Steps to create plan showing environment, terrain contours, multi-level structure, retaining walls and driveway

[rvbinder]

I'm trying to develop an HDP plan that corresponds to the attached sketch.

 

I have a good as-built, including terrain to the property line. This has a lot details: wall types, dimensions, defaults, etc.. that I don't want to re-enter. I've tried to adapt a copy of the as-built as a new plan but it is mostly a mess. The terrain keeps shifting, even though I don't change it.  I tried terrain holes for retaining walls, driveway, etc. but this doesn't line up as needed.

 

I suspect there is a necessary sequence/configuration to achieve this, but I don't see it. It seems I have to first define the terrain boundary as including all of the environment elements of interest, and then create a new structure defined with foundation walls of varying depths.  If I start with a completely new plan file, in what order should I create the elements? 

• Lot with environment as terrain?
• Terrain contours?
• Retaining walls that drop several feet?
• "terrain holes" for the apron, sloped driveway, and their retaining walls?

 

Considerations and questions:

 

1. Adjacent off-property buildings are needed to show sight lines and lighting effects and existing off-property street and sidewalk are needed to show how access will work. How do I show them but exclude them from the plan?
2. The new basement and garage will be enclosed within a new foundation wall. There will be a bearing foundation wall for the new gable end between the basement and the garage. 
3. The new basement floor will be lower that the existing to achieve an 8' finished height. 
4. The new  garage slab will be about 12-18" lower than the bsmt. It will also slope towards the garage doors.  
5. These 3 spaces (existing bsmt, new bsmt, new garage) should be level 0, but how do I define the various heights, and how do I indicate about 3" slope to the front of the garage?
6. How do I define a open terrace (patio) that sits on top of the garage, 2" under the main floor, and is accessed from the new first floor, through the new gable end wall?
7. How do I indicate a slope on the terrace surface for drainage?
8. How do I define, as part of the terrain, the new apron, driveway, and retaining walls? At what building level?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[DavidJPotter]

4 hours ago, rvbinder said:

Adjacent off-property buildings are needed to show sight lines and lighting effects and existing off-property street and sidewalk are needed to show how access will work. How do I show them but exclude them from the plan?

You cannot if you want the buildings to appear 3D (2D lines etc will not show in 3D by default)

4 hours ago, rvbinder said:

The new  garage slab will be about 12-18" lower than the bsmt. It will also slope towards the garage doors.

The height of room floors is determined generally by "Edit - Default Settings - Floors and Rooms - Current Floor" per floor. Local changes as to floor and ceiling heights are set by way of a particular Room Specification Dialog Box - Structure Tab - Ceiling or Floor input box.

 

Your questions are all directly addressed by the Help Files in your application, Training Videos, Reference Manual (found under Help in your application), a searchable Knowledge Base of answered questions found at the Home Designer Website and other places like my YouTube site. Also lots of kind users here at this forum. Please ask a single question at a time, making sure that such questions are specifically stated and backed up by screen capture images or even a copy of your .plan file so questions asked can be then answered with some certainty.

 

DJP.