For SU users, here are two more "dynamic" components for use as an aid in kitchen cabinet design using SketchUp:
A fairly standard, one drawer, one cabinet, "dynamic" Base Cabinet, with choice of user selected, or "scaled", widths; and the plywood case work for same in a separate file, sans face frame (posted in the first post in this thread).
Put on your own doors and drawer fronts. Use the case work model for adding your own face frame, or going euro.
For SketchUp7 users, here's my full collection of "dynamic" Base and Wall kitchen cabinet files:
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zip folder contains: a dynamic "face frame" model; a dynamic "casework"; model; and a dynamic "cabinet" model.
Depending upon the models design, each will respond in either width, height, or both, with user input from a drop down list box populated with industry standard 3" increments, or alternately using the "Scale" tool.
(Note: If for some reason the model does not work dynamically when first imported/opened with SU, you may have to "explode" the model ONCE first ... but do that only if necessary!)
Let me know if you experience any problems, or have any questions.
I can relate to that. I'm on my 3rd, or possibly 4th attempt to learn SU and I think I got it this time. Problem is, it does so much stuff and does it very easily, that you get twisted up in it's capabilities. You can't learn it all in a week it seems. You need to put in some time and work at it a bit, with good tutorials at hand. Just getting the axis to work took me a while. One problem I think people have is thinking it is limited because it's free. I have have enough under my belt now to know this sucker is nothing less than amazing in it's capabilities.
I know it enough now to say it is the best thing for woodworkers to come along in a long time, especially the hobbyist or small shop owner that doesn't have the time or money to spend on autocad (I don't know zip about autocad other than all the architects seem to use it and it costs a fortune and the learning curve is supposedly steep.)
For me, I learned how to draw with a pencil well enough to "sketch up" anything I wanted to make, quickly. After all, once you learn how to build stuff, you don't need anything real fancy, sometimes just a few sizes jotted down to get things right. This program makes that about obsolete as I can do pretty fancy drawings to perfect scale, with close enough colors if I want to see not just how to build something, but exactly what it will look like when I'm done. The time it takes to do this is warp speed once you learn how to use it.
I'm still amazed something this good is free. I keep waiting for the "hook" to dig into my lip, but seems their is such a thing as a free lunch...
I been thinking of making another work bench for my shop for a long time and decided to use this idea to learn SU. I could have built this thing several times already for the hours I put in SU, but 99% of the time was learning. Now I could do this whole thing from scrath in less than an hour, and I'm still VERY new at this. Here is a picture of the bench,
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SU file is not finished, I'll probably start over just to make sure things are really how I want them, but here it is, I enjoy looking at others stuff, so I might as well put it up...
I do have the Pro version because I'm building a custom home where much of the design was done using the free version and the designer could not print out construction documents that were suitable for bidding/building ... and if I had to buy it, I wasn't going to buy it for anyone else! :)
The Pro version makes it possible for me to take the designer's models and output industry standard construction documents, and since I have it, I figured I'd whip up some dynamic cabinet components and put them up for free download for those using the free version. Besides, it was a valuable learning experience for me, and one that upped my facility with program.
Yes, I think it's kind of neat that everything seems to be included in the free version except stuff that would be used by a professional to share files with other programs. I'm still not too clear on whether the professional version has capabilities a hobbyist would need?
I'm not too clear on what dynamic components are? I haven't figured out yet how to resize things to scale yet, but I watched a video on Fine Woodworking (thanks for that link) and it seemed easy enough by just selecting and moving part of the design. I haven't tried it yet, but on your base cabinet, which I grabbed, I attempted to select part of it but it didn't select as shown in the video... I spent 30 seconds on it though, will try again with the tutorial in hand. I'm hoping that is not something only in the pro version..
Besides, it was a valuable
You seem to have picked it up rather quickly. Either you are really really smart, or you put more time in it than comes across in your posts. Anyway, you are largely responsible for me not hastily tossing it aside, and I'll bet a number of others will hang in there thanks to your discussions on the subject. Keep up the good work.
Again, you deserve lots of credit for keeping this in focus, at least for me. One of the problems I have is all the tutorials I used to learn on were buildings and stuff, instead of drawers, benches, cabinets and what not.
I downloaded and uninstalled SU about 2 or 3 times before I finally figured out how to use it. A few on line tutorials really help get the wheels spinning. I have been using AutoCAD LT since 97 and have been using CAD programs in general since 86. I am finding that SU will pretty much do what everything that AutoCAD LT would do with a very few exceptions. The big trick for me is learning/remembering to draw components and assemble the drawing with those components. I tend to want to draw every thing in place and that does not work out real well with SU especially if you want to relocate a particular group of lines.
It helps greatly to group things into components, and sub-sub-sub-....-sub-components. (It's conveniently mapped to the 'G' key by default.) You don't have to always break things down to individual boards or sticks, but maybe start that way and find some level of granularity that's comfortable. For example, drawers or paneled doors might be comfortable as a single part, or you might prefer to work with a grouping of simple sticks. Keep some "cutters" around to cope the ends of sticks, etc. I tend to work in place also. Other 3D CAD systems formalize the relationships as parts and sub-assemblies. You should do the same. Keep the outliner and components windows open even if you have to sacrifice some screen space to do so.
On the scaling issue: On normal models you will see scaling handles on all three of the x,y,z axis. On a dynamic component the creator can constrain the model to respond only to the axis he wants you to see, and he can hide the rest.
Since a base cabinet is almost always 34 1/2" high (z axis), and 24" deep (y axis), there is no need to use the scaling handles for these two axis'.
On these particular models, you may have to "orbit" the model slightly to that you can clearly see one of the side panels in order to see the x axis (width) scaling handle ... there should be on either side. On the wall cabinet you should see two scaling handles, one for height (z) and one for width (x).
Other than the ability to create "dynamic components", there is no functional difference between the Free and the Pro versions. Both versions can _use_ dynamic components, but they can only be _created_ in the Pro version.
The Pro version also has many more importing, exporting, and printing options, in addition to a presentation program/function called "Layout" that acts like programs similar to PageMaker, which allows you to create presentation documents, plans, etc from models.
IOW, there is nothing I can draw with the Pro version that you can't draw with the Free.
There is apparently a bug in SU7 on some systems that, when downloading and then opening a dynamic component, you may have to "explode" the component _one_ time to get it to work.
However, try this before doing that: Single click the model to select it; then on the toolbar go to Window/Component Options and click.
This should bring up the "Component Options" window, and, if a list box should appear with dimensions on it, you're fine and don't need to do anything else, except to select whatever dimension you want, click Apply, and the model will resize to your chosen dimension.
If you see the sentence "There are no options to choose on this component", then context/right click on the model and chose "explode", then go back and try the above again. That should fix it.
It's not ... dynamic components can be _used_ by the free version of SketchUP7 with no problem.
Other than the obvious advantage/ability to make one change to a "component", and have that change reflected in all copies of that component, there is an added advantage, reason to do so:
If you build the model from parts (components and groups), like you would do a woodworking project, and name them correctly, a cutlist is automatically done for you, by name, by the CutList plug-in.
Have you tried the plug-in yet? A must have, since you own CutListPlus!
LOL.. NO! I have not. I've been too busy building fences and ball point pens. If you are using it, or rather can you show me that function the next time we get together. ;~)
OK, I spent a bit more time on the Tutorial on FW and managed to get it to work. Here is the link:
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first did it to something I made, and then to your base cabinet. I exploded the thing first but not sure yet exactly what "explode" does, or if I had to do it first or not. This worked pretty good, and I was impressed that after resizing the drawer I was working on, the dimensions I had made also changed to show the correct size.
I got the list box, but no dimensions.
I'm probably doing something wrong. Sometimes little subtilities bite you in the ass on this thing.
The scale tool I have all sorts of trouble with. I haven't spent much time with it though. I kind of like the FW tutorial I listed above. Once I figured out the correct steps to use, it worked well. I can make your basic case any size I want and I'm sure once I figure out how to get the scale tool to work, It'll be even easier. This thing is awesome in it's power.
Those of you that tried several times, hang in there, it is worth the effort. It is NOT something most can learn in a few days. It does SO much stuff it can be overwhelming, particularly when you try to force feed the learning process. Thats what I do and frankly, I'm not smart enough to conceptualize all this stuff in an instant, it takes time, and for me, I get frustrated and quit for a while. So, while it is VERY easy to use, learning how it all works is a bit of a curve because it does so much.
That probably because you "exploded" the model (broke the base cabinet itself into its sub-components). It is the base cabinet itself, as a single component, that is "dynamic" and responds to changes in the list box. If you "explode" past that level, it won't work.
If you double click on "DC-BaseCabinet.skp", and it is opened by SketchUp, you should not have to explode it.
Remember, "dynamic components" only work in SketchUp7.
I right clicked on the face frame and at the bottom of the pop up window was "dynamic components". Clicking on that brings up "component options". This all worked as expected. I was opening the components window, and clicking on "view options"... I'm sure you explained this before, but my attention span is decreasing day by day... Anyway, worked great. I had clicked on dynamic components and component options a number of times when perusing SU but every time it said, no options available or some such. Now I see what it is.
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