I thought this would be simple but ...

[JonBoy]

I can design rooms etc. with few problems. But what I really need is not to see solid walls but rather the substructure. I'm looking to design decks, screen porches, stud walls, etc. and I can't see an easy way to tell the tool what I want to do.

Amy I just using the wrong tool or simply missing a feature?

[harbinger]

You may need to just add walls in the beginning to set up the flooring layout, then delete them where they're not needed.
Also, SH3D is not designed to lay out floor substructures or foundations, but theres enough in the application to use workarounds. But in order to develop workarounds, you need plenty of experience just doing normal room layouts. And that takes time just tinkering with SH3D's features...

Users have been able to design roofing structures, multilevel floor heights, and soffits using SH3D's workarounds. I even came up with sloped picture windows for one of my floorplans!
So I'm sure with a little practice, you'll be able to use SH3D for your purposes.

[JonBoy]

Sorry for the delay in responding - for some reason I was not notified of the response.

I think I'll stick with "pencil and paper" for now then. Sounds like the learning curve is too steep for the benefit in this case. I'll still use the tool for room design - just not for framing out porches etc.

Thanks again.