How can I force HDP 2016 to show exterior dimensions on exterior walls?


Don_Anderson
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The developer for a housing community where we are thinking of moving sent me a PDF drawing of the floor plan for the house. I am trying to transcribe it into HDP 2016. The problem is that HDP 2016 shows the dimensions on the interior side of the walls but the builder's drawing has them on the outside. I tried to adjust for this by adding or subtracting the exterior wall thickness, which according to the HDP 2016 preferences is 6-11/16" but as you can see by "My Drawing" the walls don't meet up when I get back to the starting point. Is there a way to force HDP 2016 to show exterior wall dimensions for exterior walls? I realize that I will want interior dimensions when I get to the point of drawing interior walls but if I can just force HDP 2016 to show exterior dimensions now then change it to interior when I start drawing interior walls that would be ok.

 

Thanks,

Don

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post-2214-0-96585300-1427587133_thumb.jpg

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Take a look at Dimension Default settings to control dimension tendencies but you can manually place dimension points anywhere you need them along a dimension string ( a learned ability but there none the less). You are learning how to use the software so please balance your experience by reading pertinent sections of the Reference Manual and watching basic user videos that explain how to use the tools and their settings. There are a LOT of settings and tools to learn, so take it slow and be methodical balancing study with practice sessions.

 

DJP

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The measurements you are seeing are the temporary dims in that pic which you can toggle on or off ,they don't always match the wall lengths as it depends on how they are setup to locate items

 

You can edit many Defaults via EDIT>Default settings......  for Dims goto   >Dimension>Dimension>LocateObjects

(Defaults are also  the wrench icon ,under the 3D menu item)

 

I recommend downloading the Reference Manual PDF linked on the HELP menu too and reading up on Dimensions.( I prefer the PDF to the online help) and how to assign the dimension layer if needed in the Wall's Definition DBX.

 

The best way to do your walls , is as you draw them , but now,leave things unconnected and start in the bottom LH corner and make the single garage door wall 10' , open the wall and in the DBX ( forum slang for dialog box)   make it's length 120" or 10' on the General tab. HD will accept measurements in either " or ' ,it converts them auto to the default, even decimal inch or feet ie 3.75" is 3 3/4" automatically. Now if needed move the next wall so it auto joins on the corner again ,then open it and input the correct length (23' 5 1/2") and so on all the way around , next wall should be 10ft too etc etc. And hopefully it will join up on the last 2' wall when done. 

 

hope this will get you to the next step,

 

M.

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Only the Premier version of the software allows you to edit what Temporary Dimensions locate.  None of the Home Designer programs do (something I was kind of hoping would be added in the new version but I double checked the Pro 2016 trial and it still doesn't). 

So, you'll need to draw in manual dimensions instead and use those to locate the walls and precisely position them.

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I tried using manual dimensions but the dimension line was not offset from the wall. It was coincident with the outer edge of the wall and I could not figure out how to move it out.

 

I watched two of the training videos on dimensions and I learned that whenever a room is completed HDP will display dimensions exterior to the outside walls for those rooms. So I just drew all the outside walls as shown in the screen shot I posted originally where they did not line up, except I extended the last wall segment to make it meet up with the beginning of the first wall segment. That caused a closed space to be created and HDP immediately showed the dimensions for each wall segment on the outside of the structure. Then I was able to edit the dimension of each wall that was not the same as on the builder's drawing to make it the same. I had a few false starts when the wrong end of the wall moved but I used the little icons to specify which end I wanted to move. Now all the exterior walls have the same outside dimensions as on the builder's drawing.

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