Better Homes and Gardens® Home Designer Suite™ 8.0: Hdsuite - RM - Book Page 0 Wednesday, January 23, 2008 5:03 PM

HDSuite_RM.
book Page 0 Wednesday, January 23, 2008 5:03 PM
Better Homes and Gardens®

Home Designer Suite™ 8.0
Reference Manual
Chief Architect, Inc.

6500 N. Mineral Dr.
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83815
www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com
HDSuite_RM.book Page i Wednesday, January 23, 2008 5:03 PM
Copyright © 2007 by Chief Architect, Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this book or the accompanying software may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Chief Architect,
Inc.
Home Designer™ is a trademark of Chief Architect, Inc.
Better Homes and Gardens® is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation.
All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of Chief Architect, Inc. or their respective
owners.
Printed in the United States of America.

HDSuite_RM.book Page i Wednesday, January 23, 2008 5:03 PM
Contents
Contents
Chapter 1: Overview
Introduction ...............................................................................1
Startup Options.........................................................................1
The Home Designer Suite Environment .................................3
Toolbars.....................................................................................5
Menus.........................................................................................6
Dialogs .......................................................................................7
The Status Bar...........................................................................7
Defaults......................................................................................8
Drawing a Plan ..........................................................................8
Viewing Your Plan...................................................................10
Program Updates ....................................................................11
Getting Help.............................................................................11
Chapter 2: Menus & Toolbar Buttons

Chapter Overview ...................................................................13
Toolbars and Menus ...............................................................14
Hotkeys ....................................................................................14
Home Designer Suite’s Tools ................................................14
Edit Toolbar Buttons ..............................................................41
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Home Designer Suite Reference Manual
Chapter 3: Editing Objects

Introduction.............................................................................43
Architectural vs CAD Objects................................................44
Snap Behaviors ......................................................................44
Object Snaps...........................................................................44
Angle Snaps ............................................................................45
Grid Snaps ..............................................................................45
Creating Objects .....................................................................46
Selecting Objects ...................................................................46
Editing Line Based Objects ...................................................48
Editing Arc Based Objects.....................................................50
Editing Open Polyline Based Objects...................................53
Editing Closed-Polyline Based Objects................................56
Editing Box-Based Objects....................................................59
Editing Spline Based Objects................................................61
Editing Circles, Ovals and Ellipses.......................................62
Architectural Blocks...............................................................64
Displaying Objects .................................................................64
Moving Objects .......................................................................65
Aligning Objects .....................................................................66
Resizing Objects.....................................................................68
Reshaping Objects .................................................................68
Rotating Objects .....................................................................69
Copying and Pasting Objects................................................70
Deleting Objects .....................................................................72
Chapter 4: File Management

Compatibility with Other Programs ......................................75
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Organizing Your Files.............................................................76
Contents
Home Designer Suite Data .....................................................76
Creating a New Plan ...............................................................76
Saving a Plan File ...................................................................77
Save and Save As ...................................................................78
Auto Archive............................................................................78
Undo Files................................................................................79
Opening a Plan File.................................................................80
Searching for Plans ................................................................80
Closing Plans and Views........................................................81
Exiting Home Designer Suite.................................................81
Chapter 5: Defaults
Defaults....................................................................................83
Dynamic Defaults....................................................................85
Plan Defaults Dialog ...............................................................85
Set Background Color ............................................................86
Chapter 6: Layers
Display Options Dialog...........................................................87
Displaying Objects..................................................................88
Chapter 7: Walls, Railings, & Fencing

Default Settings.......................................................................92
The Wall Tools.........................................................................92
The Deck Tools .......................................................................93
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The Fencing Tools ..................................................................93

Exterior and Interior Walls .....................................................94
Foundation Walls....................................................................94
Railings....................................................................................94
Invisible Walls .........................................................................95
Polygon Shaped Decks ..........................................................96
Hatch Wall ...............................................................................96
Break Wall ...............................................................................97
Deck Railings ..........................................................................97
Deck Edge ...............................................................................97
Fencing ....................................................................................98
Drawing Walls .........................................................................98
Connecting Walls....................................................................99
Displaying Walls .....................................................................99
Editing Walls .........................................................................100
Editing Straight/Curved Wall Combinations ......................101
Aligning Walls .......................................................................102
Attic Walls .............................................................................104
Wall Specification Dialog .....................................................104
Wall Hatch Specification Dialog ..........................................109
Wall Defaults .........................................................................109
Chapter 8: Rooms
Chapter Overview .................................................................111
Room Definition ....................................................................112
Room Defaults ......................................................................112
Room Material Defaults........................................................112
Floor & Ceiling Heights ........................................................113
Selecting Rooms ..................................................................115
Room Types ..........................................................................115
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Room Labels .........................................................................117
Contents
Decks .....................................................................................119
Editing Rooms.......................................................................120
Special Ceilings ....................................................................121
Room Specification Dialog ..................................................123
Chapter 9: Doors
Door Defaults ........................................................................128
The Door Tools......................................................................128
Displaying Doors ..................................................................130
Editing Doors ........................................................................130
Changing Door Swings ........................................................132
Centering Doors and Windows............................................134
Special Doors ........................................................................135
Door Specification Dialog ....................................................136
Chapter 10: Windows

Window Defaults ...................................................................143
The Window Tools ................................................................144
Special Windows...................................................................145
Stacked Windows .................................................................146
Displaying Windows .............................................................147
Editing Windows ...................................................................148
Bay, Box, and Bow Windows...............................................149
Bay, Box, Bow Windows & Roofs .......................................150
Window Specification Dialog...............................................152
Bay/Box/Bow Window Specification Dialog.......................157
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Chapter 11: Multiple Floors

Room Defaults ......................................................................160
Working With Multiple Floors ..............................................160
Floor Tools ............................................................................160
Adding Floors .......................................................................161
Deleting Floors .....................................................................161
The Current Floor .................................................................162
Reference Floor ....................................................................162
Chapter 12: Foundations

Foundation Defaults .............................................................166
Building a Foundation..........................................................166
New Floor Dialog ..................................................................167
Displaying Foundations .......................................................167
Editing Foundations .............................................................168
Resizing Stem Walls.............................................................168
Deleting Foundations ...........................................................168
Foundations and Room Specification ................................169
Chapter 13: Roofs

Roof Defaults ........................................................................172
The Roof Tools......................................................................172
Roof Planes ...........................................................................172
Automatic Roofs ...................................................................173
Some Common Roof Types.................................................176
Dormers .................................................................................177
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Roof Returns .........................................................................178
Contents
Editing Auto Dormers...........................................................179
Skylights ................................................................................179
Gable Over Door/Window.....................................................180
Build Roof Dialog..................................................................181
Dormer Specification Dialog................................................183
Dormer Defaults ....................................................................185
Roof Hole/Skylight Specification Dialog.............................185
Roof Pitches in Degrees.......................................................186
Chapter 14: Stairs & Landings

Stair Tools .............................................................................188
Anatomy of a Staircase ........................................................188
Drawing Stairs.......................................................................189
Creating Curved Stairs .........................................................190
Merging Stair Sections .........................................................190
Displaying Stairs...................................................................191
Editing Stairs.........................................................................192
Stair Landings .......................................................................193
Maintaining Tread Width ......................................................195
Starter Treads.......................................................................195
Wrapped Stairs......................................................................197
Other Special Railings & Stairs ...........................................197
Creating a Stairwell...............................................................198
Rooms Below Staircases .....................................................199
Staircase Specification Dialog.............................................200
Stair Landing Specification Dialog......................................204
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Chapter 15: Electrical

The Electrical Tools..............................................................206
Creating Wiring Schematics ................................................207
Auto Place Outlets................................................................207
Electrical Library ..................................................................208
Displaying Electrical Objects ..............................................208
Editing Electrical Objects ....................................................208
Chapter 16: Trim Tools

Corner Boards ......................................................................212
Corner Board Specification Dialog .....................................212
Quoins ...................................................................................213
Quoin Specification Dialog ..................................................213
Editing Corner Boards and Quoins.....................................214
Chapter 17: Cabinets

Cabinet Defaults ...................................................................216
The Cabinet Tools.................................................................216
Displaying Cabinets .............................................................218
Editing Cabinets ...................................................................218
Editing Cabinet Door/Drawer Style .....................................219
Joined Cabinets ....................................................................219
Special Cabinets ...................................................................220
Cabinet Specification Dialog ...............................................223
Shelf/Partition Specification Dialog ....................................228
Cabinet Defaults ...................................................................229
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Chapter 18: Terrain
Contents
Terrain Perimeter ..................................................................232
Elevation Data Tools.............................................................232
Terrain Modifier Tools ..........................................................235
Terrain Feature Tools ...........................................................236
Garden Bed Tools .................................................................238
Water Feature Tools .............................................................239
Stepping Stone Tools ...........................................................239
Terrain Wall and Curb Tools ................................................240
Displaying Terrain.................................................................241
Editing Terrain Objects .......................................................241
Terrain Specification Dialog ................................................242
Elevation Point Specification Dialog...................................244
Elevation Line Specification Dialog ....................................245
Flat Region Specification Dialog .........................................245
Hill / Valley Specification Dialog..........................................246
Raised / Lowered Region Specification Dialog..................246
Terrain Feature Specification Dialog ..................................246
Terrain Path Specification Dialog........................................247
Importing Elevation Data......................................................248
Import Terrain Wizard...........................................................249
Import GPS Data Wizard.......................................................250
Hardiness Zones ...................................................................255
Plant Tools.............................................................................256
Plant Image Specification Dialog ........................................256
Plant Chooser Dialog............................................................260
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Chapter 19: Roads & Sidewalks

Road and Sidewalk Tools ....................................................264
Displaying Road Objects .....................................................265
Editing Road Objects ...........................................................265
Road Specification Dialog ...................................................266
Chapter 20: Other Objects

Geometric Shapes ................................................................267
Soffits ....................................................................................268
Special Applications for Soffits...........................................268
Calculating Materials on Soffits ..........................................269
Soffit Specification Dialog ...................................................270
Fireplaces ..............................................................................271
Fireplace Specification Dialog.............................................272
Library Fireplaces.................................................................273
Chimneys ..............................................................................274
Chapter 21: Libraries

The Library Browser.............................................................277
Library Search Dialog ..........................................................280
Select Library Object Dialog................................................282
Placing Library Objects .......................................................284
Displaying Library Objects ..................................................285
Editing Library Objects ........................................................285
Library Objects and the Materials List................................286
Library Object Specification Dialog ....................................286
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Library Categories ................................................................288
Contents
My Libraries...........................................................................288
Architectural Blocks .............................................................289
Backdrops .............................................................................289
Cabinet Doors and Drawers.................................................289
Cabinet Modules ...................................................................289
Doors......................................................................................290
Doorways...............................................................................290
Electrical ................................................................................291
Exterior Fixtures ...................................................................291
Interior Fixtures.....................................................................291
Exterior Furnishings.............................................................292
Interior Furnishings ..............................................................292
Geometric Shapes ................................................................293
Hardware................................................................................293
Images....................................................................................293
Materials ................................................................................293
Millwork..................................................................................294
Plants .....................................................................................294
Windows ................................................................................294
Manufacturers .......................................................................295
Editing Libraries....................................................................295
Adding to the Library............................................................296
Bonus Libraries.....................................................................298
Chapter 22: Materials

About Materials .....................................................................300
The Material Painter..............................................................300
Materials Tab .........................................................................302
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Editing Materials ...................................................................303

Creating Materials ................................................................304
Define Material Dialog ..........................................................306
Material Defaults Dialog .......................................................307
Color Chooser Dialog...........................................................308
Chapter 23: Zoom & View Tools

Zoom Tools ...........................................................................312
Undo Zoom............................................................................312
Fill Window............................................................................312
Panning the Display .............................................................313
Swapping Views ...................................................................314
Window Menu Tools .............................................................314
Cascade .................................................................................314
Tiling Views ...........................................................................314
Arrange Icons .......................................................................315
Aerial View ............................................................................315
Closing Views .......................................................................316
Chapter 24: 3D Views

OpenGL and Hardware.........................................................318
3D View Tools .......................................................................318
Working in 3D ......................................................................319
Creating Camera Views........................................................320
Creating Overviews ..............................................................321
Cross Section/Elevation Views ...........................................322
Displaying 3D Views.............................................................323
Editing 3D Views...................................................................323
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Editing Objects in 3D Views.................................................327
Contents
Exporting and Printing 3D Views ........................................328
Glass House View .................................................................329
Speeding up 3D View Generation........................................330
Rendering Tips......................................................................330
Lighting..................................................................................331
Camera Specification Dialog ...............................................332
Default Sun Light Specification Dialog...............................333
Cross Section Slider.............................................................334
3D Backdrop Dialog..............................................................334
Render Quality ......................................................................334
Chapter 25: Dimensions

Dimension Defaults ..............................................................337
The Dimension Tools............................................................338
Displaying Dimension Lines ................................................339
Editing Dimension Lines ......................................................339
Editing Extension Lines .......................................................340
Dimension Line Specification Dialog..................................342
Dimension Defaults Dialog ..................................................342
Chapter 26: Text, Callouts & Markers

Text Defaults .........................................................................346
Fonts ......................................................................................346
The Text Tools.......................................................................346
Creating Text .........................................................................346
Text Arrows ...........................................................................347
Editing Text ...........................................................................348
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Text Specification Dialog .....................................................349

Text Defaults .........................................................................351
Chapter 27: CAD Objects

The CAD Drawing Tools.......................................................354
Line Specification Dialog .....................................................356
Arc Specification Dialog ......................................................358
CAD Circle/Oval/Ellipse Specification Dialog ....................360
Polylines ................................................................................361
Polyline Specification Dialog...............................................361
CAD Box Specification Dialog.............................................364
Chapter 28: Advanced Design & Editing

House Wizard ........................................................................365
Plan Check ............................................................................367
Loan Calculator ....................................................................368
Chapter 29: Pictures, Images, & Walkthroughs

Picture Files vs. Pictures and Image Objects ....................372
Importing Picture Files.........................................................372
Editing Picture Files .............................................................373
Exporting Picture Files.........................................................374
Picture File Box Specification Dialog .................................375
Creating Images....................................................................375
Placing Images .....................................................................376
Displaying Images ................................................................376
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Resizing an Image.................................................................377
Contents
Image Specification Dialog ..................................................377
Metafiles.................................................................................378
Editing Metafiles ...................................................................380
Metafile Specification Dialog ...............................................380
Copy Region as Picture........................................................380
Walkthroughs ........................................................................381
Chapter 30: Importing & Exporting

Compatibility .........................................................................384
Importing 3D Symbols..........................................................384
Exporting 2D DXF Files ........................................................385
Additional 2D Export Information........................................386
Chapter 31: Printing

Introduction to Printing ........................................................390
Printers ..................................................................................390
The Printing Tools ................................................................391
Display Options and Printing...............................................392
Printing Directly from a View ...............................................392
Printing to Scale....................................................................393
Printing Across Multiple Pages ...........................................393
Printing to a PDF File............................................................394
Print Model ............................................................................394
Page Setup Dialog ................................................................396
Print Dialog............................................................................397
Print Image Dialog ................................................................399
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Chapter 32: Materials Lists

Working With the Materials List ..........................................402
Creating an Accurate Materials List....................................402
Calculate From All Floors ....................................................402
Calculate From Room...........................................................403
Calculate From Area.............................................................403
Editing Materials Lists..........................................................403
Displaying Objects in the Materials List.............................404
Exporting the Materials List.................................................404
Appendix A: Technical Support Services

Reference and Training Resources ....................................407
Troubleshooting Printing Problems ...................................408
Before Contacting Technical Support ................................409
Contacting Technical Support.............................................411
Appendix A: Additional Resources

Reference Manual .................................................................413
User’s Guide .........................................................................413
Tutorial Videos......................................................................414
Home Designer Web Site .....................................................414
Online Help............................................................................414
Design Planning Center .......................................................414
Design Inspiration Gallery ...................................................414
Home Talk Online User Forum ............................................415
Technical Support ................................................................415
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Chapter 1:
Overview
Introduction
Home Designer Training Video: Home • Startup Options
Designer Suite Overview • The Home Designer Suite Environment
• Toolbars
Home Designer Suite uses parametric design
• Menus
technology. This means that as you draw, a
• Dialogs
3D model is created and is continuously
• The Status Bar
updated as you make changes. You can tile a
• Defaults
floor plan view next to a 3D view and watch
• Drawing a Plan
one update automatically as you draw in the
• Viewing Your Plan
other.
• Program Updates
• Getting Help
Chapter Contents
Startup Options
When Home Designer Suite opens, the The Startup Options dialog can be
Startup Options dialog displays, opened at any time by selecting File>
allowing you to choose how you want to
begin working in the program or access Startup Options .
useful resources.
1
3
1
4
1 Select a File command to open an 3 Recent Files - Lists the names of the
existing .plan file. most recently opened files. Click a
name to open the file.
Click New Plan to open a new, blank
plan. See “Creating a New Plan” on page 76. 34 Help - These options provide access to
a variety of information resources.
These include the Help Contents & Index
Choose Open Plan to work on an and the PDF version of the Reference
existing plan. See “Opening a Plan File” on Manual. Click on the HomeTalk User Forum
page 80. link to launch your default Internet browser
and visit Home Talk.
2 Getting Started Tutorials - Lists the
names of helpful tutorials which are
also available at any time from the Help 35 Design Resources - Click on any of the
options here to get access the Tutorial
menu. Click on one to begin reading or click options.
Tutorial Videos to watch any of the Home
Designer Tutorial Videos. Remove the check from Show Options on
Startup if you do not want this dialog to
2
display when you launch Home Designer To have the Startup Options dialog
Suite. Instead, a new blank plan opens. display at startup again, select File> Startup
Options and place a check mark at Show
Options on Startup.
The Home Designer Suite Environment

Home Designer Training Video: CAD objects such as lines and arcs take up
Becoming Familiar with the Interface space in two dimensions in the current view.
Their dimensions can also be specified in
Object-Based Design Imperial or metric units and their locations
precisely defined using coordinates.
Home Designer Suite’s parametric, object-
based design technology means you place
Easy Access to Tools
and edit objects, rather than work with the
many individual lines or surfaces used to You can access Home Designer Suite’s
represent them. features in various ways. Most tools are
accessed in the Home Designer Suite with
You can quickly select and edit the location,
the mouse and keyboard. Home Designer
size, shape, style and other properties of
Suite comes with all of the tools required to
objects as well as change the materials
view any Home Designer Suite plan or
applied to their surfaces.
layout file.
Use Home Designer Suite’s editing • Menus provide access to most tools.
capabilities to make the objects you place in
a plan match the objects they represent in • Convenient toolbar buttons allow fast
real life. For example, you can set up your access to tools and let you customize the
windows and doors to match those available interface.
from your supplier. • Keyboard shortcuts available for most
tools.
3D Drafting • Contextual menus display with a right-
In Home Designer Suite, the entire drawing click of the mouse.
area is laid out on a three dimensional • The Status Bar at the bottom of the screen
coordinate system described using the X, Y provides tool descriptions and other
and Z axes. information about the current task.
Architectural objects take up space in all
three dimensions and their height, width and
depth can be specified in Imperial or metric
units. In addition, the location of objects can
be precisely defined using coordinates.
3
Drop Down
Menus Menu
Toolbar
Buttons
Edit Library
Toolbar Browser
Reference
Grid Lines
Library
Selected Preview
Object Panes
Temporary
Dimension Status Bar
Using the Mouse You can also use the right mouse button to
open a context sensitive menu with
Many objects, such as doors and cabinets, are additional editing commands.
created by clicking the left mouse button.
Others, such as walls, stairs and dimension The Middle button can be used to
lines, are created by dragging the pointer pan in floor plan view.
from one end of the object to the other. You can also program it to work as a
The left button is the primary double-click.
button used in Home Designer The Mouse Wheel can be used to
Suite. Unless specified otherwise, zoom in and out in most views.
this reference manual refers to the left mouse
button.
Using the Edit Handles
Note: If you are left-handed and have re-pro-
grammed your mouse, reverse the instruc- When you select an object, its edit handles
tions for left and right buttons in this manual. display.
When you pass the mouse over the edit
The Right button has several uses. handles, the pointer changes to show how
Right-click to select any object. For you can use that handle.
example, if the Straight Exterior
• A two-headed arrow indicates that the
Wall tool is active, the left mouse button object, corner or edge can be moved in
allows you to select only walls. You can the direction of the arrows.
select other object types such as cabinets, or
stairs with the right mouse button.
4
• A four-headed arrow indicates that the The triangular Rotate handle lets you rotate
selected object or edge may be moved in the object. See “Rotating Objects” on page
multiple directions. 69.
• A circular arrow indicates that the
selected object can be rotated.
Resize handles display along the edges of the
object are used to change the size. See
You can cancel any edit handle operation
“Resizing Objects” on page 68.
before it is completed by pressing the Esc
key on your keyboard or by pressing any two
mouse buttons at the same time.
The edit handles that display depend on the
The Move handle at the object’s center lets type of object selected, the current view, and
you move the object. See “Moving Objects” how far you are zoomed out.
on page 65.
Edit handles do not resize as you zoom in or
out. If you are zoomed out far enough, some
edit handles may be hidden so that they do
not stack over one another. As you zoom in,
these handles become visible again.
Toolbars
Using the toolbar buttons is the fastest, Drop-Down Tools
easiest way to access many program features.
Click on the arrow to the right of a button to
The toolbars that display in a given view display a drop-down list of related tools. For
depend on the view type. For example, example, click the arrow to the right of the
toolbars that control camera position display
Window button to display a drop-down
in 3D views but not in floor plan view.
list of the other Window Tools.
When you pass the pointer over a toolbar
button, a “tool tip” displays the name of the
tool. When you see one of these tool tips,
press F1 to get more information about that
item. A more detailed description displays in
the Status Bar at the bottom of the window.
You can use either of two styles of toolbar
interface: drop-down tools and parent-child
buttons.
5
The most recently selected tool displays in display can be used to edit the selected
the toolbar. object(s). Which buttons display depends on
the type of object selected, the current view,
Parent and Child Tools and how you selected the object.
An alternative to the Drop-Down toolbar

interface are Parent and Child tools. Parent
toolbar buttons have a blue triangle in the The edit toolbar buttons are the same as the
lower right corner. When you select a parent options in the contextual menu when you
button, child tools display on the right side of right-click on an object.
the toolbar.
Hotkeys
When you click the Window Tools
parent button, for example, its child buttons Many commands can be invoked from the
display to the right. keyboard. Press Alt on your keyboard and
press the underlined letter in a menu name to
access that menu, as well as items in the
menus and submenus.
You can select either Parent - Child or Drop- Other keys or key combinations will invoke a
Down tools in the by selecting Tools> variety of program commands. If a Home
Toolbars> Parent-Child Toolbars.. Designer Suite menu item has a keyboard
shortcut, or hotkey, associated with it, that
The Edit Toolbar hotkey will display to the right of its name in
the menu.
When you select an object, the edit toolbar
appears. By default, it is located at the upper For more information about menu items and
left side of the program window, just above toolbar buttons, see “Menus & Toolbar
the Status Bar. The toolbar buttons that Buttons” on page 13.
Menus
Home Designer Suite uses a standard of the item’s name. See “Hotkeys” on page
Windows menu format. The menus are 14.
located below the title bar in the program
window and can be used to access nearly all
tools in the program.
Menu items with an icon to their left have a
toolbar button associated with them. Edit menu items with button icons
to the left and hotkeys to the right
Many tools in Home Designer Suite also
have hotkeys associated with them. If a menu In this reference manual, menu paths are
item has a hotkey, it will display to the right written in this format: Build> Window> Box
6
Contextual Menus
Window . An icon image after the menu
path indicates that a toolbar button is also Contextual menus are context sensitive
available. menus that display tools relevant to a
selected.
You can access contextual menus by right-
clicking on a selected object or in an empty
space in a view window.
Dialogs
Default settings, object specification, display Specification Dialogs
settings, and many other functions are
accessed through dialog boxes. Each object in Home Designer Suite
has a unique specification dialog where
Many dialogs have a preview that shows how you can enter size, style and other
the changes affect the object. This preview information specific to the selected object.
updates when you click in a different field or To access it, select the object and click the
press the Tab key on your keyboard. Open Object edit button.You can also
double-click many objects with the Select
Objects tool active.
The Status Bar

The Status Bar at the bottom of the main • The length and/or angle of the selected
window displays information about the object(s).
current state of the program. • The screen redraw time.
This information depends on a variety of
conditions such as the type of object
selected, and the current position of the
pointer. The information may include the
following:
• A brief description of the toolbar button
or menu item highlighted by the mouse.
• A description of the selected object.
• The total number of objects currently
group-selected.
• The current floor.
7
Defaults
Home Designer Training Video: Once an object is placed in a plan, its initial
Default Settings properties can be overridden, but setting up
your defaults before you begin drawing can
Default settings control many aspects of the
save you considerable time as you build a
user interface and tool behavior in Home
model in the program.
Designer Suite. You can use these settings to
customize the program to suit your personal
work style. Dynamic Defaults
For more information about defaults, see Dynamic defaults are values that affect
“Defaults” on page 83. existing objects in a plan.
In specification dialogs, dynamic default
Defaults values have a Default checkbox beside them
or a [D] in their text fields. As long as this
Most objects in Home Designer Suite derive
checkbox is checked or the [D] is present,
their intial properties from their respective
changes made to the default affect the object.
default dialogs.
To edit an individual object, you must delete
For example, a newly placed Window the [D] or uncheck the box in the
gets its initial values from the Window specification dialog. Objects you edit in this
Defaults dialog and a newly placed Hinged way do not update if you change the default.
Door gets its initial values from the To restore a value to the default, click to
Door Defaults dialog. place a check in the Default checkbox or
type a “d” into an edit box.
Drawing a Plan
When you draw a plan in Home Designer Set the Defaults
Suite, you are placing 3D objects that
represent building components. Home Default Wall Types. Specify the defaults for
Designer Suite comes with predefined walls. See “Default Settings” on page 92.
default settings so you can start drawing Set material defaults for roof, walls, and
plans immediately. You should review these rooms (optional).
default settings to be sure they match your
drawing and building methods. See Set style defaults for doors, windows, mold-
“Defaults” on page 83. ing, cabinets and other objects.
8
Draw the Floors • In most cases, the program allows

precision to 1/16th of an inch. Fractions
1. Draw the exterior walls on Floor 1 in a with denominators 2, 4, 8 and 16 are
clockwise direction. See “Drawing allowed.
Walls” on page 98. • The program usually converts decimals
2. Adjust the perimeter shape and size as to fractions.
required. See “Using Edit Handles” on
page 100. Build the Foundation
3. Place any first floor bearing walls.
1. Derive the foundation plan from the first
4. Define types for special rooms such as floor. See “Building a Foundation” on
garages and decks in the plan. See page 166.
“Room Types” on page 115.
2. Adjust the foundation perimeter shape
5. Place perimeter doors and windows. See as needed.
“Doors” on page 127 and “Windows” on
page 143. 3. Place interior foundation walls as
needed for the first floor bearing walls.
6. Build additional floors. See “Adding
Floors” on page 161. 4. Place any other foundation walls
required.
7. Specify the default ceiling height for
each floor as soon as it is created. See 5. Align with Above as needed. See
“Room Defaults” on page 160. “Aligning Walls” on page 102.
8. Adjust the perimeter shape of additional

Add Structure and Details
floors as needed. See “Editing Walls” on
page 100.
1. Build non-structural interior walls.
9. Align edited or moved walls with below Begin on floor one and work up in mul-
where appropriate. See “Aligning Walls” tiple storey structures.
on page 102.
2. Align walls where needed such as a
chimney chase, plumbing walls, or Open
Entering Dimensions Below.
When using Imperial units, enter distances as 3. Finish the relevant interior structure
inches or feet and inches, in fractional or including interior doors, doorways, cabi-
decimal form. Millimeters are the default nets, fixtures, and fireplaces.
unit for all metric distances. See “Dimen-
4. Build the terrain and landscaping
sions” on page 337.
(optional). See “Terrain” on page 231.
• To enter feet, include the ( ' ) marker or
the program assumes inches.
9
Viewing Your Plan

You can see your model in a variety of views.
Floor plan view is a 2D view of the model
and is most commonly used for drawing and
editing. You can only edit one floor at a time,
but another floor can be shown for reference.
Full Overview
A Doll House View shows only the current

floor. Ceilings are omitted so you can see the
interior.
Floor Plan View
Camera Views
Surfaces in camera views display
materials and textures, and you can
include backdrops, light sources, and
shadows.
A Full Camera view shows either the inte- Doll House View
rior or exterior of the model. You define the A Framing Overview displays framing in
camera position and angle with the mouse. A 3D.
Floor Camera view displays only the
current floor.
Framing Overview
Full Camera View
A Final View or Final View with
A Full Overview shows the entire 3D model. Shadows creates a higher quality
10
image but takes longer to generate. You can A Glass House Camera view makes
create a final view from any Render view. all surfaces semi-transparent, so you
can see the entire model, inside and outside.
Final View Glass House View
Program Updates
From time to time, Chief Architect Inc. Select Help> Download Program Updates
releases program updates that are available to launch your default Web browser to the
for download free of charge from the Home Program Updates section of the Home
Designer Suite Web site, www.HomeDesign- Designer Suite Web site.
erSoftware.com.
Getting Help
There are many forms of help available in tool. More information displays in the
Home Designer Suite including: Tool Tips, Status Bar at the bottom of the window,
the Status Bar, online Help, product • When you see a Tool Tip in the Status
documentation in electronic format, and Bar, press the F1 key to open online
Home Designer Suite’s official Web site, Help.
www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com.
• Press the Help button in any of the dia-
All these forms of help assume you have a logs to open online Help.
basic working knowledge of the Windows
• When an object is selected, edit handles
operating system, including how to use a
display. Place the pointer over these edit
mouse, open, close and save files, copy,
handles and press F1 to open online
paste, and right-click to access contextual
Help.
menus. Help also assumes you are familiar
with Windows terms. • You can also access the online Help using
the Help menu. Select Help> Index to
• When you move the pointer over a tool-
explore the available topics or search by
bar button or menu item, a Tool Tip dis-
key words.
plays, offering a brief description of the
11
• The Reference Manual and the User’s • Other Home Designer Suite users have a
Guide are accessible through the program wealth of knowledge they are willing to
in .pdf format. You can view these docu- share. You can access the Home Talk user
ments with Adobe Reader. Click any forum from the Home Designer Suite
cross reference or page number to jump Web site at www.HomeDesignerSoft-
to that page. Select Help> View Refer- ware.com.
ence Manual, or Help> View User’s
Guide in Home Designer Suite to view
Chief Architect strives to make our doc-
these electronic documents. umentation as helpful as possible for all
• Our Web site has answers to many fre- of our customers. Please send any
quently asked technical support ques- questions, comments, or feedback to
documentation@HomeDesignerSoft-
tions. The help database also contains
ware.com.
many “how-to” articles. Visit
12
Chapter 2:
Menus & Toolbar

Buttons
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Suite’s menus provide
access to most of the program’s functionality. New Home Designer Suite users are
Next to each menu item is a graphic that encouraged to refer to the User’s
matches a corresponding toolbar button. Guide, which features a series of tutorials
designed to introduce the basics of using the
Toolbar buttons are shortcuts and are often
program, including toolbar buttons.
more convenient to use than menus.
Toolbars can be viewed in Drop - Down or Chapter Contents
Parent - Child arrangement. Drop - Down • Toolbars and Menus
toolbar buttons have an arrow to the right of • Hotkeys
the button that accesses additional tools. If • Home Designer Suite’s Tools
you prefer, you can use Home Designer • Edit Toolbar Buttons
Suite’s Parent - Child toolbar arrangement.
In the Parent - Child toolbar arrangement,
you select a “parent” button to display its
“child” buttons to the right.
13
Toolbars and Menus

Menu items display their corresponding
button images on the left. This may help you
become familiar with the location of both the
menu items and their corresponding toolbar
buttons. Depending on your workflow, you
may find it easier to access some of these
features using the toolbar buttons, while
leaving others off the toolbars completely
and accessing them only through the menus.
Toolbars can be viewed in Drop - Down or Alternatively, you can use Home Designer
Parent - Child arrangement. Drop - Down Suite’s Parent - Child toolbar arrangement.
toolbar buttons have an arrow to the right of In this arrangement, you select a “parent”
the button that accesses additional, related button to display its “child” buttons to the
tools. right. See “Tools Menu” on page 34.
Hotkeys
Many Home Designer Suite tools have a To use a hotkey, simply press the appropriate
keyboard shortcut, or hotkey, associated with key or combination of keys on your keyboard
them. If such a hotkey exists, it will display instead of selecting the menu item or clicking
to the right of the tool’s name in the program the toolbar button. For example, press the
menu. Ctrl and Z keys at the same time to perform
an Undo .
Edit menu items with button icons

to the left and hotkeys to the right
Home Designer Suite’s Tools

Home Designer Suite’s main menu is found an arrow ( ) open submenus. Menu items
under the title bar. Menu items followed by followed by an ellipsis (...) open dialogs.
14
Move the cursor over a menu name to see a You can activate menus at any time using the
brief description in the Status Bar at the keyboard. Press the Alt key and the
bottom of the screen. Press the F1 key to underlined letter in the menu name.
open the Help index to information about
Many menu items have corresponding
that menu item.
toolbar buttons. In the chart below, the
toolbar buttons are shown next to the menu
item they access.
File Menu
The File menu contains items related to
opening, closing, saving, exporting, and
printing files.
Menu Toolbar Keyboard

Effect
Command Button Shortcut
File> New Plan Ctrl + N Create a new plan file. See “Creating a New Plan”
on page 76.
File> Open Plan Ctrl + O Open an existing plan file. See “Opening a Plan
File” on page 80.
File> Search For Search for plans in an existing plan database file
Plans using the Find Plan Wizard. See “Find Plan
Wizard” on page 80.
File> Startup Opens the Startup Options dialog. See “Startup
Options Options” on page 1.
File> Close N/A Ctrl + W Close the current view window. If you close a
plan or layout, you will be prompted to save any
or F4
changes you have made. See “Closing Plans and
Views” on page 81.
File> Close All N/A Close all windows. If you have made any changes
to the file, you will be prompted to save them. See
“Closing Plans and Views” on page 81.
File> Save Ctrl + S Save the current plan or layout file. See “Saving a
Plan File” on page 77.
15

Effect
File> Save As Save the current plan or layout file, and assign file
and path names. See “Save and Save As” on page
78.
File> Export> Shift + F4 Exports a 2D DXF file of the current floor plan
Current View view. See “Exporting 2D DXF Files” on page
(DXF) 385.
File> Export> All Exports a 2D DXF file which includes all floors
Floors ( DXF) in floor plan view. Items of different types or on
different floors are placed on distinct layers. See
“Exporting 2D DXF Files” on page 385.
File> Export> Export a Windows Metafile of the current view.
Metafile(EMF) See “Metafiles” on page 378.
File> Export> Export any view as a picture file. See “Exporting

Picture (BMP, Picture Files” on page 374.
JPG, PNG)
File> Import> Import a picture file (.bmp, .jpg, .png,*.gif, *.tif,
Picture (BMP, or *.pcx) into a floor plan view; layout; or cross
JPG, PNG) section/elevation view. See “Importing Picture
Files” on page 372.
File> Import> Import a Metafile (.emf, .wmf) into a floor plan
Metafile view, layout, or cross section/elevation view. See
(EMF,WMF) “Importing Picture Files” on page 372.
File> Import> Import a graphics file into the My Backdrops
Backdrop folder of the Library Browser. See “Adding
Backdrops to the Library” on page 297.
File> Import> Opens the Import Terrain Wizard. See “Import
Terrain Data Terrain Wizard” on page 249.
File> Import> Opens the Import GPS Data Wizard. See “Import
GPS Data GPS Data Wizard” on page 250.
File> Import> 3D Imports 3D symbols in .obj, .3ds, and .skp

Symbol Data formats. See “Importing 3D Symbols” on page
384.
16

Effect
File> Print> Page Open the Page Setup dialog to assign
Setup properties to the printed page. See “Page Setup
Dialog” on page 396.
File> Print> Scale Adjust the drawing scale to fit the drawing sheet.
to Fit See “Printing to Scale” on page 393.
File> Print> Center the drawing sheet relative to the model.

Center Sheet See “Center Sheet” on page 392.
File> Print> Print Alt + F2 Turn the display of the print preview on or off.
Preview See “Print Preview” on page 392.
File> Print> Print Ctrl + P Open the Print dialog to print your plan or layout
file. See “The Printing Tools” on page 391.
File> Print> Print Print the current view as an image. Used to print a
Image render view or a 3D view showing images, such
as trees. See “Print Image Dialog” on page 399.
File> Print> Print Opens the Print Model dialog allowing you to
Model print plan templates for making a model of your
plan. See “Print Model” on page 394.
File> Print> Clear N/A Clear the printer information associated with the
Printer Info current page setup. See “Clearing Printer
Information” on page 391.
File> Exit N/A Exit from Home Designer Pro. See “Exiting
Home Designer Suite” on page 81.
Names of Plans N/A Only available after opening a plan.
Most Recently
Opened
Edit Menu
The Edit menu lists options for manipulating keyboard option (noted next to the menu
items. Many of these editing options also item).
have a corresponding toolbar button and/or a
17

Effect
Edit> Undo Ctrl + Z Undo the last action performed. The ten most
recent actions can be Undone.
Edit> Redo Ctrl + Y Redo up to ten of the last Undos performed.
Edit> Cut Ctrl + X Delete the selected item and copy it to the
clipboard so it can be pasted elsewhere.
Edit> Copy Ctrl + C Copy the selected item to the clipboard so it

can be pasted elsewhere. The original item is
left unchanged. See “Copying and Pasting
Objects” on page 70.
Edit> Copy Region as Lets you select a region to be saved as a
Picture Windows metafile. You also specify the size of
the file. See “Metafiles” on page 378.
Edit> Paste> Paste Ctrl + V Paste the last item cut or copied. See “Copying
and Pasting Objects” on page 70.
Edit> Paste> Paste Ctrl + Alt + Paste the last item cut or copied to the same
Hold Position V position on the screen. See “Copying and
Pasting Objects” on page 70.
Edit > Paste> Paste Shift + Alt Pastes the last item cut or copied to the
Special +V clipboard, provded it is a file type Chief
Architect recognizes. See “Copying and
Pasting Objects” on page 70.
Edit> Delete Delete Delete the selected object.
Edit> Delete Objects Ctrl + Opens a dialog which allows you to delete
Spacebar items of a particular type in a single room, all
rooms, or throughout a whole plan. See
“Delete Objects Dialog” on page 72.
Edit> Select Objects Spacebar Activate the tool for selecting objects. See
“Selecting Objects” on page 46.
18

Effect
Edit> Snap Settings> F10 Toggles Angle Snaps on and off. See “Angle
Angle Snaps Snaps” on page 45.
Edit> Snap Settings> Ctrl + F9 Toggle Grid Snaps on and off. See “Grid
Grid Snaps Snaps” on page 45.
Edit> Move Area Ctrl + H Select all objects within an area and Move the
entire area by dragging it to a new location.
See “Move Area” on page 48.
Edit> Default Settings Set general parameters for objects and tools
used in a plan. See “Plan Defaults Dialog” on
page 85.
Build Menu
Use the tools on the Build menu to build the more choices. Most Build menu items have
3D model in Home Designer Suite. Each corresponding buttons on the toolbar.
arrow indicates a submenu that offers

Effect
Build> Wall> Straight Shift + Q Draw straight walls using the Exterior wall
Exterior Wall type as defined in the Wall Defaults dialog.
See “Exterior Walls” on page 92.
Build> Wall> Curved Draw a straight wall of the Exterior wall type
Exterior Wall defined in the Wall Defaults dialog. See
“Exterior Walls” on page 92.
Build> Wall> Straight Draw walls using the Interior wall type as
Interior Wall defined in the Wall Defaults dialog. See
“Interior Walls” on page 92.
Build> Wall> Curved Draw a curved interior wall of the type
Interior Wall defined in the Wall Defaults dialog. See
“Interior Walls” on page 92.
Build> Wall> Straight Ctrl + Q Draw railings as defined in the Default
Railing Railing dialog. See “Railings” on page 92.
19

Effect
Build> Wall> Curved Draw a curved as defined in the Default
Railing Railing dialog. See “Railings” on page 92.
Build> Wall> Draw an Invisible wall to define room areas.

Invisible Wall See “Invisible Walls” on page 92.
Build> Wall> Hatch Fill a wall with a hatch pattern. See “Hatch
Wall Wall” on page 93.
Build> Wall> Break Ctrl + B Break a wall into two sections. See “Break
Wall Wall” on page 93.
Build> Decks> Draw a deck defined by straight railings. See

Straight Deck Railing “Deck Railing” on page 93.
Build> Decks> Draw curved deck railing. See “Deck Railing”

Curved Deck Railing on page 93.
Build> Decks> Draw a deck edge with no railing. See “Deck

Straight Deck Edge Edge” on page 97.
Build> Decks> Draw a curved deck edge with no railing. See

Curved Deck Edge “Deck Edge” on page 97.
Build Decks> Polygon Open the New Regular Polygon Shaped

Shaped Deck Deck dialog and define the specifications for
a regular polygonal deck. See “Polygon
Shaped Decks” on page 96.
Build> Fencing> Draw a straight fence. See “The Fencing
Straight Fencing Tools” on page 93.
Build> Fencing> Draw curved fencing. See “The Fencing

Curved Fencing Tools” on page 93.
Build> Door> Hinged Shift + E Place a hinged door into a wall. See “Hinged
Door Doors” on page 128.
Build> Door> Place a doorway into a wall. See “Doorways”

Doorway on page 129.
20

Effect
Build> Door> Sliding Place a sliding door into a wall. See “Sliding
Build> Door> Pocket Place a pocket door into a wall. See “Pocket
Build> Door> Bifold Place a bifold door into a wall. See “Bifold
Build> Door> Garage Place a garage door into a wall. See “Garage
Build> Window> Shift + W Place a window as defined in the Window

Window Defaults dialog. See “Standard Windows”
on page 144.
Build> Window> Bay Place a bay window into a wall. See “Bay
Window Windows” on page 144.
Build> Window> Box Place a box window into a wall. See “Box
Build> Window> Bow Place a bow window into a wall. See “Bow
Build> Floor> Build Shift + X Create a new floor in your plan. See “Adding
New Floor Floors” on page 161.
Build> Floor> Delete Delete the current floor. The floor above
Current Floor moves down to take the place of the current
floor. See “Deleting Floors” on page 161.
Build> Floor> Build Ctrl + F Create a foundation level. See “Building a
Foundation Foundation” on page 166.
Build> Floor> Delete Delete the current foundation. See “Deleting

Foundation Foundations” on page 168.
Build> Roof> Build Ctrl + R Specify settings for automatic roof generation
Roof in the Build Roof dialog. See “Build Roof
21

Effect
Build> Roof> Create a closed polyline within a roof plane
Skylight that will be defined as a skylight. See
“Skylights” on page 172.
Build> Roof> Dormer Place a dormer onto a roof plane. See
“Dormer” on page 177.
Build> Roof> Delete Delete the roof. See “Delete Roof” on page
Roof 172.
Build> Trim> Corner Click in floor plan view to place corner

Boards boards. See “Corner Boards” on page 212.
Build> Trim> Quoins Click in floor plan view to place quoins. See
“Quoins” on page 213.
Build> Stairs> Shift + Y Drag to create an UP stair. Hold the Alt key
Straight Stairs and drag to create a DOWN stair. See “Stair
Tools” on page 188.
Build> Stairs> Click Build a set of stairs with a single mouse click.
Stairs See “Click Stairs” on page 188.
Build> Stairs> Curve Place stairs that curve to the left. See “Stair
to Left Tools” on page 188.
Build> Stairs> Curve Place stairs that curve to the right. See “Stair
to Right Tools” on page 188.
Build> Cabinet> Base Shift + T Place a base cabinet as defined in the Base
Cabinet Cabinet Defaults dialog. See “Base
Cabinets” on page 216.
Build> Cabinet> Wall Ctrl + T Place a wall cabinet as defined in the Wall
Cabinet Cabinet Defaults dialog. See “Wall
Cabinets” on page 216.
Build> Cabinet> Full Place a full height or pantry cabinet as defined
Height in the Full Height Cabinet Defaults dia-
log. See “Full Height Cabinets” on page 216.
Build> Cabinet> T Place a soffit. See “Soffits” on page 216.
Soffit
22

Effect
Build> Cabinet> Place a shelf used in a closet. See “Shelves”
Shelf on page 217.
Build> Cabinet> Place a vertical partition. See “Partitions” on

Partition page 217.
Build> Fireplace Create a free-standing or built-in masonry

fireplace. See “Fireplaces” on page 271.
Build> Electrical> Place 110V outlets. See “Outlets” on page

110V Outlet 206.
Build> Electrical> Place 220V outlets. See “Auto Place Outlets”

220V Outlet on page 207.
Build> Electrical> Place default lights on walls or ceiling as

Light defined in the Electrical Defaults dialog.
See “Lights” on page 206.
Build> Electrical> Place switches in walls or cabinets as defined
Switch in the Electrical Defaults dialog. See
“Switches” on page 206.
Build> Electrical> Automatically place outlets in room. See
Auto Place Outlets “Outlets” on page 206.
Build> Electrical> Connect electrical items into circuits. See

Connect Electrical “Connect Electrical” on page 207.
Build> Image> Open the Image Specification dialog that

Create Image allows you to import an image. See “Creating
Images” on page 375.
Terrain Menu
The Terrain menu contains tools for creating
terrain and landscaping.
23

Effect
Terrain> Create Create a rectangular polyline terrain
Terrain Perimeter perimeter. See “Terrain Perimeter” on page
232.
Terrain> Build Model terrain based on elevation data you
Terrain provide using points, lines and splines. See
“Building the Terrain” on page 241.
Terrain> Elevation Place elevation points containing data in floor
Data> Elevation Point plan view. See “Editing Terrain Objects” on
page 241.
Terrain> Elevation Draw a line containing elevation data. See
Data> Elevation Line “Editing Terrain Objects” on page 241.
Terrain> Elevation Draw a polyline to create a region of constant

Data> Flat Region elevation. See “Elevation Data Tools” on page
232.
Terrain> Modifier> Draw a polyline to create a raised region. See
Raised Region “Terrain Modifier Tools” on page 235.
Terrain> Modifier> Draw a polyline to create a lowered region.

Lowered Region See “Terrain Modifier Tools” on page 235.
Terrain> Modifier> Draw a polyline to create a hill. See “Terrain

Hill Modifier Tools” on page 235.
Terrain> Modifier> Draw a polyline to create a valley. See

Valley “Terrain Modifier Tools” on page 235.
Terrain> Feature> Draw a polyline to create a terrain feature. See

Rectangular Feature “Terrain Feature Tools” on page 236.
Terrain> Feature> Draw a spline to create a terrain feature. See

Round Feature “Terrain Feature Tools” on page 236.
Terrain> Feature> Draw a kidney-shaped terrain feature. See

Kidney Shaped “Terrain Feature Tools” on page 236.
Feature
Terrain> Feature> Draw a terrain hole polyline. See “Terrain
Terrain Hole Feature Tools” on page 236.
24

Effect
Terrain> Garden Draw a polyline garden bed. See “Garden Bed
Bed> Polyline Garden Tools” on page 238.
Bed
Terrain> Garden Draw a round garden bed. See “Garden Bed
Bed> Round Garden Tools” on page 238.
Bed
Terrain> Garden Draw a kidney shaped garden bed. See
Bed> Kidney Shaped “Garden Bed Tools” on page 238.
Garden Bed
Terrain> Water Draw a round pond. See “Water Feature
Features> Round Tools” on page 239.
Pond
Terrain> Water Draw a kidney shaped pond. See “Water
Features> Kidney Feature Tools” on page 239.
Shaped Pond
Terrain> Water Draw a stream. See “Water Feature Tools” on
Features> Stream page 239.
Terrain> Stepping Draw a polyline stepping stone. See “Stepping

Stones> Polyline Stone Tools” on page 239.
Stepping Stone
Terrain> Stepping Draw a round stepping stone. See “Stepping
Stones> Round Stone Tools” on page 239.
Stepping Stone
Terrain> Walls and Draw a straight terrain wall. See “Terrain Wall
Curbs> Straight and Curb Tools” on page 240.
Terrain Wall
Terrain> Walls and Draw a curved terrain wall. See “Terrain Wall
Curbs> Spline and Curb Tools” on page 240.
Terrain Wall
Terrain> Walls and Draw a straight retaining wall. See “Retaining
Curbs> Straight Walls” on page 240.
Retaining Wall
Terrain> Walls and Draw a curved retaining wall. See “Retaining
Curbs> Curved Walls” on page 240.
Retaining Wall
25

Effect
Terrain> Walls and Draw a straight curb. See “Terrain Wall and
Curbs> Straight Curb Tools” on page 240.
Terrain Curb
Terrain> Walls and Draw a curved curb. See “Terrain Wall and
Curbs> Spline Curb Tools” on page 240.
Terrain Curb
Terrain> Roads and Draw a road. See “Straight Road” on page
Sidewalks> Straight 264.
Road
Terrain> Roads and Draw a road with smooth curves. See “Spline
Sidewalks> Spline Road” on page 264
Road
Terrain> Roads and Draw a straight sidewalk. See “Straight
Sidewalks> Straight Sidewalk” on page 264
Sidewalk
Terrain> Roads and Draw a curved sidewalk. See “Spline
Sidewalks> Spline Sidewalk” on page 264.
Sidewalk
Terrain> Roads and Create a driveway. See“Driveway” on page
Sidewalks> Driveway 264.
Terrain> Roads and Create a parking lot. See“Parking Lot” on

Sidewalks> Parking page 265.
Lot
Terrain> Plant> Plant Search for plants using the Plant Chooser
Chooser dialog. See “Plant Chooser Dialog” on page
260.
Terrain> Plant> Opens the Plant Image Specification
Create Plant Image dialog where you can create a plant image.
See “Plant Image Specification Dialog” on
page 256.
Terrain> Plant> Display a collection of plant hardiness zone
Show Hardiness maps. See “Hardiness Zones” on page 255.
Zones
26
Library Menu
The Library menu contains items that allow
you to work with the Library Browser.

Effect
Library> Library Ctrl + L Open the Library Browser. See “The Library
Browser Browser” on page 277.
Library> Library Open the Library Search dialog. See

Search “Library Search Dialog” on page 280.
Library> Refresh Refresh the Library Browser to display newly

Library Browser added library items. See “Refresh Library
Browser” on page 298.
Library> Restore N/A Resets default position of Library Browser.
Position/Size Defaults See “Docking the Library Browser” on page
279.
Library> New> N/A Create a new library in the selected category.
Library See “Adding to the Library” on page 296.
Library> New> N/A Available when an unlocked library or folder
Folder is selected in the Library Browser. Creates a
new library folder. See “The Library Browser”
on page 277.
Library> New> Available when an unlocked Materials library
Material is selected. Opens the Define Material
dialog, allowing you to add a new material.
See “Define Material Dialog” on page 306.
Library> New> N/A Available when an unlocked Images library is
Image selected. Add a new image to the library. See
“Creating Images” on page 375.
Library> New> Plant N/A Opens the Image Specification dialog,
Image allowing you to create a new image that can
be added to the library. The Library Browser
must be open and an unlocked folder selected.
See “Adding to the Library” on page 296.
27
Library> Expand All N/A Expand all folders located in a selected library
subcategory. See “Expand/Collapse All” on
page 295.
Library> Collapse All N/A Collapse all folders located in a selected
library subcategory. See “Expand/Collapse
All” on page 295.
Library> Open Open the specification dialog for the selected
material, image or symbol in the library. See
“Library Object Specification Dialog” on page
286.
3D Menu
The 3D menu controls most information
related to the 3D views.

Effect
3D> Create Camera Shift + J Create a camera view from floor plan view.
View> Full Camera See “3D View Tools” on page 318.
3D> Create Camera Create a camera view of the current floor only.
View> Floor Camera See “3D View Tools” on page 318.
3D> Create Camera Create a glass house camera view. See “Glass
View> Glass House House View” on page 329.
Camera
3D> Create Camera Shift + K Create an overview of the entire model,
View> Full Overview including ceilings and roofs. See “3D View
Tools” on page 318”.
3D> Create Camera Create an overview of the curent floor,
View> Doll House without ceilings or roofs. See “3D View
View Tools” on page 318.
3D> Create Camera Create a rendering of an entire model showing
View> Framing only framing. Build framing before using this
Overview view. See “3D View Tools” on page 318.
28
3D> Create Camera Shift + H Create a cross section view of an entire model
View> Cross Section/ when used inside the model, or an exterior
Elevation elevation view of the entire model when used
outside the model. See “Cross Section/
Elevation Views” on page 322.
3D> Edit Active Opens the current view for specification. See
Camera “Camera Specification Dialog” on page 332.
3D> Move Camera Alt + O Allows you to rotate the camera around the
With Mouse> Mouse- current camera focal point. See “Move
Orbit Camera Camera with Mouse” on page 325.
3D> Move Camera Alt + P Allows you to move the camera up, down, left
With Mouse> Mouse- and right. See “Move Camera with Mouse” on
Pan Camera page 325.
3D> Move Camera Alt + D Allows you to move the camera forward,
With Mouse> Mouse- backward, left and right. See “Move Camera
Dolly Camera with Mouse” on page 325.
3D> Move Camera Alt + T Allows you to tilt the camera in any direction
With Mouse> Mouse- while staying in the same location. See “Move
Tilt Camera Camera with Mouse” on page 325.
3D> Move Camera Allows you to focus the camera at a particular
With Mouse> 3D point in the scene. See “Move Camera with
Center Camera on Mouse” on page 325.
Point
3D> Move Camera N/A Allows you to rotate the camera using the
With Arrow Keys> arrow keys on your keyboard. See “Move
Arrow-Orbit Camera Camera Tools” on page 325.
3D> Move Camera N/A Allows you to pan the camera up, down, left
With Arrow Keys> and right using the arrow keys on your
Arrow-Pan Camera keyboard. See “Move Camera Tools” on page
325.
3D> Move Camera N/A Allows you to move the camera forward,
With Arrow Keys> backward, left and right using the arrow keys
Arrow-Dolly Camera on your keyboard. See “Move Camera Tools”
on page 325.
3D> Move Camera N/A Allows you to tilt the camera while staying in
With Arrow Keys> the same location using the arrow keys on
Arrow-Tilt Camera your keyboard. See “Tilt Camera Tools” on
page 326.
29
3D> Move Camera> F Move the camera one step forward while
Move Camera maintaining the same line of sight.
Forward
3D> Move Camera> B Move the camera one step backward while
Move Camera maintaining the same line of sight.
Backward
3D> Move Camera> L Move the camera one step to the left while
Move Camera Left maintaining the same line of sight.
3D> Move Camera> R Move the camera one step to the right while
Move Camera Right maintaining the same line of sight.
3D> Move Camera> U Raise the camera vertically in space while

Move Camera Up maintaining the same line of sight.
3D> Move Camera> D Lower the camera vertically in space while

Move Camera Down maintaining the same line of sight.
3D> Orbit Camera> I Move the position of the camera closer to the
Move Camera In focal point along the line of sight.
3D> Orbit Camera> O Move the position of the camera away from
Move Camera Out the focal point along the line of sight.
3D> Orbit Camera> Rotate the camera up around its focal point.
Orbit Camera
Upward
3D> Orbit Camera> Rotate camera down around its focal point.
Orbit Camera
Downward
3D> Orbit Camera> Rotate the camera to the left around its focal
Orbit Camera Left point.
3D> Orbit Camera> Rotate the camera to the right around its focal
Orbit Camera Right point.
3D> Tilt Camera> Tilt the camera upward while keeping it in the
Tilt Camera Upward same location.
30
3D> Tilt Camera> Tilt the camera downward while keeping it in

Tilt Camera the same location.
Downward
3D> Tilt Camera> Turn the camera toward the left while staying
Turn Camera Left in the same location.
3D> Tilt Camera> Turn the camera toward the right while
Turn Camera Right staying in the same location.
3D> Walkthroughs> Play back a previously recorded walkthrough

Play Walkthrough “movie”. See “Walkthroughs” on page 381.
3D> Walkthroughs> Record a walkthrough “movie” in .avi format.

Record Walkthrough See “Walkthroughs” on page 381.
3D> Walkthroughs> Stop recording a walkthrough movie. See

Stop Recording “Walkthroughs” on page 381.
3D> Walkthroughs> Create a walkthrough that follows the path of

Record Walkthrough a selected polyline or spline. See
Along Path “Walkthroughs” on page 381.
3D> Materials> Change a material definition by clicking on a
Adjust Material surface. See “Adjust Material Definition” on
Definition page 304.
3D> Materials> Allows you to paint a material onto objects.
Material Painter> See “The Material Painter” on page 300.
Material Painter
3D> Materials> Allows you to paint a material onto all objects
Material Painter> of the same material on the same layer. See
Material Painter “The Material Painter” on page 300.
Component Mode
3D> Materials> Allows you to paint a material onto a single
Material Painter> object. See “The Material Painter” on page
Material Painter 300.
Object Mode
Material Painter> of the same material in a room. See “The
Material Painter Material Painter” on page 300.
Room Mode
31

Material Painter> of the same material on a floor. See “The
Material Painter Material Painter” on page 300.
Floor Mode
Material Painter> of the same material in a plan. See “The
Material Painter Plan Material Painter” on page 300
Mode
3D> Materials> Create a new material by blending a solid
Material Painter> color with a textured and/or patterned
Blend Colors With material. See “Blending Materials” on page
Materials 305.
3D> Materials> Load the materials applied to the surfaces of
Material Eyedropper other objects. See “Material Eyedropper” on
page 302.
3D> Lighting> Adjust Adjust the properties of the Sun Light within
Sunlight the plan. See “Default Sun Light” on page
332.
3D> Lighting> Toggle Turn on or off the light source that represents
Sunlight the sun to simulate day vs. night exterior
views. See “Working in 3D” on page 319.
3D> Final View Redraw a view with the Final View settings.
3D> Final View with Redraw a view with the Final View with
Shadows Shadows.
3D> Glass House Turn the Glass House feature on or off. See
Mode “Glass House View” on page 329.
3D> Glass House Adjust the Glass House options. See “Glass
Options House View” on page 329.
3D> Cross Section Open the Cross Section Slider dialog. See
Slider “Cross Section Slider” on page 334.
3D> Toggle Textures Turn on or off the display of material textures

in Render Views. See “3D View Tools” on
page 318.
32
3D> Toggle Low Toggle between low and high detail 3D view.
Detail Mode See “Low Detail Display” on page 330.
3D> Rebuild 3D Rebuilds the entire 3D model. See “Rebuild

3D” on page 323.
3D> 3D Backdrop Ctrl + 1 Specify what displays behind the model in 3D

views. See “3D Backdrop Dialog” on page
334.
CAD Menu
The CAD menu is used to access the CAD
tools. Most of these menu items are also
accessible from the CAD toolbar.

Description
CAD> CAD> Draw W Click and drag to create lines. See “Draw
Line Lines” on page 354.
CAD> CAD> Draw Draw a CAD line with an arrowhead. See

Line With Arrow “Draw Lines” on page 354.
CAD> CAD> Draw Shift + P Draw a closed rectangular polyline. See

Polyline “Draw Polyline” on page 354.
CAD> CAD> Draw Draw a resizable box. See “Draw Box” on

Box page 354.
CAD> CAD> Draw E Draw an arc by dragging along the desired

Arc curve. See “Draw Arc” on page 354.
CAD> CAD> Draw K Click and drag to draw a circle. See “Draw
Circle Circle” on page 354.
CAD> CAD> Draw Draw an oval. See “Ovals” on page 355.

Oval
CAD> CAD> Draw Draw an ellipse. See “Ellipses” on page 355.

Ellipse
33

Description
CAD> CAD> Draw Click this button and drag from end to end
Spline to draw a smooth curve passing through the
points. See “Splines” on page 355.
CAD> Dimension Single click to draw a dimension line. Dou-
Lines> Manual ble-click to open the Dimension
Dimension Defaults dialog. See “Manual
Dimensions” on page 338.
CAD> Dimension Click to draw inside room dimensions. See
Lines> Interior “Interior Dimensions” on page 338.
Dimension
CAD> Dimension Shift + A Automatically generate exterior dimensions as
Lines> Auto Exterior defined in Dimension Defaults dialog.
Dimensions See “Auto Exterior Dimensions” on page
338.
CAD> Text> Text Y Click on screen to add text. See “Creating
Text” on page 346.
CAD> Text> Text Click on screen to add text with an arrow.

with Arrow See “Draw Lines” on page 354.
CAD> Text> Text Alt + A Click and drag to draw a text line with an
Line with Arrow arrow. See “Text Arrows” on page 347.
Tools Menu
The Tools menu offers various tools for
dimensions, text, manipulating reference
floors, and modifying toolbars.

Effect
Tools> Display ‘ Open the Layer Display Options dialog to
Settings> Display control the display of items in 2D and 3D
Options views as well as the materials list. See
“Display Options Dialog” on page 87.
34

Effect
Tools> Display F5 Redraw the current window to clean up extra
Settings>Refresh lines, show missing items, and correct
Display random effects caused by changes to a model.
If something displays incorrectly or
incompletely, refreshing the display often
corrects the problem.
Tools> Display F8 Toggle the color on or off. See “Color On/
Settings> Color On/ Off” on page 323.
Off
Tools> Display N/A Specify the background color in floor plan
Settings> Set view. See “Set Background Color” on page
Background Color 86.
Tools> Display Turn on/off crosshairs that center on the
Settings> Show mouse pointer. This setting affects all plans
Crosshairs and is retained when the program is closed.
Tools> Display Shift + F9 Toggles the Reference Grid on and off. See
Settings> Display “Plan Defaults Dialog” on page 85.
Reference Grid
Tools> Reference N/A Ctrl + Shift Define the working floor and the reference
Floors> Change +G plan. See “Reference Floor” on page 162.
Floor/Reference
Tools> Reference Shift + N Moves the current floor plan or 3D view up.
Floors> Up One Floor See “Floor Up/ Floor Down” on page 162.
Tools> Reference Shift + M Moves the current floor plan or 3D view one
Floors> Down One floor down. See “Floor Up/ Floor Down” on
Floor page 162.
Tools> Reference F9 Superimpose the plan of another floor over
Floors> Reference the current floor. See “Reference Display” on
Display page 162.
Tools> Reference Opens the Layer Display Options dialog
Floors> Reference to the Reference Display layer set. See
Display Options “Layers” on page 87.
35

Effect
Tools> Reference Switch so that the reference plan becomes the
Floors> Swap Floor/ working plan, and the working plan becomes
Reference the reference plan. See “Swap Floor/
Reference” on page 163.
Tools> Plan Check Checks for some very basic code compliance
issues in the floor plan. Best used when your
floor plan is near completion. See “Plan
Check” on page 367.
Tools> Toolbars> N/A Choose drop-down toolbar mode. The most
Drop Down Toolbars recently used tool in the drop-down will
display on the toolbar.
Tools> Toolbars> N/A Choose parent - child toolbar mode. Clicking
Parent - Child the parent toolbar button will display the
Toolbars family of tools to the right.
Tools> House Open the House Wizard that leads you
Wizard> Start House through the steps to quickly lay out a floor
Wizard plan. See “House Wizard” on page 365.
Tools> House Build a 3D model of a house based on the
Wizard> Build House organization of Room Boxes that you
defined. Must be done for each floor of the
building. See “House Wizard” on page 365.
Tools> House Turn the display of Room Boxes on and off .
Wizard> Hide Room Room Boxes normally display when they are
Boxes created and hidden after using the Build
House tool. See “House Wizard” on page
365.
Tools> House Place a bathroom. See “House Wizard” on
Wizard> Bathroom page 365.
Tools> House Place a bedroom. See “House Wizard” on
Wizard> Bedroom page 365.
Tools> House Place a closet. See “House Wizard” on page

Wizard> Closet 365.
Tools> House Place a deck. See “House Wizard” on page

Wizard> Deck 365.
36

Effect
Tools> House Place a dining room. See “House Wizard” on
Wizard> Dining page 365.
Room
Tools> House Place an entry. See “House Wizard” on page
Wizard> Entry 365.
Tools> House Place a family room. See “House Wizard” on

Wizard> Family page 365.
Room
Tools> House Place a garage. See “House Wizard” on page
Wizard> Garage 365.
Tools> House Place a hallway. See “House Wizard” on page

Wizard> Hallway 365.
Tools> House Place a kitchen. See “House Wizard” on page

Wizard> Kitchen 365.
Tools> House Place a laundry room. See “House Wizard”

Wizard> Laundry on page 365.
Room
Tools> House Place a living room. See “House Wizard” on
Wizard> Living page 365.
Room
Tools> House Place a master bedroom. See “House Wizard”
Wizard> Master on page 365.
Bedroom
Tools> House Place an office. See “House Wizard” on page
Wizard> Office 365.
Tools> House Place a porch. See “House Wizard” on page

Wizard> Porch 365.
Tools> House Place a stairway. See “House Wizard” on
Wizard> Stair page 365.
Tools> House Place a stairwell. See “House Wizard” on

Wizard> Stairwell page 365.
37

Effect
Tools> Materials Generate a materials list for all floors. See
List> Calculate From “Calculate From All Floors” on page 402.
All Floors
Tools> Materials Draw a rectangle around an area to generate a
List> Calculate From materials list for that area. See “Calculate
Area From Area” on page 403.
Tools> Materials Select a room, then this menu option to
List> Calculate From generate a materials list for the selected room.
Room See “Calculate From Room” on page 403.
Tools> Loan Opens the Loan Calculator dialog. See
Calculator “Loan Calculator” on page 368.
Tools> Reverse Plan Reverse your entire plan as though reflected

about a vertical line. See “Reverse Plan” on
page 69.
Tools> Design Launches the Better Homes and Gardens
Planning Center Design Planning Center.
Tools> Design Launches the Better Homes and Gardens

Inspiration Gallery Design Inspiration Gallery.
Window Menu
The Window menu determines what window these menu items are common to other
is active and defines how it appears. Some of Windows programs.

Effect
Window> Zoom Shift + Z Zoom in on a defined area. See “Zoom Tools”
on page 312.
Window> Zoom In + (Num Zoom in to center of screen by 2x. See “Zoom

Lock on) Tools” on page 312. Use the numeric keypad
for the keyboard shortcut.
38

Effect
Window> Zoom Out - (Num Move back to include twice as much of your
Lock on) plan or view. See “Zoom Tools” on page 312.
Use the numeric keypad for the keyboard
shortcut
Window> Undo Undo the previous zoom. See “Undo Zoom”
Zoom on page 312.
Window> Fill Zoom so that all walls are visible in the

Window Building current window. See “Fill Window Building
Only Only” on page 313.
Window> Fill F6 Show the entire plan in the current window,
Window including the terrain perimeter and drawing
sheet. See “Fill Window” on page 312.
Window> Pan Pan the current window without changing the
Window zoom factor. See “Panning the Display” on
page 313.
Window> Cascade Shift + F5 A standard Windows option that displays all
open views in a row, each slightly offset from
the others. See “Cascade” on page 314.
Window> Tile Display views tiled one above the other. See
Horizontally “Tiling Views” on page 314.
Window> Tile Shift + F6 Display views tiled left to right. See “Tiling
Vertically Views” on page 314.
Window> Arrange A standard Windows option that lines up the

Icons icons of minimized views in a row. See
“Arrange Icons” on page 315.
Window> Next Ctrl + Tab Cycles through the open views in the order
Window that they appear on the bottom of the
Windows menu. See “Window Menu Tools”
on page 314.
Window> Previous Ctrl + Shift Cycles backwards through the open views in
Window + Tab the order that they appear on the bottom of the
Windows menu. See “Window Menu Tools”
on page 314.
39

Effect
Names of Open Views N/A Select an view from this list. The view with a
check next to it is the active view.
Help Menu
The Help menu is an extremely useful but Help without resorting to other resources.
often underused resource. You can get The Help menu also provides important
assistance for most topics from the Online customer information.

Effect
Help> Contents and Open the Online Help index and show an
Index outline of all the help information. See
“Getting Help” on page 11.
Help> Current Mode N/A F1 Display information specific to the current
mode or tool. The F1 function key accesses
this same information, but is more flexible
since it can access information specific to any
toolbar button or menu item the pointer is held
above. Most dialogs also have a Help button
that accesses information related to their func-
tions. See “Getting Help” on page 11.
Help> View User’s N/A Open the User’s Guide PDF using Acrobat
Guide Reader. See “Getting Help” on page 11.
Help> View Open the Reference Manual PDF using
Reference Manual Acrobat Reader. See “Getting Help” on page
11.
Help> View Training N/A Launch the Home Designer Suite training
Videos videos. See “Tutorial Videos” on page 414.
Help> Visit Better N/A Launches your default web browser to the
Homes and Gardens Home Designer web site.
Web Site
Help> Visit Home Open the Home Designer Web page using
Designer Web Site your default Web browser. See “Getting Help”
on page 11.
40

Effect
Help> Upgrade to N/A Launches your default Web browser to the
Chief Architect Chief Architect Web site, www.chiefarchi-
tect.com.
Help> Download N/A Open to the Program Updates section of the
Program Updates Home Designer Web site. See “Program
Updates” on page 11.
Help> Download N/A Download bonus library items from the Home
Bonus Content Designer website. See “Bonus Libraries” on
page 298.
Help> HomeTalk N/A Launch your default Web browser to
HomeTalk.HomeDesignerSoftware.com.
Help> Technical N/A Opens the Home Designer Suite Help system
Support with information about contacting the
Technical Support department.
Help> Reset Message N/A Restores warning and information message
Boxes boxes suppressed using the “Don’t Show this
Message Again” checkbox.
Help> About Home N/A Open the About dialog to view the registered
Designer Suite owner’s name, the serial number, and the
program’s version number and release date.
Contact information is shown on the More
Info tab.
Edit Toolbar Buttons

Edit toolbar buttons only display when one
or more objects are selected. Various edit Accurate Move - Select an object,
buttons are available, depending on the then click this button to move it with
object(s) currently selected. more accuracy. See “Accurate
Move” on page 66.
Right-click on an object to open a contextual
menu that lists the same options as the edit Auto Stairwell - Select a staircase
toolbar. and click this button to create a
stairwell. See “Creating a Stairwell
Automatically” on page 198.
41
Break Line - Single click (or press 3 Explode Architectural Block -

on the keyboard) then click a Click to explode the selected
selected item to add a joint-type architectural block into its individual
break. Double-click and then click parts. See “Architectural Blocks” on
selected item to completely sever the page 289.
line. See “Break Line” on page 68. Gable Over Door/Window - Place
Center Object - Center an object a gable over a door or window. See
along a wall or relative to a cabinet “Placing a Gable Over a Window”
fixture. See “Center Object” on page on page 146.
66. Open Object - Open the selected
Change Line/Arc - Turns the line object’s specification dialog. See
into an arc or the arc into a line. See “Specification Dialogs” on page 7.
“Change Line/Arc” on page 69. Paste Hold Position - Paste a copy
Change Opening/Hinge Side - of the selection at the same
Change the side of a selected door coordinates as the original but on
that the hinges are on. See another floor. See “Paste Hold
“Changing Door Swings” on page Position” on page 71.
132. Record Walkthrough Along Path -
Change Swing Side - Change the Available on a selected polyline to
direction that a selected door record a walthrough movie of your
swings. See “Changing Door model along the defined path.
Swings” on page 132. Select Next Object - When many
Copy/Paste - Click or press Ctrl + objects are located in a small area,
Alt + C to make a single copy of the select one of them and click this edit
selected object(s) and enable Paste button until the desired object is
mode. See “Copying and Pasting selected. See “Select Next Object”
Objects” on page 70. on page 47.
Delete - Click to delete the selected Starter Tread - Round one of the
object(s). See “Deleting Objects” on bottom two treads of a staircase.
page 72. Must select the staircase at one of
Delete Gable Over Opening - the two bottom treads. See “Starter
Select a window or door with a Treads” on page 195.
gable above it and click this button Sticky Mode - Available after some
to delete the gable when roofs are edit buttons are clicked. Click to
built. See “Gable Over Door/ keep the selected edit mode active
Window” on page 180. and make multiple edit operations.
42
Chapter 3:
Editing Objects
Introduction
Home Designer Training Video: Plac- Chapter Contents
ing, Selecting and Editing Objects • Architectural vs CAD Objects
In Home Designer Suite, a variety of • Snap Behaviors
architectural and CAD-based objects are • Angle Snaps
used to create complete 3D models and • Grid Snaps
working drawings. • Creating Objects
• Selecting Objects
Although these objects are sometimes very • Editing Line Based Objects
different from one another, the methods used • Editing Arc Based Objects
to move, rotate, resize and otherwise edit • Editing Open Polyline Based Objects
them are similar throughout the program. • Editing Closed-Polyline Based Objects
Edit handles allow objects to be resized, • Editing Box-Based Objects
relocated, or rotated using the mouse. Edit • Editing Spline Based Objects
toolbar buttons and the contextual menus • Editing Circles, Ovals and Ellipses
access edit tools relevant to the selected • Architectural Blocks
object(s). Most objects have a specification • Displaying Objects
dialog that allows you to edit it in ways that • Moving Objects
are specific to that type of object. • Aligning Objects
• Resizing Objects
The editing characteristics common to most • Reshaping Objects
objects are described in this chapter. Unique, • Rotating Objects
object-specific editing behaviors and the • Copying and Pasting Objects
specification dialogs are covered in their • Deleting Objects
respective chapters.
43
Architectural vs CAD Objects

Home Designer Training Video: CAD and overviews. See “The CAD Drawing
Objects Tools” on page 354.
There are two broad categories of objects in In contrast, architectural objects such as
Home Designer Suite: architectural objects walls, cabinets, doors, windows, and stairs
and CAD objects. display in 2D and 3D views.
CAD objects such as lines, arcs, and text are Some architectural objects, such as custom
2D objects that can be created and edited in countertops and slabs, have some behaviors
floor plan view and cross section/elevation in common with CAD objects and are
views but do not display in 3D camera views referred to as CAD-based.
Snap Behaviors
There are three categories of snap behavior You can select Edit> Snap Settings to
in Home Designer Suite: quickly turn Angle Snaps and Grid Snaps on
• Object Snaps, which snap CAD and or off.
architectural objects to other objects. To temporarily disable Snap Behaviors and
• Angle Snaps, which snap objects at other move restrictions, press the Ctrl key
specific angles. while dragging an edit handle. See “Moving
• Grid Snaps, which snap objects to
points on a grid.
Object Snaps
Object Snaps allow you to position objects • Object center points
precisly relative to each other; for example, • Object quadrant points
to position lines so that their endpoints meet.
• Intersection points where an object drawn
There are many locations on an object that at an allowed angle meets another object.
other objects can snap to.
In addition, On Object snapping occurs
• Object endpoints and corners anywhere on an object’s edges and is most
• The midpoints of object edges noticeable when Angle and Grid Snaps are
turned off.
44
Angle Snaps
It is often important that objects be priority to all other Object Snaps. If a valid
drawn at exact angles. This can be Object Snap exists, the program uses that
accomplished using Angle Snaps. instead of an Angle Snap. Sometimes both
Angle Snaps and Object Snaps apply.
Angle Snaps allow you to draw lines, walls,
and other objects at angles in 7.5 degree For example, suppose a line is drawn at 15
increments. Angle Snaps also affect the way degrees using Angle Snaps and another line
objects rotate, the radius of arcs, and a is approached. You can draw the new line at
variety of other operations. 15 degrees while using Intersection Snaps
to snap to a point on the existing line.
Angle Snaps can be turned on or off by
selecting Edit> Snap Settings> Angle
Use both object
Snaps . snapping and
angle snapping to
Angle Snaps and create a 15-degree
Object Snaps line that intersects
an existing line
Angle Snaps have a higher priority than Grid
Snaps and On Object Snaps, but a lower
Grid Snaps
Grid Snaps allow you to snap to points guidelines. See “Plan Defaults Dialog” on
on an on-screen grid. The display and page 85.
size of this Snap Grid can be controlled in the
Plan Defaults dialog. See “Plan Defaults Grid Snaps and Angle Snaps
Of the three snap behaviors, Grid Snaps have
Grid Snaps are turned on and off by selecting the lowest priority and are overridden by
Edit> Snap Settings>Grid Snaps or in Angle Snaps and Object Snaps.
the Plan Defaults dialog. See “Plan Grid snaps can work well with Angle Snaps.
Defaults Dialog” on page 85. For example, if the grid Snap Unit is set to
There are two grids in Home Designer Suite. 12" (1 foot), drawing a new line at an
The Reference Grid is not used for snapping allowed angle snaps the line length to 0",
and is provided to give you a visual sense of 12", 24", and so on. See “Plan Defaults
scale. The reference grid is useful for Dialog” on page 85.
zooming in and out, or for general layout
45
To draw a line or wall at an Allowed

Angle but with unrestricted length, dis-
able Grid Snaps and leave Angle Snaps on.
Creating Objects
In Home Designer Suite, there are three ways objects are created by clicking and dragging
to create objects: by clicking to place an to define either a path or an enclosed area.
object, by clicking and dragging to draw an Select a tool, then click and drag in the
object or by importing custom symbols, drawing area to draw an object between your
drawings, pictures or images. start and end points.
Continue drawing the selected object until
Clicking another tool is selected.
Many objects, including doors and windows, You can cancel any click-and-drag drawing
cabinets, library symbols, terrain objects, operation before it is completed by pressing
text, pictures and images are created by the Esc key on your keyboard, or by pressing
clicking. Select a tool or library object, or any two mouse buttons at the same time.
import a custom symbol, picture or image,
then click in the drawing area to place the
Importing Objects
object at that location.
Pictures, images, drawings and custom
Continue clicking to place the selected object
symbols can be imported into the program
until another tool is selected.
and placed in the drawing area with a click.
See “Importing & Exporting” on page 383.
Clicking and Dragging
Other objects, including walls and railings,
straight stairs, and CAD and CAD-based
Selecting Objects
“Select” refers to selecting an object for lines representing the selected edge or
editing. An object must be selected before it surface. The size of the edit handles does not
can be edited. change as you zoom in or out. To prevent
them from stacking on one another, some
In order for an object to be selected, it must
edit handles may not display as you zoom
be visible in the current view. See
away from the selected object.
“Displaying Objects” on page 88.
When an object is selected, its edit toolbar
When an object is selected, it displays edit
also displays, typically on the upper left side
handles and in 3D views will also display
46
of the Home Designer Suite program Selected Edge

window. See “The Edit Toolbar” on page 6.
When you click on a polyline or CAD-based
Information about the selected object or object, the edge that you click nearest
objects may also display in the Status Bar. becomes the selected edge and displays an
See “The Status Bar” on page 7. edit handle larger than those on other edges.
A selected object remains selected until The handle on this edge may also display at
another object is selected, a different tool is the point where you clicked to select it. See
activated, the Esc key on the keyboard is “Using the Edit Handles” on page 57.
pressed, or any two mouse buttons are
pressed at the same time.
Select Objects
Any object created using Home
Designer Suite can be selected using
the Select Objects tool. Select Edit> Select
Objects, click the toolbar button or press the
Space bar on your keyboard to activate this
tool.
You can also select objects or open context This edge can be edited on the Selected Line
sensitive menus using the right mouse button or Selected Arc tab of the object’s
when any tool is active. See “Contextual specification dialog. See “Selected Line Tab”
Menus” on page 7. on page 362 and “Selected Arc Tab” on page
362.
Selecting Similar Objects
Select Next Object
If a tool other than Select Objects is If there is more than one object in a
active, you can only select objects of that particular space, it may be difficult to
type using the left mouse button. For select the desired object. When a nearby
example, if the Straight Exterior Wall object is selected, click the Select Next
tool is active, you can only select walls using Object edit button or press the Tab key until
the left mouse button. the desired object becomes selected. This
function cannot be applied to groups of
This can be useful for selecting an object selected objects.
when many objects of a different type
occupy the same space in floor plan view. Marquee Select
Objects can be selected using the right mouse Groups of objects can be selected by holding
button, regardless of which tool is active. down either the Shift or Ctrl key when the
Select Objects tool is active and then
47
dragging a marquee around the objects to be an object, hold down either the Shift or Ctrl
selected. key, and click additional objects to select
them.
If an object is currently selected and a
selection marquee is drawn around it, that More than one type of object can be selected
object becomes de-selected. If an object is using this method, but the ability to edit the
currently selected and a marquee is drawn group-selected items is limited to attributes
around other objects, the original object that all selected objects have in common.
remains selected and the other objects are
To remove an object from a selection set,
added to the selection set.
click it once more - again, with either the
When using the marquee-select method, both Shift or Ctrl key pressed.
CAD and architectural objects included in
the marquee are selected. To remove an Move Area
object from the selection set, hold down the
Shift key and click it. The Move Area tool allows you to
quickly define an area of your plan and
The marquee-select method can also be used select the objects in that area. Once selected,
to group-select similar object types. For they can then be repositioned, rotated, or
example, click the Base Cabinet child deleted. Select Edit> Move Area, then click
button, hold down either the Shift or Ctrl key, and drag a rectangular marquee around the
drag a marquee, release the mouse button, area that you would like to move.
and only cabinet objects within the marquee Unlike other selection methods, the Move
are selected. Area tool cuts walls, railing and fencing
where the selection marquee intersects them,
To make marquee selection easier, turn allowing you to edit only the selected portion
off the display of objects you do not of these objects.
want to include in your selection set. See
“Displaying Objects” on page 88. Some objects, such as cabinets, are included
in the selection only if more than half of the
object is contained within the marquee.
Shift Select
You can select a group of objects by adding
them to the selection set one by one. Select
Editing Line Based Objects

Objects are considered line-based when they CAD lines, straight walls and railings,
can be edited similar to CAD lines using straight stairs, and straight roads are
their edit handles. examples of line-based objects.
48
Most line-based objects can be connected to

other like objects to form polylines or Extend/Change Angle
polyline-based objects.
Some objects, notably walls, have line-based
editing behavior only when selected on Move Rotate
certain edges. See “Editing Walls” on page
100. Move
Wall openings such as doors and windows • Movement may be limited or stopped by
have line-based editing behavior in floor plan other objects or Snap Behaviors. Move
view only but cannot be rotated, reversed or restrictions can be overridden by holding
converted to an arc. See “Editing Doors” on down the Ctrl key while dragging. See
page 130 and “Editing Windows” on page “Unrestricted Movement” on page 65.
148. Rotate
• The Rotate handle is used to rotate the
object about its center. See “Rotating
Extend/Change Angle
• Drag an end handle parallel to the
selected line to change its length.
• Drag an end handle at an angle to the
selected line to change its angle. When
Angle Snaps are on, the line snaps to
Allowed Angles.
Adjust Width
Other objects, such as stairs and roads, edit
similar to CAD lines and can be connected to Some line-based objects, such as stairs and
form polyline-based objects, but also have roads, have additional handles that allow the
additional edit handles that CAD lines do width of the object to be adjusted.
not.

When selected, a typical line-based object
displays four edit handles.
Any action performed using the edit handles Adjust Width
can be cancelled by pressing the Esc key or
any two mouse buttons at the same time. • Click and drag a small, round Expand
handle to increase or decrease the
object’s width. By default, objects are
49
resized in 1" increments. This Snap Unit elsewhere. See “Copying and Pasting
is defined in the Plan Defaults dialog. Objects” on page 70.
See “Plan Defaults Dialog” on page 85.
• Click the Copy and Paste in Place
Using the Specification edit button to create a copy of the
selected object(s) at the same location as
Dialog the original. See “Copy and Paste in
Line-based objects can be edited using their Place” on page 71.
specification dialogs. See “Line
Specification Dialog” on page 356. • Click the Delete edit button to delete
the selected object(s). See “Deleting
Using the Edit Toolbar
A selected line-based object can be edited in • Click the Accurate Move edit button
a variety of ways using the buttons on the to slow down the mouse speed when
edit toolbar. using the edit handles. See “Accurate
Move” on page 66.
The following toolbar buttons may display
on the edit toolbar for a selected line-based • Click the Center Object edit button
object: to center an object along along a wall
within a room or relative to a cabinet
• Click the Select Next Object edit
fixture. See “Center Object” on page 66.
button to select nearby objects instead of
the selected object. See “Selecting • Click the Break Line edit button to
Objects” on page 46. add a new corner or pivot point to the
selected object. See “Break Line” on
• Click the Open Object edit button to
page 68.
open the specification dialog for the
selected object(s). See “Specification
• Click the Change Line/Arc edit but-
Dialogs” on page 7.
ton to change a line-based object to an
• Click the Copy/Paste edit button to arc, or vice versa. See “Change Line/
copy the selected object(s) to the Win- Arc” on page 69.
dows Clipboard so they can be pasted
Editing Arc Based Objects

Objects are considered arc-based when they CAD arcs, curved walls and railings, curved
can be edited similar to CAD arcs using their stairs, and curved roads are examples of arc-
edit handles. based objects.
50
Most arc-based objects can be connected to

other like objects to form polylines or Resize Reshape
polyline-based objects. (changes radius) (moves center)
Move
Chord
Rotate
Extend Move Arc

(along arc or chord) Center
Move
• Two Move edit handles allow the arc to
be relocated without changing its shape.
Some objects, notably curved walls, have One is located at the center of the chord
arc-based editing behavior only when and the other, at the arc center.
selected on certain edges. See “Editing • Movement may be limited or stopped by
Walls” on page 100. other objects or Snap Behaviors. Move
Other objects, such as curved stairs and restrictions can be overridden by holding
roads, edit similar to CAD arcs and can be down the Ctrl key while dragging. See
connected to form polyline-based objects but “Unrestricted Movement” on page 65.
also have additional edit handles that CAD
lines do not.

When selected, a typical arc-based object
displays seven edit handles.
Move edit handle
Any action performed using the edit handles
can be cancelled by pressing the Esc key or Rotate
any two mouse buttons at the same time.
• The Rotate handle is used to rotate the
arc about its center. See “Rotating
Extend
• The end edit handles expand or contract
the arc when moved along the arc radius
or chord.
51
• If you follow the path of the arc, the end

edit handles allow you to adjust the arc
length.
• The angle formed by the center point of
the arc and its two endpoints is referred to
as the Included Angle. If Angle Snaps
are on, the Included Angle of the arc Reshape edit handle
jumps at 7.5 degree increments. See
“Angle Snaps” on page 45. Adjust Width
Some arc-based objects, such as stairs, have
additional handles that allow the width of the
object to be adjusted.
Extend edit handles
Resize
• Drag the small, round Resize edit handle
to change the radius and included angle
Adjust Width
of the arc while maintaining its center.
• Click and drag a small, round edit handle
to increase or decrease the object’s width.
By default, objects are resized according
to the Snap Unit defined in the Plan
Defaults dialog. See “Plan Defaults
Resize edit handle Dialog” on page 85.
Reshape Using the Specification

• Drag the small triangular Reshape Dialog
handle to change the length and location
Arc-based objects can be edited using their
of the center without moving the
specification dialogs. See “Arc Specification
endpoints.

A selected arc-based object can be edited in a
variety of ways using the buttons on the edit
toolbar.
52
The following toolbar buttons may display

• Click the Delete edit button to delete
on the edit toolbar for a selected arc-based
the selected object(s). See “Deleting
object:
• Click the Accurate Move edit button
to slow down the mouse speed when
the selected object. See “Selecting
using the edit handles. See “Accurate
Move” on page 66.
• Click the Center Object edit button
to center an object along along a wall
• Click the Copy/Paste edit button to • Click the Break Line edit button to
copy the selected object(s) to the Win- add a new corner or pivot point to the
dows Clipboard so they can be pasted selected object. See “Break Line” on
elsewhere. See “Copying and Pasting page 68.
• Click the Copy and Paste in Place ton to change an arc-based object to an
edit button to create a copy of the line, or vice versa. See “Change Line/
selected object(s) at the same location as Arc” on page 69.
the original. See “Copy and Paste in
Place” on page 71.
Editing Open Polyline Based Objects

Open polyline-based objects are composed
of individual line- and arc-based objects that
are connected at their end points.
Objects are considered open polyline-based
when they can be edited similar to open CAD
polylines using their edit handles.
Open CAD polylines, connected walls,
stairs, and roads and sidewalks are examples
of open polyline-based objects.
53
and certain operations affect only this edge.

The Move handle of the selected edge is
larger than that of other edges. It displays
along the length of a line segment, or at the
center of the chord on an arc segment. See
“Selected Edge” on page 47.
Move Move arc

segment Resize
polyline
arc
Move line
segment
Reshape
arc
Some objects, such as roads, edit similar to
open CAD polylines and can be connected to Extend
form polyline-based objects but also have Reshape Rotate
additional edit handles that CAD lines and polyline
arcs do not. Move
• Click and drag the Move handle to move
Using the Edit Handles the object.
A polyline can be composed of many • Movement may be limited or stopped by
segments. See “Polylines” on page 361. other objects or Snap Behaviors. Move
restrictions can be overridden by holding
When selected, an open polyline-based
down the Ctrl key while dragging. See
object displays a Move handle, a Rotate
“Unrestricted Movement” on page 65.
handle, a Reshape handle at the intersection
of each segment, and an Extend handle at Rotate
each end. • The Rotate handle is used to rotate the
Each straight, line-based segment has a object about its center. Its position varies
Move edit handle along its length. depending on which edge is currently
selected. See “Rotating Objects” on page
Each curved, arc-based segment has its own 69.
Move handle at the center of its chord, a
Resize handle and, if it has an unlocked Extend
center, a Reshape handle. See “Editing Arc • Click and drag an Extend handle to
Based Objects” on page 50. lengthen or shorten the unconnected end
of the selected line or arc segment, or to
When a polyline is selected, the edge that
you click nearest is called the selected edge,
54
change the radius of the selected arc. See

“Editing Arc Based Objects” on page 50. Adjust
Width
Reshape
• Click and drag a Reshape edit handle to
change the angle and/or length of the seg-
ments on either side of it, or the size of
the object.
• Click and drag a small, round edit handle
Move Line Segment
to increase or decrease the object’s width.
• The Move Line Segment edit handle is By default, objects are resized in 1"
found on straight segments of open increments. This Snap Unit is defined in
polylines and moves the straight section. the Plan Defaults dialog. See “Plan
Adjacent segments may extend or con- Defaults Dialog” on page 85.
tract in their original directions to main-
tain their connections. Using the Specification
Move Arc Dialog
• Click and drag the Move Arc edit handle Polyline-based objects can be edited using
to change the radius and/or chord length their specification dialogs. See “Polyline
or position. Adjacent segments may Specification Dialog” on page 361.
extend, contract, or change angle to
maintain their connections. Using the Edit Toolbar
Resize Arc
A selected open polyline-based object can be
• Click and drag the Resize Arc edit handle edited in a variety of ways using the buttons
to change the radius, chord length and on the edit toolbar.
chord position of the arc segment. Adja-
cent segments may extend, contract, or The following toolbar buttons may display
change angle to maintain their connec- on the edit toolbar for a selected open
tions. polyline-based object:
Reshape Arc • Click the Select Next Object edit

• Click and drag the Reshape Arc edit han- button to select nearby objects instead of
dle to change the radius of the arc without the selected object. See “Selecting
moving its end points. Objects” on page 46.
Adjust Width • Click the Open Object edit button to
Some arc-based objects, such as stairs and open the specification dialog for the
roads, have additional handles that allow the selected object(s). See “Specification
width of the object to be adjusted. Dialogs” on page 7.
55
• Click the Copy/Paste edit button to • Click the Center Object edit button
copy the selected object(s) to the Win- to center an object along along a wall
dows Clipboard so they can be pasted within a room or relative to a cabinet
elsewhere. See “Copying and Pasting fixture. See “Center Object” on page 66.
• Click the Break Line edit button to
• Click the Copy and Paste in Place add a new corner or pivot point to the
edit button to create a copy of the selected object. See “Break Line” on
selected object(s) at the same location as page 68.
Place” on page 71. • Click the Change Line/Arc edit but-
ton to change a line-based polyline edge
• Click the Delete edit button to delete to an arc, or vice versa. See “Change
the selected object(s). See “Deleting Line/Arc” on page 69.
Objects” on page 72. • Click the Record Walkthrough Along
• Click the Accurate Move edit button Path edit button to record a walk-
to slow down the mouse speed when through movie of your model along the
using the edit handles. See “Accurate path defined by the selected polyline. See
Move” on page 66. “Walkthroughs” on page 381.
Editing Closed-Polyline Based Objects

Objects are considered closed polyline-based Some objects, notably walls, have closed
when they can be edited similar to closed polyline-based editing behavior only when
CAD polylines using their edit handles. they are selected on certain edges in 3D
views. See “Editing Walls” on page 100.
In addition, closed polyline-based objects are
composed of individual line- and arc-based CAD-based objects such as slabs and
objects. countertops can be edited in both 2D and 3D
views.
Closed CAD polylines, slabs and terrain
features are examples of closed polyline-
based objects.
56
center of the chord on an arc segment. See

“Selected Edge” on page 47.
Move arc Rotate

segment
Move Resize
polyline arc
Reshape
arc
Reshape Move line

polyline segment
Move
the object.
Using the Edit Handles • Movement may be limited or stopped by
A polyline can be composed of many other objects or Snap Behaviors. Move
segments. See “Polylines” on page 361. restrictions can be overridden by holding
When selected, an open polyline-based “Unrestricted Movement” on page 65.
object displays a Move handle, a Rotate
handle, and a Reshape handle at the Rotate
intersection of each segment. • The Rotate handle is used to rotate the
object about its center. Its position varies
Each straight, line-based segment has a
depending on which edge is currently
Move edit handle along its length.
selected. See “Rotating Objects” on page
Each curved, arc-based segment has its own 69.
Move handle at the center of its chord, a
Reshape
Resize handle and a Reshape handle. See
“Editing Arc Based Objects” on page 50. • Click and drag a Reshape edit handle to
change the angle and/or length of the seg-
When a polyline is selected, the edge that ments on either side of it, or the size of
you click nearest is called the selected edge, the object.
and certain operations affect only this edge.
The Move handle of the selected edge is Move Line Segment
larger than that of other edges. It displays • The Move Line Segment edit handle is
along the length of a line segment, or at the found on straight segments of closed
polylines and moves the straight section.
57
Adjacent segments may extend or con- the selected object. See “Selecting
tract in their original directions to main- Objects” on page 46.
tain their connections.
Move Arc
• Click and drag the Move Arc edit handle selected object(s). See “Specification
to change the radius and/or chord length Dialogs” on page 7.
or position. Adjacent segments may
extend, contract, or change angle to • Click the Copy/Paste edit button to
maintain their connections. copy the selected object(s) to the Win-
Resize Arc dows Clipboard so they can be pasted
elsewhere. See “Copying and Pasting
• Click and drag the Resize Arc edit handle Objects” on page 70.
to change the radius, chord length and
chord position of the arc segment. Adja- • Click the Copy and Paste in Place
cent segments may extend, contract, or edit button to create a copy of the
change angle to maintain their connec- selected object(s) at the same location as
tions. the original. See “Copy and Paste in
Reshape Arc Place” on page 71.
• Click and drag the Reshape Arc edit han- • Click the Delete edit button to delete
dle to change the radius of the arc without the selected object(s). See “Deleting
moving its end points. Objects” on page 72.
Using the • Click the Accurate Move edit button

Specification Dialog to slow down the mouse speed when
Closed polyline-based objects can be edited Move” on page 66.
using their specification dialogs. See
“Polyline Specification Dialog” on page 361. • Click the Center Object edit button
Using the Edit Toolbar within a room or relative to a cabinet
A selected closed polyline-based object can
be edited in a variety of ways using the • Click the Break Line edit button to
buttons on the edit toolbar. add a new corner or pivot point to the
The following toolbar buttons may display selected object. See “Break Line” on
on the edit toolbar for a selected closed page 68.
polyline-based object:
• Click the Select Next Object edit ton to change a line-based polyline edge
button to select nearby objects instead of to an arc, or vice versa. See “Change
Line/Arc” on page 69.
58
• Click the Record Walkthrough Along path defined by the selected polyline. See
“Walkthroughs” on page 381.
Path edit button to record a walk-
through movie of your model along the
Editing Box-Based Objects

Objects are considered box-based when they
can be edited similar to CAD boxes using Extend Move
their edit handles.
In addition to the CAD Box tools, text
objects, many library symbols, pictures and Resize
images, are box-based objects.
Rotate

the object.
• Movement may be limited or stopped by
other objects or Snap Behaviors. Move

When selected, a box-based object displays • The four Resize handles located at each
ten edit handles. Unlike polylines, boxes corner are used to increase or decrease
must always have four sides with right- the size of the object.
angled corners.
59
• The four Extend handles display along The following toolbar buttons may display
each edge. If you select an object on an on the edit toolbar for a selected closed
edge, the Extend handle displays at the polyline-based object:
point where you clicked; otherwise, it
displays at the center of the edge. • Click the Select Next Object edit
the selected object. See “Selecting

• The triangular Rotate handle located Dialogs” on page 7.
near the selected edge of the object is
used to rotate it about its center. The • Click the Copy/Paste edit button to
pointer changes to a circular arrow copy the selected object(s) to the Win-
when moved over this handle. See dows Clipboard so they can be pasted
“Rotating Objects” on page 69. elsewhere. See “Copying and Pasting

edit button to create a copy of the

Using the the selected object(s). See “Deleting
Specification Dialog Objects” on page 72.
Box-based objects can be edited using their • Click the Accurate Move edit button
specification dialogs. See “CAD Box to slow down the mouse speed when
Specification Dialog” on page 364. using the edit handles. See “Accurate
Move” on page 66.
A selected closed polyline-based object can
be edited in a variety of ways using the
buttons on the edit toolbar.
60
Editing Spline Based Objects

Objects are considered spline-based when Move
they can be edited similar to CAD splines • Click and drag the Move handle to move
using their edit handles. See “Splines” on the object.
page 355.
• Movement may be limited or stopped by
Sprinkler lines, spline terrain curbs, spline other objects or Snap Behaviors. Move
terrain walls and round or kidney-shaped restrictions can be overridden by holding
terrain features are spline-based. down the Ctrl key while dragging. See
Rotate
• Click and drag the Rotate edit handle to
rotate the entire spline.
Reshape
• The Reshape edit handles display along
the spline at each vertex. Click and drag a
Reshape edit handle to change the length,
angle and curve of adjacent segments
without affecting other reshape handles.

When a spline is selected, several different
types of handles display.
Reshape
Move Resize
• The Resize edit handles display along the
spline, between each vertex. Click and
drag a Resize edit handle to move the
Resize adjacent vertices and lengthen or shorten
adjacent segments.
Rotate
61
• Click the Copy/Paste edit button to

copy the selected object(s) to the Win-

Using the Place” on page 71.
Specification Dialog
Spline-based objects can be edited using the selected object(s). See “Deleting
their specification dialogs. See “Polyline Objects” on page 72.
Specification Dialog” on page 361.
Using the Edit Toolbar to slow down the mouse speed when
A selected spline-based object can be edited Move” on page 66.
in a variety of ways using the buttons on the
edit toolbar. • Click the Center Object edit button
The following toolbar buttons may display within a room or relative to a cabinet
on the edit toolbar for a selected spline-based fixture. See “Center Object” on page 66.
object:
• Click the Break Line edit button to
• Click the Select Next Object edit add a new corner or pivot point to the
button to select nearby objects instead of selected object. See “Break Line” on
the selected object. See “Selecting page 68.
• Click the Record Walkthrough Along
• Click the Open Object edit button to Path edit button to record a walk-
open the specification dialog for the through movie of your model along the
selected object(s). See “Specification path defined by the selected spline. See
Dialogs” on page 7. “Walkthroughs” on page 381.
Editing Circles, Ovals and Ellipses

Objects created using the Circle Tools
are unusual in that no architectural
objects share their functionalities.
62

When selected, circles, ovals and ellipses
display ten edit handles.
Unlike Ovals and Ellipses , a Circle

cannot be edited into any other shapes; it
can only be a circle.
Reshape
any two mouse buttons at the same time. • The eight edit handles beyond the perim-
eter are Reshape edit handles. Move them
Reshape in or out to resize and reshape an oval or
Move ellipse.
Concentric
Resize
Rotate
Move
the object. • Unlike ovals and ellipses, circles cannot
be reshaped. When a Reshape handle is
• Movement may be limited or stopped by dragged on a circle, it is only resized.
other objects or Snap Behaviors. Move
Rotate
• Click and drag the Rotate handle of an
oval or ellipse to change its orientation.
Concentric Resize
• The Concentric Resize edit handle dis-
plays on the perimeter of a circle between
a corner Reshape handle and the center.
Click and drag this handle to resize the
circle without moving its center point.
63

• Click the Copy/Paste edit button to

copy the selected object(s) to the Win-

Using the Edit Toolbar selected object(s) at the same location as
A selected circle, oval or ellipse can be
edited in a variety of ways using the buttons
on the edit toolbar. • Click the Delete edit button to delete
The following toolbar buttons may display the selected object(s). See “Deleting
on the edit toolbar for a selected circle, oval Objects” on page 72.
or ellipse:
• Click the Select Next Object edit to slow down the mouse speed when
button to select nearby objects instead of using the edit handles. See “Accurate
the selected object. See “Selecting Move” on page 66.
• Click the Open Object edit button to to center an object along along a wall
open the specification dialog for the within a room or relative to a cabinet
Architectural Blocks
Home Designer Training Video: Archi- single object. When an architectural block is
tectural Blocks created, it behaves as a single object while
the components retain their own attributes.
An architectural block is a group of objects
See “Architectural Blocks” on page 267.
joined together so that they behave as a
Displaying Objects
The display of objects in 2D and 3D views Line style and color can be controlled by
can be controlled by layer. See “Displaying layer or overridden in the specification
64
dialogs for many objects. See “Line Style Textures

Tab” on page 357.
The appearance of architectural objects in 3D
In addition, some objects have a fill style that views is affected by the materials applied to
is initially based on default settings and can the objects’ surfaces.
be overridden in the objects’ specification
dialogs. See “Fill Style Tab” on page 362. In 3D views, you can turn on or off the
display of textures by selecting 3D> Toggle
The display of color on-screen can also be
Textures .
toggled on and off. See “Color On/Off” on
page 323.
Moving Objects
Objects can be moved individually and in Bumping/Pushing
groups using a variety of methods.
When an object bumps into another similar
object while it is being moved, it stops.
Continue dragging and the selected item
Select an object, then click the Move edit resumes movement through the obstructing
handle and drag it to a new location. When object.
your pointer is over the Move handle, it
Cabinets, furnishings and fixtures, wall
displays a four-headed arrow.
openings, and CAD and CAD-based objects
can push other objects of these same types
once they have bumped into them. Instead of
dragging through the obstructing object(s),
release the mouse button and then click and
drag the Move edit handle a second time in
the same direction to push.
Unrestricted Movement
When moved, the selected object moves
orthogonal, or at a right angle to, any of its Many objects have restrictions placed on
edges. their movement by their own properties or
specification settings. Architectural objects,
As an object is moved, it jumps at set for example, bump into other 3D objects as
increments when Grid Snaps are enabled. they are being moved.
See “Grid Snaps” on page 45.
Other move restrictions are activated by the
If an selected object passes over it’s original Snap Settings. See “Snap Behaviors” on
location as it is being moved, it will snap to page 44.
that location.
65
These restrictions can be overridden when precision. Accurate Move can also be used
necessary by holding down the Ctrl key to resize, reshape or rotate objects.
while dragging to move an object.
Accurate Move is not a toggle button: it
To move an object freely only affects the speed of the mouse during
the next edit. The next time you want to use
1. Select the object. this edit tool, you need to click it again.
2. Hold down the Ctrl key. You can also slow down the movement speed
3. Click the Move edit handle and drag it of a selection after you have started moving
to the new location. it by pressing the Shift key. Release the Shift
key to resume movement at normal speed.
You can also press the Ctrl key while
dragging an object’s Move handle to override
move restrictions.
Center Object
The Center Object edit button allows
Accurate Move you to move walls, cabinets and other
objects so that they are centered along a wall
Click the Accurate Move edit button, within a room or relative to an appliance or
then move the selected object(s) at a sink in a cabinet. See “Center Object” on
slower speed than normal for greater page 66.
Aligning Objects
It is often important to align objects such as Snap unit specified in the Plan Defaults
text boxes or walls to align objects on dialog rather than onto the grid itself. This
different floors. There are several methods to does not align objects to a grid line unless
choose from. they were already snapped to the grid.
See “Snap Behaviors” on page 44.
Using Snap Settings
Select an edge of an object. Drag it to the
Text objects can be aligned using set-
edge of another object, then release the
tings in the Text Specification dialog.
mouse. See “Aligning Text” on page 348.
With Grid Snaps on and Angle Snaps off,
select the left side of the object, and drag Center Object
from the center move handle. This snaps the
selected side to the grid. The Center Object edit button can be
used to center a variety of objects
When both Grid Snaps and Angle Snaps along a wall within a room in floor plan
on, objects snap at increments equal to the view.
66
To use center an object in a room
1. Select an object such a cabinet.
2. Click the Center Object edit but-

ton.
3. Click near a wall within a room to center
the selected object relative to the portion
of that wall defining the room.
4. The object is moved relative to the wall The door is centered in the room at the lower left
you clicked closest to.
• In the images below, the area physi- If you click outside an exterior wall instead
cally closest to the vertical interior wall of clicking the inside, you center the selected
is highlighted for each room. object along the edge of the exterior room.
• Click in that area to center the door Objects can also be centered relative to sinks
along the wall in that room. and appliances placed in cabinets. The
cabinet must be positioned against a wall.
To center an object over a fixture
1. Select an object such as a window.
2. Click the Center Object edit but-

ton.
3. Click near the back of the sink or appli-
ance, near the wall.
The door is centered in the room on the right
4. The object is moved relative to the wall
you clicked closest to.
Aligning Objects on
Different Floors
Objects on different floors can be aligned
with one another using the Reference
Display. See“Reference Floor” on page 162.
The door is centered in the room at the upper left
67
Resizing Objects
Objects can be resized using the edit handles other objects, press the Ctrl key while
and specification dialogs. dragging an edit handle.
Using the Edit Handles Using the

The end, corner and/or side edit handles can Specification Dialog
be used to resize a selected object. Most objects can be accurately resized in
To override any movement restrictions their specification dialogs. See
caused by snap settings or the presence of “Specification Dialogs” on page 7.
Reshaping Objects
There is a wide variety of ways to reshape Break Line
objects using the edit handles, specification
dialogs and edit toolbar buttons. The Break Line edit button can be
used to break an individual line-, arc-,
or spline-based object, or the edge of a
polyline-based object, into two segments.
Depending on thetype of object selected, the
end, corner and/or side edit handles can be
Note: The Break Line edit button is not avail-
used to reshape a selected object. able for box-based objects, objects created
To override any movement restrictions with the Circle Tools, or some architectural
objects such as stairs and trusses.
caused by snap settings or the presence of
other objects, press the Ctrl key while
dragging an edit handle. The Break Line edit tool can be used to
create two types of breaks: partial breaks and
Using the complete breaks.
Specification Dialog When a partial break is created, a new corner
A variety of CAD and CAD-based objects edit handle is placed at the location of the
can be reshaped by editing values on either break. Partial breaks are also referred to as
the Selected Line or Selected Arc tab of their joints, nodes or pivot points.
specification dialogs. See “Polyline • Click the Break Line edit button to
Specification Dialog” on page 361. add a new corner or pivot point to the
selected object. See “Break Line” on
page 68.
68
To create a partial break Change Line/Arc

1. Click the object or edge that you want to Select an individual line-based or arc-
break into two segments. based object or a segment of a
polyline-based object and click the Change
2. Click the Break Line edit button Line/Arc edit button to convert the selected
once or press the 3 key. segement from a line to an arc or vice versa.
3. Click the edge to create a new corner
edit handle at that location and two sepa-
rate edges on either side of that handle.
If you click and drag one of the edit handles
on either side of the partial break, the edge
moves at a right angle to itself and another
edge forms, connecting the moved edge with
the one on the other side that does not move.
Rotating Objects
Objects can be rotated individually and in To override any movement restrictions
groups using a variety of methods. caused by snap settings or the presence of
other objects, press the Ctrl key while
By default, an object or group of objects
dragging an edit handle.
rotate about the center point of the selection
set. You can instead specify that objects
rotate about the current CAD point. Using the
Specification Dialog
Using the Edit Handles The exact angle of some objects such as
Select an object, then click the triangular lines, arcs, walls and the selected edges of
Rotate edit handle and drag it in any polylines can be specified on either the
direction. When your pointer is over the General tab, the Line Style tab, or the Arc tab
Rotate handle, it displays a curved arrow. of that object’s specification dialog. See
“Line Style Tab” on page 357.
The angles of line-based objects can also be
changed by dragging an end handle in a Reverse Plan
direction other than parallel to the object.
The object rotates about the opposite end The Reverse Plan tool is a quick way
point. See “Editing Line Based Objects” on to mirror a plan so that everything is
page 48. swapped left to right rather than rotated.
Objects snap to Allowed Angles as they are Select Tools> Reverse Plan to reflect an
rotated. See “Angle Snaps” on page 45. entire plan right to left, as though it were
69
reflected about a vertical line. Reverse Plan Reversing a plan rebuilds the entire model
reverses all floors associated with the plan. and also closes any 3D views that are
currently open.
Copying and Pasting Objects

Objects can be cut, copied and pasted press Ctrl + V while in that application to
individually and as groups. They can be enable the Paste function.
copied from one floor to another, one view
window to another, and one file to another. Paste
Because copying uses the Windows
Clipboard, objects can be pasted into other Select Edit> Paste to enable Paste
applications, as well. mode, then left- or right-click in the
current view to paste the selected object(s)
Objects cannot be pasted into any views that previously copied to the Windows Clipboard
they cannot be created in normally. Thus, at that location.
CAD objects cannot be pasted into a 3D
camera view or overview. Once pasted, these object(s) are selected.
Objects pasted in 3D views are selected on
Similarly, architectural objects cannot be their top surfaces.
pasted into CAD detail windows or onto a
layout page. If the selection being pasted consists of text,
it is placed in a Text object.
A few objects, such as Terrain Perimeters
and camera symbols, cannot be copied. Copy/Paste
Cut Click the Copy/Paste edit button to
copy the selected object(s) to the
Select Edit> Cut to remove the Windows Clipboard and immediately enable
selected object(s) from the file and
the Paste function in Home Designer
save them in the Windows Clipboard. To
Suite.
paste the selection in Home Designer Suite
or another application, select Edit> Paste or
The Copy/Paste edit button activates
press Ctrl + V while in that application to
Paste mode in which each available edit tool
enable the Paste function.
and handle makes a copy in addition to its
primary function and four new edit buttons
Copy display on the edit toolbar.
Select Edit> Copy to copy the selected
• Click the Sticky Mode edit button
object(s) to the Windows Clipboard. To
remain in the current mode and place
paste the selection in Home Designer Suite
multiple copies of the selected object(s).
or another application, select Edit> Paste or
70
• Click the Main Edit Mode edit but- 3. Drag an edit handle:
ton or press the Esc key to return to the • Drag the Move edit handle to position
selected objects’s main edit toolbar. the copy at a new location.
If you paste a selection in a file other than its 4. You can position the copy accurately
original source file, when you return to the with respect to the original by watching
original, Paste mode is still enabled. the moved distance in the Status Bar at
the bottom of the screen.
The Copy/Paste edit button can be used Copy and Paste in Place
with the edit handles in either of two ways:
by clicking or by dragging an edit handle. Click the Copy and Paste in Place edit
button to create a copy of the selected
To Copy/Paste by clicking object(s) at the same location as the original.
The copy remains selected so you can per-
1. Select an object or objects to copy. form additional operations.
2. Click the Copy/Paste edit button, Because multiple walls, railing and fencing
cannot share the same space, the Copy and
select Edit> Copy from the menu or
press Ctrl + C. The cursor displays the Paste in Place edit button is not avail-
Copy/Paste icon. able for these objects.
3. If you wish to paste the copy in a differ- Paste Hold Position

ent view or program window, open that
window. When copying between different floors
4. If your cursor does not display the Copy/ or view windows, you can paste a copy
Paste icon, select Edit> Paste from the at the same absolute position as the original
menu or press Ctrl + V. selection using Paste Hold Position.
5. Left- or right-click once to paste a copy To use Paste Hold Position

of the object at that location.
1. Select the object(s) to be copied.
To Copy/Paste by dragging
2. Click the Copy/Paste edit button.
1. Select an object or objects to copy. 3. Switch to the desired floor or plan file
2. Click the Copy/Paste edit button, and select Edit> Paste> Paste Hold
select Edit> Copy from the menu or Position .

press Ctrl + C. The cursor displays the 4. A copy is placed at the same X, Y coor-
Copy/Paste icon. dinates on the new floor or in the new
plan as the original’s position.
71
Paste Special • Model Objects - Home Designer Suite

format, not compatible with other pro-
The Paste Special tool allows you to grams.
choose a representation for the
selection to be pasted. To use Paste Special
Selections can be pasted as:
1. Select an object, image, text or file on
• Enhanced Windows Metafiles (EMF).
your computer and copy it.
See “Metafiles” on page 378.
2. Switch to the desired Home Designer
• Device Independent Bitmaps (BMP). See
Suite view window and select Edit>
“Importing Picture Files” on page 372.
Paste> Paste Special .
• Unformated non-unicode text (TXT).
3. In the Paste Special dialog, select the
• File Name (a path to a file). Depending
desired representation for the selection
on the file type, it will be either opened or
and click OK.
imported (if supported).
4. Click in the drawing area to place the
• Unformatted text (HTML). Pastes as text.
copy at that location.
Deleting Objects
Objects can be deleted in a variety of ways: arrow from being deleted, drag the attached
• Select an object or group of objects, then end away from the object before deleting it.
click the Delete edit button, select Delete Objects Dialog

Edit> Delete from the menu, or press
Use the Delete Objects dialog to delete
the Delete key on your keyboard.
all objects of one or more specified
• Entire categories of objects can be types in one room, on the current floor, or in
deleted using the Delete Objects dia- the entire plan.
log.
If an object has a line with arrow or text To use the Delete Objects dialog
leader attached to it, the arrow or leader is
deleted if the object is deleted. To prevent the 1. Select Edit> Delete Objects to
open the Delete Objects dialog.
72
• Move your cursor into the drawing area

and click in a room of the plan to delete
objects of the selected type within that
room without closing the dialog.
• Continue clicking on rooms or choose a
different Delete Scope.
• Click Done when all selections have
been deleted.
5. If you select All Rooms On This Floor
or All Floors, you do not need to click
in floor plan view. The OK button
becomes available, and clicking it closes
the dialog and delete the specified
objects.
2. Specify the Delete Scope as Single
Room, All Rooms On This Floor, or Deleting Polyline Edges
All Floors.
To remove an edge from a polyline, drag a
3. In the Delete section, check the box for corner handle until it overlaps an adjacent
each category of objects you want to corner handle to remove the edge between
delete. Click Select All to check all the them and merge them into a single handle
boxes or Clear All to uncheck all boxes.
4. When the scope is set to Single Room:
73
74
Chapter 4:
File Management
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Suite saves the complete 3D Chapter Contents
model of a structure and surrounding terrain • Compatibility with Other Programs
as well as any CAD data associated with the • Organizing Your Files
model in .plan files. • Home Designer Suite Data
All commands related to opening, saving and • Creating a New Plan
closing plans are located in the File menu. • Saving a Plan File
You can also open plans from the Startup • Save and Save As
Options dialog. See “Startup Options” on • Auto Archive
page 1. • Undo Files
• Opening a Plan File
Just as with files created in other software • Searching for Plans
applications, you should back up your plan • Closing Plans and Views
files externally on a regular basis to avoid • Exiting Home Designer Suite
accidental loss of work.
Compatibility with Other Programs

Plans produced in the following programs • Chief Architect® Home Edition 5.0
can all be read by Home Designer Suite.
• All Version 8 and prior Better Homes and
• Chief Architect® 5.0 through X1 (read Gardens Home Designer™ products
only) • Better Homes and Gardens Landscaping
® and Deck Designer, Version 8 and prior
• 3D Home Architect 3.0 and 4.0
75
• Better Homes and Gardens Interior copies of your files before opening them in
Designer, Version 8 and prior Home Designer Suite. Copies that have not
been opened and saved by Home Designer
• Trading Spaces® Design Companion™
Suite can still be read by the program they
were created in.
Note: 3D Home Architect 5.0 was not devel-
oped by Chief Architect, Inc. Plans written Limited editability of files saved in Chief
using 3D Home Architect 5.0 or later cannot Architect X1, build 11.4 and later, can be
be read by Home Designer Suite. enabled when opened in Version 8 Better
Homes and Gardens Home Designer
To continue to read plans produced in programs. See “Plan Defaults Dialog” on
another program or program version in that page 85.
original program, be sure to save duplicate
Organizing Your Files

You should keep your plan files separate • Create a folder on your hard drive called
from the support files needed to run Home “Home Designer Suite Plans” or another
Designer Suite. To keep files organized, you name you prefer. See Microsoft Win-
may find it helpful to create a new folder for dows Help for instructions on how to cre-
each project. ate folders.
Here is one way to organize your files: • Inside this folder, make a new folder for
each client or project. Save all the files
for that client inside this folder.
Home Designer Suite Data

When Home Designer Suite is installed, the This folder contains important user-specific
program automatically creates a folder in My information saved in the following folders
Documents called Home Designer Suite and files and should not be moved, renamed
Data. or deleted:
Creating a New Plan

Home Designer Training Video: Tem- You can also choose New Plan in the
plates: Creating New Plans Startup Options dialog. See “Startup
Options” on page 1.
To open the Create New Plan
dialog, select File> New Plan.
76
Home Designer Suite includes a selection of information, click the More information
Home Style, Interior and Landscaping about this style button to open the Better
templates, each with different default settings Homes and Gardens Design Planning Center.
that allow you to begin working in a
Select either U.S. Units or Metric Units of
particular plan style quickly. See “Defaults”
measurement, and click OK. The floor plan
on page 83.
view window opens, ready for you to begin
Choose a category from the drop-down list, drawing.
then select a style template from the
New, blank plans are called Untitled.plan.
scrollable list beneath it.
Unless these files are named and saved, they
A description of the selected plan style will be lost when closed.
displays below the list. For additional
Saving a Plan File

When you first save a new plan file, you
File> Save to open the Save Plan File
must give it a name. Once you understand
dialog.
the file management of Home Designer
Suite, you can decide on a naming
convention that suits your needs. Select
77
In the File name text field, enter a name for

the plan. Home Designer Suite automatically
attaches the extension .plan to plan files.
Initially, all Open or Save As operations go
to the “My Documents” folder of your
computer. After that, the path last visited is
remembered and subsequent File> Open or
File> Save As commands default to that
directory. This path is saved when the
program exits. The next time Home Designer
Suite is launched, these defaults are used.
Save and Save As

Use File> Save As when you want to
There are two options for saving save the plan file using a different name or
plan files: File> Save and File> Save As. location on your computer.
File> Save saves the current state of

your plan file without changing its name and Although the program warns you if you
should normally be used for saving your try to exit without saving, you should get
in the habit of saving plan files before
work.
exiting the program.
Auto Archive
When a plan is first saved, Home Designer Archive Files
Suite creates an Archive folder in the Home
Designer Suite Data folder. The Archive Every time a model is saved, internal archive
folder contains Auto Save and Archive files. files are automatically created that keep a
historical archive of your plan.
Auto Save and Archive files should not be
viewed as a substitute for regularly saving Plan files from previous versions of the
program are automatically moved to the
your work by selecting File> Save or archive folder when the plan is opened and
pressing Ctrl + S on the keyboard. saved in Home Designer Suite.
Archive files are meant to be for emergency
use only. If you must access an archive file,
open it as you would any other file. See
“Opening a Plan File” on page 80. As soon
78
as the file is open, use Save As to save this

file to another location.
Auto Save Files

As you work, Home Designer Suite
automatically creates Auto Save files at
regular intervals when changes are made to a
file but not saved by selecting File> Save
Auto Save file after abnormal shut-down
.
If your computer shuts down accidentally,
These Auto Save files are appended
you can recover some of your work by
_auto_save.plan and are saved in the
opening the _auto_save_bak file.
Archive folder.
When you close a file normally, its Auto
A file is auto saved only if you have
Save file is retained until the next time the saved it previously. Auto Save does not
file is opened and the Auto Save file is work for unnamed files.
overwritten.
When you reopen a file after a computer shut
down or system crash, the following dialog
displays if an Auto Save file newer than the
original file is found.
Auto Save file after normal shut-down Even with Auto Save, you should save your
work manually on a regular basis using any
Auto save files created as a result of an of the following methods:
improper program shutdown are appended
_auto_save_bak.plan . • Click the Save button.
• Select File> Save .

• Press Ctrl + S or F3 on the keyboard.
Undo Files
Home Designer Suite stores a set number of Windows Temporary Directory. When you
copies of all open plan file changes, known use Windows system cleanup features, these
as undo files. Undo files are stored in the files can be deleted. Because of this, you
79
should run these type of utilities when Home When Home Designer Suite is closed
Designer Suite is not running. normally, any current Undo files are deleted.
Opening a Plan File

Select File> Open Plan to open an existing selected, a thumbnail preview of the plan
.plan file. Home Designer Suite displays if one is available.
automatically browses to the directory last
To open files of a different type, select one
used .
from the Files of type list.
In the main window, all available plans of the
The Open Plan File dialog can be resized
chosen file type located in the current
to list more files by clicking and dragging the
directory display in the list. When a file is
lower right corner.
Click on a file name and it displays in the The names of the plan files you most recently
File name box. If a preview image of the file opened or saved display at the bottom of the
is available, it will display on the right side File menu. Click a recent file to open the file
of the dialog. Click OK to open the file. without using the Open Plan File dialog.
Searching for Plans

Choose File> Search for Plans to Find Plan Wizard
locate an existing plan. This command
opens the Find Plan Wizard that allows The Find Plan Wizard can be used to
you to search specific plan database files and search for plans using stored information
define search parameters. about each plan, such as the style of
80
construction or the number of a specified On any page, click the Back button to
room type. modify any previously selected parameters.
Click the Next button to select the number of Click the Next button to select the number of
floors in the house and the number of bathrooms and house size.
bedrooms.
Click the Next button to see previews of the
At the bottom of each page, the number of plans that match your current search
plans that match your current search parameters. Select any of the available plans
parameters displays. As you modify the to see a preview of the plan
parameters, this number increases or
Select Next and then the Finish button to
decreases as matching plans are found.
open the selected plan.
Closing Plans and Views

Choose File> Close to close the active or No to close the window without saving.
window. If this is the last open view for a Select Cancel to close the dialog and return
plan and you have not saved, the program to the window.
prompts you to save before closing. Edited
Select File> Close All to close all currently
cross section/elevation views also prompt
open windows.
you to save before closing. Select Yes to save
Exiting Home Designer Suite

Select File> Exit to exit the program. If you When you exit from the program using File>
have not saved any open plans, you are Exit, all Autosave files and Undo files are
reminded to do so. It is better to actively save automatically deleted.
your work before exiting the program than to
save on exit.
81
82
Chapter 5:
Defaults
Chapter Overview
Becoming familiar with the program defaults • Defaults
is vital to understanding how Home Designer • Dynamic Defaults
Suite works. • Plan Defaults Dialog
• Set Background Color
Chapter Contents
Defaults
Home Designer Training Video: items, and hardware are determined by
Default Settings settings in the Base Cabinet Defaults dialog.
Default settings have important effects on Defaults are file-specific, which means that
how the tools in Home Designer Suite any changes that you make to the default
function. These settings can be customized settings in one plan file will have no effect on
to suit your needs and improve your other plans
efficiency, so it is important to become
familiar with them and learn how you can Access the various default settings by
best use them. selecting Edit> Default Settings from
the menu.
Default settings determine the initial
characteristics of objects when they are first
drawn. For example, when you place a base
cabinet in a plan, its size, materials, front
83
Dormer Defaults
Select Dormer and click the Edit button to
open the Dormer Defaults dialog. See
“Dormer Defaults” on page 185.
General Material Defaults

Select General Materials and click the Edit
button to open the Material Defaults
dialog. See “Material Defaults Dialog” on
page 307.
Plan Defaults
Select Plan and click the Edit button to open
the Plan Defaults dialog. See “Plan
Cabinet Defaults Defaults Dialog” on page 85.
Click the + beside Cabinets to access the
default dialogs for the various cabinet types. Render Quality
See “Cabinet Defaults” on page 216. Select Render Quality and click the Edit
Select General Cabinet and click the Edit button to display the Render Quality dia-
button to open the General Cabinet log. See “Render Quality” on page 334.
Defaults dialog. See “General Cabinet
Defaults” on page 229. Room Defaults
Select Room and click the Edit button to
Dimension Defaults open the Room Defaults dialog for the
Select Dimension and click the Edit button current floor. See “Room Defaults” on page
to display the Dimension Defaults dialog. 160.
See “Dimension Defaults” on page 337.
Wall Defaults
Door Defaults Click the + beside Walls to access the default
Click the + beside Doors to access the dialogs for Exterior/Interior Walls. See
defaults dialogs for exterior and interior “Exterior/Interior Wall Defaults Dialog” on
doors. See “Door Defaults” on page 128. page 109
Window Defaults
Select Window and click the Edit button to
open the Window Defaults dialog. See
“Window Defaults” on page 143.
84
Dynamic Defaults
Dynamic defaults are values that can be set To edit a dynamic default, delete the (D) or
or changed globally throughout a model. remove the check from Default box and type
These values are found in the default the desired value.
specification dialogs of most objects,
To reset a value back to the dynamic default,
including walls, doors, cabinets and rooms.
type the letter D in the field or click the
Dynamic defaults are followed by either a Default checkbox.
(D) in the value field or a Default check box.
Any object that has a material applied to it is
You can change the value for that kind of
also using a dynamic default. Materials are
object and all the objects of the same type
almost always set to “Use Default.” If you
update automatically. The exception to this
change a default material, many objects in
rule is any object you edited the values for. In
the plan may also change. See “Material
that case, the value does not update when
Defaults Dialog” on page 307.
you change the dynamic default value.
CAD objects use layers in much the same
way other objects use dynamic defaults. If
you change the layer information in the
Display Options dialog, any object that is
currently using the settings “By Layer” for
an attribute, such as line style or color,
update whenever you change those settings.
Plan Defaults Dialog

Plan defaults control basic features of the
Home Designer Suite environment. To open
the Plan Defaults dialog, select Edit>
Default Settings, select Plan Defaults, and
click the Edit button.
85
• Check Fixtures and Furniture May be kept away from an intersecting wall by
Resized to display fixtures and furniture the width of the trim or casing. Check
with side edit handles so you can resize Window/Door Casing Ignored When
them. See “Editing Box-Based Objects” Resizing to ignore the casing so that
on page 59. doors and windows can be moved or
resized flush against an intersecting wall.
Changes made to fixture/furniture sizes • Inches Scrolled by Arrow Key deter-
are not reflected in the Materials List mines how far your plan will scroll when
because the Materials List refers to you press an arrow key. The initial
objects by their labels, not by their physi- default is 12 inches.
cal dimensions.
• Check Show Reference Grid to display
Once you resize an object, the correlation the Reference Grid, the virtual graph
between its label and its actual physical paper used to create a sense of scale in
dimensions is no longer accurate. Clear floor plan view.
this option to display fixtures and furni- • Check Use Snap Grid/Units to enable
ture with only a center handle for moving Grid Snaps, which snaps objects to a grid
and a rotation handle for turning. as you draw or edit them.
• Casing is the trim that surrounds a door • Specify the Snap Unit at which you want
or window. When you resize a door or snapping to occur.
window, the sides of these openings are
Set Background Color

Select Tools> Display Settings> Set Click the color bar to open the Color
Background Color to open the Set Chooser dialog, where you can select a
Background Color dialog. color to use as the background color in floor
plan view for the current plan. See “Color
Chooser Dialog” on page 308.
86
Chapter 6:
Layers
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Under- Every object in a plan must exist on a layer.
standing Display Options One layer can be thought of as one
transparency sheet. You can customize how
The concept of layers is similar to a stack of
each layer displays in the Display Options
transparencies, with groups of objects stored
dialog.
on each sheet. Layers are used to organize
and manage the display of all objects in all
views and the Materials List. Chapter Contents
• Display Options Dialog
• Displaying Objects
Display Options Dialog

The display of objects in 2D and 3D views is Materials List, however, only displayed
controlled in the Display Options dialog. objects are included when DXF and WMF/
If the 2D display of a certain type of object is EMF files are exported, and only displayed
turned off and an object assigned to that layer objects print.
is placed in the plan, the layer will be turned
on automatically so that it will be visible.
All objects, regardless of whether or not they
are shown, are saved and included in the
87
• Remove the check from the 2D column to for that category of objects in floor plan
turn off the display of a category of view.
objects. • Click on a column header to sort all lay-
• Click a color bar to open the Color ers by that column. Click again to sort in
Chooser dialog and set the display color reverse order.
Displaying Objects
The display of objects in different views is
controlled by layers in the Layer Display Note: Not all objects display in all views. For
Options dialog. See “Display Options instance, door labels do not appear in 3D
Dialog” on page 87. views.
88
In All Views The Color attribute given to the layer the

object is on determines how it appears in
All layers with a check in the Disp. column floor plan view.
display in any view. Objects that are not
displayed cannot be seen or selected. If you Many objects, including all CAD and text
try to place or draw an object on a layer that objects, allow you to override the line style,
is hidden, the program asks if you want to color, and line weight for an individiual
turn the layer on. instance without changing its layer.
89
90
Chapter 7:
Walls, Railings, &

Fencing
Chapter Overview
Walls are the single most important building generate walls. See “House Wizard” on page
component in Home Designer Suite. By 365.
creating walls and defining the rooms created
by the walls, you are telling the program how Chapter Contents
you want the 3D model built. • Default Settings
There are several ways that walls can be • The Wall Tools
created in Home Designer Suite. The most • The Deck Tools
common is to simply draw them with the • The Fencing Tools
wall tools. Most of this chapter covers the • Exterior and Interior Walls
creation and modification of walls using • Foundation Walls
these manual wall tools. • Railings
• Invisible Walls
Exterior walls can also be automatically • Polygon Shaped Decks
generated when a new floor is built by using • Hatch Wall
another floor (above or below) as a model. • Break Wall
For more, see “Adding Floors” on page 161. • Deck Railings
Another feature that can be used to generate • Deck Edge
walls automatically is the House Wizard. • Fencing
This tool allows you to define and arrange • Drawing Walls
room spaces that the program uses to • Connecting Walls
91
• Displaying Walls • Attic Walls

• Editing Walls • Wall Specification Dialog
• Editing Straight/Curved Wall • Wall Hatch Specification Dialog
Combinations • Wall Defaults
• Aligning Walls
Default Settings
Default Settings can be accessed by The settings in the wall defaults dialogs
selecting Edit> Default Settings. determine what wall types are drawn when
Click the Edit button to open the Wall the different wall tools are used. It is a good
Defaults dialog associated with your idea to be familiar with these settings and
selection. how they relate to your style of building.
The Wall Tools

Home Designer Training Video: Walls: Interior Walls
Exterior
The Interior Wall and Curved
Home Designer Training Video: Walls: Interior Wall tools draw walls
Interior and Rooms using the wall type specified for interior
Select Build> Straight Wall to access walls. The interior wall type is defined in the
Exterior/Interior Wall Defaults
the Wall Tools. The type of wall drawn
Defaults dialog.
by each wall tool is specified in its
corresponding defaults dialog.
Note: Whether a wall is recognized as an
The Curved Wall tools are similar to exterior or interior wall by the program is
their corresponding Straight Wall determined by its position in the model, not
Tools. Select Build> Curved Wall to access by the tool used to draw it. See “Exterior and
these tools. Interior Walls” on page 94.
Exterior Walls Railings

The Exterior Wall and Curved The Railing and Curved Railing
Exterior Wall tools draw walls tools create railings.
using the default wall type specified for
exterior walls in the Exterior/Interior Invisible Walls
Wall Defaults dialog. See “Exterior/
Interior Wall Defaults Dialog” on page 109. Invisible walls are walls used to define
separate room areas in a plan. They can
display in floor plan view but not in 3D
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views. Floors, ceilings and roofs generate want to apply the hatch pattern to. You can
above and below the rooms defined by these then select the hatch and resize it if you want
walls. You can also convert a normal wall to only hatch a portion of a wall. See “Hatch
into an invisible wall and vice versa in the Wall” on page 96.
Wall Specification dialog. See “Invisible
Walls” on page 95. Break Wall
Hatch Wall The Break Wall tool applies a break in
a wall. Once a wall is broken, the two
The Hatch Wall tool applies a hatch wall segments are separate walls that can be
pattern to a wall that displays in floor modifed independent of each other. See
plan views. You must click the wall that you “Break Wall” on page 97.
The Deck Tools

Select Build> Decks to access the Deck Edges
deck tools. The Straight Deck Railing
tool is activate by default. The Straight Deck Edge and
Curved Deck Edge draw decks
complete with framing, but without a railing.
Deck Railing
No deck supports are created. See “Deck
The Straight Deck Railing and Edge” on page 97.
Curved Deck Railing tools draw
decks, complete with framing and bounded Polygon Shaped Deck
by a railing. If a foundation level exists,
supports for the deck are also created. See The Polygon Shaped Deck tool opens
“Deck Railings” on page 97. the New Polygon Shaped Deck
dialog, where you can specify the exact size
and number of sides of a new polygonal deck
room and then click in floor plan view to
create that deck room.
The Fencing Tools

Select Build> Fencing or click the Fencing
Fencing Tools to access the fencing
tools. The Straight Fencing tool is activate The Fencing and Curved
by default. Fencing tools draw fences, which
are similar to railings but by
default do not define room areas. Fencing is
normally used outside of a building and
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follows the shape of the terrain. See

“Fencing” on page 98.
Exterior and Interior Walls

Home Designer Training Video: Walls: either tool in the Wall Defaults dialog. You
Exterior can also draw a wall using the default type
and then change the wall type in the Wall
Home Designer Training Video: Walls:
Specification dialog.
Interior and Rooms
Whether a wall is recognized by the program
Most walls are drawn using either the
as an actual exterior or interior wall is based
Exterior Wall or Interior Wall on the model, not by which tool you use to
tool. The only difference between these two draw the wall. Any wall that is entirely
tools is the wall type used. You can specify surrounded by interior room areas is
the default wall type for each tool in the considered an interior wall. Any wall
Wall Defaults dialog. exposed to the outside of the building is
considered an exterior wall.
To draw a wall using a different wall type,
you can change the default wall type for
Foundation Walls
Foundation walls are similar to the interior You can draw a foundation wall on any floor
and exterior walls but also have a footing. of a plan, not just on the foundation level.
Foundation walls are created automatically Any wall can be specified as a foundation
when a foundation floor is created. wall. See “General Tab” on page 104.
Railings
Railings are created and edited just like want a railing to divide a room. See “General
walls. Newels and balusters do not Tab” on page 104.
display in floor plan view. If Panels is
selected on the Railing tab, you can choose a Use a Doorway to produce a break in a
Panel Type from the Panel Library. railing for a stairway or other access. This
When first drawn, railings have the No keeps the railing continuous to maintain
Locate attribute, which prevents them from room definition.
being located by dimension lines. The No A doorway in a railing displays in a 3D view
Room Def attribute is helpful if you do not as an opening, with newels or posts placed
94
on each side. Posts are evenly spaced

between railing ends and breaks and can be
specified at defined intervals.
Invisible Walls
Invisible walls are used to create or An invisible wall can be turned into a normal
modify room definitions, most often by wall, or vice versa, by clicking the Invisible
defining smaller areas within larger rooms. check box on the General tab of its Wall
See “Room Definition” on page 112. These Specification dialog. See “General Tab”
smaller room areas can have different floor on page 104.
or ceiling materials or heights, allowing
stepped areas to be created. Important Notes on
Invisible walls can display in floor plan view Invisible Walls
but not in 3D views. Floors, ceilings and • Floor, wall and ceiling areas are calcu-
roofs generate above and below the areas lated separately for rooms divided by
defined by these walls. invisible and normal walls.
Common uses for invisible walls include • Invisible walls are ignored by the Auto
dividing the living and dining areas of a
single room, or separating a kitchen from an Place Outlets tool; it functions as
adjoining nook. though they were not present.
• Cabinets, fixtures and furniture can be
moved freely through Invisible walls.
• Invisible walls can be drawn through a
cabinet to attach to the wall behind.
• Invisible walls do not produce a short
wall section to cover the gap where the
level of the floor or ceiling changes. Use
an invisible railing for this. See “Floor &
Ceiling Heights” on page 113.
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Polygon Shaped Decks

Select Build> Decks> Polygon 2. Specify the desired Number of Sides.
Shaped Deck to open the New 3. Specify the desired Side Length.
Polygon Shaped Deck dialog and create
a polygon shaped deck with regular sides. 4. Specify the desired Radius.
5. Uncheck Include Railing to produce a
To create a polygon shaped deck deck platform defined by Deck Edges.
This option is not available in the New
1. Click the radio button beside an option Polygon Shaped Room dialog.
to specify whether you want to Define 6. Click OK, then click once in floor plan
Polygon by Side Length, Radius to view to create the specified polygon
Vertex or Radius to Side. shaped deck.
Hatch Wall
The Hatch Wall tool fills any wall
segment, except invisible walls, with a more segments. When the Hatch Wall
single hatch pattern. The Hatch Wall tool tool is applied to a broken wall, the pattern is
places a hatch pattern across all layers of the only applied to the selected segment.
selected wall, covering any fill styles To select wall hatching, click the wall using
specified for that wall type.
either the Select Objects or Hatch Wall
The wall hatch pattern and it’s line weight
can be specified in the Wall Hatch tool, then click the wall with hatching.
Specification dialog. See “Wall Hatch
To delete a hatch pattern from a wall, select it
To apply wall hatching, click the Hatch Wall and click the Delete edit button or press
the Del key. Make sure that the hatch pattern
button, then click a wall. The hatch is selected and not the wall by noting that
pattern covers the entire length and width of “Wall Hatching” displays in the Status Bar.
the wall. See “The Status Bar” on page 7.
Another way to apply a hatch pattern to a You can resize the hatched area by selecting
portion of a wall is to first use the Wall it and then dragging an end edit handle. If a
hatch covers only part of a wall, you can
Break tool to divide the wall into two or
move it by dragging the center handle.
Dimensions do not locate wall hatching.
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Break Wall
To divide a wall, select Build> Wall> If a break is placed near the intersection of
Break Wall and click the wall. This two walls, the break moves to the exact
places a break, creating two wall sections. intersection. Once a break is placed, click the
Select Objects tool and select the
When the Break Wall tool is active, you
original wall. If edit handles display near the
can continue to place breaks in walls. Select
break, the wall was correctly broken.
a different tool to deselect the Break Wall
tool. The Break Wall tool can be used to
create aligned walls across rooms. See
“Creating a Nook” on page 102.
Deck Railings
Deck Railing is used to create railing. When room definition is established,
decks on the exterior of a plan. a deck is created within the area defined by
Click and drag using the Deck Railing or the perimeter railing and its Room Type is
Curved Deck Railing tool to draw deck set to Deck. See “Decks” on page 119.
Deck Edge
The Deck Edge tools are used to
draw invisible railing, defining a
deck room without enclosing it in rails. Click
and drag using the Straight Deck Edge or
Curved Deck Edge tool to draw deck edge.
See “Decks” on page 119.
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Fencing
Fencing in Home Designer Suite is structure to divide the terrain or detail an
created and modified much like exterior.
railings and walls. Fences do not create room Fencing automatically follows the shape of
definition and are normally used outside a the terrain.
Drawing Walls
Walls are drawn similar to the way CAD rooms, and then door and window objects
lines are drawn and can be drawn in floor should be placed in the walls to create
plan view, camera views, and overviews. See openings later. See “Doors” on page 127 and
“Draw Lines” on page 354. Similarly, curved “Windows” on page 143.
walls are drawn much the way CAD arcs are.
Masonry fireplaces are also considered to be
See “Draw Arc” on page 354.
wall openings. See “Fireplaces” on page 271.
Draw exterior walls in a clockwise direc- Temporary Dimensions

tion so that the exterior surfaces face
outward while interior surfaces face inward. Temporary dimensions will display as walls
are drawn.
Drawing walls to create a floor plan is simple
if you keep a few things in mind: Drawing Curved Walls
• Draw exterior walls first to define the A straight wall can be converted into a
building’s footprint, then draw the inte- curved wall and vice versa. Select a straight
rior walls after the perimeter is in place.
wall and click the Change Line/Arc
• To flip the layers of an existing wall, button to change it into a curved wall.
select it and click the Reverse Layers
Drawing a curved wall is similar to drawing
edit button. See “.Using the Edit a CAD arc.
Buttons” on page 100.
• Initial wall heights are determined by the To create a room in the shape of a cir-
default floor and ceiling heights of the cle, you must draw two curved walls.
current floor.
Wall Positioning
Wall Openings
If Use Snap Grid/Units is checked in the
To create a door or doorway, do not draw Plan Defaults dialog, a new wall snaps to
wall sections with a gap between them. Walls grid lines and line intersections as it is
should be drawn to completely enclose
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drawn. See “Plan Defaults Dialog” on page Drag the end of the temporary wall in a
85. circular motion. In the Status Bar, note that
the wall jumps at defined angle increments.
Use Edit> Snap Settings> Angle Snaps to
Release the mouse button to draw the wall at
draw walls at specific angles. Modify the
the length and angle last shown in the
angle of an existing wall by specifying a new
information window.
angle in the Wall Specification dialog or
by dragging an end to a new allowed angle.
See “Angle Snaps” on page 45. House Wizard
As you draw a wall, note the temporary wall The House Wizard allows you to place and
that displays. The length and angle of this arrange room “objects” that can then be
temporary wall display in the Status Bar at converted into a fully editable house plan,
the bottom of the window as it is drawn. including walls. See “House Wizard” on
page 365.
Connecting Walls
Draw a wall sufficiently close to an existing meet the existing wall. Existing walls do not
wall and the program joins them at the move.
intersection of their main layers. The new
By default, walls are automatically joined
wall moves, extends, or contracts slightly to
when their centers are within a distance
defined by the larger of the two wall widths.
Displaying Walls
While the composition and appearance of beginning of the layer name, such as Walls,
each wall type is controlled in the Wall Attic.
Type Definitions dialog, the display of
It is often desirable to display the walls from
walls in all views is controlled in the
a floor other than the current floor. To do
Display Options dialog. See “Displaying
this, select and display a reference floor. See
“Reference Display” on page 162.
In Floor Plan View In 3D Views
There are several options for controlling how
While most objects in the program can
walls are displayed in floor plan view. In the
display in floor plan view and 3D views, a
Display Options dialog, you can specify
few cannot. Invisible walls and wall hatching
whether or not various types of walls display.
are examples of items that do not display in
alls are placed on layers with “Walls” at the
3D.
99
Editing Walls
Home Designer Training Video: Mate- • In a camera view or overview, click the
rials: Wall Coverings top surface of a wall to display the same
edit handles as in floor plan view, allow-
Walls can be selected individually and as a
ing you to rotate, move, and extend or
group in all views. When a wall is selected, it
shorten the length of the wall.
displays edit handles and an edit toolbar that
vary depending on the current view and the • In a camera view or overview, click an
selected edge and can be used to edit it in interior or exterior surface to display the
various ways. See “Selecting Objects” on same edit handles as in an elevation view,
page 46. one at each corner.
• Moving a wall will move any cabinets
Selecting Walls attached to that wall.
• When you try to select a wall in a Cross • When a wall is connected to other walls
Section/Elevation or 3D view, the interior it can only be moved perpendicular to
or exterior room it defines may be itself or, in the case of curved walls, its
selected first. chord using the Move edit handle.
Wall Heights
Click the Select Next Objects edit
button or press the Tab key on your key- The height of a wall is controlled by the
board to select the wall itself. ceiling height of the room(s) it defines. If the
ceiling or floor height of a room is changed,
• If the Hatch Wall tool has been used the height of the walls that define it also
to apply hatching to a wall, the hatching change.
is selected first. Click Select Next • The ceiling height of a single room is
Objects to select the wall itself. See controlled on the General tab of the
“Hatch Wall” on page 96. Room Specification dialog. See
“General Tab” on page 123.
Using Edit Handles • The ceiling heights for all rooms on a
floor are controlled in the Room
Depending on the type of view, a wall Defaults dialog for that floor.
displays a different set of edit handles when
selected.
.Using the Edit Buttons
• In floor plan view, straight and curved
walls can be edited like CAD Lines and A selected wall or walls can be edited in a
Arcs. See “Editing Line Based Objects” variety of ways using the buttons on the edit
on page 48 and “Editing Arc Based toolbar. See “Using the Edit Toolbar” on
Objects” on page 50. page 50.
100
As with most objects, walls can be copied,

moved, deleted, etc. See “Using the Edit • Click the Center Object edit button
Toolbar” on page 50. The following edit to center a wall along an intersecting wall
toolbar buttons may display on the edit or room. See “Center Object” on page 66.
toolbar for selected walls.
• Click the Change Line/Arc edit
• Click the Select Next Object edit button to change a selected straight wall
button to select nearby objects instead of into a curved wall or vice versa. See
the selected wall. “Change Line/Arc” on page 69.
• Click the Open Object edit button to • Click the Reverse Layers edit button
open the specification dialog for the to flip the layers of the selected wall(s).
selected wall. See “Wall Specification See “Drawing Walls” on page 98.
• Click the Align With Wall Above
• Click the Accurate Move edit button edit button to align the selected wall(s)
to slow down the mouse speed for the with the wall above. See “Aligning Walls
next edit operation. See “Accurate Move” Between Floors” on page 102.
on page 66.
• Click the Align With Wall Below
edit button to align the selected wall(s)
with the wall below. See “Aligning Walls
Between Floors” on page 102.
Editing Straight/Curved Wall Combinations

If you move a straight wall connected to a .
curved wall
101
Aligning Walls
Wall alignment refers to the way wall
segments line up with one another, either on
the same floor or on the floor above or
below. Walls may need to be aligned in a
variety of situations.
Aligning Colinear Walls

Colinear walls are parallel walls connected
end to end and drawn on the same floor.
When colinear walls join end-to-end the
walls snap.
Creating a Nook
4. Right-click the middle section of the
Walls can be aligned across an opening such wall to select the wall section.
as a nook, so that they are colinear, using the 5. Click the middle Move handle and drag
Break Wall tool. the wall outward.
6. Draw side walls to connect the wall back
To align walls across a gap to the rest of the house.
7. Move these short walls using dimen-
1. Select a wall to build a nook into and sions to accurately size the nook.
click the Break Wall edit button.
Aligning Walls
2. Click at a point on the wall close to one
side of the nook area. Do not worry Between Floors
about exact placement right now. Walls can be aligned between floors by
3. Click again near the other side of the
clicking the Align with Wall Above and
nook. Two short lines at each location
where you clicked indicate Wall Breaks. Align With Wall Below edit buttons or
in the Wall Specification dialog. See
In order for these options to be avail-

able, the areas of the walls in question
must be partially aligned, or overlapping.
102
To align walls between floors
1. Select a wall that you want to align with

a wall either above or below it.
2. Click either the Align with Wall Above
or Align With Wall Below edit
button; or, To align railing on different platforms
3. Click the Open Object edit button. 1. Click and drag to draw a Railing or
4. On the General tab of the Wall Deck Railing that divides a room such as
Specification dialog, check either the a deck in two.
Align with Above or Align with Below
box, then click OK. 2. Click the Select Objects button,
then click in one of the room areas.
Aligning Curved Walls
Between Floors 3. Click the Open Object edit button,
and on the General tab of the Room
Curved walls are aligned between floors Specification dialog:
using the same technique to align straight • Specify a Floor Height that differs
walls. If the centers and radii of the walls are from that of the other by at least the
within a few inches of each other, the Align height of the railing, then click OK.
with Wall Above and Align With Wall • The default railing height is 36”, so for
best results the Floor Height should be
Below edit buttons and check boxes are changed by at least this amount.
enabled for the selected wall. The selected
4. Click on the railing drawn in step 1, then
curved wall will take on the radius and center
of the referenced wall as it moves into click the Open Object edit button.
alignment with it. On the Railing tab of the Railing or
Deck Railing Specification dialog,
Aligning Railing on check Generate on Low Platform. See
Different Floors “Railing Tab” on page 107.
Two colinear Railings or Deck Railings on 5. Click and drag a second railing parallel
the same floor can be aligned one above the to the one drawn in step 1.
other when they define rooms with different 6. Select this second railing and click the
floor heights.
Open Object edit button. On the
General tab of the Railing or Deck
Railing Specification dialog, check
the box beside No Room Def and click
OK.
103
7. With the railing still selected, Ctrl + drag ing. See “To move an object freely” on
it into the same position as the first rail- page 66.
Attic Walls
In Home Designer Suite, walls are built Wall on the floor above that wall to fill in the
between the default floor and ceiling heights gap.
of the room. When the program detects an
Attic Walls are typically found above Full
open space between a wall and the roof plane
Gable Walls, forming a gable or closing the
above it, it automatically creates an Attic
top portion of a side wall beneath a shed
roof.
Wall Specification Dialog

The Wall Specification dialog controls The tabs of the Wall Specification dialog
the characteristics of selected walls. To open are also found in the Railing, Deck
the Wall Specification dialog, select a Railing, and Fencing Specification
wall or group of walls and click the Open dialogs.
Object edit button.
General Tab
1
2
3
4
5
104
Items on the General tab are available only

4 The Align with Below or Align with
when they apply to the selected wall or walls. Above check boxes are available when
the selected wall is very close, but not quite
1 The Thickness of the selected wall directly above or below a wall on the floor
displays here. It can be specified when
above or below. Check the option to
the wall is one of the System Default wall
precisely align the walls.
types. This option is not available for layered
wall types. If both options are available, you may choose
one or the other, but not both.
2 Specify the Wall Angle and Wall
Length of a straight wall. These When you click OK, the wall you selected
options are not available for curved walls. moves until it lines up properly with the wall
• Wall Angle - The current absolute angle above or below. Walls align to the outer
of the wall in a floor plan view is shown. surfaces of the main layer of exterior walls,
Type in a new angle to rotate the wall and to the centers of interior walls.
about its locked point. Curved walls are aligned in a similar way. To
• Wall Length - The current length is align two curved walls, the center of the
shown. Type in a new length. The part of selected wall is moved to coincide with the
the wall that extends or contracts is deter- center of the other wall. The wall is then
mined by where it is locked. moved radially until the main layer surfaces
and centers match as previously described.
3 Check any of the Options to modify the
selected wall accordingly. In most 5 The Wall Type drop-down allows you
cases, multiple options can be selected. to change the type of the wall currently
selected to any of the available options. Its
• Check Invisible to specify the wall as
graphic representation in the upper right
invisible. Invisible walls are used to
corner will update to reflect the wall type that
divide rooms areas that are not separated
is currently selected.
by a wall or railing, such as a nook from a
kitchen, and can display in floor plan
view but not 3D views.
• Select No Room Definition to display
the wall in floor plan and/or 3D views but
not define or divide a room. Select No
Locate to prevent automatic dimension
lines from locating a wall. No Locate can
be used for any wall that you do not want
dimensioned. Railings have No Locate
selected by default.
• Select Beam to have the wall display as
two lines in floor plan view and a beam in
3D views.
105
Roof Tab
1 3
Any automatically generated roof style other

2 Pitch - Enter a value to define the pitch
than a hip requires roof information to be of the roof plane over this wall.
defined in the exterior walls. Select the Roof
Check Upper Pitch to create a roof plane
tab to define the portion of the roof plan that
with two pitches. Enter the upper pitch value.
rests on the wall..
Specify the Height that the upper pitch
1 Options - Specify the shape of the wall Starts at, or define how many inches in
relative to the roof planes.
from Baseline that the second pitch begins.
• Full Gable Wall - Select the check box The two values are dynamic. Press Tab to
to create a gable end over the wall. update the relative numbers.
• High Shed/Gable- Select the check box Specify the Overhang of the roof plane to be
to model the high end of a shed roof. generated above the selected wall. The
• Knee Wall - Select the check box to default value is set in the Build Roof dialog.
define a wall as a knee wall. Only an inte- See “Build Roof Dialog” on page 181.
rior wall can be defined as a knee wall. A
knee wall’s height is defined by the roof 3 Check Auto Roof Return to generate
roof returns on the selected wall. In
plane, not the ceiling height.
most cases, roof returns only work for Full
• Extend Slope Downward - Select the Gable Walls. See “Roof Returns” on page
check box to continue a roof down over a 178.
bumpout in an exterior wall.
Specify the horizontal Length of the roof
return in inches.
106
Enter a value in inches to Extend the roof Specify a Gable, Hip, or Full roof return.
returns from the overhang. Specify a Sloping or Flat roof return. See
“Some Common Roof Types” on page 176.
Railing Tab
1 2
3 6
4
5
1 Railing Type - Select the radio button

for the desired railing type. A preview
of the selected type displays to the left.
The following illustrations show the results
of each option.
• Open - Create a railing with only a top
• Balusters - Create balusters. rail.
• Solid - Create a solid, wall style railing.

• Middle Rail - Create a railing with a top
The wall is the type defined by the cur-
and a middle rail.
rent wall layer definition.
107
• No Rail - Eliminate rails, leaving only

pillars or posts (and overhead beam, if
selected).
• Post to Ceiling - Check this box to

extend the newel posts to the ceiling.
Shoe Options - Select the check box for the

• Panels - Create a solid panel. desired placement of the bottom rail, or shoe.
If neither box is checked, the shoe is placed
at floor platform level.
• Raise Shoe - Raise the shoe 3-1/2” or 87
mm off the floor platform.
• No Shoe - Eliminate the shoe altogether.
Balusters go right to the floor.
2 Post Type - Select the check box for
the desired post type.
• Post to Rail - Create newel posts from
floor to rail height. This option is selected
by default.
3 Railing Height - Specify the height of

the railing in inches.
4 Baluster Spacing - Specify the

distance between balusters in inches.
• Post to Beam - Create newel posts from 5 Newel Height and Newel Spacing -
Specify the height and distance
floor to an overhead beam placed just
between newels.
under the ceiling height. This option is
used when placing a cross beam along the
top of the railing.
6 A preview of the railing displays here
and updates as options are changed.
Home Designer Training Video: Mate-
rials: Wall Coverings
108
Wall Hatch Specification Dialog

The Wall Hatch Specification dialog • Spacing - Specify the spacing between
controls the display of the selected wall hatch pattern lines.
hatch. To open the dialog, select the hatch • Transparent Pattern Fill - Select the
and click the Open Object edit button. check box to make the background trans-
parent.
Define the appearance of the wall hatch. • Fill/Pattern Color - Select the radio but-
• Fill Pattern - Select a pattern from the ton and click the button to open the Win-
drop-down list. dows Color Chooser dialog. Specify a
color for the hatch pattern lines and click
OK.
Wall Defaults
Default Settings are accessed by click the Edit button to open the Wall
selecting Edit> Default Settings. Defaults dialog associated with your
Click the “+” next to Walls to display the selection.
walls sub-headings. Select a subheading and
Exterior/Interior Wall Defaults Dialog
3
1
109
1 Exterior Wall Tool - From the drop- 3 Railings, Fencing, Wood Frame and
down list, select the wall type drawn Invisible Walls - Default Thickness -
with the Exterior Wall tool. Select a thickness for these tools and wall
types from the drop-down list.
2 Interior Wall Tool - From the drop-
down list, select the wall type drawn by
the Interior Wall tool.
110
Chapter 8:
Rooms
Chapter Overview
When walls or railings create an enclosed Chapter Contents
area, a “room” is created. You can select • Room Definition
rooms defined in this manner like other • Room Defaults
objects in Home Designer Suite and open • Room Material Defaults
them for specification. • Floor & Ceiling Heights
Rooms are assigned a Room Type. Each • Selecting Rooms
Room Type has predefined characteristics. A • Room Types
room defined as Porch, for example, is • Room Labels
assigned certain attributes that are different • Decks
than a Kitchen. • Editing Rooms
• Special Ceilings
Ceiling and floor heights can be defined • Room Specification Dialog
room-by-room or for the entire floor.
Baseboard, chair-rail, and crown molding
can be applied room-by-room or for the
entire floor.
Materials for walls, ceilings, floors and
moldings can be defined room-by-room or
for the entire model based on Room Type.
111
Room Definition
Home Designer Training Video: Walls: If room is drawn within a larger structure and
Interior and Rooms none of its walls connect to the exterior
walls, either directly or indirectly by
A room is a totally enclosed area defined by
connecting to walls that do, the program will
any combination of joined walls or railings,
view this room as a separate building and
visible or invisible. To be recognized as a
unexpected issues may result. Connect such
room by Home Designer Suite a room must
a room to the larger structure with an
have an unbroken perimeter.
Invisible wall.
Unless otherwise specified, rooms generate
Room definition disappears if part or all of a
floor and ceiling platforms automatically.
surrounding wall is deleted. It is a good idea
Most rooms are also automatically covered
to finalize the position of walls before
by the roof when one is built. There are
defining rooms with names and attributes
exceptions to this, such as rooms defined as
such as floor height and ceiling height.
Decks.
Room Defaults
Default Settings can be accessed by to create 3D models - particularly floor and
selecting Edit> Default Settings. In ceiling heights. Moldings can also be
the Default Settings dialog, select Floor specified in the Room Defaults dialog.
and click the Edit button to open the Room
Only the defaults for the first floor of a
Defaults dialog for the current floor.
building can be set ahead of time. The
The default values for rooms are specified in program uses the setting from the first floor
the Room Defaults dialog for the current to create subsequent floors. Once a new floor
floor. The Room Defaults dialog contains is built, its floor defaults can be changed.
important information that the program uses
Room Material Defaults

The default materials used for rooms are • Decks
specified based on the type of room. There • Garage, Porches.
are four separate room types:
If a room type is assigned, the room uses one
• General Rooms
of the four defaults for its materials. If a
• Kitchens, Baths, and Utility Rooms room type has not been assigned, the room
uses the General Rooms default materials.
112
Floor and Ceiling Materials When you create a room, the wall surfaces
use the default material.
Specify floor materials and subfloor material
for the entire floor in the General You can change a room’s wall material on the
Materials Defaults dialog. Materials tab of the Room Specification
dialog. See “Materials Tab” on page 302. To
Normally, only the Floor Covering and the restore the default Wall Type material, select
Ceiling Covering display in 3D views. If the Use Default from the list.
covering is specified as No Material, the
material below is visible. If no floor or In addition, you can change the surface
ceiling material has been assigned, then the material of an individual wall in the Wall
program displays the default material for the Specification dialog. If you select Use
floor or ceiling. Default as the material, the program refers to
the material specified in the Room
All floor and ceiling materials are used for Specification dialog.
the calculation of the materials list.
When neither the wall nor the room has a
Wall Materials material assigned to it, the program refers to
the general material for walls in the
There are several ways that materials can be Material Defaults dialog. See “Material
assigned to walls, depending on how the Defaults Dialog” on page 307.
rooms and walls have been defined.
Floor & Ceiling Heights

Use the Room Specification dialog to set
floor heights on a room-by-room basis. You
can use these settings to create split levels,
sunken living rooms, bi-levels, and dropped
garages, for example.
In 3D views you can adjust the default floor
and ceiling height for the entire floor, the
floor and ceiling height for an individual
room, or the floor and ceiling height for an
individual wall. See “In 3D Views” on page
120.
The Room Specification dialog controls All floor and ceiling heights are measured
ceiling heights by room. Different rooms on relative to zero, which is the default floor
the same floor can have unique ceiling height for Floor 1. Unlike other default floor
heights, cathedral ceilings, coffered ceilings, and ceiling heights, the default floor height
or no ceiling at all. See “Room Specification for Floor 1 cannot be changed, but the floor
113
heights of rooms on Floor 1 can be edited If the rooms above a particular room have
individually. more than one floor height, the room’s
ceiling is stepped.
In order to raise or lower a room’s floor or
ceiling height, you must give it a room
definition. To create room definition without
enclosing an area with solid walls, use
Railings .
In a situation like this, a Lowered Ceiling can

be used to cover any “steps” made by
different floor heights on the floor above. See
Using Invisible Using an
Railings Invisible Wall Split Levels
Visible or invisible, railings work well to A split level can be created by raising or
create room definition because they put a lowering the floor and ceiling heights of
railing where the two rooms meet and fill in various areas of the plan.
the vertical space between with a short wall. In the following example, the lowest floor
An invisible wall does not fill in the vertical height is 0, the next is 24, and the next is 48
space between the two levels. inches. The ceiling height in each room is set
Ceiling and floor heights are interrelated. at 96 inches. An overview and cross section/
Changing the floor or ceiling height in one elevation view are shown.
room can affect floor and ceiling heights
above and below.
• If a room’s floor is lowered, its ceiling
height is increased while the ceiling
below that room drops.
• If the floor is raised, the ceiling height
decreases while the ceiling below that
room is raised.
• If a ceiling is lowered or raised, the floor
above is lowered or raised as well.
114
Selecting Rooms
Room definition is established when a room This band represents the selection area for
is completely enclosed by walls. You can the Exterior Room.
confirm that a room has room definition by
using the Select Objects tool to select it.
When a fully-enclosed room is selected, the
room highlights.
The Exterior Room is selected
In 3D Views
The room at left is selected Click the floor of a room or on a wall surface
inside the room in a 3D or cross section view
As with many other objects in the program,
rooms can be group-selected, as well. using the Select Objects tool. If you
select another object instead of the room,
The Exterior Room click Select Next Object edit button or
You can also select the exterior of a model. press the Tab key until the room is selected.
This allows you to control the building’s The Status Bar indicates which object is
exterior wall coverings and materials using currently selected.
the Room Specification dialog. Click the exterior surface of an exterior wall
Click just outside an exterior wall using the to select the Exterior Room. Click Select
Select Objects tool to select the Exterior Next Object if needed. For more, see
Room. When it is selected, a highlighted “In 3D Views” on page 120.
band around the plan’s exterior displays.
Room Types
Once your floor plan is laid out, each room General tab of the Room Specification
should be assigned a Room Type on the dialog. See “General Tab” on page 123.
115
When you assign a room type, a label with • Attic rooms are ignored by the program’s
the room name displays in floor plan view. automatic roof generator.
The Room Type applies appropriate • Garage, Slabs, and Porches are treated
structural and display properties to the room. like exterior rooms in all cases except
that they generate a ceiling and a roof
You can edit the text of a room label in floor above them.
plan view, but the type of room originally
assigned remains until it is changed in the Floors and Foundations
Room Specification dialog. See “Editing • Open Below is a unique type of interior
Room Labels” on page 118. room. It has no floor platform and can be
used for defining stairwell openings.
Available Room Types • Walls that define the garage have a foun-
There are three categories of room types: dation under them with a concrete slab at
Interior, Exterior and Hybrid. the top of stem wall or grade beam.
• The garage floor displays in 3D with the
Interior - Living, Dining, Family, Kitchen,
foundation floor, not the first floor.
Nook, Bath, Master Bath, Master Bedrm,
Bedroom, Study, Office, Entry, Hall, Closet, • Courts, decks and balconies do not gener-
Dressing, Storage, Laundry, and Utility ate foundations.
Exterior - Court, Deck, Balcony Doors and Windows
Hybrid - Open Below, Garage, Slab, Porch, • A window placed in a wall between an
Attic exterior room and an interior room
always faces out toward the exterior.
Effects of Room Types • Windows placed between interior rooms
generate a warning message.
The program applies specific structural and
display properties to rooms depending on the • Door placed between interior and exterior
assigned Room Type. type rooms display threshold lines.
• Interior doors do not display thresholds.
Living Area
• Open Below rooms are treated as interior
• All interior type rooms are included in
rooms for window and door placement.
Living Area calculations; exterior and
hybrid rooms are not. Electrical
Ceilings and Roofs
• The Auto Place Outlets tool adds
• Interior rooms have a ceiling and roof outlets automatically to all interior rooms
above them unless specified otherwise. except bathrooms. Only one outlet over
• Exterior rooms are assumed to be open to each sink is added for a bathroom.
the outside and do not generate a roof
above them. • The Auto Place Outlets tool places
fewer outlets in hybrid rooms.
116
Trim and Molding

• The Auto Place Outlets tool does
not place outlets in Porch rooms. • Moldings are not automatically drawn in
exterior rooms.
• The Auto Place Outlets tool does • Baseboards and chair rails are not drawn
not place outlets in exterior type rooms. in Open Below rooms, but crown mold-
ing does.
• The Auto Place Outlets tool does
Plan Check
not place outlets in Open Below rooms.
• Any outlet manually placed in an exterior • Plan Check uses the room type and
room automatically becomes a water- its characteristics for basic plan checking.
proof outlet designed for exterior use. For example, a closet does not need a
smoke detector but a bedroom does. See
“Plan Check” on page 367.
Room Labels
Room labels are based on the Room Types • Rooms, Standard Area is measured
assigned in the Room Specification from center of interior walls to either the
dialog. You can move or delete a room label outside surface of exterior walls or exte-
in floor plan view without affecting the room rior wall framing, depending on the Liv-
type. See “Room Types” on page 115. ing Area to setting in the Floor
Defaults dialog. It is rounded to the
There are two parts to each room label: the
nearest square foot or mm and does not
room type, which is similar to a standard text
include the area within bay, box and bow
object, and the room area, which is not a
windows.
standard text entry and cannot be edited.
• Rooms, Interior Area is measured from
the inner surfaces of all the room's walls.
Room labels can move about or even
It is rounded to the nearest square foot or
disappear when room entries are revali-
dated. mm and includes the area within bay, box
and bow windows.
Displaying Room Labels • Rooms, Interior Dimensions is also
measured from the inner surfaces of the
The display of room labels is controlled in room walls. It is rounded to the nearest
the Display Options dialog. See “Display inch or mm and does not include the area
Options Dialog” on page 87. You can specify within bay, box and bow windows.
how the area of rooms is calculated by the
program by turning on the display of one of
these layers:
117
Editing Room Labels Living Area

Room labels are similar to standard text The Living Area label displays the area of
entries and can be changed, moved and the floor platform for living areas in a plan. It
resized like any other text object. is found near the bottom center of the plan as
soon as a room area is defined by walls and/
Although the text of a room label can be
or railing.
edited, the program recognizes the specified
room type until you select another in the The Living Area displays for an individual
Room Specification dialog. The program building if half or more of that building's area
determines the type of the room from this is living area. For example, a living area
selection, not from the text that the label label would not display for a detached garage
contains. that contains a bathroom or small shop.
Before editing a room label, try to assign the You can choose not to display this label by
room type most similar to the room’s actual turning off the display of the Room Labels
use. For example, it is reasonable to change layer in the Display Options dialog.
the “Bedroom” label to “Guest Room,” since
The Living Area label can be moved or
these rooms have similar uses. Defining a
deleted. To restore a deleted Living Area
closet as a “Living Room” and then editing
its label to say “Closet” may cause problems. label, select Tools> Plan Check . You
The program still considers it a living room can click the Done button immediately,
because this is the specified room type. without actually completing Plan Check.
Room Area Living Area vs. Footprint

Unlike the rest of a room label, the room area The Living Area should not be mistaken for
and dimensions are not standard text entries the footprint of the house. Only true livable
and cannot be edited or changed. The room areas are included in the Living Area
area moves, resizes and rotates with the rest calculation. Exterior and hybrid room types
of the room label, but you can turn the area such as Garage, Deck, and Porch are not
and dimensions on or off separately in the included. Neither is any room labeled Open
Layer Display Options dialog. Below or Attic. See “Available Room Types”
on page 116 of the Reference Manual.
The Interior Area room area calculation
includes the areas within bay, box or bow Living Area is measured from the outside
windows, while the Standard Area and surface or main layer surface of exterior
Interior Dimensions calculations do not. walls, and to the center of walls or railings
separating the living area from exterior or
hybrid room types.
118
Decks
Home Designer Training Video: Single Deck Stairs
Level Decks
There are two ways to create stairs from a
Home Designer Training Video: Decks: deck down to the terrain.
Multiple Level Decks
Home Designer Training Video: Stairs To create stairs using the Click Stair tool
for Terrain and Decks
You can define a room as a Deck on the 1. Select the Click Stair tool.
General Tab of the Room Specification 2. Click within 12 inches of the deck rail,
dialog. See “General Tab” on page 123. outside the deck.
To draw a deck, click the Deck Railing To draw a down stairway from a deck
tool, then click and drag to draw a railing.
Once room definition is established, the area
1. Select Build> Stairs in floor plan
defined by the deck railing is assigned the
view.
“Deck” room type.
2. Place the pointer at the edge of the deck,
To create a deck without a railing, click the hold down the Alt key (or click with the
Straight Deck Edge tool or the Curved right mouse button) and drag in the
direction of the stairs. Holding the Alt
Deck Edge tool, then click and drag to key produces a stairway that goes down
draw the perimeter of the deck. instead of up.
You can also create a regular, polygon- 3. Place a doorway in the railing at the top
shaped deck using the Polygon Shaped of the steps.
Deck tool.
The only time you should ever draw
A room does not have to be defined by Deck stairs from an upper level down is when
Railing to be specified as a “Deck”. See you are going from a floor platform such as a
“Room Types” on page 115. deck to the ground or finished grade. When
stairs are drawn between two floor platforms,
By default, decks do not have roofs. If you they should be drawn from the lower floor
want to have a roof over your deck, check platform to the upper floor platform.
Roof over this room on the Structure tab of
the Room Specification dialog. Select the Deck Planking
Post to Beam option on the Railing tab to
give the roof a visible means of support. See The display of the deck planking is
“Railing Tab” on page 107. controlled by the Framing, Deck Planking
layer in the Display Options dialog.
119
Editing Rooms
Once a room is defined by walls or railings, To adjust room heights in 3D
its structure and appearance can be edited
using the edit buttons or the Room 1. Create a floor camera view of your plan.
Specification dialog. Floor and ceiling Although walls can be edited in any 3D
heights, floor platform structure, moldings, view, cross sections, elevations, floor
wall coverings and an array of materials can camera views, or floor overviews are
all be specified in the Room best for editing walls.
Specification dialog. See “Room 2. Click the surface of a wall that faces the
Specification Dialog” on page 123. room to select it. When the room is
selected in 3D:
In 3D Views • The room highlights
The floor and ceiling heights for floors, • The Status Bar says “Room.” See “The
rooms, and individual walls can be edited Status Bar” on page 7.
using edit handles in camera views and • Two edit handles display on the top and
overviews. Lowered ceilings cannot be bottom edges of the highlighted wall.
edited in 3D. The default floor and ceiling
3. Click and drag the edit handle on the top
heights for an entire model can be edited in a
wall edge to adjust the room ceiling
3D view by selecting the exterior room.
height, or the handle on the bottom edge
To change default floor heights in 3D to adjust its floor height.
4. As you drag a handle, notice that all
1. Create a floor camera view of your plan. walls defining that room are affected.
Although walls can be edited in any 3D
view, cross sections, elevations, floor To adjust the height of a wall in 3D
camera views, or floor overviews are
best for editing walls. 1. Create a floor camera view of your plan.
2. Click the exterior surface of a wall to Although walls can be edited in any 3D
select the exterior room. The Status Bar view, cross sections, elevations, floor
indicates when the exterior room is camera views, or floor overviews are
selected. best for editing walls.
3. Click and drag the edit handle on the top 2. Click a surface of the wall that faces. By
wall edge to adjust the default ceiling default, the room selects first.
height, or the edit handle on the bottom
edge to adjust the default floor height. 3. Click the Select Next Object edit
button to select the wall. The Status Bar
says “Wall.” See “The Status Bar” on
page 7.
120
4. Click and drag the edit handles. Tempo- The following edit toolbar buttons may
rary dimensions display in elevation display on the edit toolbar for selected
views. rooms.
• Click the Select Next Object button

Note: Any rooms that do not update when the
default floor or ceiling height is changed are to select nearby objects instead of the
not using the default values. To use the selected room, particularly the wall it is
default values for a specific room, open it for placed in.
specification and check Default for any of the
room height values. See “Room Specification • Click the Open Object button to
Dialog” on page 123. open the specification dialog for the
select room(s). See “Room Specification
Using the Edit Buttons Dialog” on page 123.
A selected room or rooms can be edited in a • Click the Calculate Materials for Room
toolbar. button to create a materials list of the
contents of the selected room, not includ-
ing walls. See “Calculate From Room”
on page 403.
Special Ceilings
By default, the program builds a flat ceiling using settings in the Room Specification
platform on top the wall plates of a room. dialog.
More varied and complex ceilings are made
Lowered Ceiling Height

You can define a Lowered Ceiling height to
model a dropped ceiling without affecting
the wall plate height. See “General Tab” on
page 123.
The illustration below, the default ceiling
height for the entire floor is 120", and the
room on the right has a Lowered Ceiling
height of 96". The dashed line in the dialog
preview represents the lowered ceiling.
121
Cathedral Ceilings
A cathedral ceiling has the same pitch as the 2. Select the room and open the Room
roof and is created using the underside of the Specification dialog. See “Room
roof above the room. Specification Dialog” on page 123.
3. On the Structure tab, clear the check box
To create a cathedral ceiling for Ceiling Over This Room.
1. Build a roof for your plan. See “Roofs”

on page 171.
122
Room Specification Dialog

The Room Specification dialog controls A value with Default checked is referenced
the structural characteristics and appearance from the Floor Defaults dialog. To return a
of a selected room. To open the Room value to the default, replace the check mark.
Specification dialog, select a room and
click the Open Object edit button.
General Tab
3
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
The General tab displays a cross section of Specification dialog. If one large room on
the room that shows the various heights and the current floor is positioned over a couple
platform thicknesses, including foundations, of smaller rooms, the position of the pointer
for the floors below the room you selected. relative to the smaller lower rooms
The room in the above example has a determines which of the the rooms display as
foundation below. the floor below.
What appears in the cross section depends on
1 Select the Room Type. This affects
the current floor and the location of the some of the room characteristics.
pointer when you selected the room. Only
two floors at a time display in the Room
123
A diagram of the room is shown. The arrows

7 Floor Above Height - Specify the
indicate what part of the structure moves if height of the subfloor for the floor
you make changes in the corresponding box. above, measured from the top of the current
floor’s subfloor.
3 Floor Height - Specify the height of
the subflooring above or below the
8 Ceiling Below - The ceiling height for
default first floor height of zero. the floor below is shown. It may be
defined here, or in the specification for that
4 Ceiling Height - Specify the ceiling room. The values are linked.
height relative to the room’s floor
height. Ceiling height is measured from the
9 Platform Thickness - The thickness of
top of the subflooring to the bottom of the the floor platform assembly, including
ceiling framing. the subfloor and joists, displays here but
cannot be edited. The platform thickness can
5 Lowered ceiling - Specify the height be changed on the Structure tab.
for a lowered ceiling, measured from
the top of the subflooring to the bottom of the If the material for the current room floor is
lowered ceiling framing. Concrete, and floors and ceilings have been
rebuilt since it was set to this, the Platform
6 Stem Wall Height - If the room below thickness defaults to the Slab thickness in the
is the foundation, specify the distance
Foundation Defaults dialog, unless is
from the bottom of the floor framing to the
was explicitly set in the Structure tab.
top of the footing.
10 The thickness of the slab on the floor
below (if any) is shown here, but
cannot be edited.
124
Structure Tab
If Ceiling Over This Room is checked, the If Roof Over This Room is checked, a roof
room has a flat ceiling. If it is unchecked, the automatically generates over the room. If
ceiling follows the underside of the roof or unchecked, no roof generates.
manually drawn ceiling planes.
Moldings Tab
Home Designer Training Video: Mold-
ings
125
Chair rail, crown and base moldings can be Specify a Distance Above Floor for the
assigned to a selected room on the Moldings molding type. Crown molding and chair rail
tab. Moldings are placed around the wall are measured to the top of the profile while
surfaces of a room. They continue around the base molding is measured to the bottom of
surface of any soffit that is attached to the the profile.
wall at the molding height.
Specify a Height for the selected molding Fill Style Tab
profile. If no profile is specified, a flat profile For more information about the Fill Style tab,
is used unless the Height is set at 0”. see “Fill Style Tab” on page 362.
Molding heights can be specified in 1/16”or
1 mm increments. Materials Tab
A (D) following any value signifies that it is For more information about the Materials
a default value set in the Floor Defaults tab, see “Materials Tab” on page 302.
dialog. If a value is not followed by a (D),
replace it with “d” to reset it to the default.
126
Chapter 9:
Doors
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Doors Chapter Contents
and Windows • Door Defaults
Home Designer Suite comes with tools for • The Door Tools
creating a wide variety of interior and • Displaying Doors
exterior doors. In addition, the library offers • Editing Doors
a full line of specialty doors and doorways • Changing Door Swings
including hinged, sliding, pocket, bifold, • Centering Doors and Windows
garage, and manufacutrer specific products. • Special Doors
• Door Specification Dialog
127
Door Defaults
Default Settings are accessed by made to individual doors after they have
selecting Edit> Default Settings. been placed do alter the default settings.
Click the “+” next to Doors to show the door
You can save time by going over the settings
sub-headings. Select a subheading and click
in the Door Defaults dialog before doors
the Edit button to open the defaults dialog
are placed. Settings for interior and exterior
associated with your selection.
doors are similar and should both be defined.
The Interior Door Defaults and
Exterior Door Defaults dialogs look
nearly the same as the Door Specification
dialog. See “Door Specification Dialog” on
page 136. There is only onedifference:
• Since default settings are specified here,
“Use Default” is not an option on some
drop-down lists as it is in the Door
Some default settings, like the casing width

on the Frame & Trim tab, are dynamic and
The values in the Door Defaults dialog are update globally when a new value is entered.
initial values for interior or exterior doors. When you change a dynamic default,
Individual doors can be edited by selecting existing doors in the model update.See
and opening them for specification. Changes “Dynamic Defaults” on page 85.
The Door Tools

To place a door, select the type you Once placed, any door may be changed into
want from the Build> Door submenu. any other type of door using the Door
Specification dialog. See “Door
With a door tool activated, click a wall to
place a door in the wall. If the wall is an
exterior wall or a wall that separates an
interior from an exterior room, the program Hinged Doors
places an exterior door based on the default Select Build> Door> Hinged Door
settings for exterior doors. If the wall is an and click a wall where you want to
interior wall, the program places an interior place a hinged door. Hinged doors can be
door based on the default settings for interior placed on interior or exterior walls. A hinged
doors. See “Door Defaults” on page 128. door becomes a double door when its width
is four feet or greater.
128
Doorways Bifold doors always display closed in all 3D

views.
Choose Build> Door> Doorway and
click a wall to place a doorway (an
Garage Doors
opening without a door). Doorways can be
placed on interior or exterior walls, or in Choose Build> Door> Garage Door
railings and fences to provide an opening. and click a wall to place a garage door.
You can insert doors from the library into
The default garage door is 8’-0” x 7’-0” high.
doorways.
A garage door must be at least two feet wide
Sliding Doors Garage doors can only be placed in exterior
walls. A dashed line in floor plan view shows
Select Build> Door> Sliding Door the space occupied by the garage door when
and click a wall where you want to open.
place a sliding door. Sliding doors can be
placed on interior or exterior walls. If placed A garage door cuts the stemwall provided the
in an exterior wall, the door is glass; if placed room is designated as a garage before the
in an interior wall, it is a solid slab. door is inserted.
The default sliding door dimensions are

The Doors Library
5’-0” x 6’-8” with a 12” bottom frame and a
6” frame on the sides and top. A sliding door The Doors library can be accessed by
must be at least four feet wide. selecting Library> Library Browser.
The Door library contains a variety of
Pocket Doors customized interior and exterior doors, and
doors offered by specific manufacturers. The
Select Build> Door> Pocket Door Doors library also contains garage doors and
and click a wall where you want to
place a pocket door. gates that can be used with Fencing .
The default pocket door dimensions are 2’-6”
To place a library door in a doorway:
x 6’-8” high. A pocket door becomes a
double pocket door if its width is four feet or
1. Go to floor plan view or any 3D view.
greater.
2. Open the Library Browser.
Bifold Doors 3. Navigate through the Doors library cate-
gory until you find the custom door style
Choose Build> Door> Bifold Door
desired.
and click a wall where you want to
place a bifold door. 4. Select the door in the Library Browser,
then click the doorway in your view. The
The default interior single bifold door is 2’- selected door replaces the original if one
6” x 6’-8”. A bifold door becomes a double has already been placed.
bifold door if its width is greater than three
feet.
129
5. Continue clicking other doorways until To add a door to the doorway, select a Door
all changes have been made. Type other than Doorway from the drop-
down list in the Door Specification
The Doorway Library dialog. or click the Library button and select
a door style from the Doors library. See
Select Library> Library Browser and “General Tab” on page 137.
expand the Doorways category to
access a library of special entryways and You can also select a custom door from the
doorways. Select a doorway and click a wall library and drop it into a doorway in floor
to place it. plan view or any 3D view.
Displaying Doors
The display of doors, door sizes, opening and six feet, eight inches high. Metric door
indicators and headers is controlled in the dimensions format is “900x2100,” where the
Display Options dialog. See “Displaying first number is the width in mm.
If the Doors layer is turned off, doors and Threshold Lines
their casing do not display but openings in Doors in exterior walls and doors that open
the walls where they are located are visible. to exterior type rooms such as a garage,
porch, or deck, have a threshold line across
In Floor Plan View the opening in floor plan view.
If the Doors, Labels layer is set to display,
labels are centered on the doors that they
represent. Threshold
Line
The size displays in the format “3068”,
which is width by height in feet and inches.
A 3068 door is three feet, zero inches wide
Editing Doors
Before a door can be edited, it must be
selected. To select a door, click it when the
130
Using Dimensions
Select Objects tool or any of the Door
Individual doors can be moved using
Tools are active. Doors and/or windows the Move Object Using
can also be group selected and edited. See Dimension dialog.
Doors can be edited using the edit handles, In the Specification Dialog
edit toolbar buttons, and in the Door
Doors can be extensively customized in the
Door Specification dialog. See “Door
When you select a door in floor plan view, Specification Dialog” on page 136.
the door size label indicates the width
followed by the height. For example, a 3068 Using the Edit Buttons
door is 3’-0” wide by 6’-8” high.
A selected door or doors can be edited in a
Using the Mouse
toolbar. See “Using the Edit Toolbar” on
In floor plan view, click either of the two end page 50.
handles and drag along the wall to change the
As with most objects, doors can be copied,
width. The label showing the size updates as
moved, and deleted. The following edit
the handles are dragged. Click and drag the
toolbar buttons may display on the edit
Move handle at the center to move the door
toolbar for selected doors.
along the wall it is placed in. Use the
triangular Rotate handle to adjust the door’s • Click the Select Next Object button
swing. If the door’s label displays, an to select nearby objects instead of the
additional handle is available to move the selected door, particularly the wall it is
label. placed in.
In 3D views, a selected door has five edit
handles: the Move handle at the center and a • Click the Open Object edit button to
Resize handle on each edge. Click and drag open the specification dialog for the
an edge handle to resize the door. select door(s). See “Door Specification
A door or window moved against an
intersecting wall temporarily stops when the • Accurate Move slows down the
casing meets the intersecting wall. You can move speed when using the edit handles.
continue to drag and it resumes movement Not available for component doors.
past or onto the intersecting wall. Place a
check in the Ignore Casing for Opening • Click the Center Object button to
Resize check box in the Plan Defaults center doors along a wall within a room
dialog to turn off this behavior. See “Plan or relative to a cabinet fixture. Not
Defaults Dialog” on page 85. available for component doors.
131
“Placing a Gable Over a Door” on page

• Gable Over Door/Window - Create 135.
a gable over the selected door(s) the next
time an automatic roof is built. See
Changing Door Swings

Door swing direction and hinge side can be
changed using the Change Opening/Hinge
Side and Change Swing Side edit buttons.
Hinged Doors
In addition to using the edit buttons, hinged
doors’ hinge side and swing direction can be
changed using the triangular Rotate edit
handle. 2. Drag the pointer along the path of the
new arc to change the hinge side and/or
To adjust the angle of swing: swing direction.
1. In floor plan view, select the door and

grab the triangular handle.
2. Drag to change the amount of swing.
3. Release the mouse.
To change the swing using edit buttons:

3. Release the mouse.
1. In floor plan view, select the door.
If you drag near the closed position, the door
snaps to a closed position. 2. To change the hinge side, click the
Change Opening/Hinge Side edit
To change the swing using edit handles: button.
1. In floor plan view, select the door and

grab the triangular edit handle.
132
To flip the fixed and moving sides of the

door, click the Change Swing Side edit
button.
3. To change the swing direction, click the As with hinged doors, you can also change
the Opening/Hinge and Swing sides of a
Change Swing Side edit button. sliding door by clicking and dragging the
triangular edit handle.
Pocket Doors
To change the direction of a pocket door,
select it and click the Change Opening/
Hinge Side edit button.
Sliding Doors
To change the side of a sliding door that is
fixed, select the sliding door then click the
Change Opening/Hinge Side edit
button.
Note: There must be enough room for the

entire door to fit in the opposite wall or the
door does not change.
As with hinged doors, you can also change

the Opening/Hinge side of a pocket door by
clicking and dragging the triangular edit
handle.
133
Bifold Doors As with hinged doors, you can also change

the Opening/Hinge and Swing sides of a
To change the side of a bifold door that is bifold door by clicking and dragging the
fixed, select it then click the Change triangular edit handle.
Opening/Hinge Side edit button.
Garage Doors
To change the side of a garage door that it
faces, select it and click the Change Swing
Side edit button.
To change the hinged side of the door, click

the Change Swing Side edit button.
As with other door types, you can also

change the Swing side of a bifold door by
clicking and dragging the triangular edit
handle.
Centering Doors and Windows

The Center Object edit button allows
2. Click the Center Object edit button
you to center the selected object along
then choose from one of the following
a wall within a room or over an appliance or
options:
sink placed into a cabinet. The cabinet must
be positioned against a wall. • Click near a wall inside a room to cen-
ter the door along that wall in that
To center a door or window along a wall room.
• Click outside the house (on the exterior
1. Select a door or combination of win- room) near an exterior wall to center
dows and doors in floor plan view. the door along an exterior wall.
134
To center an object over a sink 2. Click the Center Object tool.

1. Select an object such as a window. 3. Click near the back of the sink or appli-
ance, near the wall.
Special Doors
Wrapped Openings To open a railing across an entire section,
resize the doorway’s Width so that it is
Wrapped greater than the length of the railing in the
openings of Door Specification dialog. The opening
various shapes resizes to the maximum width possible for
are available in that space. See “General Tab” on page 137 of
the Doorway the Reference Manual.
Library. You
can also create a
Transoms Above Doors
wrapped
opening by Transom windows above doors are created
placing a the same as other stacked windows. See
doorway in the “Stacked Windows” on page 146.
wall and
checking Placing a Gable Over a Door
Suppress
Casing in the Frame and Trim tab of the Click the Gable Over Door/Window
Door Specification dialog. Note that the edit button to produce a gable roof over
base molding wraps around the opening. See the selected door(s) the next time automatic
“Frame & Trim Tab” on page 138. roofs are built. See “Gable Over Door/
Window” on page 180.
Openings in Railings You can manually edit or delete this gable
line at any time. Your changes take effect
Use the Doorway tool to open a railing when the automatic roofs are rebuilt. This
for a stairway or other access. can also be used with group selected doors.
Passthroughs
To create a passthrough, place a Doorway
at the desired location. Create a camera
view and select the doorway. Click and drag
the bottom edit handle up to the correct
height for the passthrough.
135
You can also drag the top and sides to the 2. Select Build> Wall> Straight Railing
correct dimensions or set them in the
Doorway Specification dialog. , then click and drag to draw a railing
parallel to the wall with the doorway.
Check Suppress Casing.in the Doorway
3. Click on the railing, then use the Resize
Specification dialog if you want a
edit handles to adjust the length of the
wrapped opening instead of casing. See
railing as needed. See “Using the Edit
“Frame & Trim Tab” on page 138 of the
Handles” on page 49.
Reference Manual.
4. With the railing selected, click the Open
Creating a Doorway Object edit button.
with a Railing
5. On the General tab of the Railing
When a railing is specified as No Room Def, Specification dialog, check No Room
Def and click OK. See “General Tab” on
it can be positioned within a Doorway . page 104.
6. With the railing still selected, Ctrl + drag
it into position within the doorway. See
“To move an object freely” on page 66.
Positioning a railing in a doorway

To create a doorway with railing
1. Place a Doorway at the desired loca-

tion in your plan.
Door Specification Dialog

The most precise method of editing an If a group of doors is selected, changes made
individual door or group of doors is to use in the Door Specification dialog are
the Door Specification dialog. Door type, applied to all the selected doors. If interior
size, casing, materials, and more can all be doors must be different from the exterior
specified in this dialog. doors, they must be selected and edited as a
separate group.
136
Select one or more doors and click the Open Specification dialog for the selected
door(s).
Object edit button to open the Door
General Tab
1
2
1 Door Style - Define the door as slab, Swing Angle set on the General tab displays
glass, panel, or louvered, or select a in 3D views.
door style from the library. Select use
default to use the default door style set in the
Door Defaults dialog. See “Door Defaults”
on page 128.
Select Library from the list to open the Door
Library. Once a library door is selected, that
door is added to the Door Style list.
2 Door Type - Specify doorway, hinged,

slider, pocket, bifold, or garage door.
Slider, pocket, bifold and garage are not
allowed as exterior door defaults.
3 Specify the Width, Height, and

Thickness of the door.
Draw Closed - Check this box to show the
door closed in 3D views. If unchecked, the
137
Frame & Trim Tab
1 Frame - If you specified a Door Style Frame Bottom specifies the height of the
of glass, panel or louvered on the bottom rail.
General tab, you can specify the dimensions
of the door’s rail and stiles here. 2 Specify casing to define the values
below.
Frame Width specifies the width of the
Sill - Check this box to create a sill.
stiles and top or middle rails.
Suppress Casing - Check this box to prevent
casing from being created.
Lites Tab
The options on this tab are only available for
glass doors. See “General Tab” on page 137.
138
Special Type - Choose the style of divided effective, both the Lites across and the Lites
lites from the list. Normal, Diamond, Prairie vertical should be set between 6 and 8.
and Craftsman styles are available.
Craftsman style is based on the normal
style, but only the topmost horizontal muntin
bar is kept with all the portions of the vertical
muntin bars above it. To be effective, both
the Lites across and the Lites vertical should
be set between 4 and 8.
Lites Across defines the number of
Normal Diamond Prairie Craftsman
horizontal divisions for the glazed area. In a
normal style of divided lites, Lites Across
Normal style is the most common, with the specifies the horizontal number of evenly
muntin bars going horizontally and sized panes of glass. This value must be
vertically. between one and eight.
Diamond style uses angled muntin bars to Lites Vertical defines the number of vertical
divide the lites. divisions for the glazed area. In a normal
Prairie style is based on the normal style, style of divided lites, Lites Vertical specifies
but with all the central muntin bars removed, the number of evenly sized panes of glass
leaving only the two outside muntin bars vertically. This value must also be between
both horizontally and vertically. To be one and eight.
139
Hardware Tab
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1 Handle - Specify a handle to be used 6 Ext Lock - Specify a lock to be used on

on the door. If use default is chosen, the exterior of the door. If use default
the default handle specified in the Door is chosen (in the Door Specification
Defaults dialog is used. dialog), the lock specified as the default in
the Door Defaults dialog is used.
2 Ext Handle - Check this box to specify
a different handle for the exterior of the
7 Up From Floor - Specify the distance
door. If unchecked, the handle specified at from the bottom of the door where you
(1) is used. want the lock(s) to be located. Locks are
usually located above the handles. The locks
3 In From Door Edge - Specify the assume the same distance from the door edge
distance from the edge of the door
as the handle at (3).
where the handles are to be located.
8 Hinges - Specify a hinge to be used on
4 Up From Floor - Specify the distance the door. If use default is chosen, the
from the bottom of the door where the
default lock specified in the Door Defaults
handle are to be located.
dialog is used. Two hinges are placed for
5 Int Lock - Specify a lock to be used on interior doors, and three for exterior doors.
the interior of the door. If use default is
chosen, the default lock specified in the 9 In From Top/Bottom - Specify the
distance from the top and bottom of the
Door Defaults dialog is used.
door to the hinge center.
140
Materials Tab
Note: For hinges to look right, it is best to
have at least a 1/4" (6 mm) reveal for the inte- For information about the Materials tab, see
rior, or hinge side, door casing. If this is not “Materials Tab” on page 302.
provided the hinge carves out a portion of the
casing.
141
142
Chapter 10:
Windows
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Doors mulled window combinations and
and Windows manufacturer-specific products.
Home Designer Suite comes with a wide
variety of windows. Fixed glass, hung, Chapter Contents
casement, sliding, awning, hopper, and • Window Defaults
louver window styles can all be created with • The Window Tools
the standard window tool, and even set as the • Special Windows
default. The shape of a window can be • Stacked Windows
angled or made into a round top or other arch • Displaying Windows
styles. Home Designer Suite can create bay, • Editing Windows
box, and bow windows at the click of a • Bay, Box, and Bow Windows
button. In addition, the library contains many • Bay, Box, Bow Windows & Roofs
Window Defaults
Default Settings can be accessed by created when a window initially placed in a
selecting Edit> Default Settings. plan.
Select Window from the Default Settings
In the Window Defaults dialog, define the
dialog to open the Window Defaults
type of window that represents the majority
dialog.
of windows in your model. As with doors,
The settings in the Window Defaults any window or group of windows can be
dialog specify what style of window is customized in the floor plan or 3D views.
143
The tabs in the Window Defaults dialog • Window Type

are similar to those found in the Window • Sash Width
Specification dialog. See “Window • Sash Depth
• Casing Width.
There are two types of values set in the 2. Initial Values: These only affect new
Window Defaults dialog: windows, and changing the value has no
affect on existing windows. These are:
1. Dynamic Defaults: These values affect
• Width, Height
all existing and new windows that are
still set to the default specification. See • Floor to Top
“Dynamic Defaults” on page 85. These • Default Level
settings are:
The Window Tools

To place a window, select the desired Window> Bay Window and click a wall to
window type from the Build> produce a bay window.
Window submenu. Click on a wall using a
When initially placed, bay windows measure
Window Tool to place a window at that
2’-2” across at the front, 4’-2” across at the
location.
back, and are 1’-0” deep. The component
windows are specified in the Window
Standard Windows Defaults dialog and their sizes adjust to fit
A standard window is a single window the available space.
that is not one of the special types such
as bay, box, or bow. All these special types
are made up of multiple standard windows.
A standard window that is part of a special
window is called a component window. Box Windows
Bay Windows A Box window is a bay window with
side angles set at 90 degrees. Select
Build> Window> Box Window and click a
The roof is affected by Bay, Box and wall to produce a box window.
Bow Windows. These windows should
therefore be placed before the roof is built. Box windows initially measure 4’-2” wide
with a depth of 1’-6”. The component
A Bay Window is composed of three windows are specified in the Window
wall sections, each with a single Defaults dialog and their sizes adjust to fit
component window. The two side walls are the available space.
at an angle to the main wall. Select Build>
144
Bow Windows
A Bow Window is a group of identical
wall segments that form a segmented Note: Bay, box, and bow window areas are
curve. Select Build> Window> Bow not included in the living area or in room stan-
Window and click a wall to produce a 5- dard area calculations. They are included in
section bow window. room interior area calculations.
The component windows are specified in the Windows Library

Window Defaults dialog. Their sizes
adjust to fit the available space. Select Library> Library Browser,
then browse the Windows category to
The 5-section bow below has a 4’-10” radius
access a selection of special windows. Select
centered 3’-9” inside the wall, giving an
the desired window, then click on a wall to
opening 5’-10” across and a depth of 11½”.
place the window at that location.
Special Windows
A variety of special windows can be created Corner Windows
using multiple standard windows, the edit
tools or custom symbols. Corner windows are produced when each
window has one edge at or past the interior
side of the adjacent wall.
Creating Manual Bay, Box
and Bow Windows
Sometimes it is easier to draw bay, box and
bow windows manually than to use the
automatic tools. Bays created using walls can
have more than one window per section,
which is not possible using a bay window
unit.
Bear in mind that moving a manually created
bay, box or bow window is generally more To create a corner window, first create the
difficult than moving a unit created with one desired window on each side of the corner.
of the Window Tools since it is The header height and the sill height of both
composed of individual walls. windows must be the same.
145
Placing a Gable
To move a window all the way into a
Over a Window
corner, check Ignore Casing for
Opening Resize in the Plan Defaults dia- Click the Gable Over Window edit
log. See “Plan Defaults Dialog” on page 85. button to produce a gable roof over the
selected window(s) the next time automatic
Once the corner window is formed, its roofs are built. See “Gable Over Door/
components and corner post size can be Window” on page 180.
adjusted. Blocked units can also meet at a
corner this way. You can manually edit or delete this gable
line at any time. Your changes take effect
when the automatic roofs are rebuilt. This
can also be used with group selected
windows.
Stacked Windows
Windows can be stacked to create a wide casing connects the windows and door so
variety of custom configurations. that no wall surface shows between them.
Stacked windows are easy to create in 3D
views, particular Cross Section/Elevation Automatically Mulled Units
views, using their edit handles. To form a mulled group of windows and/or
doors, move them close enough together so
that their casings touch. Once the casings
touch, the windows are mulled together with
one casing between the two of them.
2
1 The sill of each window in the group must be
at the same level for them to share the middle
casing. The casing tops do not have to be at
0
the same level. The casings are modeled as if
they are one unit but the windows remain
separate objects for dimensioning and the
Materials List.
Notice how the windows and door in this Windows can be automatically mulled to
example are separate, with a thin wall doors if the bottom of the window is at the
showing between them. The next section elevation of the floor, equal to the bottom of
explains how the same door and six windows the door.
can be organized into a mulled unit. The
146
Displaying Windows
The appearance of windows, openings, and
headers in floor plan and 3D views can be
Double Hung
controlled in the Display Options dialog.
See “Displaying Objects” on page 88.
If the Windows layer is not set to display, Left Sliding
window casing, lites and other window
components are not visible, but the openings Triple Casement
in the walls where they are located are
visible.
Window types in floor plan view
In Floor Plan View
Some window types, notably Sliding and If the Windows, Labels layer is set to display,
Double and Triple Casement windows, are window labels show in floor plan view,
distinguishable in floor plan view. centered on the windows that they represent.
Window labels indicate the width, height and
window type. For example, a 3040 DH label
describes a 3’-0” wide by 4’-0” high double
hung window. The format of metric window
dimensions is “900x1200”, where the first
number is the width in mm and the second,
the height in mm.
147
Editing Windows
Home Designer Training Video: Deco- secting wall. You can continue to drag
rating: Window Treatments and it resumes movement past or onto the
intersecting wall. Place a check in the
Before a window can be edited, it must be
Ignore Casing for Opening Resize
selected. Click a window when the Select
check box in the Plan Defaults dialog
Objects tool or any of the Window to turn off this behavior. See “Plan
Tools are active. Doors and/or windows
can also be group selected and edited. See In the Specification Dialog
Windows can be edited extensively in the
Windows can be edited using their edit Window Specification dialog. See
handles, the edit toolbar buttons, and the “Window Specification Dialog” on page 152.
Window Specification dialog.
When you select a window in floor plan Using the Edit Buttons
view, the window size label displays the
A selected window or windows can be edited
width followed by the height. For example, a
3036 window is 3’-0” wide by 3’-6” high.
edit toolbar. As with most objects, windows
can be copied, moved, deleted, etc. See
Using the Mouse “Using the Edit Toolbar” on page 50.
• In floor plan view, click either of the two
The following edit toolbar buttons may
end handles and drag along the wall to
display on the edit toolbar for selected
change the width. The label showing the
windows.
size updates as the window is resized.
• In 3D views, a selected window has five • Click the Select Next Object edit
edit handles: the Move handle at the cen- button to select nearby objects instead of
ter and a Resize handle on each edge. the selected window, particularly the wall
Click and drag an edge handle to resize it is placed in.
the window.
Note: Using the edit handles is the only way
to resize bay, box and bow window systems. select window(s). See “Window
• A single window or a group of windows
can be moved with the center edit handle. • Accurate Move slows down the
move speed when using the edit handles.
• A door or window moved against an See “Accurate Move” on page 66. Not
intersecting wall temporarily stops when available for component windows
it is the casing distance from the inter-
148
• Click the Gable Over Door/Window

to center windows along a wall within a edit button to create a gable over the
room. See “Centering Doors and selected window(s) the next time an
Windows” on page 134. Not available for automatic roof is built. See “Placing a
component windows. Gable Over a Window” on page 146.
Bay, Box, and Bow Windows

Bay, box and bow windows
are created much the way
regular windows are: select a tool, then click
a wall to place that window type.
Home Designer Suite automatically builds a
foundation under bay/box/bow windows Depth edit handle on a bay window
placed on floor 1 unless they are raised from
their original position. That section of the Bay, box and bow windows can also be
foundation wall is also a bay/box/bow, but edited in their respective specification
without windows. If the foundation was dialogs. See “Bay/Box/Bow Window
generated before the window is placed, the Specification Dialog” on page 157.
foundation must be rebuilt or edited
manually. Displaying Bay, Box
and Bow Windows
Editing Bay, Box
and Bow Windows The display of bay, box and bow windows is
controlled in the Display Options dialog.
Bay, box and bow windows are edited Bay, box and bow window width and radius
similar to regular windows, with one dimensions, which display in floor plan view,
exception: in floor plan view, a diamond- are placed on the Dimensions, Manual layer.
shaped Depth edit handle displays on the See “Displaying Objects” on page 88.
section. Drag this Depth handle outward to
increase the depth, or inward to decrease the Components
depth of the unit. See “Editing Windows” on
page 148. A component window within a bay, box or
bow window can be resized like any other
standard window. To select a component
window, click at the location of the compo-
nent in question, then click the Select Next
Object edit button or press the Tab key.
Only the component that was clicked on is
selectable using this method. If you need to
149
select a different component, click it and Both the top and

repeat the process. bottom heights of these
window units may be
In a bow window, all components are
adjusted from a 3D
identical, so only one component can be
view.
selected. Changing this component changes
them all. Use the following
techniques for
Resizing Components modifying any bay, box, or bow window.
An individual component window can be

Lowering the Ceiling
resized by dragging a side edit handle, by
changing settings in the Window To lower the ceiling and the wall heights,
Specification dialog. select the window in a 3D view. When the
window is selected, grab the top handle and
An individually resized component window
drag toward the floor. The ceiling is lowered,
retains its size when the bay is resized. If the
which lowers the height of the walls. Any
bay is decreased in size to the extent that the
roofs that are subsequently built are affected.
component becomes too large to fit, the
component returns to its default size based
on the bay size, and resumes automatically Creating a Bench Seat
resizing as the bay or bow window is resized. To create a bench seat or garden window,
follow the same step for lowering the ceiling
Ceilings except this time drag the lower handle
toward the ceiling.
When originally
created, the ceiling When you raise the bottom of the window to
within a bay, box, or create a bench seat, the exterior walls that
bow windows is the create the window do not reach the ground.
same height as the When you build a foundation, the foundation
default ceiling for that is not produced under a window unit that has
floor. bench seats.
Bay, Box, Bow Windows & Roofs

Several different roof styles are available for Hip Roofs
bay, box and bow window units.
Unless a different option is selected, a hip
roof is built above the unit when roofs are
automatically generated.
150
If a header is desired over the bay, box or

bow window, first build the roof correctly,
then lower the ceiling of the bay, box or bow
window in 3D. This fills in the area between
the header and the roof. Do not rebuild roof
planes, if you do, a lower hip roof over the
window unit is created.
Use Existing Roof

To generate a standard roof with no
If a different style of roof is desired, the Bay allowances made for bay, box, or bow
or Bow Window Specification dialog windows below, check Use Existing Roof.
can be used to change the style of roof that is With this option the bay, box, or bow
be generated over a bay, box or bow window. windows is tucked under the roof eave.
See “Bay/Box/Bow Window

Place Under Roof Slope

To have the main roof plane extend down
over the window unit while following the
shape of the unit, select Extend Existing
Roof. Rebuild the roofs to see the changes.
Place Under Roof - Rectangular
To extend the roof plane down over a bay,
box or bow window with a rectangular roof,
ignoring the shape of the unit, select both
Extend existing roof over and Rectangular
roof over in the specification dialog. The
Rectangular roof over option does not work
in combination with Use existing roof since
the existing roof does not cover the window
unit.
For this roof style to work successfully, the See the previous section for directions on
ceiling heights of the window unit and the extending the roof down over bay, box or
room containing it must be the same. This bow windows.
does not work if you have lowered the
ceiling for the window unit.
151
Gable Roof
Rectangular Hip Roof
A gable roof is not one of the automatic
To create a rectangular hip roof, select only options for the roof above a bay, box or bow
Rectangular roof over, then rebuild the window.
roof.
To create a gable roof over a normal

window, use the Gable Over Door/Win-
dow edit button. See “Gable Over Door/
Window” on page 180.
Window Specification Dialog

The program models new windows placed in To open the Window Specification
a plan according to the settings in the dialog, select a window and click the Open
Window Defaults dialog. See “Window
Object edit button or double-click the
Defaults” on page 143.
window using the Select Objects or
Once placed, a window can be edited with
the Window Specification dialog. You Window tool.
can use this dialog to define unique features
for a single window or group of windows.
152
General Tab
1
2
1 Window Type -Select the type of the list is the Default type set in the
window from the list. The first entry in Window Defaults dialog.
Window Types
2 Width and Height - Enter values that Floor to Top - Specify the height to the top
represent the overall dimension of the of the window as measured from the
window unit, including frame. You can also subfloor. This falls under the bottom of the
specify a rough opening dimension for the header by two thirds of the rough opening
window. amount.
153
Movable Size - If applicable, define the the movable size to whatever is normal for
dimension (in inches or mm) of the movable that type of window.
portion of the window. A value of 0 defaults
Sash & Frame Tab
The (D) notation that follows some values portion of the window when any arch is
indicates that they are default values taken specified.
from the Window Defaults dialog. These
The Top and Bottom values set the width for
values can be changed individually by typing
the top and bottom sash of all windows,
in a new number or globally by changing the
except that the Top value is not used if the
settings in the default Window Defaults
window has an arch.
dialog. To reset any value to its default
setting, type a “d” in the field. If a warning The Middle value sets the width for
results, that setting has no default value. horizontal components between the top and
bottom sash in double hung, double and
1 Sash Width - Enter the width for all triple awning and double and triple hopper
four sides of the window sash.
windows. It does not affect casement and
Increasing the size of the sash decreases the
sliding windows.
size of the glass.
If any sash width is set to zero, no sash is
The Side value sets the width of all vertical
produced. The window has no glass and does
sash members, those at the window sides and
not support divided lites. Since there is no
central members for casement and sliding
glass, the window is transparent even when
windows. It also sets the width for the top
154
the rest of the windows are set to be opaque

2 Sash Depth - Enter the thickness of the
from the exterior. sash stock measured from the exterior
to the interior.
Casing Tab
1
2
3
4
5
Changes made on the Casing tab can only be casing and sill are both suppressed, only the
seen in 3D views. frame and sash remain.
1 Interior/Exterior - Select a radio Note: Unless the selected window(s) have a

button to choose whether you are
defining the values for the inside or for the different size casing or reveal than the rest of
outside of the window. The picture to the the windows in the model, the three values in
the Casing section should be changed in the
right also switches to show the window from
Window Defaults dialog.
the selected side.
2 Width - Enter the width of the casing. 4 Sill - Check this box to specify a sill.
Unless a separate Lintel is defined, this Clear the check box to remove the sill,
setting affects both sides and top. This also causing the specified Side casing to be used
affects the bottom if no sill is used and the for the bottom of the window.
width of the apron if one is being used.
5 Apron - Clear this check box to remove
3 Suppress Casing- Check this box to the apron. Select this box to add an
create a window with no trim details. apron below the sill.
The sill remains if you have specified one. If
155
Lites Tab
The Lites tab allows you to add muntins to

various window styles and shutters. There
are four possible styles of muntin bars for
regular windows, plus two additional options
for arch top or round top windows.
A maximum of 8 lites can be specified in
either direction for any of the Special Types.
Lites in fixed Lites in moveable
Lites Across - Enter the number of
1
horizontal lites in each sash. Note: All the window types default to 1 lite
Lites Vertical - Enter the number of vertical across and 1 lite vertical, in both movable and
the fixed. Because the fixed window in a Tri-
lites in each portion of the sash.
ple Sliding window is twice the size of the
Lites in Fixed and Lites in Moveable - movable windows, the fixed section has a
Select or clear these check boxes to specify vertical muntin bar. To eliminate this, clear the
Lites in fixed check box.
either one or both of the sashes to have
divided lites.
Shutters - Check this box to place
2
working shutters on the exterior of the
window. These are each half of the windows
width, excluding the casing. If one side of the
window does not have enough room for the
156
shutter (such as when a window is close to one inch. Decorative shutters usually attach
another window or corner), that side has no to the house outside the casing.
shutter. Default shutters resize with the
Louver - Select the check box to place
window.
louvers in the central portion of each shutter.
Set Width by Window - Check this box to Clear the check box to model shutters with
make the shutters half as wide as the window solid panels. If Outside Casing is checked,
so they meet in the middle when shut. the louvers are positioned to shield the sun
when the shutters are closed. When the
Specify Width - Enter the width for
shutters are shown open, the louvers appear
decorative shutters. A minimum of 4 inches
backwards.
(100 mm) applies.
Outside Casing - Select the check box to Materials Tab
place the shutters at the outside edge of the
side casing. Normal operating shutters For information about using the Materials
overlap the casing except for the innermost tab, see “Materials Tab” on page 302.
Bay/Box/Bow Window Specification Dialog

To open the Bay/Box Window The options in this dialog can be set for
Specification dialog, select a bay, box or individual objects only: bay, box or bow
windows do not have a defaults dialog.
bow window and click the Open Object
edit button.
1
2
3
4
1 Use Existing Roof - Check this box if 2 Extend Existing Roof - Check this box
the existing roof needs no changes to to extend the existing roof plane to
accomodate the bay window. cover the bay window below.
157
3 ForceRectangular Roof - Check this 4 Suppress Dimension - Check this box

box to create a roof over the bay to suppress the automatically-produced
window that is square across the end instead dimensions that show the size of the bay, box
of following the profile of the roof. See “Bay, or bow window.
Box, Bow Windows & Roofs” on page 150.
..
158
Chapter 11:
Multiple Floors
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Floors: additional floor can be displayed (but not
Multiple Levels edited) for reference in the same view.
Home Designer Suite allows for multiple
floors in a plan. Floors that are based on the Chapter Contents
first floor footprint can be easily added at any • Room Defaults
time. Floors can also be deleted and moved • Working With Multiple Floors
at any time. • Floor Tools
• Adding Floors
Chief Architect also support special floors • Deleting Floors
for foundations and attics. Only one • The Current Floor
foundation level and one attic can exist in a • Reference Floor
plan. Foundations are discussed in their own
chapter. See “Foundations” on page 165.
Only one floor can be active at a time. This
floor is referred to as the current floor. One
159
Room Defaults
The default settings for the current the default settings for all rooms on the
floor can be accessed by selecting current floor. See “Room Specification
Edit> Default Settings, then choosing Dialog” on page 123.
Room from the category tree in the Default
Settings dialog. See “Defaults” on page
Note that in the Room Defaults dialog for
83. Floor 1, the only Height value that can be
specified is Ceiling Height (B).
The Room Defaults dialog is similar to the
Room Specification dialog, but controls
Working With Multiple Floors

When a new, blank plan is opened, the plan The Reference Floor is a single floor, other
name is Untitled 1.plan. than the current floor, that can be shown for
reference, similar to an overlay. The
Once the plan file is saved, the title bar
reference floor is visible but not editable.
displays filename:Floor Plan, indicating:
Objects snap to the reference display, helping
• The active drawing file is filename. align items with other floors.
• The .plan file is open. All other floors can be shown in 3D views
• The active view is the floor plan view. but not floor plan view.
Any model can have up to 3 floors, plus a
foundation and attic. Floors can be added, To view more than one floor of your plan
deleted and copied. All floors and the at a time, open the plan file again. This
foundation are visible in 3D views. creates a new editable window of the same
file that can show any floor. Changes made in
The Current Floor is the active floor. There this new window are also reflected in the orig-
can be only one active floor at a time. inal window.
Floor Tools
Select Build> Floor to access the floor and drawn from scratch. See “Adding
tools. Floors” on page 161.
Select Build> Build New Floor to Choose Build> Build Foundation to
build a new floor. A new floor can be open the Foundation Defaults
generated based upon the perimeter of the dialog and build a foundation floor. See
floor below or a blank floor can be created “Building a Foundation” on page 166.
160
Select Build> Delete Foundation to

remove the foundation from the plan.
See “Deleting Foundations” on page 168.
Adding Floors
New floors can be added in floor plan view above the existing walls on the floor
and 3D views. below. This creates a blank floor above
the current floor. If you choose this
To create a new floor method, it may be helpful to turn on
reference layers in order to align walls
1. Select Build> Floor> Build New Floor with bearing walls below. Items snap to
the reference floor display.
to open the New Floor dialog. Two
options are available. 2. Make a selection and click OK. A new
floor is added based on the settings in
the Room Defaults dialog. See
“Room Defaults” on page 160.
3. The new floor becomes the current floor
in floor plan view. If, however, the new
floor is created in a 3D view, the camera
remains on its original floor and does
• Most often, Derive new 2nd floor not move.
plan from the 1st floor plan is used.
This option creates an upper floor with Note: Home Designer Suite allows only one
exterior walls of the same type gener- floor, the foundation/basement, below the first
ated over the exterior walls of the floor floor. Keep this in mind when you begin an
below. Roof directives associated with as-built or plan for a multi-story building.
the walls on the floor below are also
duplicated; however, interior walls are Adding a Foundation
not. See “Roof Tab” on page 106.
To add a foundation, select Build> Floor>
• Make new (blank) plan for the 2nd
floor - This option is typically selected Build Foundation . See “Building a
if none of the exterior walls are directly Foundation” on page 166.
Deleting Floors
Select Build> Floor> Delete Current the current floor; if there is no floor below,
Floor to remove the current floor from the floor beneath becomes the current floor.
the plan. If there is a floor above, it becomes
161
The Current Floor

Only one floor can be active at any given You can also change the current floor in floor
time. The active floor is referred to as the plan, cross section/elevation and 3D views.
Current Floor, and is the only floor that can The current floor displays on the Change
be edited.
Floor/Reference button, which can be
If you want to edit two different floors at the found between the Down One Floor and the
same time, you can open the plan again. This Up One Floor buttons.
opens a second window on the current open
Floors become available once they have been
plan that has the same editing abilities as the
built. The Attic and foundation levels are
first. Only one of these windows can be
also accessible using these tools.
active at any given time.
Change Floor
Floor Up/ Floor Down
If there are multiple floors, select
If you are working with Tools> Reference Floors> Change
more than one floor, you can Floor/Reference to open the Change
select Tools> Reference Floors> Up One Floor/Reference dialog, where you can
Floor or Down One Floor to switch from select both the current floor and which floor
one floor to another. is used in the Reference Display, as well as
control the appearance of the Reference
Display. See “Reference Floor” on page 162.
Reference Floor
Home Designer Training Video: Floors: Reference Display
Reference Display
To show the reference floor, select
When there is more than one floor in a
Tools> Reference Floors> Reference
model, it is often helpful to see how different
Display or press F9 on your keyboard.
floors relate to each other. Any floor can be
shown as the Reference Floor along with the
current floor. Note: If the current floor and the reference
floor have edges that line up, the reference
When the Reference Display is turned on, the floor may be difficult to see on screen. When
reference floor is visible and objects on the lines of two different colors are superimposed
current floor can snap to objects on reference upon each other, discoloration may result.
floor; however, objects on the reference floor
cannot be selected or edited. If the reference display is turned on when a
view is printed, it will be included in the
162
printed output. See “Display Options and

2 The Current Floor is highlighted here.
Printing” on page 392. You can select another floor to make it
the current floor.
Change Floor/Reference
Swap Floor/Reference
By default, the floor below the current floor
is the Reference Floor, but any floor can be If one floor is defined as the current
referenced using the Change Floor/ floor and another floor is defined as the
Reference dialog. To open the dialog, reference floor, select Tools> Reference
select Tools> Reference Floors> Change Floors> Swap Floor/Reference to switch
the status of the two floors.
Floor/Reference button.
Reference Display Options
1 Select Tools> Reference Floors>
2 Reference Display Options to control
what layers display and how they appear
when the reference display is turned on. See
“Display Options Dialog” on page 87.
1 The Reference Floor currently used for

reference is highlighted here. You can
select another floor.
163
164
Chapter 12:
Foundations
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Floors: Chapter Contents
Foundations and Basements • Foundation Defaults
There are two foundation types in Home • Building a Foundation
Designer Suite: footing and slab. The • New Floor Dialog
foundation type can be specified in the • Displaying Foundations
Foundation Defaults dialog when the • Editing Foundations
foundation is built. • Resizing Stem Walls
• Deleting Foundations
There can be only one foundation level in • Foundations and Room Specification
your plan, Level 0. Foundation walls can be
drawn on upper floors using the Foundation
Wall tool.
Always consult registered geotechnical

and civil engineers for information
regarding the proper foundation for your site.
165
Foundation Defaults
There can be only one foundation floor per The Foundation Defaults dialog allows
plan. Because the settings in the Founda- you to specify how a new foundation is built
tion Defaults dialog determine foundation and the sizes for foundation walls, slabs and
type, this dialog opens automatically when footings added to an existing foundation.
Build> Floor> Build Foundation is
selected.
Building a Foundation
Foundations built automatically are To build a foundation, select Build> Floor>
based on the placement of walls on the
first floor. At least one room must be defined Build Foundation to open the
on the first floor for a foundation to be Foundation Defaults dialog.
automatically generated. The Foundation Defaults dialog defines
Two foundation types are available: footings the general parameters of the foundation.
and monolithic slabs. The first option is
created using walls; the last creates a The Foundation Defaults dialog
concrete slab with footing. cannot be used to edit the foundation
after it has been built. The foundation must
Once a foundation is generated, you can add be deleted and rebuilt. See “Deleting Founda-
walls and slabs to customize it. tions” on page 168.
Foundation Defaults Dialog
1
2
3
4
166
Click the radio button beside either Wall Height - Specify the desired height of
Monolithic Slab or Walls with Footings to the foundation walls.
specify which foundation type the program
If the wall height is at least 6 feet (1800 mm),
should build.
a slab floor is generated above the footings
Wall Thickness - Specify the desired and inside the foundation walls.
thickness of the foundation wall. See “Wall
If you do not want this slab, specify the
“rooms” in the basement as Open Below in
the Room Specification dialog.
New Floor Dialog

Once you have specified the correct settings
1 Select Derive new Foundation plan
in the Foundation Defaults dialog, click from the 1st floor plan and click OK
OK to open the New Floor dialog. to build a foundation based on floor 1.
2 Select Make new (blank) plan for the

1 Foundation and click OK to create an
empty foundation level where you can
2 manually draw foundation walls or slabs.
Displaying Foundations
The display of foundation walls and footings
is controlled in the Display Options dialog
on the Walls, Foundation and Footings
layers. See “Display Options Dialog” on
page 87.
167
Editing Foundations
Foundation walls can be moved and edited Monolithic slabs can be edited in both 2D
like other walls. See “Editing Walls” on page and 3D views. See “Editing Closed-Polyline
100. Based Objects” on page 56.
Footing size can be changed on a wall by Monolithic slab foundations can also be
wall basis in of the Wall Specification updated by editing the footprint of the floor
dialog above then deleting and rebuilding the
foundation.
The footing size for a monolithic slab can be
specified in the Slab Specification
dialog.
Resizing Stem Walls

When a foundation plan is created, the To set stem wall height, select a room and
foundation is built with a specified stem wall
click the Open Object edit button to
height measured from the bottom of floor
open the Room Specification dialog. On
framing to top of the footing. Once built, this
the General tab, enter a value in the Stem
height can be set individually by room and
Wall Height field to redefine the height of
can also be set independent of the basement
the foundation stem wall. See “General Tab”
floor height.
on page 123.
If adjacent rooms have stem wall

heights that differ by at least 1/16 of an
inch, the stem wall separating them uses the
larger of these two values.
Deleting Foundations
Once built, the foundation plan is Select Build> Floor> Delete Foundation
separate from the first floor plan. If you to delete the current foundation. Rebuild
change the position of exterior walls on the the foundation to match the new first floor
first floor plan, the foundation is not updated. plan by selecting Build> Floor> Build
To update walls, you must either edit them in
the foundation plan or delete the foundation Foundation . The Foundation
and rebuild them. Defaults dialog opens, allowing you to set
general parameters for the new foundation
plan.
168
Note: You must delete and rebuild the foun-

dation if you decide to change the foundation
type.
Foundations and Room Specification

When a foundation plan is created, rooms Garages
included in the Living Area calculation
generate a spread footing or slab foundation A room labeled Garage on the first floor
below it. Garages generate foundations, but produces automatic footings foundation with
exterior rooms do not. a slab floor.
Note: To remove the concrete slab or part of

the slab in the basement area, select a base-
ment room and define it as Open Below in
the Room Specification dialog.
169
170
Chapter 13:
Roofs
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Roofs: Chapter Contents
Automatic • Roof Defaults
Home Designer Suite’s automatic Roof Tools • The Roof Tools
allow you to draw almost any roof style. • Automatic Roofs
• Some Common Roof Types
Proficiency with the Roof Tools can be • Dormers
attained only through practice, but mastering • Roof Returns
these tools saves you time and effort in plan • Editing Auto Dormers
development. • Skylights
• Gable Over Door/Window
• Build Roof Dialog
• Dormer Specification Dialog
• Dormer Defaults
• Roof Pitches in Degrees
171
Roof Defaults
While not listed in the Default Settings The initial heights of floors and ceilings,
dialog, the Build Roof dialog also functions which influence roof heights, can be
as the roof defaults dialog. Many, but not all, specified in the Room Defaults dialog for
initial default values for automatically each floor. See “Room Defaults” on page
generated roofs are set in this dialog. See 160.
“Build Roof Dialog” on page 181.
The Roof Tools

Select Build> Roof to access the Roof shaft, and ceiling hole (if a ceiling exists) are
Tools. drawn at the same time. See “Skylights” on
page 179.
Build Roof
Auto Dormer
Select Build> Roof> Build Roof to
open the Build Roof dialog and Select Build> Roof>Dormer and click
specify the settings for automatically within an existing roof plane to place
generated and manually drawn roofs. See an auto floating dormer. See “Dormers” on
“Build Roof Dialog” on page 181. page 177.
Skylights Delete Roof

Select Build> Roof> Skylight and Select Build> Roof> Delete Roof to
drag over an existing roof plane to delete all roof planes in the plan. See
create a skylight. The skylight, skylight “Deleting Roof Planes” on page 178.
Roof Planes
Before automatically generating roofs, it is and is used as the pivot point for the roof
helpful be familiar with its parts. plane when the pitch is changed.
The baseline height is determined by the
The Baseline following formula:
The initial height of any roof plane is Elevation of the wall top plate
determined by its baseline.
+ Vertical Rafter Depth
The baseline of the roof plane is normally
- Vertical Birdsmouth Depth
located over the outer main layer of the wall
= Baseline Height
172
In a cross section, the baseline is located

directly above the outer surface of the main Straight up from outside
wall layer, at the top surface of the roof of main wall layer at top
framing. surface of roof framing
Location of Roof Baseline in cross-section

In floor plan view, the baseline displays as as
separate line within its roof plane.
Automatic Roofs
When roofs are automatically generated, a
roof plane is created over each exterior wall
by default, resulting in a hip roof.
To automatically generate a roof plane using
values other than the defaults or to not
generate a roof plane at all (gable roofs, shed
roofs, etc.), change the settings in the Wall
Specification dialog before a roof is
generated.
Auto Rebuild Roofs

When Auto Rebuild Roofs is checked in the
Build Roofs dialog, any changes made to
the position of an exterior wall or to its roof
directives will automatically prompt the roof
to regenerate to reflect the changes. See
“Build Roof Dialog” on page 181.
Changes made to floor heights, ceiling
heights, or floor or ceiling platform
thicknesses may also cause the roof to be
automatically rebuilt.
173
Wall Specification Dialog
1 3
Many common roof styles can be generated raked wall. See “High Shed/Gable Wall”
automatically using the settings on the Roof on page 176.
tab of the Wall Specification dialog.
• Knee Wall - Check this to define an inte-
rior wall whose height is defined by the
Note: Pitch settings on the Roof tab of the roof plane above it, not the ceiling height.
Wall Specification dialog override the Knee walls are usually found next to top
Pitch setting in the Build Roof dialog. floor attic areas.
• Extend Slope Downward - Check this to
1 Any automatically generated roof style extend the roof plane downward over a
other than a hip requires one of the
Options to be checked. bumpout, instead of creating additional
roof planes. The two connecting walls
• Full Gable Wall - Check this to create a that create the bumpout must be Full
gable above the entire wall. This places a Gable walls.
ridge over the middle of the selected
wall(s). See “Gable Roof” on page 176. In the bottom image below, the outer
bumpout wall has the Extend Slope Down-
• High Shed/Gable Wall - Check this for
ward check box selected. The two short
the wall under the high side of a shed
connecting walls have the Full Gable Wall
roof. It can produce ridges, but it may
check box selected.
also be used for gable ends that have a
174
dialog. If a roof plane is specified with

two pitches, this field controls the pitch
of the lower roof plane.
• Upper Pitch - Check this to define the
pitch for a second roof plane above this
wall. Mansard, gambrel, gull wing and
Before half-hip are examples of roof styles that
use two pitches.
• Starts at - Specify either the Height or
the distance in from Baseline where the
Full Gable second roof plane begins.
Wall
Note: Normally hip roof planes are built over

bay, bow, and box windows. You cannot edit
Extend Slope the wall segments making up these windows
Downward as described above. Instead, select one of
the windows, open it for specification, and
select one of the roof generation options.
3 Check Auto Roof Return to generate

roof returns on the selected wall. In
most cases, roof returns only work for Full
After Gable Walls.
• Roof Cuts Wall at Bottom - Check this Specify the roof return’s horizontal Length.
to have the bottom of the selected wall Enter a value to Extend the roof returns from
clipped by the roof plane below, as where the overhang.
a dormer wall meets the main roof plane.
Specify a Gable, Hip, or Full roof return and
whether the roof return is Sloping or Flat.
Pitch
See “Roof Returns” on page 178.
2 Any exterior wall can define the pitch
of the roof plane built above it.
If the Pitch value is followed by a [D], the
value is the default pitch for the entire
building. The default pitch is set in the Build
Roof dialog. The minimum pitch is ¼” in
12” or 20 mm in 1000 mm.
• Pitch - Specify the pitch for the roof
plane above this wall if different from the
default roof pitch set in the Build Roof
175
Some Common Roof Types

Most common roof types can be created 4. On the Roof tab check Full Gable Wall.
easily using the Options on the Roof tab of Be sure both walls are specified the
the Wall Specification dialog. same.
5. Open the Build Roof dialog, and click
Hip Roof OK to regenerate the roof.
Full Gable
Wall
By default a roof plane is generated over

each exterior wall, creating a hip roof. Hip
roofs can be applied equally to all walls
without causing conflict. To define a wall
with a hip roof, make sure all Options are
unchecked.
Gable Roof
A gable roof is produced if the two opposite High Shed/Gable Wall
walls are defined as Full Gable Wall in the
Roof tab of the Wall Specification dialog. The High Shed/Gable Wall is often
interchangeable with Full Gable Wall, but
1. Draw four walls to create a one room should be used when raked walls are desired.
house. If three adjacent walls are defined as High
Shed/Gable wall, the building is modeled
2. Group select two end walls.
with a shed roof. The High Shed/Gable wall
3. Click the Open Object edit button is the tall side.
to open the Wall Specification dia-
log.
176
High Shed
Walls
Gable Wall
Dormers
Home Designer Training Video: Roofs: All the walls of a floating dormer are cut off
Dormers at their bottom by the underlying roof plane.
A floating dormer is really a complex
Dormers can be drawn manually or placed
skylight, since it sits atop a hole in the roof
automatically using the Dormer tool.
just as a skylight does.
Manually Drawn Dormers Usually no room is defined by the walls of
this type of dormer. The pictures below show
Once you are familiar with Home Designer both the outside and inside of a typical
Suite’s roof tools, drawing dormers manually floating dormer.
can be quite simple. There are several
different ways to draw dormers; some
methods work better in certain applications.
A variety of resources is available at
www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com with
information about drawing dormers
manually. There are a few things to keep in
mind.
• Walls extend upward until they meet an
overlying roof plane.
Dormer
Select Build> Roof> Dormer and
click the roof plane where you would
like to place the center of the dormer's front
wall.
177
A floating dormer can be placed in floor plan If the dormer is defined on the floor above
view on the same floor where its underlying and the room below has a flat ceiling, then
roof plane displays, or it can be placed on the defining a room, which is automatically
floor above. Which floor it should be on does Open Below, causes a hole to be produced in
not depend on which floor the underlying the ceiling under the dormer.
roof plane is on, but you must always click
within this roof plane in floor plan view to Editing Dormers
create the dormer. Normally it does not
matter what floor the dormer is on, but it may Auto dormers are like other objects in Home
need to be on a certain floor so that the Designer Suite. They can be selected and
dormer walls do not interfere with walls or edited in a variety of ways. See “Editing
railings in the room below it. Auto Dormers” on page 179.
Roof Returns
Home Designer Training Video: Roofs: These roof return settings are also found in
Auto Roof Returns the Dormer Specification dialog for
gable roof dormers and function similarly.
A roof return is a small decorative roof plane
See “General Tab” on page 183.
that connects to the low side of a gable roof
overhang and extends below the upper
triangular portion of the gable wall. The Deleting Roof Planes
pictures below show examples of the three
styles of roof returns that can be produced
automatically.
The first two are called Gable and Hip
returns, since the return itself ends in a gable
or a hip. The third is called a Full return
because it extends under the entire gable,
connecting both sides. roof plane
intersections
It is not difficult to manually draw roof
marked with
returns using small roof planes, but it is an “X”
quicker to produce them automatically.
The Roof tab of the Wall Specification Delete the entire roof quickly by
dialog contains the settings that generate auto selecting Build> Roof> Delete Roof.
roof returns on gable walls. A gable wall is
The Delete Objects dialog also
specified on the Roof tab of the Wall
allows you to delete all roof planes at
Specification dialog only if roofs are
once. See “Delete Objects Dialog” on page
automatically generated. See “Roof Tab” on
72.
page 106.
178
Editing Auto Dormers

Auto Dormers are a collection of objects that • Dormers move at 90 degree angles unless
behave as one. When a dormer is selected, it the Ctrl key is pressed before moving
displays edit handles you can use to resize them.
and relocate it. • The dormer must be contained within one
underlying roof plane.
If you click the Explode Dormer edit
button, the dormer’s individual components • Auto dormers cannot be moved beyond
can be edited. the required knee wall.
Using the Mouse Editing the Window

When selected in floor plan view, an auto Dormer windows can be selected, edited,
dormer displays three edit handles. The deleted and replaced just like other windows.
Move handle displays over the front wall and See “Editing Windows” on page 148. You
allows you to relocate the dormer. Two resize can place several windows in the front wall.
handles display on the side walls and allow Unless the dormer's window has been edited
you to change the width of the dormer. or changed in the Window Specification
dialog, when the dormer width is changed, its
width changes automatically to fill the front
dormer wall. If the window has been edited,
its width stays fixed. If a change to the
dormer makes its front wall too short to hold
the window, the window reverts to auto
Move Resize width.
There are some things to keep in mind when Using the Specification Dialog
editing auto dormers and auto floating
Auto dormers can be selected, opened for
dormers using the mouse.
specification, and edited. See “Dormer
Skylights
A skylight can be created by selecting
Build> Roof> Skylight and drawing a The Skylight tool places a flat panel
rectangular polyline within a single roof skylight into a roof hole, produces a hole in
plane. You can also simply click within a the ceiling platform below, and automatically
roof plane to place a 2’ x 2’ skylight. generates the skylight shaft between these
two holes.
179
Editing Skylights
Skylights can be selected individually or in
groups. Once selected, skylights can be
edited using the edit handles, edit toolbar
buttons.
Skylights can be edited much like standard
closed polylines. See “Editing Closed-
Polyline Based Objects” on page 56.
Skylights must remain contained by a single
roof plane. If the roof plane is deleted, any
skylights or holes it contains are also deleted.
If you clear the Skylight check box in the
Roof Hole/Skylight Specification
dialog, the curb and glass for the skylight is
removed but the opening remains.
By default, the flat ceiling hole does not
display separately; but it can be edited
separately, and even deleted entirely.
Gable Over Door/Window

Click the Gable Over Door/Window building roofs over Bay, Bow, and Box
edit button to add a gable line over one windows, see “Bay, Box, Bow Windows &
or more selected windows or doors the next Roofs” on page 150.
time automatic roof planes are built. The
Gable/Roof line displays in floor plan view,
about 12 inches (300 mm) from the wall and
extending a foot to either side of the opening.
When automatic roofs are built, a small gable
dormer is generated over the window or
door. Once produced, the gable line can be
moved, stretched, and edited.
The Gable Over Door/Window edit

button also places a gable over a group of
selected windows and doors, provided they
are all in the same wall and contain no bay or
bow windows. For more information on
180
A gable line produces a gable only in an area

where an eave would otherwise appear. Do Opening edit button, or select the gable
not add this gable line to a wall already line and click the Delete edit button.
designated as a Gable Wall on the Roof tab
of the Wall Specification dialog. If a If you move or resize the window, the gable
gable is already present, some roof planes line does not update automatically. You can
may fail to produce properly when you draw a new gable line using the Gable Over
generate the roof automatically. If this is the
Door/Window edit button. This
case, select the gable line and delete it.
automatically deletes the old gable line if it is
To remove the gable line, select the window still near the window. If the window has been
or door and click the Delete Gable Over relocated significantly, the old gable line
must be selected and deleted manually.
Build Roof Dialog

To open the Build Roof dialog, select
Build> Roof> Build Roof.Use the
Build Roof dialog to automatically
produce roof planes. If you make changes to
any of the settings, you will need to build
roof planes again for them to take effect.
The Build Roof dailog also contains the
initial settings for manually drawn roof
planes.
181
Build Tab
1
2
1 Auto Rebuild Roofs - If you check this Alcoves that measure wider than this value
option, the program automatically are not roofed over; they cause a change in
rebuilds the roof if you make a change that roof planes.
affects the generation of roofs.
Following is an example showing this
2 Pitch - Enter a value to describe the difference. If Min Alcove is 36", a 36" wide
pitch in a ratio over 12. This affects all alcove requires a change in the roof line.
newly built roof planes. It does not update Each wall of the alcove has an eave. On the
existing roof planes. For a conversion to right, the alcove is less than the 36"
degrees, see “Roof Pitches in Degrees” on minimum, so the roof passes right over it.
page 186.
Min. Alcove - Specify the minimum width
of an alcove (depression into an otherwise
straight exterior wall). Any alcove less than
the specified width is treated as though the
exterior wall continues straight across.
182
3 Roof Overhang - The overhang is Gable is the overhang dimension at gable

measured from the exterior main layer ends or rake walls.
wall surface horizontally to the end of the top
of the rafter. It does not include frieze Materials Tab
thickness, gutters, sheathing or siding.
For information about using the Materials
Normal is the overhang at the eaves. This is tab, see “Materials Tab” on page 302.
always the overhang for a roof plane having
the default Pitch specified above. If the pitch Roof Styles Tab
for a particular roof plane is set differently in
an exterior wall, its overhang may try to The Roof Styles tab provides links to tutorial
maintain its fascia at the same height. information about creating different roof
Overhang can be greater for a shallower styles automatically. Click on a roof style to
pitch, lesser for a greater pitch. launch the online Help to a page with
information about the roof style you selected.
See “Roof Tutorial” on page 539.
Dormer Specification Dialog

Select a dormer and click the Open Object
edit button to open the Dormer
General Tab
1 5
2 6
3 7
4
183
1 Specify the Roof Type above this Gable, Shed, Gambrel, Mansard, Barrel,
dormer. You can choose from Hip, Curved Eave, Hip Curved Eave or Eyebrow.
Hip, Gable, Shed, Gambrel, Mansard, Barrel, Curved Eave,

Hip Curved Eave, and Eyebrow dormer roof types
2 Specify the Pitch of the dormer roof

planes.
Initially, the default dormer pitch matches the
roof pitch for all dormer roof types except Dormer
Shed, which has a default 3 in 12 pitch. For height
Gambrel and Mansard types, this applies to
the lowest, or eave, roof planes.
Dashed line indicates
Check Pitch in Degrees to display the pitch interior dormer side wall.
in degrees.
This top height is called the dormer ceiling
3 Overhang for gable fascia can be set. height, even if the ceiling in the dormer is not
flat. The top dormer window casing is
4 Roof Returns can be specified only for
gable dormers. See “Roof Returns” on usually close to this height.
page 178.
Unlike other dormer types, shed dormer
The Wall Type for the dormer walls is height is measured from the same bottom
5
set here. point to where the underside of the dormer
rafter meets the dormer front wall interior.
6 The Height is measured from where the
top of the underlying roof plane meets Width is measured between the outside
the dormer front wall exterior to where the surfaces of the dormer side walls.
underside of the dormer rafter meets the
dormer side wall interior.
184
Line Style Tab

For information about the Line Style tab, see
Dormer Defaults
The settings in the Dormer Defaults
Select Edit> Default Settings to open dialog determine the initial settings for
the Default Settings dialog. Select dormers and are the same as those in the
Dormer and click the Edit button to open Dormer Specification dialog. See
the Dormer Defaults dialog. “Dormer Specification Dialog” on page 183.
Roof Hole/Skylight Specification Dialog

General Tab
1 Frame Width and Frame Height - • Plumb/Square - The bottom edge is

Define the width and height of the plumb, the top edge square.
frame or curb of the skylight.
Line Style Tab
2 Angle for Inside Hole Rim - Defines
the shape of the skylight well where it For information about the Line Style tab, see
passes through the roof plane. “Line Style Tab” on page 357.
• Square Sides - The framing for the sky-
light is square to the pitch of the roof. Fill Style Tab
• Plumb Sides - The framing for the sky- For information about the Fill Style tab, see
light is plumb. “Fill Style Tab” on page 362.
185
Materials Tab
For information about the Materials tab, see
“Materials Tab” on page 302.
Roof Pitches in Degrees
186
Chapter 14:
Stairs & Landings
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Stairs Chapter Contents
Staircases can be composed of one or • Stair Tools
more straight or curved stair sections and • Anatomy of a Staircase
landings in any combination. Stair sections • Drawing Stairs
can be edited individually or as a group. • Creating Curved Stairs
Starter treads can be defined, and stair • Merging Stair Sections
sections can be flared • Displaying Stairs
• Editing Stairs
Landings can be created automatically and • Stair Landings
their shape customized. You can edit an • Maintaining Tread Width
existing landing. Landing heights can be • Starter Treads
defined or you can let them automatically • Wrapped Stairs
adjust as needed. • Other Special Railings & Stairs
Stairwells can be created automatically or • Creating a Stairwell
manually and can be seen in all 3D views. • Rooms Below Staircases
Stairs can be drawn, selected and edited in • Staircase Specification Dialog
3D views. • Stair Landing Specification Dialog
Local building and fire authorities must

be consulted for specific stair construc-
tion codes and access requirements.
187
Stair Tools
Select Build> Stairs to access the Stair same floor with a single click of the mouse.
Tools. Click the low side, within a few feet of where
the floor changes height.
Straight Stairs
Curved Stairs
To draw a straight staircase select
Build> Stairs> Straight Stairs, then Select Build> Stairs> Curve to
click and drag in floor plan or a 3D view. Left or Curve to Right and click
once in floor plan view to place a curved
Click Stairs staircase. For more information about creat-
ing curved stairs, see “Creating Curved
Select Build> Stairs> Click Stairs to Stairs” on page 190.
create stairs between levels on the
Anatomy of a Staircase
Stairs are often described in terms of rise and Rise - The height of a riser.
run. Rise is typically between 6" and 8", and
Riser - The vertical member of stairs
the run between 10" and 12". In metric plans,
between the treads.
rise is 177 to 190 mm, and the run about 250
mm. Run - The width of a stair tread.
Runner - The carpet that runs down the
A good rule of thumb is that rise plus center of the staircase.
run should equal 18" for a comfortable
stair step. Any rise over 7 1/2” is considered Shoe - The bottom railing, placed on the
steep regardless of the run. landing floor, that anchors the balusters at
landings.
Balusters - The vertical members that run
Stringer - The inclined support member of a
between the handrail and the treads.
staircase that supports the treads and risers.
Bracket - Decorative L-shaped supports on
Tread - The horizontal member of a stair the
the exposed side of stairs below each tread.
foot is placed on.
Landing - The platform connecting two stair
Winder - A wedge-shaped stair tread used
sections.
where curved or angled stairways change
Newels - The end post of a stair railing direction.
located at landings and the beginnings and
endings of new stair sections.
188
Drawing Stairs
Home Designer Training Video: Stairs • If a stairwell room has been defined on
for Terrain and Decks the floor above, the top of the stairs can
be dragged until it stops at the railing or
Stairs can be drawn in floor plan and 3D
wall defining the stairwell.
views but not in cross section/elevation
views. Stairs can be drawn from the current floor
level downward, however, stairs drawn
To draw straight stairs downward are only aware of the floor height
where they begin. As a result, drawing stairs
1. Select Build> Stairs> Straight Stairs downward may be useful only for drawing
stairs from a porch or deck down to the
. ground. It is not recommended for drawing
2. Click and drag to create straight stairs. stairs between floors.
To draw stairs going downward
1. Select Build> Stairs> Straight Stairs
Stairs drawn on one floor in the UP direction

.
begin at that floor level and automatically adjust 2. Hold down the Alt key or the right
rise and run to connect with the floor above. mouse button.
3. Click and drag to create straight stairs.
There are a few things to keep in mind when
drawing stairs. If the finished grade is known, you can also
create a “room” outside the structure using
• Before stairs are created, make sure that
invisible walls and establish the floor height
the heights for both the lower and upper
for that area to match the finished grade.
floors are correctly defined.
Draw a normal staircase in an upward
• Stairs are drawn going UP, so they should direction from the lower platform to the
be drawn from the lower of the two floors upper platform. The program will correctly
they connect. connect the two heights.
• Stairs adjust their riser and tread dimen-
sions to connect two floor heights if pos-
sible. The rise and run are calculated so
that the steps are consistent in size.
• If you have the Reference Display

turned on, stairs snap to the reference dis-
play.
189
Creating Curved Stairs

Curved Stairs can be created using the
to Right . Click in your plan to place a 90
Build> Stairs> Curve to Left or Curve degree curved stair section that can then be
edited.
Merging Stair Sections

Any combination of straight or curved stair
sections can be merged to create a single stair
section. The resulting stair section is made
up of subsections and, if there are no
landings, functions as a single unit.
Stair subsections must be created in the same
direction if they are to be merged. Multiple
stairs drawn in the UP direction may be
merged, and multiple stairs drawn DOWN
may be merged, but combinations of UP and
DOWN stairs do not merge.
Stair subsections merge at the center points
of their upper and lower risers. Merging parallel stair sections
To merge stair sections A staircase consisting of merged subsections

resembles a single stair section in floor plan
1. Position the sections so they are in the view. The UP (or DN) arrows join, becoming
desired relationship to each other. a single direction arrow.
2. Select either stair section so that its edit When a subsection is clicked, the entire
handles display. staircase is selected. Most of the edit handles
3. Click the Extend handle on the end to be display within the boundaries of the selected
merged and drag it to the point where the subsection. See “Using the Mouse” on page
two stairs are to meet. 192.
Subsections can be joined into a single stair
section without being aligned. If the stair
sections are parallel, the selected section
moves so that it joins properly with the other.
190
It is possible to merge stair sections that are

not parallel, but they may not merge properly
if they are not precisely aligned.
Caused by
misalignment
Select the middle stair subsection

Merging unaligned stair sections
Curved Subsections 3. Click the Change Line/Arc edit

button. The center section turns into a
Stair subsections attached at both ends by curved stair section.
other sections do not have a free end that can
be dragged into a curve. In this situation,
change the middle sub-section to a curve
using the Change Line/Arc edit button.
If the selected stair section is straight, this
tool makes it curved, and vice versa.
To curve an enclosed stair subsection
1. Draw three straight stair sections and

connect them end to end.
2. Select the middle subsection.
After using Change Line/Arc
Displaying Stairs
The display of stairs in all views is controlled In floor plan view, stairs display on the floor
in the Display Options dialog. See they were drawn on and are only visible from
“Displaying Objects” on page 88. the floor above if there is a stairwell.
191
Stairs have an UP arrow on the floor they Although stairs span between two floors,
were created on and a DN arrow when they can only belong to one floor. As a result,
viewed from the floor above. only multi-floor views show the upper floor
with the platform opening and the lower
floor with the staircase simultaneously.
Editing Stairs
Staircases can be selected and edited in floor Using the Edit Toolbar
plan view and 3D views. See “Selecting
Objects” on page 46. A selected staircase can be edited in a variety
of ways using the buttons on the edit toolbar.
As with most other objects stairs can be
Using the Mouse
copied, moved, deleted, etc.
When a staircase is selected edit handles
display. These edit handles can be used to
display on the edit toolbar for selected stairs.
customize the staircase in many ways. The
edit handles for stairs are similar to those of
other objects. See “Editing Objects” on page
open the Staircase Specification
43.
dialog. See “Staircase Specification
• Straight stair sections are edited like Dialog” on page 200.
lines. They have additional edit handles
for resizing the width of the stair section. • The Center Object edit button
See “Editing Line Based Objects” on allows you to center stairs along a wall
page 48. within a room or relative to a cabinet
• Curved stair sections edited like arcs and fixture. See “Center Object” on page 66.
also include edit handles for resizing the • Starter treads can be created using the
stair’s width. See “Editing Arc Based
Objects” on page 50. Starter Tread edit button. See
“Starter Treads” on page 195.
• When stair sections are merged, the edit
handles display a little differently
• Click the Auto Stairwell edit button
depending on what subsection is
to create a stairwell automatically. See
currently selected. See “Merging Stair
“Creating a Stairwell” on page 198.
Sections” on page 190.
• When moving merged stair sections, all
merged stair sections also move.
192
Stair Landings
Stair landings are platforms between stair at least 6” wide. This edge can be manually
sections and can be created in either of two edited to less than 6” if needed.
ways.
Custom Shaped Landings
To create a landing between stair sections:
Landings can be edited like CAD polylines.
1. Draw two stair sections going UP. They You can add or remove edges, convert an
can be at any angle. edge from straight to curved, or vice versa. A
curved landing creates curved railings.
2. Click between the two sections using the
Straight Stairs tool to create a land- Landing Height
ing. Notice that only one direction arrow Landing height controlled by the program. A
displays after the sections are joined by landing with a program-controlled default
a landing. height is unlocked. The height of an
unlocked landing adjusts as the stairs
attached to it are modified.
If you specify a height for a landing, that
landing is locked. A locked landing
maintains that height no matter how you
adjust the stairs connected it.
Creating a stair landing

Unlocked Landings
Multiple stair sections can be connected to By default, a new stair landing is unlocked,
one landing. For example, two or three stair so the stair sections attached to it determine
sections might meet at a landing with a single its height. If the entire stair system forms a
stair section continuing to the next level. single path from the lower to the upper floor
with each landing connecting only two stair
To be linked by a landing, all sections must sections, the program can set landing heights
be drawn in the same direction (UP is without any difficulty.
preferable) and the top of one section should
be near the bottom of the next.
A landing formed between two stair sections
having less than a 90 degree angle between
them are created with a short edge not less
than 6” (150 mm). This is because most
building codes require the shortest tread to be
193
In this example, two stair sections of the A change to either stair section affects the
same length are located within a stairwell height of the connected landing and the other
and connected by a landing. Both stair stair section. The program tries to maintain
sections have seven treads. Because the the connection to the floor above, and the
landing height is set automatically according landing adjusts in height so that the entire
to the number of treads, all treads have the stair system has the same riser height,
same tread width and riser height. regardless of how many stairs are placed on
each side of the landing.
Since both stair sections are the same length,
the landing height is a half of the total height If more than two stair sections meet at a
between the two connected floors. landing, the relationship between them
becomes more complex. In this situation, you
may want to define the exact height of the
landing instead of letting the program define
it for you.
Stair sections connected with a landing also
move together.
An unlocked landing maintains consistent stairs
194
Maintaining Tread Width
Locked landings produce

independent stair sections
Most building codes require staircases to stair section. On curved stairs, it is measured
maintain consistent tread width. from the inside edge of the curve.
When the walk line is used on a curved stair
Walk Line section, the number and/or width of treads in
By default, Home Designer Suite measures a section or subsection changes when the
the length and tread width of a stair section inner edge is moved because the walk line is
along a walk line. The walk line is typically measured from this inner edge. You should
located 12" or 30 cm from the edge of the set the stair section width to its final value as
early as possible.
Starter Treads
The first and second treads of a A starter tread can be added only to open
staircase can be turned into starter sides of a stair section. If one side of a stair
treads by clicking the Starter Tread edit section is against a wall or wrapped (see
button. Starter treads extend to the side of the “Wrapped Stairs” on page 197), only the
staircase, have rounded edges and are exposed tread end can become a starter tread.
common on traditional staircases.
195
4. As you drag, the ends of the tread

become rounded.
5. Two additional edit handles display on

each side of the tread, along the back
edge.
6. Drag either of the two square handles
upward to increase the width of the
rounded ends of the tread.
To create starter treads

7. Drag the edit handle on the second tread
1. Click a staircase to select it. outward from the stair section to create a
second starter tread.
2. Click the Starter Tread edit button.
An edit handle displays on each end of
both the first and second treads.
8. To make changes to existing starter

treads, select the stairs, click the Starter
3. Drag either of the handles on the first Tread edit button and repeat the
tread outward from the stair section. If above steps as needed.
the stair section is against a wall, only
one handle displays on the side opposite 9. When you are finished editing the starter
the wall. treads, click the Main Edit Mode to
restore the stairs’ regular edit handles
and toolbar buttons.
196
Wrapped Stairs
To wrap stairs around a landing 2. Hold down the Alt key and drag stairs
away from the edge of the deck using
1. Draw two perpendicular stair sections. the right mouse button.
2. Click between them to create a landing. 3. Draw a second set of stairs on the other
3. Rotate one stair section 180°. edge of the deck the same way.
4. The stairs wrap around the corner. 4. If necessary, move the stair sections
Notice that the Up arrow displays on the toward the corner of the deck. The two
most recently edited stair section. sections merge to form wrapped steps.
To wrap stairs around a deck
1. Draw a deck if you have not already

done so.
Other Special Railings & Stairs

Solid Railings
To create a solid rail along a staircase, create
the solid rail against, but not underneath, the
stairs. The solid railing recognizes the
adjacent stairs and climbs alongside them.
See “Railing Tab” on page 107.
197
If any balusters show beyond the railing,

eliminate them by unchecking Left railing
or Right railing on the Style tab of the
Staircase Specification dialog.
Creating a Stairwell
An interior staircase must be located in a defined as Open Below in the Room
stairwell, an opening to the floor above. A Specification dialog, and given a Stair-
stairwell is an Open Below room type on the well room label. This room can be selected
floor above. and edited like any other room.
If you create a stairwell away from other
walls so the Open Below is created in the Creating a Stairwell Manually
center of another room, connect a wall of the Stairwells can also be created manually.
Open Below room to another wall using an
invisible wall. To create a manual stairwell
Creating a Stairwell 1. Draw a two-story building. Create the

staircase on the first floor.
Automatically
2. Make the second floor the Current
To create a stairwell that matches the Floor and the first floor the Reference
perimeter of the staircase, create a floor Floor. See “Reference Floor” on page
above the staircase if one does not exist. 162.
Select the staircase and click the Auto
3. Select Tools> Reference Floors>
Stairwell edit button.
Reference Display to show the Ref-
erence Floor, including the stairs. If the
Auto Stairwell automatically creates a
stairs do not display with the reference,
room on the floor above enclosed by railings,
198
make sure the Reference Display Set is 8. On the General tab of the Room
selected in the Layer Display Specification dialog, select Open
Options dialog. See “Displaying Below from the Room Type list. Click
Objects” on page 88. OK to close the dialog.
4. On the upper floor, use the Railing

tool to create a room around the stairs.
Use the edit handles to position the rail-
ings as needed.
9. Place a Doorway in the railing at

the top step for an opening.
10. Select the doorway and define a large
width in the Door Specification dia-
5. Select the railings one at a time and drag log. If the doorway is specified larger
them into position. than the railing, the door maximizes to
fit the space available.
6. When the railings are positioned prop-
erly, click the Reference Display
toggle button to turn off the display of
the Reference Floor.
7. Click inside the room using the Select
Objects tool to select it, then click
the Open Object edit button.
Rooms Below Staircases

Rooms such as closets or storage areas are To create a room below a staircase
commonly located beneath staircases.
1. Draw a staircase, select it, and click the
Open Object edit button to open
the Staircase Specification dialog.
• If Winders are specified for this stair-
case, set Max Tread Contraction to 2"
199
on the Style tab to allow walls to be 3. Reposition the walls as needed, making
built entirely under the staircase. sure that each is entirely under the stairs.
• On the Fill Style tab, select None 4. The wall at the foot of the stairs should
(Transparent) so the walls and other be placed no closer to the bottom than
objects under the stairs can be seen. the second step.
2. On the same floor as the staircase, draw 5. Add a door and specify the Room Type.
the Interior Walls under them, fol-
lowing their shape.
Staircase Specification Dialog

Staircases can be defined with the greatest
accuracy using the Staircase It is important that all floor heights, ceil-
Specification dialog. ing heights, floor and ceiling thick-
nesses be established correctly before using
If more than one stair section attaches to an the Staircase Specification dialog.
unlocked landing, information about all the
linked stair sections is available in the To open the Staircase Specification
specification dialog. dialog, select a stair section and click the
If a stair section is composed of multiple Open Object edit button or double-click
subsections, the complete section may be
adjusted as a unit, or by defining each of its a stair section using the Straight Stairs
individual subsections. Any section or
or Select Objects tool.
subsection can be used to open the
Staircase Specification dialog for the
entire stair system.
200
General Tab
1 4
5
2
1 The comment line tells whether or not Five values can be changed. To change
the staircase reaches the next floor. If it Tread Width or Riser Angle, click the
does not, the Make Reach button displays. column title to activate the fields below.
Click this button to add risers to the stairs.
A change in one value usually affects other
The stair jack extends, raising the bottom
values in the same row. You may need to
edge of the stair section until the staircase
reposition the staircase after the changes.
reaches the next floor.
Section # - Identifies the stair sections. If
2 This section lists information about the Retain # Tread in Subsections is checked,
staircase. This information cannot be
subsections are also identified.
edited directly, but updates with changes
made in the dialog. Length - Define the run, or length, of each
section measured along the Walk Line. The
If you modify a value, press the Tab key to
length is equal to the number of treads
update this information.
multiplied by the tread width and can be
3 The specifications for each stair section defined with a specific value.
can be edited here. This section
Before you change the length, you may want
expands if the number stair sections and
to first select Retain # Treads.
subsections increases.
When the length of a section changes, all
A stair section can be modified as a complete
other stairs and landings connected to it also
unit or by subsection.
move. If you change the length of the section
you originally selected, the end of that
201
section nearest where you clicked moves, all subsections in the same section have the
along with any unlocked landings and same width.
sections connected to it.
Rise Angle - Define the steepness of the stair
Tread Width - Click the column title, then section.
specify the run of each individual tread. To
The maximum angle is 42 degrees. To
lock this value, check Lock Tread Width.
exceed the 42 degree limit, decrease Length,
If you do not specify the tread width of each Tread Width and/or # Treads.
subsection, the tread width for the whole
section is the same. 4 Click the Revert button to restore all
values as they were when the dialog
If a landing is created by clicking between was first opened. Revert only works within
two stair sections and one of them has locked the same editing session.
tread width, the staircase formed from them
If you select and then clear one of the Retain
has locked tread width. Any landings and
# treads in check boxes, the settings also
sections connected to this new staircase
revert.
adjust to meet it and then have locked tread
width as well.
5 Best riser height of ___ inches (mm)
requires ___ risers to reach ___
# Treads - Define the number of treads in a
inches to next floor. This area describes the
stair section or subsection. If you enter a
ideal rise and run for the selected staircase.
value and want to prevent it from changing,
Note the number of inches (mm) to the next
check Retain # treads in either Sections or
floor; this value includes the ceiling height of
Subsections to lock the value.
the room plus the platform thickness of the
Sec. Width - Define the width of a section. floor above.
Only one width can be defined for a section;
Style Tab
The settings on the Style tab affect all stair
sections and subsections.
202
Large Stringer Base - Check this box to

widen the stringer at the foot of the staircase.
This is helpful when walls are created below 1
the stairs.
Open Underneath - Uncheck this box to add
a skirt below the staircase along the two 8
sides. It looks like a wall in 3D, but it has 8
only a single face. Base molding does not
generate along the bottom of the skirt, and
doors cannot be placed in it. Tread Overhang, Tread Thickness, Stringer Top
The recommended way to enclose the area
Line Style Tab
beneath stairs is to use walls. See “Rooms
Below Staircases” on page 199. For information about using the Line Style
tab, see “Line Style Tab” on page 357.
Open Risers - Check this box to eliminate
the riser face under each tread and expose the
stringers. If Closed Sides is also selected, no Fill Style Tab
central stringer is supplied. For information about using the Fill Style
Use Exterior Materials - Select the check tab, see “Fill Style Tab” on page 361.
box to have the entire staircase use the same
material as the railing. Materials can be
defined for the individual parts of a staircase
if this is not checked.
203
Materials Tab
For information about using the Materials
tab, see “Materials Tab” on page 302.
Stair Landing Specification Dialog

Select a landing and click the Open Object Line Style Tab
edit button to open the Stair Landing For information about the Line Style tab, see
Specification dialog. “Line Style Tab” on page 357.
Polyline Tab Fill Style Tab

For information about the Polyline tab, see For information about the Fill Style tab, see
“Polyline Tab” on page 362. “Fill Style Tab” on page 362.
Selected Line Tab Materials Tab

For information about the Selected Line tab, For information about the Materials tab, see
see “Selected Line Tab” on page 362. “Materials Tab” on page 302.
204
Chapter 15:
Electrical
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Elec-
trical Tools Building requirements vary throughout
the country and around the world. It is
The electrical plan shows the location of all your responsibility to comply with local codes.
electrical objects such as lights, switches,
outlets, smoke detectors and vent fans. Basic Chapter Contents
wiring diagrams show which objects share • The Electrical Tools
circuits and the locations of the controlling • Creating Wiring Schematics
switches. • Auto Place Outlets
Electrical objects can be displayed in 2D and • Electrical Library
3D views. Some electrical light fixtures also • Displaying Electrical Objects
add light sources to 3D views. See • Editing Electrical Objects
“Lighting” on page 331.
Electrical objects can be selected, deleted,
copied, moved, and rotated like other
objects.
Usually, the electrical plan is one of the last
additions to a plan since the position of most
electrical objects is determined by the
location of walls, cabinets and other objects.
205
The Electrical Tools

Select Build> Electrical to access the Outlets placed on the wall behind a base
Electrical Tools. cabinet containing a dishwasher or sink are
placed at the normal 12" (300 mm) above the
Click in floor plan view to place an electrical
floor. If an outlet is placed above a cabinet,
object. Some can only be placed against
the Above Cabinet Default Height are used
walls, some only on the ceiling or floor, and
instead.
some automatically change as needed. If you
click within 12" of the wall, the selected Other types of outlets, such as floor outlets,
object is placed on the wall.
are available in the Electrical Library .
Outlets
Lights
Select Build> Electrical> 110V
Select Build> Electrical> Light to
Outlet to place 110 volt duplex
place light fixtures. Depending on
outlets in walls or on the floor. Select Build>
where you click in floor plan view, the light
Electrical> 220V Outlet to place 220 volt
may be mounted on the ceiling or on a wall.
outlets.
All lights placed in a plan also serve as light
Outlet locations are measured from their sources in camera 3D views.
centers in floor plan view. Individual outlet
Click away from any wall to place a light on
heights can be specified in the Electrical
the ceiling. Click near a wall to place the
Service Specification dialog.
light in the wall. Specify the height of an
Certain room types and situations cause individual light in the Electrical Service
various types of outlets to be placed. To take Specification dialog.
advantage of the program’s capabilities,
If you place a light in a vaulted ceiling, a
define room types properly before placing
ceiling light is placed at the ceiling height
electrical objects. See “Room Types” on
perpendicular to the floor as though it were
page 115.
attached to a flat ceiling.
In rooms defined as Bath or Master Bath,
Many lights are available in the Electrical
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI)
outlets are placed. If outlets are placed prior Library . All library lights create light
to defining the room as a Bath, the standard sources in camera 3D views.
outlets must be replaced with GFCI outlets to
meet code. Switches
Outlets placed outside the building or in an Select Build> Electrical> Switch to
exterior area such as a deck or porch are place wall switches as specified in the
labeled WP, or Water Proof. Electrical Defaults dialog. Like outlets,
the height of switches is measured from the
floor to the center of the object .
206
If you connect two or more switches in a

circuit, they update to 3-way or 4-way
switches automatically.
Creating Wiring Schematics

Electrical schematics can be created in two Connections created with the Connect
ways. Using the Connect Electrical tool Electrical tool can be edited like splines.
is quick and easy, but if you need detailed See “Editing Spline Based Objects” on page
schematics, you can create your own wiring 61. When attached to other electrical objects,
diagrams using the CAD tools. however, connections display only Reshape
edit handles when selected.
Connect Electrical Remove an electrical object from a circuit by
Select Build> Electrical> Connect selecting it and clicking the Delete edit
Electrical to illustrate circuits. Using button. See “Deleting Objects” on page 72.
this tool, you can show which lights and
outlets are attached to any given switch. More than one switch can control an object
or group of objects. Two switches controlling
To create a new circuit or to add to an the same objects are referred to as three-way
existing circuit, click one electrical object switches. Three switches controlling the
while using Connect Electrical tool, same objects are called four-way switches.
drag to the next object and release. The number of “ways” is one more than the
number of switches in the same circuit. This
number displays with the switch symbol in
floor plan view.
Auto Place Outlets

Select Build> Electrical> Auto Place outlets are placed appropriately in each room
Outlets and click in a room tool to type.
place outlets, usually 110 volt, around the
Stand-alone or built-in appliances such as
entire room at intervals not greater than
ranges, washers, and dryers each have their
twelve feet so that no wall position is farther
required 110 volt or 220 volt outlets placed
than six feet (1800mm) from the nearest
automatically. Lights are always placed
outlet.
above sinks.
It is important that the room type be defined
Auto Place Outlets requires a room to
before using Auto Place Outlets so that
have a door before outlets are automatically
207
placed and does not work in any room

Place Outlets is used in a room defined
defined as an exterior room. Exterior rooms
by railings or invisible walls, outlets are
require that the outlets be placed individually
automatically placed in all adjacent rooms
using the 110V Outlets tool or from the that share these wall types with that room.
Electrical Library . Any outlet can be moved, deleted, or merged
Railings and invisible walls do not separate with other outlets or switches. See
“Switches” on page 206.
rooms for Auto Place Outlets : If Auto
Electrical Library
Select Library> Library Browser to Browse for electrical objects such as bath
accesses a library of various electrical vent fans, an electrical panel, fluorescent
symbols. The Electrical library category is lights, chandeliers, a smoke detector,
divided into subcategories. thermostat, and much more. Select a symbol,
then click in your plan to place it on a wall,
floor, or ceiling.
Displaying Electrical Objects

The display of electrical objects and When displayed in 3D, light fixtures act as
connections is controlled in the Display sources of light that help illuminate your 3D
Options dialog. See “Displaying Objects” model. See “Lighting” on page 331.
on page 88.
Editing Electrical Objects

Electrical objects can be selected as a group
and individually in 2D and 3D and edited
using the edit handles and the edit toolbar .

The edit handles for electrical objects vary
depending on the location of the object. Wall Wall-mounted outlet in 2D and 3D views
mounted electrical objects cannot be rotated,
so only the Move edit handle displays. Electrical objects placed on floors and
ceilings can be rotated.
208
Adjusting the Height

of Electrical Objects
In floor plan view, an outlet placed where a
base cabinet meets a wall is placed above the
Ceiling-mounted outlet in 2D and 3D views counter unless the cabinet contains a fixture
or appliance other than a bathroom sink. If
Electrical connections edit like splines. See the fixture requires electricity, the outlet
“Editing Spline Based Objects” on page 61. remains behind the cabinet at normal wall
height, where it can supply power to the
fixture or appliance.
Kitchen sinks are assumed to require
electricity since they often contain a garbage
disposal. Dishwashers are not considered to
require electricity since they are usually
plugged in under a nearby sink. If an outlet is
Using the Edit Buttons needed above a cabinet containing a kitchen
sink, place the outlet before adding the sink,
A selected electrical symbol can be edited in
or move the outlet up.
a variety of ways using the buttons on the
edit toolbar. As with most objects, electrical To change the height of an electrical object in
symbols can be copied, moved, deleted, etc. floor plan view, open the object for
See “Using the Edit Toolbar” on page 60. specification and type the desired height in
the Electrical Service Specification
dialog.
electrical symbols. Electrical objects placed in 3D views are
placed wherever you click a wall, regardless
• Click the Select Next Object edit of the height. In 3D views, the position of an
button to select nearby objects instead of electrical object can be adjusted using its edit
the selected electrical symbol. handles.
• The Accurate Move edit button
slows down the mouse so you can place
Deleting Electrical Objects
electrical objects more precisely. See An electrical object can be deleted by
“Accurate Move” on page 66.
selecting it and clicking the Delete edit
• Click the Center Object edit button button or by pressing the Delete key.
to center the selected electrical symbol All electrical objects in a room, on a floor, or
along a wall within a room or relative to a in the entire plan can be deleted as a group
cabinet fixture. See “Center Object” on using the Delete Objects dialog. See
page 66. “Deleting Objects” on page 72.
209
210
Chapter 16:
Trim Tools
Chapter Overview
The Trim Tools allow you to place corner Chapter Contents
boards and quoins at wall intersections that • Corner Boards
form corners. • Corner Board Specification Dialog
• Quoins
• Quoin Specification Dialog
• Editing Corner Boards and Quoins
211
Corner Boards
Corner boards are added to a building Corner boards extend from the top plate
exterior in any view by selecting down to the bottom of the floor platform of
Build> Trim> Corner Boards. the floor on which it is placed, but do not
extend to other floors. You must add corner
boards to all floors of the building that you
want to have corner boards.
A selected corner board or boards can be
moved, but only to another wall corner or
corners. In 3D views, corner boards can be
lengthened or shortened using the edit
handles. Corner boards can be copied,
deleted and resized similar to other objects
Click at a wall corner where you want to add using the edit toolbar or the Corner Board
trim. Be sure to click where the outside wall Specification dialog.
surfaces meet. If you click where the inside The default material for corner boards is
surfaces meet, corner trim will be created defined by the Exterior Trim entry in the
inside the room. Material Defaults dialog. See “Material
Corner Board Specification Dialog

General Tab
The General tab of the Corner Board Materials Tab

Specification dialog allows you to change
the dimensions for the corner boards. For information about the Materials tab, see
1 Width - Specify the width of the
selected corner boards.
212
Quoins
Select Build> Trim> Quoins in any A selected quoin or quoins can be moved,
view and click at a wall corner where but only to another wall corner or corners. In
you want to place quoins. 3D views, quoins can be lengthened or
shortened using the edit handles. Quoins can
be copied, deleted and resized similar to
other objects using the edit toolbar or the
Quoin Specification dialog.
The size of quoins in floor plan view is

relative on their size in 3D.
Initially, quoins use the same material as the
default material of the wall surface they are
placed against.
Quoin Specification Dialog
Width - Specify the long dimension of each Materials Tab

quoin in the selected Quoin object. The
dimension along the other wall is half this For information about the Materials tab, see
value when they are staggered or mirrored. “Materials Tab” on page 302.
Height - Specify the height for all quoins in

the selected Quoin object.
Staggered - Produce quoins that have one
long side and one short side staggered on
opposite sides of the corner.
Uniform - Produce quoins that are of equal
length on both sides of the corner.
213
Editing Corner Boards and Quoins

Before a corner board or quoin can be edited, Using the Edit Buttons
it must be selected. Click on a trim object
A selected corner board or quoin can be
when the Select Objects tool is active. edited in a variety of ways using the buttons
Corner boards and quoins can also be group on the edit toolbar. As with most objects,
selected and edited. See “Selecting Objects” they can be copied, moved, deleted, etc. See
on page 46. “Using the Edit Toolbar” on page 50.
Corner boards and quoins can be edited using The following edit toolbar buttons may
their edit handles, the edit toolbar buttons, display on the edit toolbar for selected corner
and their specification dialogs. See “Corner boards and quoins.
Board Specification Dialog” on page 212 and
“Quoin Specification Dialog” on page 213. • Click the Select Next Object button
to select nearby objects instead of the
Using the Mouse selected corner board or quoin, particu-
larly the wall it is placed against.
Depending on the type of view, a corner
board or quoin displays a different set of edit • Click the Open Object edit button to
handles when selected. open the specification dialog for the
• In floor plan view, corner boards and select object(s). See “Corner Board
quoins display two edit handles and can Specification Dialog” on page 212 or
be moved and rotated. “Quoin Specification Dialog” on page
213.
• In cross section/elevation and 3D views,
corner boards and quoins can be moved, • Accurate Move slows down the
lengthened and shorted much the way move speed when using the edit handles.
CAD Lines are. See “Editing Line Based See “Accurate Move” on page 66.
214
Chapter 17:
Cabinets
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Cabi- Chapter Contents
nets • Cabinet Defaults
With Home Designer Suite’s cabinet tools • The Cabinet Tools
you can create base, wall, and full height • Displaying Cabinets
cabinets as well as soffits, shelves, partitions, • Editing Cabinets
and custom countertops. These objects are • Editing Cabinet Door/Drawer Style
very versatile, allowing for a wide range of • Joined Cabinets
customization. • Special Cabinets
• Cabinet Specification Dialog
Home Designer Suite also has many • Shelf/Partition Specification Dialog
customized cabinet symbols and cabinet • Cabinet Defaults
groups available in the library. Cabinets you
have customized can be saved to your own
library for future use.
215
Cabinet Defaults
Access default settings for each cabinet The Cabinet Defaults dialogs can also be
type by selecting Edit> Default accessed by double-clicking the Cabinet
Settings, then clicking the + beside
Cabinets. Tools , then clicking the appropriate
button in the Cabinet Defaults dialog.
Each type of cabinet has default definitions Double-clicking any of the Cabinet tools also
for size, style, materials and much more. opens the corresponding defaults dialog.
General cabinet settings and the default
settings for Base Cabinets, Wall Cabinets, To allow the maximum range of sizes, set the
Full Height Cabinets, Shelves, and Partitions General Cabinet defaults so that Minimum
are defined here. Width is 1" and Width Increment is 1/16".
See “Cabinet Defaults” on page 229.
The Cabinet Tools

cabinet to place a wall cabinet above it. The
Select Build> Cabinet to access the base cabinet does not interfere with the
Cabinet tools. placement.
A cabinet placed adjacent to another of the
same type that faces the same direction
Full Height Cabinets
merges with it. If a cabinet is created at the To place a full height cabinet, select
back of another of the same type, the two Build> Cabinet> Full Height and
cabinets merge back-to-back. When cabinets click in your plan in any view. A full height
are merged, the toe kick, back splash, and cabinet cannot be placed on top of a base or
countertop are continuous. wall cabinet. Full height cabinets generate a
toe kick by default.
Base Cabinets
Select Build> Cabinet> Base Cabinet
Soffits
and click near a wall in any view to Soffits typically fill the space between
attach the cabinet to it. Base cabinets cabinet tops and the ceiling, but can
generate a countertop and toe kick by also be used to create any object than can be
default. modeled as a 3D box. To place a soffit,
Select Build> Cabinet> Soffit and click in
Wall Cabinets any view.
To place a wall cabinet, select Build> Soffits can display in both floor plan and 3D
Cabinet> Wall Cabinet and click near views. They can be assigned materials that
a wall in any view. Click directly over a base are calculated in the Materials List; by
216
default, they use the material assigned to Cabinet Modules Library

interior walls in the General Materials
dialog. Like cabinets, soffits can have In the Library Browser, expand the Cabinet
custom molding profiles specified for them. Modules category to access a list of cabinets.
Select the library object you want, then click
Unlike the other Cabinet tools, soffits do not in any view to place it in the plan. Once
have default dialogs. Soffits are sized to be placed, library cabinets can be edited. See
the same width as and 1" (20mm) deeper “Cabinet Modules” on page 289.
than the default wall cabinet. Their heights
adjust automatically to fill the space between Cabinet Door and
the ceiling and the tops of wall cabinets, but
Drawer Library
individual soffits can be selected and edited.
In the Library Browser, expand the Cabinet
The maximum soffit width is 135 feet (32m),
Doors and Drawers category to access a
and the minimum width is 1/16" (1 mm).
library of special cabinet doors and drawers.
For more detailed information about soffits, Select a library object, then click an existing
see “Other Objects” on page 267. cabinet to place the door or drawer from the
library onto that cabinet. See “Cabinet Doors
Shelves and Drawers” on page 289.
Select Build> Cabinet> Shelf and

Built-In Appliances
click in any view to create a shelf.
Appliances and fixtures can be found in the
Create corner shelves by placing one shelf on
Library Browser in the Fixtures, Interior
each wall, then moving or stretching them
category. Some appliances, such as
until they touch.
refrigerators, can be placed directly into a
Once created, shelves can be modified. See plan as stand-alone symbols. Many kitchen
“Shelf/Partition Specification Dialog” on fixtures and appliances, such as sinks,
page 228. dishwashers, and garbage disposals, must be
placed into an existing cabinet. See “Interior
Partitions Fixtures” on page 291.
Select Build> Cabinet> Partition

button and click in any view to create a Place range tops and sinks into cabi-
nets early, so that any resizing can be
vertical partition. Once created, partitions
done before too many cabinets are placed.
can be modified. Select the partition and
click the Open Object edit button to To install an appliance into a cabinet, select
open the Partition Specification dialog the appliance for placement in the selection
and specify the partition’s dimensions, pane of the Library Browser and click a
position, and material. Partitions can be used cabinet. There must be enough space in the
with shelves to create complex storage cabinet or adjoining cabinets to contain the
systems.
217
selected appliance. See “The Library the face can be deleted on the Front tab of the
Browser” on page 277. Cabinet Specification dialog.
Fixtures can be added to both the top and
front of the same cabinet. The fixture on top In the real world, some appliances can
can be selected by clicking the cabinet and share a cabinet, while others cannot. It
pressing the Tab key or clicking the Select is up to you to determine which appliances
can be effectively and safely combined.
Next Object edit button. The fixture on
Displaying Cabinets
The display of the various cabinet types, In Floor Plan and 3D Views
labels, module lines, door opening indicators
and labels is controlled in the Display If the Cabinets, Labels layer is turned on,
Options dialog. See “Displaying Objects” cabinet labels are centered on the cabinet
on page 88. they represent.
By default, cabinet module lines, the lines
between individual cabinets, do not display
when cabinet modules are merged. To show
them in floor plan view, set the Cabinets,
Module Lines layer to display.
Editing Cabinets
Cabinets can be selected individually and as cabinet front (indicated by a V) and a Resize
a group in 2D and 3D views and edited using handle on each edge and at each corner.
the edit handles, the edit toolbar and their
specification dialog. See “Cabinet
Using the Mouse

Cabinets can be edited like CAD boxes. See
“Editing Box-Based Objects” on page 59.
Depending on the view, the edit handles a
cabinet displays when selected vary.
When a cabinet is selected in floor plan view
or from the top, up to ten edit handles If cabinet labels are displayed, a label will
display. They are the Move handle at the move as its cabinet is moved or resized. An
center, the Rotate handle just outside the edit handle for the label also displays when a
218
cabinet is selected. See “Displaying The following edit toolbar buttons may
Cabinets” on page 218. display on the edit toolbar for selected
cabinets.
When a cabinet is selected on a side in a
cross section/elevation or 3D view, it shows
five edit handles: the Move handle and a
Resize handle on each edge. In 3D views,
the selected cabinet.
cabinets can be selected on any surface:
front, side, back or top.
Using the Edit Buttons selected cabinet(s). See “Cabinet
A selected cabinet or cabinets can be edited Specification Dialog” on page 223.
edit toolbar. As with most objects, cabinets • Click the Center Object edit button
can be copied, replicated, moved, deleted, to center the selected cabinet(s) along a
etc. See “Using the Edit Toolbar” on page 60. wall within a room or relative to a cabinet
Editing Cabinet Door/Drawer Style

There are several ways to specify the cabinet Specification dialog. See “Cabinet
door and drawer style. Specification Dialog” on page 223.
If the desired cabinet style is known before You can also apply a door/drawer style to a
cabinets are placed, the door style can be set cabinet directly from the Library Browser.
up in the Cabinet Defaults dialog. See Select a door or drawer style in the library,
“Cabinet Defaults” on page 229. then click a cabinet to apply the selected
style to that cabinet. If you are in a 3D view,
Once cabinets are placed, select them and
the view updates. Continue clicking cabinets
click the Open Object edit button to or select a different tool to stop using this
choose a new door style from the Cabinet function. See “Placing Library Objects” on
page 284.
Joined Cabinets
Cabinets of the same type and height Cabinets merge when two of them face the
automatically join when placed side-to-side same direction, meet at an angle, and touch at
or back-to-back. When attached, the only two corners. When angled cabinets are
countertop is continuous in 3D views. merged, fillers are added so the cabinets are
continuous in 3D views.
219
Fillers appear on screen but are not included cabinet. If this is not done, the lines
in the materials list. separating the cabinets cannot be suppressed.
If the side or back of a cabinet moves against Two cabinets cannot merge with the same
another cabinet side or back, or against a side of another cabinet. The picture shows
wall, it attaches to that object. two instances when cabinets are placed back-
to-back. Cabinet fronts and joining surfaces
Exposed End Cabinets are shown.
When multiple cabinets are joined together

the exposed end cabinets are the cabinets on
the outside.
Exposed End Cabinets

Moving Walls with
Cabinets Attached
Countertop Overhang and Legs behave
differently when groups of cabinets are When a wall is moved, all attached cabinets
joined: move with it. Moving a wall to an unattached
cabinet does not attach the cabinet to it; the
• For more information see “Cabinet Spec-
cabinet must be moved to the wall. It can
ification Dialog” on page 223.
also be attached to the wall when Plan
Check is done.
Kitchen Islands
When wall layers are resized or the wall
To form a kitchen island, attach several layer definition redefined, the cabinets may
cabinets back-to-back and side-to-side. become unattached. To reattach, select them,
Match the widths so that each cabinet back or drag them away, and then drag them back
side meets the back or side of only one other again.
Special Cabinets
There are several special cabinet shapes that can be specified. See “Cabinet Specification
can be specified. Certain requirements must Dialog” on page 223.
be met before some special cabinet shapes
220
• The Left Side Width and the Right Side

Width can be set independently for corner
cabinets. See “General Tab” on page 223.
Normal Cabinets
Select Build> Cabinet> Base Cabinet Corner cabinet with sides of equal width
and click in floor plan view to place a normal
base cabinet. • You can specify a Diagonal Door on cor-
ner cabinets to create an angled corner
cabinet. See “Front Tab” on page 225.
Normal (default) cabinet
Corner Cabinets Corner cabinet with diagonal door
To create a corner cabinet, click as close to • The diagonal door on corner cabinets can
an inside wall corner as possible in using be curved by entering a negative value in
the second Right Side Width field. See
either the Base Cabinet , Wall Cabinet
, or Full Height cabinet tool. A
corner cabinet remains a corner cabinet when
it is moved, edited or copied.
Turn an existing cabinet into a corner cabinet
by selecting Corner Cabinet from the Special
drop-down list in its specification dialog. See
Corner cabinet with curved door
• Before a corner cabinet can be specified
in the Cabinet Specification dialog, Radius End Cabinets
the cabinet’s Width must be greater than
its Depth. Open a cabinet for specification and select
Right Radius End or Left Radius End from
221
the Special drop-down list to create a radius in a corner are separated from each other by
end cabinet. nine inches or less. Where two walls meet at
an inside corner, a countertop often flows
continuously across base cabinets on one
wall to those attached to the next. A filler is
used to separate the front of one of these
cabinets from the one it meets so that
drawers and doors have room to operate.
Radius End cabinets have a ninety-degree arch
As you’re facing a cabinet, a right radius end

cabinet curves to the right, and a left radius
end cabinet curves to the left.
Peninsula Radius Cabinets

Two base cabinets and the filler between them
Open a cabinet for specification and select
Peninsula Radius from the Special drop- To allow a continuous countertop, wall and
down list to create peninsula radius cabinet. full height cabinets also attach to each other
in this way.
Blind Cabinets
Often, when two cabinets meet in a corner,
one is partially hidden by the other. The
portion of the cabinet covered by the other
cabinet's side cannot be seen and is called a
“blind” cabinet. Blind cabinets are handled
Peninsula Radius Cabinet the same as other cabinets that meet in a
corner.
The radius can be adjusted by changing the
Depth/Bow Depth value. See “General Tab”
on page 223.
Fillers
Home Designer Suite models a continuous
countertop and fillers if two cabinets meeting
222
Cabinet Specification Dialog

Select a cabinet and click the Open Object The Cabinet Specification dialog allows
you to customize cabinets individually. The
edit button to open the Cabinet
options in the dialog are similar to the
Cabinet Defaults dialog.
General Tab
1
2
3 5
1 A number of Special cabinet shapes are dimension includes the Counter Thick-
available from the drop-down list. ness, but not the height of the backsplash.
Certain requirements must be met before
some special cabinet shapes can be specified.
Note: Height defines the height of the entire
See “Special Cabinets” on page 220. cabinet. The height of the cabinet face, coun-
tertop and the toe kick are all included in this
2 Specification - The selected cabinet’s value. If you change either the Countertop
dimensions can be specified here.
Thickness or the Toe Kick Height, the cabinet
Fractional cabinet widths, depths, and face height is altered. This changes the
heights are supported to 1/16th of an inch. heights of your face objects.
• Height (Including Counter) - This is the
measurement from the bottom to the top • Width - This is the dimension across the
of the cabinet. For base cabinets, this cabinet as you view it in elevation. This
223
does not include the countertop over- • Flat Sides can be added to base cabinets.
hang. Checking Flat Sides eliminates the
• Depth - This is the dimension from front counter overhang on the cabinet’s
to back on the cabinet. This does not exposed ends.
include the thickness of 3/4” for overlay • Check Flat Back to eliminate the over-
doors or the countertop overhang. hang on cabinets with an exposed back.
• For Special type Bow Front cabinets,
specify the Bow Depth in inches. Up to 4 Backsplash - The dimensions and style
of the backsplash are specified here.
half the cabinet width is allowed.
• Specify the Backsplash Height. The
• For corner cabinets, the Width and backsplash is only available when the
Depth/Bow Depth fields become Right cabinet is against a wall.
Side Width and Left Side Width. If a
• Backsplash Thickness - Specify the
corner cabinet is assigned a diagonal door
thickness of the backsplash material.
on the Front tab, the second Right Side
Width field specifies the bow depth: a • Side - Check this box to have the same
positive number creates a bow and a neg- height backsplash added to the side of a
ative number, an inside bow. base or wall cabinet that is against a wall
or taller cabinet.
• Floor to Bottom - Specify a distance.
For base and full height cabinets, this is • Check Always Present to display the
usually 0. Increase this value by at least backsplash at all times. If unchecked, a
1/16” to eliminate the toe kick. If a toe backsplash is present only when the cabi-
kick height has been changed from the net is against a wall.
default values, raising a cabinet off the Any base cabinet can have a backsplash
floor does not remove the toe kick. defined. The backsplash for a base cabinet is
• Follow Terrain - If the cabinet is outside measured from the countertop up.
a room, check this box to place the cabi-
Electrical switches or outlets that are placed
net relative to the terrain height.
within the backsplash area display in front of
3 Counter - Specify the dimensions and the backsplash in a 3D view when electrical
style of the counter here. items are turned on in the Display Options
• Counter Thickness and Counter Over- dialog. See “Display Options Dialog” on
hang - Specify these values for base cab- page 87.
inets. The Counter Overhang is used for
any side of a cabinet that is not against a 5 The Cabinet Label displays below the
preview diagram.
wall or another cabinet. Changing the
counter thickness does not alter the cabi- The cabinet label defines the type and size of
net height but it does affect the height of the cabinet, and is also used in the Size
face items. column of the Materials List. See “Materials
Lists” on page 401.
224
Front Tab
The cabinet’s door, drawer and shelf
configuration is specified on the Front tab.
1
2
1 Click a face item in the preview Click the Library button to select from the
diagram to select it. The selected item Cabinet Doors and Drawers library
is highlighted, and the Item Number, Item category. Once a door style is selected from
Type and Item Height identify the part the library, it displays in the drop-down list.
selected. See “Editing Cabinet Door/Drawer Style” on
page 219.
2 Select the Door Style and Drawer
Style from the drop-down lists.
3 Item Type - Click the drop-down list to
• Select Plain Doors or Drawers to apply select from the available face items.
a flat drawer or door front. Items that display in the front of a cabinet
• Select Framed Doors or Doors to apply such as doors, drawers and appliances are
a drawer with a frame and flat panel called front items.
front. The drawer must be at least 6 Each front item is usually separated by a
inches for the frame and panel to display. frame piece, the exposed portion of which is
• Select Library to select a cabinet door or defined as the separation. At the top, bottom
drawer front from the library. See “Cabi- and sides of the face frame, a separation
net Doors and Drawers” on page 289. represents the cabinet rails and stiles.
225
Click Add New to add a new face item

Note: The program makes sure that the directly below the currently selected item.
heights of the front items equal the total cabi-
net face height. When necessary, a blank • When you click Add New, the New
area is inserted at the bottom or the lowest Cabinet Face Item dialog displays.
face item is deleted when there is not enough Define the Item Type, Item Height and
room. This means you should start editing click OK.
face items at the top and work down.
• A cabinet can have any number of front

items, but there is a limit to the number of
items that can actually fit on a given cabi-
net’s front.
• Cabinet fronts may be composed of any
combination of face items. • If you click Add New with no face item
• When a Panel (false front) is specified, it selected, the program adds the new item
assumes the appearance of the drawer at the bottom of the cabinet face.
style assigned to that cabinet. • When a face item is added to the cabinet
• Appliances cannot be added from the front, the program attempts to reduce the
Item Type list, but are included once height of the lowest item on the cabinet
they have been added from the library. front to make room for the new item.
See “Built-In Appliances” on page 217. Click Delete to remove the currently selected
Item Height - Define a value for the selected item. When a face item is deleted, usually the
item in the cabinet front. Fractional heights height of the lowest item is increased to
are supported to 1/16th of an inch. make up the difference.
• When the height of a cabinet is changed, Click Move Up to move the currently
or the height of a face item is changed, selected item up one position, switching
the height of the lowest face item is places with the item directly above.
altered to make up the difference.
Click Move Down to move the currently
• If you modify the lowest item, the item selected item down one position, switching
directly above is adjusted. Set the coun- places with the item directly below.
tertop height and the toe kick height first,
and then work from the top to the bottom
Note: The program tries to maintain a single
when adjusting face items.
separation between all face items. When you
• If the height of an appliance has been add or delete a face item, separations are
altered, entering “d” restores its default usually added or deleted with them.
height.
Include Shelves - Check this box to include 4 Some Options are available depending
on the type of cabinet selected.
shelves in the selected “door” or “opening”
face item.
226
• Glass Doors may be defined for any cab- Defaults dialog, corner cabinets have a
inet that doesn’t use a library door. When diagonal door by default.
selected, the door panel is created using • The Reverse Appliance check box is
the glass material. The entire door is available if a sink, appliance or other fix-
glass on plain doors. ture is placed into the cabinet. Select
• Diagonal Door - This option is only Reverse Appliance to reverse the fixture
available for corner cabinets. Check this from left to right. This feature can be
box to create a diagonal door instead of a used to change a left hand door on a built-
double door at right angles.If Diagonal in refrigerator to a right hand door.
Door is checked in the Cabinet
Hardware Tab
handle from the Select Library Object

1 Select a Door Handle from the drop-
down list or select a Library handle dialog. Entering a value In from Drawer
from the Select Library Object dialog. Edge creates two handles the specified
Specify the location of the handle In from distance from the drawer edge. Specify the
Door Edge and Down from Door Top. For location of the handle Down from Drawer
Wall Cabinets, this value is Up From Door Top. A value of 0" centers the handle on the
Bottom. drawer.
2 Select a Drawer Handle from the 3 Hinges - Select from the list of
drop-down list or select a Library available styles or select a Library
227
hinge from the Select Library Object Materials Tab

dialog. Specify the location of the hinges Up/
Down from Door Edge. Two or three hinges Some material options may be disabled if the
are placed, depending on the door height. selected cabinet is a manufacturer symbol.
For more information about the Materials
tab, see “Materials Tab” on page 302.
Shelf/Partition Specification Dialog

Select a shelf or partition and click the Open Specification dialog or Partition
Object edit button to open the Shelf
General Tab
Specify the Height, Width, Depth, and the Materials Tab

distance from the Floor to Bottom of the
shelf or partition. Click the check box if you For information about the Materials tab, see
want the shelf or partition to follow the “Materials Tab” on page 302.
terrain.
228
Cabinet Defaults
Default Settings are accessed by General Cabinet Defaults
selecting Edit> Default Settings.
Click General to access the General
Cabinet defaults can also be accessed by Cabinet Defaults dialog.
double-clicking the Cabinet Tools
button.
1
2
1 Set the Minimum Cabinet Width.

2 Specify whether cabinets should Use
Grid Snaps or a designated Resize
Increment when resizing. Set the Width
Increment that new cabinets snap to. The
smallest allowed Minimum Cabinet Width
is 1/16th of an inch (1 mm) and the minimum
Width Increment is 1 inch (10 mm).
If you try to place a cabinet into a space that
Click the “+” next to Cabinets to access the is too narrow, the program attempts to place
cabinets sub-headings. Select a subheading a smaller cabinet that is a multiple of the
and click the Edit button to open the defaults minimum width increment. If the space is
dialog associated with your selection. narrower than the minimum width
You can double-click a Cabinet Tools child increment, the program does not place a
tool to open the Cabinet Defaults dialog cabinet. For example, if you have a space
associated with that cabinet type. that is 20 inches wide, your default cabinet is
24 inches, and the minimum width increment
The following cabinet default values are is 6 inches, the program places an 18 inch
dynamic and change existing cabinet objects cabinet. If you have a space that is 8 inches
whenever the default cabinet is changed: and your minimum cabinet width is 9 inches,
Separation, Splash Height and Thickness, no cabinet is placed.
Countertop Overhang and Thickness, Toe
Kick Height and Depth, and all Materials.
See “Dynamic Defaults” on page 85.
229
Base, Full Height, Wall, For descriptions of the settings in the

Shelf & Partition Defaults Cabinet Specification dialogs, see
“Cabinet Specification Dialog” on page 223
The default dialog for each cabinet type is and “Shelf/Partition Specification Dialog” on
similar to its corresponding specification page 228.
dialog and can also be opened by double-
clicking the appropriate tool or by selecting
Edit> Default Settings> Cabinets.
230
Chapter 18:
Terrain
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Patios • Terrain Wall and Curb Tools
• Displaying Terrain
Home Designer Suite allows you to
• Editing Terrain Objects
model the terrain around a house. Begin by
• Terrain Specification Dialog
specifying elevation data that creates the
• Elevation Point Specification Dialog
surface contours, and then add surface
• Elevation Line Specification Dialog
features such as planting areas, water
• Flat Region Specification Dialog
features and plants. Home Designer Suite
• Hill / Valley Specification Dialog
builds a three dimensional map of the terrain.
• Raised / Lowered Region Specification
The more information provided, the better Dialog
the terrain models. • Terrain Feature Specification Dialog
Roads and sidewalks are among the objects • Terrain Path Specification Dialog
that can be placed in your terrain and are • Importing Elevation Data
discussed in “Roads & Sidewalks” on page • Import Terrain Wizard
263. • Import GPS Data Wizard
• Hardiness Zones
Chapter Contents • Plant Tools
• Terrain Perimeter • Plant Image Specification Dialog
• Elevation Data Tools • Plant Chooser Dialog
• Terrain Modifier Tools
• Terrain Feature Tools
• Garden Bed Tools
• Water Feature Tools
• Stepping Stone Tools
231
Terrain Perimeter
Home Designer Training Video: Terrain
Perimeter
The terrain perimeter is a closed
polyline defining the boundary of the
terrain that generates in 3D views. Select
Terrain> Terrain Perimeter to create a
terrain perimeter.
If you do not see the terrain perimeter on Terrain perimeter at 0' - 0" in a 3D view
screen in floor plan view, select Window>
The terrain perimeter can be resized and
Fill Window . See “Zoom Tools” on page
edited like other polylines. See “Editing
312.
Closed-Polyline Based Objects” on page 56.
If you do not add any terrain elevation data
within the terrain perimeter, the terrain
remains flat at an elevation of 0' - 0".
The terrain perimeter has a variety of
properties, including many that affect how
the terrain displays in 3D, which can be
Terrain Perimeter customized.
Build Terrain
Select Terrain> Build Terrain to
generate the terrain surface based on
the provided elevation data. See “Building
the Terrain” on page 241.
Clear Terrain
Elevation Data Tools

Home Designer Training Video: Floors: When terrain is generated, this data is used to
Creating Walkout and Daylight Base- calculate the surface of your site and is
ments represented by contour lines in floor plan
view and a curved surface in 3D. See
Select Terrain> Elevation Data to add
“Displaying Terrain” on page 241.
elevation information to your terrain.
232
Elevation data can be specified using the view at the point where you would like
to place elevation data.
Elevation Point , Elevation Line ,
2. The Elevation Point Specification
and Flat Region tools. dialog opens. Enter an elevation value
The elevation of each Elevation Line, Spline and click OK. See “Elevation Point
and Region is specified in inches (mm) Specification Dialog” on page 244.
relative to an absolute terrain elevation of 0. 3. Click somewhere else in floor plan view
In order to create rising and/or falling terrain, and the Elevation Point
multiple terrain data objects with different Specification dialog opens again with
elevation values must be used. the last elevation value entered.
To avoid unexpected results, try to avoid

drawing Elevation Data objects with dif-
ferent elevation information at the same loca-
tion.
Elevation Points
An Elevation Point contains the
absolute elevation data for one point in
the terrain model. Typically, Elevation Points
are imported rather than placed manually.
Home Designer Suite requires many points Elevation Points before terrain generation
to make an accurate approximation of your
site. 4. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 to place addi-
tional elevation points with varied elva-
When adding elevation data manually, it tion values as needed.
is recommended that Elevation Lines be
used instead of Elevation Points. Elevation 5. Select Terrain> Build Terrain . See
Points are most effectively used when they “Building the Terrain” on page 241.
are imported. See “Importing Elevation Data”
on page 248.
Even small sites may require over a hundred

points to generate an accurate model of the
terrain if it is sloped. For the sake of
illustration, the images in the following
example shows only a few elevation points.
To place an elevation point
1. Select Terrain> Elevation Data> Ele-

Contour lines after terrain generation
vation Point and click in floor plan
233
Elevation Lines 5. Select Terrain> Build Terrain . See

An Elevation Line contains absolute “Building the Terrain” on page 241.
elevation data for many points along a
line at a constant elevation. Elevation lines
can be connected to create a polyline with
many straight sections. For the sake of
illustration, the images in the following
example show single-section elevation lines.
To draw an elevation line
1. Select Terrain> Elevation Data> Ele-

vation Line and click and drag
inside the Terrain Perimeter in floor plan Contour lines after terrain generation
view. See “Draw Lines” on page 354.
2. Click on the elevation line to select it,
then click the Open Object edit
button.
3. At first, an elevation line is at elevation
0' - 0". In the Elevation Line
Specification dialog, specify the
desired elevation and click OK. See Full Overview after terrain generation
“Elevation Line Specification Dialog”
on page 245. After it is drawn, an Elevation Line can be
edited much the way other line-based objects
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to draw additional
can. See “Editing Line Based Objects” on
elevation lines as needed.
page 48.
120" Flat Regions

A Flat Region contains absolute
elevation data for an enclosed region
and is ideal for creating a flat surface in your
terrain.
To create an elevation region

0"
1. Select Terrain> Elevation Data> Flat
Elevation Lines before terrain generation
Region .
234
2. Click and drag a rectangular polyline in

floor plan view. See “Draw Polyline” on
page 354.
3. Click on the region to select it, then click
4. At first, an elevation line is at elevation
0' - 0". In the Flat Region
Specification dialog, specify the
desired elevation and click OK. See
“Flat Region Specification Dialog” on
page 245.
Contour lines after terrain generation
240"
120"
Full Overview after terrain generation

0"
After it is drawn, a Flat Region can be
Elevation lines used to create a terrain grade, reshaped much the way other closed
elevation region used to create building pad. polyline-based objects can. See “Editing
Closed-Polyline Based Objects” on page 56.
Terrain Modifier Tools

Select Terrain> Modifier to access Raised/Lowered Regions
tools that allow you to modify the
existing elevation data by drawing a closed A Raised Region creates a raised
polyline. Their height is relative to the terrain area that is flat on the top like a
surface generated from the Elevation Data plateau, while a Lowered Region creates a
provided in your plan. depression that is flat on the bottom.
The elevation data associated with Terrain Hills and Valleys

Modifiers only affects the terrain within their
boundaries. The rest of the terrain is The Hill and Valley tools create
unaffected. raised and lowered areas in the
235
terrain that come to a point rather than

flattening at their highest or lowest Elev. Line
(240")
elevations.
There are two ways to add a Terrain Modifier Raised
Hill Region
to your plan: Elevation
Region (120")
• By clicking to place a feature of approxi-
mately 150 square feet at that location. Flat
Valley
Region
• By clicking and dragging from end to end
Lowered Region
to draw a feature sized as needed. See Elev. Line
(0")
“Draw Polyline” on page 354.
Once created, Terrain Modifiers can be Elevation lines create the grade, elevation region
creates the building pad, and the terrain modifiers
selected and edited in a variety of ways. See
create terrain shapes relative to the elevation data.
“Editing Spline Based Objects” on page 61.
Full Overview after terrain generation
Terrain Feature Tools

Home Designer Training Video: Terrain of Terrain Features also makes them useful
Features for creating landscaping features.
Select Terrain> Terrain Features to
In fact, Driveways , Garden Beds ,
access tools for drawing bounded areas
that follow the contours of the terrain rather Water Features and Stepping
than modifying them.
Stones are special Terrain Features with
Terrain Features are useful for creating material and height attributes already applied
landscaping features because they have to them, saving you time when drawing these
specified heights and materials. You can, for objects.
example, create paths and planting beds with
gravel or mulch materials that stand out in a Terrain Features were used to create the
grassy terrain perimeter. The Height property following images. Positive or negative
elevation values are assigned to each, as are
236
landscaping materials such as sand, water,

and soil. The volleyball net, flowers, and tree
are all objects found in the Library Browser.
See “Libraries” on page 277.
Terrain Features can only be drawn when a
terrain perimeter is present, and will only
display in 3D when they are drawn within the
perimeter. See “Displaying Terrain” on page
241.
Terrain features in floor plan view
Terrain features in a final view
Once created, Terrain Features can be edited Rectangular Features

into nearly any shape you require. See “Edit-
ing Closed-Polyline Based Objects” on page Rectangular Features are created
56 and “Editing Spline Based Objects” on much like rectangular polylines: by
page 61. clicking and dragging from corner to
opposite corner. See “Draw Polyline” on
page 354.
Terrain Features can be drawn in 2D
and 3D views. Rectangular Features can also be edited like
other closed polyline-based objects. See
“Editing Closed-Polyline Based Objects” on
page 56.
237
Round Feature • By clicking and dragging from end to end

to draw a feature sized as needed. See
Round Features can be created in “Draw Polyline” on page 354.
either of two ways:
Kidney Shaped Features can be edited like
• By clicking to place a feature of approxi-
other closed spline-based objects. See
mately 150 square feet at that location.
“Editing Spline Based Objects” on page 61.
• By clicking and dragging from end to end
to draw a feature sized as needed. See For information about adding height and
“Draw Polyline” on page 354. material information to Terrain Features, see
“Terrain Feature Specification Dialog” on
Round Features can be edited like other page 246.
closed spline-based objects. See “Editing
Spline Based Objects” on page 61. Terrain Holes
Kidney Shaped Features A Terrain Hole is a region that cuts a
hole in the terrain.
Kidney Shaped Features can be
created in either of two ways: Terrain Holes are useful for manually
• By clicking to place a feature of approxi- clipping the terrain around a foundation that
mately 67 square feet at that location. does not match the footprint of the first floor.
Garden Bed Tools

Select Terrain> Garden Beds to Round Garden Bed
access tools that can be used to place
garden bed features in your terrain. Use this tool to draw garden beds with
rounded edges. See “Round Feature”
Garden Beds are basically Terrain Features on page 238.
with material and height attributes typical of
planting beds. See “Terrain Feature Tools” Kidney Shaped Garden Bed
on page 236.
You can draw a kidney shaped garden
Polyline Garden Bed bed with this tool. See “Kidney Shaped
Features” on page 238.
This tool draws a square or retangular
garden bed. See “Rectangular Once drawn, Garden Beds can be selected
Features” on page 237. and edited just like any other Terrain Feature.
Specify the material and set the height of
Garden Beds in the Terrain Feature
Specification dialog. See “Terrain Fea-
ture Specification Dialog” on page 246.
238
Water Feature Tools

Select Terrain> Water Feature to Stream
access tools for drawing ponds and
streams in your terrain. Select the Stream tool, then click and
drag to draw a stream. Streams are
Water Features are basically Terrain drawn and edited the same way that splines
Features with material and height attributes are. See “Splines” on page 355 and “Editing
typical of bodies of water. See “Terrain Spline Based Objects” on page 61.
Feature Tools” on page 236.
Streams follow the contours of the terrain, so
they may appear to flow uphill if they are not
Round Pond
drawn correctly in the terrain. Try to draw
Use this tool to draw a pond with them so that they follow a downward course
rounded edges. See “Round Feature” for their entire length.
on page 238.
Once drawn, Water Features can be selected
and edited just like any other Terrain Feature.
Kidney Shaped Pond
Specify the material and set the height of
This tool draws a kidney shaped pond. Water Features in the Terrain Feature
See “Kidney Shaped Features” on page Specification dialog. See “Terrain Fea-
238. ture Specification Dialog” on page 246.
Stepping Stone Tools

Select Terrain> Stepping Stones to Round Stepping Stone
place a walkway made of individual
stepping stones. The Round Stepping Stone tool draws
stepping stones with rounded edges.
Stepping Stones are basically Terrain See “Round Feature” on page 238.
Features with material and height attributes
typical of walking paths. See “Terrain Once drawn, Stepping Stones can be selected
Feature Tools” on page 236. and edited just like any other Terrain Feature.
By default, Stepping Stones have a concrete
Polyline Stepping Stone material; however, you can specify the
material and set the height of Stepping
The Polyline Stepping Stone tool
Stones in the Terrain Feature
draws rectangular stepping stones. See
Specification dialog. See “Terrain Fea-
“Rectangular Features” on page 237.
ture Specification Dialog” on page 246.
239
Terrain Wall and Curb Tools

Select Terrain> Terrain Walls and A Retaining Wall’s height is determined by
Curbs to draw landscaping walls and the elevation of the terrain on each side. By
curbs that follow the contours of the terrain. default, the height of the wall matches the
terrain on the high side of the break and the
Straight and curved Terrain Walls and Curbs
bottom matches the low side. If you insert a
are drawn just as other walls are. See
Retaining Wall into flat terrain, it looks like a
“Drawing Walls” on page 98.
concrete strip in 3D views.
Terrain Walls Once drawn, a Retaining Wall can be edited
much like other walls. See “Editing Walls”
Use the Straight Terrain Wall tool to on page 100.
draw a wall that sits on top of and
follows the terrain.
Terrain Curbs
Use the Spline Terrain Wall to draw a
Terrain Curbs are useful for creating curbs
curved terrain wall. This wall is drawn
around planting beds and along paths,
the same way as a CAD spline. See “Splines”
driveways and roads.
on page 355.
Use the Straight Terrain Curb tool to
Once drawn, a Terrain Wall can be like other
draw a straight landscaping curb.
line-based objects. See “Editing Line Based
Objects” on page 48. Use the Spline Terrain Curb tool to
draw a curved landscaping curb. This
Terrain walls are 5’ (1500 mm) high and con-
curb is drawn the same way as a CAD spline.
crete by default, but you can specify the
See “Splines” on page 355.
material, height and more in the Terrain
Path Specification. See “Terrain Path Once drawn, a Terrain Curb can be like other
Specification Dialog” on page 247. line-based objects. See “Editing Line Based
Retaining Walls You can specify the height of straight and
Use the Straight Retaining Wall tool spline terrain curbs on the General tab of the
draws a straight wall that holds back Terrain Path Specification. See “Ter-
sloped terrain. rain Path Specification Dialog” on page 247.
Use the Curved Retaining Wall tool

You can also add Fencing to your ter-
to draw a curved retaining wall. rain, complete with gates from the
Doors Library. See “Fencing” on page 98.
240
Displaying Terrain
How terrain objects display in 2D and 3D terrain features. The Building Terrain
views is controlled in the Display Options progress dialog displays as terrain is
dialog. See “Display Options Dialog” on generated, sometimes only briefly, indicating
page 87. the progress.
In order for terrain features such as Garden
Beds, Water Features, Stepping Stones and
Roads to be visible in 3D views, the Terrain
Perimeter layer must also display. In
addition, only the portions of these objects
that are drawn within the terrain perimter
will be seen in 3D views. See “Terrain
Feature Tools” on page 236.
Many tools are available to help you adjust
Building the Terrain the angle of your view in 3D. See “Editing
3D Views” on page 323.
When terrain is generated, Home
Designer Suite gathers all elevation
data that has been added to the model and Terrain & 3D Drawing Time
creates a terrain surface. The program Terrain is typically large with many surfaces,
interpolates the data to produce smooth which often increases the drawing time of 3D
contours. views. The time required is determined by
A terrain perimeter with no additional the amount of elevation data and number of
elevation data generates a terrain that is flat terrain features present.
at the elevation 0' - 0". Lights and symbols can be placed outdoors
The terrain is automatically built before a 3D and included in 3D views when the terrain is
view is generated. This process takes a generated. These objects can also contribute
variable amount of time, depending on the to the time needed to generate 3D views. See
amount of elevation data and number of “Rendering Tips” on page 330.
Editing Terrain Objects

Before a terrain object can be edited, it must A selected terrain object can be edited using
be selected. All terrain objects can be its edit handles, edit tools and specification
selected in floor plan view. In addition, the dialog. See “Specification Dialogs” on page
terrain perimeter and Terrain Features can be 7.
selected in 3D views. See “Selecting
Any time elevation data is changed, the
terrain must be regenerated. This occurs
241
automatically when a 3D view is created. It

Valley can be edited like a spline. See
can also be done manually by selecting
“Editing Spline Based Objects” on page
Terrain> Build Terrain . 61.
• Terrain Features are edited just like CAD
Using the Edit Handles splines, and polylines. See “Editing
• The shape of the terrain perimeter can be Objects” on page 43.
edited like a CAD polyline in floor plan
view and 3D views. See “Editing Closed- Using the Edit Toolbar
Polyline Based Objects” on page 56.
The edit toolbar buttons for terrain objects
• Elevation Points can be moved in floor are the same as those available for CAD
plan view using the Move edit handle. objects. The tools available depend on the
type of terrain object selected. See “Edit
• Elevation Lines are edited like CAD
Toolbar Buttons” on page 41.
lines. Elevation Lines can be connected
to form polylines. See “Editing Line • If you click the Delete edit button
Based Objects” on page 48, “Editing when the terrain perimeter is selected,
Closed-Polyline Based Objects” on page you delete all terrain objects.
56, and “Editing Spline Based Objects”
on page 61.
Note: If you copy terrain objects from one
plan to another, you cannot view the pasted
• The shape of a Raised Region ,
objects in 3D unless a terrain perimeter
Lowered Region , Hill , and exists.
Terrain Specification Dialog

The Terrain Specification dialog The Terrain Specification dialog can be
controls how your terrain is modeled, as well accessed two ways:
as how it displays in floor plan view. • Select Terrain> Terrain Specification
.
• Double-click the terrain perimeter using
the Select Objects tool.
242
General Tab
1
2
3
1 Flatten Pad - Check this box to flatten entering a value of 106.00’ for the building
the area beneath your building. pad elevation will display the structure at the
correct height in 3D views.
2 Auto Calculate Elevation - Check this
box to automatically calculate the
building pad elevation value during terrain Polyline Tab
rebuild. Home Designer Suite takes the For information about the Polyline tab, see
center of the building footprint and finds the “Polyline Tab” on page 362.
terrain elevation at this point. This elevation
is added to 8, 12, or 18 inches to calculate the Selected Line Tab
building pad elevation. 8 inches is used for a
slab foundation, 18 is used if a foundation For information about the Selected Line tab,
floor is present, and 12 is used otherwise. see “Selected Line Tab” on page 362.
3 Building Pad Elevation - Enter the Line Style Tab

value of the elevation of the floor
height of the first floor in your plan. This For information about the Line Style tab, see
value does not change elevation data and “Line Style Tab” on page 357.
does not alter the contours. This option is
only available when Auto Calculate Fill Style Tab
Elevation is unchecked.
For information about the Fill Style tab, see
For example, if a structure is placed in the “Fill Style Tab” on page 362.
middle of a terrain sloping evenly from a
height of 100.00’ to a height of 112.00’,
243
Materials Tab These materials are not calculated in the

Materials List. See “Materials Tab” on page
Use this tab to select materials to apply to the 302.
terrain surface and terrain skirt in 3D views.
Elevation Point Specification Dialog

To open the Elevation Point Use the Elevation Point Specification
Specification dialog, select an elevation dialog to define the selected elevation point
and control its appearance in floor plan view.
point and click the Open Object edit
button, or double-click on an elevation point When all changes are made, click OK to
using the Select Objects tool. store the changes or Cancel to ignore them.
1 Location - Specify the exact location of • X Coordinate - Enter the x coordinate of

the elevation point. the elevation point.
• Elevation - Enter the height of the eleva- • Y Coordinate - Enter the y coordinate of
tion point in inches and/or feet (mm for the elevation point.
metric). For example entering 5’6 (with
the apostrophe as foot mark) results in an 2 Text - Enter notes, such as elevation, in
this box. This text displays beside the
elevation of 66 inches.
elevation point in floor plan view. You can
244
also enter a pound (#) sign to display the • Define the Character Height of the text.
elevation value in floor plan view.
4 Click the Color bar specify the color of
Specify the Size of the selected the Elevation Point and accompanying
3
Elevation Point. text in floor plan view. See “Color Chooser
• Enter the Marker Radius in inches (or Dialog” on page 308.
millimeters).
Elevation Line Specification Dialog

To open the Elevation Line
1 Elevation - Enter the elevation of the
Specification dialog, select an Elevation Line/Spline in inches and/or feet (mm
for metric). For example entering 5’6 (with
Line and click the Open Object edit
the apostrophe as foot mark) results in an
button, or double-click an Elevation Line
elevation of 66 inches.
using the Select Objects tool.
The Elevation Line Specification Polyline Tab
dialog defines the selected Elevation Line For information about the Polyline tab, see
and controls its appearance in floor plan “Polyline Tab” on page 362.
view.
Selected Line Tab
Elevation Tab
For information about the Selected Line tab,
see “Selected Line Tab” on page 362.
Line Style Tab

1
Flat Region Specification Dialog

To open the Flat Region Specification The Flat Region Specification dialog is
dialog, select a Flat Region and click the similar to the Polyline Specification
dialog. See “Polyline Specification Dialog”
Open Object edit button, or double-
on page 361.
click a Flat Region using the Select Objects
tool.
245
Hill / Valley Specification Dialog

The Hill/Valley Specification defines the Height - Enter a height for the selected Hill
selected Hill or Valley and controls its or Valley. This height is relative to the terrain
appearance in floor plan view. surface that is generated from the Elevation
Data in your plan. See “Terrain Modifier
To open the Hill/Valley Specification
dialog, select one or more Hill or Valley and
click the Open Object edit button, or Polyline Tab
double-click the region(s) using the Select
For information about the Polyline tab, see
Objects tool. “Polyline Tab” on page 362.
Hill / Valley Tab Line Style Tab

Fill Style Tab

For information about the Fill Style tab, see
“Fill Style Tab” on page 362.
Raised / Lowered Region Specification Dialog

To open the Raised/Lowered Region The Raised / Lowered Region
Specification dialog, select one or more Specification dialog is similar to the Hill /
raised or lowered regions and click the Open Valley Specification dialog. See “Hill /
Valley Specification Dialog” on page 246.
Object edit button or double-click the
region(s) using the Select Objects tool.
Terrain Feature Specification Dialog

To open the Terrain Feature The Terrain Feature Specification
Specification dialog, select a Terrain defines the selected Terrain Feature and
controls its appearance in floor plan view.
Feature and click the Open Object edit
button or double-click the Terrain Feature When your changes are complete, click OK
using the Select Objects tool. to store the changes Cancel to ignore them.
246
General Tab
1 Height - Specify the height of the Selected Line Tab

terrain feature above or below the
terrain surface with a positive or negative For information about the Selected Line tab,
number. see “Selected Line Tab” on page 362.
The program bridges any gap between the Line Style Tab
terrain and a raised or lowered terrain
feature. For information about the Line Style tab, see
2 Clipping - Check this box to remove
sections of the Terrain Feature that
Fill Style Tab
intersect other Terrain Features at a lower
height. Clipping is also useful for creating For information about the Fill Style tab, see
features that contain other features such as “Fill Style Tab” on page 362.
planters or swimming pools.
Materials Tab
Polyline Tab
For information about the Polyline tab, see “Materials Tab” on page 302.
“Polyline Tab” on page 362.
Terrain Path Specification Dialog

To open the Terrain Path Specification
dialog, select a Sidewalk, Terrain Wall or
Terrain Curb and click the Open Object
edit button or double-click the terrain
path using the Select Objects tool.
247
General Tab
Enter the Width of the item and the Height. Line Style Tab
If you enter a negative number for the height,
the item sinks into the terrain that distance. For information about the Line Style tab, see
Polyline Tab
Fill Style Tab
For information about the Polyline tab, see
“Polyline Tab” on page 362. For information about the Fill Style tab, see
Selected Line Tab
Materials Tab
For information about the Selected Line tab,
see “Selected Line Tab” on page 362. For information about the Materials tab, see
Importing Elevation Data

Elevation data can be added to a plan using (.gpx) file formats. If your terrain data is not
the tools and techniques described in this saved in one of these file formats, there are
chapter or it can be imported from a file. third party programs available that can
convert to these formats.
Home Designer Suite can import elevation
data saved in text (.txt) and GPS Exchange
248
Text Files Elevation data saved in text files can be

imported using the Import Terrain
Elevation data can be saved in text files as x, Wizard.
y, and z coordinates where x and y define the
location of a point on a Cartesian grid, and z
GPS Exchange Files
defines the elevation for that point. Each
elevation point must be on a separate line in Elevation data can also be imported from
the text file. .gpx files created using a GPS system using
the Import GPS Data Wizard. See .
Importable text files can come from
surveyors, other software programs, or you
can create your own using a GPS system.
Import Terrain Wizard

The Import Terrain Wizard allows Select File> Import> Terrain Data to
you to import elevation data saved in open the Import Terrain Wizard. Click
text (.txt) file format into your model. Next.
Select File
1 Select File to Import -Enter the name on your computer.

of a text file, or Browse to locate a file
249
2 Select the Organization of the Data - #XYZ Description - Information in this

You need to know how the data in your format begins with a number that belongs to
text file is organized. Each data point con- each data point followed by the X
tains information about its X-axis (East to coordinate, the Y coordinate, the Z
West location), Y-axis (North to South coordinate, and a description.
location), and Z-axis (elevation). It might
YXZ - Information in this format begins with
also contain a brief description.
the Y coordinate followed by the X
Elevation information can come in one of six coordinate and the Z coordinate.
different sequences, and is separated by
#YXZ - Information in this format begins
either a comma (comma delimited) or a
with a number that belongs to each data point
space (space delimited).
followed by the Y coordinate, the X
XYZ - Information in this format begins with coordinate, and the Z coordinate.
the X coordinate, followed by the Y
#YXZ Description - Information in this
coordinate and the Z coordinate.
format begins with a number that belongs to
#XYZ - Information in this format begins each data point followed by the Y
with a number that belongs to each data point coordinate, the X coordinate, the Z
followed by the X coordinate, the Y coordinate, and a description.
coordinate, and the Z coordinate.
Import GPS Data Wizard

The Import GPS Data Wizard allows file format. Select File> Import> GPS Data
you to import terrain data from .gpx to open the Import GPS Data Wizard.
250
Welcome
Click Next to continue.
251
Select File
Enter the name and directory of the file you Click Next to continue.
want to import, or click Browse to select a
.gpx file on your computer.
252
Import Data As
1 Specify which items you want to import 2 Specify what you would like each item
by checking the box to the left of the to Import As from the drop-down list.
Name. Items with unchecked boxes are not
imported.
253
Transform Coordinates
1
2
3
1 Map - Specify the point in the imported 2 Lower Elevation Data - Specify the
terrain data, defined by degrees amount that you would like to lower all
latitude and degrees longitude, that you imported elevation data.
would like to locate at the origin in the Home
Designer Suite plan. 3 Rotate - Accurately rotate the position
of north in the imported terrain data
counterclockwise around the Z axis.
254
Finish
Click Finish to close the Import GPS If you do not see the imported terrain, select
Data Wizard and return to floor plan view.
Window> Fill Window .
Hardiness Zones
Select Terrain> Plant> Show Hardiness Zone Maps. Click the drop-
Hardiness Zones to view the regional down list to select various regions.
255
Plant Tools
Select Terrain> Plant> to add plants Select Terrain> Plant> Create Plant
to your landscaping plan. Image to create a plant image. Once a
plant image is created, it can be added to the
Select Terrain> Plant> Plant
library for future use.
Chooser to open the Plant Chooser
dialog. See “Plant Chooser Dialog” on page Select Terrain> Plant> Show
260. Hardiness Zones to access regional
climate zone maps.
Plant Image Specification Dialog

Select a plant in a floor plan or 3D view and This dialog can also be accessed by selecting
click the Open Object edit button to Terrain> Plant> Create Plant Image .
open the Plant Image Specification
dialog.
256
Image Tab
1
2
3
4
5
1 Image File - The path and name of the 3 Height - Enter a height for the image.
selected image file displays here. Click The width adjusts proportionally.
Browse to specify the saved location on your
computer of the image that represents the 4 Width - Enter a width for the image.
The height adjusts proportionally.
plant in 3D views.
Check Do not rotate in 3D view to prevent
2 2D Plant Symbol - A number of 2D the plant image from rotating with the
symbols are available to mark the
camera.
location of the image in floor plan view.
Select one from the drop-down list.
5 Location - Precisly position the
selected plant image in reference to the
If you change the symbol that represents an
plan coordinates by specifying its X
image, you may want to save the new image
Coordinate and Y Coordinate.
to the library. See “Adding to the Library” on
page 296. Height Above Ground - Specify the height
of the plant image above the ground.
257
6 An image of the selected plant displays

here.
Plant Information Tab

The Plant Information tab features useful Chooser to search for plants based on these
information about the plant. You can edit this attributes. See “Plant Chooser Dialog” on
information if desired and use the Plant page 260.
1 6
2 8
3 9
4
1 The Common Name, Scientific Name 4 This section indicates the Bloom Time
or Variety Name for the plant. A when you can expect the plant to
Pronunciation guide is also provided. produce flowers.
2 This shows the Flower Color of the 45 The boxes with checks show the
plant. Special Charcteristics of this plant.
3 Leaf Color of the plant is shown here. 6 Plant Size information at maturity. An
average mature height range can be
258
entered using the drop-down lists. See “Plant

8 The check boxes indicate the Type of
Tools” on page 256. plant.
7 The special needs of this plant are 99 The check boxes indicate the Sub-Type
shown here.These include the Sun, of the plant.
Water, Soil pH, and Hardiness Zone range.
See “Hardiness Zones” on page 255.
Plant Description Tab
1 A detailed Description of the plant 3 Hardiness Zone Comments are given

displays in this text field. here. See “Hardiness Zones” on page
255.
2 Lighting Comments provide
information about the plant’s light
requirements.
259
Plant Chooser Dialog

Home Designer Training Video: Plant Use the Plant Chooser to search the
Chooser library for plant images and symbols that
meet your search parameters. You can search
Select Terrain> Plant> Plant
using any or all of the options in this dialog.
Chooser to open the Plant Chooser
dialog or click the button at the bottom of the
Library Browser window.
Plant Information Tab
6
1
7
9
2
3 10
4
5
11
1 the Common Name, Scientific Name 6 Enter Plant Size information at

or Variety Name for the plant. A maturity. An average mature height
Pronunciation field is also provided. range can be entered using the drop-down
lists. See “Plant Tools” on page 256.
2 Specify the Flower Color of the plant.
7 Special needs are shown here.These
3 Specify the Leaf Color here. include the Sun, Water, Soil pH, and
4 Indicate when the plant produces Hardiness Zone range. See “Hardiness
flowers in the Bloom Time field. Zones” on page 255.
5 Check the boxes to show the Special 8 When you have entered all the
Charcteristics of this plant. parameters, click the Search button at
260
the bottom of the dialog. The search results

9 Check the boxes to indicate selected
display in this pane of the window. plant’s Type.
Specify whether you want the Common
10 Check a box to specify the selected
Name or Scientific Name listed by clicking plant’s Sub-Type.
either radio button above the search results.
11 Highlight a plant in the list and click the
View Item button to see a preview.
Plant Description Tab
1 4
1 Enter a Description to search for in this 4 When you have entered all the
text field. parameters, click Search. The search
results display in this pane of the window.
2 Enter Lighting Requirements to Specify whether you want the common or
search for in this field.
scientific names listed.
3 Enter Hardiness Zone Comments to
search for here.
261
262
Chapter 19:
Roads & Sidewalks
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Road Chapter Contents
and Sidewalk Tools • Road and Sidewalk Tools
Roads and sidewalks can be created in Home • Displaying Road Objects
Designer Suite using the Road and Sidewalk • Editing Road Objects
Tools. Roads and sidewalks are modeled in • Road Specification Dialog
3D like other terrain objects. Because they
have much in common with terrain objects
and rely upon terrain data to be viewed in
3D, you should be familiar with terrain
modeling before using these tools. See
“Terrain” on page 231.
263
Road and Sidewalk Tools

Road objects cannot be placed until a Driveway
terrain perimeter exists. See “Terrain
Perimeter” on page 232. A driveway is a road without a curb.
To create a driveway, select Terrain>
Road objects created with the Road Tools Roads and Sidewalks> Driveway and click
have a consistent width that can be defined in and drag to draw a line in floor plan view.
their specification dialogs. See
“Specification Dialogs” on page 7. Height, thickness and material information
can be specified in a driveway’s specification
Once road objects have been placed, they can dialog. See “Terrain Feature Specification
be edited individually or as a group. See Dialog” on page 246.
“Editing Road Objects” on page 265.
Driveways are edited like CAD polylines.
Roads and sidewalks are flat along their See “Editing Closed-Polyline Based
widths, which makes it easy to create roads Objects” on page 56.
on sloping terrain. Driveways follow the
contours of the terrain rather than cut into Straight Sidewalk
them.
To create a sidewalk with no curves,
Straight Road select Terrain> Roads and
Sidewalks> Straight Sidewalk and click
To place a road without any curves, and drag to draw a line in floor plan view.
select Terrain> Roads and The ends of multiple sidewalk sections can
Sidewalks> Straight Road and click and be connected together.
drag to draw a line in floor plan view. The
ends of multiple road sections can be Sidewalks are edited along their center line
connected together. like CAD lines and polylines. See “Editing
Line Based Objects” on page 48.
Roads are edited alone their center line like
CAD lines and polylines. See “Editing Line Sidewalks can be edited in their specification
Based Objects” on page 48. dialog. See “Terrain Path Specification
Spline Road
Spline Sidewalk
Use Terrain> Roads and Sidewalks>
Spline Road to draw a curved road. Use the Spline Sidewalk tool to create
Spline roads are drawn and edited like a curved sidewalk. Select Terrain>
CAD splines. See “Splines” on page 355. Roads and Sidewalks> Spline Sidewalk.
Spline roads are drawn and edited like CAD
splines. See “Splines” on page 355.
264
Parking Lot and click and drag to draw a rectangular

polyline in floor plan view. See “Draw
A parking lot is a terrain feature with Polyline” on page 354.
an asphalt material assignment. Like a
road, the elevation of a parking lot is flat Driveways are edited like CAD polylines.
across its width. See “Editing Closed-Polyline Based
To place a parking lot, select Terrain>
Roads and Sidewalks> Parking Lot
Displaying Road Objects

Roads and sidewalks are displayed in floor and sidewalks will not display, either, even if
plan and 3D views based on the settings in their layers are turned on.
the Display Options dialog. See “Layers”
By default, terrain rebuilds automatically
on page 87.
when road objects are added, removed or
edited. If it does not, you can select Terrain>
In 3D Views
Build Terrain . See “Terrain Perimeter”
Roads objects display in 3D views within the on page 232.
terrain perimeter. If the display of the terrain
perimeter is turned off in 3D views, roads
Editing Road Objects

Road objects can be selected individually • Spline Roads and Sidewalk Splines
and as a group in 2D and 3D views and
edited using the edit handles, the edit toolbar are edited along their centerline like
and their specification dialogs. See “Road standard splines. See “Editing Spline
Specification Dialog” on page 266. Based Objects” on page 61.
Using the Mouse Using the Edit Buttons

A selected road object or objects can be
• Straight Roads , Driveways and
edited in a variety of ways using the buttons
Straight Sidewalks are edited along on the edit toolbar. As with most objects,
their centerline like a line or polyline. See road objects can be copied, moved, deleted,
“Editing Line Based Objects” on page etc. See “Using the Edit Toolbar” on page 50.
48.
265
Road Specification Dialog

To open the Road Specification dialog,
select a Straight Road or Spline Road and
click the Open Object edit button.
General Tab
Specify the Size of the road. Line Style Tab

This tab is the same as the Line Style tab in
Width - Enter a width for the selected road. many other specification dialogs. See “Line
Height - Enter a Height above the terrain for Style Tab” on page 357.
the selected road.
Fill Style Tab
Polyline Tab This tab is the same as the Fill Style tab of
The Polyline tab lists the perimeter, area and the CAD Polyline Specification dialog.
volume of the road. See “Fill Style Tab” on page 362.
Selected Line Tab Materials Tab

The information on this tab is similar to that Use the Materials tab to select a material to
on the Line tab of the Polyline apply to the road in 3D views. This material
Specification dialog. See “Line Tab” on is not calculated in the Materials List.
page 356. This tab is the same as the Materials tab in
many other specification dialogs. See
266
Chapter 20:
Other Objects
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Suite has several additional Chapter Contents
objects that can be used to customize your • Geometric Shapes
design. • Soffits
• Special Applications for Soffits
• Calculating Materials on Soffits
• Soffit Specification Dialog
• Fireplaces
• Fireplace Specification Dialog
• Library Fireplaces
• Chimneys
Geometric Shapes
Items in the Geometric Shapes library objects. See “Geometric Shapes” on page
category allow you to create a variety of 293.
custom objects using basic geometric shapes.
Geometric Shape objects are placed and
These shapes can can be used individually or
edited much like other library objects. See
combined to create a wide variety of custom
267
Soffits
Soffits typically fill the space between Placing Soffits
the tops of wall cabinets and the
ceiling, but they are very versatile and can be Soffits can be created in both 2D and 3D
used to create almost any other object that views. They can be assigned materials that
can be modeled as a 3D box. are calculated in the Materials List, but by
default they use the material assigned to the
default wall. See “Wall Defaults” on page
Soffit Defaults
109.
By default, soffits are the same width as and
When positioned against a wall in a room,
1" (20mm) deeper than the default wall
soffits will display any moldings present in
cabinet. See “Cabinet Defaults” on page 216.
that room that are at the same height as the
The default soffit height is equal to the space soffit. See “Moldings Tab” on page 125.
between the ceiling and the top of the wall
When a soffit is created, it is placed on the
cabinets.
Cabinets, Soffits layer. See “Display Options
Once a soffit is placed in a plan, however, Dialog” on page 87.
you can change its size and position to meet a
variety of needs.
Special Applications for Soffits

Anything that can be represented by a three
dimensional box of any size or angle can be
represented by a soffit. They can be resized
to as small as 1/16" x 1/16" x 1/16" (1mm x
1mm x 1mm) or as large as 135 feet (32m).
Soffits can have materials applied to them to
represent simple mirrors, posts, chimneys
and so on.
Following are some additional examples.
Tile Surrounds
A material such as ceramic tile can be
assigned to one or more soffits applied to the
walls above tubs or in showers.
268
Masonry Veneer
As an alternative to pony walls, create a
brick or stone veneer that extends halfway up
a wall using soffits placed around the base of
the house. Specify a depth for the soffits
equal to the masonry material to be used.
Calculating Materials on Soffits

The number of bricks, tiles, shingles, shakes tom surface areas cannot contribute to the
or other materials applied to a soffit is brick count unless the soffit depth is
calculated using the following rules: greater than 8 inches.
• If the soffit depth is less than the larger of • If surface materials such as brick are
4 inches (10 mm) or 1 ½ times the mate- applied to a large soffit, the soffit center
rial thickness, then only the front area of is assumed to be hollow, with only a sin-
the soffit is used. Thus if a soffit is gle layer of the material applied to each
48"x48”x4” thick, and the Dark Red applicable face.
brick material is used (3"x 8" with 3/8” • For shingles and shakes, the overlap
mortar joint) the front of the soffit is amount should be subtracted from the
48"x48”=2304 square inches. Including height, as opposed to brick or tile, where
the mortar joint, each brick requires 3 3/ the joint width is added to the size.
8” x 8 3/8” = 28.26 square inches. 2304
sq. in. divided by 28.26 sq. in. per brick • For materials in the area category, the
gives 81.5 bricks. soffit area calculation above is used, with
the material thickness treated as zero.
• If the soffit depth is greater than both 4
inches (10 mm) and 1 ½ times the mate- • For materials in the volume, concrete or
rial thickness, then the surface areas of earth categories, the true volume of the
the soffit back, sides and top are used in soffit is used.
addition to the front, if these surfaces are
not attached to a wall or other soffit.
However, only those portions of the
sides, top and bottom remaining after
subtracting twice the material thickness
are used. So, for Dark Red brick, which
has a depth of 4", the sides, top and bot-
269
Soffit Specification Dialog

To customize a soffit using the Soffit
soffit and click the Open Object edit
Specification dialog, double-click on the
button.
soffit using the Soffit tool or select the
General Tab
1 Specification - Define the size and • Floor to Bottom - Specify the distance
position of the selected soffit relative to from the bottom of the soffit to the floor.
the floor or terrain. This is sometimes more easily done by
• Height - Define the vertical height of the positioning the soffit in a 3D view.
soffit. • Follow Terrain - Check this box to make
• Width - Enter the width of the soffit. a soffit placed outside a building adjust
its height to the height of the terrain.
• Depth - Define the the distance between
the front and the back of the soffit. When 2 A preview of the soffit displays here.
selected in floor plan view, the front of a
soffit has a “V,” and the back of the soffit Materials Tab
has a triangular rotation handle.
270
Fireplaces
A masonry fireplace can be placed in
or away from a wall by selecting
Build> Fireplace and then clicking in the
drawing area.
• If created in a wall, it is considered a wall
opening and can be moved or resized like Click the diamond-shaped Depth handle and
a window or door. drag toward the outside of the wall. The
• If created away from a wall, it moves and fireplace will stop when the firebox front is
resizes similar to a cabinet. flush with the inside edge of the wall.
A selection of prefabricated metal fireplaces
is also available from the Fixtures (Interior)
library category. These can be framed in with
standard walls. See “Libraries” on page 277.
The display of fireplaces is controlled in the
Layer Display Options dialog. See
“Displaying Objects” on page 88. In 3D views, fireplaces placed in walls
display five edit handles: a Resize handle
Fireplaces are edited, moved, resized, and along each edge and a Move handle at the
deleted similar other objects. See “Editing center.
Fireplaces always face the interior when
Built into a Wall placed on an exterior wall. If a fireplace is
created on an interior wall, click on the edge
To place a masonry fireplace in a wall, select of the wall to specify which way the fireplace
Build> Fireplace and click on a wall. A should face. The fireplace is created with the
fireplace is created with the outside of the firebox on the same side as the wall edge you
fireplace flush with the outside of the wall. clicked on to create it.
Freestanding
To place a free-standing masonry fireplace,
select Build> Fireplace and click in an
open area away from a wall.
Select the fireplace to display four edit
handles located along the wall.
271
Unlike fireplaces placed in walls, free- will be generated under the fireplace when
standing fireplace have ten edit handles when the foundation is built.
selected and may be rotated, resized, or
The fireplace foundation is the same material
moved in any direction, similar to the way
type as the original fireplace, but will not
CAD boxes can. See “Editing Box-Based
have a firebox or a hearth. This fireplace
foundation may be edited or deleted as
desired. A firebox and hearth can be added in
Fireplace Foundations the Fireplace Specification dialog.
If a fireplace is added on the first floor before
building the foundation plan, a foundation
Fireplace Specification Dialog

Select the masonry fireplace and click the Dimensions entered here must be whole
inches. Fractions and decimals are not
Open Object edit button to display the
accepted.
Fireplace Specification dialog.
General Tab
1 Specify the dimensions of the fireplace Depth - Specify the depth of the fireplace.
and hearth.
Hearth Depth - Specify the Hearth Depth.
Height - Specify the height of the fireplace. This is measured from the front of the
Width - Specify the width of the fireplace.
272
fireplace out into the room. To eliminate the Floor to Bottom - Enter the distance from
hearth altogether, enter a zero for this value. the floor to the bottom of the hearth.
Hearth Height - Specify the height of the
2 The picture of the fireplace updates as
hearth relative to the floor in that room. changes are made. Press the Tab key to
force the fireplace to update to the most
recent change.
Firebox Tab
• Specify the Height, Width, and Depth of of the offset from the center. Enter 0 to
the fire box. The defaults are 25, 24, and center the fire box in the fireplace.
18 inches respectively.
• Enter the number of inches to Offset the Materials Tab
fire box from the center, then select To For information about the Materials tab, see
Left or To Right to specify the direction “Materials Tab” on page 302.
Library Fireplaces
A variety of different fireplace symbols are
available in the Fixtures (Interior) library Always check the manufacturer’s prod-
category. See “Interior Fixtures” on page uct information for the framing and
291. The fireplaces in the Library behave just clearance requirements of the fireplace unit
you plan to use, and design your plan
like other Library objects.
accordingly
273
Placing a Library Fireplace to enclose the back of the fireplace and use
dimensions to place them accurately. You
Select a fireplace symbol in the library, then can also project the fireplace and enclosing
click in your drawing area in floor lan or 3D walls into the room.
view to place it. See “Creating Objects” on
page 46.
Flush fireplaces, found in Fireplaces> Open
Front> Without Stovepipes, are designed to
snap to a wall surface.
Other Open Face fireplace symbols can be

Open Front Library fireplace
positioned to project through a wall. Once
projecting through a 4" wall
the fireplace is located, you can draw walls
Chimneys
Chimneys for Chimney Chases & Caps
Masonry Fireplaces Chimney chases can be extended by a couple
of methods.
To create a chimney on a masonry fireplace
• Place a soffit in position over the chim-
1. Select the fireplace in a 3D view. ney chase, resize it to match, then extend
the soffit using the same method as
2. Hold down the Ctrl key, click on the top- extending the masonry fireplace in the
most edit handle and drag the chimney 3D view.
up through all the floors and the roof
until it is to the desired height. The Ctrl • Define the chimney chase as a room area
key prevents the chimney from stopping using walls, making sure these walls are
when it reaches the ceiling height. aligned between floors. The chimney
chase “room” on the uppermost floor
3. When the chimney is approximately the should have a much higher ceiling than
correct height, select the fireplace, click the other rooms on that floor and should
the Open Object edit button, and also be set to have no ceiling or roof. See
type in the exact height. “Room Specification Dialog” on page
123.
Chimney caps can be made using soffits and/ or Geometric Shapes.
274
275
276
Chapter 21:
Libraries
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Fix- Chapter Contents
tures, Furniture and Other Library • The Library Browser
Objects • Library Search Dialog
Home Designer Suite’s library contains • Select Library Object Dialog
thousands of symbols, materials, and images • Placing Library Objects
that can enhance any plan. Anything that you • Displaying Library Objects
want to incorporate in your building design • Editing Library Objects
that cannot be made with Home Designer • Library Objects and the Materials List
Suite’s architectural and drafting tools can be • Library Object Specification Dialog
found in the library. • Library Categories
• Editing Libraries
• Adding to the Library
• Bonus Libraries
The Library Browser

The Home Designer Suite Library what you’re looking for, and place it in your
Browser is a repository of ready-to-use plan.
components, symbols, and images that can
be used in a plan. Explore the contents, find
277
To open the Library Browser: the height or width of a section, place the
pointer over the split bar you want to move.
• Select Library> Library Browser . When the double-headed arrow displays,
• Press Ctrl + L on your keyboard. click and drag.
The Library Browser window has three The Library Browser can also be docked to
adjustable sections: library directory pane, any side of the screen. See “Docking the
selection pane, and preview pane. To adjust Library Browser” on page 279.
4
5
1 The library directory displays here. The • Library Object 1

overall structure is:
• Library Folder 2
• Library Category
• Library 2 and so on.
• Library 1
The hierarchy is navigated using the tree
• Library Folder 1 view control; by clicking in the view
window; and by using the keyboard.
• Library Subfolder
278
2 The Selection pane shows thumbnail sections. To view them all, you may need to
views of the items in the highlighted resize the Library Browser.
portion of the tree view. • The first displays the name of the
If you have Scrollable List checked in your selected category, library, folder or
preference settings, a scroll bar will be object.
present at the bottom of the selection pane. • The second section displays the total
number of folders and objects contained
3 The Preview pane displays a 3D or by the selected item.
alternate view of the selected object.
• The third section displays copyright
Select an object by clicking on the desired
information for copyrighted symbols.
object in the Selection pane.
You can work on the plan with the Library Using the Menu
Browser open. To close the Library Browser
click the Close button or double-click the The Library menu contains all commands
object in the selection pane. related to the library. Which menu items are
enabled depends on the type of item
4 The toolbar beneath the tree view aids currently selected in the Library Browser.
in navigating and displaying windows.
For information about these commands,
Click the Library Search button to when they are available, and what they do,
open the Library Search dialog. See see “Library Menu” on page 27.
“Library Search Dialog” on page 280.
Using the Contextual Menus
Click the Plant Chooser button to
open the Plant Chooser dialog. See Right-click on an item in the Library
“Plant Chooser Dialog” on page 260. Browser to open a contextual menu
displaying options related to that item. This
Click the Download Bonus Content
menu corresponds to the items found in the
button to launch your default Web
Library menu when the same library object is
browser to the Home Designer Suite Web
selected. See “Library Menu” on page 27.
site, where links to third party content
developers can be found.
Docking the Library
Click the Show/Hide Selection Pane Browser
button to toggle the Selection window
on and off. Initially, the Library Browser is docked to
the right side of the Home Designer Suite
Click the Show/Hide Preview Pane program window.
button toggles the Preview window on
and off. To undock the browser window, double-click
the striped grab bar. You can also undock the
5 The Status Bar at the bottom of the browser window by clicking on the grab bar
Library Browser is divided into three and dragging it into the center of the program
window.
279
Once undocked, the Library Browser can be • Holding down the Ctrl key prevents the
moved by clicking and dragging the title bar. Library from docking while moving.
When moved to the top, bottom, or side of • If you close the program with the Library
your screen, it automatically docks in a Browser docked, it displays in the same
vertical or horizontal orientation, depending position the next time the program is
on its location. opened.
Library Search Dialog

The Library Search button is found
Click the Library Search button to open
in the Library Browser window and the
the Library Search dialog.
Select Library Object dialog. You can
also access the search by selecting Library>
Library Search.
Basic Search Tab
1
2
1 Enter text to be used for the search. Substrings are not included. For example,
searching for the word “cabinets” does not
280
produce “cabinet” as a search result.

2 Click any of the items in the search
Searching for the word “cabinet” does results area to find that item in the
produce “cabinets” as a search result. Library Browser and select it for placement.
Use the arrow keys to scroll through the
search results.
Advanced Search Tab
1
2
4
5
1 Search Text - Enter a word or words to Include Folders - Check this box to include
use in your search for a name in the folders in your search.
library.
Match Case - Check this box to make your
Match Keyword - Check this box to match search case-sensitive.
the entered word with an object’s search
attributes. 2 Search Categories - Check the box for
each category you want to include in
Match Entire Word - Check this box to your search.
match the entire word or words with the
complete name of the object.
281
Select All - Click this button to select all of Close - Click this button to cancel the search
the categories. and close the Library Search dialog.
Clear All - Click this button to clear all of
5 When the search is complete, the
the categories. results display here. Select a folder or
library object to open the Library Browser to
3 Check a style (or styles) to restrict the that item.
search results to objects of that style. If
no styles are checked, search results will not
be restricted. The Find Library Objects dialog
remembers the search information of
4 Search - Click this button to begin the last valid search whenever it is accessed
searching. from the Library Browser, the main toolbar, or
the menu.
Select Library Object Dialog

The Select Library Object dialog is a
modal version of the Library Browser that is
accessible from object specification dialogs
that display the button. Click it to
open the Select Library Object dialog
and select and apply items from the library to
the object currently opened for specification.
The Select Library Object dialog only
displays categories that are related to the
opened object. For example, this is how the
Select Library Object dialog displays
when accessed from the Cabinet
Specification dialog. To make your selection, highlight the desired
object and click OK, or simply double-click
on the object in the selection pane to close
the Select Library Object dialog.
The Select Library Object dialog can be
resized ; display the preview and
selection panes; and can initiate a
Library Search .
If the Select Library Object dialog is
opened by clicking the Select Material
282
button on the Materials tab of any

specification dialog, three additional options
are available:
• Click the New Library button to cre-

ate a new library in the Materials cate-
gory.
• Click the New Material button to

open the Define Material dialog and
create a new material.
• Click the Open Item button to open

the Define Material dialog for the
selected custom material in the library.
See “Define Material Dialog” on page
306.
These three options are also found in the
New submenu of the contextual menu that
displays when you right-click an unlocked
library in the Library Browser. See “Using
the Contextual Menus” on page 279.
283
Placing Library Objects

Library objects are subject to placement • In addition, some objects will attach to a
restrictions based upon typical real-life wall if one is nearby.
placement. Most library objects require
sufficient free space at the location where To place a stand alone library object
they are placed, for example; and some
library objects have additional requirements. 1. Click on an object in the tree view or
selection pane of the Library Browser to
Library windows, for example, must be
select it for placement. See “The Library
placed in a wall just like standard windows;
Browser” on page 277.
library doors must be placed in a wall or an
existing doorway; and some fixtures must be 2. Move your cursor into the view area and
placed in cabinets. notice that it displays an icon indicating
the type of object selected instead of an
If a warning message displays when placing arrow icon.
a library object, it will indicate where the
object must be placed. 3. Click to place the selected object at that
location.
There are three main categories of items
4. Continue clicking to place as many
available in the Library Browser:
instances of the selected object as
• Stand-alone objects that can be placed needed. When you are finished, click the
directly into a plan. Examples include
cabinet modules, furnishings and images. Select Objects button.
• 3D objects that must be inserted into Once a stand-alone object has been placed, it
another 3D object. Examples include can be edited in a variety of ways. See
doors, windows and cabinet fixtures. “Editing Library Objects” on page 285.
• Materials, which can be assigned or
applied to another object. Inserted Objects
Some objects, such as doors, windows and
Stand-Alone Objects cabinet fixtures can only be placed into other
objects in a plan. For example, doors and
Most library categories contain objects that
windows must be inserted into a wall, while
can be selected in the Library Browser and
some appliances and plumbing fixtures must
placed directly in a 2D or 3D view.
be placed inside a base cabinet. See “Doors”
• Most stand-alone objects are designed to on page 127, “Windows” on page 143 and
rest on the floor or terrain. “Cabinets” on page 215.
• Some objects will rest on top of a furni-
ture object or cabinet if one is located at
the point where they are first placed.
284
To insert a library object Assigned Items

1. Click on an object in the tree view or Some library items, such as Cabinet Doors
selection pane of the Library Browser to and Materials, are not objects in themselves
select it for placement. See “The Library but can be applied to objects in a variety of
Browser” on page 277. ways.
2. Move your cursor into the drawing area. • Using the specification dialog of the con-
taining object. See “Select Library Object
3. Click on the object that you wish to Dialog” on page 282.
insert the selected library item into to
place the item at that location. • By selecting the item in the library and
then clicking on the containing object in
4. Continue clicking to place as many floor plan view.
instances of the selected item as needed.
When you are finished, click the Select • Materials can be assigned to objects
directly from the library in 3D views by
Objects button. by selecting the material and then
clicking on an object’s surface. See “The
Material Painter” on page 300.
Displaying Library Objects

All library objects except materials, cabinet layer. See “Display Options Dialog” on page
doors and drawers, and backdrops display in 87.
floor plan view. Library objects are
All library objects display in 3D views. By
represented by 2D symbols that resemble the
default, images rotate to face the camera in
size and shape of the object when viewed
3D views. For information about turning off
from above..
image rotation, see “Image Specification
As with other architectural objects, the Dialog” on page 377.
display of library objects is controlled by
Terrain objects can be viewed in 3D only
layer in the Layer Display Options
when a terrain perimeter exists. See “Terrain
dialog. Each library category has its own
Perimeter” on page 232.
Editing Library Objects

Library objects can be selected individually Once selected, library objects can be edited
or as a group, like other objects in Chief like box-based objects in a variety of ways
Architect. For more information, see using dimensions, using the edit handles, and
“Selecting Objects” on page 46. the edit toolbar buttons. For more
information, see “Editing Objects” on page
285
43 and “Editing Box-Based Objects” on page the surface selected, the edit handles a
59 symbol displays will vary.
To resize Fixtures and Furniture, you must
Symbols vs. Native Objects check Fixture/Furniture Resize Enabled in
A symbol is an object that is based on a 3D the Plan Defaults dialog. When this option
.obj, .3ds or .skp file that has been imported is checked, these library objects have edit
into Chief Architect. handles when selected and can be resized
like other objects. See “Plan Defaults
Native objects are those placed into the plan Dialog” on page 85.
using Chief Architect’s standard tools, such
When a furnishing or fixture symbol is
as Hinged Doors , and Cabinets . selected in floor plan view or on the top
Native objects do not have a 3D .obj, .3ds or surface in a 3D view, up to ten edit handles
.skp file associated with them and are not display. They are the Move handle at the
symbols. center, the Rotate handle just outside the
cabinet front (indicated by a V) and a Resize
Deleting Built-in Fixtures handle on each edge and at each corner.
and Appliances
When a symbol is selected on a side in a
A fixture installed into the front of a cabinet cross section/elevation or 3D view, it
becomes a cabinet face item, like a door or displays five edit handles: the Move handle
drawer. It can be resized or deleted like other and a Resize handle on each edge.
face items in the Cabinet Specification
The labels of library cabinets, electrical,
dialog. See “Front Tab” on page 225.
furnishings and fixtures, when displayed,
have a separate Move edit handle that
Using Edit Handles displays when the object is selected.
Most library symbols can be edited like CAD Fixtures and furniture placed in a plan are
boxes. See “Editing Box-Based Objects” on subject to bumping/pushing behavior when
page 59. Depending on the type of view and moved. See “Bumping/Pushing” on page 65.
Library Objects and the Materials List

Library objects are counted in the Materials changes to the size or materials of any fixture
List. The Materials List does not reflect any or furniture object.
Library Object Specification Dialog

The Fixture, Furniture, Geometric options and are referred to as the Library
Shapes, Hardware and Millwork Object Specification dialogs. The actual
Specification dialogs all display the same
286
name of the dialog is determined by the type

clicking the Open Object edit button
of object currently opened for specification.
opens the Furniture Specification
For example, selecting a library object from dialog.
the Furniture (Exterior) library category and
General Tab
2
4
1 Name - Displays the name of the the terrain when it is placed outside a
selected object. building.
2 Specification - Define the size and Saving a symbol that has been resized
height above the floor of the object.
in both the Fixture Specification
• Enter the Height for the object. dialog and the Symbol Specification
• Enter the Width of the object. dialog to the library may result in inconsistent
symbol properties. Symbols should be
• Enter the Depth of the object. resized in one or the other, not both.
• Floor to Bottom - Enter the distance
from the floor to the bottom of the object.
3 Reverse Symbol - Select the check box
A value of zero makes the object rest on to reverse the library object. This turns
the floor. a right-hand refrigerator into a left-hand
• Follow Terrain - Check this box if you refrigerator, etc.
want the object to follow the surface of
287
Materials Tab
Library Categories
There are many library categories, and each • Doors
one may contain any number of libraries. • Doorways
• Electrical
The selection pane always represents the
• Exterior Fixtures
items selected in the tree view. If you select a
• Interior Fixtures
category or object in the selection pane, the
• Exterior Furnishings
corresponding item is selected in the tree
• Interior Furnishings
view and the 3D picture displays in the
• Geometric Shapes
preview pane.
• Hardware
Here are the library categories: • Images
• My Libraries • Materials
• Architectural Blocks • Millwork
• Backdrops • Plants
• Cabinet Doors and Drawers • Windows
• Cabinet Modules • Manufacturers
My Libraries
The My Libraries category is a central directories all have the word “My” at the
repository that can be used to store libraries beginning of their names, and are found at
containing any and all kinds of objects the top of their library category when
organized to suit your needs. This is a good opened. The My Materials library, for
place to store third party libraries and example, is located at the top of the Materials
libraries that you have created yourself. See category tree.
“Editing Libraries” on page 295 and “Adding
Unlocked libraries such as My Libraries are
to the Library” on page 296.
saved in the Home Designer Suite Data
In addition, Home Designer Suite’s Library folder. See “Home Designer Suite Data” on
Browser has unlocked libraries and folders page 76.
for you to save items in. These unlocked
288
Architectural blocks are a combination of
objects that are grouped together and edited
as a single objectSee “Architectural Blocks”
on page 267.
Once an architectural block is placed in a
plan, you can separate it into its individual
sub-objects using the Explode
Architectural Block edit tool. See
“Exploding Architectural Blocks” on page
269.
Backdrops
The Backdrops library category contains Backdrops can be specified in the 3D
many images that can be used for backdrops Backdrop dialog; or they can be dragged
in camera views. and dropped directly from the Library
Browser. See “3D Backdrop Dialog” on page
334.
Cabinet Doors and Drawers

The Cabinet Doors and Drawers category Cabinet Doors and Drawers must be assigned
contains many door styles, organized into to cabinets. They cannot be free-standing.
directories, that can be used with Home
Designer Suite’s standard cabinets. See
“Cabinets” on page 215.
These door styles can be assigned to cabinets
in the Cabinet Specification dialog or
selected and dropped onto existing cabinets
in floor plan and 3D views.
Cabinet Modules
The Cabinet Modules library category configured cabinet modules that can be
contains a wide variety of specially placed in your plan.
289
Cabinets from the library are much like those

created using the Cabinet Tools and can be
selected and edited. See “Cabinets” on page
215.
Doors
The Doors library category contains custom
door types and styles that can be placed
directly in walls in your plan or assigned to
doors already present in the model. See
“Doors” on page 127.
Doors must be placed into a wall or assigned
to a doorway. They can also replace a door
that has been placed in a wall; however, they
cannot be free-standing. See “Inserted
Doorways
The Doorways library category contains You can also assign a door from the Doors
doorway configurations for grand entries and library category to the opening of an
wrapped openings. Entryway placed in your plan. See “Doors”
on page 127.
Doorways must be placed into a wall. They
cannot, however, be free-standing. See
“Inserted Objects” on page 284.
290
Electrical
The Electrical library category contains views and may also produce a light source in
electrical symbols that can be placed in floor 3D views. See “Lighting” on page 331.
plan or 3D views to create electrical plans.
Electrical objects are subject to a variety of
See “Electrical” on page 205.
placement restrictions. Some objects, such as
ceiling fans, track lighting, and smoke
detectors attach to the ceiling. Others, like
switches, outlets, and jacks, mount on walls.
Some electrical objects fit under wall
cabinets or directly on a floor. See “Placing
All of these symbols have a 3D object Library Objects” on page 284.
associated with them that will display in 3D
Exterior Fixtures
The Fixtures (Exterior) library category
contains symbols for many outdoor objects
commonly found on the exterior of a home.
Barbecues, plants, playground equipment,
hot tubs, mailboxes, doghouses, automobiles,
and a variety of road accessories are just
some of the objects found in the Exterior
Fixtures library category.
Interior Fixtures
Home Designer Training Video: Deco- Most fixtures are stand-alone and can be
rating: Window Treatments placed nearly anywhere in your plan. Some,
however, must be placed in a cabinet.
The Fixtures (Interior) library category
contains a variety of interior fixtures such as If you attempt to place a fixture into a cabinet
appliances, indoor stoves, fireplaces, HVAC, that is too small, an warning message will
surveillance cameras, and fire extinguishers. display. Click OK, resize the cabinet to
accommodate the fixture, then place the
fixture in the cabinet again. See “Inserted
291
Exterior Furnishings
The Furnishings (Exterior) library category
contains outdoor furniture such as benches,
swings, planters, tables, and chairs.
Interior Furnishings
Home Designer Training Video: Fix- • A table object, such as a table lamp or
tures, Furniture and Other Library portable TV, is placed on top of a table,
Objects countertop, or other object.
Home Designer Training Video: Deco- • A wall object attaches to the wall.
rating: Interior Accessories See “Placing Library Objects” on page 284.
Home Designer Training Video: Deco-
rating: Applying a Picture to a Frame
The Furnishings (Interior) library category is
very large, containing a broad range of
furniture organized into directories.
There are three types of furniture objects:
• A floor object is placed and moves like a
base cabinet. Most furniture objects are
stand alone.
292
Geometric Shapes
The Geometric Shapes library category con-
tains cylinders, boxes, wedges, spheres,
cones, and other basic shapes that can be
resized and combined with many other
objects for a variety of applications.
Hardware
The Hardware library category contains
accessories that can be applied to doors and
drawers for commercial or residential use.
Hardware items are meant to be assigned to
doors and cabinets; however, they can also
be placed as stand-alone objects in a plan.
See “Placing Library Objects” on page 284.
Images
Image objects contain information and bitmap files that represent individual objects
attributes about the represented object. They such as trees, flowers, cars, or people. They
display in 3D views. See “Picture Files vs. are marked in floor plan view with a 2D
Pictures and Image Objects” on page 372. symbol and are visible in 3D views. When
Image objects are extremely important for placed on a terrain or terrain feature, the
the appearance of 3D views. Images are images are placed at the correct elevation.
Materials
The Materials library category contains Browser. See “The Material Painter” on page
materials that display in on the surfaces of 300.
objects in 3D views. See “About Materials”
Like other library objects, once a material is
on page 300.
used in a plan, it is independent and can be
Materials can be assigned to objects using edited without changing the original material
the target object’s specification dialog or in the library.
applied to objects directly from the Library
293
Materials can also be created and used in Browser. See and “Creating Materials” on
plans without existing in the Library page 304.
Millwork
The Millwork library category contains
objects such as door surrounds, balusters,
newels, corbels, mantels and cupolas. These
objects can be applied to other objects in the
program such as railings, fences, and stair
brackets.
Objects from the Millwork library can be
free-standing or attach to walls, doors,
drawers and cabinets. See “Placing Library
Plants
The Plant library category consists primarily
of images of plants and trees. See “Plant
Image Specification Dialog” on page 256.
By default, plants reside on their own layer.
See “Display Options Dialog” on page 87.
Windows
The Windows library category contains other library objects. See “Windows” on
windows with custom muntin patterns as page 143.
well as windows with custom shapes.
Windows must be placed into an existing
These windows can be placed in a model just wall: they cannot be free-standing. See
like other windows and can be resized like “Inserted Objects” on page 284.
294
Manufacturers
When various manufacturers produce Chief Architect Web site. When you
libraries of their products for use in Chief download and install these libraries, they are
Architect, these libraries are available on the found in the Manufacturers category.
Editing Libraries
Most libraries in the Library Browser are Renaming Libraries
locked and cannot be deleted, moved,
renamed, or modified. Unlocked Libraries, including the Folders
and library objects within them, can be
User-created libraries and library objects, renamed.
however, can be moved, copied, deleted, and
renamed. To rename a library, folder, or library object,
open the Library Browser and select the
library object to be renamed. Choose
An individual library object in a locked Library> Rename Object.
library can be edited if you first copy it
into an unlocked library.
Moving Folders and
Expand/Collapse All Library Objects
When a Folder level item is selected in the Unlocked folders and library objects can be
tree view of the Library Browser, Expand moved to new locations in the Library
All and Collapse All are available in the Browser provided that the destination is an
Library and contextual menus, allowing you unlocked library. Like libraries, folders and
to expand or contract its contents in the tree library objects are organized alphabetically
view. within each hierarchy.
To move an unlocked folder or file to a
different location, open the Library Browser
295
and click the library object. Click and drag Library categories cannot be added,
the object to the new location. copied, moved or deleted.
Deleting Libraries
Unlocked libraries and the folders and library
objects within them can be deleted in any of
three ways:
• Select it in the Library Browser and
choose Library> Delete Object.
Folders able to accept additions highlight as
• Right-click on it and choose Delete from
the file is moved. Release the mouse button
the contextual menu.
to relocate the selected library object.
• Press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Copying Folders and
Library Objects Modifying or deleting library objects is
permanent and immediate. You cannot
To copy a Folder or Library Object , undo these changes, so use care when modi-
right-click on it in the Library Browser and fying your libraries. You should create back-
ups of all your library files (*.alb) before
select Copy from the contextual menu.
making any modifications.
Highlight a new location in the tree view and
select Edit> Paste to paste a copy in the new
location or right-click and select Paste from Keyboard Commands
the contextual menu. The Library Browser can be navigated using
You can also copy items by dragging and the arrow keys on your keyboard.
dropping them into an unlocked library • The right and left arrow keys expand and
folder. collapse folders.
• The up and down keys change which
library object is currently selected.
Adding to the Library

New libraries, folders, and library objects however, each library category does include
can be added to the Library Browser. Library a single, unlocked library which can be
objects are always placed in alphabetical edited.
order within their heirarchy.
The names of these unlocked libraries begin
Most libraries shipped with Home Designer with “-My,” followed by the name of the
Suite are locked and cannot be edited, category. The My Materials library, for
indicated by a small padlock on the folder; example, is located at the top of the Materials
296
category tree. Additional unlocked libraries Folder. A new folder initially named
can be added to any category, allowing you “Untitled” is added to the currently selected
to customize the organization of the library. library or folder.
Unlocked libraries are saved in the Home You can also right-click any unlocked library
Designer Suite Data folder on your or folder in the tree view and select New
computer. See “Home Designer Suite Data” Folder from the contextual menu. See
on page 76. “Using the Menu” on page 279.
If you add, rename, or move any files or
folders while Home Designer Suite is
running, you must refresh the Library
Browser to see your changes. See “Refresh
Library Browser” on page 298.
Adding a New Library

To create a new, unlocked library, open the
Library Browser, select a library category
in the tree view, and choose Library> New>
Library. A new library initially named
“Untitled Library 1” is added to the currently Adding Materials and
selected category. Images to the Library
Home Designer Suite can use materials and
images in a variety of file formats and
provides several means of adding new
material and image files to the library. For
more information, see “Creating Materials”
on page 304.
Adding Backdrops
to the Library
Backdrops are images that can be selected to
You can also right-click any current library in display in 3D views. See “3D Backdrop
the tree view and select New Library from Dialog” on page 334. A backdrop can be
the contextual menu. See “Using the Menu” added to the library by importing an image
on page 279. file from anywhere on your computer.
Inserting a New Folder 1. Select File> Import> Backdrop to

open the Import Backdrop File dia-
Click on an unlocked library or folder
log, which is similar to the Import
in the tree view, then select Library> New>
297
Picture File dialog. See “Import Pic- For information about how to use a
ture File Dialog” on page 373. backdrop, see “Backdrops” on page 331.
2. Browse to an image file on your com-
puter, select it, and click Open. This Refresh Library Browser
backdrop can now be found in the My If you add a new library or graphics file
Backdrops library. by copying the file in Windows
Multiple backdrops can be added to the Explorer, it does not automatically display in
library simultaneously by copying them into the browser. Select Library> Refresh
the My Backdrops folder using Windows Library Browser to refresh the Library
Explorer. Browser and display the added file.
Bonus Libraries
Chief Architect periodically posts new and • Select the Manufacturers category in the
updated libraries for download. Library Browser and click the link that
displays in the preview pane.
To see what bonus libraries are available
• Select Help> Download Bonus Content
from the menu.
298
Chapter 22:
Materials
Chapter Overview
The objects used in Home Designer Suite Learning how to create, manage, apply, and
have a variety of 3D properties. These edit materials saves time and adds that
objects - walls, windows, doors, cabinets, professional touch to your designs.
roof planes, lot perimeters etc. - can have
materials assigned to them so that they look
Redefining only the visual properties of
realistic in 3D views. These materials can a material may create unexpected
also be used to generate materials lists that results. For example, changing the image of
can help with cost estimations. a brick material to represent siding does not
cause the material to be considered as siding
Designing with objects that look correct in during material calculations.
3D and calculate properly in a materials list
requires that you use realistic material Chapter Contents
definitions and apply them appropriately to
• About Materials
objects in your plan.
• The Material Painter
Home Designer Suite comes with many • Materials Tab
materials that are ready for use. From siding, • Editing Materials
roofing, flooring, masonry, tile, and paneling, • Creating Materials
to grass, water, and wood materials. Home • Define Material Dialog
Designer Suite has materials for every • Material Defaults Dialog
application, inside and out. If you cannot find • Color Chooser Dialog
a material that suits your needs, you can
customize the materials provided or create
your own.
299
About Materials
The materials that are assigned to objects in
• Using the Material Painter .
Home Designer Suite perform two important
roles: • In an object’s specification dialog. See
• They determine what the surfaces of
objects look like in 3D views.
Textures
• They influence how objects are calcu-
lated in the Materials List. See “Materials In Home Designer Suite, materials have
Lists” on page 401. textures associated with them that determine
how they look in 3D views.
Materials are stored in the Materials library
in the Library Browser and can be applied to Textures are created using special image files
objects in either of two ways: that tile seamlessly when applied to surfaces.
In 3D views, you can turn the display of
textures on and off by selecting 3D> Render
View Options> Toggle Textures .
The Material Painter

Home Designer Training Video: Mate- • The Material Painter Component
rials: Applying in 3D
Mode is the default mode. This
Select 3D> Materials> Material applies the selected material to an object
Painter to access the Material Painter component. Using this tool is the same as
Tools, which are used to apply materials to opening an object for specification and
object surfaces in 3D views. changing the material for one of its com-
ponents on the Materials tab. See “Mate-
The Material Painter tool can also be rials Tab” on page 302.
activated by selecting a material in the
library while a 3D view is active. • The Material Painter Object Mode
applies a material to all components of an
Material Painter Modes object.
There are five Material Painter Modes. Each • The Material Painter Room Mode
mode specifies how broadly or narrowly the applies a material to all the objects in the
selected material will be applied to surfaces room that currently have the same mate-
in your plan. rial. For example, if you apply a material
to a dining room chair, this mode applies
the material to all other objects in the
300
room with the same original material, Blend Colors With Materials
such as other chairs and the dining table.
In addition to the Material Painter
• The Material Painter Floor Mode Modes, the Blend Colors With
applies the selected material to all sur- Materials option allows you to apply a solid
faces on the floor that currently have the color to a surface displaying a pattern or
same material. For example, if you apply texture and blend the two.
a material to the kitchen countertops
using this mode, the bathroom counter- Blend Colors With Textures works in
tops on the same floor also have the all five Material Painter Modes. See
material applied. “Blending Materials” on page 305.
• The Material Painter Plan Mode To use the Material Painter tool
applies the selected material to all sur-
faces in the entire plan that currently have 1. Create a 3D view of your plan.
the same material. For example, if you 2. Select 3D> Materials> Material
have the same carpet on all floors in a
plan, applying a selected material while Painter> Material Painter .
this mode is active will change all carpet 3. Select a material from the Select
on all floors. Library Object dialog. See “Select
Library Object Dialog” on page 282.
When the Material Painter tool is
4. Select a Material Painter Mode from the
active, the Material Painter Mode toolbar
edit toolbar, which displays on the left
buttons display in the edit toolbar, allowing
side of the program window when the
you to quickly change modes.
Material Painter is enabled.
5. Click the Blend Colors With Textures
You can also specify the active mode in the edit button to turn this feature on or
3D> Materials> Material Painter menu. A off depending on your needs.
check displays next to the active mode in the 6. Click on the surface of an object with
submenu. the pointer to apply that material. The
selected material is applied to surfaces
in the model based on the active Mate-
rial Painter Mode.
• When both the Material Painter
and Blend Colors With Textures
are active, the cursor displays a paint
roller icon .
• When the Material Painter is
active and Blend Colors With
301
Textures is not, the cursor displays Material Eyedropper

a spray can icon . The Material Eyedropper tool allows
you to load the material assigned to an
7. If either the Component or Object existing object and apply that material
to other objects.
Mode is active, you can continue to
click on surfaces to apply the selected In a 3D view, select 3D> Materials> Mate-
material. When you are finished, select a rial Eyedropper and then click on the
different tool. surface of an object to load its material
assignment. The pointer then changes to
To apply a material to an individual wall indicate that the material is ready to be
surface, use the Material Painter applied to another object using the Material
Object Mode.
Painter tool. Depending on the currently
active Material Painter Mode, you can con-
tinue to apply the material to the surfaces of
other objects.
Materials Tab
The specification dialogs for most objects When a new material is assigned, the
include a Materials tab. Select an object or a appearance of the preview image updates.
group of similar objects and click the Open
The tree list on the left side of the tab lists the
Object edit button to open the components of the selected object that can be
specification dialog for that selection. assigned materials. Some objects may only
have a single component while more
On the Materials tab, you can specify
complex objects may have many.
material assignments for the components that
make up that object. Some components contain additional sub-
components, which display separately in the
components tree list.
302
1 Select a component in the tree list to 3 Click Select Material to open the
assign a new material to it. Select Library Object dialog.
Select a material and click OK to assign that
2 The box on the right displays a preview material to the selected component. See
of the texture of the material assigned
“Select Library Object Dialog” on page 282.
to the selected component. If “No Texture”
displays in the preview window, either the Select OK to close the dialog and return to
material has no texture assigned or the the active view.
texture file could not be found on the system.
Editing Materials
Much like objects, materials in Home not affect materials already in use in a
Designer Suite can be edited so that they plan.
better suits your design needs. There are two • Apply a material to an object in a plan
approaches to material editing: and then edit that applied material using
• Select a material in the Library Browser,
the Adjust Material Definition tool.
edit it, and your changes will be used
Changes made in this way will affect any
when you next use the material in any
instances of that material in the current
plan. Changes made in this manner do
plan only.
303
Editing the material applied to an object is Adjust Material Definition

not the same as applying a different material
to that object. See “The Material Painter” on The Adjust Material Definition tool
page 300. is useful for changing plan materials
directly from a 3D view.
Library Browser Select 3D> Materials> Adjust Material
Select a material from an unlocked library in Definition and then click any surface in
the directory view of the Library Browser a Vector or Render view to modify the mate-
and select Library> Open to open the rial currently assigned to that surface in the
Define Material dialog for that material. Define Material dialog.
You can also right-click a material in the
Changing a material definition with this tool
Library Browser and select Open from the
affects all objects in the current plan that are
contextual menu to open the Define
using that material but does not affect any
Material dialog.
materials saved in the library or materials
used in other plans.
Creating Materials
Home Designer Training Video: Mate- plan file. See “Define Material Dialog” on
rials: Custom Textures page 306.
Home Designer Suite comes with many
materials that are ready for use. They are Note: Adding a material to a plan is not the
found in the Materials category of the same as adding it to the library. If you want a
Library Browser. If you cannot find a new material to be available for use in other
plans, create it from the Library Browser.
suitable material, you can edit an existing
material or create a new one. See “Editing
Materials” on page 303. From the Library Browser
Once you have a suitable material, it can be A material can be created from and added
applied to objects. See “The Material directly to the Library Browser, making it
Painter” on page 300. available for use in other plans. See “The
Library Browser” on page 277.
From the Menu In the directory pane of the Library Browser,
select an unlocked folder or sub-folder in the
Select Library> New> Material to open
Materials category and select Library>
the Define Materials dialog and
New> Material. Or, right-click on an
create a new material for use in the current
unlocked folder and select New> Material
from the contextual menu.
304
3. Confirm that Blend Colors With

Textures is selected in the edit tool-
bar or in the Material Painter submenu.
4. Also in the edit toolbar, select the Mate-
rial Painter Mode that you would like to
use. See “Material Painter Modes” on
page 300.
5. Click on the patterned material to apply
the solid color over it. When Blend
Colors With Textures is active, the
mouse pointer displays a paiont roller
icon .
The result is a new material that is saved in
Using the contextual menu the current plan.
In the Define Material dialog, you can Materials created using the Blend Colors
create a new material in the selected With Textures tool are given the name
unlocked folder. See “Define Material of the patterned/textured material with the
Dialog” on page 306. extension “--PAINTED:” followed by the
name of the solid color material.
Blending Materials
In 3D views, you can create a new
material by blending a solid color such
as a paint color with a textured material.
Select 3D> Materials> Material Painter>
Blend Colors With Materials to toggle this
Stretch to Fit
feature on or off.
Some special textures, often used for
To blend a color with another material artwork, stretch across any surfaces that they
are applied to. Materials that behave this way
1. Create a 3D view in which the patterned are specified as Stretch to Fit in the Define
material is visible. Material dialog. See “Define Material
2. Select 3D> Materials> Material Dialog” on page 306.
Painter> Material Painter and To display an artwork texture, first place a

select a solid color. wall or desk frame in your plan. A selection
of both are available in the library at
Furnishings (Interior)> Interior Accessories>
305
Mirrors & Frames. See “Placing Library Next, simply apply a material specified as
Objects” on page 284. Stretch to Fit to the center portion of the
frame. See “The Material Painter” on page
300.
Define Material Dialog

The Define Material dialog allows you to If you select a manufacturer’s material, the
adjust how materials look in 3D views and options in the Define Material dialog may
can be accessed in a number of ways: change. Some options are not available and
• Select a material from the Plan the tabs may vary.
Materials dialog and click Edit, New, If you access the Define Material dialog
or Copy. through a menu or specification dialog, your
• You can also right-click on an unlocked edits affect that material wherever it is found
library in the Materials category and in the current plan. Other objects in that plan
select New> Material to create a new that use that material are also affected, but
material. objects outside the current plan are not.
1
7
2
4
8
5 9
10
6
1 The Name of the material displays does not create a new material: it redefines
here. In this field, you can type a new the existing material.
name if you wish. Renaming the material, it
306
2 Solid Color - Click this radio button to Note: Changing the scale or selecting Stretch
specify the material as a solid color,
then click the Select button to open the to Fit can cause textures to appear distorted if
Windows Color Chooser dialog and select they are mapped to a surface using a differ-
ent aspect ratio than they were originally cre-
a new color. See “Color Chooser Dialog” on ated with.
page 308.
3 Texture - Click this radio button to 6 Rotate Angle - Specify how the texture
specify a texture for the material is rotated on the surface.
instead of a solid color, then click the Select
button to open the Select Texture File 7 A preview of the current material
displays here.
dialog, a standard Open File dialog, and
specify an image saved on your computer to 8 Brightness - Controls how bright the
serve as the texture. material appears. It can be used to get
the desired appearance relative to other
4 Check Blend Color and Texture to materials.
blend the selected texture with a solid
color, then click the Select Color button to 9 Shininess controls the sheen of the
specify the color you would like to blend it material when it is rendered with a
with. point or spot light source on it. Shiny
materials such as metal will reflect light
When a new material is created using the when viewed at the right angle.
Blend Color With Material tool, the
resulting material has this box checked. See 10 Transparency controls the opacity of
the material. A transparency value of 0
“Blend Colors With Materials” on page 301.
results in a completely opaque material,
5 Specify the Scale for the chosen texture while a value of 100 creates a material that is
in inches (mm). If you specify x and y completely invisible.
values of 30”, the pattern repeats every 30
inches in both directions along a surface. Manufacturer Tab
Check Stretch to Fit to stretch the texture If you select a manufacturer’s material from
image over the entirety of each surface it is a locked library, the Manufactuer’s tab is
applied to. This is useful when you wish to available in the Define Material dialog.
create a painting or photo material to display This tab lists contact information.
in a frame. See “Stretch to Fit” on page 305.
Material Defaults Dialog

Default Settings are accessed by view, select General Materials, and click
selecting Edit> Default Settings. the Edit button to display the Material
Expand the Materials category in the tree Defaults dialog.
307
This dialog functions similarly to the Select an item from the list on the left. Click
Material tabs found in object specification the Select Material button or the preview
dialogs throughout the program. See “Mate- box to open the Select Library Object
rials Tab” on page 302. dialog.See “Select Library Object Dialog” on
page 282.
Not all objects have default settings that can
be accessed prior to being placed. Stairs, for
example, do not have a defaults dialog.
Instead, you can specify the materials for
stair components in the Material Defaults
dialog.
Once you create a stairway, you can open the
Stair Specification dialog and change its
materials.
Color Chooser Dialog

Home Designer Training Video: Mate- The Color Chooser dialog is opened by
rials: Color Chooser clicking on the color bar that can be found in
many dialogs throughout the program.
3
4
1
5
2 6
1 Click in any one of the Base colors 3 Click and drag in the color palette area
boxes to select it as the new color. to dynamically choose a color.
2 Click in one of the Custom colors 4 Adjust the lightness or darkness of the
boxes to define which box will contain selected color.
the new custom color to be defined.
308
5 Drag the Color Chooser eyedropper to name “Custom Color” is followed by the
locate the color and release the mouse RGB values of the color.
button to select it.
7 Click Add to Custom Colors to add
Click Create Material to add the color the color to the Custom Colors palette.
6
to the library under My Materials. The
309
310
Chapter 23:
Zoom & View Tools
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Zoom- • Undo Zoom
ing and Panning • Fill Window
• Panning the Display
Use the Zoom tools to position the view. To
• Window Menu Tools
work on a specific area, you may need to
• Cascade
zoom in so that the entire screen is filled by
• Tiling Views
only a single room. At other times you may
• Arrange Icons
need to view the entire plan.
• Aerial View
There are also a number of ways to pan • Closing Views
across the screen, shifting the visible part of
the plan slightly while still maintaining the
same zoom factor.
Multiple views of one or more open files can
be arranged and managed using the view
tools.
Chapter Contents
• Zoom Tools
311
Zoom Tools
Zoom is used to magnify any given Fill Window Building Only - Fits all
area on the plan or 3D view. Select visible items, except the terrain perim-
eter, on screen.
Window> Zoom , then click and drag a
marquee around an area on screen. When Pan Window - Move the display with-
you release the mouse, the selected area out changing the zoom factor. See .
expands to fill the screen. When the zoom is
complete, whatever tool was active prior to Zooming With
selecting the Zoom tool automatically the Mouse Wheel
becomes active again. If another zoom is Use the mouse wheel to zoom in and
needed, click the Zoom tool again. out in plan and 3D views. Scrolling
the mouse wheel one click up or
Zoom In - Click to zoom in to the down zooms in or out, centering on the
screen center by a factor of two. location of your pointer and changing the
Zoom Out - Click to zoom out from zoom by about 10%.
the screen center by a factor of two.
Undo Zoom - Reverse the last zoom Note: Depending on the configuration of your
mouse, it may be necessary to hold down the
operation. See .
Ctrl key while turning the mouse wheel. If
Fill Window - Fits all visible items on zooming in and out are not working correctly,
screen. See . then please contact the manufacturer of your
mouse and mouse driver for their assistance.
Undo Zoom
Select Window> Undo Zoom to
Zoom and Undo Zoom are also
reverse the last zoom operation.
available through the contextual menu.
Note: Undo and Redo do not affect zoom.
Fill Window
Select Window> Fill Window or press
on screen, selecting Fill Window zooms
the F6 key to view everything on
out so that the entire view fits on the screen.
screen that is visible. If you are zoomed in so
If you are zoomed out so far that the entire
close that only a portion of the view displays
view is smaller than the screen, selecting
312
Fill Window zooms in until the entire Fill Window Building Only
view fills the screen. Window> Fill Window Building
When the drawing sheet is shown, Fill Only is similar to Fill Window, but
zooms in or out to so that all walls in the
Window zooms to the sheet borders. view fill the current window.
Panning the Display

There are four ways to pan the display Using the Mouse
without changing the zoom factor.
If you have a wheel mouse, you can pan the
display by pressing the middle mouse button,
Using the Scroll Bars
or wheel, and moving the mouse in the
One method is to use the scroll bars on the direction you would like to pan.
right and bottom edges of the window.
Mouse drivers sometimes have other
functions assigned to the wheel and buttons.
These override the Chief Architect setting.
Using the Pan Window Tool

The Pan Window tool works much like
the mouse wheel method.
• Drag the square button in the bar itself in • Select Window> Pan Window The
order to pan a larger distance.
pointer changes to a hand icon. Click
• Click the end arrow keys on the scroll
and drag in floor plan view to pan the
bars to shift the display in 12" incre-
window. The command is invoked once
ments.
and the program reverts to the previously
• The 12" increment is defined in the Plan active tool.
Defaults dialog under Inches Scrolled
by Arrow Key. See “Plan Defaults Dia- • Double-click the Pan Window tool
log” on page 85. and the command remains active.
Using the Arrow Keys

In floor plan view, the arrow keys on the
keyboard work exactly like clicking the
arrows on the scroll bar. They shift the
display according to the number of inches
defined in the Plan Defaults dialog.
313
Swapping Views
There are several ways to switch between • Press the Ctrl + Tab (Next Window) or
view windows. Ctrl + Shift + Tab (Previous Window)
keys to cycle through all open views.
• Select Window> Next Window or
• A list of all the views currently open is
Window> Previous Window to located at the bottom of the Window
cycle through all open views in the order menu. Each view is identified by its name
you prefer. and what type of view it is. Select one to
go directly to that view.
Window Menu Tools

Select Window to access the Window tools.
Click Window> Next Window to
switch to the next open view. See “Swapping
Click Window> Cascade to cascade all
Views” on page 314.
open views. See “Cascade” on page 314.
Select Window> Previous Window to
Select Window> Tile Horizontally or
switch to the previous open view. See
Tile Vertically to tile all open views. See “Swapping Views” on page 314.
“Tiling Views” on page 314.
Click Window> Aerial View to open
Choose Window> Arrange Icons to the aerial view window. See “Aerial View”
arrange all open views that are currently on page 315.
minimized. See “Arrange Icons” on page
315.
Cascade
Select Window> Cascade to cascade windows in a cascading pattern. Click on any
all open views. Cascade is a Windows visible edge to activate that window.
function which allows you to organize open
Tiling Views
The window tiling options allow you to
display multiple views side by side in the
Chief Architect window.
314
you make are reflected in the camera view as

Select Window> Tile Vertically or press
well.
Shift + F6 on the keyboard to display both
views in a vertical orientation. To end window tiling, click the Maximize
button in the upper right corner of any open
Select Window> Tile Horizontally to view.
display both views in a horizontal
orientation. Tiling is useful for copying objects, details,
or architectural symbols from one plan to
To activate a view, click the title bar or another. Select the object(s) to be copied,
anywhere in the view. Note that any changes
click the Copy edit button, activate
another view, and select Paste or Ctrl + V.
Arrange Icons
Arrange Icons is a Windows function bars in a row at the bottom of the working
used when several active windows desktop. You can then click the minimized
have been minimized. Select Window> title bars to reactivate them or use them for
Arrange Icons to align the minimized title swapping and closing views.
Aerial View
In floor plan view, select Window> scroll bars or maximize button. It always
Aerial View to open the Aerial View maintains it’s position on top of other
window. windows.
Aerial View facilitates zooming and panning • The aerial view window can be moved
of the floor plan view window by showing and resized.
everything on the current floor and a • The grey marquee that displays in the
marquee indicating the portion currently aerial view window represents the extent
visible in the floor plan view window. of the floor plan view. The grey marquee
As you pan around the floor plan view updates if you zoom or pan in floor plan
window or zoom in or out, the marquee in view.
Aerial View moves and resizes to reflect • Use the left mouse button to drag a new
these changes. marquee within the aerial view window.
The floor plan view updates to match.
The Aerial View window is initially docked
on the right side of the window, but it can be • Use the right mouse button to pan the
moved to any other edge or allowed to float existing marquee within the aerial view
while pressing the Ctrl key. The Aerial View window. The floor plan view updates to
always displays the entire plan, so it has no match.
315
• No matter what tool is active, when you dow and drag a marquee, the floor plan
move the pointer to the aerial view win- view zooms in on that area.
Closing Views
Select File> Close or click the at the top view is still needed, swap to a different view
right corner of a window to close it. If the without closing the current views.
316
Chapter 24:
3D Views
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Cam- • Creating Camera Views
eras: 3D Views • Creating Overviews
• Cross Section/Elevation Views
Home Designer Training Video: Fram-
• Displaying 3D Views
ing: Viewing the Framing Overview
• Editing 3D Views
Little preparation is needed to create a 3D • Editing Objects in 3D Views
view: simply click a button to create an • Exporting and Printing 3D Views
overview or click and drag to create a camera • Glass House View
view. For better renderings, however, you • Speeding up 3D View Generation
can adjust lighting and edit the materials • Rendering Tips
being rendered. From a 3D view, you can • Lighting
create final views that are even more • Camera Specification Dialog
realistic. • Default Sun Light Specification Dialog
• Cross Section Slider
Many objects can be placed and edited in 3D
• 3D Backdrop Dialog
views, and any camera view or overview can
• Render Quality
be saved or even used to record a
walkthrough. See “Walkthroughs” on page
381.
Chapter Contents
• OpenGL and Hardware
• 3D View Tools
• Working in 3D
317
OpenGL and Hardware

Home Designer Suite contains a built in, To take full advantage of the rendering
easy to use rendering engine that makes use capabilities of Home Designer Suite, it is
of OpenGL rendering technology. OpenGL is highly recommended that users have a
the standard for high-end 3D graphics and graphics card that supports OpenGL
has good hardware support on most video hardware acceleration. For complex models,
cards. With OpenGL, 3D views should look an accelerated card generates quality
the same on all computers regardless of the renderings in seconds that might otherwise
graphics card being used. The only take hours with a non-accelerated card.
difference is in the speed that it takes to
perform the rendering.
3D View Tools
Select 3D> CreateCamera View to display The Doll House View tools create
the Camera View Tools. isometric drawings of the current floor
without a roof or ceiling.
Camera Views With a floor overview active, select Tools>
The Camera tool creates multi-floor Reference Floors> Up One Floor or
views of the 3D model. They can be
used to create both interior and exterior Down One Floor to view the floor
perspectives and are good tools for overview for the floor above or below. See
displaying cathedral ceilings, roofs, lofts, “Floor Up/ Floor Down” on page 162.
stairwell openings, and other variation in The Framing Overview creates an
floor and ceiling levels. isometric drawing of the framing in
The Floor Camera tool creates views the model. Framing must be built in order for
of the current floor only. The ceiling it to display in a framing overview. Framing
and anything above it is not generated, and overviews include all floors, walls, roof
neither is anything below the floor. framing and foundations.
Overviews Cross Section/Elevation Views

The Full Overview tools create Cross Section/Elevation views are the
isometric drawings of the entire traditional, orthogonal views often used in
model, including all floors, ceilings, and the drafting. They are scaled and can be fully
roof. annotated.
A Cross Section/Elevation view displays all
floors of the model. If the view is created
318
outside the structure looking toward it, the through any of the structure, a cross section
result is an exterior elevation. If the view is is created.
created inside the structure, or passes
For more information, see “Cross Section/
Working in 3D
A variety of tools are available in 3D views Select 3D> Orbit Camera to access the
that allow you to edit your 3D model, the Orbit Camera Tools. See “Orbit Camera
camera, and the appearance of the view. You Tools” on page 326.
can also export and print.
Select 3D> Tilt Camera to access the Tilt
Choose from the architectural tool buttons Camera Tools. See “Tilt Camera Tools” on
that allow placement of Doors, Windows, page 326.
Cabinets, Fireplaces, and Electrical Objects,
Select 3D> Toggle Low Detail Mode to
in 3D views.
switch between High- and Low-Detail
Select File> Export> Picture to save the display modes. Low-Detail allows quicker
current screen image as an image file. See view drawing, editing and camera
“Exporting Picture Files” on page 374. movements. See “Low Detail Display” on
page 330.
Select File> Print> Print Image to print the
current screen image. See “Print Image Select 3D> Rebuild 3D to rebuild the entire
Dialog” on page 399. 3D model. See “Rebuild 3D” on page 323.
Select 3D> Edit Active Camera to Select 3D> 3D Backdrop to open the 3D
edit properties of the current camera, Backdrop dialog. See “3D Backdrop
such as field of view. See “Camera Dialog” on page 334.
Select 3D> Walkthroughs to record
Select 3D> Move Camera with or play a walkthrough. See
Mouse to access the Move Camera “Walkthroughs” on page 381.
with Mouse Tools. See “Move Camera with
Select 3D> Materials> Adjust
Mouse” on page 325.
Material Definition, then click on a
Select 3D> Move Camera with Arrow surface in the current 3D view to open the
Keys to specify how the arrow keys affect Define Material dialog for that material. See
the active camera. See “Move Camera with “Adjust Material Definition” on page 304.
Arrow Keys” on page 325.
Select 3D> Materials> Material Painter to
Select 3D> Move Camera to access the apply materials to surfaces in the view using
Move Camera Tools. See “Move Camera the Material Painter Tools. See “The Material
Tools” on page 325. Painter” on page 300.
319
Select 3D> Materials> Material Select 3D> Glass House Options to

Eyedropper to apply the material on a modify the settings for the Glass
surface in the view to other surfaces in the House view, such as transparency level and
view. See “Material Eyedropper” on page color. See “Glass House View” on page 329.
302.
Select 3D> Cross Section Slider to
Select 3D> Lighting> Adjust Sun- open the Cross Section Slider
light to open the Default Sun Light dialog that allows you to adjust the cutting
Specification dialog. See “Default Sun plane of a 3D view. See “Cross Section
Light Specification Dialog” on page 333. Slider” on page 334.
Select 3D> Lighting> Toggle Sun- Select 3D> Toggle Textures to turn
light to turn on and off the light source off the display of material textures in
that represents the sun. This feature can be 3D views. See “About Materials” on page
used to simulate day vs. night exterior views. 300.
User defined exterior lights are turned off in
day views and turned on in night views. See Using the Contextual Menu
“Default Sun Light” on page 332.
In a camera view or overview, right-click in
Select 3D> Final View or Final an empty space in which the backdrop or
View with Shadows to background color displays to access the
regenerate the 3D view with improved contextual menu.
quality and/or shadows. See “Preview vs
These options are a selection of tools and
Final View” on page 331.
toggles specific to 3D views.
Select 3D> Glass House Mode to turn
on/off Glass House mode. This mode
makes the 3D model semi-transparent, so
that you can examine the interior and exterior
of your structures simultaneously. See “Glass
House View” on page 329.
Creating Camera Views

All full and floor camera views are created To create a camera view
using the same method.
1. In floor plan view, the desired camera
tool. The pointer changes to a camera
( ) with a crosshair marking the posi-
tion of the pointer.
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• Where your line begins is the camera’s

position.
Focal • The line that you drag defines the
Point direction the camera is pointed.
(release)
• The end of the line is the focal point of
the view, the point the camera rotates
Line of around.
Sight • By default, the field of view is 45
(drag) degrees, which is similar to what the
FOV Indicators
human eye sees or a 50mm camera
lens.
3. When you release the mouse button, a
Camera view generates in a new window.
(click)
4. Click the Swap Views button to
return to the floor plan view. A camera
2. Click and drag a line to define the per-
symbol now displays in floor plan view.
spective.
Creating Overviews
All overviews generate as soon as you select
an overview tool and are always created at
the same angle.
Once generated, a camera symbol
representing the overview perspective
displays in floor plan view and the overview
‘camera’ can be edited much like regular
camera views can. See “Editing 3D Views”
on page 323.
Doll House View
Full Overview
Select 3D> Create Camera View>
Select 3D> Create Camera View> Doll House View to create an
Full Overview to generate an isometric drawing of the current floor with
isometric drawing of the entire building. The the ceiling removed.
overview begins to generate immediately.
Doll House Views are an effective tool
for illustrating traffic flow and the
relationships between spaces. They are also
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helpful for trouble-shooting, since they Framing Overview

isolate a single floor for review.
Select 3D> Create Camera View>
Framing Overview to create an
isometric drawing of the entire building,
displaying only framing and foundation. .
To see a different floor, return to floor plan

view and make the other floor current before
generating the doll house view.
Cross Section/Elevation Views

Home Designer Training Video: Cam- crosshairs marking the position of the
eras: Cross Section/Elevation Views pointer.
The Cross Section/Elevation tool produces 2. Click in floor plan view at the point
the traditional, orthogonal views often used where the section is to be cut, or eleva-
in drafting. Regardless of their distance from tion is to be viewed from.
the camera, all lines and dimensions in these 3. Drag in the direction of the line of sight,
view are their true lengths, making it easy to perpendicular to the cut line, and release
accurately see the spatial relationships of the the mouse button. The cut line is the line
3D objects in the model. that you would traditionally think of as
Cross section/elevation views have the the section line in a floor plan drawing.
editing capabilities found in other 3D views, 4. Always drag the camera arrow perpen-
and can be further enhanced with the CAD dicular to the wall to be viewed.
tools. They are the only 3D views that can 5. When you release the mouse button the
have information added to them using the 2D view generates in a new window.
CAD tools. They can be fully annotated and
dimensioned and then printed to scale. If a cross section line does not cut through a
3D object and the object is within the back
To create a Cross Section/Elevation view clipped distance, such as a window shown in
elevation, the object retains its 3D definition.
1. Select the cross section elevation view 3D objects can be selected, moved, stretched,
tool. The pointer changes to a with or otherwise modified in a cross section/
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elevation view. The 3D model is updated in elevation view, including dimensions and
all views. text, is stored in that view when it is saved.
Any added CAD objects are superimposed
Detailing Cross Section/ on the view and have no affect on the 3D
Elevation Views model itself. If CAD objects are added to a
The CAD tools are accessible in cross cross section/elevation view, the program
section/elevation views. Any CAD asks you to save the view before closing the
information added to a cross section or window.
Displaying 3D Views
Up to four camera views and eight total 3D The display of colors may or may not make a
view windows can be open at any time. A view easier to understand. Experiment to see
camera symbol displays in floor plan view what works for you.
for each camera view that is open. The views
Colors are used in Cross Section/Elevation
are named and numbered sequentially in the
views to represent different materials. The
order they were created. The camera symbol
colors can be printed if you have a color
is an on-screen reference, and does not print.
printer, or can appear as shades of gray on a
Saved cameras that are not currently open black and white printer. If you have assigned
can also display in floor plan view when the a picture file to represent the texture of a
Cameras, Inactive layer is set to display. material, the program can sample that picture
file and define an approximate color to use in
Layer Display Options all Cross Section/Elevation views.
Which objects display in a 3D view is You can also print in color or gray scale. See
controlled in the Layer Display Options “Print Dialog” on page 397.
dialog. See “Displaying Objects” on page 88.
Rebuild 3D
Color On/Off Select 3D> Rebuild 3D to regenerate all 3D
Select Tools> Display Settings> Color On/ data asociated with the current plan. All open
Off to control the display of color in Cross views will remain open.
Section/Elevation and floor plan views.
Editing 3D Views
Home Designer Training Video: Cam- Once a 3D view is created, there are many
eras: Navigating in 3D ways to manipulate the camera location,
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focal point, and line of site to adjust the view

on-screen.
Line of sight
The camera movement tools provide the
ability to pivot the camera in any direction,
move it orthogonally to the line of sight and
Move
rotate the camera around its focal point.
Cameras can be moved in incremental steps
using either the toolbar or the keyboard. Focal point
Each time you move the camera, the view is
Rotate
updated. If you are using either the toolbar or
keyboard to move the camera, you can hold • Drag the Line of Sight handle to change
down the Shift key, suppressing the redraw the camera angle without moving the
of the view until the Shift key is released and focal point.
allowing you to move multiple increments
more quickly. • Drag the Move handle to relocate the
camera while maintaining its relative
In the Specification Dialog angle.
• Drag the Focal Point handle to reposition
You can make adjustments to a camera in the the camera, the focal point, and line of
Camera Specification dialog. See sight.
“Camera Specification Dialog” on page 332.
• Drag the Rotate handle to rotate the cam-
era’s line of sight about its center.
Tile a 3D view and the floor plan view
and use the camera movement tools to The 3D view corresponding to the camera
see how they affect the camera. See “Tiling symbol reflects changes made to the symbol
Views” on page 314. in floor plan view.
In Floor Plan View Up One Floor/Down One Floor

Return to floor plan view without closing the You can move a camera to a different floor.
3D view. Using the Select Objects tool, While the camera view is active, select
select the camera object. Tools> Reference Floors> Up One Floor
When a camera symbol is selected it displays or Down One Floor .

four edit handles. The position and movement of a camera is
affected by its location within the model.
When the camera is outside a building, its
height is relative to the terrain and follows
the terrain as it is moved. When inside a
building, the camera goes up and down stairs
automatically and bounces off walls.
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If the camera is on an upper floor and you activate the tool and then click any object in
move the camera outside of the building, the the scene.
camera remains at the same height relative to
the floor it was created on. Move Camera with Arrow Keys
Select 3D> Move Camera with Arrow
Move Camera with Mouse
Keys to access these tools. These tools are
A camera’s position can also be edited while not available in Cross Section/Elevation
the view is active. views.
Select 3D> Move Camera With Select 3D> Move Camera with Arrow
Mouse to access the Move Camera Keys> Arrow-Orbit Camera to rotate the
with Mouse modes. camera around the current focal point. Use
the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the
Click Mouse-Orbit Camera (or use
camera.
the hot key Alt + O) then move the
mouse to rotate the camera around the Select 3D> Move Camera with Arrow
current camera focal point. You can also Keys> Arrow-Pan Camera to move the
click in the 3D view, move the mouse, and camera up, down, right, and left using the
release the mouse button to “throw” the arrow keys. This tool is available for full
view. Click again in the view to stop the it camera overviews, and floor camera
from rotating. overviews.
Click Mouse-Pan Camera (or use the Select 3D> Move Camera with Arrow
hot key Alt + P) then move the mouse Keys> Arrow-Dolly Camera to move the
to move the camera up, down, left and right. camera forward and back using the up and
down arrow keys, and side to side using the
Click Mouse-Dolly Camera (or use
left and right arrow keys. This tool is
the hot key Alt + D) then move the
available for full camera overviews, and
mouse to move the camera forward and
floor camera overviews.
backward by moving the mouse up and
down. It also allows you to turn the camera Select 3D> Move Camera with Arrow
left and right in the same way. Keys> Arrow-Tilt Camera to use the arrow
keys to tilt the camera any direction at the
Click Mouse-Tilt Camera (or use the
same location.This tool is available for full
hot key Alt + T) then move the mouse
camera overviews, and floor camera
to tilt the camera in any direction while
overviews.
staying in the same location.
3D Center Camera on Point - Move Camera Tools
Allows you to focus the camera at a
particular point in the scene. This also sets Select 3D> Move Camera to access
the camera center so that future use of the these tools. These tools relocate the
Mouse-Orbit tool rotates around that camera, while keeping the direction of the
particular point. To use the 3D Center tool, field of view in the same place.
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Move Camera Forward - Moves the Orbit Camera Upward - Rotates the
camera and the focal point forward. camera up about the focal point. The
You can also use the hot key F. camera does not rotate past the vertical line
going up from the focal point.
Move Camera Back - Moves the
camera and the focal point back. You Orbit Camera Downward - Rotates
can also use the hot key B. the camera down about the focal point.
The camera does not rotate below the vertical
Move Camera Left - Moves the
line going down from the focal point.
camera and the focal point to the left
in a line perpendicular to the line of sight. Orbit Camera Left - Rotates the
You can also use the hot key L. camera to the left about the focal
point.
Move Camera Right - Moves the
camera and the focal point to the right Orbit Camera Right - Rotates the
in a line perpendicular to the line of camera to the right about the focal
sight.You can also use the hot key R. point.
Move Camera Up - Moves the
camera and the focal point up.You can Tilt Camera Tools
also use the hot key U. Select 3D> Tilt Camera to access
Move Camera Down -Moves the these tools. Tilting keeps the camera in
camera and the focal point down. You one place and pivots the camera about its
can also use the hot key D. vertical or horizontal axis. This movement is
similar to tilting your head up and down or
turning it side-to-side.
Orbit Camera Tools
Tilt Camera Upward - Tilts the
Select 3D> Orbit Camera to access
camera up while keeping it in the same
these tools. Orbiting the camera
location. The camera does not tilt beyond the
rotates the camera about the focal point.
vertical position.
Move Camera In - Moves the
Tilt Camera Downward - Tilts the
position of the camera closer to the
camera down while keeping it in the
focal point along the line of sight. The
same location. The camera does not tilt
camera does not rotate past the focal point
beyond the vertical position.
using this tool. You can also use the hot key
I. Turn Camera Left - Turns the camera
to the left while staying in the same
Move Camera Out - Moves the
location.
position of the camera away from the
focal point along the line of sight. You can Turn Camera Right - Turns the
also use the hot key O. camera to the right while staying in the
same location.
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Keyboard Camera Movements in a view that does not support the mode you
selected, the arrow keys move the screen up
Camera movement in 3D views can be or down.
controlled using the keyboard and the
toolbars.
Field of View
F - Move forward.
The Field of View refers to a camera’s field
B - Move backward. of vision. A wider field of view makes the
focal point appear further away, as more of
U - Move up.
the image is included.
D - Move down.
In floor plan view, the angled lines of a
L - Move left. camera symbol indicate its field of view.
R - Move right.
FOV Indicators
I - Move inward along the line of sight.
O - Move outward along the line of sight.
W - Increase camera Field of View.
N - Decrease camera Field of View.

A camera’s field of view can be adjusted in
Left or Right Arrow - The program the Camera Specification dialog. See
remembers the mode you selected under 3D> “Camera Specification Dialog” on page 332.
Move Camera with Arrow Keys. If you are
in a view that does not support the mode you The field of view can also be adjusted with
selected, the arrow keys move the screen the mouse wheel while in a camera view, if
right or left. your mouse is equipped with one. You can
also press the W key to increase the field of
Up or Down Arrow - The program view or the N key to decrease the field of
remembers the mode you selected under 3D> view, again, while in a camera view.
Move Camera with Arrow Keys. If you are
Editing Objects in 3D Views

Objects can be created and edited in 3D the 3D view. You can then edit the object’s
views as well as in floor plan view. size and placement.
Creating Objects in 3D Views Selecting Objects in 3D Views

You can place windows, doors, and most Most objects can be selected and edited in
library objects directly into 3D views. To do
3D views. Select Edit> Select Objects
this, select the appropriate tool and click in
and click on the surface of an object to select
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it. Once selected, objects can be edited using appliances. In this case, the object can only
their edit handles, buttons on the edit toolbar, be moved.
and the object’s specification dialog. See
Dimension lines are displayed to help you
“Editing Objects” on page 43.
resize an object and determine its height.
When you select an object, edit handles and a These are sometimes easier to see when the
handle surface display. The handle surface is color is toggled off.
a rectangle around the perimeter of the object
Because cross section/elevation views are
that indicates the overall height and width of
orthogonal and display objects at their actual
the selected surface. The edit handles that
dimensions, they are sometimes more
display depend on the type of object selected.
suitable for editing objects than camera
Walls, for example, display two resize edit
views or overviews. See “Cross Section/
handles when selected while a slab displays
ten handles, allowing you to move, resize
and reshape it. When several 3D views are open, changes
made in the plan automatically rebuild the
All moving or resizing is in the plane of the
model in all views. Because of this, it is
handle surface. You cannot move an object
typically faster to make changes to your plan
directly towards or away from the camera,
with as few windows open as possible.
for example, because that surface plane
cannot be seen in the view.
Rebuild 3D
By default, object movement is restricted to
one inch or 10 mm increments. See “Grid As changes are made to your plan, a
Snaps” on page 45. 3D view automatically updates to
reflect any changes visible in the view. If you
Unrestricted positioning can also be enabled find that a view is not updating as expected,
by holding down the Ctrl key while moving select 3D> Rebuild 3D to rebuild the entire
or resizing an object. See “Unrestricted 3D model.
Movement” on page 65.
CADCADViews that have been saved
When Fixtures and Furniture May Be
display using the color specified for the
Resized is unchecked in the Plan Defaults
Cameras, Inactive layer in the Layer
dialog, only a single handle displays for
Display Options dialog. See “Display
furniture and stand-alone fixtures and
Options Dialog” on page 87.
Exporting and Printing 3D Views

All 3D views can be exported and saved as In addition, Cross Section/Elevation views
.bmp, .jpg, .png, .tif, or .pcx files. See can be exported and saved as .emf files. See
“Exporting Picture Files” on page 374. “Metafiles” on page 378.
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Once saved, a picture can be opened and pixels instead of lines, File> Print> Print
converted into many other formats using a Image must be used when printing. Print
graphics program. Picture files can be used Image is a special Home Designer Suite
in word processing, desktop publishing, and function that prints the screen in picture
web development programs to create format. The entire view prints, including
advertisements, brochures, etc. images such as plants and textures.
When a picture is exported, it is assigned the The quality of your print image is affected by
same size as it displays on screen. You can your current window size and screen
change the size of your 3D window to create resolution. To maximize the quality of your
a smaller or bigger picture. printed image, generate it in full screen size
and use the maximum screen resolution.
Print Image
Since all views other than Cross
Section/Elevations are created using
Glass House View

You can display a current view as a
to open the Glass House Options
Glass House view by selecting 3D>
dialog.
Glass House Mode.
You can also create a glass house view from
floor plan view by selecting 3D> Create
Camera View> Glass House Camera ,
then clicking and dragging a camera arrow.
See “Creating Camera Views” on page 320.
Color - Specify which color is used in glass

house view.
Transparency - Specify how transparent the
surfaces are in glass house view. For
example, to create a wireframe line drawing
of your structure, turn transparency to full
and minimize line thickness.
You can modify the settings for glass house Line Thickness - Specify the thickness of
view by selecting 3D> Glass House Options the lines drawn in glass house view.
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Speeding up 3D View Generation

Depending on the speed of your processor Halt Generation with Esc Key
and the memory of your computer, a 3D view
may generate in a few seconds or less. Using the Esc key, you can interrupt the
modeling process at any point and display
When you have a large, complex model with the incomplete model “as is.” This is
a lot of interior detail, it may take a few particularly helpful when you just need to
minutes to generate a 3D view of everything reorient a model on the screen for a specific
in the model. During this process, progress angle or view.
information may display in the Status Bar
and in a message window. The Esc option allows you to place the view
quickly, then press the F5 fucntion key to
There are several ways to speed up the refresh the display with all 3D Faces intact.
generation time of views.
Low Detail Display
Turn Off Layers
Select 3D> Toggle Low Detail Mode
The display of objects in 3D views can be to switch to and from Low Detail
turned on or off by layer in the Display Mode. Low Detail Mode draws 3D
Options dialog. Turning off the display of approximations of some objects, allowing for
unneeded objects in 3D views can speed up a quicker screen redraw time and quicker
3D view generation time. See “Display camera movement.
Options Dialog” on page 87.
Rendering Tips
You can achieve significantly different Material dialog. See “Define Material
results in rendering quality by controlling the Dialog” on page 306.
textures, images and backdrops that you use.
Brightness, shininess and transparency
control how light sources affect the display
Material Textures of surfaces in 3D views. See “Lighting” on
Textures are graphic files that represent page 331.
irregular surfaces of objects such as bricks, If no texture is selected for a material or if
tile, wood, and carpet in 3D views. Textures the display of textures is turned off, affected
are assigned to materials which in turn are surfaces are a solid color instead.
assigned to objects. See “Textures” on page
300.
Images
The display of materials in 3D views is
Images are very important for the appearance
controlled by settings in the Define
of 3D views. Images are picture files that
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represent individual objects such as trees, It takes a special camera or an image

flowers, cars, and people. See “Placing processing program to generate spherical
Images” on page 376. panoramic backdrops.
Backdrops Preview vs Final View

Backdrops are images that display in the 3D views are first generated as previews.
background of 3D views. Only one backdrop Lines may appear jagged rather than smooth
can be used at a time. If a backdrop is not and shadows are not generated, allowing the
applied, Home Designer Suite applies a view to be created quickly.
background color.
When you have finished making adjustments
Backdrops and background colors are in the 3D view, select 3D> Final View or
selected in the 3D Backdrop dialog. See
“3D Backdrop Dialog” on page 334. Final View with Shadows .
You can drag and drop a backdrop directly Final Views offer a much higher quality
into a 3D view from the Library Browser. image that is more suitable for printing or
Select a backdrop from the upper pane of the saving as a .bmp, .jpg, .png, .cif or .pcx file.
Library Browser, notice that the pointer It usually takes significantly longer to
generate the final view than the preview. The
changes in the 3D view ( ) to indicate that
3D view reverts back to the preview as soon
a backdrop is loaded for placement, and then
as anything is changed within the view.
click in the view to apply the selected
backdrop. When rendering shadows, a percentage
complete value displays in the Status Bar.
Spherical Panoramic Backdrops are a
special type of backdrop that wraps around
the model in 3D views and appears to rotate
as the camera is moved.
Lighting
Lighting is extremely important in 3D views. sources. You can turn the sunlight off and use
Even small changes can have a large impact all the other exterior lights to simulate night
on image quality. time views.
In 3D views, lighting is calculated on a The maximum number of light sources that
room-by-room basis; only the light sources can be turned on in a view at the same time is
in the room containing the camera are used. determined by your video card. If your video
card’s maximum number of lights is eight,
When the camera is outside a building, the
the program only uses the eight light sources
program normally uses sunlight for lighting
closest to the camera’s position.
calculations and turns off all other light
331
There are three ways to create light sources room that you are rendering by placing a
for 3Dviews: lighting fixture.
• Default Lights
Light Fixtures
• Light Fixtures
• Sunlight An electric symbol that represents a Light
Fixture has a light source associated with it.
Default Lights
Default Sun Light
If you create an interior 3D view and no user
defined lights exist, the program creates a If you create an exterior 3D view, the
Default Light source within the room. The program creates a Default Sun light source.
Default interior light acts like a central point The Default Sun can be opened for
light source. specification in a 3D view by selecting 3D>
The Default Light cannot be adjusted in any Lighting>Adjust Sunlight . See
way. If you want to control the light in an “Default Sun Light Specification Dialog” on
interior 3D view, you must add a light to the page 333
Camera Specification Dialog

The Camera Specification dialog can be
accessed in all camera views and overviews
by selecting 3D> Edit Active Camera .
This dialog is also accessible from floor plan
view by selecting the camera symbol that
represents the camera’s location and clicking
Only one camera object can be opened for
specification. If more than one camera
symbol is selected, Open Object will
Depending on the type of camera view
not be available.
selected, not all the settings may be editable.
In addition, some settings only affect some
types of views.
To change a setting, first uncheck Default,
then type a new value in the text field.
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The Incremental Move Distance controls The Field of View defines the camera’s field
how many inches the camera moves each of vision in angular degrees. See “Field of
time you direct it to move right, left, View” on page 327.
forwards or backwards. For interior views a
small number is good, but for exterior you
You can increase a camera’s Field of
may want a larger increment. View when the view is active by press-
The Incremental Rotate Angle defines how ing the W key, or decrease the Field of View
by pressing the N key.
many degrees the camera rotates each time
you direct it to. A setting of 90 degrees
The Tilt Angle determines the angle the
would make one full rotation in four moves.
camera is tilted. The camera maintains its
The Height Above Floor defines the height focal point and position in floor plan view,
that the camera is above the floor level for but if the camera is tilted, the focal point is
the current floor. above or below the current camera height.
Default Sun Light Specification Dialog

The Default Sun Light Specification An intensity of 0% is the same as turning the
dialog allows you to control the intensity, sun light off. An intensity of 100% is the
direction and color of the Default Sun light maximum brightness allowed.
source.
Tilt Angle - Specify the angle of the sun
While in a 3D view, select 3D> Lighting> light with respect to the horizon. A value of
Adjust Sunlight . See “Default Sun 90 degrees means that the light is pointing
Light” on page 332. straight up, while a value of -90 degrees
means that the light is pointing straight
down. 0 degrees is parallel to the horizon.
Dir Angle - Specify the direction that the sun
light points toward. Zero degrees is
measured horizontally on screen, pointing to
the right. Positive values rotate in a counter-
clockwise direction from there, while
negative values rotate clockwise.
Color - Click the rectangle to define the
color of the light being modeled. Colored sun
Intensity - Use the slider bar or text field to light may be used to achieve special lighting
control how bright the default sun light effects, but may alter the appearance of your
appears in 3D views. material colors and textures.
333
The Default Sun light color is pure white,

which has the least effect on the material
colors and textures.
Cross Section Slider

Select 3D> Cross Section Slider Choose one of the cross section angles and
button in a 3D view to open the Cross move the Position slide to adjust the position
Section Slider dialog. of the cutting plane. Select the option at top
right to turn off the cutting plane.
3D Backdrop Dialog
Select 3D> 3D Backdrop from the menu to file of your choice to use as a background for
open the 3D Backdrop dialog. This dialog 3D views.
allows you to specify a solid color or picture
For a Picture, click the Select button and For a Solid Color, click the Select button to
choose a picture file from the Library choose or create a color in the Color
Browser. Chooser dialog. See “Color Chooser
Render Quality
Select Edit> Default Settings to open the This dialog controls the quality of camera
Default Settings dialog. Select Render
views, but does not affect Final Views
Quality from the list and click the Edit
button to open the Render Quality dialog. or Final Views with Shadows .
334
Move the slider bar to increase or decrease The description below the slider bar updates
the render quality of 3D views. as you move it, indicating the effects of the
selected quality setting.
335
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Chapter 25:
Dimensions
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Suite provides a variety of Chapter Contents
dimensioning tools for measuring walls, • Dimension Defaults
doors, windows, and other objects. • The Dimension Tools
Dimensions can be used to accurately • Displaying Dimension Lines
position objects relative to other objects. In • Editing Dimension Lines
addition, dimension lines and extensions can • Editing Extension Lines
be selected and customized. • Dimension Line Specification Dialog
• Dimension Defaults Dialog
Dimension Defaults
Home Designer Training Video: The settings in the Dimension Defaults
Dimension Defaults dialog define the behavior and appearance of
dimensions. See “Dimension Defaults
Dimension Defaults can be accessed by
selecting Edit> Default Settings.
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The Dimension Tools

Select CAD>Dimension to access the exterior in floor plan view. The dimension
Dimension Tools. lines locate walls and openings as specified
in Dimension Defaults dialog. See
Once created, Manual, Interior and Auto
“Dimension Defaults Dialog” on page 342.
Exterior Dimension lines can be selected and
edited. See “Editing Dimension Lines” on
page 339 . Auto Exterior Dimensions do not gen-
erate properly if there is a gap in the
exterior walls. For example, sometimes
Manual Dimensions angled walls may not connect properly.
Home Designer Training Video:
Dimensions: Manual These dimensions can be edited individually,
but all such editing is lost if Auto Exterior
To display the distance between two
objects, select CAD>Dimension> Dimensions are created again.
Manual Dimension and drag a dimension There are a maximum of three rows of
line near or through the objects. automatically generated dimensions per
Manual Dimensions locate objects as exterior wall direction. The innermost
specified in the Dimension Defaults dimension line locates exterior walls, interior
dialog. See “Dimension Defaults Dialog” on walls, and all openings in exterior walls. The
page 342. second dimension line locates exterior and
interior walls. The outermost dimension line
Interior Dimensions is the overall exterior dimension.
Draw Interior Dimension lines parallel Temporary Dimensions

to walls in floor plan view to create
interior dimensions. Temporary Dimensions display when an
object is selected and show the distance
The Interior Dimension tool locates between the selected object and other
interior wall surfaces only. It does not objects.
dimension between surfaces in the same As with other dimension lines, Temporary
wall. Dimensions only locate objects that are
parallel or nearly parallel to one another. A
Auto Exterior Dimensions temporary dimension will not display when
Home Designer Training Video: an object is selected if a manually drawn
Dimensions: Auto Exterior dimension line locating that object is already
present and is drawn parallel to the
The Auto Exterior Dimension tool temporary dimension that would be created.
generates dimensions around a plan’s
338
Displaying Dimension Lines

Dimension lines can display in floor plan Dimension Labels display at the midpoint of
view and cross section/elevation views, all of dimension lines and indicate the distance of
which are considered 2D views. Dimension the dimension line.
lines can also be included in the Reference
You can select the text and drag it away from
Display.
the dimension line using the move handle.
The display of dimension lines is controlled
Dimension
in the Display Options dialog. See Dimension
Labels
Lines
Dimension lines created by any of the
dimension tools share the same components.
Dimension Lines run parallel with the Extension
Arrowheads
Lines
distance being measured.
Extension Lines are perpendicular to
dimension lines, indicating where they begin
and end.
Arrowheads display at the intersections of
dimension and extension lines.
Editing Dimension Lines

With the exception of Temporary
Dimensions, dimension lines can be selected Rotate
and edited using the mouse and the edit
toolbar buttons. Extension Line
Dimension line numbers and extension lines

can be moved and deleted individually and Move Dimension
new extension lines can be added. Label
Move
Edit Handles
Add Extension
Select a dimension line to display several
Line
edit handles, each of which edits the line in a
different way. There are four types of Extension Line
dimension line edit handles. More than one
of some types display, depending on how
many extension lines are present.
339
• The Extension Line handles are used to and is used to rotate the dimension line.
move or delete extension lines. See As you rotate, the dimension snaps to
“Moving Extension Lines” on page 341. objects within reach.
• The Add Extension Line handle displays
to the side of the Move handle and is used Edit Buttons
to add extension lines to the dimension Dimension lines can be repositioned, copied,
line. Dimension lines do not extend and deleted using the edit toolbar buttons just
unless an object can be located. See like other objects in the program can. See
“Adding Extension Lines” on page 340. “Editing Objects” on page 43.
• The small, square Move Dimension
Label handle is located at the center of Dimension Number Size
the selected label. Use this handle to
move the dimension number for each The initial size of dimension numbers is
dimension line section. The pointer specified in the Dimension Defaults
dialog. See “Dimension Defaults Dialog” on
changes to a four-headed arrow when
page 342.
moved over this handle.
• The Move handle is located where you Deleting Dimension Lines
clicked to select the dimension line and is
used to move the entire dimension line, You can select any manual or automatic
including any subsections, perpendicular dimension line or group of dimension lines,
to itself. Extension lines are resized as then press the Delete key or click the Delete
appropriate. The pointer changes to a edit button to delete it from the plan. See
two-headed arrow when moved over “Deleting Objects” on page 72.
this handle.
The Delete Objects dialog also allows
• The Rotate handle is located one plan you to delete all dimension lines at once. See
foot past the end of the dimension line “Delete Objects Dialog” on page 72.
Editing Extension Lines

Extension lines can be added, edited, and 2. Click the diamond-shaped Add Exten-
deleted using the mouse. sion Line edit handle which displays
near the Move edit handle. The pointer
Adding Extension Lines changes to a double-headed arrow .
3. Drag the handle to the object that you
To add an extension line want to a new extension handle to
locate. This example adds an extension
1. Select the dimension line. line to the window edge.
340
4. Release the mouse button to add an 3. Drag the handle to a new location. The
extension line. extension line snaps to possible marks as
the handle is moved.
4. Release the mouse button at the new
location.
Moving Extension Lines

Extension lines can be moved to locate the
centers, sides, or surfaces of most objects. In
this example an extension line is moved from Dimension lines do not locate library
the windows edge to the center. objects when the dimension is drawn,
but an extension line of an existing dimension
To move an extension line line can be moved or added to locate a library
object.
1. Select the dimension line it is connected
to, not the extension line itself. Deleting Extension Lines
2. Click the Extension Line edit handle. When an extension line is deleted, the
The pointer changes to a two-headed remaining dimensions update.
arrow .
To remove an extension line
1. Select the dimension line it is connected

to, not the extension line itself.
2. Click the Extension Line edit handle.
341
3. Drag it perpendicular to the direction of

the arrows, away from any dimension-
able object, and release the button when
the extension line disappears.
Dimension Line Specification Dialog

To open the Dimension Line dimension line and click the Open Object
Specification dialog, double-click a
edit button.
dimension line using the Select Objects
or Manual Dimension tool, or select a
Dimension Defaults Dialog

Select Edit> Default Settings , select
Dimension, and click Edit to access the
Dimension Defaults dialog.
1
2
3
4
1 Check Place Numbers Above Line to 2 By default, dimensions display rounded

have all the dimensions display above to the nearest inch. If you prefer, you
the dimension line, rather than in the center can check Display Dimensions to 1/16 Inch
of the line. Accuracy.
342
Dimensions locating an intersecting wall’s center

Dimensions displaying to the nearest inch
Dimensions locating an intersecting wall’s surfac
Exterior walls are always measured from the

Dimensions displaying to 1/16 inch accuracy
outer surfaces. You can always change the
object or surface that a dimension locates
3 Specify how Automatic Exterior after it has been created. See “Editing Exten-
and Manual Dimensions locate sion Lines” on page 340.
walls where they intersect other walls.
4 Number Height - Specify the scaled
• Center is selected by default. height, in inches or mm, of dimension
numbers. A Number Height of 6 prints a 1/8”
• Select Surface to make dimensions
tall number at 1/4” = 1’ scale. Unlike text,
locate the surfaces of interior walls.
dimensions display at the same size at any
magnification level so you can read them.
343
344
Chapter 26:
Text, Callouts
& Markers
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Text Chapter Contents
• Text Defaults
Text lines with arrow can be attached to text • Fonts
objects, allowing you to direct attention to • The Text Tools
specific plan details. • Creating Text
• Text Arrows
The display of text can be controlled by layer • Editing Text
or set specifically for each text object. • Text Specification Dialog
345
Text Defaults
Default settings can be accessed by
selecting Edit> Default Settings. See
“Text Defaults” on page 351.
Fonts
Home Designer Suite allows you to use any file. Only one font can be defined for each
font found in your Windows Fonts directory. text object, but each text object can use a
Multiple fonts can be used within the same different font.
The Text Tools

Select CAD> Text to display the Text Tools. the Text Specification dialog. Click OK
to place the text in your plan with an arrow
Click the Text child button and click in
attached. See “Text Arrows” on page 347.
your plan to open the Text
Specification dialog. Click OK to place Click the Text Line with Arrow child
the entered text in your plan. See “Creating button to add a line with arrow to an
Text” on page 346. existing text object. See “Text Arrows” on
page 347.
Click the Text with Arrow child
button and click in your plan to open
Creating Text
Text can be created in floor plan view, Specification dialog opens. See “Text
cross/section elevation views, and in Specification Dialog” on page 349.
layout files. 3. Enter text and click OK.
To create text To edit text, select it, then use the edit
handles and/or edit buttons that display. See
“Editing Text” on page 348.
1. Select CAD> Text> Text .
Up to 32,000 characters can be inserted in
2. Click where you want the upper left cor-
one text object. It is usually better to use
ner of the text to display. The Text
several smaller text objects when a lot of text
must be inserted.
346
Text Arrows
Lines with arrows can be independent or • Auto Position is turned off automatically
attached to other objects. If an arrow is when an arrow is not attached to one of
attached to text or another object, deleting the auto position locations.
that object will also delete the arrow. • Arcs and splines with arrows can also be
attached to text objects.
Text Line with Arrow
The following image illustrates the behavior
Text Lines with Arrow can be of auto positioning. The arrow has the Auto
attached to text, CAD and architectural Position Tail option checked. When the head
objects by selecting CAD> Text> Text Line of the line with arrow is moved, the tail of
with Arrow . There is no limit to the the arrow snaps to different locations on the
number of text lines with arrow that can be text object, maintaining its connection.
attached to an object.
A Text Line with Arrow behaves like a

Line With Arrow with one exception.
Text Lines with Arrow are initially placed on
the default Text layer, not the default CAD
layer. See “Draw Lines” on page 354.
Auto Positioning Arrows

If either or both ends of a line with arrow are Special Use Arrows
attached to a text object, Auto Position Tail
and Auto Position Head are available on the A text line with arrow designated as a special
Arrow Tab of the Line Specification use arrow offers unique functionality that
dialog. may be useful when annotating the height of
various platforms. A special use arrow
replaces the first number in the attached text
object with the height of the architectural
object it is attached to on the other end. The
height is relative to the first floor elevation of
Check these if you want the text line with 0’-0”.
arrow to update its position on the text object
if the text object or text line with arrow is To create a Special Use Arrow
moved.
• The first segment of a polyline arrow 1. Create a text object that includes a num-
attached to text maintains its angle when ber such as, Foundation Wall Height 1.
Auto Position is off and text is moved.
347
2. Using the Leader Line tool, draw

an arrow that connects the text object
with a stem wall, footing, slab,
foundation slab, custom countertop, or
stair landing.
3. Select and open the arrow for specifica-
tion, check Special Use on the Arrow
tab, and click OK.
4. The text object should now read Foun-
dation Wall Height 3' 0".
Editing Text
Text objects can be selected individually and This value is subject to the current drawing
as a group and edited using the edit handles, scale, derived from the Page Setup dialog.
the edit toolbar buttons, and the Text See “Page Setup Dialog” on page 396.
Specification dialog. See “Text Specifica-
Text can be sized in two different ways:
tion Dialog” on page 349.
Aligning Text
Using the Mouse
To align text, select it and click the Align
A selected text object has the same edit
handles as a CAD box. See “Editing Box- Left , Align Right , Center , or
Based Objects” on page 59. Justify edit button.
As a text box is made narrower or wider Using these edit buttons to align text is the
using an Extend edit handle, the bottom of same as using the Alignment drop-down box
the text box may expand or contract to allow on the Attributes Tab of the Text
all text to be shown. Specification dialog. See “Attributes Tab”
on page 351.
Sizing Text
Text size can be set on the Text tab of the Hold down the “C” key when resizing
Text Specification dialog. text to resize the text about its center.
348
Copy, Cut and Paste Tab Spacing

Copy, Cut and Paste of text into and out of Tab spacing for tabbed text objects such as
the Text Specification dialog uses the tables can be visually edited.
Windows clipboard, making it possible to
transfer text from your plan into other To insert tab-spaced text
applications or to copy text from any
program into Home Designer Suite. 1. Highlight a block of text objects from
the Materials List and press Ctrl + C to
Although formatting is not retained, general
copy them to the Windows clipboard.
notes can be created and saved in a word
processing program, then copied and pasted 2. Return to the floor plan view, select the
into a text box. Sections of the Materials List Text tool, and click to place a text
can also be copied and pasted into a text box object.
or a word processing or spreadsheet
3. Press Ctrl + V to paste the copied mate-
program.
rials into the text box, then click OK.
The text object displays on-screen.
To Copy, Cut and Paste text
4. Select the text object and note the addi-
1. On the Text tab of the Text tional lines with handles separating each
Specification dialog or in another column.
program altogether, highlight the text
you wish to cut, copy or paste.
2. Press Ctrl + X to Cut the selected text
and save it to the Windows clipboard
3. Press Ctrl + C to Copy the selected text
and copy it to the Windows clipboard.
Columns automatically resize to fit the
4. Click to place your cursor at the location contained text. When a text object is selected
where you want to paste the copied text you can use the edit handles that display at
and press Ctrl + V to paste it. each column to adjust spacing.
Text Specification Dialog

Select one or more text objects, then click the When text objects are group-selected, the
Open Object edit button to open the textual content cannot be changed, but
Text Specification dialog.
everything else (character height, color,
transparent background, etc.) can be.
349
Text Tab
3
1
4
2
5
1 Specify the Text Size. 4 Select an Alignment option from the

drop-down list to apply to the text.
2 Click the drop-down list to select a
different Font. If a font is missing when
5 Enter text in the Text Entry Box. If text
a file is opened, you will be prompted to is selected and opened for specification
select from the available fonts in the Font it will display here.
dialog. • Text will automatically wrap to a new
The text styles Bold and Italic are available. line without requiring a hard return.
Check either or both boxes to apply that • Tabs can be added to the text by pressing
style. the Tab key.
3 Click on the Color box to open the • To jump from the text entry area to Text
Color Chooser dialog and select a Size Height using the keyboard, press
color for the selected text object. Place a Shift + Tab .
check in box beside Use Default to use the
default color specified in the Layer
Display Options dialog.
350
Attributes Tab
Text Defaults
Default Settings are accessed by Changes made to default settings do not alter
selecting Edit> Default Settings. existing text objects, so it is a good idea to go
Click the "+" next to Text, Callouts and over the default settings before placing text.
Markers to display the sub-headings. Select The Text Defaults dialog is similar to the
Text and click the Edit button to open the Text Specification dialog. See “Text
Text Defaults dialog. Specification Dialog” on page 349.
The values in the Text Defaults dialog
determine the initial settings for text objects.
351
352
Chapter 27:
CAD Objects
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: CAD Chapter Contents
Objects • The CAD Drawing Tools
With the 2D Computer Aided Design (CAD) • Line Specification Dialog
tools included in Home Designer Suite, you • Arc Specification Dialog
can add details to floor plan and cross • CAD Circle/Oval/Ellipse Specification
Dialog
section/elevation views.
• Polyline Specification Dialog
CAD lines are 2D objects that can be • CAD Box Specification Dialog
superimposed on 2D views. They do not
affect 3D objects or display in camera views
or overviews.
CAD objects are edited much like other
objects in Home Designer Suite. See
“Editing Objects” on page 43.
As with architectural objects, the display of
CAD objects is controlled in the Layer
Display Options dialog. CAD objects are
placed on the Default CAD Layer. See
353
The CAD Drawing Tools

The CAD drawing tools can be 3. Release the mouse button at the end
accessed by selecting CAD> CAD or point to complete the arc.
by clicking the CAD Tools button.
Once an arc is created, it can be edited. See
“Editing Arc Based Objects” on page 50 and
Draw Lines “Arc Specification Dialog” on page 358.
Select CAD> Draw Line or You can snap the ends of arcs together with
CAD> Draw Line With Arrow other arcs or with lines to form polylines. See
to draw lines with or without arrows. “Editing Arc Based Objects” on page 50.
To draw a line or line with arrow

Draw Polyline
1. Select CAD> Draw Line or CAD> Select CAD > Draw Polyline to draw
a rectangular polyline.
Draw Line With Arrow .
2. Click and drag in the drawing area to A Rectangular Polyline begins as a
draw a line. rectangle, drawn from corner to corner. Once
3. Continue drawing lines as needed, then drawn, a rectangular polyline can be edited
select another tool when you are fin- into any shape. See “Editing Closed-Polyline
ished. Based Objects” on page 56 and “Polyline
Once a line is created, it can be edited. You
can snap the ends of lines together to form Draw Box
polylines. See “Editing Line Based Objects”
on page 48 and “Line Specification Dialog” Select CAD > Draw Box to draw a
on page 356. box.
Line polylines, boxes are drawn from corner
Draw Arc to corner, forming a rectangle that can then
Select CAD > Draw Arc to draw an be edited. Unlike a polyline, a box always
arc. has four 90 degree corners. See “Editing
Box-Based Objects” on page 59 and “CAD
To draw an arc Box Specification Dialog” on page 364.
1. Select CAD> Arcs> Draw Arc , Draw Circle

then click at the arc’s start point. Select CAD > Draw Circle to draw a
2. Move the pointer along the desired circle.
curve while dragging to curve the arc.
Draw a Circle by dragging across the
diameter, in any direction.
354
If a small circle is needed, draw a larger Once created, a spline can be selected and
circle and then resize it. See “Editing Circles, edited. See “Editing Spline Based Objects”
Ovals and Ellipses” on page 62 and “CAD on page 61 and “Polyline Specification
Circle/Oval/Ellipse Specification Dialog” on Dialog” on page 361.
page 360.
To use the Spline tool
Ovals
1. Select CAD> CAD> Spline .
Select CAD > Draw Oval to draw an
oval, which is a four-arc approximation 2. Draw the first spline segment just as you
of an ellipse. would a line. A single spline segment
looks identical to a line.
To draw an oval, select CAD> Draw Oval
, then click and drag at an angle to define You may need to turn off Angle Snaps
its maximum height and width. to draw freely. See “Angle Snaps”
Once an oval is created, it can be edited. See on page 45.
“Editing Circles, Ovals and Ellipses” on
page 62 and “CAD Circle/Oval/Ellipse
Ellipses
An Ellipse is a set of points with a
constant combined distance from two
points called foci. An ellipse looks like a 3. Draw the second segment from the end
stretched circle, or a circular surface viewed of the first at a different angle.
at an angle.
To draw an ellipse, select CAD> Draw As drawn
Ellipse and drag at an angle to define its

maximum height and width.
Once an ellipse is created, it can be edited. Result
See “Editing Circles, Ovals and Ellipses” on
page 62 and “CAD Circle/Oval/Ellipse 4. As soon as two straight spline segments
Specification Dialog” on page 360. connect end-to-end, the straight seg-
ments become a curve that passes
Splines through the endpoints defined by the
A Spline is a curve that passes original segments. Each point is called a
smoothly through a set of points. Select vertex.
CAD> Draw Spline to draw connected line
segments that form a spline.
355
5. Draw a few more segments, connecting You can also form a closed spline by drawing
each to the free end of a previously a segment between its two free ends.
drawn segment.
6. Notice as additional segments are drawn Dimension Tools
that the curvature of the previous seg- Select CAD> Dimension Lines to
ment changes to create a continuous access the Dimension Tools.
curve between the last three points.
The Dimension Tools can be used with
As drawn CAD and architectural objects and are
discussed in their own chapter. See
“Dimensions” on page 337.
Result Text Tools

The result is an irregular curve that flows Select CAD> Text to access the Text
smoothly through each vertex. Tools. The text tools are discussed in
their own chapter. See “Text, Callouts &
Markers” on page 345.
Line Specification Dialog

Select a line, line with arrow, or text line with button to open the Line Specification
dialog.
arrow and click the Open Object edit
Line Tab
The information on the Line tab of the Line found on the Selected Line tabs of various
Specification dialog is similar to that specification dialogs in the program.
356
• Enter a length and angle for the line. • The X and Y coordinates of the starting
• Enter X and Y coordinates for the end of point of the line display as a reference.
the line.
Line Style Tab

The Line Style tab is found in the objects. Here you can control the display of a
specification dialogs for many different CAD line or the lines that make up an object.
• Click the Line Color box to open the • Click the Line Style drop-down list to
Color Chooser dialog and specify a select from a variety of available line
new line color. See “Color Chooser Dia- styles.
log” on page 308.
357
Arrow Tab
• Check Include Arrow to create an • Specify the arrowhead’s Size.

arrowhead. • Check the box beside Arrow On Both
• Select an arrowhead Type from the drop- Ends to create a two-headed arrow.
down list. • Place a check in any of the Default boxes
• Click the Fill Color box to select a new to restore that setting to the default set-
color in the Color Chooser dialog. See ting.
“Color Chooser Dialog” on page 308.
Arc Specification Dialog

Select an arc and click the Open Object
edit button to open the Arc Specification
dialog.
358
Arc Tab
1 2
1 Arc - These parameters define the arc. • Arc Length - The length of the arc along
Various controls are disabled depending the curve.
on what lock option is used.
• Center X - Specify the x coordinate for 2 Start X - Specify information about the
starting point of the selected arc.
the center of the arc.
• Start X - Specify the X coordinate for the
• Center Y - Specify the y coordinate for starting point of the arc.
the center of the arc.
• Start Y - Specify the Y coordinate for the
• Radius - The distance between the center starting point of the arc.
of the arc and the arc surface.
• Start Direction - Specify the angle of a
• Start Angle - Specify the angle that a line tangent line at the start of the arc.
drawn from the arc center to the arc start
makes with a horizontal line to the right. 3 Start X - Specify information about the
end point of the selected arc.
• End Angle - Specify the angle that a line
drawn from the arc center to the arc end • End X - Specify the X coordinate for the
makes with a horizontal line to the right. end of the arc.
• Arc Angle - The angle between the cen- • End Y - Specify the Y coordinate for the
ter of the arc and each end. end of the arc.
359
• End Direction - Specify the angle of a from the start of the arc to the end of the
tangent line at the end of the arc. arc).
4 Start X - Specify the length and angle Line Style Tab

of the selected arc’s chord, which is the
line drawn between its start and end points. For information about the Line Style tab, see
• Chord Length - The straight line dis- “Line Style Tab” on page 357.
tance between the two ends of the arc.
• Chord Angle - Specify the angle of the Arrow Tab
chord (the imaginary straight line going For information about the Arrow tab, see
“Arrow Tab” on page 358.
CAD Circle/Oval/Ellipse Specification Dialog

Select a circle, oval or ellipse and click the The CAD Ellipse Specification dialog
has a General tab that allows you to precisely
Open Object edit button to open the
define the size and position of the selected
CAD Circle, CAD Oval or CAD Ellipse
object that the other two dialogs do not have.
General Tab
1 Center - Specify information about the • Specify the Y Position of the ellipses’s
selected ellipse’s center point. center point.
• Specify the X Position of the ellipse’s • Specify the Angle of ellipse.
center point.
1 Size - Specify the size of the selected
ellipse.
360
• Specify the Length of the ellipse. Fill Style Tab

• Specify the Width of the ellipse. For information about the Fill Style tab, see
Line Style Tab
Polylines
Closed Polylines Open Polylines
A polyline consists of two or more line and/ Polylines can be copied, moved, reshaped, or
or arc segments that are attached at their resized as a single unit. See “Editing Open
endpoints. If a polyline connects with itself, Polyline Based Objects” on page 53 and
it is a closed polyline; if there is a gap in the “Editing Closed-Polyline Based Objects” on
polyline, it is open. page 56.
Create a polyline by drawing lines and/or There are a number of unique polyline
arcs end-to-end, allowing the end of each editing behaviors that you should be familiar
successive object to snap to the end of the with before creating and editing polylines.
previous one. See “Editing Open Polyline Based Objects”
on page 53 and “Editing Closed-Polyline
Based Objects” on page 56.
Polyline Specification Dialog

Select a polyline or spline and click the The information on the Fill Style tab of the
Polyline Specification dialog is similar
to that for many other objects in the program.
Polyline Specification dialog.
361
Polyline Tab
The Polyline tab of the Polyline
Specification dialog indicates the length
of the perimeter, the enclosed area, and the
volume of a closed polyline.
If the polyline is not closed, “Not closed”
displays under Area.
Selected Line Tab

The Selected Line tab is available when the Selected Arc Tab
selected segment of the polyline is a line as
opposed to an arc. The data here applies to The Selected Arc tab is available when the
the selected line segment. See “Selected selected segment of the polyline is an arc as
Edge” on page 47. opposed to a line. The data here applies to
the selected arc.
Moving the End of a line segment moves
move the start of the next connected line, if The Selected Arc tab of the Polyline
there is one. Specification dialog is similar to the Arc
tab of the Arc Specification dialog. See
The Selected Line tab of the Polyline “Arc Tab” on page 359.
Specification dialog is similar to the Line
tab of the Line Specification dialog. See Line Style Tab
“Line Tab” on page 356.
For information about using the Line Style
Moving the End of a line segment moves tab, see “Line Style Tab” on page 360.
move the start of the next connected line, if
there is one.
Fill Style Tab

Fill patterns can be applied to boxes, circles, The information on the Fill Style tab for
closed polylines and a variety of architectural polylines is similar to that for many other
objects. objects in the program.
362
1 Fill Pattern - Choose a fill pattern from This overrides the layer color. See “Color
the drop-down list. If the pattern Chooser Dialog” on page 308.
Custom is selected, the custom pattern
options become available below. 7 Select Use Background Color to use
the background color for solid fills or
The options that follow are disabled until you patterns.
select a pattern other than None from the Fill
Pattern drop-down list. 8 Check Use Layer Color to have the fill
pattern use the layer color for the
2 Spacing - Define the spacing for the pattern lines. If it is a solid fill, the fill color
selected fill pattern. Hatch spacing set is the same as the layer’s color.
at 12" matches grid/reference spacing set at
12". 9 Custom Pattern File and Name - This
section is enabled when Custom is
Angle - Define the angle of the selected selected from the Fill Pattern list.
3
fill pattern. • Click the Browse button to open the
Set the Line Weight for the selected fill Custom Pattern File dialog and select
4 a pattern (.pat) file from the Chief Archi-
pattern.
tect Patterns directory or a custom .pat
5 Check Transparent Pattern Fill to file elsewhere on your computer. The
make the fill pattern transparent. When selected .pat file’s path name displays
you check this option, any objects behind the and can be edited in the text field.
fill pattern are visible through it.
• Select a Pattern from the drop-down list.
Fill Pattern Color - Select a line color This list includes all custom patterns
6
or fill color if a solid fill is specified. available in the selected file.
• Specify a Scale for the selected pattern.
363
CAD Box Specification Dialog

Select a CAD box and click the Open Fill Style Tab
Object edit button to open the CAD For information about the Fill Style tab, see
Box Specification dialog. “Fill Style Tab” on page 362.
Line Style Tab

“Line Tab” on page 356.
364
Chapter 28:
Advanced Design
& Editing
Chapter Overview
The tools described in this chapter allow you they are free of code violations and other
to track the time you spend on plans, errors.
eliminating guesswork and making billing
easier. Chapter Contents
Others let you draw plans with ease and • House Wizard
flexibility, and run checks on plans you • Plan Check
completed so you can be more confident that • Loan Calculator
House Wizard
The House Wizard is a time-saving Start House Wizard
feature used to create a preliminary
room-by-room design of a home without Select Tools> House Wizard> Start
getting caught up in the details. Once the House Wizard. The House Wizard
shape and layout of the rooms are finalized, leads you through a series of windows that
the House Wizard converts them into a gather information about the rooms you want
working plan that can be edited and detailed to include in your house. When you click
to completion. Finish and close the House Wizard, the
selected room boxes display.
365
• Try to line up the rooms so that they are

just touching. Excessive overlaps may
cause your rooms to form incorrectly.
Closets are the exception. You can over-
lap a room with a closet, or place in
inside another room box.
• Rooms can be copied and pasted using
the Copy/Paste edit button and
deleted using the Delete edit button.
• Select Tools> House Wizard to

access the list of room boxes and place
additional rooms in your plan. Select an
item from the list and click in the plan to
Room boxes can now be arranged into a floor place a room box of that type.
plan.
• Select Tools> House Wizard> Hide
Editing Rooms Room Boxes or click the toggle but-
ton to hide or show the room boxes.
Build House
When the rooms are in place, select
Tools> House Wizard> Build House
to convert the rooms into a building model.
Walls and doors are inserted between the
rooms that you arranged.
Multiple Floors
If you specified a two-story house, follow
these steps:
1. Arrange the rooms on floor one as

• Select room boxes using the Select described.
Objects tool just like other objects in 2. Use the Build House tool to create the
Home Designer Suite. See “Selecting walls on the first floor.
Objects” on page 46. 3. Turn on Reference Layers by pressing
• Room boxes can be resized, rotated, and F9 on your keyboard.
rearranged. See “Editing Box-Based 4. Add a second floor, making it blank.
366
5. On the second floor, select Tools>

House Wizard> Build House .
6. Arrange the second floor rooms as
desired, using the reference display as a
guide.
7. Use Build House to complete the sec-
ond floor.
Plan Check
Plan Check checks the floor of your
plan shown on screen for anything that Disclaimer: The Plan Check feature in
appears to violate common building Home Designer Suite compares your
practices. Plan Check may not find all the plan with common building practices. This
Plan Check does not claim to detect all build-
problems in a plan, but does it point out areas
ing code and design requirements. Always
that may need improvement. have your plans checked by a licensed pro-
As your plan evolves, a number of things that fessional before beginning actual construc-
tion.
may become incorrect can be fixed using
Plan Check. For example, doors that change
To run Plan Check, select Tools> Plan
from exterior to interior as you add new
rooms are redrawn without the threshold line Check
that marks an exterior door. A cabinet,
fixture or furniture item that is against a wall
because the wall was moved into it, as
opposed to the item moving, are attached to
the wall.
367
Plan Check Dialog • Click Done to terminate Plan Check.

Potential plan errors found are usually
highlighted in floor plan view. To ensure the
1 highlighted item is on-screen, make sure the
entire plan is shown in the window before
2 you run Plan Check.
3 If this dialog obscures the floor plan view,
drag its title bar to move it. It remembers its
new position and displays there the next time
Plan Check is run.
Room Types
1 The current error number, along with Plan Check can do a much better job of
the total number of errors found.
checking for problems if it knows what the
2 A description of the current error rooms in your plan are to be used for, so you
displays here.
should assign a Room Type to each room in
your plan. See “Room Types” on page 115.
3 Options for navigating Plan Check are
found on the right side.
The first time Plan Check runs in a plan, it
• Click Next to ignore the current error and automatically assigns a room type to as many
proceed to the next. undesignated rooms as it can. Some rooms
• Click Previous to return to the previous are determined by their size and shape, and
error. others by their contents. For example, a shelf
in a small room indicates a closet; a stove or
• Click Hold to suspend Plan Check so you
refrigerator indicates a kitchen; or a bed, a
can fix the current error. Select Tools>
bedroom. If the program cannot assign a
Checks> Plan Check again and the
room type, Plan Check highlights it and
check starts where it left off.
suggests that you do so manually.
Loan Calculator
Select Tools> Loan Calculator to aspects of a loan for the current plan based
open the Loan Calculator dialog. on a variety of parameters.
This dialog lets you calculate different
368
• Specify the desired Term, in years.

• Specify the desired Interest Rate.
1 • Specify the desired Monthly Payment.
2 4 The Optional Fields allow you to
include additional information in your
3 loan calculation.
• Specify the expected Property Taxes per
year.
• Specify the expected Homeowner’s
Insurance cost per year.
• Specify the expected Private Mortgate
4 Insurance (PMI) cost per year.
• Specify the cost of any expected Other
Fees.
When Monthly Payment is calculated, each
Optional value is divided by twelve (months)
and then added to the total payment.
When a Calculate option other than Monthly
Payment is selected, these values are divided
1 Specify what aspect of the loan you
would like to calculate from the by twelve (months) and then subtracted from
Calculate drop-down list: the specified Monthly Payment value. The
• Monthly Payment result, which does not display, is then used to
determine the Loan Amount, Term or Interest
• Loan Amount Rate.
• Term
• Interest Rate
2 The calculation Result, based on the

information you provide, displays here.
If you make changes to any of the fields in
the dialog, click the = button to refresh the
Result.
3 The Required Fields are the same as

the options in the Calculate drop-down
list. The option selected under Calculate will
be inactive under Required Fields.
• Specify the desired Loan Amount.
369
370
Chapter 29:
Pictures, Images,
& Walkthroughs
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Suite can save any view in a Chapter Contents
wide variety of picture file formats. Picture • Picture Files vs. Pictures and Image
files can also be imported into Home Objects
Designer Suite and shown in most views. • Importing Picture Files
• Editing Picture Files
Home Designer Suite also contains many
• Exporting Picture Files
images of real world objects such as trees,
• Picture File Box Specification Dialog
plants, people, and vehicles in the Library
• Creating Images
Browser. Images are actual objects that can
• Placing Images
be edited in a variety of ways.
• Displaying Images
Home Designer Suite allows you to create • Resizing an Image
virtual tours that can be saved as .avi files, • Image Specification Dialog
shared with others, and played back later. • Metafiles
• Editing Metafiles
• Metafile Specification Dialog
• Copy Region as Picture
• Walkthroughs
371
Picture Files vs. Pictures and Image Objects

Home Designer Training Video: Image A picture, on the other hand, is an image that
Objects that has been imported into the program from
a picture file. Pictures can be imported into
In common computer language, picture files,
floor plan view and cross section/elevation
pictures and images are more or less
views. They are two-dimensional only; they
synonymous. In Home Designer Suite,
do not display in camera views or overviews.
however, there are some notable differences
between these terms. An image object is also based on a picture
file, but it does display in both 2D and 3D
In Home Designer Suite, a picture file (such
views. Images have 3D width and height data
as a .bmp, .jpg, .gif, or .png) is a two
associated with them, as well as a 2D symbol
dimensional image file. You can find
which displays in floor plan view.
examples saved on most computers.
Importing Picture Files

Home Designer Training Video: PNG) to insert a picture file into a plan
Importing a Home Photo for Landscap- file. The Import Picture File dialog opens
ing so you can browse to a picture file on your
Picture files can be imported into floor computer.
plan view and cross section/elevation
views. Picture files do not display in camera You can also import a picture directly
views or overviews. into floor plan view by dragging an
Select File> Import> Picture (BMP, JPG, image file from a Windows Explorer window
into the Chief Architect window.
372
Import Picture File Dialog
1
2
3
4
1 Navigate to the folder containing the from the menu, or by using the Screen
picture to be imported. Capture tools. See “Paste” on page 70.
2 Select the picture file from the list. Importing Backdrops

3 File name shows the selected picture. Backdrops for 3D views can be imported
4 Files of type can be *.bmp, *.jpg, directly into the Library Browser from
*.png, *.gif, *.tif, or *.pcx. anywhere on your computer. See “Adding
Click Open to finish importing the picture. Backdrops to the Library” on page 297.
The picture is placed in the center of the
current view. Importing/Exporting
Metafiles
Using Paste Image Enhanced Metafiles (.emf) and Windows
You can also import a picture by first Metafiles (.wmf) can be imported. .emf files
copying it to the Windows Clipboard, can also be exported. See “Metafiles” on
then navigating to a Home Designer Suite page 378.
window and selecting Edit> Paste> Paste
Editing Picture Files

Picture files can be selected individually and Using the Mouse
as a group in 2D and 3D views and edited
using the edit handles, the edit toolbar and Pictures can be edited like CAD boxes. See
their specification dialog. See “Picture File “Editing Box-Based Objects” on page 59.
Box Specification Dialog” on page 375.
373
Using the Edit Buttons

A selected picture or pictures can be edited in open the specification dialog for the
a variety of ways using the buttons on the selected picture(s). See “Picture File Box
edit toolbar. As with most objects, pictures Specification Dialog” on page 375.
can be copied, replicated, moved, deleted,
etc. See “Using the Edit Toolbar” on page 60. • Click the Accurate Move edit button
to slow down the mouse speed for the
next edit operation. See “Accurate Move”
on page 66.
pictures.
to center the selected picture(s) along a
wall within a room or relative to a cabinet
the selected picture.
Exporting Picture Files

The Export Picture tool is similar to dialog and save the current view as a picture
creating a screen capture of everything file.
in the current Home Designer Suite window.
Files may be saved in various picture file
Select File> Export> Picture (BMP, JPG,
formats. These files can then be used in other
PNG) to open the Export Picture File
applications.
1 Navigate to the desired folder. 3 Give the picture a name.

2 The pictures that exist in the current 4 Save as type can be *.bmp, *.jpg,
folder display here. *.png, *.tif, or *.pcx.
374
Click Save to finish. Importing/Exporting

Metafiles
Enhanced Metafiles (.EMF) can be imported
and exported. See “Metafiles” on page 378.
Picture File Box Specification Dialog

Select an imported picture file and click the Check the Show Outline box to turn on the
display of the picture’s border polyline.
Picture File Box Specification dialog.
Line Style Tab

The Line Style tab in the Picture File Box
Specification dialog is similar to the same
tab in numerous other dialogs, with one For more information about the Line Style
exception. tab, see “Line Style Tab” on page 357.
Creating Images
Select Build> Image to view the There are two types of images in the
Image Tools, which allow you to use program:
2D images representing real world objects to
enhance your 3D views. • Images rotate so that they always
face the camera in 3D views.
Images have the advantage of making 3D
views and renderings more realistic without • Billboard Images do not rotate to
adding many surfaces to the model. For face the camera. An example of when
example, a realistic tree image can be used this may be useful is an image of a trellis,
instead of a tree symbol with thousands of which might look awkward when facing
surfaces, dramatically improving realism a camera from a side view.
without compromising drawing time.
To create an image in floor plan view
An image is not the same as a picture file.
See “Picture Files vs. Pictures and Image 1. In floor plan view, select Build>
Objects” on page 372. Images are associated
with a 2D plan symbol for floor plan view Image> Create Image or Billboard
and have width and height data assigned to Image to open the Image
them. Specification dialog. See “Image
375
2. On the Image tab: To create an image in the Library Browser

• Click the Browse button to select a pic-
1. From the Library Browser, select an
ture file on your computer or enter the
unlocked library, folder, subfolder, or
path to a valid picture file in the Image
image.
File field.
• Select a 2D plan symbol to represent 2. Right-click with the mouse and select
the image in floor plan view. Choose a New> Image to open the Image
2D Plan Symbol from the list or click Specification dialog. See “Image
the Library button and select a symbol Specification Dialog” on page 377.
from the library. See “Image Tab” on 3. Once created, the image is listed in the
page 378. Library Browser where you right-
• Enter Height and/or Width and Loca- clicked. Size and other data is saved.
tion information.
3. Enter transparency information and Using Paste Image
layer information on the Transparency You can also import an image by first
tab. copying it to the Windows Clipboard,
4. Click OK to close the Image then navigating to a Chief Architect window
Specification dialog. and selecting Edit> Paste> Paste from the
menu, or by using the Screen Capture tools.
5. Click to place the new image in floor
See “Paste” on page 70.
plan view.
Placing Images
Open the Library Browser and expand or overview to place it. See “Images” on
the Image category. Select an image page 293.
and click in a floor plan view, camera view
Displaying Images
The display of images in floor plan and 3D
represented by an Image symbol. You
views can be controlled in the Display
can specify a different symbol to represent an
Options dialog. See “Displaying Objects”
image if you wish. See “Image Specification
on page 88.
Images are placed on the Images layer.
In 3D Views
In Floor Plan View
The actual picture associated with an image
In floor plan view, most images are typically object can be seen in 3D views. It is sized
376
according to its Width and Height Images can be set to either rotate so that they
specifications. Any transparency data always face the camera or to remain
associated with the image will also be stationary, like billboards. See “Creating
applied. See “Image Specification Dialog” Images” on page 375.
on page 377.
Resizing an Image
Images can be resized in 2D and 3D views as dragging the circular Resize edit handle at
well as in the Image Specification the top. The picture image and the 2D
dialog. See “Image Specification Dialog” on symbol resize proportionally.
page 377.
When either the height or the width is
changed, the rest of the image resizes
proportionally.
Images can be resized in floor plan view by
dragging the circular handles at the top of the
2D symbol. This method retains the aspect
ratio of the of the image and 2D CAD block..
An image can be resized in any 3D view by
Image Specification Dialog

Select the image and click the Open Object
edit button to open the Image
377
Image Tab
1
2
3
4
6
5
1 Image File - The path and name of the 4 Width - Enter a width for the selected
selected image. Click Browse to open image. The height adjusts
the Library Browser and replace the current proportionally.
image with a different one.
5 Location - Locate the selected image
2 2D Plan Symbol - Select a 2D plan precisely by specifying its X
symbol from the drop-down list to mark Coordinate and Y Coordinate.
the location of the image in floor plan view.
Height Above - Specify the image height
3 Height - Enter a height for the selected above the ground, if applicable.
image. The width adjusts
proportionally.
Metafiles
A metafile (.emf, .wmf) is a special file Exporting Metafiles
format that is made up of vectors (lines) that
allow the image to be rescaled without loss An enhanced metafile (.emf) can be
of quality. High resolution pictures can be exported from any vector-based view -
exported as a metafile. that is, any view except 3D views. Only
items that display on screen are written to the
metafile.
378
To export a metafile Specify, too the desired Dots Per Inch

(DPI) for the metafile. A larger value
1. Accurately position the view on screen. results in a higher quality metafile, but
2. Select File> Export> Metafile (EMF) also a larger file size.
.
Cross Section/Elevation Views
3. Drag a marquee from corner to cor- and Metafiles
ner, defining the area that will become a
metafile. The Metafile Size dialog from a Cross
Section/Elevation view also allows you
4. Release the mouse to open the Export specify the printed line weight of a metafile
Metafile dialog. created from any Cross Section/Elevation
view.
5. Enter a name and location for the meta-

file. To increase the printing line weight, type a
6. Click Save to close the Export larger number in the Wall Line Thickness
Metafile dialog and open the Metafile box.
Size dialog.
This option has no effect on a metafile
created from a floor plan view. Metafiles
created from a floor plan view use the line
weights defined in the Layer Display
Options dialog. See “Display Options
Importing Metafiles
Select File> Import> Metafile
7. Specify the metafile desired Width or (EMF,WMF) from floor plan view, or
Height. When one value is edited, the a cross section/elevation view to open the
other changes to maintain its aspect Import Metafile dialog, which is a typical
ratio. Metafiles can always be resized open file dialog. See “Opening a Plan File”
later. on page 80.
379
Editing Metafiles
Once imported into a plan, a metafile can be As with most objects, metafiles can be
selected and edited like other objects. See copied, replicated, moved, deleted, etc. See
“Selecting Objects” on page 46. “Using the Edit Toolbar” on page 60.
Using Edit Handles display on the edit toolbar for a selected
Metafiles can be edited using their edit metafile.
handles much the way CAD boxes can. See
open the Metafile Specification
dialog. See “Metafile Specification Dia-
Using Edit Buttons log” on page 380.
A selected metafile can be edited in a variety
of ways using the buttons on the edit toolbar.
Metafile Specification Dialog

Select an imported metafile and click the Uncheck the Show Outline box to turn off
Open Object edit button to open the the display of the picture’s border polyline.
Metafile Specification dialog.
Line Style Tab

The Line Style tab of the Metafile
Specification dialog is similar to the Line
Style tab in numerous other dialogs, with one For more information about the Line Style
exception. tab, see “Line Style Tab” on page 357.
Copy Region as Picture

You can copy any portion of the screen 2. Select Edit> Copy Region as Picture
and save it as a picture. . Your pointer displays a marquee
icon.
To use Copy Region as Picture
3. Click and drag a rectangular selection
1. Open the view that you would like to marquee around the desired region.
copy all or part of as a picture. 4. The selection is copied to the Windows
clipboard.
380
• If the current view is vector-based, the • If the current view is a 3D view, the
Metafile Size dialog displays region is sent directly to the Windows
because the program uses this file for- clipboard.
mat to produce vector-based pictures. 5. From there, the picture can be pasted
See “Metafiles” on page 378. into another view or another program.
Walkthroughs
Home Designer Training Video: Cam- 4. An Information message displays,
eras: Virtual Walk-thoughs reminding you that while a walkthrough
is being recorded along a path, you
A 3D Walkthrough is a series of picture
should avoid using your computer.
files saved in .avi format that can be
played by other applications such as 5. In the Walkthrough Options dialog:
Windows Media Player. • Specify the desired number of Frames
Per Second, between 1 and 100. A
There are two ways to record a walkthrough:
higher number results in a higher qual-
• Draw a path in floor plan view using the ity recording but also a larger .avi file.
CAD tools, then direct the program to • Specify a Duration Along Path, in
record a walkthrough along that path. seconds.
• Create a 3D view, then begin recording • The Total Frames to Record equals
and use the Move Camera tools to navi- the Frames Per Second times the Dura-
gate through the view. tion along Path.
If you resize the current view window while • Specify a Compression percentage
recording a walkthrough, the program will between 0 and 100. A value of 0 gives
stop recording. the highest quality images and largest
file sizes.
To record a walkthrough along a path • Click OK.
1. Using CAD tools such as lines and arcs To cancel the recording as it is being created,
or splines, draw a path in floor plan view press the ESC key on your keyboard.
that travels through a single floor of
your plan. To record a walkthrough frame by frame
2. Select the polyline or spline path. 1. Create a camera view. This view is the
3. Click the Record Walkthrough Along first frame of the walkthrough.
Path edit button or select 3D> 2. From the view, select 3D> Walk-
Walkthroughs> Record Walkthrough throughs> Record Walkthrough .
Along Path from the menu.
381
3. Specify a location and name for the • You can then use the Save Frame
walkthrough in the Write Movie File button to control what views are saved.
dialog and click Save.
• You can start recording again by select-
4. In the Walkthrough Options dialog: ing 3D> Walkthroughs> Pause
Recording once more.
7. When the walkthrough sequence is com-
plete, select 3D>Walkthroughs> Stop
Recording or close the view.
• Select a Frame Rate between 1 and Note: Zooming in and out and using the scroll
100. The value entered is the number bars does not change the viewpoint and does
of frames per second. not produce a frame for the walkthrough.
• Select a Compression Percent
between 0 and 100. A value of 0 gives To play a walkthrough
the highest quality images and the larg- 1. Select 3D> Walkthroughs> Play
est file size. Walkthrough to open the Open Movie
• Click OK. File dialog.
5. Use the camera movement tools to cre- 2. Browse to an .avi on your computer.
ate additional views. Each time the Your default video application plays the
screen redraws, that view is recorded as walkthrough.
the next frame in sequence. See “Editing
3D Views” on page 323. Select 3D> Play Walkthrough to open
the Open Movie File dialog. Browse
6. To move the camera without saving a
to an .avi file on your computer. Your default
view, select 3D> Walkthroughs> Pause
video application plays the walkthrough.
Recording to temporarily stop
recording.
382
Chapter 30:
Importing &
Exporting
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Suite allows you to import Chapter Contents
and export files from, and to, other plans or • Compatibility
other CAD programs. Importing is the • Importing 3D Symbols
process of opening a file in Home Designer • Exporting 2D DXF Files
Suite that was produced in a different • Additional 2D Export Information
program. Exporting is the process of saving a
file in a format that can be read by another
program.
383
Compatibility
Importing • Terrain data in .txt format
Home Designer Suite supports import of the • GPS data in .gpx format
following:
Exporting
• .obj files
• .3ds files Home Designer Suite supports export of the
following:
• .skp files
• 2D image files in .bmp, .jpg, .png, and
• 2D image files in .bmp, .jpg, .png, .emf, .emf formats
and .wmf formats.
• 3D views as 2D .dxf files
Importing 3D Symbols
Home Designer Training Video: Select File> Import> 3D Symbol
Importing 3D Symbols Data from the menu to open the
Import 3D Symbol Data dialog.
Import 3D Symbol Data
Browse to a file and click Open to import the Home Designer Suite supports the import of
symbol, then click in floor plan view to paste 3D surface and 3D solid objects saved to.3ds,
the symbol. Files can also be dragged and .obj and .skp formats. Home Designer Suite
dropped into floor plan view. treats imported symbols as stand alone
fixtures.
384
Exporting 2D DXF Files

2D files can be exported from Home To export the floor that is currently
Designer Suite in .dxf file format. You can visible, select File> Export> Current
specify the version of AutoCAD to export to. View (DXF).
Compatibility with other software may vary.
To export the floor plan view for all
There are two ways to export .dxf files, both floors simultaneously, select File>
using the Export Drawing File dialog. Export> All Floors (DXF) from any floor
of the plan.
Export Drawing File
At the bottom of the dialog, specify which objects shown, select File> Export> Cur-
version of AutoCAD you want your .dxf file rent View . Name the file and save in the
to be compatible with. desired location.
The rest of the Export Drawing File dia-
log is similar to the Save Plan File dialog, Before exporting, turn off the color
but the file type is .dxf. (Tools> Display Settings> Color Off)
in the 3D view so that only lines show. This
DXF 2D View reveals which lines will be visible in the
exported file.
Sometimes a flat 2D drawing of a 3D camera
view, overview or elevation is needed. When
the 3D view is on screen with the desired
385
Additional 2D Export Information

The export process converts high level Home • Three kinds of dimensions are generated:
Designer Suite objects (doors, windows, etc) Aligned, Rotated and 3 Point Angular.
into simple, CAD-based objects (lines, • Please refer to AutoCAD documentation
circles, etc). Home Designer Suite exports all for more information.
data to AutoCAD’s model space. The
following entity types are currently Block Insert - A block insert is a reference
supported for 2D export: to a block, which is a named collection of
entities. A block can also contain block
Line - The simplest entity. In AutoCAD, this inserts.
is a 3 dimensional line with the Z coordinate
set to zero. In addition to the above entities several other
things are also written to the file as follows:
Arc - Arcs have a start angle, end angle and
radius.
Line Type
Circle - Fully Supported.
A line type is used by layers and entities to
Multi Line Text - If exporting to an determine how lines are drawn. Home
AutoCAD release that supports multi-line Designer Suite line types are supported on
text, Home Designer Suite writes the file as export.
multi-line text. If exporting to a version that
does not support multi-line text, the file is Layers
written as simple text.
Layers in other systems are similar to Home
Polyline - Polylines are a collection of points Designer Suite layers, but there are some
with lines or arcs connecting them. Home subtle differences. The following
Designer Suite supports both lines and arcs. information in a layer is mapped as follows:
Arcs are referred to as bulges in AutoCAD.
Dimension - Home Other Systems
• Each dimension has an associated block Designer
that contains a representation of the Suite
dimension as it is drawn in Home Name Name
Designer Suite. It also contains all the Color Nearest AutoCAD Color.
data to recreate that information. Home Designer Suite uses the
• When an exported dimension is modified default AutoCAD color table to
in AutoCAD or another CAD program, determine this mapping.
its appearance changes. Display On
• Home Designer Suite does not support
arrowhead styles or fonts.
386
Size Line Weight. In AutoCAD, line

weights are determined by a
table of mm line widths. Home
Designer Suite maps to the
closest match in the default line
weight table based the Line
Weight Scale set in the Page
Setup dialog. See “Page Setup
Style Line type
Lock Lock
387
388
Chapter 31:
Printing
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Print- Chapter Contents
ing • Introduction to Printing
Home Designer Suite offers a variety of • Printers
printing options, from printing plan and 3D • The Printing Tools
views to set of templates that can be • Display Options and Printing
assembled into a 3D model. • Printing Directly from a View
• Printing to Scale
Home Designer Suite also allows you to save • Printing Across Multiple Pages
your drawings in an electronic file format • Printing to a PDF File
that can then be sent to a printing service. • Print Model
• Page Setup Dialog
Screen captures are provided for • Print Dialog
illustrative purposes only and are not an • Print Image Dialog
endorsement of any products.
389
Introduction to Printing
Terminology
Always familiarize yourself with your
printer before a deadline. It takes a little There are a couple of terms that you should
time to configure the machine properly when familiarize yourself with.
you first start.
Paper Size - The dimensions of the paper to
Home Designer Suite offers printing options be printed on. Specifying a paper size that is
to suit a variety of needs. You will benefit smaller than the scaled drawing allows you
from understanding the output options to print across multiple pages.
clearly and choosing the one that makes the Printing Scale - Drawings are often printed
most sense for the project at hand. to scale for accuracy. Home Designer Suite
prints to a scale of 1/16” = 1’ by default,
Output Options although this scale can be changed in the
Page Setup dialog. See “Page Setup
Printing Directly From a View - Print any
view of your plan on your printer. Home
Designer Suite can print to almost any printer When a particular scale is not important,
that supports printing graphics from drawings can also be sized to fill a particular
Windows programs. See “The Printing area. See “Printing to Scale” on page 393.
Printing to a Remote Printer - Plans can be
Printing Problems
saved as a .pdf file and printed remotely. See Home Designer Suite can print to almost any
“Printing to a PDF File” on page 394. printer that supports printing graphics from
Print Model - If your final printed output Windows programs. If you encounter
will be used to create a 3D model of your difficulties when trying to print, see
design, the Print Model feature works best. “Troubleshooting Printing Problems” on
See “Print Model” on page 394. page 408.
Printers
Printer Drivers It is useful to keep track of the drivers for
each printer you use and update them
Printer drivers are programs that interpret whenever the Windows operating system is
between software programs and the printer. updated or replaced.
The drivers are usually created by the
manufacturer of the printer and are typically
updated regularly. Different drivers are used Note: You should only update your printer
driver if you are having problems printing.
for different versions of Windows.
390
To find the version of your printer driver, problems installing a printer driver, refer to
select Start> Control Panel> Printers and your printer documentation for technical
Faxes to view the Printers information for support.
Windows. Select the printer in question, then
choose File> Properties.
Options available with one driver may
In most Printer Properties dialogs is an not be available with another. Printers
About button. Click this button to find the supported in one version of Windows may not
be supported by the manufacturer in another.
version and creation date of the driver
currently in use. If you experience printing
problems and yours is not the latest driver, Clearing Printer Information
consider replacing it with an updated driver. Some information specific to individual
Visit your printer manufacturer’s Web site printers, such as available printer paper sizes,
for more information. is saved with each plan file. You can select
Windows provides information about File> Print> Clear Printer Info to clear the
installing print drivers. To access Windows printer-specific information stored with the
help, select Start> Help. If you have plan file.
The Printing Tools

Select File> Print to view the Print Print Image - Prints a screen view
Tools submenu. including images, textures and
backdrops. See “Print Image Dialog” on
Page Setup - Opens the Page Setup
page 399.
dialog, where printing options are set.
See “Page Setup Dialog” on page 396. Print Model - Opens the Print
Model dialog, allowing you to print
Scale to Fit - Automatically selects a
templates for making a physical model of
scale that fits your plan to the printer
your plan. See “Print Model” on page 394.
page. See “Printing to Scale” on page 393.
Clear Printer Info - Clears the printer
Center Sheet - Automatically centers
information associated with the current page
your drawing on the sheet. See “Center
setup.
Sheet” on page 392.
Print Preview - Shows how your view
will appear when printed. See “Print
Preview” on page 392.
Print - Prints the current floor plan or
cross section/elevation view. See
“Print Dialog” on page 397.
391
Display Options and Printing

The display of objects in views can be used Print Preview
to affect the printed output. Some display
options allow you to preview the printed Select File> Print> Print Preview for
output on screen before any paper is used. an on-screen representation of how the
current view will appear when printed.
Objects must be visible in order for them to
print; but not all items that are visible print. The printer page displays as a solid white
Camera symbols in floor plan view and the rectangle, and blue lines along the edges of
reference grid, for example, do not print. The the printer page indicate the edges of the
Reference Display prints if it is visible. See printable area, as defined by the currently
“Reference Display” on page 162. selected printer. See “Printers” on page 390.
Objects such as camera symbols that do not
To see how your printed output will print do not display in Print Preview. Text
appear on paper, select File> Print> and dimension objects appear on-screen as
Print Preview. they will on the printed page.
Displaying Objects Center Sheet

You can control the display of objects Select File> Print> Center Sheet to
when printing directly from a view in center the printer page on the drawing.
the Display Options dialog. See “Display This moves the printer page relative to the
Options Dialog” on page 87. drawing but does not affect the coordinates
of objects in the drawing. The location of the
printer page is independent for each floor of
the model.
Printing Directly from a View

To print directly from any floor plan To set up print formatting before printing,
view or cross section/elevation view,
select File> Print> Page Setup . See
choose File> Print> Print. See “Print Dia-
“Page Setup Dialog” on page 396.
log” on page 397.
3D views can be printed using the File>
Print Image option. See “Print Image
392
Printing to Scale
Several different print scaling options are Select File> Print> Scale to Fit in an
available. The type of view that you are orthogonal view to select a suitable
printing determines which options you may scale and recenter the printer page so that
choose from. everything fits on the page.
Imperial drawing scales are typically noted
Orthogonal Views in inches per foot. Larger scales, such as 1
Floor plan and cross section/elevation views inch = 50 feet or 1:200m, are often used for
are orthogonal views, which means: property layouts.
• Your line of sight is at a right angle to all
objects in the view. Perspective Views
• Objects do not appear to decrease in size 3D camera views and overviews are referred
as their distances from the viewer to as perspective views, which means:
increase. • Your line of sight can be at any angle to
Orthogonal views can be printed to scale. the objects in the view.
• Objects seem to decrease in size as their
The scale set in the Page Setup dialog is
distances from the viewer increase.
inherited by the Print dialog. This scale can
be overridden on an individual basis in the Perspective views cannot be scaled and can
Print dialog. See “Print Dialog” on page
only be printed using the Print Image
397.
tool.
Printing Across Multiple Pages

When printing directly from a floor plan To print across multiple pages
view, or cross section/elevation view, or
layout it is possible to print at a scale that 1. Select File> Print> Print Preview
does not fit the drawing on one page. to display the white rectangle represent-
To see on-screen what the drawing will look ing the printer paper. See “Print Pre-
like when printed, select File> Print> Print view” on page 392.
Preview and then Window> Fill 2. Click the Select Objects button,
then click near an edge of the printer
Window . Grey lines across the drawing
paper rectangle to select it.
sheet indicate where the page breaks will
occur. See “Print Preview” on page 392. When selected, the printer paper is
highlighted in pale grey and a square
Move edit handle displays at its center.
393
3. Click and drag the Move edit handle to 5. Select the printer paper rectangle and
position the printer paper so that the por- move it so that the desired contents of
tion of your drawing that you would like your second printed page are within the
to print on your first page is located printable area and print To Scale.
within the printable area of the page. 6. Continue moving the printer paper and
printing as needed.
4. Select File> Print> Print . In the
Print dialog, make sure To Scale is When printing multiple pages, it is generally
selected, then click OK. See “Print Dia- a good idea to leave some overlap on the
log” on page 397. edges of each page to make sure that
information near those edges is not left off
the printed pages by mistake.
Printing to a PDF File

The .pdf, or Portable Document Format, To print to .pdf
creates viewable and printable documents
and is one of the most universally compatible 1. Select your .pdf printer driver as you
and efficient file formats. would select any other printer in the
Page Setup dialog. See “Page Setup
Creating a .pdf document requires that a .pdf Dialog” on page 396.
printer driver be installed on your computer.
This is not a physical print device, but a 2. Select File> Print> Print to open
software program that is recognized as a the Print dialog. Your .pdf printer
printer by all other programs and creates a driver is listed as the selected printer.
.pdf file that can be read and printed using 3. Select the needed options in the Print
Adobe® Reader®. dialog, then click OK.
When you print to a .pdf print driver, you 4. In the Save As dialog, select a File
will be asked for a file name and destination name and Save in location for your .pdf
automatically. file. For more about the Save As dia-
log, see “Saving a Plan File” on page 77.
Print Model
The Model Maker allows you to create a floor plan view, which is printed as a layout
template of your plan that can be printed to for the entire model.
scale and assembled into an actual 3D model.
Since different people build house models in
Three groups of templates are used in the
different ways, the Model Maker focuses on
process. Walls and roofs are printed
providing the most necessary tools. It may
separately. These can then be placed onto a
394
not necessarily give you everything you Printing the Model

might want in order to build house models
your way. For example, you may want to The best way to understand how the various
affix tabs to certain wall or roof edges to help options affect the final product is to make a
attach them to their neighbors. While you very simple two story plan and try them out.
can draw some of these things onto printed To print the model templates, choose File>
sheets, the system does not provide them
automatically. What it does provide is Print> Print Model . The Print Model
accurate templates for wall and roof sections. dialog opens.
Combining these with your own skills helps
you create professional quality models.
The Print Model Dialog
2
3
4
1 Select a Printer from the drop-down Assembling the Model

list and set its Properties; or to print to
a file instead of to a printer. If you check Once the templates have been printed, they
Print to file, the Print to File dialog are ready to be assembled. You need scissors
displays, allowing you to name the file. and an adhesive and a rigid material that can
be easily cut and glued, such as thin
2 Specify the Scale for your model. The cardboard or styrofoam, to provide support
default is 1/16 inch = 1 foot. for the 3D model.
3 Specify the Floor Thickness, the Floor Plan View Template

thickness of the material that you will
Begin by laying out the floor plan view,
use for the floor platform.
which is used as a layout for the entire 3D
4 Check Print in Color to print in color model. If your floor plan view template
rather than black and white. printed on a number of sheets, they should be
395
combined into one. Exterior and interior wall whose exterior surfaces match but overall
surfaces should match throughout. thickness does not. You can prevent this by
checking Use Scale Wall Thickness, which
Adhere your complete floor plan view
prevents walls from resizing. This is best if
template to a sturdy and dedicated surface to
you do not want to print the interior wall
provide support for your walls.
surfaces, or are using a modeling material
Walls that closely matches the scale thickness of
your walls.
Walls should be cut and fixed to a rigid
backing so that they can stand on their own Roofs
and support the weight of the roof or floors
Roof planes are joined together when
above them. How they are cut and assembled
possible before printing. For each roof
varies depending on the desired final
surface, the fascia and soffit surfaces are
appearance of the model and how they were
attached at the eave, so that the least amount
printed.
of taping produces the roof and adjoining
It may be helpful to take the thickness of the surfaces.
rigid material being used into consideration
All flattened roof/fascia/soffit surfaces are
and override the scale thickness of the walls
placed into a CAD detail named “Model
so that it agrees with your material thickness.
Detail.” This is overwritten and updated each
If your walls were resized in the Print time the roof group is printed for a particular
Model dialog, you may see unwanted lines model. If the roof or portions of the roof need
between floors that should merge together to be reprinted, those pieces can be printed
seamlessly. This is usually due to walls from the detail.
Page Setup Dialog

Select File> Print> Page Setup to The settings in this dialog, including the
open the Page Setup dialog. selected printer, are specific to the current
orthogonal view and are saved with the .plan
The Page Setup dialog is only available
file.
when an orthogonal view is active. When a
perspective view is active, File> Print>
Page Setup cannot be selected.
396
1 5
1 Specify the printer paper Size and 3 Specify a print Scale. 1/16 inch = 1 ft is
Source. The options available in these the default.
drop-down lists are controlled by the
currently selected printer’s driver. See 4 Click the Printer button to select a
printer.
“Printer Drivers” on page 390.
5 A preview of the printer paper displays
2 Select Portrait or Landscape paper on the right side of the dialog.
orientation.
Click OK to close the dialog and apply any
changes.
Print Dialog
To print directly from any floor plan or cross
section/elevation view, select File> Print> 3D views can be printed using the File>
Print Image command.
Print . The Print dialog opens.
397
4
3
1 Specify Printer parameters. Note: If you are zoomed out, and Current
Browse the Name drop-down list to Screen is selected, any white space around
choose a printer. the plan is calculated for printing.
Click Properties to verify that the printer is
configured correctly. Paper size, orientation, 3 Select from the available Scaling
and other settings can be accessed here. options.
Check Print to file to create a file for remote Fit to Paper prints the plan on one page. The
printing. Be sure to give the file name a .prn program will use whatever scale is necessary
or .plt extension. Do not check Print to file to fit the plan on one page. If a percentage
if you are creating a .pdf file. less than 100 is specified, only that portion of
the printable area is used.
Printing to a PDF file is often preferable Select To Scale to print at the scale specified
to printing to file. For more information, by settings in the current plan.
see “Printing to a PDF File” on page 394.
4 Select from the available Options.
2 Specify the Print Range. Define the number of Copies.
Current Screen prints only the portion Check the Print in Color box to print in
of the entire View showing on screen. color or clear the check box to print in grey
scale.
Entire Sheet prints the entire sheet even
though you may be zoomed in on a portion of
the view.
398
Most black and white printers will print a

grey scale approximation of the colors if
Print in Color is selected.
Print Image Dialog

Any view can be printed by selecting The Print Image dialog is similar to the
File> Print Image. This is the only Print dialog; however, the printing process
way to print a 3D view. is different. Print Image prints individual
pixels as opposed to vectors.
2 3
1 Specify Printer parameters. Select the Print to file check box to send the
print to a file for remote printing. For more
Choose a printer from the Name list.
information, see “Printing to a PDF File” on
Click Properties to verify that the printer is page 394.
configured correctly. Paper size, orientation,
and other settings are accessed here. 2 Specify the Print Range.
3 Specify the number of Copies.
399
400
Chapter 32:
Materials Lists
Chapter Overview
Home Designer Training Video: Mate- Chapter Contents
rials Lists • Working With the Materials List
Home Designer Suite can calculate a • Creating an Accurate Materials List
Materials List in three ways: From All • Calculate From All Floors
Floors, From Room, or From Area. • Calculate From Area
• Calculate From Room
Materials Lists can then be created, edited, • Editing Materials Lists
and printed directly from the program. They • Exporting the Materials List
can also be exported as text files for use in
other programs.
The Materials List is based on certain

assumptions that may not match your
building style. Home Designer Suite makes
no representation as to the accuracy or reli-
ability of the Materials List generated by
Home Designer Suite. Always compare the
Materials List with a manual take-off before
providing a quote or ordering materials for a
job.
401
Working With the Materials List

The Materials List is based on accumulating
quantities of various items in your model. For comparison, generate Materials
There are several different ways to generate a Lists with and without a proposed plan
list. The Materials List generated from each modification.
method behaves the same; only the content
varies.
It is not necessary to wait until the plan is If you are designing an addition and the
complete to generate a Materials List. A floor, ceiling, and roof information is
Materials List generates based on the current needed, create the building design to comple-
tion and use File> Save As to create a copy
state of the plan.
of the plan under a different name. Then
You can save Materials Lists with your plan, delete the existing structure, leaving only the
but they do not update to include changes building addition, and generate a Materials
made after they are generated. Create a new List using Calculate From All Floors.
Materials List to reflect changes.
Creating an Accurate Materials List

In order to take full advantage of Home use a symbol or some other structural ele-
Designer Suite’s Materials List capabilities, ment.
there are several things to keep in mind. • Keep in mind that certain “tricks,” such
• The accuracy of your Materials List is as using soffits to represent items that
directly related to the accuracy of your aren’t directly supported in Home
model. It takes more than just making Designer Suite can result in items being
your model look right to generate an placed in the Materials List that you
accurate Materials List. If, for example, didn’t expect.
you use CAD lines to draw an item on a
floor plan, that item is not included in the
The more work you put into making
Materials List. A better way would be to your model accurate, the more accurate
your Materials List will be.
Calculate From All Floors

Select Tools> Materials List> Calcu- Any changes made to the model after a
late From All Floors to generate a Materials List is generated are not included
Materials List for the entire model.
402
in that list. Create a new Materials List if you at one time. Use the scroll bar to scroll
would like it to include these changes. through the complete list. Move the pointer
to cells in the list to make changes.
Materials Lists can be lengthy, and only a
portion of the list may display on your screen
Calculate From Room

To calculate the Materials List for a Calculate From Room can also be
room, select the room and select selected from a room’s edit toolbar.
Tools> Materials List> Calculate From
A Materials List calculated from a room is
Room.
created for only the contents of that room:
wall materials are not included.
Calculate From Area

Calculate from Area produces a 2. Click and drag a rectangle around the
Materials List for the portion of a plan area in your plan that you would like to
included within a Materials List Polyline on produce a materials list for.
a single floor. 3. When the mouse button is released, a
materials list for the area within the rect-
To use Calculate from Area angle will display.
Calculate From Area Polylines do not
1. Select Tools> Materials List> Calcu-
display in floor plan view after the list is
late from Area . created.
Editing Materials Lists

Adding Information Changing Information
You can enter information in the Price and You can change the information in any
Supplier columns for each item. Adding column in an individual materials list. As
price and supplier information for any item is with added information, click in a cell to
straightforward. While in a Materials List, select the existing text, then type in the
click in the cell and enter the information. desired text.
To move an item in a Materials List to a new
category, select the cell in the ID column and
403
choose a new category from the drop-down processing program or spreadsheet program
list that becomes available. using the standard Windows Copy, Cut and
Paste commands. See “To Copy, Cut and
Copying Information Paste text” on page 349.
Portions of a materials list can be copied and

then pasted into a Text object or into a word
Displaying Objects in the Materials List

You can control which categories of objects Each plan file can be set to display materials
are included in the Materials List. according to their category. Check boxes for
any columns you want to include. These
Material List categories appear in the ID columns of the
Display Options Dialog material and Master List in the order they are
presented here.
When a Materials List is open, select
Tools> Display Options to open the The Materials List changes automatically to
Material List Display Options dialog reflect these changes as soon as the OK
for the materials or the Master List. button is selected.
Note: If the display of the category is sup-

pressed, the information is still part of the
Materials List. If the Materials List is
exported, the information related to the sup-
pressed categories is exported as well.
Exporting the Materials List

Any Materials List can be exported From a Materials List, select File> Export
into a text (.txt) file that can be opened Material List.
directly by most spreadsheet programs.
404
Estimating Software Before purchasing an estimating software

program, be sure that the program supports
You can export a Materials List to a word the direct import of Home Designer Suite
processor or spreadsheet program to arrange Materials Lists.
it in your estimating format. You can also
export the Materials List to a number of Any questions regarding estimating software
commercial estimating programs in whose packages and how they interact with Home
databases you can keep your current pricing, Designer Suite should be directed toward the
labor costs, and markups and generate company providing the estimating software.
reports based on this data. Home Designer Suite is unable to provide
any technical support for third party
programs.
405
406
Appendix A
Technical Support
Services
Chief Architect is committed to providing of Home Designer Suite and is happy to

world-class technical support and training to answer basic questions about how to find or
complement our products. Our support use a particular function of Home Designer
professionals are eager to work with you to Suite.
make certain our software is functioning as
In addition to technical support, Chief
designed.
Architect has assembled a team of certified
The primary function of technical support is trainers to offer instruction in using our
to make sure our software is functioning software. You can access our training in
correctly and to help you quickly resolve several ways. Chief Architect offers one-on-
problems that prevent its normal use. Our one personal tutor sessions, online training
Technical Support staff is trained in the use sessions, and classroom seminars.
Reference and Training Resources

Chief Architect offers a variety of reference specific design goals. The Help Database is
and training options in addition to the found in the Technical Support section of
resources that come standard with the the Web site and can be referred to again and
program. again at your convenience.
Help Database Interactive Training

The Home Designer Help Database at If you have questions about how to use
www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com contains Home Designer Suite, consider contacting
a variety of articles describing how to resolve our training department for a personal
common technical problems and achieve training session.
407
Personal training sessions are an excellent User Forum

way to learn how to use the program,
providing one-on-one interaction with a Our Home Talk User Forum is a great place
certified Chief Architect trainer via the to discuss and exchange ideas with other
Internet. Unlike a telephone call to Technical Home Designer Suite users. Here you can
Support, a personal training session lets you post questions, read discussions from other
follow along with the trainer and see what is users, and post suggestions to improve our
happening on your computer screen. Discuss product. In addition to our regular users,
topics that interest you and learn how to from time to time our support and
accomplish your specific design goals. engineering teams monitor the forum and
provide input and discussion on current
topics. This resource is available free of
charge at www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com.
Troubleshooting Printing Problems

Printing problems fall into two main • Contact your printer's manufacturer or
categories: problems that prevent the printer check their Web site for support informa-
from working in any program and problems tion.
printing from Home Designer Suite. To
Your printer manufacturer is the best
determine if the problem is specific to Home
resource for solving problems of this type.
Designer Suite, try the following:
Chief Architect Technical Support is not able
to help diagnose and solve problems that
1. Begin by clicking on the Windows Start
prevent printing from any program.
button, and select Printers.
2. Right-click the printer that is not func- Many printing problems can be resolved by
tioning properly in the Printers folder. downloading and installing an updated
printer driver. See “Printer Drivers” on page
3. Click Properties from the menu that 390.
appears.
4. On the General tab, click the Print Test
It is a good idea to keep the Owner’s
Page button. Manual for your printer close at hand.
If the printer does not produce a test page, Write inside the Owner’s Manual the various
phone numbers for technical support for that
the problem is not one that Chief Architect
printer – for the original manufacturer and for
Technical Support can solve. Follow these your local dealer.
suggestions:
• Check the connection between the com- Clearing Printer Information
puter and the printer.
Some information specific to individual
• Check your printer documentation for printers, such as available printer paper sizes,
troubleshooting printer problems. is saved with each plan file.
408
If you are encountering unexpected options when you print. See “Print Preview” on page
in the Page Setup dialog or results when 392.
printing, select File> Print> Clear Printer
Make sure that your scaling is correct for the
Info to clear the printer-specific information
paper size. If the plan is much smaller or
stored with the plan file.
much larger than the drawing sheet, you may
If you can print from Home Designer Suite need to change your Scale. See “Printing to
but are not satisfied with the output, refer to Scale” on page 393.
“Printing” on page 389 for information on
how to set up and use the printing functions Help Database
in the program.
For answers to frequently asked questions
Make sure that you use Print Preview regarding printing and other topics, select
before printing. Print Preview displays the Help> Visit Home Designer Suite Web Site
printed paper, or drawing sheet, as a white and browse the Technical Support
rectangle on screen, and shows how the sheet section of our Web site,
is scaled and positioned relative to your www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com. Our
drawing. If the drawing is not on the drawing Technical Support specialists post new
sheet on-screen, it will not be on the sheet articles periodically to help resolve problems
you may encounter.
Before Contacting Technical Support

Before contacting Technical Support, take a • Refer to the Training DVD available for
moment to see if the answer to your question Home Designer Suite. These answers
is found in the Reference Manual, Help many “how to” questions.
index, or in our on-line Help Database. When • Visit our Technical Support Help Data-
you contact us, Technical Support will refer base on our Web site,
you to these resources if the answer can be www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com,
found there. which contains articles describing how to
• Look up items related to your question in resolve common technical problems.
the index of the Home Designer Suite • The Help Database also includes a
Reference Manual. This manual can wealth of articles describing how to
assist you in resolving most “how to” accomplish many design goals. Use the
questions. How Do I… Solution Finder to locate
• Click Help> Index in Home Designer articles of interest to you.
Suite to access a comprehensive index of • If you have a question about how best to
help topics. accomplish a certain design task, you
may find the users at the Home Talk user
forum a valuable resource for informa-
409
tion and advice. Access this site at Error Messages

When you encounter an error or warning
message, you can click the Check Help
Installation Issues Database button in the message box to
The following are common reasons for launch your default Internet browser to the
installation failure of Home Designer Suite Home Designer Help Database on our Web
and other software: site, www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com. If
an article discussing the message is
1. Anti-virus software is enabled and inter- available, it will display information about
fering with installation. Anti-virus soft- the meaning of the message.
ware is the number one cause of It is important that abnormal errors be
installation failures for any type of soft- reported to Chief Architect Technical
ware. Refer to the documentation for Support so that we can identify and resolve
your anti-virus software for details on any problems.
how to disable the software and re-
enable it once installation is complete. The content of an error message is useful in
diagnosing its cause. If you get an error
2. The recommended minimum system
message, read it carefully and write down the
requirements are not met.
error number and the exact text of the error
3. The computer has a CD drive but not a message.
DVD drive. A standard CD drive will
not read DVD discs.
Click the Print Screen key on your key-
4. The DVD has fingerprints, scratches, or board to capture a picture of the error
other defects. Sometimes a small finger- message. Open a new word processing doc-
print can prevent the program from ument or e-mail message and choose Edit>
installing. Clean the disk with soft cot- Paste to paste a copy of the error message
into the document for later reference.
ton cloth. Be sure to use soft cotton
rather than paper products on disks to
If you encounter the error more than once,
avoid scratching.
make a note of your steps prior to recieving
the message.
If you see visible cracking on a CD or
DVD, do not insert it in your CD/DVD Before you report an error, check the Help
drive. Cracked disks can fly apart and cause Database to see if the error is already
damage to your drive. documented by typing the error message or
part of the error message into the search
Refer to the on-line Help Database for form. Most common error messages have a
solutions to common installation problems. known cause and simple resolution.
If the answer to your question is not found
Finally, check to see if there are program
there, contact our Technical Support
updates available. These updates are
department for assistance.
provided free for the current version of
410
Home Designer Suite and contain Error Reporting

enhancements and other changes that allow
the program to perform at an optimum level. When and error occurs, you may have the
From within Home Designer Suite, select option in the message box to send the report
Help> Download Program Updates to visit to Chief Archiect.
our Web site, No personal information is sent. When you
www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com, and click Send, your default Internet browser
follow the instructions. launches and a Web page appears on screen
This message confirms that the report was
sent successfully and may give you further
instructions on how to proceed.
Contacting Technical Support

Chief Architect provides free online and tele- unable to reproduce the issue and/or sug-
phone support for the current version of gest a remedy that can be implemented
Home Designer Suite for the first 30 days and verified immediately.
after purchase. • Be prepared to reproduce the problem
Chief Architect's world-class technical when you contact us. If the problem can-
support is available Monday through Friday not be reproduced, there is a reduced
from 6 AM to 5 PM Pacific Standard Time chance that we will be able to resolve the
and can be reached at (208) 292-3375 or via problem on your first phone call.
our Web site, • Before contacting Technical Support,
www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com. check to see if there are program updates
There are several things you can do to ensure available for download. Our engineering
a speedy answer to your question when you team periodically creates updates to the
contact Technical Support. program to resolve functionality or pro-
gram issues that were unknown at the
• When you first encounter a problem or time of release. These updates are pro-
error message, copy the exact wording of vided free of charge for the current
the message or a detailed description of released version and can be accessed by
the problem. This helps us isolate the selecting Help > Download Program
problem and provide you with a solution Update from the menu.
as quickly as possible.
• Before contacting Technical Support,
• When placing a call to Technical Support, select Help> About Home Designer
be at the computer or work station that is Suite and make a note of the serial num-
experiencing the problem and have Home ber and the exact version of Home
Designer Suite running. If you do not Designer Suite you are using. Technical
have access to the problem computer at support is available to the owners of soft-
the time of the call, the technician may be ware licenses. When you contact Techni-
411
cal Support, be prepared to verify that question and is not released to anyone
you are the owner of the software license. outside of our office.
In some cases, you may need to submit a
Web Support plan to Technical Support for evaluation. If
Home Designer Suite has a variety of support you are asked to submit a plan, follow these
resources available on our Web site. These steps.
include our Technical Support Help
Database; the How do I…? Solution 1. Create a folder on your desktop with
Finder; downloadable program updates, and your name in the folder name.
ways to contact our Technical Support 2. Open the Home Designer Suite plan or
department. To access these resources, visit: layout file in question.
3. Select File> Save As, save your plan
Our support team is happy to assist you in into the folder your created in Step 1.
finding the best resource to answer your 4. Click OK and browse to the folder you
questions, and can resolve most issues in just created on the desktop in Step 1 in the
a few minutes. In order to allow us to quickly Browse for Folder dialog.
answer your calls, we ask that you limit
yourself to one question per support call. 5. Click OK and the files are created in
that folder and exit out of Home
Designer Suite.
E-mail Support
6. Create a zipped folder out of the folder
Questions can be answered online by the and submit it via the Web submission
Technical Support department. To submit a form or follow the directions given you
technical inquiry online, visit the Technical by Technical Support.
Support section of our Web site and use the
Online Support Center. This route ensures
Telephone Support
that your question is delivered to the first
available support professional. Requesting Our support team is committed to answering
assistance of an individual specialist directly your questions as quickly as possible. There
is not always a good idea, since that person are times when we get more calls than
may not be available to answer your question expected and you may have to wait a few
in a timely manner. minutes before speaking to a technician.
Your call is important to us and is answered
Submitting Plans as quickly as possible in the order it was
received.
If Chief Architect Technical Support asks for
a plan file to be submitted via e-mail, your
plan is used internally to answer your
412
Appendix B
Additional
Resources
Home Designer Training Video: Addi- Home Designer Suite offers a variety of
tional Help Resources resources to help you become familiar with
the many features it offers.
Reference Manual
The Reference Manual is a comprehensive The Reference Manual includes a Table of
source of information for Home Designer Contents and Index. This manual is available
Suite. Chapters are organized by subject, in electronic format by selecting Help> View
beginning with the fundamental concepts and Reference Manual .
progressing to the more advanced features.
User’s Guide
Written for new Home Designer Suite users, This guide is also available in electronic
but a helpful reference for users of all format by selecting Help> View User’s
experience levels as well, the User’s Guide Guide from the Home Designer Suite menu.
features a series of tutorials designed to
introduce the basics of using the program.
The User’s Guide is organized by topic and
walks you through the process of creating a
complete model, from the first wall to the
interior design and landscaping.
413
Tutorial Videos
Another resource designed to illustrate Home Once installed, they can be accessed by
Designer Suite’s powerful tools is the set of selecting Help> View Training Videos from
tutorial videos that come with the program. the program menu.
Home Designer Web Site

Our Web site has answers to many frequently Select Help> Visit Home Designer Web
asked Technical Support questions (FAQs). Site from the menu to launch your default
Internet browser to
Online Help
If you have questions that the online Help A database of common technical support
feature has not answered, turn to the our Web questions and answers related to Home
site at www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com. Designer Suite is available through a
searchable interface.
Design Planning Center

The Better Homes and Gardens The Center is organized into topics, each
Design Planning Center is an with an index of informative articles.
excellent resource for learning more about
home design subjects. Select Tools> Design Planning Center
from the menu to learn more.
Design Inspiration Gallery

Part of the Design Planning Center, the Gardens magazines as a source of creative
Better Homes and Gardens Design ideas and inspiration.
Inspiration Gallery is collection of interior
Select Tools> Design Inspiration Gallery
and landscaping photographs prepared for
you by the editors of Better Homes and from the menu to learn more.
414
Home Talk Online User Forum

The Home Talk Bulletin Board offers several • Experienced users share knowledge with
ongoing discussions about a variety of topics each other and beginners.
related to the use of Home Designer Suite. • Home Designer Suite Staff members post
It's rich with useful tips and available free of announcements, advice and technical
charge to all registered Home Designer Suite information.
users.
To visit the Home Talk forum, go to:
• Discussions are initiated and carried out
HomeTalk.HomeDesignerSoftware.com.
by users.
Technical Support
Chief Architect takes pride in offering world you contact us, Technical Support will refer
class technical support services that can be you to these resources if the answer can be
accessed by telephone or on our Web site at found there.
So that our Technical Support specialists can
Before contacting Technical Support, take a assist you as efficiently as possible, please
moment to see if the answer to your question refer to Appendix A of the Reference Manual
is found in the Help resources, tutorial for additional trouble-shooting suggestions
videos, or in our on-line Help Database at and information that will be needed before
www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com. When placing your call.
415
416
Index
Numerics Curved Walls Between Floors ............
Text ..................................................
103
348
Walls ................................................ 102
3D
Walls between floors ......................... 105
Generation, increase speed ................ 330
Menu .................................................. 28 Allowed
Terrain ...................................... 231 , 263 Wall Angles ......................................... 99
Tools ................................................. 319 Angle Snaps ........................................ 45
3D Cross Section Slider ................... 334 Appliances
3D Framing View ............................... 322 Built into cabinets .............................. 217
Outlets, where placed ........................ 209
3D Home Architect files..................... 75
Arc
3D View
Specification Dialog ........................... 358
Generation, Speed up ........................ 330
Tab ................................................... 359
3D Views ............................................. 285
Display .............................................. 323
Library .............................................. 289
Display Terrain In ............................... 241
Doll House ......................................... 321 Archive Files ....................................... 78
Full Overview ..................................... 321 Arcs
Render Quality ................................... 334 Change to lines ................................... 42
3D Wall Designer ................................ 98 Area
3DS Files Living Area calculation ....................... 116
Import ................................................ 384 of a Polyline ...................................... 361
of Rooms .......................................... 117
Arrange
A All ..................................................... 315
Icons ................................................ 315
Adding Arrow
to the Library ..................................... 296 Auto Positioning ................................ 347
Extension Lines ................................. 340 Tab ................................................... 358
Floors ................................................ 161 Arrows
Gable Over a Door ............................. 135 Special use ....................................... 347
LIbrary ............................................... 297 Text Line With ................................... 347
New Library ....................................... 297 Artwork
Adjust Creating textures ....................... 305 , 307
Material Definition .............................. 304 Attach Cabinets ................................ 219
Aerial View ......................................... 315 Attic
Align Rooms .............................................. 116
Curved Stairs Between Floors .............. 67 Walls ................................................ 104
417
Attributes Tab ................................... 351 Button ................................................. 42

Auto Build
Archive ............................................... 78 Additional Floors ................................ 161
Dormers, Edit .................................... 179 Foundation ................................ 161 , 166
Floating Dormer ................................ 177 House ............................................... 366
Place Outlets .................................... 116 Menu .................................................. 19
Rebuild Roofs ................................... 173 New floor .......................................... 161
Roof Returns ..................................... 178 Roof Dialog ....................................... 181
Save Files ........................................... 79 Terrain .............................................. 241
Stairwell ............................................ 198 Build Roof Dialog.............................. 181
Automatic Built-in
Exterior Dimensions .......................... 338 Fixtures ............................................. 291
Roof Styles ....................................... 173
Bumping/Pushing ............................... 65
Buttons
Edit Toolbar ........................................ 41
B
Backdrops ......................................... 331
Definition .......................................... 331 C
Panoramic ........................................ 331
Cabinet
Backdrops Library ............................ 289
Defaults ............................................ 229
Balusters ........................................... 107 Designer ........................................... 215
Definition .......................................... 188 Doors and Drawers Library ................. 289
Base Cabinets ................................... 216 Modules Library ......................... 217 , 289
Baseline ............................................. 172 Specification Dialog ........................... 223
Tools ................................................ 216
Bay Window
see also Windows Cabinets ............................................. 215
Angled front .............................. 220 , 223
Bay Windows..................................... 144
Attaching ........................................... 219
Bay/Box Window Backsplash ........................................ 224
Specification Dialog...................... 157 Base Cabinet ..................................... 216
Blend Colors with Materials ............ 301 Blind ................................................. 222
Blind Cabinets .................................. 222 Built-in appliances ............................. 217
Corner .............................................. 221
Bonus Libraries ................................ 298
Countertop ........................................ 224
Bow Defaults ............................................ 216
Windows ........................................... 145 Delete face items ............................... 226
Box Diagonal door .................................... 227
3D .................................................... 293 Displaying ......................................... 218
Windows ........................................... 144 Door/drawer style .............................. 219
Break Edit Handles ...................................... 218
Line .................................................... 68 End cabinets ..................................... 220
Line, partial ......................................... 69 Front Tab .......................................... 225
Wall .............................................. 93 , 97 Full height ......................................... 216
Glass doors ....................................... 227
Break Line
Island ................................................ 220
418
Minimum Width .......................... 216 , 229 Orbit Tools ........................................ 326

Module Lines ..................................... 218 Specification Dialog ........................... 332
Moving, with Wall ............................... 220 Tilt Tools ........................................... 326
Normal ...................................... 220 , 223 Tools ................................................ 326
Outlet placement ................................ 209 Camera Specification Dialog........... 332
Partition ............................................. 217
Cascade ............................................. 314
Peninsula radius ........................ 220 , 223
Views ............................................... 314
Radius end ................................ 220 , 223
Windows ........................................... 314
Resize Increment ............................... 229
Reverse Appliance ............................. 227 Casing
Shaped .............................................. 220 Suppress .......................................... 138
Special shapes .......................... 220 , 223 Tab ................................................... 155
Width Increment ................................. 216 Cathedral Ceilings ............................ 122
CAD Ceiling
Angle Snaps ....................................... 45 Height ............................................... 113
Break Line button ................................ 42 Materials ........................................... 113
Circles ............................................... 354 Ceilings .............................................. 150
Drawing Tools .................................... 354 Cathedral .......................................... 122
Ellipses ............................................. 355 Dropped ............................................ 121
Line to Arc button ................................ 42 False ................................................ 121
Menu .................................................. 33 Lowered ............................................ 121
Ovals ................................................. 355 Over this room .................................. 125
Polyline, rectangular (tool) .................. 354 Special ............................................. 121
Polylines ............................................ 361
Center
CAD Box Specification Dialog ......... 364 Doors ............................................... 134
CAD Circle Specification Dialog ..... 360 Object button ...................................... 66
CAD Menu............................................ 33 Object over a fixture ............................ 67
Sheet ................................................ 392
CAD Oval Specification Dialog ........ 360
Change
CAD Snaps .......................................... 86
Door Swings ..................................... 132
Calculate Floor/Reference Dialog ...................... 163
Area, using polyline ............................ 403 Line to arc ......................................... 191
From All Floors .................................. 402
Chimneys ........................................... 274
From Area ......................................... 403
From Room ........................................ 403 Circles ................................................ 354
Loan .................................................. 368 Ovals ................................................ 355
Materials on soffits ............................. 269 Click Stairs ........................................ 188
Callouts Close
Height ............................................... 245 Plans and Views .................................. 81
Camera Program .............................................. 81
Change Settings ................................ 332 Views ............................................... 316
Create Views ..................................... 320 Color
Degrees each rotate ........................... 333 Chooser ............................................ 308
Field of View ...................................... 327 Off/On .............................................. 323
Height above floor .............................. 333 Color Chooser ..................................... 88
Move Tools ........................................ 325 Dialog ............................................... 308
Move Up/Down One Floor ................... 324
419
eyedropper ....................................... 309 Deck Edge .......................................... 93

Columns............................................. 293 Deck Railing ........................................ 93
Stairs ................................................ 188
Compatibility
Walls .................................................. 99
with other programs ............................. 75
Walls, Draw ......................................... 98
Cone ................................................... 293
Cylinder .............................................. 293
Connect
Electrical ........................................... 207
Walls .................................................. 99
Contextual Menus ............................... 41 D
In Render views ................................ 320
Deck
Convert Designer ............................................. 97
to Polyline Road/Sidewalk .................. 265 Edges ................................................. 93
Copy Railing ........................................ 93 , 119
Electrical Objects .............................. 208 Decks ............................................ 93 , 119
Folders and Library Objects ............... 296 Planking ............................................ 119
Library Objects .................................. 285
Default Lights .................................... 332
Region as Picture .............................. 380
Terrain .............................................. 241 Default Sun Light
Specification Dialog ...................... 333
Corner
Boards .............................................. 212 Defaults
Windows ........................................... 145 Cabinet ..................................... 216 , 229
Dimension ................................. 337 , 342
Corner Board
Door ........................................... 84 , 128
Specification Dialog...................... 212
Dormer ........................................ 84 , 185
Create Dynamic .............................................. 85
Bay, Box and Bow Windows Manually 145 Fencing ............................................. 109
Bench Seat ....................................... 150 Foundation ........................................ 166
Camera Views ................................... 320 Material ............................................. 307
Cross Section/Elevation Views ........... 322 Plan .................................................... 85
New floor .......................................... 161 Railing .............................................. 109
New plan ............................................ 76 Roof .................................................. 172
Objects in 3D Views .......................... 327 Room ................................................ 112
Plant Image ...................................... 256 Room Material ................................... 112
Rooms Below Staircases ................... 199 Text .................................................. 351
Stairwell ............................................ 198 Wall .................................................. 109
Wiring Schematics ............................. 207 Window ............................................. 143
Cross Section Slider ........................ 334 Define
Cross Section/Elevations ................ 318 Material Dialog .................................. 306
Create .............................................. 322 Delete ................................................. 296
Detailing ........................................... 323 Built-in Fixtures and Appliances ......... 286
Cubes ................................................. 293 Current Floor ..................................... 161
Current Extension Lines ................................. 341
Floor ................................................. 162 Floors ............................................... 161
Floor, Delete ..................................... 161 Foundation ........................................ 168
Gable Over Opening .......................... 180
Curved
Objects ............................................... 72
420
Roof Planes ............................... 172 , 178 Stairs ................................................ 191

Terrain Data ...................................... 241 Terrain In 3D Views ........................... 241
Wall Hatching ..................................... 96 Terrain in Floor Plan View .................. 241
Design Inspiration Gallery ............... 414 Walls, Railings, and Fences ................. 99
Windows ........................................... 147
Design Planning Center.................... 414
Display Options .................................. 87
Details
Floor Plan View Display ....................... 89
Cross section/elevations ..................... 323
Doll House View................................ 321
Diamond style
see Lites Door
Defaults ...................................... 84 , 128
Dimension
Tools ................................................. 338
Tools ................................................ 128
Dimension Defaults ........................... 337
Door Specification Dialog ............... 136
Dialog ................................................ 342
Doors
Dimension Line
6-panel see Doors, Library
Specification Dialog ...................... 342
Bifold Doors .............................. 129 , 134
Dimension Lines Casing, suppress .............................. 138
Display .............................................. 339 Center .............................................. 134
Edit ................................................... 339 Change Opening/Hinge Side .............. 132
Edit Handles ...................................... 339 Change Swing Side ........................... 133
Dimensions Displaying ......................................... 130
Delete extension line .......................... 341 Doorways .......................................... 129
Edit ................................................... 339 Doorways Library .............................. 290
Extension Lines ................................. 340 Edit buttons ............................... 100 , 131
Exterior ............................................. 338 Exterior walls .................................... 128
Fireplace, suppress dimension ............ 272 Frame and Trim ................................. 138
Interior .............................................. 338 Gables Over ...................................... 180
Locate electrical ................................. 208 Garage ............................................. 129
Locating railings ................................. 105 Garage opening direction ................... 134
Move Extension Lines ........................ 341 Handles ............................................ 140
Moving Labels ................................... 340 Hardware .......................................... 140
Number height ................................... 343 Hinged Doors ............................ 128 , 132
Print Size ........................................... 343 Hinges .............................................. 140
Units ................................................. 342 Interior walls ..................................... 128
Display Labels .............................................. 130
3D Views ........................................... 323 Library ....................... 129 – 130 , 137 , 290
Cabinets ............................................ 218 Lites ................................................. 138
Dimension Lines ................................ 339 Locks ................................................ 140
Doors ................................................ 130 Openings in railings ........................... 135
Electrical ........................................... 208 Pocket Doors ............................ 129 , 133
Foundations ....................................... 167 Railing openings .................................. 94
Images .............................................. 376 Resizing ........................................... 130
Library Objects .................................. 285 Sliding Doors .................................... 133
Objects ............................................... 88 Style ................................................. 137
Road Objects ..................................... 265 Swing, change .................................. 132
Room labels ...................................... 117 Swing, changing for bifold .................. 134
Swing, changing for pocket ................ 133
421
Threshold lines .................................. 130 Materials Lists ................................... 403

Transoms .......................................... 135 Menu .................................................. 17
Type ................................................. 137 Road Objects .................................... 265
Wrapped Openings ............................ 135 Room Labels ..................................... 118
Doorways Rooms .............................................. 120
Adding a door ................................... 129 Terrain Features ................................ 241
with Railing ....................................... 136 Terrain Perimeter .............................. 241
Toolbar ................................................. 6
Dormer Defaults.......................... 84 , 185
Toolbar Buttons ................................... 41
Dormer Specification Dialog ........... 183 Walls ................................................ 100
Dormers ............................................. 177 Editing .................................................. 50
Manually drawn ................................. 177
Electrical
Over Windows and Doors, Gable ........ 180
Buttons ............................................. 206
Windows in ....................................... 179
Connections ...................................... 207
Draw Deleting ............................................ 209
Curved Railing .................................... 98 Displaying ......................................... 208
Curved wall ......................................... 98 General ............................................. 205
Walls .................................................. 98 Library ...................................... 208 , 291
Drawing Sheet Light ................................................. 206
Center .............................................. 392 Lights ................................................ 206
Driveways .................................. 264 – 265 Locate, dimensions ............................ 208
Mode ................................................ 206
DXF/DWG
Moving Objects .................................. 208
2D View ............................................ 385
Options ............................................. 206
Files, Export 2D ................................ 385
Outlets .............................................. 206
Import ............................................... 384
Outlets, automatic ............................. 207
Line Type .......................................... 386
Switches ........................................... 206
Dynamic Tools ................................................ 206
Defaults .......................................... 8 , 85 Wiring ............................................... 207
Print Preview ..................................... 392
Elevation
Flat Regions ...................................... 234
Tab ................................................... 245
E Tools, Terrrain ................................... 232
Elevation Data ................................... 233
Edit Edit ................................................... 241
Auto Dormers .................................... 179
Bay Box, and Bow Windows ............... 149 Elevation Line
Cabinet Door Style ............................ 219 Specification Dialog ...................... 245
Cabinets ........................................... 218 Elevation Lines and Splines ............ 241
Camera in floor plan view .................. 324 Elevation Point
Dimension Lines ................................ 339 Specification Dialog ...................... 244
Elevation Data .................................. 241 Elevation Points ........................ 233 , 241
Extension Lines ................................. 340
in 3D View ........................................ 327 Elevations
in a 3D or Render View ...................... 327 Create ............................................... 322
Libraries ........................................... 295 Interior .............................................. 318
Materials ........................................... 303 Ellipses .............................................. 355
422
Enhanced Metafiles........................... 378 File

Enter Management ....................................... 75
Dimensions ........................................... 9 Menu .................................................. 15
Organization ....................................... 76
Error Messages ................................. 410
Fill
Estimating Software.......................... 405
Window ............................................. 312
Exit Program ....................................... 81 Window Building Only ........................ 312
Expand/Collapse All.......................... 295 Fill Patterns ....................................... 362
Explode Fill Style Tab ..................................... 362
Architectural Block Button.................... 42
Fillers ................................................. 222
Export ................................................. 384
Final View .................................. 320 , 334
2D DXF/DWG Files ............................ 385
All Floors ........................................... 385 Final View with Shadows ................. 334
Current View ...................................... 385 Find Plan Wizard................................. 80
Drawing File Dialog ............................ 385 Fire Box Tab ...................................... 273
EMF .................................................. 378
Fireplace
an Entire Plan ..................................... 81
Dimensions, suppress ....................... 272
Materials ........................................... 404
Direction facing ................................. 271
Materials List ............................. 404 – 405
Hearth height .................................... 272
Picture Files ...................................... 374
Interior wall ....................................... 271
Windows Metafiles ............................. 378
Library .............................................. 273
Windows Metafiles Dialog ................... 378
Masonry ............................................ 271
WMF ................................................. 378
Prefabricated .................................... 273
Export Drawing File Dialog .............. 385 Symbol ............................................. 273
Export Windows Metafiles Dialog ... 378 Fireplace Specification Dialog........ 272
Extend Fireplaces .......................................... 271
Slope Downward ................................ 174 Chimneys .......................................... 274
Extension Foundations ...................................... 272
Lines, Editing ..................................... 340 Freestanding ..................................... 271
Exterior In walls ............................................. 271
Dimensions ........................................ 338 Types ............................................... 271
Fixtures Library .................................. 291 Fixtures
Furnishings Library ............................ 292 Built-in .............................................. 291
Room types ....................................... 116 Lights ............................................... 206
The Exterior Room ............................. 115 Fixtures Library
Walls ............................................ 92 , 94 Exterior ............................................. 291
Interior .............................................. 291
Flat Region ........................................ 235
F Flat Region Specification Dialog .... 245
Floating Auto Dormer ...................... 177
F6 Key
Fill Window ........................................ 312 Floor
Above Height .................................... 124
Fence Designer................................... 93
and Ceiling Heights ........................... 113
Fencing .......................................... 93 , 98 Camera ............................................. 318
Field of View ...................................... 327 Height ............................................... 113
423
Height in rooms ................................. 124 Wall item ........................................... 292

Materials ........................................... 113
New Floor Dialog ............................... 167
Overview ..........................................
Tools ................................................
318
160 G
Floor Overview.................................. 318 Gable
Floor Plan Dormer Over Windows and Doors ....... 180
Drawing ................................................ 8 Over Door/Window ............................ 135
View ................................................... 10 Roofs ................................................ 176
View Template .................................. 395 Garage
Floors Doors ................................................ 129
Adding .............................................. 161 Garages
Change Floor/Reference .................... 162 Foundation ........................................ 169
Current Floor ............................. 160 , 162
Garden Bed
Deleting ............................................ 161
Kidney Shaped .................................. 238
Floor Up/ Floor Down ........................ 162
Polyline ............................................. 238
Multiple ............................................. 160
Round ............................................... 238
Reference Floor ........................ 160 , 162
Tools ................................................ 238
Swap Floor/Reference ....................... 163
General
Follow Terrain ........................... 270 , 287
Cabinet Defaults ................................ 229
Fonts .................................................. 346 Generate the Terrain ........................ 241
Footings............................................. 167 Geometric Shapes Library ............... 293
Foundation Getting Help......................................... 11
Defaults ............................................ 166
Walls .................................................. 94 GFCI Outlet ........................................ 206
Foundations Glass House ...................................... 329
Build ................................................. 166 View settings ..................................... 329
Delete ............................................... 168 Glass House Options Dialog ........... 329
Display ............................................. 167 GPS
Garage ............................................. 169 Importing ........................................... 250
Room supplies floor ........................... 125 Grid
Set up ............................................... 166 Snaps ................................................. 45
Stem Wall ......................................... 167
Turn wall into .................................... 105 Grid Snaps ........................................... 86
Framing Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt
Overview .......................................... 322 see GFCI Outlets
Full Group Select........................................ 46
Gable Wall ................................ 106 , 174
Height Cabinets ................................ 216
Overview .......................................... 318 H
Furnishings Library
Exterior ............................................. 292 Half walls see Railings, solid
Interior .............................................. 292 Handles
Furniture Straight Stairs ................................... 192
Table item ......................................... 292 Handrail Tab ...................................... 203
424
Hardiness Zone Maps ....................... 255 Images................................................ 330

Hardware ............................................ 318 Definition .......................................... 293
Library ............................................... 293 Displaying ......................................... 376
Library .............................................. 293
Hardware Tab
Place ................................................ 376
for Cabinets ....................................... 227
Printing ............................................. 399
for Doors ........................................... 140
Resizing ........................................... 377
Hatch Select from library ..................... 257 , 378
Fill Patterns ....................................... 362
Import ................................................. 384
Wall .............................................. 93 , 96
3D Files ............................................ 384
Hearth GPS Data ......................................... 250
Depth ................................................ 272 Picture Files ...................................... 372
Height ............................................... 272 Terrain Data ...................................... 248
Height Terrain Wizard .................................. 249
Ceiling ............................................... 124 Interior
Floor ................................................. 124 Dimensions ....................................... 338
Help Fireplace, wall ................................... 271
Display ................................................. 5 Fixtures Library ................................. 291
Menu .................................................. 40 Furnishings Library ............................ 292
Tips .................................................... 11 Room types ....................................... 116
High Shed/Gable................................ 176 Invisible Walls....................... 92 , 95 , 105
Hill ....................................................... 235
Hill / Valley Specification Dialog ..... 246
Hip K
Roof .................................................. 176
Keyboard
Holes
Camera Movements .......................... 327
In terrain ............................................ 238
Commands ............................. 6 , 14 , 296
Home .................................................... 14 Shortcuts ............................................ 14
Home Designer Kidney Shaped
Opening files ...................................... 75 Garden Bed ...................................... 238
Serial number ..................................... 41 Terrain Feature ................................. 236
Version number .................................. 41
Kitchen Island ................................... 220
Hotkeys............................................ 6 , 14
Knee Wall........................................... 174
House Wizard ............................... 99 , 365
Edit rooms ......................................... 366
Multiple Floors ................................... 366
L
Labels
I Door ................................................. 130
Room ................................................ 117
Icons Window ............................................. 147
Arrange ............................................. 315
Landing .............................................. 193
IDC_IMPORT_SYMBOL ..................... 384 Custom Shapes ................................. 193
Image Specification Dialog .............. 377 Height ............................................... 193
425
Unlocked .......................................... 193 Copy ................................................. 285

Landscape Designer ........................ 231 Display .............................................. 285
Move ................................................. 285
Landscape Orientation .................... 397
Placing .............................................. 284
Layers Resize .............................................. 285
Turn off to speed up 3D views ............ 330 Select ............................................... 285
Left Button Definition .......................... 4 Library Search Dialog ...................... 280
Libraries Include folders ................................... 281
Cabinet Modules ............................... 217 Keywords .......................................... 281
Renaming ......................................... 295 Light Sources .................................... 331
Library Default Lights .................................... 332
Add new library ................................. 297 Default Sun Light ............................... 332
Bonus Libraries ................................. 298 Fixtures ............................................. 332
Categories ........................................ 288 Lights
Editing libraries ................................. 295 Connect to switch .............................. 207
Fireplaces ......................................... 273 Fixtures ............................................. 206
Primitives .......................................... 293 Light Fixtures .................................... 332
Library Browser ................................ 277 Light Sources .................................... 331
Adding Items ..................................... 296 Sources ............................................ 331
Categories ........................................ 288 Line
Docking ............................................ 279 Specification Dialog ........................... 356
Panes ............................................... 278 Style Tab .......................................... 357
Library Categories Tab ................................................... 356
Architectural Blocks ........................... 289 Line Color .......................................... 357
Backdrops ......................................... 289
Line Specification Dialog................. 356
Cabinet Doors and Drawers ............... 289
Cabinet Modules ............................... 289 Line Style ........................................... 357
Doors ....................................... 129 , 290 Lines
Doorways .................................. 130 , 290 Change to arcs .................................... 42
Electrical ........................................... 291 Lites
Exterior Fixtures ................................ 291 Craftsman
Exterior Furnishings .......................... 292 Diamond ........................................... 139
Geometric Shapes ............................. 293 Normal .............................................. 139
Hardware .......................................... 293 Prairie ............................................... 139
Images ............................................. 293 Tab ................................................... 156
Interior Fixtures ................................. 291
Living.................................................. 118
Interior Furnishings ........................... 292
Materials ........................................... 293 Living Area ........................................ 116
Millwork ............................................ 294 Calculation ........................................ 118
My Libraries ...................................... 288 Delete label ....................................... 118
Plants ............................................... 294 Label ................................................ 118
Windows ........................................... 294 Restore label ..................................... 118
vs. Footprint ...................................... 118
Library Object
Specification Dialog...................... 286 Loan Calculator................................. 368
Library Objects Low Detail Mode................................ 330
and the Materials List ........................ 286
426
Lowered Export ............................................... 405

Ceiling ............................................... 150 Library Objects .................................. 286
Region .............................................. 235 Working with ..................................... 402
Materials List
Display Options Dialog................. 404
M Menus ..................................................... 6
3D ...................................................... 28
Manual Build ................................................... 19
Dimensions ........................................ 338 CAD ................................................... 33
Roofs ................................................ 172 Window ............................................... 38
Marquee Select ................................... 47 Metafile Size Dialog.......................... 379
Masonry Metafiles ............................................ 378
Fireplaces .......................................... 271 Middle Mouse Button ................... 4 , 312
Material Millwork, Library ............................... 294
Defaults ............................................. 307
Minimum
Definition ........................................... 306
Alcove .............................................. 182
Eyedropper ........................................ 302
Model Maker
Material Painter ................................. 300
Floor Plan, View Template ................. 395
Blending ............................................ 301
Printing ............................................. 395
Modes ............................................... 300
Using ................................................. 301 Moldings ............................................ 111
in Rooms .......................................... 125
Materials
Add to Library .................................... 297 Monolithic Slab ................................. 167
Applying with Material Tab .................. 302 Mouse Buttons, Using.......................... 4
Artwork ...................................... 305 , 307 Move
Blending ............................................ 305 Dimension Numbers .......................... 340
Brightness ......................................... 307 Electrical Objects .............................. 208
Calculating amounts ........................... 269 Extension Lines ................................. 341
Color ................................................. 307 Folders and Library Objects ............... 295
Create New Material ........................... 304 Library Objects .................................. 285
Create using Color Chooser ................ 308 Restrictions ......................................... 65
Editing ............................................... 303 Stairs ................................................ 192
Floor and Ceiling ................................ 113 Text .................................................. 348
On Soffits .......................................... 269 Walls and Railings ............................. 100
Tab ................................................... 302 Walls with Cabinets Attached ............. 220
Textures ............................................ 330 Windows ........................................... 148
Walls ................................................. 113
Multiple
see also Materials List
Floors, Reverse Plan ..................... 38 , 70
Materials List ..................................... 401 Objects ............................................. 285
Calculate from All Floors ............ 402 – 403
Multiple Select .................................... 46
Calculate from Area ........................... 403
in Floor Plan View ............................. 100
Calculate from Room .......................... 403
Categories ......................................... 404 My Libraries ...................................... 288
Display Options Dialog ....................... 404
Editing ............................................... 403
Estimating software ............................ 405
427
Overview .......................................... 1 , 43
N Camera tools ..................................... 326
Name
Of room for Plan Check ..................... 367
New P
Floor Dialog ...................................... 167
Painting
Newels
Over Materials ................................... 305
Definition .......................................... 188
Pan
No Locate Wall .................................. 105
Pan Window Tool .............................. 313
Normal style see Lites the Display ........................................ 313
Using the Keyboard ........................... 313
Using the Mouse ................................ 313
O Using the Scroll Bars ......................... 313
Partition ............................................. 217
OBJ Files ........................................... 384 Passthroughs .................................... 135
Object Paste..................................................... 70
Based Design ........................................ 3 Hold Position ....................................... 71
Object Snaps ....................................... 44 in Place ............................................... 71
One-Click Stairs................................ 188 Special ................................................ 72
Open PDF Files............................................ 394
3D Home Architect files ....................... 75 Peninsula Radius Cabinets ............. 222
Below ............................................... 116 Personal Tutor .................................. 407
Different file types ............................... 80
Perspective Views ............................ 318
Directory ............................................. 80
Files from a different version ................ 80 Picture ................................................ 334
Home Designer files ............................ 75 Copy Region as ................................. 380
Object ................................................... 7 Picture File Box
Plan .................................................... 80 Specification Dialog ...................... 375
Plan or Layout File .............................. 80 Picture Files
Organizing Export ............................................... 374
your Files ............................................ 76 Import ............................................... 372
Orthogonal Views ............................. 393 Scale ................................................ 373
Outlets ............................................... 206 Pitch ................................................... 175
Above cabinet ................................... 209 Above Wall ........................................ 175
Automatic ......................................... 207 Place
Dishwasher ....................................... 206 Gable Over Window(s) ....................... 146
Exterior ............................................. 206 Images .............................................. 376
For appliance .................................... 209 Library Objects .................................. 284
Interior .............................................. 206 Outlets ................................ 95 , 116 , 207
Manual ............................................. 206 Soffits ............................................... 268
Place ................................................ 207 Switches ........................................... 206
Sink .................................................. 206 Plan....................................................... 84
WP ................................................... 206 Defaults .............................................. 85
Ovals .................................................. 355 Drawing ................................................ 8
428
Find Wizard ........................................ 80 Directly from a View .......................... 392

View ................................................... 10 Drivers .............................................. 390
Plan Check ......................................... 367 Image ............................................... 399
and room labels ................................. 117 Image Dialog ..................................... 399
Dialog ................................................ 368 Model ................................................. 17
Hold .................................................. 368 Model Dialog ..................................... 395
Restart .............................................. 368 Options ............................................. 391
Paper Size ........................................ 390
Plans
Perspective Views ............................. 393
New ................................................... 76
Plotters ............................................. 390
Open .................................................. 80
Preview ............................................ 392
Save .................................................. 77
Printable Area ................................... 392
Plant Printing Scale .................................... 390
Chooser Dialog .................................. 260 Scale to Fit ....................................... 393
Encyclopedia ..................................... 260 Terminology ...................................... 390
Image Specification Dialog ................. 256 the Model .......................................... 395
Tools ................................................. 256 Tiled ................................................. 393
Plant Image Specification Dialog .... 256 to PDF File ........................................ 394
Plants, Library ................................... 294 To Scale ........................................... 393
Troubleshooting ................................ 408
Plotters ............................................... 390
Print Dialog ....................................... 397
Polygon
Shaped Deck ...................................... 93 Print Image ........................................ 329
Polyline Print Image Dialog ............................ 399
Area .................................................. 361 Print Model Dialog ............................ 395
Definition ........................................... 361 Printer ................................................ 397
Garden Bed ....................................... 238
Printers .............................................. 390
Select printer .................................... 398
Tab ................................................... 362
Tool to create rectangular ................... 354
Polyline Specification Dialog .......... 361
Pond, Round ...................................... 239 Q
Pony Walls Quoin Specification Dialog ............. 213
see also Railings, solid
Quoins................................................ 213
Portrait Orientation ........................... 397
Prairie style
see Lites
Primitives
R
Library ............................................... 293 Radius
Print End Cabinets .................................... 221
3D Views ........................................... 393 Railing
Across Multiple Pages ........................ 393 Tab ................................................... 107
Center Sheet ..................................... 392
Railings .......................................... 92 , 94
Clear Printer Info ........................ 391 , 408
Balusters .......................................... 107
Color or Black and White .................... 398
Decks ................................................. 97
Dialog ................................................ 397
Exterior Materials .............................. 108
429
Half walls .......................................... 107 Windows ........................................... 148

in a Doorway ..................................... 136 Restrictions
Locate with dimensions ..................... 105 Moving objects .................................... 65
Moving .............................................. 100
Retaining Wall ................................... 240
No Rail ............................................. 108
No Shoe ........................................... 108 Reverse ................................................ 70
Open rail type ................................... 107 Plan .................................................... 69
Open with middle rail ......................... 107 Plan, Multiple Floors ............................ 38
Openings .......................................... 135 Right Button Definition ........................ 4
Raise Shoe ....................................... 108 Road
Solid ................................................. 107 Marking Specification Dialog .............. 266
Stairs ................................................ 197 Markings ........................................... 265
Type ................................................. 108 Specification Dialog ........................... 266
Raise Road Marking
Shoe ................................................. 108 Specification Dialog ...................... 266
Raised / Lowered Region Road Specification Dialog ............... 266
Specification Dialog...................... 246
Roads
Raised Region ................................... 235 Different Types .................................. 264
Raked Walls....................................... 100 Display .............................................. 265
Rebuild Edit ................................................... 265
3D .................................................... 328 Select ............................................... 265
Rectangular Polyline ........................ 354 Roof
Baselines .......................................... 172
Reference
Defaults ............................................ 172
Display Options ................................. 163
Hole/Skylight Specification Dialog ...... 185
Reference Grid .................................... 86 Pitches in Degrees ............................ 186
Refresh Library Browser ................. 298 Styles, Automatic ............................... 173
Renaming Libraries .......................... 295 Tab ................................................... 106
Tools ................................................ 172
Render
Camera Field of View ........................ 333 Roof Designer ................................... 171
Graphics card ................................... 318 Roof Hole/Skylight
Light Fixtures .................................... 332 Specification Dialog ...................... 185
Light Sources .................................... 331 Roof Planes
View, Edit in ...................................... 327 Delete ............................................... 178
Render Quality .................................. 334 Roofs .................................................. 396
Render Tips and Tricks.................... 330 2nd pitch ................................... 106 , 174
Resize Auto Rebuild ............................. 173 , 182
Components ...................................... 150 Auto Roof Return ............................... 106
Doors ............................................... 130 Baseline ............................................ 172
Images ............................................. 377 Build Roof Dialog ............................... 181
Library Objects .................................. 285 Dormers ............................................ 177
Stairs ................................................ 192 Extend slope downward ............. 106 , 174
Stem Walls ....................................... 168 Full gable wall ........................... 106 , 174
Text .................................................. 348 Gable ................................................ 176
Walls ................................................ 100 Gambrel ............................................ 175
Gull Wing .......................................... 175
430
Half-hip ............................................. 175 Selecting ........................................... 115

High shed/gable ................. 106 , 174 , 176 Standard area ................................... 117
Hip .................................................... 176 The Exterior Room ............................ 115
Hole for skylights ............................... 179 Types ............................................... 115
Knee walls ................................. 106 , 174 Rotate
Mansard ............................................ 175 Stairs ................................................ 192
Min. Alcove ........................................ 182 Text .................................................. 348
Over this room ................................... 125
Round
Overhang .......................................... 183
Garden bed ....................................... 238
Pitch .................................. 106 , 174 – 175
Pond ................................................. 239
Returns ............................................. 178
Second pitch ...................................... 106
Skylights ............................................ 179
Story-and-a-half ................................. 174 S
Room
Defaults ............................................. 112 Sash and Frame Tab ........................ 154
Definition ................................... 112 , 119 Save
Material Defaults ................................ 112 and Save As ....................................... 78
Specification Dialog ........................... 123 Bitmap .............................................. 319
Room Labels ...................................... 117 Plan .............................................. 77 – 78
Display .............................................. 117 see also Autosave
Edit ................................................... 118 Scale................................................... 397
Interior room area .............................. 117 Picture Files ...................................... 373
Interior room dimensions .................... 117 Printing to ......................................... 393
Room area ......................................... 117 to Fit ................................................. 393
Standard room area ........................... 117 Schematics, Wiring .......................... 207
Room Specification Dialog .............. 123 Scroll Bars......................................... 313
Rooms Section see Cross section
Area .................................................. 117 Section/Elevation
Attic .................................................. 116 Views, Create ................................... 322
Auto Place Outlets ............................. 116
Below Stairs ...................................... 199 Select
Ceiling height ..................................... 124 Blocked Units .................................... 147
Ceiling over ....................................... 125 File ................................................... 249
Edit buttons ....................................... 121 Group, drag method ............................ 46
Editing ............................................... 120 Group, marquee method ...................... 46
Exterior types .................................... 116 Library Object Dialog ......................... 282
Floor height ....................................... 124 Library Objects .................................. 285
Foundation floor definition .................. 125 Marquee ............................................. 47
Interior .............................................. 116 Materials with the Material Tab .......... 302
Interior area ....................................... 117 Multiple Objects .................................. 48
Interior dimensions ............................. 117 Next Object ......................................... 47
Living Area ........................................ 116 Objects ............................................... 46
Name for PlanCheck .......................... 367 Objects button ..................................... 47
Open Below ....................................... 116 Objects in 3D Views .......................... 327
Roof over ........................................... 125 Road Objects .................................... 265
Room Types ...................................... 116 Room ................................................ 115
431
Selected Edge ..................................... 47 Arc .................................................... 358

Shift+Click .......................................... 48 Bay/Box Window ............................... 157
Similar Objects .................................... 47 Cabinet ............................................. 223
Terrain Data ...................................... 241 CAD Box ........................................... 364
Walls, Railing, and Fences ................. 100 CAD Circle ........................................ 360
Windows ........................................... 147 CAD Ellipse ....................................... 360
Selected Line Tab ............................. 362 CAD Oval .......................................... 360
Camera ............................................. 332
Shelf ................................................... 217
Corner Boards ................................... 212
Shelf/Partition Dimension Line .................................. 342
Specification Dialog...................... 228 Door ................................................. 136
Shift Key Dormer .............................................. 183
Marquee selection ............................... 47 Elevation Line ................................... 245
Select multiple objects ......................... 48 Elevation Point .................................. 244
Shininess ........................................... 307 Fireplace ........................................... 272
Flat Region ....................................... 245
Shoe
Hill / Valley ........................................ 246
None for railing ................................. 108
Library Object .................................... 286
Raise for railing ................................. 108
Line .................................................. 356
Shortcut Keys ................................. 6 , 14 Plant Image ....................................... 256
Show Reference Grid ......................... 86 Polyline ............................................. 361
Shutters ............................................. 156 Quoins .............................................. 213
Raised/Lowered Region ..................... 246
Sidewalk ............................................ 264
Road ................................................. 266
Polyline ............................................. 264
Road Marking .................................... 266
Site ......................................................... 3 Roof Hole/Skylight ............................. 185
Skylights .................................... 172 , 179 Room ................................................ 123
Sliding Doors .................................... 129 Shelf/Partition .................................... 228
Snap Behaviors................................... 44 Soffit ................................................. 270
Angle Snaps ....................................... 45 Stair Landing ..................................... 204
Grid Snaps .......................................... 45 Staircase ........................................... 200
Object Snaps ...................................... 44 Terrain .............................................. 242
Terrain Feature ................................. 246
Snap Grid............................................. 86 Terrain Path ...................................... 247
Snap Unit ............................................. 86 Text .................................................. 349
Soffit Wall Hatch ........................................ 109
Defaults ............................................ 268 Window ............................................. 152
Specification Dialog ........................... 270 Speed
Soffit Specification Dialog .............. 270 Up 3D View Generation...................... 330
Soffits......................................... 216 , 268 Sphere ................................................ 293
Calculating Materials ......................... 269 Spiral Staircase................................. 291
Special applications ........................... 268 Split
Solid Color ........................................ 334 Levels ............................................... 114
Special Walls .................................................. 97
Shaped Cabinets ............................... 220 Stacked Windows ............................. 146
Specification Dialogs Stair
432
Designer ............................................ 187 Start House Wizard........................... 365

Landing Specification Dialog ............... 204 Startup Options .................................... 1
Tools ................................................. 188
Startup Options Dialog ........................ 2
Stair Landing Specification Dialog . 204
Status Bar .............................................. 7
Staircase
Stem Walls......................................... 167
Resize .............................................. 168
Spiral ................................................ 291
Stepping Stone Tools ...................... 239
Staircase Specification Dialog ........ 200
Story-and-a-half ................................ 174
Stairs
Align Curved Stairs ............................. 67 Straight
Auto Stairwell .................................... 198 Deck Edge .......................................... 93
Change Line/Arc ................................ 191 Stairs ................................................ 188
Change radius of curve ...................... 192 Stream ................................................ 239
Click .................................................. 188 Structure Tab .................................... 125
Curved ...................................... 188 , 190
Sun
Deck to ground .................................. 189
Angle ................................................ 333
Direction ............................................ 189
Color ................................................ 333
Displaying .......................................... 191
Intensity ............................................ 333
Down ................................................. 189
Light Specification ............................. 333
Edit ................................................... 200
Edit Handles ...................................... 192 Sunlight Toggle ................................ 320
Exterior Colors ................................... 203 Swap
Landings ........................................... 193 Views ............................................... 314
Large Stringer Base ........................... 203 Work-Reference ................................ 163
Make Reach ...................................... 201 Switch
Merge Sections .................................. 190 Create .............................................. 206
Moving .............................................. 192 Current Floor/Reference Floor ............ 163
Railings ............................................. 197 Double .............................................. 206
Reach Next Floor ............................... 201 In circuit ............................................ 206
Resizing ............................................ 192 Place ................................................ 206
Rise angle ......................................... 202 Three way ......................................... 207
Rooms Below ..................................... 199
Symbols
Rotating ............................................. 192
vs. Native Objects ............................. 286
Section width ..................................... 202
Solid Railings ..................................... 197
Stairwell ............................................ 198
Starter Treads .................................... 195
Straight ............................................. 188
T
Stringers ............................................ 202 Tab Key ................................................ 47
Subsections ....................................... 201 Take Off see Materials List
Terminology ....................................... 188 Technical Support ............................ 407
Tread Width ............................... 195 , 202 Contact ............................................. 411
Treads ............................................... 201 E-mail ............................................... 412
Walk Line .......................................... 195 Installation Issues ............................. 410
Wrapped ............................................ 197 Telephone ......................................... 412
Stairwell, Create ................................ 198 Web .................................................. 412
433
Terrain................................................ 246 Specification Dialog ........................... 349

and 3D Draw Time ............................. 241 Tab Spacing ...................................... 349
Copy ................................................. 241 Tabbed Objects ................................. 349
Display in 3D View ............................ 241 Tables ............................................... 349
Display in Floor Plan View ................. 241 With Arrow ........................................ 347
Elevation Tools ................................. 232 Text Line With Arrow........................ 346
Feature Tools .................................... 236
Text Specification Dialog................. 349
Holes ................................................ 238
Menu .................................................. 23 Text With Arrow ................................ 346
Modifier Tools ................................... 235 Textures ............................................. 330
Specification Dialog ........................... 242 Tiling Views ....................................... 314
Wall and Curb Tools .......................... 240 Toolbars ........................................... 5 , 13
Terrain Data Edit ..................................................... 41
Delete ............................................... 241 Edit toolbar ............................................ 6
Import ............................................... 248 Tool tips ................................................ 5
Select ............................................... 241 Tools
Terrain Feature 3D .................................................... 319
Specification Dialog...................... 246 Cabinet ............................................. 216
Terrain Features CAD Drawing .................................... 354
Clip ................................................... 246 Complete List ...................................... 14
Edit ................................................... 241 Dimension ......................................... 338
Height ............................................... 246 Door ................................................. 128
Terrain Modeler Electrical ........................................... 206
3D Views .......................................... 241 Floor ................................................. 160
Add Elevation Data .................... 233 , 241 Garden Bed ....................................... 238
Build Terrain ..................................... 241 Menu .................................................. 34
Elevation Lines/Splines ...................... 241 Plant ................................................. 256
Elevation Points ................................ 233 Roof .................................................. 172
Generate Terrain ............................... 241 Stair .................................................. 188
Stepping Stone .................................. 239
Terrain Path Specification Dialog .. 247 Terrain Wall and Curb ........................ 240
Terrain Perimeter.............................. 232 Wall .................................................... 92
Edit ................................................... 241 Water Feature ................................... 239
Terrain Specification Dialog ........... 242 Zoom ................................................ 312
Text..................................................... 346 Transom Window see Windows, stacked
Align ................................................. 348 Transparency .................................... 307
Arrows .............................................. 347
Copy, Cut and Paste ......................... 349
Creating ............................................ 346
Defaults ............................................ 351 U
Editing .............................................. 348
Undo
Files ................................................. 249
Files ................................................... 79
Font Size .......................................... 348
Undo Zoom ....................................... 312
Justify ............................................... 348
Line With Arrow ................................. 347 Unrestricted Movement ...................... 65
Maximum Characters ......................... 346 Untitled Plan
Reshaping ........................................ 348 see New Plan
434
V Exterior and Interior ............................. 94

Flip layers ................................... 98 , 101
Foundation .......................................... 94
Valley .................................................. 235
Foundation wall ................................. 105
Views Grid snapping ..................................... 98
Cascade ............................................ 314 Hatching ............................................. 96
Virtual Graph Paper ..................... 85 – 86 Heights ............................................. 100
Visual CAD Snaps .............................. 85 High Shed/Gable ............................... 106
Interior, fireplace in ........................... 271
Invisible ...................................... 95 , 105
Knee Wall ......................................... 106
W Materials ........................................... 113
Merging ............................................ 100
Walk Line ............................................ 195 Moving .............................................. 100
Walkthroughs..................................... 381 Multiple Select .................................. 100
Along a path ...................................... 381 No Locate ......................................... 105
Pause Recording ............................... 382 No Room Def .................................... 105
Playing .............................................. 382 Opening with Railing .......................... 136
Recording .......................................... 381 Openings in ........................................ 98
Save Frame ....................................... 382 Raked ............................................... 100
Stop Recording .................................. 382 Resizing ........................................... 100
Wall ..................................................... 109 Retaining Wall ................................... 240
Cabinets ............................................ 216 Reverse Layers ................................... 98
Elevation ........................................... 318 Room Def (invisible) .......................... 105
Hatch Specification Dialog .................. 109 Selecting ........................................... 100
Layer ................................................. 109 Solid Railings .................................... 107
Railing/Fencing Defaults ..................... 109 Splitting .............................................. 97
Specification Dialog ........................... 104 Stepped ............................................ 100
Tools .................................................. 92 Water Feature Tools ......................... 239
Wall Hatch Specification Dialog ...... 109 Web Support ..................................... 412
Wall Specification Dialog ......... 104 , 174 Wedge ................................................ 293
Walls ................................................ 3 , 91 Winders
Aligning ............................................. 102 Definition .......................................... 188
Aligning between floors .............. 102 , 105 Window
Aligning colinear ................................ 102 Defaults ............................................ 143
Allowed Angles ................................... 99 Menu .................................................. 38
Attic Walls ......................................... 104 Specification Dialog ........................... 152
Connecting ......................................... 99 Types ............................................... 144
Curved ............................................... 98
Window Specification Dialog .......... 152
Curved, align between floors .............. 103
Curved, drawing .................................. 98 Windows
Delete hatching ................................... 96 Bay & bow dimensions ....................... 149
Display surfaces only .......................... 99 Bay windows ..................................... 144
Drawing .............................................. 98 Bay, roof over ................................... 150
Edit Handles ...................................... 100 Bench Seat ....................................... 150
Edit in 3D .......................................... 100 Bow .................................................. 145
Editing ............................................... 100 Bow, roof over ................................... 150
435
Box ................................................... 144 Window Levels .................................. 146

Box, roof over ................................... 150 Windows Metafiles ............................ 378
Cascade ........................................... 314
Wiring Schematics, Creating........... 207
Components ...................................... 149
Corner .............................................. 145 WP Outlet ........................................... 206
Defaults ............................................ 143 Wrapped
Displaying ......................................... 147 Openings .......................................... 135
Edit buttons ....................................... 148 Stairs ................................................ 197
Gables Over ...................................... 180
in Curved Walls ................................. 154
Labels ..............................................
Library ...................................... 145 ,
147
294 Z
Moving .............................................. 148 Zoom
Mulled Units ...................................... 146 Fill Window ....................................... 312
Muntins ............................................. 156 Mouse wheel ..................................... 312
Resizing ........................................... 148 Tools ................................................ 312
Selecting .......................................... 147 Undo ................................................. 312
Shutters ............................................ 156 Wheel Mouse ........................................ 4
Stacked ............................................ 146
436

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Better Homes and Gardens®

Chief Architect, Inc.

Copyright © 2007 by Chief Architect, Inc. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

Chapter 2: Menus & Toolbar Buttons

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

Chapter 3: Editing Objects

Chapter 4: File Management

Organizing Your Files.............................................................76

Chapter 7: Walls, Railings, & Fencing

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

The Fencing Tools ..................................................................93

Room Labels .........................................................................117

Chapter 10: Windows

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

Chapter 11: Multiple Floors

Chapter 12: Foundations

Chapter 13: Roofs

Roof Returns .........................................................................178

Chapter 14: Stairs & Landings

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

Chapter 15: Electrical

Chapter 16: Trim Tools

Chapter 17: Cabinets

Chapter 18: Terrain

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

Chapter 19: Roads & Sidewalks

Chapter 20: Other Objects

Chapter 21: Libraries

Library Categories ................................................................288

Chapter 22: Materials

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

Editing Materials ...................................................................303

Chapter 23: Zoom & View Tools

Chapter 24: 3D Views

Editing Objects in 3D Views.................................................327

Chapter 25: Dimensions

Chapter 26: Text, Callouts & Markers

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

Text Specification Dialog .....................................................349

Chapter 27: CAD Objects

Chapter 28: Advanced Design & Editing

Chapter 29: Pictures, Images, & Walkthroughs

Chapter 30: Importing & Exporting

Chapter 31: Printing

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

Chapter 32: Materials Lists

Appendix A: Technical Support Services

Appendix A: Additional Resources

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

The Home Designer Suite Environment

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

An alternative to the Drop-Down toolbar

The Status Bar

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

Draw the Floors • In most cases, the program allows

8. Adjust the perimeter shape of additional

Home Designer Suite Reference Manual

Viewing Your Plan

A Doll House View shows only the current