Cabinet Dimensions

[Jon-Mullwoods]

I work for a cabinet manufacturer and we just recently started using Chief Architect to create better drawings for our customers. Up until now we've used different software that we can manufacture from but doesn't necessarily provide what we want to give our customers during the design phase of a project. We get good elevations and plan views from the manufacturing software, but they lack in speed and ease of use for 3D renderings and to get a quicker turnaround for quotes.

 

That being said, I'm struggling to get the dimensioning of Chief Architect to be close to what we are used to. I understand we'll have to make some concessions and I have some ideas of different ways we may do things, but just wondering if anyone has any good dimensioning practices/set-ups that you've developed specifically for kitchens and baths, or if anyone knows how to accomplish any of the following "wish list" items with automatic dimensioning?

 

On elevation views:

1. Change the reach of the left/right vertical dimensions to only reflect the cabinets closest to them and not every different cabinet in the view.

2. Show the cabinet opening widths even if they are behind full overlay doors.

 

On plan views:

3. Show the base cabinet widths on one string and the upper cabinet widths on a separate string.

4. Show the overall cabinet run, especially on walls where the cabinets don't fill the wall.

 

Attached pics show examples on some simple jobs of what we get from 2 different programs we've used and also what we're currently getting from Chief.

[GeneDavis]

How important to your typical buyer are the opening widths?

 

Actually, how important are the vertical dimensions to the typical buyer?  Or even any dimensions.

 

Installers need dimensions and I find Chief can meet all my dimensioning needs to produce construction docs.

[Jon-Mullwoods]

A lot of our "off-the-street" customers wouldn't care much about the dimensions, but a few do. We work for a lot of contractors and designers who care more though. However, it's more important for our internal use between our design/sales, drafting, pricing, and on site measure departments. I do think we can get all the info from what Chief provides, but it's not quite as efficient and clear as what we've been used to, so I was hoping to clean them up a bit. We do a lot of custom work and gang-built cabinetry, so opening sizes often are what we use more than overall cabinet sizes. I understand we'll have to get used to some different things if we keep using Chief, but I was just seeing if there was anything out there I haven't discovered yet that could create what we'd ideally like to see.

[MarkMc]

For a number of years now I've used a series of default sets each with a specific layerset and dimension defaults to do dimensions. They are only used for doing dimensions and then I revert to the printable default set and layerset. They live in the drop down, select one, drag, go back to printable. Set them up for both plans and elevation view, number and name them to be in a group. It's more than what I care to explain here (and years ago someone from Chief told me that's not what they are for:)) Get in touch if you want to see them. What I have right now may not be exactly what you are after since once in a while I set them up on the fly.

Note that you can define reach and final position for (proximity fixed) for each string. Once in a while the thickness of a wall or other plan objects make require overriding proximity fixed but less than 10% or the time. Fastest method I found. For large plans it can also be helpful to set up a cad layer to use as a mask which usually means a second printable layerset.

Sorry if this sounds like voodoo but I can show you and we can take it from there. (not today- most of the week is ok though)

[Jon-Mullwoods]

Thanks @MarkMc. Some of that does sound foreign to me and I'd like to learn more. I'll reach out to you.