Can't Get Basement Wall Heights Correct


Dekade
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Hello Forum,

 

I am having trouble with basement ceiling wall heights not extending up to the bottom of the first floor. Note in 1.png in the upper right corner that the cement basement wall is not going up as high as the wood frame walls placed into the basement. The wood framed walls are 89.75" tall. That is what the cement walls are to also be. But they will not go as high for some reason. Note in 2.png that I have changed the "B" measurement to 89.75" but it causes the floor to drop.

 

What can I do to get the concrete foundation walls to coincide in height with the wood frame walls?

 

Home Designer Pro 9.0

 

Thanks for any assistance,

 

Dekade

post-1071-0-72633800-1415561222_thumb.png

post-1071-0-64654300-1415561239_thumb.png

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When you increase the ceiling height the floor level drops, that is what it is designed to do. It is programmed to use the level of the first floor as a orientation point from which the second and third floors rise from and the basement floor uses the zero of the first floor to build down from.

 

To close those unwanted gaps between the ceiling and structural floor platform of the first floor, you just close the gaps manually adjusting the "Wall Poly-Lines" as necessary.

 

It may be that some of your "Ceiling Structure" material value settings need adjusting (I cannot tell from what you posted alone).

 

DJP

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There is a 1-1/2" gap at the top of all the concrete walls. This gap is there for a 2x Sill -- see the image.

 

Framing is not normally shown in these views, but I built framing and told it to display.

 

I believe what you are seeing is normal.

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So, what you are saying is that when anyone draws a situation like this (concrete basement walls) they have to put in (manually draw) the box plate; all the time; no option? If that is the case then how do you draw in the plate? Slabs elevated?

 

Also, since all of this is now in front of me as a problem to reckon with is there a way for the ceiling joist to appear rather than the drywall ceiling?

 

I can understand that the concrete walls cannot automatically evaluate that a plate is on top (or should be); but, nonetheless it seems as though something is not right somewhere.

 

I'm no expert on the mechanics of the Designer Pro software though so I easily stand the chance of being completely wet behind the ears. B)  

 

Still looking for complete closure on this issue. I would just like the detail and representation to be correct in camera views. But, how do I get there?

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No need to manually draw anything. Framing is not displayed by default in 3D views. To see it, first tell the program to build the framing, then turn on the display of the framing you want to see. All views (3D, Plan, Section etc.) have individual settings for what to display.

 

The program has built the house as it would be built in real life.

 

The camera views are correct. If you do not want the gap, you will need to fill it in just as you would if building the house.

 

Study Tools>Display Options. You may turn on or off the display of many things.

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Eric,

 

You have been very helpful with suggestions and instructions. Don't think it is going unnoticed or unappreciated. I will now experiment and see what I can come up with based on your advice. I'll be back in a few days with any comments or questions.

 

Again, Thanks.

 

Dekade

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I have been slowly succeeding in getting certain aspects of framing to display. I was able to fill the gap at the top of the basement walls.

 

There are three things that I am stumped on.

  1. Is there any way to not display a ceiling in one room but retain ceiling displays in other rooms? Example: in a basement I need to see the ceiling joist but in the rest of the house I need to see the drywall ceilings.
  2. Since I have built the framing and then use a floor camera it looks as though the ceiling joist are trying to come down through the drywall. What is causing that effect?
  3. I have 3-1/2" truss rafters but my framing shows stick build. Is there a way to get trusses to show?
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1.  making the ceiling material 0" thick in the Room's DBX should work  ( you need framing built to see joists)

 

2.  turn off Framing in 3d views if you don't need it  ( are your walls aligned properly above/below? my just be Z fighting though which is a videocard/driver issue)

 

3.  Building the Framing does not build the Trusses , check your Manual you MUST draw them ALL in manually though you can copy/paste or use transform/replicate ocne the 1st one is drawn in manually. HD Pro automatically does not draw the Roof Framing if there is a Truss in the same location as a rafter but after drawing the trusses rebuild the Roof Framing so you see them and make sure trusses is turned on in each windows Display Options . 

 

PS did not download your posted plan since you have changed it since then.

 

Mick

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You may turn ceilings on or off in the Room Specification dialog, or just set the ceiling thickness to 0.

 

I believe if you draw your trusses first, then build framing, standard framing will not be generated where the trusses are. You could also just turn off the display of the framing you do not wish to see.

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Thanks Solver and Kbird 1,

 

I will keep at it. I definitely appreciate your patience and assistance. You certainly have helped keep my stress level down!  B) Yep, I do wear glasses. 

 

Too much work to draw trusses and position them. Not experienced enough in the software to do all of that. I think I'll leave that puppy lie.

2210_2014_v1.plan

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Dekade, the basic lesson people need to understand while learning this stuff is that the software only does what it is set to do per unit of time. The software doesn't "know" anything, it is a mechanical device and only responds to how it is set to respondand how it was designed to function. So if your results are unwanted then you can be certain that certain presettings whether set by default or my mistake are incorrect for the outcome you seek.

 

The thing to do is to study and then practice with the settings observing outcomes so you then know with certainty which ones to use to gain the intended result. Much is explained generally in the Reference Manual and Help sections but trial and error practice takes the theory and helps you then have your own knowing judgement on what to use, when and why. You then discover what it does and does not do and at that point it just becomes a tool which is all it was designed to be.

 

DJP

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DJP

 

Thanks for your advice. I always appreciate receiving your input. You are definitely knowledgeable - aided by your usage of the software everyday for business purposes. It is a different scenario for someone like me who only uses it for a handful of reasons. I wish I could know the software inside out like you do because I know that I would really have a lot of fun with it. I did 2D CAD all my life in my business of interior medical facility designing and for the designing  of products we manufactured. I had that down pat. HDP is a different beast.

 

For example: I grew up in a construction family. I never paid much attention when working with my dad regarding roofs. He was a real mastermind at roofs - and could do it all in his head!!!!! Then comes me and HDP. I want so badly to put a hip roof over the front porch on the attached plan (a few posts above this one) both in HDP and in real life on the house. Dad died 2 years ago and I have no way of understanding how to tie the porch hip roof into the existing hip roof. The problem is the valley situation that would become an issue at the corner of the garage. I could step away from the 4' garage wall and have an open area above the porch for about a foot, BUT, I don't want that; just would not look right. I want a total enclosed hip over the porch tying in with the current house hip roof.

 

So, that said, I can't use HDP to help me solve or draw a porch roof because I don't know how to mentally picture solving the valley issue in real life, in the field, in the first place. Thus, I'll not get the roof on the porch. Can't have everything in life. At least I built the porch. No problem there.

 

Again, its rough on those of us that use the software on occasional need.

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Yes I did ask the program to build the roof. That is the problem. This is an existing house. I need to hip into the existing hip. The thumbnail that you presented is what I would love to have but can't rebuild the entire roof in real life. That is why the existing valley is the headache.

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David,

 

At the very end of your video you said, "Thank you for your kind attention". I am absolutely without words almost as to what I think of your kindness in taking the time to create a 'me specific' tutorial. With you trying to make a buck off of what you do every day I am sort of stunned at your generosity. This was really kind of you. Can't get over it. May sound soapy or mushy but the truth - it is what it is; that's who I am when it comes to being thankful when I get help on something. I will pass this forward somehow someday.

 

So now, I am going to go at it and do it myself. Mostly really study the tutorial. Then do it. All I see that I need to do on the plane and in real life, up on the roof, is get rid of the dead valley simply by shaping a plane with a slight pitch to it.

 

I have learned tons of stuff from this topic post. I can really do some work now rather than spin my wheels most of the time.

 

AGAIN - MANY THANKS. This is great!

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Here is a "cheat" to do the roof like DJP.

 

Open your plan.

 

Save As some new name.

 

Turn off the roof on the garage. (Because without it the porch roof will build correctly)

 

Turn on roof for the porch.

 

Build the roof to get a roof over the porch

 

You now have the three roof planes for the hip roof over the porch.

 

Select the 3 roof planes and copy them.

 

Open your original plan.

 

Paste > Paste Hold Position. This will place the 3 roof planes over the porch.

 

Manually adjust the main roof as DJP showed in the video.

 

Add the small roof plane to fix the dead valley.

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Had this idea later last night.

 

Select the 3 invisible walls that form the porch. 

 

Use Transform/Replicate to move them to the right 48". (could be any distance where the roof has room to build)

 

Build the roof.

 

You now have the hip roof over the porch. Select the 3 porch walls, and the 3 new roof planes, and using Transform/Replicate, move them back left 48".

 

This will leave a triangle shaped hole in the main roof. You can select the main roof plane and simply drag the edges of the hole so they line up with the porch roof.

 

You will need to do a bit of fixup where the dead valley is, and add the sloped roof.

 

It's best to understand manual roofs as DJP shows, but for someone using the program for one house, I think letting it do the grunt work makes sense.

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