new laptop.

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I have resigned myself to having to purchase either version 2016 (which it is stated supports integrated video) or else purchasing a new laptop.

You're in kind of a tough spot, because if you buy a new computer, the operating system won't be compatible with the old Home Designer software, and if your integrated chipset's driver isn't from 2014 or newer (according to the article posted previously) then Pro 2016 would probably still have 3D problems on the same computer, so you'd probably be looking at upgrading the computer AND the software, not one or the other.

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Another thought...

Why not do a 'save as'  plan to use as an experiment?  Start eliminating things in the 'save as' plan (anything not necessary to the shell of the house, such as cabinets, fixtures, terrain, etc.).  View and rebuild 3d as you go, to see if the siding suddenly rights itself.

If it does,  then that would indicate  (by reducing file size and rendered surfaces)  that the integrated video is responsible.

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