Resetting Template Files

The information in this article applies to:

DESCRIPTION

My templates are outdated or have been modified. How can I reset the template files used by my program version?

OR

When I try to open a new plan to start a new project, this dialog displays:   



OR

I'm using X10, Home Designer 2019, or a prior program version and I receive the following message:

• "#272011641 - The default template plan "X" was not found. A new plan will be created without using a template."

What should I do?

RESOLUTION

Whenever a new plan file or layout file is opened, all of its default settings are drawn from a template file.

In some instances, these template files are migrated from earlier program versions and it may be necessary to refresh or reset them so that you're using the latest available files for the current version of the software.

In other instances, a message may display if you try to open a new plan or layout in Chief Architect, but the program cannot find the file that you have specified as your template. When this occurs, choose either Load Installed Template and choose a template from the drop-down menu, or select Load Custom Template and browse your system for a template file. If no templates display in the Load Installed Template drop-down, resetting the template files may be necessary.

If you're using X10, Home Designer 2019, or a prior program version, resetting templates may be required if you receive an error message when creating a new plan or layout.

To reset the template files for Chief Architect X14, Home Designer 2023, and newer versions

1. In your Chief Architect or Home Designer program, select Edit> Preferences from the menu if you're on a Windows computer or Chief Architect> Preferences  if you're on a Mac.
   
   
   
2. On the Reset Options panel of the Preferences dialog, click the Reset Templates button.
   
   
   
   
   
3. A message will appear stating "#272032887 - If you restore the template files installed with Chief Architect, any changes that you may have made to these files will be lost. If you would like to keep these files unchanged, choose Cancel. Custom user created files are not affected by this action." Click OK to restore the template files that were distributed with your program, or click Cancel to cancel the operation.
   
   
   
   
   
4. In Home Designer programs, when you choose the New Plan option, you will see all of the templates that are distributed with your program in the Create New Plan dialog.
   
   In Chief Architect programs, if you choose New Plan and an undesired template opens, follow the steps in the last section of this article to specify a default template.
   
   

To reset the template files for Chief Architect X13, Home Designer 2022, and prior versions

1. Close out of the Chief Architect or Home Designer program.
   
   
   
2. Navigate to your Documents directory on your system, then locate and open the program's Data folder.
   
   Example: Chief Architect Premier X13 Data or Home Designer Pro 2022 Data
   
   
   
3. Rename the Templates folder located here by adding the word "OLD" to the end of the folder name.
   
   Example: TemplatesOLD
   
   
   
   
   
4. Launch your Chief Architect or Home Designer program.
   
   You may briefly see a progress indicator as the program copies files to create a new Templates folder in the program's Data folder.
   
   
   
5. In Home Designer programs, when you choose the New Plan option, you should now see the templates listed in the Create New Plan dialog and be able to start a new file using one of these styles.
   
   In Chief Architect programs, if you choose New Plan and continue to receive the same warning, follow the steps in the section below to specify a plan or layout template.
   
   

To specify a plan or layout template in Chief Architect

1. Select Edit> Preferences from the menu if you're on a Windows computer or Chief Architect> Preferences  if you're on a Mac.
   
   
   
2. On the New Plans panel of the Preferences dialog, click the Browse button to the right of the Plan and/or Layout Template text field for your unit of measurement.
   
   
   
   
   
3. The Select a Plan/Layout Template File dialog will open to your Templates folder. Choose a template file located here, or browse to a different location where a template file may be saved, then click Open.
   
   

   Only choose a template file with *- Metric.plan, *M.plan, * - Metric.layout, *M.layout, or ISO in the name if you're using Metric Units.
   
   Never specify a *.layout file as your plan template.

   To learn more about creating plan and layout templates in Chief Architect, please see the Related Articles section below.
   

   
   
4. Click OK to close the dialog and apply your change.