Cabinet Library Questions

[MitchV]

I apologize in advance if you see this as a duplicate post.  The first post may have been in the wrong forum...  New user issues, lol

 

Long story short, we import European cabinets that do not have a manufactures catalog for any software.  So far Chief seems to be the best solution for design and shop drawing creation but I have a few questions.

 

1. Has anyone set up a complete catalog of cabinets in the library?

2. Can a custom catalog be imported or does each object need to be created an saved?

3. What about the import of custom finishes, can this be done in bulk?

 

Is creating our own library even the right approach to the problem?  Open to professional feedback

 

Thanks, Mitch 

[Kbird1]

1 hour ago, MitchV said:

I apologize in advance if you see this as a duplicate post.  The first post may have been in the wrong forum...  New user issues, lol

 

Long story short, we import European cabinets that do not have a manufactures catalog for any software.  So far Chief seems to be the best solution for design and shop drawing creation but I have a few questions.

 

1. Has anyone set up a complete catalog of cabinets in the library?

2. Can a custom catalog be imported or does each object need to be created an saved?

3. What about the import of custom finishes, can this be done in bulk?

 

Is creating our own library even the right approach to the problem?  Open to professional feedback

 

Thanks, Mitch 

 

I am not a Cabinet expert , that would be  @MarkMc  he'll have some answers for you I'd think.

 

You could ask the Manufacturer to work with Chief, there is a program set up just for that, but you can easily make Material libraries by pointing CA at a Folder and it will create the materials and place them in your User Folder.

 

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/partners/catalog-partner-program.html

 

I am not sure if you imported symbols , say from sketchup that they would work exactly like CA's Cabinets , but the Experts may have more insight on that too....

 

 

M.

[MarkMc]

3 hours ago, MitchV said:

I apologize in advance if you see this as a duplicate post.  The first post may have been in the wrong forum...  New user issues, lol

 

Long story short, we import European cabinets that do not have a manufactures catalog for any software.  So far Chief seems to be the best solution for design and shop drawing creation but I have a few questions.

 

1. Has anyone set up a complete catalog of cabinets in the library?

2. Can a custom catalog be imported or does each object need to be created an saved?

3. What about the import of custom finishes, can this be done in bulk?

 

Is creating our own library even the right approach to the problem?  Open to professional feedback

 

Thanks, Mitch 

This is the correct place to ask. However I thought it useful to have the answer in tips so I put it over there for you.

 

[Kbird1]

1 hour ago, MarkMc said:

This is the correct place to ask. However I thought it useful to have the answer in tips so I put it over there for you.

 

 

thanks for Answer Mark , that should surely help...... you are right , alot of people will find that info useful including me 

 

M.

[MitchV]

11 hours ago, Kbird1 said:

 

I am not a Cabinet expert , that would be  @MarkMc  he'll have some answers for you I'd think.

 

You could ask the Manufacturer to work with Chief, there is a program set up just for that, but you can easily make Material libraries by pointing CA at a Folder and it will create the materials and place them in your User Folder.

 

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/partners/catalog-partner-program.html

 

I am not sure if you imported symbols , say from sketchup that they would work exactly like CA's Cabinets , but the Experts may have more insight on that too....

 

 

M.

Mick,  Thanks for the suggestion, they use a European CAD program and won't put any effort into anything else I've tried...  I took the time to learn it but we are growing and i need a system/workflow that employee's can use and that can grow with us.  I hope CA can be the solution. 

 

Unfortunatly I'm a CA novice could you possibly explain your other two comments?  Or point me to another post

 

"but you can easily make Material libraries by pointing CA at a Folder and it will create the materials and place them in your User Folder."

 

"I am not sure if you imported symbols , say from sketchup that they would work exactly like CA's Cabinets , but the Experts may have more insight on that too...."

 

Thanks, Mitch

[Evolution]

6 hours ago, MitchV said:

 

"but you can easily make Material libraries by pointing CA at a Folder and it will create the materials and place them in your User Folder."

"I am not sure if you imported symbols , say from sketchup that they would work exactly like CA's Cabinets , but the Experts may have more insight on that too...."

 

Thanks, Mitch

When Mick spoke of "pointing CA at a Folder" he's most likely speaking of grabbing Textures and Materials from a folder you can create or have access to that you can import Textures and Materials from to use to modify CA Cabinets? Mitch, give a look at the Knowledge Base and other user helps (videos) start here: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00767

You can build a library of "Materials and Textures" that you can use to modify cabinets (perhaps). Here is a potential help: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00446 on customizing cabinets and adding them to your user library.

There is a whole list if helps under keyword "Library" you need to check out also. 

 

Also, you can go to the 3D warehouse  3dwarehouse.sketchup.com.  These symbols are created by users of Sketch up. The format allows you to save it to a folder and allows you to import (may not be the correct word) into your design, but; because it isn't created with CA, while you can possibly make some adjustments to the symbol to fit what you need in CA, you won't necessarily be able to change some aspects to meet exactly what you're looking to do, nor will it most likely be in a material or any sort of cut list. Go to their web site and enter search for key words: cabinets european_style kitchen and you'll see what I mean.

Hope this helps some.

[Kbird1]

10 hours ago, MitchV said:

Mick,  Thanks for the suggestion, they use a European CAD program and won't put any effort into anything else I've tried...  I took the time to learn it but we are growing and i need a system/workflow that employee's can use and that can grow with us.  I hope CA can be the solution. 

 

Unfortunatly I'm a CA novice could you possibly explain your other two comments?  Or point me to another post

 

"but you can easily make Material libraries by pointing CA at a Folder and it will create the materials and place them in your User Folder."

 

"I am not sure if you imported symbols , say from sketchup that they would work exactly like CA's Cabinets , but the Experts may have more insight on that too...."

 

Thanks, Mitch

 

Are you Selling Cabinets or Making them or Both? ... Do you use the European CAD Software for manufacture(cut-lists)/ordering? cos AFAIK Chief is not capable of doing that (only produces a Schedule of Cabinets...no Cutlist for the Shop) as since it doesn't allow Plugins , no one has been able to add a module for that either. That is something I'd have thought Chief would of fixed long ago , as they are heavily involved with NKBA etc and it's another potential Market for them.

 

For Bulk Material Imports, On the 3D menu Item ( strange place to me,should be under Tools>Materials ) there are 3 Options under Materials, the middle one Convert Textures to Materials , lets you point to a Folder anywhere on your computer and CA will take any .jpg, .png etc Files normally used to make Materials and convert any it finds and automatically place a Folder in the User Library , named per the Folder they were found in .....as seen below in My Library you can see the Kitchen Starter Package I import a few days ago this way. This should work great , if for example you have a Folder of Finishes used from the Manufacturer.

 

 

 

 

Like Mark, I use CA Cabinets for any of the Work I do ( I am not a KD or ID btw) and CA's cabinets are All "parametric" and have special features as such, but I am not sure that an Imported Symbol, (eg a .skp or 3ds) even if Imported as a Cabinet will act like a Chief Cabinet , within the Plan,layout Schedules etc. 

 

Mark may have more info on that aspect , as I don't import Cabinets or much else except in a pinch and can't find a model anywhere else than say the Trimble 3D Warehouse.

 

Mick.

 

[MarkMc]

Mick is correct, importing a symbol as a cabinet doesn't behave like a native cabinet. It's a last resort, can't remember how last time I bothered.  

Cut lists are only needed if making cabinets, there is other software suited to that (not something Chief should bother with IMO) OTOH you can readily get appropriate drawings of custom configured cabinets if needed to send to a maker using "Detail from view" combined with an annoset/layerset specific to the purpose.