X6 help

[Keifuz]

OK, I dragged my feet, but finally upgraded to X6 (after reading posts, I skipped X5). I've been using Home Designer Pro 7 (HP7) since it came out (2007).

Obviously I've encountered a new behavior at every turn... I totally understand some things are going to be different- and they should be different-"more efficient", not different- "more difficult & time consuming". I'm on my 3rd new project with X6, and I just have to field my thoughts in hope I'm missing something, maybe settings I can tweak on some of this stuff.

#1 - Dimensions behave in odd ways. I have auto-exterior dimensions set to go to wall-centers, which works fine, BUT manual end-to-end measurements should go where you aim the mouse, preferably a wall-edge somewhere- but I can't... they will go to the wall-centers ONLY. So I must manually grab the dimension and put the ends where I intended them the first time.

#2 - When I select a door, the auto-temp dimensions that pop up measure to the wall-centers & exterior wall-surface (veneer). First, I don't think anything should ever measure to the veneer- but rather the main-layer. Second, I don't care what the door to center of the wall measurement is, but rather to the next wall surface.

#3 - Doors, windows, and placed-items like showers & tubs are now adjustable in a 'smooth' fashion, rather than increments, like 1 or 2 inchs. So you have no choice but to open the item dialog and type in the specific dimension you want. This one is huge to me. Something that was so user friendly before is now made 3 times more difficult. I did find the setting to change this behavior (Pref-Edit-Behaviors) and I was thrilled, but then I realized that walls were then behaving in the same way- NOT good! So back to the slow method. HP7 worked where doors & windows re-sized in increments of 2 inches - concentric. Placed items re-sized in increments of 1 inch. If you needed something with a fraction of an inch, THEN you can open the dialog box. The same setting that gives you control over doors/windows shouldn't change the behavior of walls should it? Very strange.

#4 - Something happens after creating the roof that slows down everything. Especially editing the roof itself. After any adjustment at all, must wait a second or two for it to take affect. Again, if this is a setting that can be adjusted I'd love to know about it. Maybe it's constantly internally redrawing the 3D or something- brains bigger than mine should know.

#5 - I've watched every video, some from the users of this board, and can not for the life of me figure out how to create a correct-looking broken-arch window with a brick lintel. I've created the brick 3d library item thing, tried to apply it to the lintel, just as the videos & instructions say, and they still don't look right. Seems like it shouldn't be this difficult- we're talking about an extremely common look. HP7 had the lintel & sill material at 90 deg from the sides, so a simple strip material looked almost right, except for the lintel lines not being fanned out.


I'm sorry to sound like such a complainer, but I've been successful in drafting full-time for about 12 years, thanks in a HUGE part to the ease of use of this software. I started way back with 3D Home (the original- not the later rip-off), Home Designer Suite 6, then HP7 did plenty- and I found work-arounds for what it didn't do. I thought it was finally time to upgrade, and felt sure I'd be getting a new-improved version that would make my life easier. No doubt, some of the functions and abilities of X6 are astounding, but at this point, I'm kinda kicking myself.

[Glenn Woodward]

1. Do you really mean Point to Point dimensions? I recommend that you don't use those for normal dimensioning as they dimension to an automatically placed point. Better to dimension to real world object.
You can specify where dimensions go to in the defaults.

2. This is configurable in the defaults.

3. Grid snaps?

3.? Shouldn't happen. Do you have auto rebuild roofs toggled on? Could be any number of things depending on the view type and settings.

[Keifuz]

1. Do you really mean Point to Point dimensions? I recommend that you don't use those for normal dimensioning as they dimension to an automatically placed point. Better to dimension to real world object.
You can specify where dimensions go to in the defaults.

2. This is configurable in the defaults.

3. Grid snaps?

3.? Shouldn't happen. Do you have auto rebuild roofs toggled on? Could be any number of things depending on the view type and settings.

Thanks Glenn, I knew I should have proofed my message better, had my 1, 2, 3, 3... points going. Also, I did mean "end-to-end" dimensions, not point to point.

Don't think grid snaps would help here.

[Keifuz]

Here's an example of where the temp pop-up dimensions when selecting a door are, to me, measuring to odd, unnecessary places on the 2 walls nearby. I'm accustom to them going to the next closest wall surface, which is what would be more helpful. Again, I see nothing where I can change this behavior.

[lgswe]

I've noticed the "slow down" when I edit my roofs also. I always build my roof manually. Come to think of it, it seems to be occuring when I click on anything. Like you mentioned there seems to be a one to 2 second (or longer at times) delay from the time you click an edge to break it, let's say, till it actually breaks and then once again from the time you move the break till it moves. I'm sure it wasn't like this in previous versions. I was thinking it might be the file size or something, but now I'm not sure. I'll have to watch this. In the meantime maybe you'll hear if anyone else has notice this occuring with the roofs or anything else.

[Keifuz]

Thanks Larry.

Update- I did try adjusting the temp dimensions setting, and it does correct the location of the pop-up dimensions when doors are selected, but after that, when walls are selected, they also then dimension to wall surfaces, not centers as I prefer. This is probably one thing I can grow accustom to, but I'm only used to it because it was the way I had it HP7 for years, but now I can't in the newest, most advanced version of the software.

[jonathank]

For your temporary dimension behaviors, you have to go to Edit>Default Settings>Dimensions>Temporary Dimensions.

There's a dialogue box that opens and gives you settings to tweak to get things to show up how you like.

One word of caution, this will only save the settings for the plan you're in. So you'll have to either create a new template with all your settings how you like, or save over an existing template.

To manage templates go to File>Templates>Save As Template. Then you'll either save a new, or save over existing...

[Kilgore Trout]

4. Check to see if you have automatic framing turned on. This could cause a slow down and you can always rebuild the framing manually.

[Glenn Woodward]

Don't think grid snaps would help here.

Do you realise that even though you have grid snaps on, when you place an object off the grid, the grid snap setting controls the move increment.
ie, if an object is off grid, when you move it, it will not snap to the grid, but rather, it will jump in increments as per the Grid Snap Unit.

[Keifuz]

No I didn't... I'll try it out. Thanks!

[Keifuz]

Do you realise that even though you have grid snaps on, when you place an object off the grid, the grid snap setting controls the move increment.
ie, if an object is off grid, when you move it, it will not snap to the grid, but rather, it will jump in increments as per the Grid Snap Unit.

That works great! Thanks.

I also just realized I can hold down "C" while resizing a door/window to re-size it concentrically, which was bugging me as well (I still wish it did it all the time, but then walls lengthen & shorten from both ends as well- which I'm sure would come in handy in some scenario that I can't imagine.

[Keifuz]

OH, how do fix this please? Auto exterior dimensions: After I move a dimension line, for whatever reason, when I re-select auto-dimension, it creates a new dimension line, but leaves the one I moved... I'd rather it just delete the one I moved earlier.

[Kilgore Trout]

Using the auto exterior dimension tool does not remove any edited dimensions. You have to remove these yourself, either one at a time like you have been doing or by using the "delete objects" tool.

Or, if you are using X6, you can also try turning on the "auto refresh" option for your auto exterior dimensions (in the dimension defaults). I haven't played with this much but it looks like it might be nice to have this turned on while you are playing with the design. I'm pretty sure I would turn it off once the design is stable because I don't always like how the program does the auto dimensions.

[Keifuz]

Does anyone know a trick to make the window or door brick arch lintel look correct on a broken arch ? ? It only looks right if the broken arch is set to 3"- but that's not enough of an arch.

[Joe Carrick]

The Brick is adjusted based on the Arch Segment Lengths. If the Arch Segments are greater than the Brick size then it will look right. If not the Bricks will be compressed. Basically arcs are treated as multi-segment lines and the brick is compressed so that at least one is on each segment.