MarkMc

Sorry, was in a hurry and gave you bad info on getting into the schedule- it has to be a cabinet to get it into the schedule. ( I have them blocked with fillers in the library.} Cabinet set at 3' deep forced to overlap the filler.

Place filler manually, open dbx, front tab, change from blank to door panel, specify slab door. If you need them to appear seperately in the schedule you have to place as loose doors. X9 shows doors in plan, if using that check your layer settings.

I've been happy using Clevo/Sager laptops running Windows Pro. My first one is going in for a monitor cable but otherwise fine even with a few drops. Lot more bang for the buck on Windows machines than Apples IMO, just not as sexy. I prefer the OS others don't. Which one you like may be a deciding factor. Sager is a US re-brander of Clevo (world's largest laptop maker)- there are a few others. Highly configurable (done by the re-brander), all the ports you could want, don't look like spaceships. FWIW the original Alienware laptops (before Dell bought Alienware) were all Clevos. I bought the first one from Sager, second one from XoticPC. Either is fine, think I slightly prefer the latter. In most of the gaming brands (Asus, MSI, Gigabyte..) it is now possible to get a desktop processor which (in my case anyway) eliminates having to fiddle with Optimus and Intel video cards. Downside is battery life. Other than that get an SSD (m2 is a good idea), check ports.

An option is designate room as kitchen and use autoplace- still likely have to move some but the GFCI's will be on the wall at correct height.

In wood even complex shapes are most often built from straight pieces, it helps to know how that will be done IRL.

I use separate parts, more or less as I would build it, with different textures in the proper direction. If I start with a single piece, copy paste in place, alter to isolate members. Once converted you can change textures individually. Have original plans saved, parts in library, between the two alterations are quick.

My answer was not face by face mapping and I have no problem with getting it consistently accurate or altering parts. Corrections, I always have the correct overall grain direction for wood members.

Plan can't go back. Post the plan. Someone will solve it.

The actual question asked "What I'd like to figure out is if there is a way to model case goods + cabinets, etcwithout having a room around it. " Chief is perhaps the best software out there for case goods unless you need cut lists or to interact with CNC . First you said "no" because of texture mapping, 2 of us provided solutions (and I answered his question.) Then it changes to upholstery. You're right, Chief isn't ideal that. Sure improvements in CAD and 3D would be nice (ran into a few unexpected quirks making that arch top)...I'd rather see improvements for stairs. Think if you took a poll the results would be similar. If someone needed to design upholstery or even chairs more than occasionally they should look elsewhere for software. If just as a reference for a client I find something and alter it. The few times a year I come across needing more I use a pencil, just as when I built the stuff (but my concern then and now included connections thicknesses, that it can be done) maybe I'd also use 2D cad, maybe Chief and finally hand it off to the maker. (the ones I know produce physical models). I think you can either complain or look for ways to get what you need. Look hard enough, think a little differently and it may be there. Invariably what is learned can be useful later (make a module of Seagram's curtain wall with a cabinet . It's a hold over from my last line of work- "if you know someone who can do it don't call us", motto- "hey they built the pyramids with less" Very nice Graham, what did you use?

OTOH I have no doubt this guy does not use Chief. I wonder if he'd have done as well if he started with software instead of a pencil and a chain saw. http://craftivism.com/blog/wendell-castles-10-adopted-rules-of-thumb/

I have no doubt that 3Dmax is better. I suppose if I did much custom upholstery it might be needed (once upon a time I did build it for several years). I don't really want or need to add in learning or supporting more software. I've taken the time to learn how to get what I need out of Chief with an occasional foray sending something from it to SU for an adjustment. I messed with FormZ occasionally over the last year thinking it might help but always went back to CA, uninstalled it a couple of weeks ago. It depends on what you need. For the attached I have access to all of the parts and generations used to create the parts. In many cases a generation amounts to 3 minutes and a save as. 1-Dermot mentioned curved case work and the OP asked about casework to begin with. Did this in about an hour tonight while watching the tube. 2- installing this week- this was the easy part. The custom radiator covers were a bear to work out-not Chiefs fault though. Fixtures and furniture are only meant to approximate what is there all made in CA.-light is two psolids and a solid cylinder and a bulb, bed is an altered bed, psolid, and altered posts, cabinet is custom turnings, drawerfronts, and hardware done in chief 3-The single handle was made from a Kohler faucet in CA, about 5 generations about half an hour since it was the first time I tried that and took me a bit to find the right faucet :)- I cheated at the end and sent it to Mesh Lab to filter.

I do lot of and with cabinets, those don't need to be in a room BUT once you start adding in primitives having four walls helps a lot. I have a template just for making symbols. Cabinet defaults are Blank with no separations on all sides with no toe, no counter, separations set to zero. It has a couple of dedicated annosets, and one view that doesn't show walls, floor, ceiling or backdrop. As Graham points out there are ways. For instance I make door symbol (which can be anything) from different parts, and have different textures on them before converting to a symbol, those parts can have individually applied textures. Export symbol and alter in SU, then import. Plenty of ways to hack existing symbols too.

open the room dbx, moldings, use default, change to 5" to match the other baseborad

3-Psolids, trace picture, subtract as needed, convert to symbol Delta Cover.calibz

I run into it often enough, same as others and I don't do as much heavy lifting as some.

nah, actually Yoda is the king of making stuff with cabinets. Couple of years ago he made a mess of unbelievable stufff-don't remember exactly what...hand crank washing machine? Lamborghini? ...some stuff anyway.

Yes it was, got a warning when importing the defaults into the new plan. I also create new templates. Size could be a factor of save as too, have seen plans grow as I do a lot of that so always at least start fresh. Had a few messy plans that I had to copy to new to clear up issues.

Good idea Joe- a variation.

That certainly would be nice in cases like this. I couldn't figure out why it behaved the way it does.

Nice stuff Graham. One thing I did last night was to take Larry's problem plan- I turned on "record timing log" prefs, general tab. Opened a new blank plan, copied the entire plan over. Then set both in 3D views so only the roof showed, and turned off auto rebuild, turned off all of the lights. Tried a few roof edits, then dug out the log.txt Save as and deleted. Then tried the other plan. I was surprised in both at the number of lines listed for rebuild. It was overall too damn complicated to add up the times though. The other thing I noticed was that the copied plan reduced from 17 mb to about 12 and was a small bit (though noticeable) faster.

I think the vid Chop mentions uses the principal- (I didn't check it though) but a week or two after I posted a plan with the method in it Mike did a vid having come up with it interdependently. Attached is a plan with one way to use some of what I did if you were doing a more complicated curtain wall than what I did above for the store front. I'd build the module with a cabinet, convert to a millwork symbol, place, then be fruitful and multiply. There are enough of the parts in there to get an idea of what you need to do-open the DBXs. Few other plans I've posted elsewhere could be of use- Sub Zero flush inset, and beaded inset, and some door kit plans for making cabinet door symbols. I also keep a plan template with framed cabinets (wall, base AND tall), separations set to 0", set to no shelves in front then change fronts to have "to side panel inset" (or blank area) backs and sides as openings, delete all separations. Just easier to start that way when doing complicated configs. Tips- when you get one area you're happy with copy and move to save that, you can't undo a step in the config so if you muck up you have to start over. Keep a second plan up with a 3d view-drag new door symbols from library to check that they do what you want. If they are off you can usually change stretches and origin in the library and try again. Setting stretches outside the symbol prevents doors from becomiing 3/4"thick when inserted Sometimes the answer is to add a new "layout" vertical or horizontal, or a separation and then change it to something else and resize. Chop is correct that I avoid doing vids. Partly I'm lousy at it, partly something Glenn said once that I took to heart (maybe not as he intended though) I took it as sometimes it's better to give folks enough work it out for themselves instead of "just do this". While I've learned an enormous amount from this forum there are a lot of things I wouldn't know if I wasn't in the habit of digging rabbet holes to crawl in. Here's one:) Forgot- one advantage of doing it this way is you can keep your members sized as you want but still tweak overall sizes. When working with a cabinet config keep an eye on what is and isn't locked. Curtain one way.zip

Being a cabinet guy I thought of cabinets. Inset, 1" thick, with inset side panel, back as an opening. Keep splitting. Made the doors first convert to door symbol. Do the math to figure members and sizes to get total first.

Thanks

Forgot and not sure it matters but I tried stretch planes/zones first so this is what they are set at in the image shown.

I somehow managed to answer in the wrong place Duh... Copy material, check global symbol mapping in the dbx.