Create, Expand
or Remodel Your
Dream House
Floor Plans •
Plumbing
Fixtures •
Electrical
Fixtures •
Automatic Roof
Creation •
Furnishings •
Colors &
Textures • Doors
• Windows •
Floors •
Cabinets •
Stairs &
Railings •
Foundations •
And much more!
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Adding a Basic Roof
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After
completing the exterior walls of your project, you can add a roof
either automatically or by choosing the points to specify the area
that will be covered by the roof. This technical note describes both
procedures. Follow the desired procedure
below to add a basic roof to a plan created in 3D Home Architect®
5.0.
Automatically Generate a Roof to Fit the Structure
- Click Insert from the menu bar and click Roofs.
NOTE: By default, a 20-degree Shingled Hip Roof is
pre-selected. To choose a different style, click one of the
other roof styles in the Catalog list (right).
- Right-click anywhere in the plan area and left-click Insert:
Auto Perimeter from the menu that appears.
- Click once anywhere inside the perimeter of the structure.
The roof is automatically generated.
- Right-click inside the perimeter of the structure and
left-click Finish to complete the process.
Define the Roof Area
- Click Insert from the menu bar and click Roofs.
NOTE: By default, a 20-degree Shingled Hip Roof is
pre-selected. To choose a different style, click one of the
other roof styles in the Catalog list (right).
- Right-click anywhere in the plan area and left-click Insert:
Pick Points.
- Move the mouse to move the cursor to the starting point of
the roof and click once.
- Using the mouse, move the cursor to the next point and click
once.
- Repeat Step 5 until returning to the starting point. A box
will be drawn around the selected area as points are added.
- When back at the starting point, right-click and left-click
Finish to complete the process.
NOTE: The Pick Points insertion method will not work for
curved wall segments. For curved walls, use the automatic method
described in the first procedure. |
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Upgrade 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe to
Professional SE |
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Owners
of 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe who have Internet access can upgrade
to the Professional SE edition of 3D Home Architect® 5. View the
remainder of this technical note for additional information and a
step-by-step procedure that describes how to order and install the
Professional SE upgrade. Follow the
procedure below to upgrade to 3D Home Architect® 5 Professional SE
from 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe.
NOTE: An Internet connection is
required to complete the following procedure.
Upgrade to 3D Home Architect® 5 Professional SE
- Place the 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe CD
into the CD drive. The 3D Home Architect 5.0 splash screen will
open.
NOTE: The 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe CD is required to
install the 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe to Professional SE
Upgrade.
- Click the Upgrade button. The Internet
browser will launch and connect to the 3D Home Architect® 5
Professional SE Upgrade page at the Broderbund website.
- To place the order and install the
Professional SE edition, click either Windows® Download or Add
to Cart, located on the right portion of the screen. The
Shopping Cart will appear listing any items that were added.
- Verify that only the item or items to be
ordered are listed. If additional items are listed, check the
box under Remove: for that line item by clicking once in the
empty box. Then click Update Your Cart to apply the changes.
NOTE: To browse the Broderbund Store for additional
products before checking out, click the Continue Shopping
button. To check out, continue with Step 5.
- After verifying that only the desired items
are listed in the Shopping Cart, click Proceed to Checkout.
- If you have previously registered and have
setup a user name and password at Broderbund.com or a site
within the Broderbund family, enter your email address and
password in the proper fields and click Login.
If this is the first time you have ordered online from
Broderbund and you do not have a user name and password, click
Continue (which is to the right of New Customer) and complete
the registration.
- If the Shipping Options screen appears,
enter the required Shipping information and click Add Address.
(Typically, this screen will appear only when an item or items
in the Shopping Cart require shipping.)
NOTE: If no items were selected that require shipping and
you entered a user name and password in Step 6, additional items
may have been added to the shopping cart under that user name.
Complete the Shipping Options and click Add Address. The
Shopping Cart will appear and present the option to remove any
unwanted items. After verifying that only the desired items have
been added, click Proceed to Checkout.
- When the Payment Options screen appears,
enter or verify the name, billing address and credit card
information and click Continue Checkout.
- When the Review & Submit Order screen
appears, verify that the order and total are correct and click
Submit Your Order.
NOTE: If the Account Creation screen appears, enter your
correct e-mail address, a user name, password and other
information in the required fields to create an account and
click Continue.
- When the "Your order has been submitted"
screen appears, a receipt can be printed if desired by clicking
Print Receipt. (A printer is required to print the receipt.)
- Minimize the Internet browser by clicking
the minimize ( _ ) button at the top-right corner of the browser
window.
- Exit 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe and
verify that the CD (3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe) is in the
drive.
NOTE: If the 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe CD is not in the
drive, 3D Home Architect® 5 will be uninstalled.
- From the Task bar, click the browser to
restore the browser window. The "Your order has been submitted"
screen should appear.
- Click the Begin Installation button for
the 3D Home Architect® 5 Professional Upgrade.
NOTE: A Security Warning dialog box may appear asking if
you want to install and run the InstallShield Wizard. Clicking
No will cancel the 3D Home Architect® 5 Professional Upgrade
installation.
The InstallShield Wizard is needed to install 3D Home Architect®
5 Professional. Click Yes to continue with the installation.
- When the 3D Home Architect Professional
5.0 Upgrade–One Click Install window appears, click Install. The
InstallShield Wizard window will appear.
- Click Next. Setup will begin.
- When the Welcome 3D Home Architect® 5
Professional Upgrade Setup Program window appears, click Next
and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
- When the installation is complete, select
the option to restart the computer and click Finish. Windows®
will shut down and restart.
- When the computer restarts, launch and use
3D Home Architect® 5 Professional SE.
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Reinstall 3D Home Architect® 5 Professional SE
from 5 Deluxe |
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Reinstall 3D Home Architect® 5 Professional SE from 5 Deluxe
Owners of 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe who have
Internet access can upgrade to the Professional SE edition of 3D
Home Architect®. If you have previously purchased the 3D Home
Architect® 5 Professional SE Upgrade from 3D Home Architect® 5
Deluxe and the upgrade installation failed or was canceled, or you
have since uninstalled the program, view the remainder of this
technical note for additional information and a step-by-step
procedure that describes how to reinstall the upgrade.
Follow the procedure below to reinstall the 3D
Home Architect® 5 Professional SE from 5 Deluxe.
Before you begin…
 | 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe must be installed.
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 | Place the 3D Home Architect® Deluxe 5 CD into the CD drive.
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 | An Internet connection is required.
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 | Printing this technical note is recommended. |
Reinstalling the 3D Home Architect® 5 Professional
SE from 5 Deluxe
- Close 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe.
- Click the Login link located at the top of the page.
Note: If the Login link does not appear, click the My
Account link and skip to step 6.
- In the fields provided on the left side of the page, enter
the email address and password for the account.
- Click the purple Sign in button to sign in. The My Account
page will appear.
- In the page that appears, click the My Downloads link.
NOTE: The 3D Home Architect® 5 Deluxe CD is required in
the CD drive to install the 3D Home Architect® 5 Professional
SE. If the CD is not in the drive during this process, the
program will be uninstalled.
- In the My Downloads page that opens, a list of all programs
purchased for download (under the user name entered in Step 4)
will display. Click the Install Now link that appears to the
right of 3D Home Architect® Professional 5.0 SE Download-422.1
KB. 3D Home Architect® Professional 5.0 SE-One Click Install
page displays.
NOTE: If 3D Home Architect® 5.0 Professional SE
Download–422.1 KB does not appear in the list of files available
for you to download, either the order was placed using another
user name or the order did not go through. Try the following: If
it is possible that another user name was used to place the
order, click the Sign Out link at the top of the My Downloads
page to log out. Login under the other user name and repeat
Steps 4 and 5.
- When the 3D Home Architect 5 Professional
SE–One Click Install window appears, click Install. The
InstallShield Wizard window will appear.
- When the 3D Home
Architect 5 Professional SE–One Click Install window appears,
click Install. The InstallShield Wizard window will appear.
- Click Next. Setup will
begin.
NOTE: An Install dialog box may appear stating: "Setup
has detected that 3D Home Architect is currently running. Please
close the application and then select OK to continue." Exit 3D
Home Architect® 5 Deluxe and wait about 60 seconds before
clicking OK to continue the Professional SE edition
installation.
- When the Welcome to 3D
Home Architect Professional SE 5 Setup Program window appears,
click Next and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the
installation.
- When the installation is
complete, select the option to restart the computer and click
Finish. Windows® will shut down and restart.
- When the computer
restarts, launch and use 3D Home Architect® 5 Professional SE.
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Quick-Start Guide for 3D Home Architect® 5.0
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Descriptions of program features and steps explaining how to use
them can be found in 3D Home Architect® 5. Before you begin,
investing a small amount of time to become familiar with these
features and the new design and "feel" of 3D Home Architect® 5 is
recommended. Once you know where to look, you can easily find the
answers to many of your questions. The remainder of this technical
note identifies where to find important information within the
program and provides additional information to help you experience
the full potential of 3D Home Architect® 5.
The following procedures will help you locate areas within 3D Home
Architect® 5.0 that provide answers to your questions and that
explain how to use the program.
First Things First: The Tutorials
The quickest way to experience 3D Home Architect® without actually
using the program is to view the tutorials. Each tutorial highlights
a specific function or design element of the program, helping you to
become more familiar with 3D Home Architect® 5.
Complete the following steps to access the tutorial section of 3D
Home Architect® 5.
- Launch 3D Home Architect® 5. The 3D Home Architect® 5.0
splash screen will appear.
- Click Tutorials, which is located on the left side of the
splash screen. The content titles of the Tutorials section will
appear.
NOTE: To view an explanation of each available option
shown in the splash screen, position the mouse pointer over the
button. (Do not click.) A brief description will appear. (No
description will appear for Run.)
- Click a title to open that tutorial.
NOTE: Some tutorials include animation and sound.
3D Home Architect® 5.0 Help
Typically, items in a Help file include descriptions of program
features and steps explaining how to use them. The 3D Home
Architect® 5.0 Help content includes a Contents tab, Index tab and
Search tab. Specific words and phrases can also be typed into a
keyword field to efficiently search the contents.
To open and use the Help file, complete the following steps:
- Launch 3D Home Architect® 5.
- Begin a new plan or open an existing plan.
- At the Workspace, click Help in the menu bar.
- Select 3D Home Architect Help from the menu that appears.
NOTE: The question mark (?) icon located in the toolbar
can also be used to open the Help file.
- Search the Help content by keyword or phrases, or scroll
through the content using the arrow keys.
- Click once on an entry to highlight it and click Display.
The selection will display in the right portion of the Help for
3D Home Architect® 5.0 window. (Double-clicking the entry will
also display the content in the window.)
Toolbars
The toolbars in 3D Home Architect® 5.0 contain the tools required to
design a plan. These toolbars can be positioned as desired at the
top or bottom of the Workspace. Selected toolbars can remain hidden
if desired. To display a toolbar, complete the following steps:
- Launch 3D Home Architect® 5.0 and click Run in the splash
screen. The Setup window will open.
- Select the desired option and click OK.
- At the Workspace, click View in the menu bar and select
Toolbars. The Options window will open.
- Click inside the box that appears before each toolbar name
to choose the desired toolbar or toolbars to display.
- Click Apply and click OK to apply the changes and to close
the Options window.
Turn the ORTHO Setting Off
The ORTHO setting limits mouse movements to 90-degree angles. This
makes it easier to draw walls when creating the perimeter of a home
design. However, when objects are added, the ORTHO limitation can
make it difficult to move those objects. Turn ORTHO off by
double-clicking on it in the Status Bar (located near the
bottom-right corner of the window).
Managing the Mouse: When in doubt, right click!
You clicked on the Roof insert tool…. Now what? You’ve selected a
door because you want it to open in and not out. How do you do that?
When you’re not sure what step to take next, try clicking your right
mouse button. Many actions in the program are accessed in this
manner. Insert, Restart, Cancel and Finish are all actions that are
accessible when inserting an object. Deselect, Properties, Delete,
Stretch, Move, Rotate, Duplicate, Duplicate to Locations, Lengthen,
Break, Curve, Flip, Insert Opening and more are options that are
accessible for objects already inserted in the plan. The choices
that appear in the right-click menu depend on the object or tool
selected. You can perform actions on multiple objects at once by
pressing and holding the SHIFT key while selecting all the desired
objects. These objects can be modified simultaneously, as long as
they are all of the same type (e.g., all doors, all windows, etc.).
Locations vs. Floors
Understanding the difference between a location and a floor in 3D
Home Architect® 5 will help you while using the program. Use the
following guide to help understand the difference between the
location and floor.
Location: Refers to the level of the design, such as
a basement or lower level, first floor, second floor, attic,
etc. When adding a location to a design, the floor (wood or
concrete slab) is not inserted, allowing for additional control
over the design.
Floors: The Insert Floors tool allows you to insert
the type of concrete or wood floor desired for a level. The
Insert Floors tool also allows for the selection of the desired
carpet, tile or linoleum for a specific room or rooms.
Becoming Familiar with the Display Filter
When designing a house with multiple locations (see the previous
definition), the option to display (or not display) building
elements for all or selected locations is available for each view.
Each view for all locations has its own display options. This allows
for the viewing of all selected elements in a 3D view that may not
be desired in a 2D view and vise versa. The steps below describe how
to access and use the Display Filter.
- With a design plan open in 3D Home Architect® 5, click the
Display Filter icon (resembles a light bulb) located in the view
bar typically positioned at the bottom of the window. The
Display Filter window will open displaying a list of design
elements (Doors, Windows, etc.).
NOTE: The Display Filter can also be accessed by clicking
View from the menu bar and clicking Display Filter.
- Each design element includes a light bulb icon before it.
Turn the light bulb on to display a design element and off to
prevent a design element from displaying for all locations or a
specific location.
To prevent a design element from displaying for all
locations, click once on the yellow light bulb that appears
to the left of that design element. The color of the light
bulb will change to white and should appear turned off.
NOTE: Click once on that light bulb again to turn it
on.
To prevent a design element from displaying for a
specific location only, complete the following:
- Click the plus sign (+) that appears to the left of
that design element to expand the list of locations for
a design.
- For each location that is not to display the design
element, click once on the yellow light bulb that
appears to the left of that location. The color of the
light bulb will change to white and should appear turned
off. (Click once on that light bulb again to turn it
on.)
Click the All On or All Off button to turn on or off all
of the Building Elements or Annotation Elements for all
locations.
To display the building elements for the current
location only, click once in the empty box next to Current
Location Only to check it.
NOTE: Click once on the checkmark in the Current
Location Only box to remove the checkmark. This will turn on
the building elements that were not individually turned off
for all locations.
- After selecting which building elements to view for all
locations, click OK. All elements for each location that were
turned off will not be displayed in the current view.
Modifying Building Elements, Fixtures and Objects: The Power is
in the Properties
3D Home Architect 5.0 offers unprecedented control over every detail
of a home design. Most of this control is accessed through the
building element, fixture or object's Properties pages. To see
Properties for any building element, fixture or object, including
walls, windows, and doors, double-click on it, or left-click to
select the object and right-click to select Properties. In the
Properties pages, you can adjust the type, dimensions and layout of
most objects. You can also add trim, apply colors, textures, and
patterns, and enter manufacturer and price information. |
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Import Design Plans from Previous Versions
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| After
creating designs using previous versions of 3D Home Architect®, you
want to know if those plans can be imported into 3D Home Architect®
5.0. View the remainder of this technical note for more information.
With the changes in 3D Home Architect® 5.0 and the
addition of new features, design plans created in 3D Home Architect®
versions 4 and earlier cannot be imported into 3D Home Architect®
5.0. |
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Opening Building Element and Fixture Catalogs
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The 3D
Home Architect® 5 in-program Master catalog includes an extensive
library of building elements and fixtures. (Catalogs can be
purchased and downloaded from Broderbund.com or created by the
user.) The information in this technical note describes how to open
a catalog and switch between catalogs.
Follow the procedures below as needed to switch to a different
catalog or open a new catalog.
Opening a Catalog
- Launch 3D Home Architect® 5 and open or start a design
project.
- In the Catalog panel (right pane), click the Catalog
Management button (which resembles an open book).
- From the menu that appears, click Open Catalog. The Open
dialog box will appear.
- Navigate to the drive and directory where the catalog to be
opened exists. (Typical location is in the C:\Program
Files\Broderbund\3D Home Architect 5.0\Catalogs folder.)
- Click once on the desired catalog (e.g., Bonus Catalog.bdb,
Outdoor Objects.bdb, etc.) to select it.
3D Home Architect® 5.0 Outdoor Objects (Outdoor Objects.bdb) can
be purchased and downloaded.
- Click Open. The catalog selected in Step 5 will open.
NOTE: Only the building elements and fixtures for the
Insert Tool that is currently selected will be displayed. For
example, the Bonus Catalog includes 50 3D objects that will be
displayed when the Floors or the Furnishings Insert Tools are
selected.
Switching Between Catalogs
When multiple catalogs are opened, switching between the different
catalogs to use the various building elements and fixtures is
possible. The procedure is described below.
- Open a design project in 3D Home Architect® 5.
- In the Catalog panel (right pane), click the down arrow
button that appears to the right of the current catalog (e.g.,
Master Catalog). A list of available catalogs will appear.
- Click once on a catalog to view. A list of the building
elements and fixtures in the selected catalog will open in the
Catalog panel.
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Register 3D Home Architect® 5 for a Free Offer
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After
completing the product registration, there is no option available to
download the free product mentioned during the registration process.
The free download offer mentioned during the registration process
has expired. This download offer has been replaced by an offer for
free shipping and handling on your next Broderbund.com order.
Consult the following for additional information.
Receive FREE Shipping and Handling
Broderbund.com is your source on the Web for incredible software at
affordable prices. Now, you can enjoy even more savings when you get
FREE shipping with your next online order from Broderbund.com.
Note: A promotion code is displayed at the end of the
registration process to allow you to take advantage of this
money-saving offer. Write down the promotion code that is presented
or print the page with the promotion code then complete the steps
that follow.
- Locate the titles you would like to purchase and add them to
your cart.
- Progress through the checkout process by following the
onscreen instructions.
- At Step 3, enter your special promotion code into the
promotion code box.
- Click the Continue button and follow the onscreen
instructions to complete your order.
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Downloading Additional Building Element and
Fixture Catalogs |
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Additional building element and fixture catalogs can be purchased
and are available for download. If you have purchased additional
catalogs or registered 3D Home Architect® 5 for the free bonus
catalog, the information in this technical note describes how to
download your purchased or bonus catalog or catalogs. The technical
note also describes how to re-download a catalog that has been
deleted. Follow the procedure below to
download your purchased or bonus catalog for 3D Home Architect® 5.
Download Additional Catalogs for 3D Home
Architect® 5
- Close all open programs, including 3D Home Architect® 5.
- Click the Login link located at the top of the page.
Note: If the login link does not appear, click the My
Account link and skip to Step 6.
- In the fields provided on the left side of the page, enter
the email address and password for the account.
- Click the purple Sign In button to sign in. The My Account
page will appear.
- Click the My Downloads link located on the left side of the
page.
- Click the Install Now or Download Now link next to the
desired download.
- In the My Downloads page that opens, a list of all programs
purchased or registered for download (under the Broderbund.com
user name currently logged in) will display. To begin the
download, click the Begin Installation button that appears to
the right of the desired 3D Home Architect® 5 catalog name
(e.g., 3d Home Arch 5.0 Objects). 3D Home Architect Catalog-One
Click Install page will appear.
Note: If no 3D Home Architect® 5 catalogs (or downloads)
appear in the list of files available for download, either the
order was placed using another user name or the order did not go
through. Try the following suggestions:
- If it is possible that another Broderbund.com user name
was used to place the order (or to register 3D Home
Architect® 5 for the bonus catalog), click the Log Out link
at the top of the My Downloads page to log out. Login under
the other user name and repeat Steps 1-8.
- If the Internet connection was interrupted when placing
the order or when registering 3D Home Architect® 5 for the
bonus catalog before the catalog was downloaded, and you do
not have another Broderbund.com User Name, it is likely that
the order or registration did not go through.
- When the 3D Home Architect Catalog-One Click Install page
appears, click Install. The InstallShield Wizard window will
appear.
- Click Next. Setup will begin.
- When the Welcome window opens, click Next and follow the
on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
Note: If a message appears stating the program failed to
detect 3D Home Architect® 5 on the system, click NO. 3D Home
Architect® 5 must be installed before any building element and
fixture catalogs can be installed.
- When the installation is complete, click Finish.
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Changing Textures, Patterns and Colors |
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To
allow additional control as you create a design, 3D Home Architect®
5 features the option to change the texture, pattern and color of
building elements and fixtures. The remainder of this technical note
describes changing the texture, pattern and color of building
elements and fixtures. The information
below describes one way to change the texture, pattern and color of
building elements and fixtures using as examples items included in
the Master Catalog. Use the following guide when changing the
texture, pattern and color of any building element or fixture.
Changing the Texture, Pattern and Color of a Building Element or
Fixture
- Open a current project or start a new
project in 3D Home Architect® 5.
- Click the desired Insert tool (e.g.,
walls, floors, furnishings, etc.) from the Inset bar (typically
located on the left). The types or fixtures of the selected
element that are available in the current catalog will appear on
the right in the Catalog panel.
NOTE: The Insert tools can also be activated from the
Insert menu.
- Verify that the Master Catalog is selected
and visible in the Catalog panel.
NOTE: If the Master Catalog is not selected, complete the
following steps:
- Click the down arrow button that
appears to the right of the current catalog.
- From the menu that appears, click
Master Catalog Deluxe (3D Home Architect® Deluxe 5) or
Master Catalog Pro (3D Home Architect® Professional 5).
- Continue with Step 4.
- Double-click the desired fixture (e.g.,
Sofa Style 1) or building element (e.g., 4" General Wall) to
edit. A window for the selected element will open.
- Click the Appearance tab. The current
texture, pattern and color for the selected component will
appear.
For Example: For a 4" General Wall, 2D Footprint,
Exterior Side may appear. For Sofa Style 1, Frame, Cushion, etc.
will appear.
- To change the texture, pattern or color of
a component, locate the desired item under Components and click
that component once.
- Click Edit. The Materials window will
open.
Click the Texture tab to change the
texture of the selected building element or fixture
component (e.g., Cushion for Sofa Style 1).
Click the Pattern tab to change the
pattern on the selected building element or fixture
component (e.g., Exterior Side for 4" General Wall).
Click the Color tab to change the
color of the selected building element or fixture component.
NOTE: Under the Color tab, the surface and pattern
colors can be changed separately.
The available textures, patterns and colors
will appear on the left of the Edit Materials window.
- Locate the desired texture, pattern or
color from the available list and click it once to select it.
NOTE: Click the Load button to define a custom color or
import another pattern or texture that is not listed.
- After selecting the desired texture,
pattern and color for the component selected in Step 6, click
OK.
NOTE: To change the texture, pattern or color for another
component of the selected design element or fixture, repeat
Steps 6-9.
- When finished changing the texture,
pattern or color for all desired components, click OK to close
the edit window of the selected building element or fixture.
- Insert the edited building element or
fixture into the plan as desired.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT
THE MASTER CATALOG
Definitions
 | Master Catalog: The catalog installed with
the program. All elements and fixtures used to create a plan are
stored and maintained in the Master Catalog.
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 | Current Model: This catalog is created
when a plan is created. A Current Model contains all of the
elements and fixtures that were used for a specific plan. A
Current Model catalog opens whenever a plan is opened. |
In many instances, after working in 3D Home Architect® 5 and upon
closing the program, the following message will appear: 'Catalog
"C:\Program Files\Broderbund\3S Home Architect 5.0\Catalogs\Master
Catalog [Deluxe or Pro].bdb" has been modified. Do you wish to save
your changes?'
Clicking No is strongly recommended. The following explains why.
After an edited building element or fixture is added to a current
plan, it is also added to that plan's catalog (Current Model). The
Current Model catalog is saved with its plan. Building elements and
fixtures in the Current Model catalog can be used later for that
same plan without the need to edit the texture, pattern and color
for that item. Building elements and fixtures saved in the current
plan's catalog (Current Model) cannot be accessed in other plans.
Clicking Yes to save changes to the Master Catalog, which is the
original catalog, will modify that catalog to include changes made
to any element or fixture. As a result, the edited building elements
or fixtures will be available for use in other plans. However, the
original textures, patterns and colors that where changed for any
edited building elements or fixtures will be lost.
To preserve the original content of the Master Catalog upon closing
the 3D Home Architect® 5, click No when the following message is
received: asked: 'Catalog "C:\Program Files\Broderbund\3S Home
Architect 5.0\Catalogs\Master Catalog [Deluxe or Pro].bdb" has been
modified. Do you wish to save your changes?' |
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Displaying and Hiding the Panels, Tools and
Toolbars |
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In 3D
Home Architect® 5, you can customize the workspace by displaying or
hiding the panels, tools and toolbars. The 3D Home Architect® 5
toolbars can also be positioned and repositioned around the
workspace. View the remainder of this technical note for more
information about the 3D Home Architect® 5 workspace options.
Complete the following procedures as desired.
Workspace Options
- Open a current project or start a new
project in 3D Home Architect® 5.
- Click Tools from the menu bar and click
Options. The Options window will open.
- Click the Workspace tab. The workspace
options that are currently selected will display a check to the
left of them.
- Click once in the empty box to check a
desired tool, toolbar or panel option to display that item on
the workspace.
Click once in a checked box to uncheck a tool, toolbar or panel
option to prevent that item from displaying on the workspace.
- After selecting the desired tool, toolbar
or panel options, click Apply to apply the new changes. The
workspace behind the Options window will change.
- Click OK to close the Options window.
NOTE: To hide a toolbar, drag the desired
toolbar to a new location and click the "X" that appears in the
top-left corner of that toolbar.
Tools, Toolbars and Panel Options Described
 | Commander (Tool): The appearance of
the Commander varies with the task and how the user has
configured the Commander. By default, the Commander appears
between the Catalog/View Panel(s) and the design area; however,
it can be moved. The Commander is a multi-functional tool in
which precise values can be entered when drawing walls or
manipulating elements (moving, rotating, curving, breaking,
etc.) By default, this tool is not checked.
|
 | Status Bar (Tool): The Status bar
displays helpful information such as prompts. It also contains a
variety of drawing aids (Autoinsert, Grid Snap, etc.) that can
be toggled on and off. The Status Bar is located at the bottom
of the 3D Home Architect® 5 screen and cannot be moved. By
default, this tool is checked.
|
 | Tabbed Panels (Panel Setting):
These options are selected by default with the Active box
checked. The tabbed panel displays the Catalog and View options
in one panel under separate tabs. By default, the tabbed
Catalog/View panel is located on the right of the workspace and
can be moved. Deselecting the Active box will hide the tabbed
Catalog/View Panel.
|
 | Separate Panel (Panel Setting):
Selecting the Separate Panel setting will allow for the
simultaneous viewing of the Catalog and View options without
switching between tabs. This setting also allows the user to
hide one panel (e.g., View) and show only the other (e.g.,
Catalog). By default, the Separate Panel setting is not
selected.
 | The Catalog panel is used for opening
and creating catalogs and selecting elements to insert into
a design.
|
 | The View panel lists any currently
saved views (e.g., Plan, Model, Elevation, etc.). |
|
 | Standard (Toolbar): A group of
buttons that allows easy and convenient access to commands such
as New, Open, Save, Undo, and Redo, etc. By default, this
toolbar is checked and typically located in the upper-left
corner of the window (below the menu bar). The Standard toolbar
can be moved.
|
 | View (Toolbar): A group of buttons
that allows easy and convenient access to some of the commands
from the View menu (i.e., Zoom In, Zoom Out, Orbit, Display
Filter, etc.). By default, this toolbar is checked and typically
located in the lower-left corner of the window (above the Status
bar). The View toolbar can be moved.
|
 | Display (Toolbar): A group of
buttons that allows easy and convenient access to some of the
commands from the View-Display menu (Shaded View, Textured View,
Rendered View, etc.). By default, this toolbar is not checked.
When displayed, the Display toolbar can be moved.
|
 | Insert (Toolbar): A group of
buttons that allows easy and convenient access to commands from
the Insert menu (Walls, Furnishings, Doors, etc.). By default,
this toolbar is checked and typically located on the left side
of the workspace. When displayed, the Insert toolbar can be
moved.
|
 | Tools (Toolbar): A group of buttons
used to change locations and to access other commands from the
Tools menu (Options, Materials, etc.). By default, this toolbar
is not checked. When displayed, the Tools toolbar can be moved.
|
 | Annotate (Toolbar): A group of
buttons that allows easy and convenient access the Text and
Dimensions commands from the Annotate menu. By default, this
toolbar is not checked. When displayed, the Annotate toolbar can
be moved.
|
 | Quantity (Toolbar): A group of
buttons that allows easy and convenient access the Generate
Report and View Report commands from the Quantity menu. By
default, this toolbar is not checked. When displayed, the
Quantity toolbar can be moved.
|
 | Render (Toolbar): A group of
buttons that allows convenient access to the Calculate Solution,
Reset Solution and Render Options commands from the View-Render
menu. By default, this toolbar is not checked. When displayed,
the Render toolbar can be moved. |
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Printing to a
Plotter |
| |
After
designing a plan using 3D Home Architect® 5, you want to know if the
plan can be printed from the program to a printer plotter. 3D Home
Architect® 5 can print to a printer plotter. View the remainder of
this technical note for additional information.
Follow the procedure below to print to a plotter.
- Open or create a design in 3D Home Architect® 5.
- Click File from the menu bar and click Print. The Print
Window will open.
- Verify that the printer plotter is selected in the Name:
field.
NOTE: If another printer name is currently listed in the
Name: field, click the down arrow button that appears to the
right of the Name: field and select the correct printer (e.g.,
HP DesignJet 1055CM Printer) from the list of installed drivers.
- If needed, make the appropriate changes to the print
settings.
- Click OK. The current design will be sent to the printer
selected in Step 3.
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Unable to Select an Element in the Design
|
| |
While
working in 3D Home Architect® 5, you are unable to select a building
element, fixture or object. Typically, this issue results when one
of the following occurs: the building element, fixture or object is
positioned on a location other than the one currently selected, the
plan is in a 3D view and the system resources are low, or another
building element, fixture or object is in the way. View the
remainder of this technical note for additional information and
procedures that describe changing locations and using the display
filters. When an object cannot be selected,
complete the following in the order presented.
- If a 3D view is active, change to a 2D view and try
selecting the object again. Depending on the system and the
available system resources, it may take a minute or so to change
views.
NOTE: If, after changing the view, the building element,
fixture or object disappears or cannot be selected, continue
with Step 2.
- Verify that the desired building element, fixture or object
is located on the current location (floor) and not on another
location (floor).
- Click View from the menu bar and click Display Filter,
or click the Display Filter button, which resembles a light
bulb, in the View toolbar. The Display Filters window will
open.
- Click once in the empty box that appears to the left of
Current Location Only to check it.
NOTE: If the Current Location Only box is already
checked, stop here and continue with Step 3b.
- Click OK. Only the current location (floor) should
display.
- Try selecting the element, fixture or object again. If
you are still unable to select it, stop here and continue
with Step 3.
NOTE: If the desired building element, fixture or
object no longer appears on screen, click Tools from the
menu bar and click Building Locations…. The Building
Locations window will open.
- Select the building location where the desired building
element, fixture or object exists and click OK. That
location should appear on screen.
NOTE: If multiple locations (floors) appear on the
screen, repeat Steps 2a-2c to view only the current
location.
- Try selecting the desired building element, fixture or
object again. If you are still unable to select it, continue
with Step 3.
- With only the current location displayed in 2D view, verify
that the desired building element, fixture or object is not
hidden behind another object or is not turned off.
- Click View from the menu bar and click Display Filter,
or click the Display Filter button, which resembles a light
bulb, in the View toolbar. The Display Filters window will
open. Several types of building elements, fixtures and
objects (Walls, Cabinets, Furnishings, etc.) will appear.
- Verify that the light bulb to the left of the desired
building element, fixture or object type is turned on. (The
bulb will appear yellow.)
NOTE: If the light bulb is white indicating that it
is turned off, click once on the light bulb to turn it on.
- If the desired building element, fixture or object
cannot be selected because a building element, fixture or
object of another type on the same location (floor) is in
the way, click once on the light bulb for the building
element, fixture or object type that is in the way to turn
it off.
NOTE: If another building element, fixture or object
of the same type is in the way, do not turn it off. Continue
with Step 3d.
- Click once on the plus sign (+) that appears to the left
of the light bulb and building element, fixture or object
type you want to select. A list of the available locations
(floors) will expand from the building element, fixture or
object type.
- Verify that the light bulb that appears to the left of
the current location is turned on. (If the light bulb is
turned off, click once on the light bulb to turn it on.)
- Click OK to close the Display Filter window.
- Try selecting the desired building element, fixture or
object again. If you are still unable to select it, continue
with Step 4.
- If the desired building element, fixture or object cannot be
selected because another desired building element, fixture or
object of the same type is in the way, temporarily move that
object to gain access to the desired element, fixture or object.
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User Guide
Download |
| |
If you
downloaded the online version of 3D Home Architect® 5.0, the 3D Home
Architect® 5 User Guide can be downloaded free of charge. Please
note the Associated Downloads section below this note for the file.
The remainder of this note describes how to proceed.
Follow the instructions below to download the
file.
NOTE: Adobe® Acrobat® Reader is required to view or print the
3D Home Architect® 5 User Guide.
- Scroll down to the Associated Downloads section of this
technical note.
- Click the file to begin the download process.
- Read the description and click Continue. The End User
License Agreement will appear.
- Read the Agreement. Click Yes, if you agree to all terms and
Conditions of the License Agreement.
- Read and follow the instructions as presented. (The
instructions can be printed if desired.)
NOTE: Adobe® Acrobat® Reader must be installed in order to
view the user's guide. If Adobe® Acrobat® Reader is not installed,
the latest version can be downloaded free from the
Adobe® Web site.
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CD-Read Issue |
| |
After
inserting the CD into the CD-ROM drive when prompted, the CD is not
recognized. Any number of the following conditions may cause this
issue: incorrect CD is used, CD needs cleaned, incompatible CD-ROM
drive settings, incorrect CD-ROM driver, or outdated CD-ROM firmware
or driver. Consult the remainder of this technical note for
additional information. Completing the
procedures that follow will help to identify the source of the
CD-Read issue. Begin with item one and proceed through the list
attempting to use the CD after each step.
- Verify that the correct CD is inserted in the CD-ROM drive.
- Clean the CD. Place a small amount of nonabrasive, liquid
soap on the shiny side of the CD. Using your fingertips and warm
water, gently rub the soap on the CD in a circular motion. Rinse
the CD thoroughly and dry it using a clean, soft T-shirt or
lint-free towel. Do not use paper towels or tissue paper.
NOTE: For Windows® 2000/XP, continue with Step 6 if the
issue remains after completing Steps 1 and 2.
For Windows® 98/Me, continue with Step 3 if the issue remains
after completing Steps 1 and 2.
- Change the Read Ahead setting in the following manner:
- Return to the desktop and right-click on the My Computer
icon.
- Select Properties from the menu that appears and click
the Performance tab in the Systems Properties window.
- Click the File System button and then click the CD-ROM
tab.
- Locate Optimize Access Pattern For.
- Click the arrow to the right of the information field
and select the No Read Ahead option.
- Restart Windows®.
- Verify that the computer is utilizing a 32-bit file system.
In the System Properties window (found in Step 3 above), click
the Performance tab. Verify that the File System reads 32-bit.
(If it reads anything else, contact the computer manufacturer
for installation of the proper CD-ROM or hard drive drivers.)
- Turn off DMA in the following manner:
- In the System Properties window (found in Step 3 above),
click the Device Manager tab.
- Choose View Devices By Type. In the list that appears,
locate CD-ROM or CD-ROM Controller.
- Click the plus (+) sign next to this listing.
- Using the left mouse button, double-click on the name
that appears.
- In the Properties window, click the Settings tab. Find
the DMA checkbox and remove the checkmark (if one exists).
- Click OK.
- Verify that the most current version of the driver and/or
firmware for the CD-ROM drive is in use. Contact the computer
manufacturer for additional information.
- Try to use a different CD in the CD-ROM drive to see if it
can be read.
- If possible, insert the problem CD into the CD-ROM drive of
another computer to see if the issue remains.
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HomeStyles® 1500 Best-Selling Home Plans
|
| |
The
HomeStyles® 1500 Best-Selling Home Plans is a separate program
included with 3D Home Architect® Professional 5.0. The plans
available in this program are designed for preview use only and will
not open in 3D Home Architect® 5.0. Additional information is
provided in this technical note. You may
preview the plans included with HomeStyles® 1500 Best-Selling Home
Plans for ideas when developing your own professional quality design
plan. The plans in this package may also be available for purchase
from HomeStyles.
Technical support for HomeStyles® 1500 Best-Selling Home Plans is
provided by a company other than Broderbund®. Support for this
product can be reached by using the contact information below.
 | FAX Support: Technical questions can be sent via fax to
(651) 602-5002. Be sure to include the following
information: fax number, name, address, the computer system you
have, and a detailed summary of the problem. This information
will help to decrease the time it takes to respond.
|
 | E-Mail Support: Technical questions can be sent via
e-mail to support@homestyles.com. |
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Error-1608: Unable to Create InstallDriver
Instance |
| |
| When
attempting to install 3D Home Architect® 5, the following message
appears: "Error -1608: Unable to create InstallDriver instance,
return code -2147467262." This issue is caused by the InstallShield
engine. Consult the remainder of this technical note for additional
information. |
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Uninstalling 3D Home Architect® 5.0 |
| |
At
times, it may be necessary to uninstall and reinstall 3D Home
Architect® 5 to troubleshoot an issue or reinstall the Master
Catalog for example. The instructions included in the remainder of
this technical note describe how to uninstall 3D Home Architect® 5
from the hard drive. Follow the procedure
below to uninstall 3D Home Architect® 5.
NOTE: Printing this technical note before beginning is
strongly recommended.
Uninstall Using Add/Remove Programs
- Close all programs and windows and return
to the desktop.
- Click Start, select Settings and click
Control Panel. The Control Panel window will open.
For Windows® XP, click Start and click Control Panel. The
Control Panel window will open.
- In the Control Panel window, double-click
the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove Programs window
will open showing a list of installed programs.
For Windows® XP, if viewing the Control Panel in Category View,
click Add or Remove Programs. The Add or Remove Programs window
will open.
- Locate and click the 3D Home Architect®
entry once to select it.
- Click the Add/Remove (Windows® 98) or
Change/Remove (Windows® Me/XP and 2000) button to begin the
uninstall process.
- Follow the prompts to uninstall 3D Home
Architect® 5.
NOTE: If 3D Home Architect® 5 cannot be
removed using the Add/Remove Programs, follow the procedure under
Completing a Manual Uninstall shown below.
Completing a Manual Uninstall
NOTE: The following procedure will remove the 3D Home
Architect 5 folder and all of its contents (sample plans, textures,
catalogs, etc.) from the hard drive. If changes have been made to
the sample plans, new catalogs have been added, or projects have
been saved to the 3D Home Architect 5 folder (or one of its
sub-folders), copying that data to another location before
continuing with the procedure below is strongly recommended.
When a new plan is saved, the default save in location is My
Documents. Plans saved in the My Documents folder will not be
deleted when the following procedure is completed.
- Close all programs and windows and return
to the desktop.
- Double-click the My Computer icon.
For Windows® XP, click Start and click My Computer.
- Click View (Windows® 98) or Tools
(Windows® Me/2000/XP) from the menu bar and click Folder Options
(Windows® 98/Me/2000/XP).
- Select the View tab in the window that
appears and locate the Hidden Files (or Hidden Files and
Folders) setting.
- For Windows® 98, verify that the Show all
Files option is selected.
For Windows® Me/2000/XP, verify that the Display Hidden Files
and Folders option is selected.
- Locate the Hide File Extensions for Known
File Types setting and ensure that it does not have a check
before it.
NOTE: If a checkmark appears before this setting, click
once on the checkmark to remove it.
- Click Apply and click OK to apply the
changes and close the Folder Options window.
- In the following manner, navigate to the
drive and location where 3D Home Architect® 5 is installed:
- Double-click the C:\ drive. The
contents of the C: drive will appear.
- Double-click the Program Files
folder. The contents of the Program Files folder will
appear.
- Double-click the Broderbund folder.
The contents of the Broderbund folder will appear.
- Right-click the 3D Home Architect 5.0
folder and click Delete (left mouse button) in the menu that
appears.
- Click Yes when prompted to move the files
to the Recycle Bin.
- Click the Back button on the tool bar to
return to the Program Files folder.
- Double-click the Common Files folder.
- Right-click the InstallShield folder and
click Delete (left mouse button) in the menu that appears.
- Click Yes when prompted to move the files
to the Recycle Bin.
- Click the Back button to return to the
Program Files folder, or close the Common Files folder.
- Double-click the InstallShield
Installation Information folder to view its contents.
- Right-click the
{880017F9-2548-42DB-9A3C-B6BE0136B624} folder and click Delete
(left mouse button) in the menu that appears.
- Click Yes when prompted to move the files
to the Recycle Bin.
- Close all programs and windows and return
to the desktop. 3D Home Architect® 5 is now removed from the
system.
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Adding
a Wall under the Stairs |
| |
After
creating a plan using 3D Home Architect® 5 and adding stairs, you
notice that the area beneath the stairs is open. To complete your
design, you want to add a wall to enclose this area. Increasing the
size of one of the stair properties will create a wall beneath the
stairs as desired. The remainder of this technical note describes
the procedure. Complete the steps below to
modify the stair properties to create a wall under the stairs.
- Launch 3D Home Architect® 5 and open or create a floor plan
with stairs.
- In the Status Bar (bottom-right corner of the window),
verify that ORTHO is turned off. (The option will be grayed
out.) If ORTHO is not turned off, double-click on ORTHO to turn
it off.
NOTE: The Status Bar displays at the bottom of the 3D
Home Architect® program window. If the Status Bar is off, click
View from the menu bar and click on Toolbars…. When the Options
window opens, check the box next to Status Bar, click Apply and
click OK. Repeat Step 2.
- Select the staircase on the design by clicking it once.
- Right-click the selected stairs and left-click Properties
from the menu that appears. The Stairs/Ramps window will open.
- Check the Allow Definition Editing box (bottom-left) by
clicking once in the empty box.
- Click the Size tab.
- Select the desired stair type (Notched Stringer, Stringer
Under, Side Stringer or Solid Stair) by clicking once on it. The
properties for the type of stairs selected will appear at the
bottom of the Stairs/Ramps window.
- Change the size of the following property label to the
desired length, which is usually 8' or 9'.
For a Notched Stringer or Stringer Under stair
type, change the size of the property labeled " f " or "Stringer
Waste" to the desired length (e.g., 8' 6").
For a Side Stringer stair type, change the size of the
property labeled "e" or "Stringer Depth" to the desired length
(e.g., 8' 6").
For a Solid Stair, change the size of the property
labeled "e" or "Stringer Waste" to the desired length (e.g., 8'
6").
NOTE: After changing the size of the Stringer Waste or
Stringer Depth property, tap the TAB key on the keyboard to view
the changes in the Preview Pane on the right side of the
Stairs/Ramps window.
- Click OK to apply the changes and close the Stairs/Ramps
window.
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Exception 10H in Module OPENGL.DLL |
| |
When
using 3D Home Architect® 5, the following message appears:
"Exception 10H in module OPENGL.DLL." An outdated or corrupted file
can cause this issue. Deleting temporary files, installing the
latest version of DirectX®, or installing the latest OpenGL driver
for the video card will help to identify the source of the issue.
The remainder of this technical note describes how to proceed.
Complete the procedures below as necessary when
searching for the cause of this issue.
Deleting Temporary Files
NOTE: Temporary files are residual files that remain after
program installations, or that are created by programs when the
programs shut down abnormally. These files occupy space on the hard
drive, can create issues with the memory, and can cause conflicts
with software. Temporary files should be deleted on a routine basis.
Printing this technical note before you begin is recommended.
- Close all programs and windows.
- Click Start and select Shutdown.
- Choose the restart option and click OK
(or Yes). Windows® will shutdown and restart.
- When Windows® loads, click Start, select
Search (or Find) and click For Files or Folders. The Search (or
Find) window will open.
For Windows® XP, click Start and click Search. When the Search
window opens, click Search All Files and Folders.
- Type *.TMP in the Named: field.
- Click the down arrow to the right of the
Look in: field and select the C: drive.
- Click Search Now (or Find Now) to begin
the search. When the search is complete, the results will appear
on the right (Windows® Me/2000/XP) or bottom (Windows® 98,
Windows NT®) pane of the Search (or Find) window.
- Verify that all files found are a TMP (or
_MP or ~MP) file type.
NOTE: If a file type other than those mentioned in this
technical note shows in the window, verify that the correct
entry was typed in the Named: field (Step 5). If the entry is
incorrect, retype the information exactly as described in this
technical note and repeat Steps 6 and 7.
- Click Edit on the menu bar and choose
Select All.
- Click File on the menu bar and select
Delete.
- When asked to confirm the delete, click
Yes.
- Repeat Steps 5-11 and type *._MP
to replace *.TMP.
- Repeat Steps 5-11 and type *.~MP
to replace *._MP.
- Close all programs and windows and return
to the desktop.
- Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the
desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin from the menu that appears.
- Click Yes when asked to confirm the
Delete.
- Install the latest version of DirectX®.
Installing DirectX®
Click or go online to
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx to download and install
the latest version of DirectX®.
After installing the latest version of DirectX®, launch 3D Home
Architect® and try the program again.
NOTE: If the issue continues, contact the computer or video
card manufacturer to obtain and install the latest OpenGL driver for
the video card.
Installing the Latest OpenGL Driver
NOTE: Some drivers included with Windows® may not support
OpenGL. Contact the computer or hardware manufacturer for the latest
OpenGL driver for the video card and operating system.
The procedure below will help you identify the driver make and model
information.
- Close all programs and windows returning
to the desktop.
- Right-click the My Computer icon and
select Properties from the menu that appears. The System
Properties window will open.
NOTE: For Windows® XP, complete the following if the My
Computer shortcut does not appear on the desktop.
- Click Start.
- From the Start menu, right-click My
Computer and click (left mouse button) Properties from the
menu that appears. The System Properties window will open.
- Click the Device Manager tab. The Device
Manager window will open.
- Select "View devices by type" if it is
not selected.
- In the list of devices, locate and
double-click Display Adapters. This will expand the Display
Adapters list.
- Double-click the driver name that appears
below Display Adapters. The Properties window will open.
- Click the Driver tab. (The date of the
driver currently installed should be displayed.)
- Record the driver information.
NOTE: Do not click the Update Driver button. The Update
Driver wizard searches the system (not the Internet) for drivers
to the selected device.
- Click OK to close the window.
NOTE: Once the driver information is
obtained, contact the computer or hardware manufacturer to for the
latest OpenGL driver for the video card and operating system. Driver
information is typically available at the manufacturer's web site.
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Why
Update the Video Card Driver? |
| |
3D
Home Architect® 5.0 is a powerful graphics program. And, like many
graphics-intensive programs, the system on which it is installed
must meet specific requirements, especially the video card and
memory. If the driver for the video card is out-of-date or
corrupted, the system may crash or display graphics-related
glitches. Verifying that the most up-to-date driver for the video
card is installed on the system running 3D Home Architect® 5 is
recommended. View the remainder of this technical note for
additional information. Contact the
computer or hardware manufacturer for the latest OpenGL driver for
the video card.
Collecting Driver Information
The procedure below will help to identify the driver make and model
information.
- Close all programs and windows returning to the desktop.
- Right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties from
the menu that appears. The System Properties window will open.
NOTE: For Windows® XP, complete the following if the My
Computer shortcut does not appear on the desktop.
- Click Start.
- From the Start menu, right-click My Computer and click
(left mouse button) Properties from the menu that appears.
The System Properties window will open.
- Click the Device Manager tab. The Device Manager window will
open.
- Select "View devices by type" if it is not selected.
- In the list of devices, locate and double-click Display
Adapters. This will expand the Display Adapters list.
- Double-click the driver name that appears below Display
Adapters. The Properties window will open.
- Click the Driver tab. (The date of the driver currently
installed should be displayed.)
- Record the driver information.
NOTE: Do not click the Update Driver button. The Update
Driver wizard searches the system (not the Internet) for drivers
to the selected device.
- Click OK to close the window.
- Once the driver information is obtained, contact the
computer or hardware manufacturer for the latest OpenGL driver
for the video card. Most video card drivers are available for
download from the computer or hardware manufacturer's website.
Video Card Memory
Program and system crashes and graphics-related glitches can also
occur when the video card does not possess its own memory, or the
video card memory is inadequate. When the video card does not have
enough memory of its own, memory from the system is used. If the
system memory is low, system crashes and other issues can occur.
To properly run, 3D Home Architect® 5 requires a video card with at
least 8 MB RAM. The video card must also support OpenGL. Click or
search for
Technical Note: 30994 at http://www.support.broderbund.com
to view the minimum system requirements for 3D Home Architect® 5.
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Creating French
Doors |
| |
A
feature of 3D Home Architect® 5 allows for the creation,
modification and addition of new building elements, fixtures and
objects. This technical note describes how to modify a current door
to create French doors. Follow the
procedure below to create and add French doors to the design's
current model catalog in 3D Home Architect® 5.
- Launch 3D Home Architect® 5 and open a current design or
start a new design.
- Click the Door button on the Insert tool bar.
- From the Catalog (e.g., Master Catalog) on the right, click
once on the desired Hinged door to select it.
- Click once on the area of the design where the door will be
placed. (This will also add the selected door to the Current
Model catalog.)
- Right-click anywhere on the design and left-click Finish.
- On the design, click once on the door that was added in Step
4 to select it.
- Right-click the selected door and left-click Properties from
the menu that appears. The Doors properties will open.
- Check the Allow Definition Editing box (bottom-left corner)
by clicking once in the empty box. A checkmark will appear in
the box.
- Click the Size tab.
- Change the Width characteristic to 6'.
- Click once in the Swing type field.
- Click the down-arrow button that appears to the left of the
selected swing type and choose Double from the menu that
appears.
- Click the Leaf tab.
- From the available types, select one of the available glass
styles (2, 3, 5, 6, etc.). A preview of the selection will
appear to the right of the Doors properties.
- Click OK. The modifications made to the door selected in
Step 6 will also be added to the Current Model catalog.
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Building Codes
(ICBO) |
| |
As a
resource, the International Conference of Building Officials (IBCO)
has supplied 3D Home Architect® 5.0 users their complete
International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, as
well as an accompanying Building Checklist. Consult the remainder of
this note for additional steps that describe how to access this
information. The following information
describes the content of the available files.
ICBO Building Codes
The Residential Codes offers up-to-date provisions on all aspects of
construction, alteration, and demolition of residential homes. They
cover every detail from floor to ceiling. Starting in the Table of
Contents, click on any chapter: Building Planning, Foundations, Wall
Construction, etc. You will automatically jump into the section you
want to research. To get started, click on the IRC.exe link
located at the bottom of this page.
IRC Checklist
The IRC Checklist was developed to facilitate the planning, design,
and plan review process. It can also be a useful tool for the
construction and inspection process. To view the IRC Checklist,
click on the IRC_Checklist.pdf link located at the bottom of
this page.
ICBO Publications
The International Conference of Building Officials has many
publications that are useful to the home building community. Click
on the 99-007_final.pdf link, located at the bottom of this
page, to get more information on the ICBO's offerings and how you
can get them. |
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MBuilder Has Encountered a Problem... |
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When
using the program, the following message appears: "MBuilder has
encountered problem." There are several possible causes for this
issue. The remainder of this note describes how to proceed.
Determine If the Plan Is Corrupt
- Launch 3D Home Architect® and create a new plan.
- Add a basic structure to the plan.
- Save the plan and close 3D Home Architect®.
- Launch 3D Home Architect® and open the plan created in Steps
1 & 2 above.
- Choose from the following:
If the error message does not reoccur when working
with the new plan, the previous plan is most likely corrupt.
Recreate the plan or restore a backup copy of the plan.
If the same error reoccurs, continue with the following
procedures. These suggestions will help to prevent corruption in
future plans.
Disable Hardware Acceleration in 3D Home Architect® 5.0
- Open 3D Home Architect® (if needed).
- Click Tools in the menu bar, choose Options and click the
General tab.
- Deselect the Hardware Acceleration option.
- Open the plan to see if the issue remains.
Change the Display Settings
- Close all programs and return to the desktop.
- Click Start, choose Settings and click Control Panel. For
Windows® XP, click Start and click Control Panel.
- Double click the Display icon. The Display Settings window
will appear. For Windows® XP, click the Appearance and Themes
icon and click Display.
- Click the Settings tab.
- Change the color to 16 Bit and change the Screen Area to
1024 x 768.
- Click Apply.
- Click OK.
- Launch the program and open the plan.
Update the Video Driver
Complete the following steps to collect video driver information.
- Close all programs and windows returning to the desktop.
- Right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties from
the menu that appears. The System Properties window will open.
NOTE: For Windows® XP, complete the following if the My
Computer shortcut does not appear on the desktop.
- Click Start.
- From the Start menu, right-click My Computer and click
(left mouse button) Properties from the menu that appears.
The System Properties window will open.
- Click the Device Manager tab. For Windows® XP/2000, click
the Hardware tab and click Device Manager. The Device Manager
window will open.
- Select "View devices by type" if it is not selected. For
Windows® XP/2000, click View in the menu bar and click Devices
by type.
- In the list of devices, locate and double-click Display
Adapters. This will expand the Display Adapters list.
- Double-click the driver name that appears below Display
Adapters. The Properties window will open.
- Click the Driver tab. (The date of the driver currently
installed should be displayed.)
- Record the driver information.
NOTE: Do not click the Update Driver button. The Update
Driver wizard searches the system (not the Internet) for drivers
to the selected device.
- Click OK to close the window.
- Once the driver information is obtained, contact the
computer or hardware manufacturer to download and install the
latest driver for the video card. Most video card drivers are
available from the computer or hardware manufacturer's website.
NOTE: If the problem persists uninstall and reinstall 3D Home
Architect® 5.0 to replace any program files that may have become
corrupt. |
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Adding
Dimension Lines |
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Unlike earlier versions of 3D Home Architect®, 3D Home Architect®
5.0 can be used to create custom dimension lines. (The Auto
dimension feature, included in the previous version of 3D Home
Architect®, is not included in 3D Home Architect® 5.) With the
custom dimension line feature, numerical values are supplied
automatically. You can also choose from a variety of Dimension
Styles or create your own. The procedure is described in the
remainder of this technical note.
Adding Dimensions to the Drawing
- Open 3D Home Architect® 5.0.
- Create a new plan or open an existing plan.
- Click Annotate in the menu bar (top) and select Dimensions.
- Click a point on the plan where the dimension line will
begin and release the mouse button.
- Move the mouse and click the point where the dimension line
will end. A dimension line that includes offsets, arrows and a
numerical value will be added to the drawing.
NOTE: To delete or stretch the dimension line, click the
dimension line to select it and right click on the line to display
the options.
For additional information that describes creating and modifying the
dimension lines, consult pages 202-204 of the User's Guide. |
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Text Is Distorted
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After
adding text to a plan, the text looks distorted. Some versions of
Monotype Sorts fonts, having too many fonts installed, an outdated
video card driver or a combination of these can cause this issue.
Deleting selected fonts from Windows® or updating the video card
driver or both will help identify the source of the issue. Consult
the remainder of this technical note for the procedures.
Follow the procedures below as needed to resolve
the issue.
Lower the Hardware Graphics Acceleration
- Close all programs and return to the
Windows® desktop.
- Right-click a blank area on the desktop
and left-click Properties from the menu that appears. The
Display Properties will open.
- Click the Settings tab.
- Click the Advanced button.
- For Windows® 98/Me, click the Performance
tab.
For Windows® 2000/XP, click the Troubleshoot tab. A window will
open with the display adapter type identified on the title bar.
- Click the Graphics button.
- Locate the Hardware Acceleration
adjustment bar. (It will show the words None and Full at each
end.)
- Record the current setting.
- Using the mouse, move the hardware
acceleration needle one notch to the left.
NOTE: Do not select the NONE setting which is the setting
to the far left. If the word NONE appears in the sentence
immediately under the setting needle, move the hardware
acceleration needle one notch to the right.
- Click OK.
- Click Close.
- Click Yes when prompted to restart the
computer.
- When the system restarts, launch the
program. The issue may be resolved.
- If the issue remains, repeat the above
procedure and move the hardware acceleration slide bar to the
left (or right) one additional position. (Do not select the NONE
setting, which is the setting to the far left.)
NOTE: After closing the program, return to
the Hardware Acceleration adjustment area of the Troubleshoot Tab
(see above) and reset the hardware acceleration to the original
setting
Deleting Fonts
Follow the procedure below to delete the Monotype Sorts fonts and
verify that the number of fonts installed on the system does not
exceed 750.
- Close all programs and return to the
Windows® desktop.
- Click Start, select Settings and click
Control Panel. The Control Panel will open. For Windows® XP,
click Start and choose Control Panel.
- Double-click the Fonts icon. The Fonts
window will open.
- Locate the BD Denver font. (If the font
is found, right-click the font and choose Delete. If the font is
not found, skip to Step 6.)
- Click Yes if prompted to move the file to
the Recycle Bin.
- Locate Monotype Sorts in the Fonts
window. If Monotype Sorts is not listed, skip to Step 9.
- Right-click on Monotype Sorts and select
DELETE from the list of options that appears. A Windows Fonts
Folder dialog box will appear asking "Are you sure you want to
delete these fonts?"
- Click Yes to the dialog message.
- Click View in the menu bar. A menu will
appear.
- If Status Bar appears with a check in the
menu, click away from the menu. If Status Bar is not checked,
click it. The bottom-left corner of the Fonts window should
display the number of fonts installed in Windows®.
- Click once on the font name that is to be
removed so that it becomes highlighted.
NOTE: The Windows® System fonts should not be removed!
Doing so will cause Windows® to display incorrectly or become
illegible. Some fonts will also be used by applications such as
Microsoft® Office and Microsoft® Internet Explorer. Below is a
list of fonts that should not be deleted.
The fonts that should not be removed are listed below:
Arial®
Arial® Bold
Arial® Bold Italic
Arial® Italic
Arial® Narrow
Arial® Narrow Bold
Arial® Narrow Bold Italic
Arial® Narrow Italic
Arial® Rounded MT Bold
Courier® 10,12,15
Courier® Bold
Courier® New
Courier® New Bold
Courier® New Bold Italic
Courier® New Italic
Marlett®
Modern®
MS® Line Draw
MS® Sans Serif 8,10,12,14,18, 24
MS® Serif 8,10,12,14,18, 24
Small Fonts
Symbol®
Symbol® 8,10,12,14,18, 24
Times New Roman®
Times New Roman® Bold
Times New Roman® Bold Italic
Times New Roman® Italic
Webdings®
Wingdings®
NOTE: Any font that displays a red "A" as its icon, or is
without the TT TrueType® icon, should remain on the system. It
is also recommended to leave on the system any font that
includes MS as part of the name.
- Select File from the menu bar and choose
Delete.
- Click Yes to confirm deletion of the
font.
- Repeat Steps 12–14 until the number of
fonts installed in Windows® is 750 or less.
- Once the number of fonts is reduced to
750 or less, close the Fonts and Control Panel windows, launch
and use the program.
- If the issue continues, update the video
driver.
Update the Video Driver
For Windows® 2000 and Windows® XP, follow the procedure below.
Update the Video Driver (Windows® 2000/XP)
- Click Start, select Settings (Windows®
2000/Windows® XP Classic Start Menu) and click Control Panel.
The Control Panel window will appear.
- Double-click the System icon (Windows®
2000/Windows® XP in Classic View). The System Properties window
will open.
NOTE: For Windows® XP, if the System icon does not appear
in the Control Panel, click Classic View (on the left) and then
double-click the System icon. The System Properties will open.
- Click the Hardware tab.
- Click the Device Manager button. The
Device Manager window will open.
- Click the plus (+) sign next to Display
(video) to expand the list.
- Double-click on the device driver name
that appears in the list. The Properties window will open
listing the driver information.
- Click the Driver tab and record the
driver date.
NOTE: Do not click the Update Driver button. The Update
Driver wizard searches the system (not the Internet) for drivers
to the selected device.
- Click OK to close the window.
NOTE: Once the driver date is obtained,
contact the computer or hardware manufacturer to determine if the
driver is up to date and if a newer driver is available. Driver
information is typically available at the manufacturer's website.
Update the Video Driver (Windows® 98/Me)
NOTE: The driver information (make and model information) is
found in the Device Manager in the System Properties window.
- Close all programs and return to the
desktop.
- Right-click the My Computer icon and
select Properties from the menu that appears. The System
Properties window will open.
- Click the Device Manager tab.
- Select View devices by type, if it is not
already selected.
- In the list of devices, locate and
double-click Display Adapters. This will expand the Display
Adapters list.
- Double-click the driver name that appears
below Display Adapters. The Properties window will open.
- Click the Driver tab. (The date of the
driver currently installed should be displayed.)
- Record the information.
NOTE: Video driver updates can be obtained
from the appropriate manufacturer’s Web site, or by contacting the
computer manufacturer for update and download information. |
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While
creating a house plan, you are unable to place the sink on a base
cabinet. A sink and the base cabinet of the same height can cause
this issue. Temporarily changing the properties of the base cabinet
will allow the sink to be positioned as desired. Follow the
directions as presented in the remainder of this technical note.
The following instructions describe how to place
a sink onto a base cabinet.
- Open 3D Home Architect® 5.0 and choose the desired plan.
- Place the desired base cabinet onto the plan.
- When the cabinet is positioned, right-click and choose
Finish.
- Click on the base cabinet to select it.
- Right-click on the base cabinet and select Properties.
NOTE: If View Properties is the only properties selection
available, click away from the menu to close it and repeat Steps
4 and 5.
- Click the Size tab.
- Place a check next to Allow Definition Editing.
- Decrease the height by one foot. (For example, if the base
cabinet is 2' 10 1/2", change the height to 1' 10 1/2".)
- Click OK.
- Locate the desired sink and place it on the base cabinet.
- With the sink in position, click Finish.
- Click the Views tab (upper-right corner next to Catalog).
- Click the plus (+) sign before Model and double-click
Isometric to change the view. The plan view will change.
NOTE: Depending on where the cabinet is located, it may
be necessary to rotate the plan so the cabinet is visible.
- Click on the base cabinet to select it.
- Right-click on the base cabinet and select Properties.
- Click the Size tab.
- Place a check next to Allow Definition Editing.
- Increase the height by one foot.
- Click OK.
NOTE: Additional information that describes editing the
Properties of an Element can be found on page 104 of the User Guide
under Editing Element Properties. |
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Commander Is No Longer Accessible |
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While
creating a plan in 3D Home Architect® 5.0, the Commander feature is
no longer available. A damaged or corrupt system file can cause this
issue. Uninstalling and reinstalling the program will help to
identify the source of the issue. Consult the remainder of this
technical note for the procedures.
Complete the following steps to uninstall and reinstall the program.
NOTE: The following procedure will remove the 3D Home
Architect 5 folder and all of its contents (sample plans, textures,
catalogs, etc.) from the hard drive. If changes have been made to
the sample plans, new catalogs have been added, or projects have
been saved to the 3D Home Architect 5.0 folder (or one of its
sub-folders), copying that data to another location before
continuing with the procedure below is strongly recommended.
Uninstall Using Add/Remove Programs
- Close all programs and windows and return to the desktop.
- Click Start, select Settings and click Control Panel. The
Control Panel window will open.
For Windows® XP, click Start and click Control Panel. The
Control Panel window will open.
- In the Control Panel window, double-click the Add/Remove
Programs icon. The Add/Remove Programs window will open showing
a list of installed programs.
For Windows® XP, if viewing the Control Panel in Category View,
click Add or Remove Programs. The Add or Remove Programs window
will open.
- Locate and click the 3D Home Architect® entry once to select
it.
- Click the Add/Remove (Windows® 98) or Change/Remove
(Windows® Me/XP and 2000) button to begin the uninstall process.
- Follow the prompts to uninstall 3D Home Architect® 5.
Reinstall 3D Home Architect® 5.0
Insert the 3D Home Architect® 5.0 CD and follow the prompts to
install the program. |
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Incompatible Version of the RPC Stub |
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| When
attempting to install the program, the message "Error 0x90070725
Incompatible version of the RPC stub" appears. An incorrect version
of the OLEAUT32.DLL file in the System folder causes this issue.
Downloading and installing the correct version of the OLEAUT32.DLL
file should resolve the issue. Consult this technical note for
additional instructions. |
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Creating a Specific Wall Length |
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While
creating a plan in 3D Home Architect® 5.0, you are unable to draw
walls to a specific length. The Commander tool can be used to create
the desired length and angle of a wall. The instruction provided in
this technical note provides additional information and describes
using the Commander tool. Follow the
instructions below to activate and use the Commander tool to create
a wall.
Activate the Commander Tool
- Open 3D Home Architect® 5.0.
- Follow the options to create a new plan or use a previously
designed plan.
- Click the Tools menu option and select Options.
- Click the Workspace tab.
- Place a checkmark next to Commander.
- Click Apply.
- Click OK.
Creating the Wall
- Click the Insert menu option and select Walls.
NOTE: The walls tool icon (left of the workspace) can
also be used.
- Select the wall type (right of the workspace) and click
Insert.
- Click the space on the plan to start the wall.
- Right-click on the plan.
- Click next to the Distance option located in the Commander.
- Enter the exact length of the wall to be created. For
example, if the wall is to be 12 feet 10 1/2 inches, enter 12'
10 1/2" into the Distance window.
NOTE: The desired angle for the wall can also be entered.
- Once the desired information is entered into the Commander,
tap the ENTER key on the keyboard. The wall will be drawn to the
length and angle specified in the Commander.
- Right-click on the workspace and click Finish.
NOTE: For more information that describes using the Commander
tool, consult page 50 of the User Guide under Working with the
Commander.
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Integrate 3D Home Architect® 5.0 and 3D Home
Landscape® Designer 5 |
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After
purchasing 3D Home Architect® 5.0 and 3D Home Landscape® Designer 5,
you want to install and integrate the programs. This procedure
describes the process and the result that occurs when both programs
are installed. To integrate 3D Home
Architect® 5.0 and 3D Home Landscape® Designer 5, 3D Home Architect®
5.0 must be installed before installing 3D Home Landscape®
Designer 5. When the programs are installed in this order, 3D Home
Architect® 5.0 will be updated to version 5.1 during the 3D Home
Landscape® Designer 5 installation which integrates the two
programs.
All designs created in 3D Home Architect® 5.0 can be opened,
modified, etc. in Broderbund® Home Design® 5.1, which is the
integrated architect and landscape program. |
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Drawing Walls to an Exact Length |
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When
adding walls to a design plan, you want to draw the walls to an
exact length. Entering the desired length in the Commander tool when
inserting a wall will draw the wall to that length. The information
in this technical note describes how use the Commander when
inserting a wall. The procedure below
describes using the Commander tool to insert a wall that requires
exact dimensions.
Activate the Commander Tool
NOTE: Before beginning, follow the procedure below to verify
that the Commander tool is checked and active.
- Click View on the menu bar in 3D Home Architect® 5 and click
Toolbars. The Options window will open to the Workspace tab.
- Under the Tools heading, verify that a checkmark appears in
the box to the left of Commander.
If no checkmark appears in the box to the left of Commander,
click once in the empty box to check it.
- Click Apply (if changes were made) and click OK to return to
the design workspace.
Inserting a Wall Using the Commander
- Open a saved design or start a new one.
- Click the Insert Wall tool to add a wall to the current
design.
- Click once on the location on the plan where the wall is to
begin.
- Move the mouse to move the cursor in the direction that the
wall is to be drawn. (When drawing the wall, the Commander tool
will appear at the bottom of the design workspace displaying the
Distance and Direction.)
- Release the mouse. (Do not click.)
- Type the desired length of the wall (e.g., 12' 6.5"). Use
the apostrophe ( ' ) when entering the number of feet and the
quotation mark ( " ) when entering the number of inches. The
length entered will appear in the distance field in the
Commander.
NOTE: The current wall can also be drawn at an angle. To
complete this, tap the TAB key on the keyboard once to select
the Direction field in the Commander. (Do not touch the mouse.)
Type the desired degree 0 to 360 (e.g., 285).
- Tap the ENTER key on the keyboard. This will allow the
Insert Wall tool to change directions.
- If no additional walls are to be drawn from the current
wall, right-click—do not left-click—the design plan and click
Finish using the left mouse button. Stop here.
If another wall is to be drawn in a direction different from the
current wall, move the mouse in the direction the new wall is to
be drawn and repeat steps 5-8 until all walls are drawn.
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Reversing the Door Handle on a Refrigerator
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| |
After
adding a refrigerator to a plan, you want to move the door handle
(or handles) so that the refrigerator appears to open in the
opposite direction. The information in this technical note describes
how to reposition the door handles. Follow
the procedure below.
- Launch 3D Home Architect® 5.0 and open or create a design.
- Place a refrigerator on the design.
- After the refrigerator is in place, click the refrigerator
once to select it.
- Right-click the refrigerator and click (left mouse button)
Properties from the menu that appears. The Furnishings window
will open with an example of the refrigerator displayed on the
right.
- Click inside the Allow Definition Editing box (bottom-left
corner of the Furnishings window). A checkmark will appear
inside the box.
- Click the Size tab.
- Select Single or Vertical as the refrigerator type.
- Under the Properties heading, locate and record the
refrigerator width. This dimension is found in line a.
- Under the Handle (Single type) or Handle 1 (Vertical type)
section, locate the X measurement for the handle and record the
measurement that shows. This will be line j (Single) and line l
(Vertical).
- Subtract the measurement recorded in Step 9 from the width
recorded in Step 8.
- Click the X measurement line (line j for Single type or line
l for Vertical type) to highlight the current dimension.
- Enter the difference (result from Step 10) for the X
dimension. Use the apostrophe ( ' ) to indicate feet and the
quotation marks ( " ) to indicate inches.
NOTE: For example, if the width of the refrigerator is 2'
5" (Step 9) and original measurement in box j (Single type) or l
(Vertical type) was 2 29/32" (Step 10), the difference is 2' 2
3/32". This difference is entered for the X dimension.
- Tap the TAB key on the keyboard. The handle or handles on
the refrigerator will move to the opposite side of the
refrigerator door or doors.
- Click OK to save the change.
NOTE: To move the handle back to its original position, enter
the original dimension (Step 9) into line j (Single) or line l
(Vertical), or repeat the above procedure. |
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Walls Do Not Appear After Drawing Them |
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When
attempting to draw a new wall, the wall fails to appear on the plan.
System resources, a Display Filter or a hardware acceleration
setting are some causes of this issue. Verifying that the Display
Filter is ON for all wall items and changing the hardware
acceleration for the program will help to identify the source of the
issue. The remainder of this note describes how to troubleshoot this
issue. Follow the procedures below to
identify the source of the issue.
When Drawing a Wall…
When drawing a wall, single-click to begin the wall and single-click
to end the wall. To finish the wall, right-click and choose Finish.
(Do not drag or move the mouse.)
Close Excess 2D and 3D Views
Having multiple views open (e.g., 2D, 3D, and Elevation) can reduce
system resources. Closing these open windows in the program will
help the system while a plan is created. In some instances,
rebooting the system and restarting the program will resolve the
issue.
NOTE: If the issue remains after verifying or completing the
above suggestions, continue with the procedures that follow .
Turning Off Hardware Acceleration
- Launch the program and open a new or
existing plan.
- Click Tools from the top menu bar and
click Options. The Options window will appear.
- Click the General tab.
- Locate the Hardware Acceleration option
under the Graphics heading on the right side of the Options
window.
- Click the box by Hardware Acceleration to
remove the check.
- Click Apply and click OK.
- Add a wall to the plan.
NOTE: If the issue remains, it is possible
that the plan has become corrupt. Continue with the procedure that
follows.
Check for a Corrupt Plan File
The following procedure will help to verify whether the plan has
become corrupt.
Create a new test plan to determine if the current plan—the one
where walls cannot be drawn or seen—is corrupt. If you are able to
create walls on the new sample plan and all of the above procedures
have been completed or verified, the original plan may be corrupt.
If a backup of the plan is available, the plan can be restored from
the backup. If no backup exists for the plan, the plan must be
recreated.
NOTE: For future plans, creating a backup plan file will
ensure that data is protected in the event that the original file
becomes corrupt.
Turn the Display Filter On for Walls
Display filters allow specific elements to show when viewing a plan.
If a display filter is off for a specific item, that item will not
show on the plan. Complete the following steps to verify that the
display filter for walls is on.
- Launch 3D Home Architect® and open a new
or existing plan.
- Select View from the top menu bar and
click Display Filter.
- Click the plus (+) sign by Walls to
expand the list.
- Ensure that all floor locations for walls
are on. (The icon that resembles an eye will appear open.)
- Once all wall selections are turned on,
click OK to close the Display Filter.
- View the plan or draw a wall on the plan
to verify whether the wall appears.
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Adding a Flat Roof
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| |
In 3D
Home Architect® 5.0, you want to add a flat roof to your plan.
Consult the remainder of this note for additional information.
Complete the steps below:
- Launch 3D Home Architect® 5.0 and open or create a new plan.
- Insert the roof into the plan.
- Right-click the roof and select Properties.
- Click the Size tab.
- In the lower-left portion of the Roofs window, click inside
the box that appears before the Allow Definition Editing
heading. A checkmark will appear in the box.
- Click Surface 1.
- Change the Slope value to .001 and click OK. The roof on the
plan will be converted to a flat roof.
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Help
for 3D Home Architect® 5.0 |
| |
3D
Home Architect® 5.0 includes an extensive in-program library of "How
To" articles, tutorials and quick-start steps to help you create,
refine and finish your personal projects. These help files are easy
to find and easy to use. The remainder of this note describes where
to find the 3D Home Architect® 5.0 in-program help system and how it
can be used to help you help yourself.
"HOW DO I" QUESTIONS
Any question that asks if a program is capable of doing what you are
asking it to do, or that asks how to use the program and its
features is a "How Do I…" question.
3D Home Architect® 5.0 Help
Typically, items in a help file include descriptions of program
features and steps explaining how to use them. The 3D Home
Architect® 5.0 Help content includes a Contents tab, Index tab and
Search tab. Specific words and phrases can also be typed into a
keyword field to efficiently search the contents.
To open and use the Help file, complete the following steps:
- Launch 3D Home Architect® 5.
- Begin a new plan or open an existing
plan.
- At the Workspace, click Help in the menu
bar.
- Select 3D Home Architect Help from the
menu that appears.
NOTE: The question mark (?) icon located in the toolbar
can also be used to open the Help file.
- Search the 3D Home Architect® 5 Help
using one of the following methods:
Contents: The Contents tab
separates the program help by categories. Click the Contents tab
to search by a category.
Index: The Index tab allows
searching by a specific topic (e.g., Elements, Materials, Views,
etc.). Click the Index tab to search by topic.
NOTE: The Index search offers the best results.
Search: The Search tab allows
searching the entire 3D Home Architect® 5 Help contents by a
keyword. For example, if searching for the word "floor," the
results will display all help topics that include "floor" in the
title or text. Click the Search tab to search by keywords.
- After locating the desired category
(Contents tab), topic (Index tab) or keyword (Search tab),
double-click the desired topic found. The results will display
to the right of the window.
NOTE: Use the Back and Forward buttons
located above the three tabs to navigate through topics you have
opened.
Pressing the F1 key on the keyboard while using 3D Home
Architect® 5.0 is an efficient way to open the 3D Home Architect®
5.0 Help window.
Tutorials
The quickest way to experience 3D Home Architect® without actually
using the program is to view the tutorials. Each tutorial highlights
a specific function or design element of the program, helping you to
become more familiar with 3D Home Architect® 5.
Complete the following steps to access the tutorial section of 3D
Home Architect® 5.
- Launch 3D Home Architect® 5. The 3D Home
Architect® 5.0 splash screen will appear.
- Click Tutorials, which is located on the
left side of the splash screen. The content titles of the
Tutorials section will appear.
NOTE: The Tutorials section can also be opened from the
workspace by clicking Help in the menu bar and choosing
Tutorials.
- Click a title to open that tutorial.
NOTE: Some tutorials include animation and
sound.
TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
In some instances, technical questions arise. Unlike "How Do I…"
questions, technical questions address issues that occur after a
program is installed or when the program is in use. Questions
regarding the proper installation of a program, error messages that
appear while using the program or unexpected system behavior while
running the program are all examples of technical questions.
Answers to technical questions are accessible from within 3D Home
Architect®. To access the 3D Home Architect® 5 online technical
support, launch the program, click Help in the menu bar near
the top of the screen (or click the ?), and choose Online Software
Help.
When this option is chosen, an Internet connection is established
and the main 3D Home Architect® 5 FAQ's page is opened at
www.support.broderbund.com. Use the Self Service Tools located to
the right of the 3D Home Architect® 5 title. Below are brief
descriptions of the Self Service Tools.
Troubleshooting
The Troubleshooting option will open the online troubleshooting
system for 3D Home Architect® 5. Here you can search for specific
error messages and enter keywords to describe the technical issue
that has occurred. Categories are also presented to help refine the
search.
Software Updates
This option links to the bottom of the main 3D Home Architect® 5
FAQ's page. When downloads are available for 3D Home Architect® 5,
they are found at the bottom of the page under the 3D Home
Architect® 5 Associated Downloads heading.
If a download is available, read its description carefully before
downloading the file. If the download applies to the issue that has
occurred, instructions are presented that describe how to continue.
NOTE: Typically a download is developed to resolve a specific
technical issue that occurs when running a program on a specific
operating system. Additional technical issues can result when
attempting to use a download to resolve an issue for which it was
not developed. Downloading an available file when it does not
apply to the issue that has occurred is not recommended.
Hints & Tips
Like the 3D Home Architect® 5 in-program library, notes found in
this section describe how to use the program and program features.
This is the best place to view "How To" procedures that are
requested most by 3D Home Architect® 5 users. Most of the
information found in the 3D Home Architect® 5 online Hints & Tips
section is also found in the 3D Home Architect® 5 in-program help
described above.
Customer Service
The Customer Service link allows access to those 3D Home Architect®
5 notes that provide general product information that typically does
not fall into the "How to" or technical categories. Additional links
are provided to general customer service FAQ's (frequently asked
questions). Topics in the customer service category include but are
not limited to the following: Ordering and Order Status, Shipping
and Returns, and Your Account. |
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Adding
Texture for 3D Objects |
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3D
Home Architect® 5 can import images for use as textures in 3D
objects. The remainder of this note describes this process.
NOTE: The images must be saved in a .BMP,
.JPEG, .JPG, or .TGA format in 24-bit RGB color. For best results,
use square images with dimensions in powers of two with a minimum of
64 x 64 pixels. Other acceptable dimensions are 128 x 128, 256 x
256, and 512 x 512 pixels. Larger sizes can cause errors to occur
with many video cards.
Complete the following steps to apply a custom texture to an object.
- Launch 3D Home Architect® Professional 5 and open or create
the desired plan.
- Click once on the object that the custom texture is to be
applied to. The object will become selected.
- Right-click the selected object and choose Properties from
the menu that appears.
- In the window that opens, click the Appearance tab.
- Select the desired component from the left side of the
screen.
- Click the Edit button near the lower-center portion of the
Appearance window. The Edit Materials window will open.
- Click the Load… button. The Open window will appear.
- Using the dropdown arrow to the right of the Look in: field,
browse to the location of the desired image and click once on
the image to select it. The file name will appear in the File
name: field.
- Click Open to add the file.
- Click OK to select the new texture.
- Click OK in the remaining windows to accept the change. The
object will display with the desired custom texture.
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Exporting a Plan to be Opened in Other Drafting
Programs |
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After
designing a plan in 3D Home Architect® 5, you want to export the
design so it can be opened in a Cadsoft® or another professional
drafting program. The Professional edition of 3D Home Architect® 5
features the ability to save a design in the .DXF (AutoCAD Basic)
format. View the remainder of this technical note for the procedure.
Follow the procedure below to export a saved
design to the .DXF (AutoCAD Basic) format.
- Launch 3D Home Architect® Professional 5 and open the design
plan that is to be exported.
- Click File from the menu bar and click Export. The Save As
dialog appears.
- Click the down-arrow button that appears to the right of the
Save In: field and navigate to the desired Save In location.
NOTE: Recording this location is recommended.
- In the Save as Type: field, click the down-arrow button and
select AutoCAD BASIC (*.dxf) from the menu that appears.
- In the File Name: field, enter a name for the file.
- Click Save. The file will be saved to the location specified
in Step 3 using the name entered in Step 5.
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Access
Violation (Windows® XP) |
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While
running 3D Home Architect® 5.0 on Windows® XP, a Windows® Access
Violation message appears. After closing the message window, the
desktop reappears. This operating system issue occurs during the
calculation of the coordinates for long lines by Windows®.
Downloading and installing the newest service pack for Windows® XP
will resolve this issue. View the remainder of this technical note
for additional information. Click or
navigate to
http://www.microsoft.com and download and install the newest
Service Pack for Windows® XP.
For more information about this issue, search the Microsoft®
Knowledge base for Access Violation or article number 312505. |
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Upgrade to 3D Home Architect® 5.1 |
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The
3D Home Architect 5.0 (Deluxe or Professional) program can be
upgraded to 3D Home Architect® 5.1 by downloading the upgrade file.
The 3D Home Architect® 5.1 upgrade adds a variety of new features to
3D Home Architect®. Consult the remainder of this note for a
description of the update features and for the installation
instructions. 3D Home Architect 5.1
Improvements
- Fully Integrated Architect and Landscape Products
3D Home Architect® 5.1 allows owners of 3D Home Architect® 5 and
3D Home Landscape® 5 to easily switch between the two programs
within the same plan. This improves home and landscape planning
efficiency.
- Increased Speed, Performance and Image Quality
3D Home Architect® 5.1 includes better object handling, allowing
the program to display additional object complexity and a
greater number of objects at one time. The updated rendering
engine provides for faster, simpler and better-looking objects.
Graphics speed and performance with the most common hardware has
also been increased.
- New Features and Content
New features and content were added with the 3D Home Architect®
5.1 upgrade.Quick Floor Area and Perimeter – Provides
immediate onscreen access to floor square footage and perimeter
linear footage.
Dynamic Dimension Editing – Easily edit the length of any wall
or placement of any door, window or opening by clicking on the
object and typing in a new dimension.
Apply Exterior Dimensions – Apply dimension annotations for
blueprint-ready plans using a single click.
More Content – The Deluxe and Professional versions include
catalogs with over 1,400 items.
- Improved User Interface
Insert Tools – Icons have
been redesigned. Most of the right-click actions required in 5.0
have been replaced by options from the insert icon.
implified Materials Management – Catalog searching required to
access textures and colors to apply to objects is reduced.
Setting Changes – Setting defaults were changed to allow for an
easier drawing and editing experience.
Commander Interface – The Commander, the tool used to enter
precise dimensions and coordinates, is easier to use and access.
Catalog Classification – Catalogs include additional
subdivisions for easier access to desired objects.
Download and Install the 3D Home Architect 5.1 Upgrade
- Scroll to the Associated Downloads section of this technical
note.
- Click the 3DHAD5Install.exe file to begin the
download process. The Extended-Download Description window will
appear.
- Read the description and click Continue. The End User
License Agreement will appear.
- Read the Agreement. Click Yes, to agree to all terms and
Conditions of the License Agreement. The Software Update
Instructions will appear.
- Read and follow the instructions as presented. (The
instructions can be printed if desired.)
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Manually Uninstalling 3D Home Architect® 5.0
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The
instructions included in this technical note describe how to
manually uninstall 3D Home Architect® 5.0 (or 5.1) and Broderbund®
Home Design Suite 5.1 from the hard drive. This procedure can be
used if the typical uninstall procedure does not work due to errors
that occurred during the installation or any other incomplete
installation. The procedure is described in the remainder of this
technical note. The following procedure
will remove the program's folder and all of its contents (sample
plans, textures, catalogs, etc.) from the hard drive. If changes
have been made to the sample plans, new catalogs have been added, or
projects have been saved to the 3D Home Architect 5 folder (or one
of its sub-folders), copying that data to another location before
continuing with the procedure below is strongly recommended.
When a new plan is saved, the default save in location is My
Documents. Plans saved in the My Documents folder will not be
deleted when the following procedure is completed.
NOTE: The following procedure describes how to manually
uninstall the program. This procedure should only be completed if
you are unable to successfully uninstall the program using its
Uninstaller (accessed through the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel)
to uninstall the program. If attempts to uninstall the program using
its uninstaller have not been made, perform the uninstall by
completing the Uninstall Using Add/Remove Programs procedure
that follows below.
Uninstall Using Add/Remove Programs
NOTE: Depending on the type of installation, multiple
programs may need uninstalled through Add/Remove Programs.
- Close programs and return to the desktop.
- Click Start, select Settings and click
Control Panel. For Windows® XP, click Start and click Control
Panel. The Control Panel will open.
- Double-click the Add/Remove Programs
icon. The Add/Remove Programs window will open.
- Scroll through the list of installed
programs and check for 3D Home Architect 5.0 and Broderbund Home
Design 5.1. Complete these steps for each of these programs
installed.
- Click on the program name to select
it.
- Click the Add/Remove button.
- Click No to All if asked whether to
delete Shared Files.
- When the uninstall is complete, the
Add/Remove Programs window will reappear. Remove the other
installed program if it is present in the Add/Remove
Programs list.
- After the program has been uninstalled,
close all open windows and return to the desktop.
Manual Uninstall Procedure
If attempts to uninstall the program through Add/Remove Programs
were unsuccessful, complete the following procedure.
- Close all programs and windows and return
to the desktop.
- Double-click the My Computer icon on the
desktop. For Windows® XP, click Start and click My Computer.
- Click View (Windows® 98) or Tools
(Windows® Me/2000/XP) from the menu bar and click Folder
Options.
- Select the View tab in the window that
appears and locate the Hidden Files (or Hidden Files and
Folders) setting.
- For Windows® 98, verify the Show all
Files option is selected. For Windows® Me/2000/XP, verify the
Display Hidden Files and Folders option is selected.
- Locate the Hide File Extensions for Known
File Types setting and ensure that it does not have a check
before it. (If a check appears before this setting, click once
on the checkmark to remove it.)
- Click Apply and click OK to apply the
changes and close the Folder Options window.
- Navigate to the drive and location where
the program is installed. Complete this procedure to navigate to
the default installation location:
- Double-click the C:\ drive. The
contents of the C: drive will appear.
- Double-click the Program Files
folder. The contents of the Program Files folder will
appear.
- Double-click the Broderbund folder.
The contents of the Broderbund folder will appear.
- Locate either of the following folders,
right-click the folder and, using the left mouse button, click
Delete from the menu that appears.
 | 3D Home Architect 5.0
|
 | Broderbund Home Design 5.1 |
- Click Yes when prompted to move the files
to the Recycle Bin.
- Repeat Steps 9-10 for the remaining
folder listed in Step 9 if found.
- Click Back on the tool bar to return to
the Program Files folder.
- Double-click the Common Files folder.
- Right-click the InstallShield folder and,
using the left mouse button, click Delete from the menu that
appears.
- Click Yes when prompted to move the files
to the Recycle Bin.
- Click the Back button to return to the
Program Files folder, or close the Common Files folder.
- Double-click the InstallShield
Installation Information folder to view its contents.
- Locate one of the following folders,
right-click the folder and, using the left mouse button, click
Delete from the menu that appears.
 |
{EA10FC33-3DBC-4268-A90E-1681760FD417}
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{8B52F4DA-F930-428B-A0DB-F610820528D9}
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{880017F9-2548-42DB-9AC3-B6BE0136B624} |
- Click Yes when prompted to move the files
to the Recycle Bin.
- Repeat Steps 18-19 for any of the
remaining folders listed in Step 18 if found.
- When all of the folders listed in Step 18
have been deleted, close all programs and windows and return to
the desktop. 3D Home Architect® 5 and Broderbund® Home Design
Suite 5.1 are now uninstalled.
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Gable Roof Segment Cannot Be Selected |
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After
creating a roof and making a gable roof segment, the gable roof
segment cannot be selected for editing. View the remainder of this
technical note for instructions to select the desired gable roof
segment. Complete the following steps:
- Launch 3D Home Architect® and open the plan.
- Click the pointer tool.
- Click one of the lines that represents the roof. (Do not
click the gable roof segment line.) The roof will become
selected.
- Press and hold the SHIFT key on the keyboard and click the
desired gable segment or segments.
- With the SHIFT key pressed, click the original roof segment
that was selected in Step 3. (Click on the line itself and not
on the handle.) The original segment will be deselected, leaving
only the desired segment or segments selected.
- Release the SHIFT key.
- Edit the gable roof segment as needed.
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Locating the
Sample Plans |
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While
using 3D Home Architect® 5.0, you want to access the sample plans
included with the program. View the remainder of this note for
instructions to locate the sample plans.
To locate the sample plans, complete the following:
- Close all windows and programs and return to the desktop.
- Launch 3D Home Architect® 5.0. A 3D Home Architect 5.0
screen will appear.
- Click Run. The program will appear with a Startup screen
active. If the Startup screen does not appear, the option to
display the Startup screen has been turned off within the
program. To turn the Startup screen back on, complete these
steps:
- Open a new plan.
- Click Tools from the top menu bar and click Options from
the drop-down menu. An Options window will open.
- Click the General tab.
- Click to place a check in the box by Show Startup
Screen.
- Click Apply and click OK.
- Return to Step 1 and follow the procedure to locate the
sample plans.
- From the Startup screen, click Sample Project. A list of
sample plans will appear.
- Click the desired sample plan to select it and click OK. The
plan will appear in the workspace.
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50
Free 3D Objects Order Canceled |
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After
registering 3D Home Architect® 5.0 for the 50 Free Objects, you
receive an e-mail message stating that your order has been canceled
because the product was discontinued. Consult the remainder of this
note for additional information. This
e-mail message was sent in error. Your 50 Free Objects are available
for you to download and can be found under the My Downloads section
of Broderbund.com. Follow the steps below to locate the 50 Free
Objects download.
- Click or navigate to
http://www.broderbund.com
- Click the Login link located at the top of the page.
Note: If the Login link does not appear, click the My
Account link and skip to Step 5.
- In the fields provided on the left side of the page, enter
the email address and password for the account.
- Click the purple Sign In button to sign in. The My Account
page will appear.
- Click the My Downloads link located on the left side of the
page.
- Click the Install Now or Download Now link next to the
desired download.
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IRC Checklist
This file contains the IRC (International Residential
Code) checklist.
Download IRC_CheckList.pdf
(141 kb) |
International Residential Codes
This File contains the complete International
Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings from the
International Conference of Building Officials.
Download IRC.exe (6925 kb) |
3D
Home Architect® 5 User Guide
This file contains the User Guide for 3D Home
Architect® 5 (Deluxe and Professional).
Download 3DHA_Manual.pdf
(1382 kb) |
ICBO Publications
This document includes information about the
International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) Publications.
Download 99-007_final.pdf
(273 kb) |
3D Home Architect® 5.1 Update
This update is for 3D Home Architect® 5.0 (Deluxe or
Professional) and will upgrade the product from version 5.0 to 5.1.
Download 3DHAD5Install.exe
(78897 kb)
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Win |
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Platform: |
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Windows® 98SE, Me, 2000 SP2, XP SP1 |
| CPU: |
Pentium® III class processor (500 MHz or higher) |
| Hard
Disk: |
100 MB free hard disk space (750 MB recommended)
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| RAM: |
128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended) |
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CD-ROM: |
yes |
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Monitor: |
1024x768 SVGA monitor |
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Sound Card: |
yes |
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Optional: |
none |
| Other: |
Mouse,
Speakers
Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 5.0 or higher, Internet connection to
access online features*
*User responsible for all internet fees and charges. The online
services advertised as part of this product may be changed or
discontinued at any time. |
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