Custom Macro For Cabinet Labels

[Allen43]

I am new to Chief but so far I love it. Far better than my previous software. So far, the only problem that I have had is using macros to create a custom label for cabinets.

 

All I am trying to do is get chief's labels to match my manufacture nomenclature. I know I could manually change it on every cabinet, but that seems like to much work and honestly a waste of time. So could someone give me some help. Either a bit of a guide on custom macros and some recourses and documentation (which I, for the life of myself, can't find), or maybe a working-ish or example macro.

 

Some examples:(chief nomenclature, needed nomenclature)

3DB24, B3D24

U242484L, T2484L

FHB24L, BF24L

 

Thanks in advance for the help! And if I didn't give enough information or if there is a better way to go about this, please let me know.

 

Oh, almost forgot. I am running Interiors x14.

[Allen43]

10 minutes ago, solver said:

Everyone here appreciates it when new members complete their signature with some basic info including their version of Chief. Makes it easy for others to locate, and results in you getting the best answers.

 

You can add that info, Windows or Mac computer etc to your signature by clicking on your user name at the top right of the page, click Account Settings, then Signature on the left.

 

Thanks

Thank you for the reminder. I updated my signature.

[MarkMc]

27 minutes ago, Allen43 said:

there is a better way to go about this, please let me know.

I wrote a pretty complicated macro back when I was a kitchen dealer, not for the faint of heart. That broke when they changed ruby. If I were to do it again I'd make 3 instead. One each base wall tall.

But nowadays there is a better way.

Make a custom OIP field "Enter Label"

Write macro

oip=custom_fields

(oip["Enter Label"])

Place the macro in your default cabinet labels, each type.

THEN...

Whenever you configure a cabinet you will put a simple label in that 

Something like B3D %width%

IF you have to order cabinets in 3" increments you need to replace %width% with a macro that rounds up to nearest multiple of 3. (I have one but not where I am now)

THEN make a Style Palette from that cabinets, name it, select none, then check off "copy face configuration" & "Custom Fields".

NOW place and size your cabinets using ONLY the ones in the Buildenu or standard icons from drop down NOT the library. (I use shortcut keys )

After placing select appropriate Style Palette (SP) and click on cabinet. That will both change you face config & the label.

If you use a lot a simple cabinets, drawer and door put the nomenclature with the size macro(s) in the Enter label field in the defaults.

You can have specific SPs for things like trash pullout etc. Off the top I don't remember which of those require you to select an extra option to include in the SP.

Don't include sizes in most SPs, size the cabinets first (or later) in plan.

For these SPs I leave them to use the default door and drawer style.

 

You can start with any cabinets you have already configured.

That should get you started. If no one tells you how to write macro for 3" increments I'll post on Monday.

 

[MarkMc]

On 9/9/2022 at 1:42 PM, Allen43 said:

Either a bit of a guide on custom macros and some recourses and documentation (which I, for the life of myself, can't find), or maybe a working-ish or example macro.

Follows zip file with plan and one style palette. Plan has two types of macros in it. One group that returns the proper 3" increment- one each for either H, W, D.

The other "evo w drawer, Copy-3" is an old one I wrote back aways for a specific cabinet brand. It has not been migrated but appears to work...unless you migrate it then it needs to be fixed.

If using the H, W, D macros I  would likely add to them an if or case statement so that at certain dimensions nothing is returned.

Example: you want a layout to have XYZ- WH-D...unless D is a default; or if a base unless H is a default...like that. There are several other ways to get around that but this should get you started. Might be useful if you decide to go and hire a macro writer since AFAIK none of them deal with standard manufactured cabinets so this may help.

cabinet label plan.zip

[Allen43]

On 9/14/2022 at 5:22 PM, MarkMc said:

Plan has two types of macros in it.

Thank you so much for all of the help. I would really be lost without it.

So, I also noticed that there is another macro called "new_label". I don't understand what it does, or even what an oip is. I think this might have come from the SP that you provided. Also, I noticed the short description inside the macro, still don't understand what it does or how it works. I tried making my own SP and when I added the "new_label" macro to the custom label section it displays nothing.

 

Again, thanks for all of the help.

[MarkMc]

1 hour ago, Allen43 said:

macro called "new_label". I don't understand what it does, or even what an oip is

OIP is the "Object Information Panel".

 

the "new_label" macro reads information you place int the "Enter Label" field in the OIP.

The reason that is there is that SPs do not transfer "Specify Label" So set the default label to the macro and put the information you want for your label in the "enter label" field. Then it will be transferred when using a SP. I've taken to using that on many objects even is I'm not necessarily going to make a style palette from them.

[MarkMc]

23 hours ago, solver said:

Is there a reason for your syntax?

Um, yeah, most likely cause I'm not all that good with Ruby though might have copied it from somewhere else I needed (or thought) I need to set the variable.

Thanks for the tip.