Existing structures question - first post

[Daugela]

Hello All -

I've been perusing this site for some time now since being in the process of buying a fixer-upper in Arizona. I have extensive remodeling experience as a DIYer and had recently added a second story to my old Oregon home. I'm ready to tackle another job, but thought Home Designer Suite 2014 would help with the process. I'm beginning to think I should have purchased the Pro series.

Over the next few months, I'm probably going to have a lot of questions for the experts on here but I've been learning many new features with the Home Designer video tutorials.

Here's my first question for everyone. It seems HD Suite 2014 is great for designing a home from scratch. However, if I want to add an addition to an existing home, how do I change, if possible, the settings to ONLY show the framing, etc to the addition.

As most of you know, when you add an addition, the framing is designed differently and ties into the existing structure differently than a new build. Can I re-create my existing house in the program and change a setting so the house's framing doesn't tie into the new addition as if I'm building the WHOLE house from scratch? Does that make sense?

I basically want to see the framing of the new addition and how it ties in to my real home.

Thanks guys

[David J. Potter]

Here's my first question for everyone. It seems HD Suite 2014 is great for designing a home from scratch. However, if I want to add an addition to an existing home, how do I change, if possible, the settings to ONLY show the framing, etc to the addition.

You cannot do that really, what I do is to make a save-as copy of the as-built or existing structure and then use the copy or copies to then design additions on. The software (all Chief Inc software-all titles) are programmed on the basis that all created structures are "NEW", no settings exist to lock only portions of a structure in place to remain unchanged when you change the model.

What you will need to do is to learn to a high degree how your software is designed to work and then work within those parameters. Suite will NOT do what you want to do at all, you need to upgrade to Home Designer Pro on a minimum which has manual roof and framing tools (all other HD titles do not have these features which must be learned first to be really useful to you).

I have used this software professionally since 1994 and I have learned how to get done what I need done, so you can too if you actually intend to do so, the software is not any kind of barrier or stop, the only thing that can stop you is you and your own considerations about success or failure.

DJP