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Cabinetmakers (heads up)


Alan Cooper

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One of the best forums for woodworkers is Woodweb.com which is doing a poll in their Cabinetmaking forum to find out how their users use CAD programs. There are probably some woodworkers who do not use computers at all so would not visit the forum or vote, so it is worth bearing in mind the poll result is not quite a cross section of all cabinetmakers.

 

I have placed my vote of usage and after doing so the results so far are displayed. See attached for results so far which may be of interest to Autodessys support staff and other cabinetmakers and woodworkers who use FormZ.

 

If you are a woodworker just finding out about FormZ read further.

 

I think FormZ is brilliant for cabinetmakers and having used it now for a year, prefer it as a main 3d modelling program to either Turbocad professional 21 or Sketchup pro 8 [Google's last version before Trimble 2014] I used Sketchup for a year before discovering FormZ after coming across a mention of Bonzai3d, the forerunner to FormZ Junior but Sketchup's requirement to make every item [collection of surfaces] a group or component irritated me. Both Turbocad pro and Sketchup pro are extremely capable for 3d furniture design but I am convinced that FormZ is faster and more satisfying to model with. It is capable of producing cutlists in csv format which is essential for me. For a CAD modelling program one of the easier packages to use, with fast results. I have had a few difficulties, but they get resolved, support is very good and prompt and version 8 is maturing with many bug fixes and new capabilities, especially now that the excellent free Rename Objects plugin for batch-use was recently introduced. I have the 3d model open in the workshop while cabinetmaking so don't need to produce 2d drawings as anything which needs measuring can be taken from the model, but the cutlist outputs exact sizes required. One of FormZ greatest features is the simple but powerful topological controls giving you control of objects at every level from points [vertices], segments [lines] etc through to objects, and the objects palette is very intuitive giving further control. I could say a lot more about layers, views, scenes, display options etc but that will do for now.

 

 

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Alan,

 

Can you explain further your process for producing a cut list from FormZ? Like you, I once used Sketchup for personal projects like furniture pieces and remodeling, but switched to FormZ (I was familiar with it from my college days almost 20 years ago) so that I could avoid the problems Sketchup seemed to have working with 3d objects; pulling them apart, reshaping them and such.

 

Thanks,

 

Tim

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Alan,

 

Thanks for the in-depth tutorial along with the spreadsheet. Up to now I've been copying the furniture piece and aligning all the various parts together to minimize my used of board and sheet goods. I'll have to give this a try on my next project. Thanks!

 

Tim

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Hi Tim, you are welcome.

I still use your manual arranging method when there are special shapes involved, like curves and angles, but for ordinary rectangular parts the method explained is very efficient and quick once you have used it a few times.

 

Another thing I like about using Cutlist-Plus in the workshop is that in the items list you can click on the headings and order the parts by part number [of course], but also length, thickness etc, material, layer etc at the click of a button according to what you are using so all the parts you are dealing with are listed together at that particular moment. You can also count off 'found' items as you go, or make notes in the 'info' column.

Best, Alan.

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