Problems with different floor elevations?

[Lovamist]

I have been trying to build a home with multiple floor elevations on the second floor using home designer 2014.

I have already searched the forum and read the help file for "split levels" and have followed the instructions on how to create multiple elevation homes. I have also followed the order of good building practice.

I am able to create my first plan with different wall heights no problem, but when I create the second storey it overrides my settings for the first storey wall heights and sets all the wall heights the same. In fact it links the room wall heights together - whether or not the default check boxes are clicked.

If I try it the other way and create the second storey first and then try to change the wall elevations below, I am still not able to get my upstairs plan to appear at multiple elevations.

I have retried every way I can think of to get this to work with a simple box structure with a single dividing interior wall on the first floor, but no luck.

What am I missing here?

[David J. Potter]

The problem lies generally in that the software is completely mechanical in nature (it cannot read your mind, it does not have judgement or sensibilities). It only reacts to changes based on "Edit - Default Settings" if defaults are not set precisely for what you are doing precisely then it seems to become an opponent instead of a helper to you.
With this software it reacts to changes on one floor to another based upon Default Settings per floor (if you do not carefully set these PER FLOOR) then chaos ensues (as you have ample evidence of). The software is not a devil nor is it evilly intent, it is just mechanical and has to be led and controlled by the end user. Believe me it is easier to state than it is to learn from scratch as a new user, I will say it is worth your time to do so, the more you master it the more fun it is to use.

DJP

[Lovamist]

David,

There is no need to be defensive, I understand that the software can only generate what you tell it to do. I just needed a little help on the correct procedure to communicate my ideas to the software.

Anyway, I did eventually figure out the problem: It was not possible to change the height of a room on the second floor by changing the wall heights of a single room on the first floor it - it will always revert to the default settings (or change the entire second floor height) -> instead you must go to the room on the second floor and edit the "ceiling below" height.

The tutorial here: http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/...icle/KB-00140/ spends a lot of time explaining how to define wall heights on the first floor when they cannot change the floor elevations above (you are not extruding like in other 3D software). This was confusing for me.

Thanks for your help and reply!