Using Open Below Rooms to Define an Opening to a Lower Floor

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

I want to create an opening or a hole from the current floor level to a lower floor, such as in a loft, balcony or mezzanine. What's the best way to do this?

ANSWER

You can create an open space next to a loft or balcony in Home Designer using the "Open Below" Room Type.

To create an area within a room that opens to a room below  

1. Define the area you wish to open to the floor below by using any combination of walls.
   
   If you don't want any physical walls or railings, use the Room Divider  tool by navigating to Build> Wall  from the menu.
   
   
   
2. Using the Select Objects tool, select the room, then click on the Open Object edit button.
   
   
   
3. On the General panel of the Room Specification dialog that opens, select the Open Below option from the Room Type drop-down menu, then click OK.
   
   
   
   
   
4. You should now be able to view an open area in a 3D camera view.