How to create a walkout basement?

I am currently trying to evaluate software that would allow me to explore concepts for a new retirement home for us. Once we have narrowed the choices, we would use a design/builder to do the design and build of the home.

The lot has a slope down to a pond. A great spot for a full walkout basement. Can HD handle this requirement. I see possibly a story and a half with a full walkout basement as being the most difficult concept.

It would be nice to use it to also try landscaping concepts.

Thanks.

John

You can do walkout basements in the suite product but they are more easily handled in our pro version.

The terrain tools in pro allow you the set the height of the house in the terrain. In suite you can get walkout basements to work. it does require a bit of finess and you may not be able to get the terrain to look exactly like you want. But you can do quite a bit with it.

The walkout house plan was originally done in 3D Home Arch. 4.0. I opened that plan with the Suite software, and built the terrain with Suite. Is it possible that the 'floating flat terrain" is a residual of the old software? If so, how can I get rid of it? Or, is there some way to just copy the "3DHA house" into Suite. Or, gasp, do I have to start all over with the house design....

"Is it possible that the 'floating flat terrain" is a residual of the old software? If so, how can I get rid of it?"

Yes. Have you tried selecting it and deleting it?

I pulled a walkout that I had created in 3D Home Architect 4.0 in to Suite 6.04 to see what would happen. I had no problems.

This is what I did:

1. Opened the 3D Home Architect 4.0 plan in Suite 6.04.

2. Created a Terrain Perimeter.

3. Turned off (unchecked) Flatten Pad and Auto Calculate Elevation in the Terrain Specification dialog.

4. Drew my Elevation Lines. (0 at the front of the house and -96 at the rear walkout.)

5. Clicked Build Terrain.

Everything looked normal in both 3D and Cross Section views.

You should not have to recreate the plan in Suite. This thread describes how to paste a plan: How to Paste Thread

Good luck,
Jim

Here is a link to: Creating Walkout Basement On Sloping Terrain

http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/...?faqNumber=718