MarkMc

Don't see a way to change dimension to simply indicate Equal - Equal without appending it as text which still leaves the dimensions-I'd prefer not to do in this case. I've been adding it all manually but thought there might be a faster way?

Thanks Curt- I see what it is doing. I need the callout on the elevation for the cabinet co.- had another where the cabinet was turned sideways with the same result. Ended up just adding a callout with the number.

Forgot-I've started to add back in the "d" in many cases, helps when the client changes things.

Appreciate the input Joe, I follow your posts, in particular about this, and use what I can from it. I've been adding cabinets to my Library since I started with X3. I actually went that way in the beginning. In my case it helps some but I've come to rely more on templates in combination with some cabinets in the library. To fully solve things I'd need such a huge library it would be unworkable. Templates work a bit better for me. They help a when the client inevitably changes brand or cabinet configuration mid stream. Even for those I need quite a few in the long run. 11 to cover the most commonly used cabinet configurations- twice that to accommodate ceiling heights and throw in a couple for raised ranches and splits. Currently have less than half that but the total is more jobs than I do in a year. What makes using the library convoluted for me: -Labels, four brands-completely different nomenclatures -Modifications. Need mods for practically every base cabinet and half the walls I do- each brand has differing nomenclature with 80-120 options per brand. That leaves me always editing the Component list. Mix in - two toe heights,3 top drawer heights by brand, over two dozen drawer cabinets (9 different 4 drawer stack configurations alone) likely. -different configuration -2 Inset (just rail heights not the 6 edges), 3 frameless, 3 full overlay reveals (plus mods), 2 traditional (lipped but no call for it). That's before I start mucking around. So I have some cabinets in the library, add to it sometimes, or fish them out of an old plan, and keep molding stacks in a separate plan to copy/paste from. If I could manage to get nomenclature, mods and sizes into a schedule so I could export it to use for ordering, even with some editing, in a decent amount of time it would be worth it. If I could get numbering to work then more would be "live" an improvement. Which is why I've spent so much time at this. I really wanted it to work. I was thinking of it as a learning experience but t's not happening. For now, I might as well generate the order and import the nomenclature into the drawings. Either way it won't be "live" and I can number plan Bluebeam in a fraction of the time it'll take to finish reordering numbers for cabinets in the schedule. But the model looks good enough, and the layout pages will be fine (except for those angled flutes and have yet to fix toe kick on the clipped corners). Yeah, I've always been a problem child, Still I know enough KD's like me, who need a bit more. We end up using CAD, AutoKitchen, Chief, 2020 in combo with Envisioneer, Cabinetvision, Pencils, likely some others...or a combo of whatever works for the task at hand. Ain't a perfect world. Chief does most but it's like driving from here into NYC-cruise along for 75 miles the last 10 can be brutal.. I've finally come to accept that Chief is for builders (duh) and ktichens, as a market, are incidental. It almost solve the (kitchen) problems but it never really will. They have too much do fix for the mainstay client. So for now I choose to accept the workarounds while kissing ano sets and this forum daily. .

Don't wish to add fuel- this is mostly in case someone looks at this in the future- in particular a KD. The arch block thing works like a charm and I'll likely try again in the future to generate a schedule and numbered layout in Chief but it will have to be on a much simpler layout than what I have now. I am running into far too many issues to keep at it: -some items numbers don't show in elevation- like a shelf behind moldings or a cabinet turned sideways on an island- workaround create seperate callout for elevation -I already have to edit text for all labels to get them proper in the schedule - already have to manually add ALL modifications to the component list for each cabinet- cumbersome -have a two tone kitchen and can't generate a seperate schedule- was considering just living- creating two plan files would allow me to solve it in elevation but not in plan -the straw was I have all (stacked) moldings done with molding lines- the arch block trick did not work at all for that and if it did it still wouldn't give me the stacked parts so- I'll generate the schedule manually and number after printing the layout using Bluebeam. Thanks for the help- will try again on a simpler plan.

Trying to get clipped corners to show flutes. When I add the accessory it changes the bounding box to show a rectangle in plan. It appears that the model is adding something at the bottom of the cabinet. The two cabinets on the left are using a custom symbol where I set the origin back so I could show just the flutes on the cabinet. The second cabinet has no tick kick or counter- was going to add to the library and I deleted toe (Chief won't consistantly do a proper toe kick on a clipped corner), then removed the counter to see if that was causing the plan view issue. After losing the toe the flair at the sides showed up- that appears to be where the problem is. The third cabinet has a standard fluted pilaster from the library- I've tried a few with no luck Fourth cabinet is a standard clipped corner (at 3" first three have 2" clip) with no accessory. Any ideas? Added a pic with cabinet floating shows the where the bounding box isssue is coming from but I can't figure out what cabinet part it is? Clips and flutes.zip

Trying to show cabinet numbers. Is there a setting somewhere to move them to the front-i.e. display "on top"? In plan I can move them around enough so that they show but in some cases the ideal location is such that they get covered in part or in whole by another object. Where I'm really having trouble is in elevation. Thanks to Glenn I took a shelf (which despite being in the cabinet tools doesn't show in the cabinet schedule-stupid) and made an arch block and put it on the cabinet schedule- great. In elevation the number dissapears whenever I turn on the "molding layer". It doesn't matter where I put the number. Any fix?

Yeah Lew, only slightly harder than opening a dbx.

Thanks Glenn, much faster, that's so good it isn't even a work around.

In this case I understand the categories. For a builder this is Millwork (except hoods), but if in the kitchen it's ours- so there is a conflict. Kitchen specialists are a convenient pick up market, not the target demographic, so Millwork it is (except hoods). I've been numbering in PDF with BlueBeam Revu for years going back to 2020. Autonumbering "stamps" are really fast once understood. X6 with some help I got on this forum has made getting a list and numbers perhaps feasible. If I can get the lists at the same time, in the same file (even though completely edited) it may be worth it-jury is still out. At the moment my old methods are twice as fast- generate list (in 2020, on line, or manually), export, edit, print to pdf, import list and number printed Chief layout in Bluebeam...but hope springs eternal, will see where it goes. I can still group select cabinets (among other things) and change the layer?? What can't have you run into that doesn't? Some things in the cab DBX are capricious in a group select and a PIA. "...maybe they'll improve it some day" Maybe-thanks to folks like Joe who somehow persist with suggestions. For this job the the workarounds made revisions a brutal nightmare-inset, integrated end panels, half dozen fluted clipped corners, stiles extended down and/or out, sides extended back, few funny angles, custom symbols, some stacked molding to a cathedral that bumps at valance-kind of job that almost makes 2020 look good. I decided to change my birthplace to Missouri

In the long run that means an awful lot of in and out but works like a charm. (Wonder how that goes over with newbie KD's.)Thanks.

Like wood hoods, corbels, legs, valances, custom symbols? Changing the layer doesn't do it. Trying once again to get a decent cabinet list out of CA with numbered plan.

While I only recently learned how to get info in the component list that doesn't delete when modifying a cabinet... So far I find it somewhat useful- to a point and worth saving "some things" to the library. In my work it doesn't come near preventing constant editing to get a schedule that includes modifications and accessories. Perhaps, if you work with only one supplier or don't have to do any ordering, maybe. Then again if you spec a number of mods often, deal with perpetual client changes then it won't, there are too many combinations. I use 4 mfg- most custom but even my semi custom brand is very flexible. Even the custom uses codes for standard mods and accessories. Then there are cabinets whose "label" changes based on accessory (I have one brand with 24 different trash pull out cabinets standard; each with it's own code) There is no standardization between brands, each one that I have uses a different set of codes. It is not uncommon for each cabinet to have an accessory or two along with 1 to 5 mods. Pretty much every job has at least a dozen different mods, a third of which need specific sizing information per cabinet per job. I believe this, rather than pricing, is the biggest obstacle to widespread adoption of CA by kitchen folks. (the majority of brands now have on-line ordering and only a few work directly with 2020) On the one had-manipulating CAs schedule to correspond with cabinet numbering callouts is fabulous compared to 2020 getting the information into it- with mods and descriptions- is primitive by comparison. To add mods for in 2020 you find the mod in the list- (lightning compared to navigating CA's library) - highlight the cabinet and double click the mod- if there are sizing options needed a dbx pops up then presto... - the info attaches to the cabinet and ends up in the description. (there is also a user catalog if needed.) It is so fast that I've often, after design is final in CA, opened 2020 to generate a complete list- export to spreadsheet- delete a few rows and columns, run down a column to number, and copy and paste. I'd posted a suggestion for this back a ways but didn't get much interest. (Back in X3 the "Craftmaid" with a C catalog had mods listed that may have gone onto the component list but I was a newbie then so couldn't figure out what they did) I'd love to be able to simply add a category for mods in my user catalog and be able to click them to add to an items component list- at worst edit the dimension of an extended stile or such. (so much of the Component list is simply irrelavent anyway) So far the best alternative (at least what I'm trying lately) is to generate a schedule in CA and adjust the number sequence. Then convert he schedule to text, copy and paste into spreadsheet and add mods and alter labels- print to pdf and bring it back in. So far this is the fastest. The downside to any of these options is that I'm working in multiple programs neither gives me "live" checkable information that corresponds to the model. (component list doesn't either with all of Chiefs workarounds for cabinets) What I need is something that I can use to order- good drawigns, good codes, good specs. 2020 's drawings and dimensions are inadequate, CA is inadequate for ordering information and has too many workarounds, ProKitchen fails at custom cabinet but is getting close and AutoKitchen had zero keyboard support last I checked- so here I am -I use Chief and... Life is a workaround

Had a similar issue today with drawerheads. I needed vertical grain slabs, made new material, rotated and didn't work. I ended up making a new drawer head symbol from a Psolid with a vertical grain. Don't know how that could work with a ceiling though.

While your at it assign keyboard shortcuts for transform replicate and for point to point. I use "m" and "p"

I've run into a sporadic problem with snapping cad lines and don't have the cause so can't help there. I've taken to overshooting the line and going back and using the trim tool set to stickly mode- faster for me. I don't have to spec the openings or frames for every cabinet but do have to do several per job. I recently switched to premier in part for just that, to speed it up. Once all is settled using models I copy specific cabinets to blank wall(s-sometimes use several walls to keep things separated) somewhere, group select them and uncheck "include in schedule" - change all doors and drawers to openings, then CAD detail from view, and snap dimensions. Leaves very little drawing required. I typically call out drawer boxes and roll outs etc. if I need a visual I use a polyline. IF a cabinet changes in the model I only have to copy that one on my "warehouse wall". I have not figured out a foolproof way to signal that a cabinet has change in model but I recently got the cabinet schedule working the way I need (thanks forum). In the process of working with that I discovered that there are several fields in the items component list that will revert after any changes are made to a cabinet (comments for one) I'm looking at a way to use that as a signal that a cabinet's detail needs to be changed.

I always have trouble with it. I often just make a line and use point to point move till I get the first one where it needs to be- then transform replicate for the rest.

When I do custom c-tops I use only one cabinet to start. That avoids having a bunch of extra nodes so I can easily stretch a side as needed. Adding nodes is easier than getting rid of them. Don't know why you can't stretch in the second direction, sometimes that can be overcome going the wrong way first, release the stretch in the direction you need. Sometimes the control key helps.

Yup

It's the bay window tool for that one. Using a combination of Scotts slam it into the corner after: making casings 0 (Simply unchecking didn't work as well), no trimmer (already had that), change default minimum for mulled units, and set rough allowance to 1/4- then using Perry and kbird suggestion I played with the frame on the pass through- set the depth DOWN to 2" and inset to 4"- then just for grins I went back into the component windows of the bay and made the interior casings 2" which closed the gaps and didn't move the window -Pretty close to real life now. Thanks all

Thanks for the vid- looks like the way to go- at least a bit better than what I've got. Think I can make it work out with your second method, a few psolids and some molding- at least to keep client happy. The upside is I only need the interior.

OK got it figured out- I'd been clicking add and only getting sub items lines-. i.e cabinet is C4, select it, click add and I get say C4.8, C4.9 etc. Nothing added to those sub items lines shows in the legend. IF however I select another item in the list- like C1 (the countertop!!) and click add then I get a new line C5 (not a sub line of the cabinet) Then on that new line I can select Mods, type in a description and it shows in the schedule. This appears to work on any full line in the component list EXCEPT the cabinet itself which is generally down the list. part way. I had one where there was a full line AFTER the cabinet and clicking that also works. SO any full line before or after, just not where you intend it. Testing this I found that sometimes after adding a few lines then clicking the cabinet adds a new line not that I'd be doing that. Little more testing and found I can add it clicking blank area below. That was so much fun I thought I'd add another row as a mod. That would make it easier to edit delete a single mod during design. The second line doesn't show. So then I tried adding to the first line expecting to get a sub line as I did on cabinets- doesn't happen can only add a full line.

Thanks Scott- will try that. Your faster (and surer) than me, I did a couple of hours including videos before resorting to the pass through, then fiddled some more before asking. I don't get it, maybe it's regional? but almost all the ones I run into are like what I'm after.

I can't figure out how to add information to the sub category once I have it? I tried that yesterday, and again today. I get the column in the schedule no problem. It doesn't appear in components except as a drop down in the sub category column, same in material list. In preferences I can add a sub category under categories- no behaviour options I can check off sub category to show in reports or master list. The "mods" sub category is not available as a separate option. What am I missing?

I run into a lot of these- bay window where the casing is a picture frame flat on the wall. Tried a few things, checked videos and can't find the answer. I fudge this moving the bay out of the way, then adding a pass through and moving the bay back. Close but no cigar. I can't get the bay to move close enough to the interior. How do I do this please? Bay WIndoe casing.zip