The Knowledge Base is a vast collection of help and how-to articles for Chief Architect's software products. Browse articles by content category or by searching for a specific topic. See our glossary for common home design and construction terms. Be sure to explore the getting started resources for a variety of other support tools.
Cabinet doors and drawers can be set to display open in both floor plan and 3D camera views. Additionally, the amount that the door/drawer is open can also be controlled.
Missing data from DWG or DXF imports can be a result of version compatibility issues, content that is located in model space vs paper space, external referenced files, and more.
The Project Browser is a convenient way to access all of the views that are present in a plan or layout file.
3D Viewer Models can be viewed directly in a web browser, on a social media profile such as Facebook or Twitter, or be embedded directly into a website.
The NKBA Auto Dimension tools have been merged into the Auto Dimension tools to add more flexibility and customization to Kitchen and Bath dimension functionality. To create automatic dimensions that follow NKBA standards in a plan created using an X14 template, use the 'Kitchen and Bath Dimension Defaults' in unison with the Auto Dimension tools. If you migrate a plan or template created in a prior version into X14, a new Dimension Default called 'Legacy NKBA Dimension Defaults' will be created.
By default, door and window labels are formatted numerically without unit symbols displayed. To display unit symbols as part of these labels, specify the label to use a macro.
Follow these instructions to resolve most Chief Architect software crashes on a Microsoft Windows operating system.
The shader model can be identified using a Microsoft utility called DirectX Capabilities Viewer. If the shader model is older than version 6, but the graphics card or chip is fairly new, the display driver may need to be updated.
Use the instructions in this article to backup Chief Architect content in the event a computer malfunction occurs. Additionally, it's helpful to have this same content backed up so that it can be transferred to another computer.
Learn how to restore your Chief Architect program, and all of your User Content by following the instructions in this resource.
Follow these steps to move your Data folder to circumvent unexpected behavior caused by having the Documents folder stored on OneDrive.
Cloud and network services are great for easily sharing files between colleagues. But before opening and working on a plan or layout, make sure to copy or download the file to your local hard drive.
Here's how you can install Chief Architect on multiple computers, using only a single license, quickly and easily.
Click here to learn how to upgrade to the most current version of Chief Architect.
The minimum system requirements for Chief Architect are described here for all current and past versions.
The User Catalog is a folder within Chief Architect software that you can use to add objects to. This can be helpful if you use a specific library object in multiple projects or if you have created a custom object that you would like to save for use in a later plan.
Core, Bonus, and Manufacturer Libraries, along with your User Library can all be moved to a custom location in Chief Architect Premier, Chief Architect Interiors, and Home Designer Pro.
Learn what your computer specifications are by accessing the DirectX Diagnostic tool on Windows or the 'About This Mac' section on macOS.
Specify which graphics card (GPU) is utilized by a Chief Architect program by accessing the Display settings on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer.
Review the features added in each new version of Chief Architect by reading these PDF files that detail the changes, and watching these online tutorial training videos.
Adding hyperlinks to text can easily be done in Chief Architect, though the process may differ depending on the tool and version you're using.
Access the Toolbar Customization dialog to customize toolbars and toolbar configurations to your liking to make working in the software more efficient.
If you are having trouble installing your Chief Architect or Home Designer software program, or are receiving an error message or program crash working in the program, submit your technical issue to Technical Support using the Technical Support Center. If you have a question on how to accomplish a particular task in the software, check out these other resources for Training help.
