Fill Style Fill Pattern not working

[Randall30]

As show in the screenshot here, if I set the deck Fill Style to a Fill Pattern such as Hatch, this is not showing up in the 3D view.

Solution? or is this just something that Home Designer can not do in 3D?

 

[Rookie65]

Fill pattern doesn't change materials. You need to set the decking to be at a 45 degree angle.

[Randall30]

How do I set the decking to 45 degrees? I am not seeing any angle options in any of the decking menus and submenus. Seems like if an angled Hatch pattern is chosen that Home Designer should then display that angled pattern otherwise why even have the angled Hatch pattern as an option.

[davidstvz]

The "fill pattern" has nothing to do with the 3D view, it's only the pattern you see in the plan view.

 

I'm not sure if HD Suite has this feature, but the proper work around in HD Architectural seems to be creating a new material that is set at a 45 degree angle.  Try this:

 

1) In the Library Browser (usually on the right side of your screen), find the material you want to use (the wood decking), right click it, then choose "copy".

 

2) Now, browse to the "User Catalog" section of the Library Browser.  Right click there, and choose "paste".  You should see a copy with the same name in your User Catalog.

 

3) If you right click such copies in the User Catalog, you'll find a lot more menu options including "Open Object".  Unless the Suite version is missing this feature, when you open a material you should see options for angle, offset and scale (as well as some color/appearance options). Change the angle to 45 (or maybe -45, or 135).

 

4) You might want to rename the material appending "45" to the name to indicate the difference and create folders to organize your custom materials.

 

The procedure is outlined here actually and is very similar to what I just said:

 

https://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00863/rotating-the-direction-of-a-material.html

 

 

The second work around requires a bit more computer savvy and is only needed if your version doesn't support the features I outlined.  In short, you would need to dig out the copy of the graphics you want, load it in an external art program and then rotate it there (easy to do for a 90 degree rotation, but difficult for 45), then load it back in to home designer as the graphic for a custom material.  I think Home Designer Interiors 2015 could not do scaling like this and I used this technique to make some larger tiles and things that I needed.  Or maybe I did it that way because I didn't know the proper way at the time.

 

 

[Rookie65]

Under "General" for the deck, there's nothing that lets you change the angle in Suite? Again, take some time looking at your reference manual. If it isn't an option, then it's time to get yourself upgraded or you're going to drive yourself nuts with Suites limited abilities.

[davidstvz]

No, looks like deck rotation can't be done in HD Suite.  However, my strategy can still work if your deck is composed of simple rectangles.  Just create two cabinet soffits just above the deck that's 1/2" thick or so and match the shape of the deck.  Then use the strategy I outlined to apply a 45 degree rotated material to the new fake deck surface.  Sure it won't look quite as good as the real deck tools 3D surface, but it should get the point across.  You can even get complicated and create deck edges with soffits if you want straight boards at the edges.

 

You can do a ton of things with cabinet soffits to make generic shapes if you want to go into visual detail.  You can even use room dividers for angles (since the CAD polyline tool isn't available either).  Just create a room with dividers, disable the ceiling and roof, and set the floor height and thickness as needed.  Then apply a material and you're done.  I used cabinet soffits and room dividers in HD Interiors to outline my lot, driveway, sidewalks and more.  I also used oversized potted plants (with the pot buried underground) to simulate trees.  You can do a lot within the limitations if you're creative.

 

Alternately, fork over the $120 or so to upgrade to Architectural and use the better tools available.

[LawB10]

Use the Material definition tool, click on the material to open it's specification box, then change the rotation angle.

 

This is why you should learned how the software works before you upgrade.

 

Upgrading has it's perks, but it does you know good if you don't know how to use the software.

[davidstvz]

The material rotation, what I described, doesn't work for the deck tool because the deck surface isn't a typical material.  It's a 3D composite structure like a fence.

[Jo_Ann]

You do not have the option in Suite, to rotate the deck "boards".

 

So, open the deck "room", and look at the the floor finish (structure tab).  Set the finish to a standard 7/8".

On the materials tab, you will now have a "floor finish" option.  Change the material.  In the library, look under materials>decking>plank.

With a floor deck plank material now in place, in the 3d view, you can use the material definition tool (rainbow tool) to change the angle of the planking.

[Randall30]

Thank you to all! It was all so simple once I upgraded to HDS Architectural. Just had to double click on the deck, choose Deck options, then choose Plank Direction, as shown in attached screenshot. Upgraded to Architectural today for $99, worth it. I was able to easily swap floors to create a pier beam foundation (Floor#1) without starting from scratch, using my single story Floor#1 to become Floor#2. And the deck planking direction is now simple to alter angles on. 

[Rookie65]

Well worth it for the ease and efficiency it offers. Congrats for the upgrade. Though as many have mentioned, if you plan on doing this for a living, or a lot of it, you will want to take a good look at Pro. I started with Architectural, and after a week I realized it wasn't going to do everything I needed, so I went to Pro and haven't looked back. That was in 2013.

[davidstvz]

The only bad thing about changing material definitions in the 3D view is that it affects every material in the plan.  For example, if I have specific type of wood floors in two rooms and I only want it rotated in one of the two rooms, then using the "material definition tool" doesn't work as it rotates in both rooms.  If you use the method I outlined to copy the material to the user section and rotate it there, you can apply the original and the 90 or 45 degree rotated material independently.

[Rookie65]

You can copy the material under "plan materials", change the definition and rename it something else to differentiate it. Then go to that room and change the materials to the item you just created and the original room stays unchanged. You don't need to add it to your user library.

[davidstvz]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.  Seems like it's mostly accomplishing the same thing, but I guess if you don't want to clutter up your user library it's useful.