cabinet building software

[hookerpimp]

I've recently decided to start building custom kitchen cabinets in my area. I'm an old fogey when it comes to design technique and I can put down quite the lot of people with my tsquare.

I'm looking for some design software that will allow me to design my cabinetry. There are quite a few out there and I wondered if anyone had any reccommendations on what would fit my needs. Below is a list of what I would like to have and how important each is to me:

1) must be able to print a cut list of all materials. this is essential. 2) ability to show me how to lay out my pieces on my sheets of plywood to make the most efficient use of them 3) ability to take in how much my stock costs me and estimate how much money it's going to cost for each of my plans 4) should be fairly easy to use, though i'm not dead set against learning something new if it will save me time in the long run. 5) I would like something wizard driven to get me started. i.e. set my dimentions of the cabinet style, and it will start me with a basic design 6) 3d modeling of the finished product. This isnt utterly necessary but a 3d image of the finished product would help my sales team immensely. 7) price should be low. This is probably a given, but the cheaper the software, the better. I'm not opposed to spending a thousand bucks for a piece of software, but it should be worth what i'm paying.

Much appreciated

[B A R R Y]

I can't make a recommendation, but I'd like to offer some information that can possibly help your research. "Woodshop News" usually has many ads for just the type of software you seek, many can provide demos. Maybe picking up a copy of the publication can help you narrow down the list.

Good luck!

[SonomaProducts.com]

The first thing you should do is sign up for and attend the AWFS tradeshow. Every serious cabinetry CAD vendor will be in attendance.

In the mean-time you can see who has the money to advertise in the trade magazines. The top few will let you try the stuff before you buy and you can tell pretty quick if you like what they have.

However, if you look at this industry and expect to compete without a full blown CNC shop you will be in for a big surprise if you are in any significant urban area.

Between the big box offerings, mass manufactures and local shops with automated system, no matter how nice and unique your stuff is, very few people will pay for what it will cost you to make a profit.

My friend initially had a pretty good CAD process and could estimate and draw any kitchen in a day. He also had a pretty good system for creating cut lists. But pushing plywood through the saw, scribing, drilling, making face frames, hand assembly even with the most modern equipment was just not workable compared to the automated CNC shops that were kicking his ass with lower prices and higher margins.

Even now that he dropped the $300k+ to get into the CNC mode he still can barely compete because his shop is local and his competitors have labor a few hundred miles away at half the cost.

Best of luck really but be careful and be sure to f> I've recently decided to start building custom kitchen cabinets in my

[bent]

I was just putting my 2cents into the post about the compucarver. I noted the ANSI/EIA RS-274-D-1980 (G code) used in metal machining. Would you happen to know if woodworking *nc m/cs use the same code language spec as the above mentioned code used in metal? Or the variation. If you gave me the specific handle could look it up. I can read the metal code, and CAD/CAM s/w, but never found out if its transferable. Just a thought.

[SonomaProducts.com]

[MSilver]

You should check out Cutlist Plus - It meets at least 5 of your 7 requirements

is a sheet layout program not cabinet building software

Matt