Needing help tweaking my As-built home with original blueprints

[mgianzero]

I have little architect background but decided to tackle a project so apologize if I'm not using the correct terminology here.

 

I have a 50 year-old home that I wanted to create "As-Built" CA / HomeDesigner plans so I can proceed with a remodel (mostly same footprint with some room changes).  I actually own the original blueprints which I scanned in to HomeDesigner Pro (using CAD default layer) and tried to trace over it and add the appropriate dimensions, but having some issues getting it all to work.  I am using HomeDesigner Pro 2017.  I'm debating upgrading to Chief Architect, but wanted to first get on the right path before I can justify the upgrade.

 

Here are some of my main problems:

1)  Some walls don't line up with original plans despite the fact that I entered all the dimensions and measured with Dimension tool.  Are my blueprints not accurate or do I have some measurements off?  (Most notably, the walls on the backside of the home near master bedroom and den areas appear to be off.  Also, the second story doesn't exactly match up to the first floor.)

2)  How does one add beams to a false vaulted ceiling? Notice the false vaulted ceiling follows a different pitch and I can't seem to get any beams (using the soffit tool) to follow this new ceiling, only the original roofline.  You can see my attempt at one in the living room.

3)  I can't seem to figure out the staircase to make it fit and also open properly to second story.  Notice the rail side of staircase actually is supposed to be partly covered by wall half-way up.  (Here are the plans for this: LH-p5 (Stairs : Cross Section).pdf)

4)  I had some success building the double sided fireplace but it was painful since I had to create all these walls and covering them with masonry, adding a window for the firehole, etc.  But it becomes cumbersome very quickly.  (I really wanted to make the entire fireplace as an architectural block but couldn't get that to work using walls.  Also, editing an existing fireplace appeared to be too limiting for my needs.)

 

Sorry for all the questions but, I've worked quite a bit getting to where I am and didn't find the answers in any of my searches.

Any help is much appreciated.

 

Thank you.

 

Marc G.

 

LH-p3 (Floor Plan).pdf

LH-p5 (Stairs : Cross Section).pdf

LH-p1 (Roof Plan).pdf

Main House (with fp).plan

[DavidJPotter]

3 hours ago, mgianzero said:

1)  Some walls don't line up with original plans despite the fact that I entered all the dimensions and measured with Dimension tool.  Are my blueprints not accurate or do I have some measurements off?  (Most notably, the walls on the backside of the home near master bedroom and den areas appear to be off.  Also, the second story doesn't exactly match up to the first floor.)

 

Blueprints are not created, like the Ten Commandments, with God's own finger but rather by people like you and me. It is common that homes built from blueprints rarely match them in every respect and besides, no one will ever take up residence in a virtual-digital home, but rather just the one built from such helping constructs.

 

3 hours ago, mgianzero said:

2)  How does one add beams to a false vaulted ceiling? Notice the false vaulted ceiling follows a different pitch and I can't seem to get any beams (using the soffit tool) to follow this new ceiling, only the original roofline.  You can see my attempt at one in the living room.

 

In Home Designer Pro you only have, really a single choice using "sloped soffits". In Chief Premier there are additional choices but of course that is one of many reasons that Chief Premier costs a lot more than Pro.

 

3 hours ago, mgianzero said:

3)  I can't seem to figure out the staircase to make it fit and also open properly to second story.  Notice the rail side of staircase actually is supposed to be partly covered by wall half-way up.  (Here are the plans for this: LH-p5 (Stairs : Cross Section).pdf)

 

Your staircase many not meet today's codes for stairs and some stairs require a lot of manual, custom manipulation to make them come out right. After looking at your PDF, it appears that your stairs, meet code and should not be that difficult to emulate. Stairs are a pain and require methodical exactitude to make them work often times.

 

4)  I had some success building the double sided fireplace but it was painful since I had to create all these walls and covering them with masonry, adding a window for the firehole, etc.  But it becomes cumbersome very quickly.  (I really wanted to make the entire fireplace as an architectural block but couldn't get that to work using walls.  Also, editing an existing fireplace appeared to be too limiting for my needs.)

 

Again you are up against the limitations provided by Home Designer Pro. In order to do everything possible in Chief, Pro users often also have to download and learn Sketch Up whre complex custom symbols can be more easily created for importation into HD Pro as symbols.

 

Each project requires specific constructs and not all of them can be natively made in HD Pro.

 

DJP

[DCB123]

Sent you a PM.....

[lbuttery]

Note: HD PRO users can benefit from following the Chieftalk forum as well as Hometalk

 

since PRO has many of the manual tools that Premier has such as roofs, framing, cabinets etc

 

just be aware that some solutions may not apply to your limited version

 

Lew

[AvoyeDesign]

A couple of thoughts:

 

To expand on David's 1st comment, don't expect Home Designer Pro to create blueprints for you either.  And for that matter, spending money on Chief Premier won't do that.  You have to do that yourself, and it comes with a lot of experience to know what to put on blueprints and how to do that with Chief.  You may be paying a lot of money for Chief only to find yourself trudging through a program you don't understand, that is developed for professional users like us that work wtihn it every day.  It might be better for you to spend your money on hiring a designer to work with you on the plans.

 

As an HD Pro user, you should ALSO post your questions on the HD Pro user forum, as people there will be a little more experienced with the limitations of HD Pro and ways to work with those limitations.  A lot of advice given here will be helpful too, but some of it may not take into account such limitations and you may end up wasting time trying to figure out how to do what we suggest.