Building an 'L' Shaped Structure with Full Gable Ends

Reference Number: KB-00456
Last Modified: July 21, 2021

The information in this article applies to:

Home Designer Professional or Home Designer Architectural or HomeDesigner Suite



QUESTION

How do I create an 'L' shaped structure with three full gable ends automatically?

Camera view of main house with gable walls at each end and attached garage with gable roof over garage door


ANSWER

A reverse gable, sometimes called an opposing gable, is perpendicular to the main gable roof.  A reverse gable can join the main roof anywhere along the main roof.  In this example, it joins the main roof at one end.


To build an automatic L-shaped reverse gable roof

  1. First, launch Home Designer and choose to start a New Plan .


  2. Next, select Build> Wall> Straight Exterior Wall , and draw the walls for your L-shaped structure in a clockwise fashion.

    Floor plan of 30’ by 50’ house with 20’ x 20’ garage at one end 


  3. Using the Select Objects  tool, select the wall, then click and drag its end out to extend the wall through the bump-out of the L, so we know precisely where to place our wall break.

    Floor plan view showing main house wall being extended behind garage to far wall


  4. Select Build> Wall> Break Wall  from the menu. Click to place a break in the wall where the wall extension meets the gable.

    Break Wall tool used to make a break in wall at intersection of extended wall


  5. Once the break has been placed, use the Select Objects  tool to select one of the walls indicated below in red.

    Floor plan view showing three walls in red to change to Full Gable Wall

     
  6. Once selected, click on the Open Object  edit tool to display the Wall Specification dialog.


  7. On the Roof panel, click and select Full Gable Wall, then click OK.


  8. Repeat this process for each wall indicated in red in the image above.


  9. Pull the wall's end back to its original location.

    Floor plan view showing extended wall returned to original location


  10. Select Build> Roof> Build Roof  from the menu to open the Build Roof dialog.


  11. Set your roof's Pitch and click OK to build the Roof.

    Floor plan view of roof planes showing three gable ends

    In Home Designer Pro, you need to check the Build Roof Planes checkbox before clicking OK to generate the roof planes.


  12. Select 3D> Create Camera View> Perspective Full Overview  from the menu to see the results. In Home Designer Pro, select 3D> Create Perspective View> Perspective Full Overview .

    Perspective Full Overview of house with gable roof at three ends of L-shaped hosue