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2D and 3D Design. Objects you place in 2D plan view are automatically created in 3D, real-time. Generate 3D views and select, modify, move, and delete objects directly in the view.

Automatic and manual dimensioning. Includes One-Click™ Automatic dimensions.

Automatic Roofs. Gable, hip, shed, gambrel, Dutch gable, roof returns and more. Access roof defaults for each project.

Material Eye-Dropper and Object Painter™. Quick "click-and-drop" application of materials and colors throughout your plan or from one object to another. Use Scoping controls to apply changes to groups of objects at once.

Landscaping Terrain Tools. Define custom Terrain, including sloped lots and input elevation points. Shape the terrain with Hill and Valley tools. Cut holes in terrain for pools, window wells and other customizations.

Project Cost Estimation. Automatically generate a materials list for budgeting and planning a project.

Room Planner Import. Create designs on your mobile device using Chief Architect's Room Planner app, and then import the rooms for detailed modification.

Windows® 10 / 8 / 7. Mac High Sierra / Mojave.

Searchable Knowledge Base Articles. Detailed, illustrated, instructional articles will guide you step-by-step through specific tasks; search on a subject or task to find help on that topic.

Custom Wall Types. Create, copy, edit, and delete wall types with layers to match your projects.

Custom Backsplash Tool. Click to generate a Custom Backsplash that automatically fits around cabinets, openings, and appliances.

Deck Designer™ Tool. Design Straight and Curved Decks. Define roof and ceiling attributes for a covered deck. Control the orientation and size of deck planking, gap, width, overhang, direction, border planks.

Import / Export files in DXF and DWG file formats.

Manual Roof Tools. Create and edit any custom roof planes. Start with an automatic roof and then add custom details, or create the entire roof manually. Control framing for individual roof planes.

Multiple Faced Cabinets. Use the Split Items button to add horizontal and vertical layout of doors and drawers on any cabinet. Create Entertainment Centers and Vanity cabinets with doors on one side and drawers on the other.

Advanced stair tools allow control of shape, starter treads, flaring, tread width, and more. Full control over curved staircases.

Leverage the North Pointer for Sun Angles. Create Sun Angles with accurate longitude, latitude, date, and time; use North Pointer as bearing for sun angle. Easily identify Sun Angles to be used for saved cameras or to be adjusted by their date and time naming.

Space Planning Assistant. Layout out room boxes in a bubble diagram to quickly create a floor plan. Convert diagram into walls, windows, and doors to finalized and furnish the design.

Room Planner Import. Create designs on your mobile device using Chief Architect's Room Planner app, and then import the rooms for detailed modification.

Backup Entire Plan. Export a bundle of all the files referenced in your plan, good for archival purposes and for sharing with other users who do not have your custom materials and images.

Customize Room Names. Customize the available rooms list to suit your most common needs and regional naming conventions.

Object Painter™ / Eyedropper. Use eyedropper functionality to match properties from one object and apply them to another object. Use Scoping controls to apply changes to groups of objects at once by component, object, room, floor, and plan.

Architectural Blocks. Multi-Select and group items together to create architectural blocks, like kitchen islands, that can be moved as one, stored in the library, and unblocked for editing.

Multiple Plan Views. Open multiple tabbed windows of the same plan view, show different floors separately or adjust displayed layers in different tabs.

Convert Polyline Tool. Create 3D objects (countertops, slabs, terrain features, and more) from CAD objects.

Printable Layout Sheets. Create blueprint layouts with 3D, CAD, Cross-Section / Elevation, and Plan Views. Define any scale for the drawing.

Store Callouts and Markers in Library.

Export 360° Spherical Views. Rendered cameras can be shared and embedded in websites for interactive navigation. Export these Render Views and store them to the Chief Architect Cloud to share and embed in websites.

Rendering Technique Tools. Create artistic views of your designs like Watercolor, Technical Illustration, and Vector Views.

Full control of render settings allows you to customize your realistic rendering for speed or visual quality.

Blend Color Tool. Change the Color of any material while retaining its texture, similar to applying stain to wood.

Specify Image Size. Set Pixel Resolution and Image Output measurements when exporting images.

Create accurate day or night-time views of your lighting plan.

Leverage the North Pointer for Sun Angles. Create Sun Angles with accurate longitude, latitude, date, and time; use North Pointer as bearing for sun angle. Easily identify Sun Angles to be used for saved cameras or to be adjusted by their date and time naming.

Saved Cameras. Save, edit, and re-open 3D and Render Views to quickly see your favorite camera images. Duplicate perspective and overview cameras in the same plan, or between existing plans, to easily replicate angle, direction, and other camera attributes.

Opaque Glass in Camera Views. Set glass to appear as solid fill (non-transparent) in camera views. Choose to show glass as opaque or transparent by default per Render Technique, or adjust individual views.

3D Navigation. Easily navigate 3D views in an intuitive way. Use the 3D Focus on Object tool and select an object to make it the camera's target, or select an object then use the Focus on Selected edit tool to make the selected object the target; use [ALT + Middle Mouse] button controls to enter Orbit mode; system returns to previous edit state when buttons are released.

Record Walkthrough Videos Along a Specified Path. Add key frames at any point on the spline to control view direction and speed; walk up or down stairs and to span walkthrough between floors.

Export .DAE 3D files. Includes texture mapping that can be leveraged with external rendering software.

Project Cost Estimation. Automatically generate a materials list for budgeting and planning a project.

Deck and Framing Cut & Buy Lists. A Structural Lumber Table can be used to calculate lumber materials for a Cut & Buy List. This calculation is in addition to square feet and lineal feet calculations and can be especially helpful for your framing and decking board calculations.

Find in Plan from the Materials List. Select items from the materials list and choose to Show in Plan to identify and locate them in your design.

Add detail to each individual component in the materials list for a comprehensive cost estimate breakdown. For example, assign components to your cabinets, such as doors, pulls, and hinges and assign costs for each item. Access these attributes from the Components panel of its specification dialog.

Manual and Automatic dimensioning. Includes One-Click™ Automatic dimensions.

Temporary Dynamic Wall Dimension. Display temporary dimensions as walls are drawn.

Default Dimension Format & Arrows. Control the unit formatting, arrows for the default dimensions. Quickly change the look of the dimensions in your design through a single dialog.

Fully Editable Dimensions. Define where dimensions locate walls, windows, doors, and other objects, when generating dimensions automatically or manually.

Create Rendered Elevation and Cross-Section Views with photo-realistic textures.

Import / Export files in DXF and DWG file formats.

Text Tools and Customization. Add custom text as notes and modify text in plan with attributes and treatments like font, bold, underline, caps, size, and color.

Find and Replace Text in Plan. Quickly search for and replace words or strings of text used in your project at one time.

Standard CAD tools to detail your designs.

Polyline Editing. Select any polyline and choose Close Polyline to automatically connect the start and end points. Editing of filleted polylines retains fillet radius.

Box and Bumpout Extension Snaps. Snap to projected 90° intersections.

Plant Schedules. Manage multiple schedules of the same type and independently control their display of labels. Schedules update when items in the plan are added to or removed from the schedule display.

Specify labels for Light Source or “added light” objects. Uniquely name light sources in your scenes for easy recognition.

Advanced Cabinets. Attach moldings and hardware, angled front cabinets, and more.

Design and edit Custom Countertop shapes and styles.

Control Cabinet Hardware. Use the Center option to adjust cabinet drawer hardware location, also specify cases where two knobs will be used.

Frameless Cabinet Settings. Change the cabinet style in one click with the Frameless and Full Overlay options for cabinets.

Insert Items inside Cabinets. Attach custom shelves, storage, and hardware items into cabinet boxes and specify their behavior per face item.

Evenly Space Doors and Drawers on Cabinet Fronts. Use the Equalize Layout button on Horizontal and Vertical Layouts to space their components equally.

Rounded Countertop Corners for Automatic Countertops.

Cabinet Closed Toe Always Present. Set cabinet toekick to closed on a per-cabinet basis, regardless of the cabinet being connected or adjacent to other cabinets.

“Fixed” Door Type. Create non-operable doors, like sidelights for entryways, using the “Fixed” door type. Door hinges and hardware are not included by default, but faux hardware can be turned ON if desired.

Atrium Door Options. Create Center Swing Double Doors, also known as atrium patio doors.

Door Defaults by Door Type. Set unique door defaults for different types of doors: hinged, pocket, bifold, sliding, barn, fixed, shower, and garage.

Control Trim for Interior Doors and Windows. Separately specify the materials and trim assigned to each side of an opening.

Bay, Box, Bow Window Tools. Click and drop bay, box, and bow windows in a wall. Resize and customize the unit as a whole.

Angled Top Window Controls. Adjust the angle of window tops. Apply changes to the left, right, or center of the window.

Window Treatments & Interior Shutters. Adjust curtains by the height off floor and height above casing. Specify shutters on the interior of a window. Blinds fit inside casing when attached to windows.

Window and Door Casings Display in Plan View. Display or hide interior and exterior casings using the “Casings, Interior” and “Casings, Exterior” layers.

Automatic Frame Depth. Set window frame depth to automatically fit into wall.

Included Library Items for customizing and creating designs. Fixtures, furniture, accessories, and materials to create your scenes. Add more variety by downloading Bonus and Branded catalogs from Chief Architect's 3D Library.

Bonus Catalog Add-Ons. Generic furniture, materials, fixtures, hardware, and accessories, some free and others for purchase, can be downloaded and added to your library browser for more design choices. New catalogs made available monthly.

Automatic Catalog Updates. Check for updates for catalogs distributed by Chief Architect and automatically update to the latest version.

Library Search Bar and Context Menus. Quickly search for Library items by keyword, object type, or style. Choose to search for items in entire catalog or in specific folders only. Customize search attributes for User Catalog content.

Custom Materials and Images. Save custom image billboards and paintable materials in the User Library to include and reuse in your projects.

Edit Parametric Items in Library Browser. Once saved into the Library, open and edit the properties of Cabinets, Windows, Doors, and other parametric items.

Library Browser filtered views. Choose to show or hide entire library catalogs in the Library Browser tree.

One-Click™ Stairs & Ramps. Auto place stairs from platform to platform. Place full length stairs with a single click. Stairs and Ramps automatically connect to the terrain when drawn from the ground to the structure.

Wrap Around Stairs. Join stairs on outside or inside corners.

Railing Tools. Assign symbol Railing Balusters, Newels, and Panels. Specify railings, balusters, and newels from the Library Browser for railing walls. Control Railing beam and top and bottom rail configurations.

Advanced stair tools allow control of shape, starter treads, flaring, tread width, and more. Full control over curved staircases.

Pony Walls and Railings Follow Stairs. Create Fully Housed Stairs using a pony wall with a railing on top and set to follow the slope of the stairs.

Automatic building tools for roof generation, stairs, dimensioning, foundations, framing and electrical.

Design Multiple-Story Buildings. Create structures with up to 5 floor levels in addition to an attic and basement foundation.

Gable & Hip Roof Toggle tool. Toggle the roof between these two styles using the Gable / Hip tool in 3D and 2D.

One-Click Auto Dormer™. Build dormer on roof automatically while cutting a hole for the ceiling.

Unblock and manually edit Automatic Dormers.

Manual Roof Tools. Create and edit any custom roof planes. Start with an automatic roof and then add custom details, or create the entire roof manually. Control framing for individual roof planes.

Glass Wall Tool. Use the glass wall tool to quickly draw a new glass wall via the wall parent toolbar.

Multiple Framing Layers in Wall. Create wall types with multiple framing layers and automatically generate framing for both layers; ideal for furred basement walls.

Create pony walls and edit wall shape in cross-section view. Add beadboard to a kitchen, add stone to the outside of your design, or create a stepped foundation for a hillside lot.

Railing Over Solid Wall. Generate Pony Walls with a railing as the upper wall type.

Wall Defaults. Default controls for interior and exterior walls.

Molding Specification. Easily manage moldings attached to an object through the moldings panel and see a preview moldings assigned to rooms.

Auto Place and Delete Corner Boards and Quoins. Automatically add or remove trim details to wall corners.

Advanced Foundation Controls. Specify foundation types by room, foundations with slab at top of Stem Wall, garage slabs with monolithic foundations, foundation piers as round or square, and other foundation customizations.

Customize construction methods for walls, floors, ceilings, and foundations. Specify wall layers, floor structure, platform height, mudsills, framing methods, and more.

Multiple Framing Types. Choose from a wide selection of framing types when designing your structure; from lumber, to steel, to engineered materials like LVL, PSL, and VSL. Framing labels reflect the type of material specified.

Landscaping Plants.

Pre-Arranged Garden Beds.

Plant Schedules. Generate a list of all the plants used in your design; use different schedule callout shapes as reference labels to plants in designs.

Railing Tools. Custom Railing Panels, Control of Height & Railing Styles, great for custom decks.

Auto Re-Build Deck Framing. Deck Framing updates as the deck design changes.

Treated Deck Framing. Specify Deck Framing Members as “treated” to reflect the lumber type in your materials list.

Landscaping Terrain Tools. Define custom Terrain, including sloped lots and input elevation points. Shape the terrain with Hill and Valley tools. Cut holes in terrain for pools, window wells and other customizations.

Primary and Secondary Terrain contour labels. Control the highlight for negative value contour labels.

Stepping Stone Tools. Click and drop stepping stone shapes onto terrain to quickly create paths and hardscaping interest.

Define Terrain Elevation Splines, Elevation Regions, and Terrain Breaks.

Mac and PC compatible. Home Designer can be installed and run natively either on Mac or Windows operating systems with a single license.

Touch Screen Optimization. Smooth and accurate touch controls for pinch zoom, pan, rotate and other controls for Windows computers (not supported by Mac OS).

Migration Tools. Easily bring forward settings from previous versions.

Save Prints in PDF Format. Save to a PDF file for outsourcing a print job.

Custom Stylized Themes. Set up Chief’s User Interface with color and style themes of your choosing. Set preferences for the look of dialogs, menus, buttons and other interface elements; import, export, and share saved themes.

Compatible with Chief Architect® (Version X1-X11). Edit plans created using Chief Architect.

Searchable Knowledge Base Articles. Detailed, illustrated, instructional articles will guide you step-by-step through specific tasks; search on a subject or task to find help on that topic.

Free Online and Live Technical Support. Contact Support Technicians at Chief Architect Headquarters.