Sharing a Plan File With a Home Designer User

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

I would like to be able to send my plans back and forth between myself and someone else who is using a different Chief Architect program, how can I accomplish this task?

Example: I am a Chief Architect Premier user, and would like to communicate back and forth with an individual using one of Chief Architect's Home Designer consumer software programs. How can I send them a plan that they can open and modify in their version?

ANSWER

If a Chief Architect user wants to be able to send a Home Designer user a file, first check to make sure that the versions that both users have are compatible. If the versions are compatible, then, the Chief Architect user needs to allow for editing in the Home Designer programs before sending the file.

The first thing you will want to do is to configure the layers that you want the Home Designer user to have access to.

To prepare the plan for sharing

1. Open the plan file 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.
   
   
   
   
   Note: If your client/colleague is using Home Designer Pro they can still unlock/lock layers.
   
   
   
3. Save the plan with these changes.
   
   
   

To allow editing in Home Designer

If a Chief Architect user wants to be able to send a Home Designer user a file, first check to make sure that the versions that both users have are compatible. If the versions are compatible, then, the Chief Architect user needs to allow for editing in the Home Designer programs before sending the file.

1. Click Edit> Default Settings , Select Plan then click Edit button.
   
   
   
2. In the General Plan Defaults dialog, check the Allow Editing in Select Home Designer Products check-box.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Click OK to accept the change then Done to close the Default Settings dialog.
   
   
   Please note that the editing abilities available to the Home Designer user will be within the limitations of their program. For example, Home Designer Suite does not have the capability to manually edit roof planes, create and modify custom counter tops, and has no layout tool.
   
   

If you are uncertain as to whether or not your version of Chief Architect is the same version as the individual using the Home Designer program, you can use the information below as a guide.

• Chief Architect X10 <=> Home Designer 2019
  
• Chief Architect X9 <=> Home Designer 2018
• Chief Architect X8 <=> Home Designer 2017
• Chief Architect X7 <=> Home Designer 2016
• Chief Architect X6 <=> Home Designer 2015
• Chief Architect X5 <=> Home Designer 2014
• Chief Architect X4 <=> Home Designer 2012
• Chief Architect X3 <=> Home Designer 10
• Chief Architect X2 <=> Home Designer 9
• Chief Architect X1 <=> Home Designer 8
  
  

Files created in prior versions of Chief Architect cannot be edited in Home Designer products.

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

For example, if the Home Designer person is using a Home Designer 2014 program, and you are using X6, 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 the equivalent 2015 software. 

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

To save the plan for sharing

1. First, Save the plan on your computer, if you haven't done so already.
   
   
   
2. Next, select File> Backup Entire Plan from the menu.
   
   
   
3. Select Backup Plan Files and All Referenced Files and check the option to Send Backup Files to Zip Archive.
   
   
   
4. Click OK.
   
   
   
5. Specify a filename for the zipped folder and click Save.