Easier way to get millwork into cabinet schedule and symbol hacking

[MarkMc]

Found this by accident. I'd been going through hoops to get millwork into the cabinet schedule. Arch blocks don't always read dimensions properly, converting millwork to a cabinet door is a pain to place in plan. So

Open new plan, place object, take 3d view with everything else turned off, export as .DAE. Then import as symbol, select type "cabinet", set materials to -plan, use default.

There is an option to select the type of cabinet-base, wall or tall. If you select base and your default cabinet is set to have a counter you will need to change that in the object once you place it.

Once in the library there is very little you can do with the new "cabinet" object.

 

NOTE-if you're hood has molding that protrudes from the side and you include that with the new symbol the dimension will include the molding as part of the overall size. That doesn't match most brands sizing. Solution is to make the symbol without the molding and add it later. If you are making the hood symbol from scratch that is easy enough.

 

IF you are using an existing symbol you can hack out the molding and corbels. I've used this technique to hack other library symbols to something else (say you need to alter the top section of a turned leg, ..door symbols were done using this along with a solid and a cabinet.) The easiest way to get rid of those is to hack the symbol through a couple of generations. Plan attached starts with a hood from the library on the left, then shows generations going to the right. Each generation MUST be converted to a new symbol before altering it to the next generation. Look at the stretch planes to get an idea how this works. The last 3 symbols are the new cabinet. The first one is raw, second one I quickly stuck on some molding, 3rd one I add a flat to clean up lines if using a shorter molding than it started with. (this is also useful if there is a hood in the library but you need to change the molding- 

Hood to cabinet schedule.plan

[Alaskan_Son]

1 hour ago, MarkMc said:

NOTE-if you're hood has molding that protrudes from the side and you include that with the new symbol the dimension will include the molding as part of the overall size. That doesn't match most brands sizing. Solution is to make the symbol without the molding and add it later.

 

You can also address this problem by just changing the bounding box dimensions.

[MarkMc]

4 minutes ago, Alaskan_Son said:

You can also address this problem by just changing the bounding box dimensions.

tried that first, does not work on the cabinets I tried

[Alaskan_Son]

12 minutes ago, MarkMc said:

tried that first, does not work on the cabinets I tried

 

Okay, I see why now.  That doesn't work when you import as a parametric object like a cabinet.  I was just thinking of normal symbols. 

 

Good tips by the way.  I've been meaning to make an advanced symbol modification video myself going over some of these things but haven't found the time just yet.  As you seem to well understand there is A LOT that can be done to modify existing symbols especially when harnessing the power of stretch planes/zones along with delete surface and multiple generations.  Good stuff. 

[MarkMc]

7 minutes ago, Alaskan_Son said:

Okay, I see why now.  That doesn't work when you import as a parametric object like a cabinet.  I was just thinking of normal symbols.

Right, and at this time you can't simply convert a 3D view to a cabinet, the only way is to export and import.

[Alaskan_Son]

13 minutes ago, MarkMc said:

Right, and at this time you can't simply convert a 3D view to a cabinet, the only way is to export and import.

Yep.  Actually, its the ONLY one of the options not available during the normal Convert To Symbol process.  Seems silly. 

[Joe_Carrick]

1 hour ago, Alaskan_Son said:

Yep.  Actually, its the ONLY one of the options not available during the normal Convert To Symbol process.  Seems silly. 

Yes, but when you consider the complexity of cabinets (doors, drawers, etc) you might understand why CA didn't make it simple.  Back in v9.5 & 10 the ability to convert a 3D view to a symbol didn't exist.  You had to export and import all symbols. 

 

I'm not sure what version of Chief we got direct conversion - but I remember that it was a suggestion that I had made.

[MarkMc]

33 minutes ago, Joe_Carrick said:

Yes, but when you consider the complexity of cabinets (doors, drawers, etc) you might understand why CA didn't make it simple. 

I'm not happy this works. A cabinet made this way doesn't allow changing or adding doors or drawers. It would not work as easily IF it did or followed all the defaults. 

[Joe_Carrick]

1 minute ago, MarkMc said:

I'm not happy this works. A cabinet made this way doesn't allow changing or adding doors or drawers. It would not work as easily IF it did or followed all the defaults. 

I agree.  I have tried in the past to make a custom cabinet symbol with doors and drawers using "3D Faces".  It's almost impossible.  However, CA has greatly improved the customization of cabinets so I don't think I would ever try to do a custom cabinet symbol again.

[MarkMc]

I meant to say I'm JUST happy this works. 

[Joe_Carrick]

It's kind of cool if you want to put a glass top on a sculpture of some sort. 

You just import your symbol as a Cabinet and specify the counter top as glass.