Sharing a Project With a Home Designer User

QUESTION

I would like to be able to send my projects (consisting of plans and or layout files) back and forth between myself and someone else who is using a different Chief Architect product, such as Home Designer. How can I send them a file that they can open and modify in their product?  

ANSWER

If a Chief Architect user wants to send a Home Designer user a file, the same versions of each product will need to be used. You can use the information listed below to check version compatibility: 

• Chief Architect X18 <=> Home Designer 2027
• Chief Architect X17 <=> Home Designer 2026
• Chief Architect X16 <=> Home Designer 2025
  
• Chief Architect X15 <=> Home Designer 2024
  
• Chief Architect X14 <=> Home Designer 2023
• Chief Architect X13 <=> Home Designer 2022
  
• Chief Architect X12 <=> Home Designer 2021
  
  

Keep in mind that, as a Chief Architect user, you can open a file created in an earlier version of a Home Designer program and you will be able to open and modify the file. However, if you send it back to someone using a prior Home Designer version, they will not be able to reopen the file in their version.

For example, if the Home Designer person is using a Home Designer 2026 program, and you are using Chief Architect X18, then they will be able to send you their file, which you can open, modify and save, but they will not be able to reopen the file unless they upgrade to Home Designer 2027.

If you are using the current version of Chief Architect, but your client is using an older Home Designer version, they will need to upgrade or request the Chief Architect Viewer.

To share a project with a Home Designer user

1. Access the file(s) that you want to share.
   
   
   
2. Select Tools> Layer Settings> Display Options from the menu and lock any layers you don't want the user to modify, then click OK.
   
   

   Note: If your client or colleague is using Home Designer 2026 or newer, or Home Designer Pro, they can still unlock/lock layers.

   
   
   
   
   
3. If you're using X18 or a newer version, skip to Step 5. 
   
   If you're using X17 or a prior version, select Edit> Default Settings , and in the Default Settings dialog, click on either Plan or Layout, then click Edit.
   
   
   
   
   
4. In the General Plan/Layout Defaults dialog that displays, check the Allow Editing in Select Home Designer Products box, then click OK and Done to close the dialogs. 
   
   
   
   
   
5. Click Save .
   
   

   The editing abilities available to the Home Designer user will be within the limitations of their program. For example, Home Designer products do not have the capability to modify schedules. 

   
   
6. The project can now be exported or backed up, however the process will vary depending on the version used, as well as the features that are enabled: 
   
   
   • In X17 and newer versions, with Project Management enabled, navigate to File> Export> Export Project  while a plan or layout is open, or right-click on a single project in the Project Browser  and select Export from the contextual menu. In the dialog that appears next, check/uncheck the files that you would like to include/exclude using the Include File column, then click OK.
     
     
     
     
   • In X17 and newer versions, with Project Management disabled (Traditional File Management), navigate to File> Export> Export Plan/Layout as Project . 
     
     

     Note: If you use the Export Layout as Project tool while in a layout file, the layout and all plans associated with the layout will be backed up. However, if you use the Export Plan as Project tool while in a plan file, only the plan will be backed up.

     
     
   • In X16 and prior versions, navigate to File> Backup Entire Plan/Layout , select the Backup Plan Files and All Referenced Files option, ensure that the Send Backup Files to Zip Archive box is checked, then click OK.
     
     

     Note: If you use the Backup Entire Layout tool while in a layout file, the layout and all plans associated with the layout will be backed up. However, if you use the Backup Entire Plan tool while in a plan file, only the plan will be backed up.
     
     Additionally, if the "Send Backup Files to Zip Archive" box was not checked, you will need to create a new, empty file folder on the Desktop for the plan and referenced files to be backed up to:
     
     

     • On a Windows operating system, right-click in an empty area and choose "New> Folder".
     • On a macOS system, right-click in an empty area and choose "New Folder".
     
     
   
   
   
7. Specify a File name, if given the option, a location to save the project or compressed (zipped) folder to, then click Save. 
   
   In X17 and newer versions, an Information dialog will also appear stating "Project export is complete. [#] plan file and [#] layout file were saved." Click OK.