DavidJPotter

You might try to reinstall or repair the existing installation. If no joy contact Tech Support tomorrow by phone. DJP

That usually means that you attached the file while open in Home Designer which always results in a zero kilobytes product. What you need to do is to close Home Designer and then attach the file for uploading here or you can use the provided "File - Back up entire pan" tool and then upload that here or for attaching to an email to share with another user. DJP

I agree with Gene in that I opened a plan, created a terrain plane, set a hatch pattern; that hatch pattern only shows in plan view and NOT in any other camera views, so the closed polyline fill box set to a hatch is the way to currently go. DJP

YES! DJP

Version Number 9 was the last version to use the " .pl-.ca" file formats. the " .plan" started with version 11 or X1 long ago. It is true that once saved to " .plan" file format, one must also reprogram that file for use in "Home Designer titles", this must be done by a current Chief Premier user and the command is to be found in "General Plan Defaults". DJP

I consider it easier, when we are talking about a single layer to just create a new custom layer, especially in one's Profile.Plan, so that layer is then available to hand in all future plans. If one has a group of custom layers then can be exported (File - Export - Layer Sets) and then imported into a target plan or one's profile.plan for future use in all plans. DJP

One page at a time is what I have always done with NO problems since they added the "Import" feature. DJP

I have X4 through X12 currently active on my PC. For the older versions that used a dongle like X1-X3 you simply go to the maker's website and download Windows 10 compatible software drivers (FREE) and then you are all set. There is a page on the Chief Architect website with links to dongle makers website, take a look. DJP

You place the light fixture on a wall parallel to where you need the light to be and then using the light fixture's dialog box you move it away from the wall, as Chopsaw did above to obtain your goal. DJP

Select the vent and then use "Transform - Replicate - Reflect - Vertically" DJP

I did this in X11 mainly using the "Shape Tab of the Window Specification Dialog DJP

Once saved to a newer version it can no longer be edited in an older version. Compatibility comes from versions made the same year. This has always been so, to date. It is not, nor has ever been possible, sorry. DJP

DJP

re-originate

If you are trying to use the shed dormer tool, it is NOT programmed to do what you show in your posted image. That you will have to do manually only in ANY version of Chief. I guess, to save time you could place two shed dormers and carefully align them in terms of X & Y&Z locations and then "Explode them" and then manually edit the roofs and walls of the exploded dormers. DJP

You might try deleting the trey and then place the room divider wall. delete the skylight-replace the skylight and then replace the trey. DJP

I drew the wall and then deleted the trey and skylight and then placed them again in a new unit of time with no positive results. DJP

Eric did you get a positive result when you placed the room divider wall? I have never seen such results before myself. DJP

Or you could just start over being careful to separate all rooms as necessary before placing skylights and trey ceilings, your choice. DJP

I downloaded your plan and tried moving the skylight, deleting the skylight and then make a new one, none of that worked. I then tried drawing a "Hole in the ceiling platform" polyline on top of the skylight and that did not work. I then drew a "Hole in the ceiling platform" polyline by itself and that did not work. I then placed a "Room Divider Wall" to separate the Kitchen from the Great Room, deleted and replaced the trey ceiling and deleted and replaced the skylight and still NO results (no hole in the ceiling). So my conclusion is that this is a corrupted plan that should be submitted to Tech Support to see what is what. I am sorry. DJP

That is what the "North Pointer" tool is for, never, and I mean NEVER rotate a plan, it is programmed to work best in the North-South on your computer screen only. Or you can rotate the plan and then be sorry, like the first time I tried it, it is your choice. DJP

That is why I suggested as your first try to recreate the scissor trusses-I never had it not work myself since version four on Windows 3.1. From time to time "automatic" functions fail, so it is a good thing to know the work arounds when needed. Software is a construct of other Human Beings who are no more "perfect" than you or I. DJP

I would just delete the trusses and try again. If that fails you can delete all but one truss, unlock it layer and then manually alter its shape to fit based upon your manually measuring the distance from the existing truss to the ceiling planes. That will work when nothing else works. Trusses are formed (like walls) with a polyline. Truss polylines can be, when they are unlocked, manually edited. Once you have exactly what you wish, you then lock the truss layer and copy the others over the scissor truss area. DJP

I have never done anything quite so difficult as your photo but if it were mine to solve, I would use the shape tab on the highest windows to arch the tops and shape the bottoms. The front door and transoms are rather straight forward just using the arch tabs to get the basic shapes. One might also need to add 3D modeling polylines to tie it all together. DJP

I have done this sort of thing lots of times: You set your roof eaves to plumb. Over the wall you place your straight roof plane, Then you manually draw the eaves, manually making them the arc angle you wish DJP